The first thing you should know about me is that I’m a murderer.
I have killed every plant I ever owned, except for 3 recently given to me by my well-intentioned sister, which are currently on life support.
The second thing worth knowing about me is that I’m a Jamaican-born freelance web designer with a background in digital marketing; and I’m mostly passionate about three things:
- helping small businesses thrive online
- simplifying life and work through minimalism and lifestyle design
- solo slow travel to walkable cities and towns around the world
Here’s what I’m up to right now:
- Recently launched the Angelic Ladies Society website at angelicladiessociety.org. It’s a Jamaican non-profit that offers social intervention programmes for vulnerable and high risk girls and young women. Please feel free to check out their work and donate to their cause if you can!
- Finished Matt Haig’s book Reasons To Stay Alive and found it quite underwhelming. It was really about his own experience with depression and anxiety, and cheering himself on for making it past the worst. Poorly-titled and self-congratulatory. Do not read if you actually want reasons to stay alive. Next on my TBR: How To Be Your Own Therapist by Owen O’Kane. I’ve already started and it looks super promising.
- Currently bingeing The Mentalist on Max. Fun show. I try not to watch too many crime dramas because the deaths kinda trigger me, but this isn’t too bad. #rootingforrigspelt
Inspired by Derek Sivers’ /now page movement and can be accessed at any time via hayles.io/now
Last updated: March 2024 in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Here’s a quick list of the main tools I use to run my business and build websites for my clients:
Hardware
- M2 Macbook Air base model (only upgraded from M1 because my screen cracked 🥲)
- iPhone 15 Pro base model (only upgraded from 13 Pro Max because my screen went blank – sensing a theme here?). I also use a PopSocket on it when I’m home and this magnetic wallet case when I go out.
- AirPods Pro 1st gen (will replace with latest model when the screen inevitably breaks 🤣)
- This wireless mouse
- This portable laptop stand
Business Management & Productivity
- Spark for email (paid version)
- Apple Calendar (native app on desktop and phone)
- iCloud for file storage
- Cal.com for meeting scheduling (much better than Acuity!)
- Bear for notetaking and journaling
- Things 3 for task management (also use LlamaLife for daily task lists and pomodoros)
- Whereby for online meetings (online based, no downloads required – far superior to Zoom)
- BitWarden for password management
- Wave for accounting and invoicing
- Brave browser (similar to Chrome, but without annoying ads – even on YouTube!)
- Payoneer for transferring online payments to my local bank accounts (referral link)
Web Design
- Elementor page builder (single most important tool in my web design business – referral link)
- Namecheap for domains and hosting
- Canva for graphics and image editing (paid version)
- Fathom for website analytics (paid but worth it, eons better than Google Analytics – referral link)
- Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash for free stock photos
- ManageWP to manage multiple sites
- InstaWP to spin up demo sites (referral link)
- Nimbus Capture for full-page screenshots
- ColorZilla for getting hex codes for any color on a page
- WhatFont for finding out the font on any page
Have a question about any of these tools? Feel free to reach out via email or Twitter DM to chat.
books
Born a Crime
The Art of Non-Conformity
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Who Moved My Cheese
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Essentialism
The Pumpkin Plan
Company of One
Finding Me
A Perfect Vintage
tv shows
Revenge (ABC)
The Newsroom
How To Get Away With Murder
Game of Thrones
Succession
Downton Abbey
Grace & Frankie
Blindspot
Covert Affairs
@fter Midnight
movies
The Greatest Showman
Hamilton
(it counts!)
Practical Magic
Coyote Ugly
Thor:Ragnarok
Chicago
Sweeney Todd
The Family That Preys
Knives Out
Catch Me If You Can