‘Don’t overwhelm yourself with thinking ahead to the coming weeks. Instead, focus your energy on what you can do right now, today’ – The Mind Medic
Welcome to Behind the Business, where we’re asking a cross-section of Avenue HQ members and wider connections, all about their current day-to-day. It’s a strange and confusing time for many, and so we hope reading a specific day’s diary, completed by other like-minded professionals, will provide a few take-homes for how best to tackle your day that lies ahead.
Today we’re chatting with Sher Galer, Barclays Eagle Labs Eco System Manager. Due to Avenue HQ’s partnership with Eagle Labs, Sher is based within Avenue HQ Mann Island and is responsible for collaboratively engaging, supporting and connecting the local ecosystem of coworkers in the space, and local businesses and community groups, as well as the likes of local government and universities to create a thriving hub at the heart of the Liverpool business community. Sher is temporarily working from home due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Industry: Banking / Business Support
Profession: Eco System Manager
Date: 06/11/20
Today’s To-Do List:
- Host the Female Founders call: a networking group aimed at connecting female entrepreneurs within the Eagle Labs network around the UK
- Tackle my emails
- Connect with my team
Morning Routine:
This is where the banking cloak is hung up and the mum cloak is on! The tough job. I start my day with:
- A much-needed brew
- Quick check of emails; ensuring i’m ready for the day ahead
- Check on socials to see what’s happening out there
Then it’s time to wake up the house…
8am-10am:
I leave home, drop both kids off at their respective schools and get stuck into my emails in the home office, otherwise normally known as the dining room.
First meeting of the day: I’m attending a board meeting for the Liverpool City Region Professional and Business Service – a fantastic opportunity with a fantastic range of professionals. We’re making plans for how we can support businesses within the city of Liverpool in the months to come.
10am-12pm:
15th brew of the day made.
Back catching up on emails before my second meeting of the day. I’m hosting our weekly Female Founders call, a call where a collective of amazing founders hear the story from one of our residents and their journey. Then, they have the opportunity to network virtually in a relaxed environment. It was a fantastic outcome this week as we connected an Avenue HQ Flex member to a Bournemouth Eagle Labs resident, who has tonnes of experience including Dragons Den.
Before lunchtime, I’m back catching up on more calls – normal calls this time, not Zoom! I am sick of seeing my face!
12pm-2pm:
Now it’s time for lunch, a busy girl has got to eat although I don’t take much persuading.
After a brief break, I catch up with the wider team at Avenue HQ – super important to maintain connection even though I am currently not in the workspace, but instead working from home during this second lockdown.
Moving onto meeting number three – a very important colleague call. Today, we’re discussing our wider objectives and work-life wellbeing.
2pm-4pm:
Moving onto next meeting of the day (lost count of what number we are onto!). They are all extremely important and key in supporting the 200+ residents we have across Avenue HQ’s Liverpool locations. Especially now, when more members are working from a distance.
Whilst catching up with residents, I’m making sure that we are supporting them in their journey however that may be. Today it has resulted in two mentoring sessions to be booked in; an introduction to funding support; and invite to an event we have coming up.
Now I’m onto event planning (queue the plug to look out for the ones coming up). Events are huge for Eagle Labs, and allow networking, collaboration and connectivity to continue during these strange times. All of our weekly events would normally be face-to-face but we are rolling with it.
Then we return to:
- More emails
- More social media – we had some amazing feedback on LinkedIn today and it made me really realise the amazing things we are doing to support our customers.
- I like to have a check on whats happening in the city get booked on events, arrange to make more connections – I am always looking to strengthen my ecosystem and in Liverpool there is so much talent so this is super easy.
4pm-6pm:
Although it is just myself in my role in Avenue HQ, I have a steerco of colleagues from other parts of Barclays bank and this is the time where I take time to catch up with these guys to really support them with the amazing things we do and add value to our customers where we can.
Following this, that ‘Mum Cloak’ is swiftly readorned and I’m off to tackle the school run.
6pm onwards:
I close my laptop to relax and recharge, before i’m ready to repeat tomorrow, even though no two days are the same!
How has COVID impacted your working day?
COVID has impacted my usual day-to-day hugely. I am a very social person and my role has lots of social elements; whether it be meetings, tours or events – being around people brings out the best in me and my productivity. I have had to adapt and shift my focus to being able to do this virtually. It’s been a struggle, as I’m sure it has with a lot of people, but I have had the right support around me to be able to succeed.
I have to really focus on getting the balance right and ensure I have structure for the working day between my output and my wellbeing; so walking and talking in fresh air has been a new and welcomed adaption to my day.
To be honest, the city and our businesses have exceeded all my expectations on how well and quickly they have adapted to this ‘new normal’. Although it has been tough on my day-to-day role, i’ve still managed to build relationships with new people.
I will be looking forward to being back in my office (Avenue HQ Mann Island) and meeting some of my new and old connections face-to-face!
To join the Female Founders call, or learn more about the Eagle Labs support that comes with an Avenue HQ membership, please get in touch with the team.