I work as a business development manager in intermediary, which essentially means I act as a bridge between Barclays and a panel of mortgage brokers; the main objective of my role is to grow our business by building strong relationships to drive quality and increase mortgage volume and uptake. The key responsibilities within this role are to develop and maintain relationships, serve as main point of contact for our brokers, understand each broker business module to tailor support and solutions, deliver presentation and training on new product and lending initiatives, gather feedback from brokers to inform them about product development and service improvement, and also educate brokers on responsible lending practises and criteria change.
My morning routine is all about setting the tone for a calm, productive and focused day. It starts when I wake up at between 4:30 and 6:00; as a Muslim I have to wake up for a morning prayer, which is called Fajr prayer, so depending on when Fajr falls (it changes during winter and summer), that will determine what time I get up. If I wake up way too early then it means I have to go back to bed, but mostly I do get up at 6:00 in the morning; the first thing I do is to pray, as my religion is really important to me. After prayer, I’ll have a cup of warm water and I’ll go to the gym; on my I will normally listen to my morning prayer, to practise gratitude for everything that I have. I then exercise for 45 minutes, home to shower and then go downstairs and get ready for my day. This I try to do 3 to 4 times a week.
A typical afternoon for me will be out visiting brokers 3 days a week; so that’ll be mostly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This usually involves going from one meeting to another. On Mondays and Fridays, it would just mean working from home, connecting with other brokers who I can’t see face to face.
Morning for me is the most productive part of my day, and some days I try to start really early; around 7:00 am, or just once I come back from the gym. I find it to be a quieter time, when I can actually plan my day. I also use the time to review data, prepare for my meetings and respond to emails received the previous day whilst I was out in meetings. As nobody calls me during this time, it allows me to monitor and review broker performance log activities, so I get a lot done within a short period of time.
Trying to maintain a work and home life balance is never easy, but I try by being intentional with my boundaries, priorities and energy. I try to have a clear start and finish time, which sometimes is hard to stick to. I work from a different room, which gives that separation of home and work. I try to prioritise my time so my personal development time is booked into my diary; whether I stick to it every single week is another matter. I also put in break times, and I set my alarm so I can get up and walk around for 15 minutes. At the end of the end of the day, I also ensure I log off my laptop and leave my work phone in my bag.
I will say my favourite part of my working day in my role is actually visiting brokers. I really enjoy speaking to brokers, telling them about our new proposition, criteria policy, understanding their business and how I can support them.
Dinner time in my household has really evolved. It’s not as structured as it used to be when my children were younger; now they’re much older, we all have different times that we come home. My husband is not home mostly during dinner time, so it has really changed. Now, dinner time during the week is enjoying my bowl of jollof rice, plantain and fried meats, and sitting in front of the TV and watching the news. Weekends we usually eat together as a family.
Unwinding after work is essential to help me restore my energy and maintain my mental health. Depending on the day, I will hit the gym to do a 45 minutes exercise if I haven’t done one in the morning, or other days will be cooking while listening to some Afro beat music, or relaxing in front of the telly and enjoying a film on Netflix .
Believe to achieve; if you believe it, you will achieve it
My support system is critical to helping me through my role, as we all know the role can sometimes be stressful, isolating and overwhelming. A solid support system made-up of my family, friends, mentor and colleague provide emotional grounding, and feedback/talking through challenges with someone I trust leads to better decision making; for me, they’re there to listen and give non-biased advice. I also have friends and colleagues within my team who I can always pick up the phone to for any support, especially during hard times.
I have a first degree in Sociology and Socio Legal studies at the University of Westminster, but the role does not require a degree.
