AM to PM gives you a glimpse at the daily routine of some of our business community’s top professionals.
John Davies is a Partner and Head of Corporate at Thrings Solicitors – a UK Top 100 law firm with offices in London, Bristol, Swindon, Bath and Romsey.
Walking meetings, office shenanigans and a decent coffee all play their part in keeping John motivated whilst continuing to provide outstanding service to his clients.
What time does your alarm go off?
6.30am. I’m normally awake by then in any event, listening to the gentle and soothing sound of my dog, Paddy, snoring in his basket. Unfortunately the body clock has no snooze function when it comes to weekends.
Do you have a strict morning routine or do you take a flexible approach?
It’s flexible depending on where I am and what I’m doing but every day starts with a shower, an orange juice, check the kids are awake on school days, feed Paddy. A quick look at Wales Online then it’s time to fire up the home office or hop in the car and go to work.
What’s on the breakfast table?
I’ve never really eaten breakfast. Always an orange juice and a strong coffee. On weekends I might be tempted by the allure of Marmite on toast. Not just a thin lining though – lashings of the brown stuff. You either like Marmite, or you’re wrong.
Aside from grabbing a bite to eat, how do you spend your lunch break?
If I’m working from home, and I’m not physically broken in some way or another, it usually involves a walk with Paddy, a nibble on whatever is in the fridge and an orange. If I’m going crazy I might substitute the orange for some melon.
If I’m in work and it’s dry, I’ll often go for a walk with one or more of my team members. It’s a great way of getting some fresh air and having a meeting at the same time.
What’s the most fun part of your day?
I’m inquisitive by nature so I enjoy throwing, often random, questions out to my colleagues – you learn so much about them! When I’m physically broken, the sense of achievement in putting my socks on without falling over is very satisfying.
What do you love most about your job?
It’s a cliché but my colleagues are the best of the best. They annoy me, they make me laugh and they constantly impress me. As a corporate lawyer I have the privilege of working with lots of business owners and companies. No day is the same. It could be energy, software, engineering, consultancy, pharmaceutical, transport. The variety keeps things fresh. I also enjoy stealing stationery from the office and adjusting the chair settings of my colleagues for comedy effect.
What’s the worst part of the job?
Legal services are heavily regulated, often for good reason, but dealing with regulatory admin doesn’t really make my heart sing.
What gadget or app could you not live without in your professional life?
Does the coffee machine count as a gadget? At home it’s my Swiss army knife – after all, it’s got a corkscrew….
If you could clone yourself, what would your clone get up to whilst you were busy working?
My clone would travel the world, with his clone family, watching live music and sporting events, eating and drinking well, singing loudly and laughing as much as possible.
If you changed direction, what would be your Plan B?
Do you know what, I’m good thanks. I think I’ll stick with Plan A.
