Page 11 - Tropic Magazine Issue 223

TROPIC • UP FRONT
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Tropic delves into the daily routines and habits of a local identity.
Douglas Stephens
Group Managing Director
AirBridge Group
Exercise, coffee and time
with loved ones is key to a
successful day for AirBridge
Group’s Douglas Stephens.
06:00 If my youngest son hasn’t 11:00 The next few hours are usually
already woken me up, the alarm goes spent in meetings, on the phone with
off and I start the day with a fresh customers, or drafting proposals.
ground coffee with my wife Diana. If there are no lunch meetings
Most days I’ll go for a quick 15-minute scheduled, we will often eat
run (weather permitting) and then something Diana’s brought in. I am
lift weights. I’m not really a morning very lucky to be looked after so well
person but I’m putting in a lot of effort from such an amazing wife.
to become one. If time permits, I’ll
jump in the spa for a few minutes. 15:00 By this time if I haven’t been out
I’ll then log into our four support of the office since my earlier coffee
portals to check for any issues on break, I’ll usually take a break from
the thousands of devices we monitor work. I’ll run errands, catch up with a
for clients Australia wide, check my friend, or check out what’s new in the
calendar, and make a list of priorities world of cars and recreational toys.
for the day. With an acreage property and boys
who share my interest in all things
07:30 I’m showered and dressed, and mechanical and loud, a new quad bike
Diana will have breakfast on the table might just be the next thing to get the
for myself and our three boys, who are motivation going! Today I’m checking
hopefully also dressed and ready for out a new office we are thinking of
their day. Breakfast is usually poached moving to, on the top floor of the
Cairns Corporate Tower. Very exciting
eggs and fruit or avocado on toast, and
then it’s a mad rush to get everyone’s times for the AirBridge Group.
lunches and drink bottles packed
away, shoes on and in the car on the 16:00-17:30ish More phone calls to
way to the bus stop down the road. customers. This time of year there
are several storms, and today one of
07:45 I wait and chat with the boys the Northern Queensland Councils
until they board the bus and head has lost their connectivity due to a
off on the 45-minute drive to work. lightening strike, meaning their entire
I actually get a fair amount of work network is offline with no internet.
done during the drive, using voice We can get them up and running with
command to send emails, texts, and a temporary solution until the carrier
make calls, and sometimes hold has the part to fix their infrastructure,
meetings on the drive in to the office. which will be in four days.
If I’m caught up on everything, I usually
listen to something motivational on 18:00 Its Friday and my mum has
Audible. My favourite author is Grant offered to watch the kids, so Diana
Cardone, I’ve listened to some of his and I are having dinner at Vivaldi’s, one
books more than a few times. of our favourite local restaurants. We
debate whether to have a wine or go
08:30 Once I arrive at the office, I for the espresso martini, but the waiter
catch up with my Chief of Operations, tells us Wolf Lane makes the coffee
Andrew, who is an early riser and Liqueur from Jaques coffee so martinis
usually already there. We spend an it is!
hour or so resolving any technical
issues and discussing our plan of 20:30 Kids are allowed to stay up later
action. than their usual bedtime tonight, so
we relax and watch a bit of Netflix with
10:30 Coffee with my wife at one them before they go to bed. After they
of our favourite coffee shops. We go to sleep we’ll probably sneak some
have several near the office and are dessert and a movie.
currently enjoying Blackbird’s
“Magic” coffee. MORE: airbridge.net.au
11 • tropicnow.com.au