I’m Lisa Rowan, Lifehacker Staff Writer, and This Is How I Work

Every week, we share shortcuts, workspaces, and productivity tips from our favorite experts. This week we take a look behind the scenes at Lifehacker. I’m Lisa Rowan, and that’s how I work.

Location: St. Petersburg, Florida Current job: Lifehacker’s Two Cents staff writer Current computer: 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro Current mobile device: iPhone 6. Really! One word that best describes how you work: Lexapro

First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.

I have been writing news since I was 16, when I was freelancing for a group of weekly newspapers where I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. I studied history in college, worked at a public relations database tracking the newspaper industry (which was unimportant at the time, during everyone’s favorite recession), and moved on to digital news. It wasn’t until 2014 when I was trying to open a vintage clothing store that crashed and burned down that I started writing about small business and personal finance. I ended up spending five years writing mostly for the personal finance website The Penny Hoarder before being accepted by Lifehacker in May 2019.

What are your job responsibilities?

I write about everything about money, be it better managing your finances, paying off debt, creating wealth, or figuring out how the economy affects your wallet.

What apps, gadgets or tools, besides your phone, can’t you live without?

I have a Logitech K750 Solar Keyboard with a numeric keypad. When you write a lot about numbers, the extra space on the right, set up like a calculator, is grip.

How is your workplace arranged?

I’m going to move into a house where I will have a separate desk, but now I am doing everything in the place that once served as my kitchen table. I now live in a 500 square foot apartment, and while I often worked from home before getting on board at Lifehacker, I let my job take over what used to be my dining room. I have a spare monitor, laptop stand, keyboard and mouse, and the least ergonomic kitchen chair in the universe.

When my wrists start to hurt, I put my laptop on the couch. When it gets uncomfortable, I sit down in a chair. My cats usually follow me.

What’s your favorite shortcut or hack?

Coffee shelf. I hate decaffeinated coffee (that’s an attraction for me), but I discovered here in the 30s that my favorite caffeine can keep me awake at night, even if I’m depleted. Instead of skipping coffee altogether during the day, I brew a half-cafe cup.

Tell us about an interesting, unusual, or challenging process you have at work.

I compose everything I write for work, Lifehacker or freelance work in a simple TextEdit window. It’s a virtually faceless, plain white box that can be as big or as small as I want, making it perfect for taking notes while I’m researching, interviewing, or just trying to keep my writing head clean.

How do you keep track of what you need to do?

I have a special notebook for work that serves as both a to-do list and a diary of meetings and ideas. I also use paper planner, work Google Calendar, and personal Google Calendar to keep track of appointments and appointments.

How to recharge or relax?

I love going to the gym right after work to clear my head watching podcasts. If I’m working on a freelance project or assignment that needs my attention in the evening, it can be difficult to justify taking the time to work. But usually I leave the gym, glad I went.

What’s your favorite side project?

Together with my friend Kaarin, I have been hosting a weekly podcast about fashion and business Pop Fashion for 5.5 years. This is a huge job, especially since this is a news show with no invited interviews, so we can’t plan things too far ahead. But the show has been a constant in my life, it has experienced many other things – cities, guys, work, cat (RIP).

While Kaarin and I used to record together in an impromptu fort of blankets and books to record our episodes, we now rely on technology to record in two locations. I have a fold-out table in my bedroom closet on which I record episodes. Trick: Use your clothes as impromptu acoustic panels.

What are you reading now or what do you recommend?

I reread, very slowly, the Phyllis Reynolds Naylor series of books that I enjoyed as a child. Dubbed simply the Alice series , they follow Alice McKinley from fourth grade to college as she spends her teenage years with her father and brother. These are ideal books for bedside tables when I only feel like reading for 15 minutes before bed, or at nights when I just can’t sleep (probably because of all the caffeine I mentioned).

Who else would you like to see to answer these questions?

Lisa Hanawalt.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

You cannot change anyone else’s behavior other than your own.