Hi! Bonjour! I’m Christine, Office Manager at Opal
Pro: I have worked many years as an Executive Assistant, from big corporations to Start-ups. I am also an English, Spanish and French as a Foreign Language teacher on the side, I love both activities so I decided to keep doing both Work setup: I work remotely from Nice, France I use Opal to: Get work done and spend quality time alone and/or with my loved ones My schedules: Work M-F 10 to 7 blocking news essentially ( I am not a big social media person ) Dreams: I want to spread the word that life is 1000 times better when you are not on your phone for unessential things
Pro: I am an attorney at a big law firm. I used to be a freelance writer and though I love law, I still dream of working in the Foreign Service. Work Setup Hybrid; I typically go into the office but sometimes work from remote (usually from home); I was fully remote for a long time back when I was a freelancer and then when my firms reacted to COVID. I Use Opal to: Focus on the moment, whether it’s work, loved ones, or something I’m watching. I have ADHD and OCD, so my mind and attention are always somewhere else or otherwise intruded upon. Opal gives me clarity and trains me not to check my phone reflexively. My Schedules: Office hours, when I’m having dinner with family, and when I’m at the gym. I especially use it at night so I don’t doomscroll at the expense of sleep! Dreams: A totally clear mind focused in the moment and with intentionality at one thing at a time. Opal: I remember seeing an ad of that adorable mascot and being very intrigued. I was in the midst of studying for the bar exam and really needed the help. However, the first time I tried it was during a concern with my wife and friends, which allowed me to actually take in the fun! That’s when I immediately signed up for a subscription.
Hey everyone, I’m Randy, an iOS Engineer here at Opal!
Pro: I started with Opal as an engineering intern in September 2020, and soon after I dropped out of college to join full-time.
Work setup: I work remotely from Boulder, Colorado. It’s an awesome place to decompress from work with all the access to the outdoors
I use Opal to: To maximize the current moment. If I am working → be more productive and efficient. If I am hanging out with friends or family → be more present.
My schedules: I have a work schedule during my work hours that block social media, video, etc. On weekends, I block everything to stay off my phone as much as possible.
Dreams: I want to help introduce the concept of digital wellness to everyone that has a smart-phone, and offer them tools to spend their days meaningfully and with intent.
Opal: I stumbled upon Opal when it was in it’s first private beta, and then reached out to Kenneth via email a bunch of times, until he agreed to chat with me From my first scan through Opal’s landing page at the time, I knew it was something I wanted to work on.
Romney it’s so great to have you here! We’re working together on mind clarity, I can’t wait to show you the latest version of Opal coming on iOS16 (soon!).
I remember the time we first met! You had done a high school project to test your friend’s addiction to Instagram, and I saw a YouTube video about it. So clear you belonged here!
Pro: My background is in tech, as a UX researcher & UX designer. I created This Too Shall Grow to teach designers how to build products that are more mindful of users’ wellbeing & mental health, and to help people build healthier relationships with their devices.
Work setup: From my lovely flat in Berlin!
I use Opal to: Make sure I don’t get side-tracked when I’m working
My schedules: 9-5, Mon-Fri
Dreams: A tech industry that doesn’t damage people’s attention and wellbeing, or our democracies. Being strong enough to do a human flag. Getting way better at painting!
Opal: I discovered Opal on Twitter, because I was following a team member!
Hello Opal community members.
This is my first time coming here. I came across Opal late night night when i was reading a Techcrunch article.
I am in Seattle. I was looking into options other than parental controls. So here i am. Hoping to learn more about Opal this weekend.
Congratulations.
Hi! My name is Rachel. I am in Nashville TN. I am a singer/songwriter but I am currently out of the game overcoming some health issues. With no structure in my life, I desperately need Opal to help me out of my screentime addiction Screentime was legit like 8 hours yesterday, so bad. Today Christine helped me get set up so I hope it helps!
Hello Gems! My name is Vikki and I reside in Rhode Island and, I work from home. I am using Opal to stay on task during work hours in hopes that I will complete my work during work hours.
I hope that will lead to better work-life balance.
I am looking forward to interacting with my fellow Gems!
Vikki, it’s great to meet you! Hoping the work hours are more focused and productive since you started with Opal. Can’t wait to have your feedback.
Pro: I have just graduated from a business school and I am currently working as a freelance for 1 year, as for personal reasons I want to be have a very flexible calendar! I’m working for early stage startups on different fields (marketing, growth, product…) or helping SMB to digitize their business. I have worked in a community-driven startup before so I’m happy to be part of a new community now
Work Setup : I work from coworking spaces mostly. I can also meet clients in-person when needed. I Use Opal to: reduce my screentime, avoid getting distracted or just taking my phone because I have nothing to do so I automatically have a look at my notifications. I have tried a lot of things to reduce it (Apple screen limits, new concentration mode - feature that I find very nice btw, other apps to limit the screen time…) My Schedules: working 4 days a week, office hours. Now that I am with Opal I’m blocking social media on office hours. Home hours are the most difficult to stay away from phone sollicitations, such as sleep timings.
Dreams: Not being too black & white on screen usage. Understanding how to manage it well for them to be powerful to you.
Opal: I discovered Opal over a conversation. I was sceptical about another app that would help me to manage my screentime. But for the very few days I’ve been using it, I might admit I’m happy to have tested it, it has already helped me a lot!
Pro: I’m a Video Producer for a start-up called CraftDocs. I’m also a documentary film-maker with a focus on environmental storytelling.
Work Setup: I work between a studio in Edinburgh and our HQ in Budapest I use Opal to: make sure my ADHD doesn’t get the better of me. My Schedules: Between being a new dad to a 5 month old, I’m online 7am-3pm GMT Dreams: Good tech that helps people experience this world better Opal: Stumbled across it while scrolling social-media after having a chat with my partner about how we could focus better on the quiet time we have at home together.
welcome here Doug! and thank you for already contributing with two great posts - I’m also a dad of a 2 year old (and soon to be a second one), and it’s a struggle to find balance. Looking forward to exchanging here about what works/doesn’t work.
Screentime was legit like 8 hours yesterday, so bad. Today Christine helped me get set up so I hope it helps!
