The routine of a Country Manager

GoodBarber Team

May 23, 2014 Updated Apr 27, 2019 4 min read

The problem with routines is that in the end, you tend to be absorbed by them and you end up going through your days without knowing what you are doing.

When I started working here at GoodBarber, my whole routine had been turned upside down, my schedule and daily tasks had changed and so I had to find another way to live my life that would fit better in my new reality.

Rolling out of bed in the morning...

I do not know about you but I need like about an hour to really wake up.
I'm lucky because I start working at 9 a.m., so I set my alarm at 7 a.m. everyday and I go running for about one hour. I have to admit that getting out of bed and putting on my running shoes before even the illusion of coffee is quite traumatic most of the times. Then I turn on Spotify and I run down to the seaside (the benefit of living in Corse) under the monitoring of the app Runtastic . In this way I shake off the sleepy morning fogginess in a second and I’m able to enjoy the beautiful colors of the early morning sea and the smell of fresh bread from the bakeries. If you start the day well, your brain turns on and you are ready to begin the work-day.

My GoodBarber day

After the run, a good breakfast and a coffee, I go to the office and first I take care of you, GoodBarbers!
My inbox in the morning counts minimum 30 emails and then there's the support! It’s a full immersion into your projects and issues to which I try to give an answer, even if sometimes you know how to make my life complicated :P

Then at 10:45 a.m. there is the daily meeting with the other country managers; we all go to our whiteboard under the rhythm of the song of the day.

After that I start with other meetings, with posts for the blog, promotion projects, etc …

The most difficult thing for me at work is to stay always ahead of the game! I often have to multi task and move from one thing to another without getting lost on the way! It is here that the less tech part of me jumps out! My desk is covered with post-it notes, colorful pens, markers and my essential Moleskine. To remember everything, a single alarm is not enough for me; I need to see everything written right under my nose :)
The colors help to make it less boring; they catch my attention and make me happier!

After work

Bloggers never cease to work. So once I finished my work at GoodBarber, I come home and I start working on my personal blog , on my app and everything that I like and that allows me to be creative even at work.

Cultivating your passions is important to keep a fresh mind. My actual passions are photography and visual arts. I like to follow social networks like Instagram and Pinterest and also take pictures of what catches my attention.
While I'm waiting my new travelling buddy, an Olympus Stylus1, I shoot with my iPhone5 and I use the app Afterlight for a little bit of post production. I have to admit that the results bring me great satisfaction.
Photography allows me to develop my critical eye and the ability to capture little details and nuances; I can use this ability even at work to write an article or to help you with your app.

Then, when I see smoke coming out from my head, I close my Macbook (on which, by now, you can fry eggs) and I go to bed, ready for my 7 hours of sleep!

Weekend and traditions

Over the weekend I can catch up on some of my old habits as an Italian student.

The alarm sounds later and I can slow down, at least in the morning.

A little bit of stimulate reading and a bit of literature, if I'm lucky on the terrace, under the sun.
Reading always brings me a great desire to write, so most of the time I step from a novel of Flaubert to my Moleskine to write some notes for future posts, futures poems, books, who knows! Thousand inspirations that I note during the day and then, I will reread them looking for a brilliant idea.

As a good Italian, the moment dedicated to the kitchen can not miss! Whether it's a cake for breakfast or a lunch with friends, my moment behind the stove, at least on weekends, there must always be. A recall to the traditions and roots.

During the summer, Sunday is dedicated to the sea. Picnic at the beach and aperitif on the seaside. Winter is hot chocolate and good movies ;)

The best way to avoid to be absorbed by your routine is to find the right balance between what you have and what you want to do.
I work mainly with my ideas and my way of communicating, so I decided to not neglect the time I spend doing things that are able to stimulate my creativity.

To help others, you must first help yourself ;)