A Day in the Life: Meetings, Mocktails & Marmite

Well that title is horrendously more satisfying to me than it should be. Alliteration is so spiritually fulfilling I almost can't breathe. It also probably makes a typical day in my life sound a little on the strange side...

But if we're being honest, this particular day was one of the stranger I've lived through because I spent the majority of it in one of the largest shopping centres in London, Westfield. I heard tales of France and limited edition cars while sipping on foreignly-spiced mocktails, glided around an ice-rink and tried to take sneaky snaps whenever possible. Who knew digital marketing would be so active.

9:40am The perilous train journey from Windsor to Shepherds Bush begins. Hop on a train to the exotic content of Slough. Connecting train to Ealing Broadway is delayed by 15 minutes (good job Great Western Railways). Use the time to ponder where this 'Ealing Broadway' place is.

10:57am Arrive at Westfield in the knick of time. Hurry towards the meeting location, dodging happy shoppers and wishing I hadn't chosen today to break in my new (but thoroughly beautiful) ankle boots. Welcomed with bespoke four ingredient mocktails that've been created to celebrate the launch of the new DS 4. Secretly hope the drinks are less 'mock', more cock-; alcohol.

11:15am Taken to the secret top floor of Westfield where about a million boardrooms can be found. The temperature of the room is approximately -100 degrees celsius. Everyone seems in a chipper mood. Sip mocktail absentmindedly while still trying to identify the ingredients. The presentations are actually rather interesting and notes are scribbled down in my company branded notebook which I occasionally position in a way that shows off the embossing. #WorkBitch. There's so much secret stuff discussed that I attempt to tune out so I don't put myself at risk of accidentally blurting it out to someone I shouldn't at a later date. #BlabbermouthProbs

12:30pm Buffet lunch is served. Why must everyone serve a buffet lunch? *groan*.

1:30pm We head to the ice rink. The lead presenter mutters "we're from DS" to the guy at the desk and we're all whisked through like VIPs. Which we sort of are, considering DS Automobiles are sponsoring said ice rink and their logo is plastered everywhere. Ice skates are hugely uncomfortable and it takes a while to shake the rust from my ice skating skills until soon I'm stumbling around the ice like a pro. Others fall, I do not. Others fly around and perform twists and turns, I do not. Not sure how to feel about getting hot and bothered while ice skating. Fake snow showers from a machine above and it's hard not to burst into every song from the Frozen soundtrack.

2pm We have a nose around the DS Automobiles stand outside The Village and see the web app we built in practice. It is opposite the Marmite Pop up store. We head into the Marmite pop up store. I leave the Marmite pop up store with a jar with my name on it. Love life once again.

3:04pm Get back on the underground. Realise we got on the wrong train. Spend ten minutes at North Acton waiting for the correct train to turn up. Feet are really starting to hurt now.

4:34pm Make it back to Windsor in time to realise that while gallivanting at events is fun, the normal every day stuff still piles up and there is mucho work to be done. It's all a bit stressful and as the office empties, we're still hard at it. Who'd have thought the Christmas season would be so hectic...

7pm Feet are crazy sore and I limp back to my car and head home via Sainsbury's to pick up some dinner and a punnet of blueberries that I absolutely must not forget. Forgets punnet of blueberries. Life is awful.

7:51pm Eat dinner, attempting to control disappointment over lack of blueberries. Wash hair, prepare self for next working day. Mood is lightened slightly with the realisation that the following day houses a Christmas lunch with another client, Honda.

Dreams of crackers, turkey and it being socially acceptable to midweek day drink.
~ Eleanor xo

A Day in The Life: An All Agency Day & Getting Behind the Wheel of a Citroën

I won't lie, I had a superb time writing my last Day in The Life post so I felt it only fair to make this a regular thing when exciting things go down at work.

Let me set the scene: it's a cold, dark, rainy and everything-else-you'd-expect-from-a-December-day Thursday and Citroën have invited all of their agencies to their UK headquarters to attend an aptly named "all agency day" to give us a rundown of what's a-happenin' in the world of Citroën and to let us loose in some of their most popular vehicles. Here's how it all went down:

{Ed's note: The day was hella long so this has been edited down a teeny bit}

5:30am Awake feeling the complete opposite of bright eyed and bushy tailed. Use the time wisely to groan, complain and Google some random crap. Manage to pull self out of bed and dress in something that at least looks like it matches. There's a high chance it doesn't.

6:40am Leave for work. Grimace at how dark it is. Mum's parting remark: "it'll be Christmas soon!". Not sure what to make of that. Barrel down the A322 belting out my favourite High School Musical numbers. The Troyella duets are the best. #IVEGOTTAGOMAOWNWAAAAAAY

7:42am Jump in Account Director's car and head northwards to Coventry. Remember what a dull drive it is. Become acutely aware of the lack of caffeine in my system. Attempt to keep eyes focused and not let myself slip into oblivion.

9:07am Arrive at Citroën UK headquarters. Given a pass with my name on. Very swish. Other agencies in attendance all sit in the foyer. Everyone's eyeing everyone else up. Start to feel a bit like I'm on a school trip. Or The Apprentice.

9:45am We're taken to the top floor and shown into the Boardroom. I muse aloud how I'm surprised the room is so large. Mentally face-palm. Everyone eyes the tables lined with food at the edges of the room. Pour myself some OJ and pick a croissant. Realise what a terrible mistake I've made while trying to eat said croissant and spilling crumbs everywhere.

10am The day gets going and we're taken through a whole host of presentations about the brand, their goals for 2016 and the latest top secret info about the cars and surprisingly-sort-of-cool technology. Someone accidentally mentions something they shouldn't. Attempts to recover with a "but that's not to be shared outside these four walls". Wonder if they're aware that actually it's three walls and one massive floor-to-ceiling window.

11:30am We're all put through our paces with a "fun quiz" about Citroën. It's most certainly not a fun quiz. We then all venture downstairs to get a proper in-depth tour around the Nemo van, the Grand C4 Picasso, the C4 Cactus and the C1. These people know a lot of stuff.

12:50pm The buffet lunch is served. Absolute worst nightmare.

1:15pm We're taken outside to begin our test driving session. In pairs we each clamber into the cars. A procession of about eight Citroëns makes its way around Coventry. It's all fun and games until it's my turn. Can't get the indicators on the C3 to stop. Hysterical laughing ensues. Keep saying "I do know how to drive, I swear!". Turns out I'm not so good at test driving. 

6:16pm Arrive back in Windsor. Hella thankful to be back in the safe arms of my Fiat. Even if she is running rather low on fuel. Make sure to pull into the petrol station with only two of their twelve pumps open. #Blessed.

7:10pm Manage to make it home in time to appreciate the full wack of a mahoosive headache. Blacked out, probably.

As you can tell, I had a fun old day, and my Snapchat story, as the kids would say, "was off the chain."
~ Eleanor xo

A Day in the Life: Client Monthly Meeting & Top Secret Projects

Very few people seem to know what my job as an Account Executive within a digital marketing agency entails, so I figured I'd break down a typical day to give you an idea of what I get up to. Obvs, I'm contractually obliged to keep the majority of what happens inside the agency to myself, so I can't reveal too many deets. But this day included the end of month meeting with the marketing team of the account I work on, so it seemed like a good day to pick...

6:30am Wake up. Double check it's not the weekend. It's not. Grimace. Check emails. Force self to get up. Make a little more effort than usual as don't want client to think I'm sloppy. Which I am, but they can't know that.

7:05am Head downstairs for breakfast of Shredded Wheat and homegrown blackberries. Feel certain Martha Stewart would be proud.

7:25am Leave house and start commute. Remember why I never wear this shirt, so uncomfortable. Witness two ponies grooming each other. So moved, feel a bit teary. Consider if sleep deprivation is affecting me. Decide that's a ludicrous thought. #WhyDontHumansGroomEachOther.

8am Get cut up by Volvo. Lose my shit and deem it a horn-worthy offence. Sound horn. Feel slightly better. Make mental note to hate all Volvo drivers.

9am Working day starts. Down some coffee. Answer urgent emails ahead of meeting. Print every kind of document known to man. Run up and down stairs. Feel awful that I've almost certainly just destroyed half the rain forest. More concerned with whether all this stair climbing counts as working out. Decide it does.

12pm Client team arrives and meeting begins. Agency is supplying buffet lunch of Marks and Spencer sandwiches, crisps, beverages and chocolately snacks. Realise this must be what it's like to be a dog in a dining room who's not allowed to eat food. Wonder if nail polish is a bit slutty. This shirt is really sodding uncomfortable. Agency and client chat about the weekly status update of account, (lots of stuff going down); review the success of the last quarter, (everyone seems pleased); chat about stats and stuff, (feel chuffed as eff that I totally get what's being said because I covered it in a unit at university); mention of other digital web based type things regarding the client and their partners (and us potentially poaching their business). Pay close attention. Strange pieces of furniture arrive for another client's event. Bit awks. Finance is discussed. Hooray for money! #DoesThisMeanMyJobIsSafe. After faffing about with temperamental wifi, client shows some top secret upcoming digital and web based thangs they're working on and planning to release within the next few years*. All very impressive. Lots of head nodding and complimentary remarks. Feel super important. Want to tweet about it but contractually obliged to keep my gob shut.

4:30pm Meeting draws to a close. Make mental note to work on my handshake. Bit out of practice. Feel a bit flushed. Four and a half hours in the boardroom does not fly by. Scoff some of the leftover snacks. Hate self a bit. Back to desk to sort through emails and pretend I'm V important.

6:12pm Time to head home. Wonder why woman in Honda behind me wants to get in my boot. Yell at her to learn to drive. Bust out to T Swift, almost deafen self.

6:57pm Arrive home at last. Very nearly put nail polish remover on cotton pad instead of micellar water. Vow to live each day like it's my last. And to move micellar water away from nail polish remover. Jump in the shower. Wrap up in pjs. Scoff some dinner. #GBBO. Rant about how much I dislike Flora. Rejoice when she gets cut. Wonder if acted a little too insensitively before falling asleep approx twenty minutes after show ends. <End Scene>

Spoiler alert: M&S buffet food is the bomb. But you already knew that.
~ Eleanor xo

*Client emails two days later to say that what was shown at the meeting is super secret and not to be shared... Privacy concerns ON FLEEK.