One Bag Ah Tings With Lyndsey McDonnough

When it comes to girl boss Lyndsey McDonnough, being prepared for anything is the number one reason she walks around with 'ah bag ah tings'. We at Flair were a little sceptical about the number of items she could fit in her trendy, medium-size tote until the Market Me managing director showed us that her daily carry-on could rival Mary Poppins' very own magic bag. As she travels across the island executing various campaigns for clients, the passionate and down-to-earth media mogul gave us a sneak peek of what she needs on a daily basis.

"I'm a very simple girl," said McDonnough as she displayed a black and white tote with a yellow handle. "I got this bag off Amazon years ago and it's perfect for me to just throw everything in and move around," she explained.

Being constantly available and responding to clients is a necessity for McDonnough. "I always travel with my laptop and my IPad. It might seem a little excessive to other people but my IPad gives me the ability to have a dual screen, which is amazing. If I have to run on the road I can just grab my IPad and work from it," she explained. To stay connected, McDonnough travels with her MiFi, which enables her to always have access to the Internet. "There have been moments when we need to send off an immediate release after an event, and this gets the job done. It's perfect. Everyone needs to get one."

LIFELINES

"My portable hard drive is my life," she said as she held the tiny, silver rectangle protected by an orange silicone skin. "All my files and details are stored here and I always have it with me," she said, as she gently added it to her impressive pile of electronics. Just when we thought she was done, she fished out a pink case which housed a portable Cannon camera. "We send out a lot of photos from events and a regular phone camera will not cut it. A lot of media houses need high-quality photos, which you honestly cannot get from a phone camera. Having a portable camera in my field is important," said McDonnough. She also carries a large power bank to ensure she always has charge on the go. "I also have a recorder because I do not like recording things on my phone. I am always getting calls, which interrupts the process all the time."

With all the tech out of the way, McDonnough continued to fish into her bag and retrieved a curious package. "This is my daily vitamin package which has both day and night-time supplements. This has changed my life and gives me a lot of energy throughout the day. I got 'On It' on Amazon so you guys should go and check it out," she said. Vitamins aren't the only supplements she carries around on a daily basis. "I keep a bottle of St John's Wort for my anxiety. It's all natural and it works for me."

At one point we started to wonder if her bag would ever end. "Listen, whenever I send people to get something out of my bag, they always tell me it's OK, they can do without whatever they wanted. Nobody wants to go into my bag," she laughed, as she proceeded to retrieve more things from her bag. We asked if she really needed that many things. "Trust me, I need everything," she said.

Other essentials include a plastic file jacket filled with paperwork and small items such as a lip balm, pens, her medicated glasses, sunglasses, an eco-friendly tote and a plastic folder for receipts. "This is what I carry every day. I'm not fussy about the type of bag I carry, I am very simple. As long as everything can fit and it matches my personality, then it is perfect," said McDonnough.

latara.boodie@gleanerjm.com