Meet the Grafana Labs team: Dan Jensen, who manages our public relations

As Grafana Labs continues to grow, we’d like you to get to know the team members who are working on the cool stuff you’re using. Check out the latest of our Friday team profiles.

Meet Dan!

Name: Dan Jensen

Grafana Labs Senior Manager, Public Relations

Current location/time zone:

Seattle, Washington, U.S. Pacific time zone

What do you do at Grafana Labs?

I manage public relations here at Grafana Labs, which means I’m responsible for helping to tell stories about Grafana Labs, our products, and our customers to the media and other external audiences. I joined Grafana Labs primarily due to the strong community around the platform, and the passion of the other team members that I was able to meet during the interview process.

What’s your Twitter handle?

You can find me on Twitter at @dansjensen.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I don’t have nearly as much “free” time as I used to, but I enjoy skiing in the winter, playing golf when it’s warm enough, and going to sporting events as a family — we’re huge soccer and American football fans here.

What’s your favorite new gadget or tech toy?

It’s not exactly “new,” but I love my Sonos speaker setup in my house — very easy for my wife to have one playlist going in her workspace, one in mine, and even our toddler’s Disney playlist going in the living room if he’s home.

What do you do to get “in the zone” when you work?

It’s all about the right music playlist, but the right playlist won’t work for everyone — or even every day. Some days it’s classic rock, some days it might be hip-hop, but the right music can really set the mood for productivity.

What’s the last thing you binge-watched?

Ted Lasso on Apple TV. I’ve always loved Jason Sudeikis, and I’m a big soccer fan, so was expecting a great comedy. I was not expecting such a heartwarming story, and I can’t wait for the next season to come out!

What’s the last thing you got off your bucket list?

I got a smoker. More time at home has led to a re-discovery of my love for cooking, and learning how to smoke meats and other food has been an absolute joy.

What’s your Zoom virtual background and why?

I’m a little old-fashioned and prefer the live background. There just may occasionally be a toddler running through it!

What’s the first thing you want to do post-Covid?

Dinner and a movie with my wife. It might sound tame, but after being cooped up in the house for over a year, nothing would make me feel more “back to normal” than eating a meal at a restaurant and seeing a new movie in a theater.

What’s your best WFH hack/tip?

Make sure to block time for yourself on your calendar, and try not to eat lunch at your desk. When there’s little separation between your work and home lives, it’s important to take mental health breaks during the day to be able to give ample focus to each!

If you tend to be easily distracted at your desk, download a focus app like SelfControl that blocks distracting websites and programs from your computer during work hours.