At Manual Labor, we’re all about transparency - communicating openly with both our teams and clients. And what better way to practice transparency than exploring and exposing the inner workings of our bags?
From essential items (laptop, pens, wallet — check) to surprising items, we’re taking a closer look at the always-carried-items from the Manual Labor team and beyond.
Bag in the Spotlight:
Dani Kennedy, Vice President of Creative
What’s in your bag?
I actually carry two bags with me, my laptop backpack and my commuting purse. When you travel over three rivers and through two tunnels, one bag just won’t do.
1. Commuting purse
It’s my Frances Valentine Birdie bag. I love Kate Spade and her niece Rachel Brosnahan. It’s classic, blows a kiss to vintage, and fabulous!
What’s in it?
- My wallet
- Keys to the ML castle
- My iPhone - often playing podcasts like Mob Wives, Dressed or this GOAT playlist that my friend made
- AirPods
- YSL Lipstick
- Prada Minimal Baroque Sunglasses (if you know me you know I ALWAYS have these on)
- Glee Gum
2. Laptop backpack
What’s in it?
- My laptop
- Shinola grid notebook with Sadie sticker and a sticker from Samantha Dion Baker (see below)
- Pulp Storage Pencil Case with Pencils and my favorite Uniball pens (thank you Jason Wu, 1:27 into the interview) from CW Pencil company (only the best)
- ML phone charger
- IKEA reusable bag
- A little bag with facilitation tools - Post-its, pens and Sharpies
- Hand wipes
- Deodorant
- Small bag with lipstick, lipgloss and mascara
- Fleece half gloves
- Backup earbuds
- Sometimes an extra umbrella
- A baby from a king's cake
- A flamingo from a cocktail toothpick
- Samantha Baker's sticker on my book (who doesn't love S.D. Baker???)
What can’t you live without?
- Everything in my commuter purse
What’s the most surprising thing you carry?
- A baby from a king's cake and a flamingo from a cocktail toothpick
- A little bag with facilitation tools - Post-its, pens and Sharpies (you never know when you'll need 'em for impromptu workshops)
What bag holds all of this great stuff?
If this same question was asked a few years ago, it would be a custom Timbuk 2 messenger bag (I lived in San Francisco during the first dot com and supported local). Now I have the standard Amazon laptop backpack that most commuters have. I think it’s the cousin to the Amazon coat - you know the one.
