20 (or so) questions on how Charles Ek 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, email us at info@linguagreca.com for the Word template where you can fill in your answers & bio (incl. site/blog/social media) 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. Check out the previous interviews here.
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA (Vienna, Austria, one month out of the year)
Desired location: The same—I love it here!
Current work title: Owner, Twin Translations (Translation, Interpretation, Copywriting). It’s a boutique language services business that I run with my twin sister, Dagy.
Desired work title: Running my own business was always my dream, so I am all set!
Languages you have studied or currently speak: Spanish, German, English, and 10 words of Greek. Look, there comes my σκύλος (=dog).
The project you’re most proud of: Probably the book I co-authored with my twin sister, titled The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation. It’s amazing to know that we have touched so many lives with it. It’s hard to believe it’s sold thousands of copies—we had been thinking we would sell a few hundred at most.
Your current computer setup: A high-performance Dell laptop with external monitors. I travel a bit, so I need to take my work with me.
Do you own a smartphone? Yes, a Samsung Galaxy. I don’t know how I lived without such a thing. I was an early Blackberry addict (think 2003!), but I am glad I made the switch.
Favorite time of the day: Tough one. I like the time after finishing my workout—it makes me feel invincible.
Favorite gadget (apart from computer & smartphone): My standing Varidesk. I bought it last December and I haven’t really sat down much since I bought it. It’s fantastic.
Next conference/event you’re planning to attend: There are quite a few (I love conferences). The next event is a panel at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference in September, and then I will be presenting a workshop at the Northern California Translators Association (NCTA) in San Francisco on October 3. As a matter of course, I am also headed to the 56th Annual American Translators Association Conference in Miami in November. See you there! It’s my favorite week of the year.
How many hours per day do you usually work: 2-14, depending on the workload. I am not great at taking time off, because I love what I do. I am working on it, though.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Classic extrovert.
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl? Night owl for sure. I’d rather not do early mornings, but I seem to have a lot of early-morning client meetings, interpreting assignments, and breakfast networking events (really).
What do you listen to while you work? National Public Radio (yes, I am a member) and the BBC.
Bonus question for localizers
Tell us a bit about your localization values: Make sure your translation fits. Make sure it makes sense. Think about it. Repeat. Learn to love programmers. In software translation and website localization: when in doubt, go for shorter.
And a few non-work related questions to get more personal.
Your babies or pets, incl. names and ages: One gorgeous furkid, Lexi, named after the Greek word for, well, word. She’s a two-year-old rescue German shepherd who is lovely, rambunctious and enjoys getting into all kind of mischief.
Next city/country you want to visit: I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii, and alas, we are headed to Maui this week.
Favorite vacation place: That is a tough one—too many to choose from. If I had to choose one, it would have to be the Greek islands.
Favorite book: That’s an impossible question, as I read 50+ books a year. But if I had to choose one, I’d say “Las reinas de Polanco” by Mexican author Guadalupe Loaeza. It’s the book I re-read the most because it really resonates with me thanks to my Mexican childhood and adolescence.
Favorite song: These are hard questions! Let’s make it a few: “Hasta que me olvides” by Mexican singer Luis Miguel, “You have killed me” by Morrissey and “Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen. I am a bit stuck in the 80s and 90s, and I love Mexican pop, classic American rock, and some British stuff; first and foremost Morrissey and The Smiths.
What are you currently reading? “The Children Act” by Ian McEwan, who is one of my favorite contemporary novelists.
Author bio
Judy Jenner is a translator, court interpreter, and small business owner in Las Vegas, NV. She runs Twin Translations with her twin sister Dagy and speaks on marketing and entrepreneurship conferences at events throughout the world. She’s the co-author of The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation, teaches translation and interpreting in the University of California San Diego-Extension’s online program, and writes The Entrepreneurial Linguist column for the American Translators Association’s Chronicle magazine. She’s also an ATA spokesperson.
Blog, Twitter: @language_news. Profile photo by Sam Woodard.
About the author
Catherine Christaki has been a full-time English-Greek translator since 2001 and co-owner of Lingua Greca Translations since 2012. She specializes in Information Technology, Medical, and Technical texts and loves writing for the Adventures in Technical Translation blog. She regularly shares her experience and insight on social media and blogging for translators, giving interviews and presenting at conferences. Connect with her on Twitter @LinguaGreca.
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Thank you so much for letting me participate–that was a lot of fun! I really enjoy reading others’ responses, and I am delighted to be part of this series.
It was great having you dear Judy, thank you so much for participating! 🙂