REALIZATION SPECIALIST DAVID SCHWALL IS SHARP YET EMPATHETIC—THE IDEAL PERSON TO HELP GET PIO SYSTEMS UP AND RUNNING ALL OVER THE WORLD. JOIN HIM FOR A WORKDAY IN NEW YORK, FROM PEACEFUL WHITE PLAINS TO THE BUSTLING CITY…AND GET HIS RECIPE FOR A QUICK BUT KILLER BREAKFAST SANDWICH.
I wake up, make a coffee, have yogurt, and fill up some seltzer (SodaStream is king). Then I wish my beautiful wife well on her day right before she heads out to work!
Fave breakfast ever:
Poached eggs and Norwegian Salmon
Go-to breakfast:
Homemade scrambled eggs, bacon, and English muffin sandwich. All you need are eggs, Frank's Buffalo sauce, TJ's everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, and then some cheese (Tillamook 3x Cheddar is bomb). Make it in a cast-iron pan, little bit of butter (Kerry Gold = Ireland's finest). Don't need anything else.
Music for working:
Metal or Techno. Depends on the mood. Metal = focus/energy and Techno = fun/relax.
METAL = Ghost, Frozen Soul, Kvelertak
TECHNO = Cascada, Gigi D'Agostino, Darude, Scooter
For a quick bite or lunch on a workday in NYC:
Sunrise Mart, 'Essen, and Upside Pizza are the mains for my colleague Ian and I to grab a quick bite for lunch. Upside pizza in Soho was always reliable. Vodka & upside down slice for lunch. We moved offices to Midtown—the Upside there isn't as good.
On screen breaks:
Refilling my seltzer is a good excuse for a screen break. Always nice to go for a quick stroll whether that's just something simple like taking the garbage to the basement or tidying up the coffee table/couch when WFH. Or I’ll run for a quick coffee prior to a meeting if in NYC.
A nice part of the day:
Making an afternoon coffee is always nice. Compared to the morning coffee, there's no rush to get the day going, make the first meeting, review notes or questions, potential issues with a project, etc. Just a few moments to grind some beans, heat up some water, and make a nice, smooth, AeroPress coffee/latte. Speaking of, going to make one now...
The best part of his job:
I really enjoy working to try and make a difference to a small-to-midsize business. It has taken a lot of time and research, and definitely has been much tougher with all the logistical hurdles and costs that are involved with projects here in the US, but I think we may have turned a corner with the 500 sq ft grid (stay tuned for this news). To maybe see a light around the corner, feels good to feel like my work actually has a direct impact on both our company and the potential customers.
On productivity:
I make sure I have enough time to get dressed, make coffee, and do a quick workout before 8AM. Gets the blood flowing and my mind concentrated on the tasks at hand.