“I’ve turned work into more of a hobby”

5.30am 

I’m usually up at about 5.30am. I get up early because I like to do as much as I can before the working day starts. The first thing I do is quickly check my social media, before I go and choose what I want to wear for the day. 

6.15am 

Because my brothers, who are also my business partners, are up at the same time, we always have a group meeting in the car on the way to work. It doesn’t feel like a meeting – it’s us catching up, and plotting and scheming on how we’re going to take over the world.  

6.45am  

I’m predominantly based in the Twickenham branch of The Optical Gallery, although these days my role within the business has turned more to marketing, sales and social media. I go into the practice if people have booked directly to see me. Otherwise, I spend my time on filming, photography, and on scheduling social media, trying to grow my business that way. 

Before I arrive in Twickenham, I always go to the Chessington branch. We’ve got our lab there, so I’ll collect all my jobs for the day. 

7.30am 

I get to Twickenham at about 7.30am, make myself a coffee, turn on all the instruments in the room, set up for the day, and then check my emails and respond to clients who have messaged me during the evening.  

I’ve restarted my YouTube channel this year, and we’re doing some cool lens tints and custom lenses. I’ll look at my diary, see who’s booked in to see me, and where I’ve got a space to be able to do my filming.  

I’ll separate which jobs I want to film, and then I’ll set up my camera and start filming those jobs ready to put on Instagram and YouTube. 

12.30pm  

I don’t know what a lunchtime is. When I get peckish, I’ll go get something to eat, and then I’m straight back in working mode.  

Work, for me, doesn’t feel like work. I’ve turned work into more of a hobby. Once you start enjoying what you’re doing, there’s no slump. You just get stuck right in. 

2pm 

Since I’ve started YouTube, we’ve had a lot of international clients flying over, as well as clients from all over the country. Because they’ve seen me and already feel like they know me, I want to make sure that I’m in the practice when they do visit us. 

3pm 

Every day, I speak to my lens lab, who I get on really well with as friends. I think it’s important to have good relationships with the people that you are doing work with. It motivates you to keep doing something a bit different. 

If there’s nothing else for me to do in the afternoon, I’ll go off and work from home for the rest of the day, or to one of the other practices and see if they need help. 

5.30pm 

The practices shut at 5.30pm. If I’m still there, I’m usually not out until about 6pm. 

When I get home, I’ll look after my kids, put them to bed, and then I’m probably back on the laptop. I’m a bit of a workaholic.  

I’m very family orientated in the evenings. I like to socialise with friends, when we are able to. My brothers are like my friends, so I might go round to their houses. 

8pm 

My ideal midweek dinner is whatever my wife cooks. I like it when she cooks jerk chicken, with rice and peas. My wife is Jamaican, so I’m blessed to have good home cooked food.