In this feature, we find out what shapes Anna’s day, her daily habits and what items she simply cannot leave the house without.
Name: Anna Wakefield
Organisation: Grant Engineering UK Ltd
Job title: Head of Marketing
Location in the UK: Swindon, Wiltshire
Your company/business in one line: One of the UK’s leading specialists in sustainable home heating
My alarm goes off at …
I don’t have a set time as such. I’ll set my alarm between 6am and 6:30am depending on my morning plans. My children are usually in the bedroom before the alarm even has a chance to go off though.
The first thing I do each day is …
I’m very much a morning person so as soon as I’m awake, l get out of bed. Depending on my schedule, I’ll either exercise (go for a run, take a cycling class or do some yoga). If I’m not exercising, I’ll make a cup of tea, read the news headlines on my phone, and do a few emails.
My partner takes hardly any time to get ready in the morning (he jokes that it’s because he’s naturally handsome!), so he generally takes the breakfast shift with our youngest to give me an extra 45 minutes to do what I need.
I prepare for the day ahead by …
I always like to be well organised, so I plan my day the evening before. I will have my outfit picked out, a bag packed, my phone fully charged, and I will know exactly what’s scheduled for the next day. I’ll even set a number of reminders to pop up on my phone so I don’t miss anything.
I can’t leave the house without …
My phone and a bottle of water. My phone keeps me connected and I always ensure I drink a good amount of water throughout the day. My best friend jokes that I am probably the only person who can’t just pop out for coffee without taking a bottle of water as well!
My typical day…
Although I can be based in different locations during the week, my days are still quite structured.
Every working day starts with me opening Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and social media feeds to catch up on any notifications.
I will touch base with my team mid-morning. If we’re not in the office together, we will usually jump on a video call. Our department is naturally very collaborative so regular communication is essential.
I have a rolling ‘to do’ list which I work from, as well as Microsoft Planner tasks, but it’s not unusual for me to get sidetracked onto another project or idea that has popped up. I try to take a lunch break every day regardless of where I am, even if it’s just a quick coffee. It is so easy to forget to take screen breaks.
In the afternoon I tend to steer away from scheduling meetings, as I use that time to clear the decks and action anything that has been discussed earlier in the day.
I try to shut my laptop between 5pm and 6pm each night. If I’m on school pick-up, I will generally work on later into the evening. I’m grateful that Grant gives me the flexibility in my role to be able to do this. Work-life balance is really important to me.
My most memorable work moment …
Wow, there have been so many. I work with an incredible team and one of the funniest moments was when my colleague Audrey walked into the office completely unaware that she was wearing two different colour knee-high boots. It took her a good hour to realise the error and we literally couldn’t stop laughing that day. She was expecting a baby at the time, so we’ll let her off.
The worst part of my job …
I can’t say I dislike any specific parts of my job in all honesty. We can all have challenging days, but this doesn’t necessarily make them less enjoyable. I would much rather be busy and challenged than not.
The best part of my job …
I enjoy the creative freedom and sense of achievement that comes with my role, but I think an even better part of my job has to be the people I work with, from colleagues and customers to suppliers. I love the industry – I’ve been working in the heating sector for 20 years and I still keep in touch with people I met when I started at Grant as an administrator.
I relax after work by …
To be honest, until the children are in bed, it isn’t easy to relax. During the week, I normally do the kids a snack plate, get the bags ready for the following day and then do the typical bath, book, bed routine. If I haven’t managed to do any exercise in the morning, my other half will sort the kids and I’ll go in the gym. Finally, we’ll cook dinner and then crash on the sofa to watch Netflix.
On my bedside table is …
I always have a glass of water and a scented candle. If I’d been asked this question a year ago, I would have also said my mobile phone, but I’m making a conscious effort not to put it by my bed now.
The last thing I do each day is …
Give my children a kiss goodnight when they are (hopefully) fast asleep.
I’m normally in bed by …
10:30pm. Any later than this and I’ll start yawning. I can often fall asleep on the sofa and not even make it up the stairs!
Would you like to feature in our ‘day in the life’ segment? Drop us a line at natalie@andpublishing.co.uk and we’ll be in contact.