Lizards, e-Sports, and data analytics

What do Lizards, e-Sports and data analytics have in common? They’re all part of my daily routine!

My day starts off with 2 types of alarm, one which gradually wakes me up and another which is a little more abrupt! I’m definitely not a morning person.

Circa 7am

Once I’ve roused from my earthquake proof slumber (I’ve actually slept through 2 minor midlands-based earthquakes) I usually reach for the phone. I have a scroll through various tech and current affairs websites to see what is happening, post a terrible dad joke on Facebook and send a good morning message to my partner.

0725

Make various groans and creaks as I get out of bed, and say good morning to Arry my bearded dragon whose lights turned on at 07:20 and is equally just about functional as I am in the morning. He’s my little legend and morning feeding consists of either some fresh rocket, watercress or some live bugs (locust, Morio worms or crickets) 0730

Time to make myself look more human which consists of my trademarked 3 song routine! I need to be in the shower, out and dried off within 3 random songs on my rock playlist.

Pop the Tv on for Arry, he loves watching first person based games or nature channel programs. Head downstairs and grab some food to take into the office for lunch.

0800

Set off for work which is 9 minutes away if the traffic is good and the traffic lights are in my favour. Once in the office it’s all systems go at 08:15. The first hour is usually going through emails and checking on the analytics and e-commerce performance of sites that we manage.

0915

After I have digested all the analytics from the morning it’s time to think about what has worked, what hasn’t and how we can replicate success. This comes through working with our Head of Social Sophie who lives and breathes the brands on social platforms. Combining creative social insights and data allows us to make informed decisions that create posts that have great reach and engagement. 1115

Depending on what projects we have going on in the business late morning can vary in what work I tend to work on next. This can be from building websites, Web development or SEO based projects. Pretty much all the work I do is data orientated and being the self-confessed geek of the company actually really love it! There’s something satisfying about looking at numbers and trends, making a decision based on it and then seeing the evidence of it working.

1330

It’s time for lunch and to log on to a couple of mobile games I play with friends, scroll through some memes on 9gag and maybe a bit of TikTok. TikTok has surprised me how useful it has been for business and not just people dancing and miming to funny snippets. Lots of people share tips and tricks for various digital sectors from SEO, through to e-commerce. Keeping up to date with the latest algorithms and trends is a full time job in itself, so I aim to stay informed of all the changes happening within this space.

1415

There’s usually a meeting or two in the afternoon either internal or with clients, so I prep for those and make sure I’ve got written down any key notes or suggestions I want to raise. Even being very tech orientated I like to stick to a pen and notebook for keeping track of things and making notes. I find that it sticks in the brain more! Then on to making client reports to show the progression made and a summary of what we have done so far.

1600

Start to wrap up anything that needs finishing for the day and start to plan what I have got on the agenda for the next day and the rest of the week. It’s at this time I’m also contemplating what I fancy for dinner! Food is a big part of who I am and during lockdown took to becoming a bit of a pit master doing low and slow smoking of various meats. There’s nothing better than a project or hobby which you can eat! However, it’s not been as kind on the waistline!

1730

I’m home and it’s time for an episode of a series and some time with Arry the Lizard. I usually watch sci-fi orientated shows as it really fuels my imagination. If my partner isn’t on a late shift then I’ll give her a video call to catch up on her day too.

1845

It’s time for food. I meal plan for the week with core components of foods, so I’ll buy and cook a whole chicken at the start of the week and then strip it down and keep it for making different meals throughout the week. Thai Green curry is a favourite or even having it a chicken breast with some steamed veg and wholegrain rice. I’ve recently found a great recipe for Jamaican Curry Goat so have been making that once a week also.

1945

It’s time to catch up with friends on the day using a chat channel we have on discord. I’ve a really great group of friends who I socialise with daily via various pc computer games. Our main go to games are; PUBG (Player Unknown Battlegrounds), the new game from Riot ‘Valorant’ or an indie game of our choosing for some multiplayer mayhem! There’s usually at least 7 or 8 of us on over the course of an evening, and we’ll split into groups on a game or all play together on a game that supports us all playing together at the same time. It’s a great way to socialise and also feed my competitive nature.

2300

It’s time to wind down from the fast-paced antics of the evening, so I’ll speak with my partner or browse the world news, memes, mobile games for a little while.

2330

It’s time for sleep and I’m one of those annoying people with a button on the side of my head. As soon as it hits the pillow I’m out within 30 seconds and dead to the world until roused the next morning. Hope you’ve enjoyed my typical day in the life of me and the wacky and varied routines within!