I’m the Host of Smosh Games, Mari Takahashi, and This Is How I Work
Before Mari Takahashi joined the entertainment company Smosh, her job was ballet and her career was to make a living teaching dance. She is now in charge of Smosh Games , a YouTube channel with over 7 million subscribers, where she appears regularly in videos such as her show MariCraft in Minecraft. She told us how she does her job, what tools she uses, and that she is strategic yet flexible.
Location: Los Angeles, California Current Workplace: Executive Producer and Host of Smosh Games One word that best describes how you work: Obsession Modern mobile devices: iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S7 Current computer: Microsoft Surface Book and Maingear R1
First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.
I was a professional ballerina in the San Francisco Bay Area, doing odd jobs and teaching ballet to supplement my income. I gave a concert on an internet channel that invited someone who spoke Japanese – as far as I know, it was for an iconic YouTube channel called Smosh. Next thing you know, I’m the third member of their ensemble and one woman show: I produce, write, edit and host my own show, Smosh Pit Weekly . Two years later, we launched a gaming channel, which is still gaining 7 million subscribers.
I thought I would do ballet for as long as my body can handle it and then teach ballet until I die. An unexpected door opened during the trial, and since then I have followed this unconventional path.
Tell us about a recent work day.
I wake up at 8, meditate, play a brain game (sudoku or solitaire), listen to a podcast in Japanese, stretch, and then go through emails and a diary. I arrive at the office at 10, grab a coffee and start recording game videos at 10:30. I read social media and switch to one of The Office episodes during my lunch break.
We’ll then go back to recording new videos before 4pm. I stay until 6:30 (or 8, or maybe 9), write emails, make appointments, or sit and throw ideas for future videos. The evening is reserved for recharging with dinner and a movie with the groom.
What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without?
A Google calendar to keep our team’s schedules up to date and visible … and a Moleskine notebook. As easily as I can rely on digital forms, I find that journaling, brainstorming, and list building work best for me when they are analog.
How is your workplace arranged?
At home I have a clean, bright, minimalistic environment. In the office, my powerful gaming PC is surrounded by an explosion of fancy figurines, game consoles, tangles of cords that attach to something important (I’m sure).
What’s your best shortcut or life hack?
I no longer do my makeup every day (even if I take off) thanks to microblading, which saves at least 15 minutes a day, every day. Hacks that save time are a priority.
Tell us about an interesting, unusual, or challenging process you have at work.
We almost always know how a video will start, but we never know how it will end. Ideas that we think are set in stone are being transformed because our videos are not scripted. We play games and relive events in real time, and it’s more like a long impromptu game that moves in zigzags, waves and spins. Is it careless? No, but strategy doesn’t mean you can’t be free.
Who are the people who help you achieve results, and how do you rely on them?
I make sure the people closest to me are the ones who keep me humble, encourage me to work harder, get better, and aren’t afraid to call me my bullshit.
How do you keep track of what you need to do?
My bullet diary is my life. It helps me stay sane … and organized! It’s like a corkboard full of notes, drawings on cocktail napkins, polaroid shots, and business cards rolled into a notebook. Plus, there is simply no digital method of crossing something off your to-do list that is as enjoyable as running a line through it with a pen.
What do you enjoy doing the most and how do you deal with it?
I hate training, but I love movement. Going to the gym repeating the usual bicep curls is pure torture, but yoga, circus art, or dance lessons that allow me to be creative and active at the same time are divine. I think I need to force myself to train, so I was able to spend almost 30 years ballet!
How to recharge or take a break from work?
I stretch, move, run, fight Nerf, or roll on the floor.
What’s your favorite side project?
Finding ways to use my social media to talk about climate change and space exploration has become a huge passion of mine. I’m not a scientific expert, but having conversations as a fan and advocate is great. I look forward to working more closely with organizations to have a greater impact.
What are you reading now or what do you recommend?
Gary Weinerchuck squashed it!
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
This is a mantra that I constantly try to keep, but I fully support: “Done” is better than perfect. Perceptions of perfection often overwhelm projects and dreams in order to simply fulfill them. Perfection is an illusion – just do it!
What else would you like to add that might be of interest to readers and fans?
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be doing interviews for Lifehacker because I made a name for myself in games. Enjoy the strange windy path that life offers and learn from each experience. Life is cool if you take advantage of these raw opportunities – this ballerina believes.