On this month’s Sunnies Digest, we talk to photographer, Ralph Mendo, and vintage jewelry shop owner, Sam Potenciano, who prove that it takes two to find a good balance between work and play. 

Good thing they creatively get along with each other as husband and wife whether they're on or off screen time.​

What excites you these days?

Ralph is a photographer and Sam has a vintage jewelry business called Souvenir. These days, we run a travel channel on YouTube called Ralph & Sam. We never expected this hobby to become the bulk of our work, and it’s been exciting to figure out how to channel our creativity through long form videos.

​Describe your work day uniforms.​

Ralph: Vented outdoor shirts, Montbell hat, and a vintage LL Bean jacket.​

Sam: Manila weather stuff: linen, drapey pants, and keen sandals.

In what ways do you two work together, and how do you complement each other’s working styles and habits?​

For our vlog, we both take on filming duties. Sam does the video editing and Ralph scores the music and adds his film photography. We try to trust in each other’s taste which helps us get along creatively.​

What are your favorite digital tools for productivity?​

We’re pretty old-school, so we don’t use too many fancy tools. Neither of us has a graphic design background, so we rely on Canva to help us create all the visuals that go with running a channel. Titles, banners… it just makes it so simple for us to knock that stuff off our to-do list.​

What do you do to power through a long work day?​

On editing days, we usually break for lunch and take a walk outside. It helps refresh our energy and come back with fresh eyes. A post-lunch coffee (iced black) is also key.

Where’s your go-to work place outside of your home?​

Honestly, we work at home 99% of the time, but walking around our neighborhood where there are parks and cafes helps us mentally take a break, which is imperative to our whole work process.​

When you’re not working, what would we find on your screens?​

Ralph: Vlogs on Japanese countryside life, photo walk videos, and city pop dj sets. ​

Sam: Podcasts, Reddit, and Instagram Cats​

What do you enjoy doing together when you’re off screen time?​

Going for long walks helps us brainstorm and work off that pent-up energy.​

You guys love to travel. What are your go-to sites when you start planning your itinerary?​

We don’t plan our itineraries too much. We like to wander and explore as we go along and our videos reflect that laidback pace. You usually find the cooler stuff from user generated content through geotags on Instagram. Our subscribers also love to give us local tips on where to visit. Honestly, Ralph spends a lot of time scanning the neighborhoods on Google Maps, looking for places locals love, even if they aren’t popular.​

What social media account/s do you love to follow for inspiration?​

@cabagges.world, @gramparents, and @nvtsmall. ​

What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to social media content?​

Repetitiveness. It can feel very saturated.​

What’s your favorite phone camera subject on a normal day? ​

Our camera roll is almost exclusively our cat, Meng!​

What’s your no.1 rule for taking a great phone pic?​

Sam: natural light​

Ralph: natural energy