A Minimalistic EDC for Small Business Owners
Before opening Koi Tea last year, I was on the path to minimalism so that I could cut down on the accumulated physical and mental clutter in hopes my priorities could be more tangible. In continuation of minimalism, I separated my Every Day Carry (EDC) from my work bag for simplicity and ensured “secondary necessities” are easily accessible at the store. No pocket knife will be in this article as there are plenty of tools at the store that I use far more often. Additionally, I don’t see other employers ever carrying this either. Although the branded items will change in the upcoming months, the motif of each item will stay as they have proven their worth to me. Lastly, I tried to keep my items in a theme of leather, brown, and blue for no other reason than coordination.
- Smartphone. Of course, the most obvious and crucial item on the list is the phone. Besides the basic tasks of Netflix, banking, messaging, gaming, and manga, I am able to view what’s going on in the store so that I don’t call the employees during rushes to ask if we have enough milk for the week. Although I have my cards backed up on my phone, this won’t replace the wallet as not every shop, particularly restaurant supply stores, accept Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay. Additionally, I don’t have to worry about charging my wallet, unlike my Galaxy S9.
- Wallet. I need to carry my membership cards, license, credit cards, and backup cash in the event a card is declined (*walks away from the laptop to knock on wood*), so gotta have an item to hold them all. I tried the wallet phone combo, but none of them really hit that sweet spot as pockets on phone wallets makes it too large, some cases do not have enough card holders, cases with a flap blocks access to my phone, and I can’t leave the phone without my wallet in the car for nights I go salsa dancing. Having a separate wallet works the best for me.
- Keys. Maybe in the year 2022, I can forgo keys in hopes of smart key lock manufacturers updating their security system from hackers, thus allowing me to throw away the keys. Until then, keys will continue to be part of my EDC.
- Glasses. This is for all my near-sighted brethren. Until the day I get over my phobia of Lasik, I’ll rock my Warby Parker glasses thank you very much.
- Smartwatch. If it wasn’t considered a health hazard for food establishments, I would be strutting in a smartwatch to count the steps, calories burned, and leave the phone somewhere else. For those who have the luxury to wear one, I would keep this in your EDC to ensure you stay fit if the gym isn’t part of your routine.
Samsung Galaxy S9
Always been an Android phone user (yes, I had to be very specific as I think Android tablets suck harder than granite stones), so the Galaxy S9 was my choice of a phone during the time. It lives up to the hype as I got a perfected S8 without the bugs.
Lee River Conan Celtic Wallet
A gift from my girlfriend’s mother, this sizable wallet holds what it needs to do without that extra flap in the link provided.
Northwall ThorKeys
Seeing my keys swing around drives me crazy, especially when they fling around my waist while dancing to Oscar D’León. To solve this, I purchased the ThorKeys (not a Mjolnir keychain) to bundle keys together, and it seems to be working fine as long as the nut is screwed tightly.
Warby Parker Ames and Vence
I love Warby Parker’s mission of donating a pair of glasses to other unfortunate myopic souls, and their sleek designs. Needing two pairs at the time, I went with Ames and Vence.
Fossil Hybrid Smartwatch — Q Activist Brown Leather
Mechanical watches are sexy, so pairing that with a fitness tracker integrated with Google Fit is a match made in heaven. For the most part, this watch has seen some rough times and is still ticking (puns not originally intended yet I’m keeping them).
That’s pretty much my EDC. Quoting from Nick Fury, what’s in your pocket?
