A look at the work desks of 7 successful people
Ontario native and Evernote CEO Chris O'Neill's desk reflects his dual citizenship. His workspace boasts both a Canadian flag and an American flag. "It's a reminder to think about how our company expands across languages and borders," he told Business Insider.
O'Neill's desk is also stocked with a plan on a page, tons of devices and products to test, and books. Currently, he's holding onto Kim Scott's "Radical Candor," which he said "inspired me to view things differently and my role as leader differently."
O'Neill keeps photos of his kids at his workspace, too. That's especially fitting, given that the CEO credits his children with introducing him to Evernote. "Being a parent is one of biggest joys of my life — in fact, it is how I started to use Evernote," he told Business Insider. "I am constantly keeping track of my kids’ schedules, meetings and other activities, and Evernote has been a calm in the chaos."
When it comes to getting work done and meeting with others, Thrive Global CEO and founder Arianna Huffington prefers a certain style of table. "I love a circular table for meetings," she told Business Insider. So she keeps one in her office.
That's also where Huffington keeps her Thrive Global phone bed charging station. The product reflects the CEO's push to promote wellness by encouraging people to keep their phones off and out of sight before bed. "Our phones are repositories of everything we need to put away to allow us to sleep — our to-do lists, our in-boxes, the demands of the world," she said. "So putting your phone to bed outside your bedroom allows you to wake up as fully charged as your phone. Since it holds 10 devices, the whole family can use it. Or you can use it, as we do, for device free meetings."
Huffington keeps artwork by her daughter Isabella by her desk, too. She said the piece "speaks to the moment."
Lastly, if the Thrive Global founder ever needs to take some time away from her desk to rest up, she can head to the office's nap pod. Huffington said she was "happy to say" the pod is often in use: "The soccer ball less so, but I have no objections."
The Daily Harvest's HQ doesn't come with individual offices. Instead, everyone works at communal-style long tables, including CEO and founder Rachel Drori. But sometimes, she'll head over to different lounge spaces around the office to get tasks done.
One of her favorite places is the lounge. "Our lounge is such a dream," Drori told Business Insider. "We wanted to create a space where people could work independently, meet to collaborate, or escape to for a change of scenery and a healthy dose of sunlight to help get creative juices flowing."
She'll also stop by the kitchen to work. Sometimes, it can get a bit busy, though. "People tend to congregate near kitchens at parties, and the same holds true for our office on a day-to-day basis," she said.
Soundhound CEO Keyvan Mohajer kicks back in an office nook — "a sun-filled seating area near a large picture window on the second floor" — when he needs to get work done. "The couch is blue to match our Hound logo and it’s quite large, so it’s perfect for team meetings," he told Business Insider.
To stay motivated, he'll also swing by the shelf in the office holding some of his patent awards. "The Inventors Goggle playing card from the game Magic The Gathering is for participants in brainstorming sessions," Mohajer said. "Our IP Strategist came up with the idea, since some of our programmers are Magic fans." The two stars are for invention contributions, the flasks represent three Soundhound patents, and the Rubik's cube was gifted to patent inventors in 2018.
When it comes to working in the office, Trivago CEO Rolf Schrömgens "is rarely in the same spot," according to a spokesperson. He tends to be nomadic in the workplace, carrying his phone, laptop, and backpack from place to place.
"Unlike most companies, Trivago’s C-level management is not sitting in an office, or behind closed-doors," a spokesperson told Business Insider. "Instead, they sit alongside their teams in an open-office setting."
Zillow Group CEO Spencer Rascoff stays in motion, even while working at his desk. "I like to keep moving throughout the day because it keeps me energized," he told Business Insider "My treadmill desk helps me do that while answering emails and doing other solo tasks. I don’t run on it." Zillow employees can get in on the exercise too — the Seattle office includes a number of "treadmill meeting rooms."
Rascoff's main screen is flanked by two vertical monitors, which he uses for social media, especially Twitter. He's not just starting at technology all day, though. Rascoff keeps binoculars at his desk to take in the "stunning views" his office has of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, the Puget Sound, the Space Needle, Smith Tower, and Mount Rainier. "Plus, the city is exploding with development — we’ve had the most cranes in the sky, around 60 in 2017, for two years in a row — so I like to check out the buildings in progress," he said.
Rascoff also keeps hangers on hand at his desk, just in case he needs to change for a media interview or "transition climates" after traveling from his home in Los Angeles to Seattle. Plaques that the Zillow Group's legal team makes to celebrate acquisitions, divestitures, and investments also dot his workspace.
Another Zillow-specific object Rascoff keeps around is his anniversary sign. "Every employee has a little sign that looks like a real estate sign on their desks to show how many years they’ve been with Zillow Group," Rascoff said. "As a founding team member, I currently sport a 12. You get a new sign every year on your anniversary of joining, and we also send out an all-company email on anniversaries so colleagues can congratulate each other."
Rascoff also hangs onto his leadership playbook, which seeks to "codify what being a great leader meant at Zillow Group" based on hundreds of employee interviews. "I keep it on my desk as a subtle reminder to lead by its principles: show you care, empower your team, know how to get it done, and communicate," he said.
Casper founder and CEO Philip Krim's office features two televisions, printers, phones, and a computer monitor. "Everything I need to be always-on and connected," he told Business Insider. "Still, I never underestimate the power of the printed word. I keep a collection of books next to my desk that I can always return to to relax, unplug and get some perspective." One of his favorite office reads is Kevin Ashton's "How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery.”
Krim — a self-described "sushi fiend" — keeps customized chopsticks by his desk, too. "It’s been a running joke about how nit picky I am with sharing, so a friend gave me these chopsticks that say 'Hands Off, PK's Sushi!'" he said. "They stay in my office in case of any impromptu sushi lunch ordering."
He also displays a framed photo of Casper's founders. "It's unusual for five founders to come together from such different backgrounds and have it just work," he said. "I keep this photo to remind myself of the Casper team on day one and to reflect on how much we’ve grown over the past four years."
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