20 (or so) questions on how Tess (@Tesstranslates) works

This series of posts was inspired by Lifehacker’s How I Work series, which I’ve been reading for quite some time and thoroughly enjoy. It’s about time we discover how our colleagues work and get to know them a little better.

If you want to participate in this fun series, send us an email at info@linguagreca.com so we can send you the Word template where you can fill in your answers and your bio (incl. your site/blog/social media links) and then send it back to us as an attachment along with your photo (optional but preferred). If you don’t like any of the questions, just delete them and add your own. You can read the previous interviews here.

Location: Park City, UT, USA
Desired location: Stockholm, Sweden
Current work title: English-Swedish-English translator, company owner, entrepreneur
Desired work title: English-Swedish-English translator, company owner, entrepreneur, trainer, consultant, writer
Languages you have studied or currently speak: I currently speak mostly English and Swedish, but I have also studied and speak some Finnish, French, German and Italian
The project you’re most proud of: Being the Swedish translator for Lions International and William Clinton Foundation, since it makes me feel like I contribute in helping the improve the world. Another project I am proud of is my Swedish translation of the business management book “Lean Toolbox” by John Bicheno and Matthias Holweg
Your current computer setup: Desktop PC computer with large screen, plus my new Macbook Air, with only Windows installed.
Do you own a smartphone? Yes
Favorite time of the day: My most efficient time is mid-to-late morning but I am a true night owl and love late evenings.
Favorite gadget My iPhone covers most of my needs, but I do love my Kindle reader too.
Next conference/event you’re planning to attend: Still on a high from the American Translators Associations 54^th conference, but I plan to attend the Swedish Association of Professional Translators conference in Sweden in May. In between I might squeeze in some non-language related business conferences in between.
How many hours per day do you usually work: It varies, but usually 6-8 hours in and on my translation business before switching to being there for my family, which is why I became a freelancer/solopreneur in the first place.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Not sure, I think it depends on the situation. I crave company and socialization, but I also need my down time to recharge.
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl? Early riser these days, since I need to get up at 6 am with the kids before they go to school, but by nature I am a night owl, which means that I am constantly sleep deprived these days, unless I go to bed and fall asleep early (which is really hard).
What do you listen to while you work? Often nothing, sometimes yoga-music, sometimes the Swedish radio and if I have a very monotonous and non-challenging work I might also squeeze in a Swedish audiobook every once in a while

And a few non-work related questions to get more personal 🙂

Your babies or pets, incl. names and ages: Alexander 14, Alicia 12, Leah the dog, 8, Timi the cat 11 and Cactus the cat 1.
Next city/country you want to visit: Hard to choose, but here are a few: Greece, Costa Rica, the Caribbean… We usually end up going where one of us has business events or friends.
Favorite vacation place: Someplace warm with a beach and good food, no particular favorite. I also loved visiting India when I was there.
Favorite book: Also hard to choose, but I love many dog books such as “The art of racing in the rain”, “Marley and Me” and “Dancing with the White dog”. Other books I have loved are “The Kite Runner”, “Three cups of tea”, “The time travelers wife”, “Eat, pray, love” and many Swedish books and authors.
Favorite song: No particular favorite, depends on my mood and what I am doing, but I rather listen to modern music than oldies.
What are you currently reading? “The barefoot executive” by Carrie Wilkinson

Author bio

Tess Whitty is an English-Swedish translator and owner of Swedish Translation Services, which provides English-Swedish-English translation, proofreading and editing services. She specializes in IT, software, marketing and business communication, and medical/cosmetics. Aside from her regular translation work, she serves as language chair and grader for the English-Swedish certification program, and chair for the Chapter/affiliate group committee for the American Translators Association. She also gives training seminars and presentations on translation and marketing skills for translators. For more information, and to connect, go to www.swedishtranslationservices.com.