My Working Day – Deborah Vickers – Channel Director of MoneyGuru

As the leader of a company, you are there to set an example, to lead and inspire a team individuals to achieve a series of business goals. But, how do these business leaders go about their daily routine?

Business Leader spoke to Deborah Vickers – Channel Director of MoneyGuru about her working day.

WHAT TIME DO YOU USUALLY WAKE UP?

I’m an early bird and wake up at 5am religiously every morning – including weekends!

WHAT DO YOU TYPICALLY HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?

I like to kick start the day with oats, sometimes protein oats. This is my go-to breakfast daily, it sets me up for the day.

WHAT IS THE REST OF YOUR MORNING ROUTINE BEFORE YOU START WORK?

Since I was in my early 20s, I’ve had a strict routine of starting the day with a workout at the gym. I’m in the gym for 6am doing strength or endurance training for an hour which usually consists of cross fit or a high-intensity workout. The gym I go to is near the office so from there I go straight to work for 8am.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO AT THE START OF YOUR WORKING DAY?

My working day starts at 8am and the first thing I do is check my calendar to see what is planned for the day and the week ahead. I’ll then set reminders to prepare for meetings that are scheduled and make sure I know exactly what needs doing and where I need to be on that day. I try and get through emails in bulk as I hate them – who doesn’t?

HOW DO YOU PRIORITISE YOUR DAY’S WORK?

My main priority is planning planning planning, and the rest follows! People and meetings are a priority as that’s when ideas come to life and decisions turn into results. I don’t plan in any meetings on a Wednesday afternoon as that’s my time to re-group with myself and make sure nothing is spiralling out of control. It’s time for me to reset and it’s a great opportunity to check in with my workload and my personal wellbeing.

DO YOU PLAN MEETINGS OR ARE THEY A WASTE OF TIME?

Planning is essential for meetings; it’s as important to me as planning my day-to-day life!

DO YOU HAVE A WORKING LUNCH OR IS IT GOOD TO TAKE A BREAK?

It’s frowned upon I know, but I always have a working lunch… if a meeting is scheduled in over lunchtime, I’ll often ask the organiser if I can bring my lunch with me! I probably do too much of a working lunch, I should really take a moment to step away from the work zone. My go-to lunch is chicken and rice.

WHEN DOES YOUR WORKING DAY FINISH?

I tend to leave the office at 7pm. My personal rule is to not be in the office at 9pm, which is sometimes tricky! It takes me an hour to drive home so I am quite strict with leaving at a reasonable time.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DAY’S WORK?

Before I leave the office, I’ll make sure I know what is planned for the next day. Once I get home, I’ll meal prep and make sure my gym clothes are ready to slip on the next morning and also prep my work clothes.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY?

My favourite piece of tech has to be my Alexa – it’s so handy for so many things: listening to music, finding out news, weather, setting an alarm. Tech is so embedded in my daily life; I’d really struggle without my phone! Though I don’t use it for social media, my work really relies on it for emails and memos.

HOW DO YOU SWITCH OFF?

Exercising helps me to switch off – it allows me to clear my mind and focus on myself. I’ve always loved running and sport in general, so it’s the perfect opportunity for me to switch off.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

The best advice I’ve ever received is ‘make sure you enjoy what you do’. If you’re not happy doing something, whether it’s a sport or your job, find something that does make you happy. It’s only yourself that can change it. Some people find sport a chore, so my advice would be to find a sport that you love so you can enjoy it.