Mikayla Calder

6.00 AM

My alarm goes off, waking me up for the new day. I pull on my shoes, mix up my smoothie and jump in my car to head off to my F45 class.

6.45 AM

Gym time! This is the perfect way for me to start each and every morning, by putting my health first. The rush of energy and confidence it gives me energises me for the rest of my day and I find I am so much more productive on the mornings I have exercised.

8.00 AM

I arrive, chai latte in hand, at our vibrant office in Tooronga, Melbourne. The atmosphere is contagious, and as if the exercise and chai weren’t enough, I am buzzing ahead of my busy day. 

The first thing on my to-do list is to check my emails, so I can prioritise my day and see whether anything urgent needs attending to. Next, I check out our sales results from the previous day. How has each of our states gone? Does one of our state finance managers need some extra support in delivering our numbers?

9.00 AM

I break my day down into two chunks. In the morning, I help our team comb through our month end results, ensuring everything looks as it should and understanding where our areas of opportunity are. We have a tonne of data at our disposal, but it’s about making sense of the myriad of information and providing our senior stakeholders with a clear picture of what’s happened, what’s coming up, and what they should be focused on over the coming weeks.

12.30 PM

Lunch is the perfect time to recharge my batteries for the afternoon by going for a walk or basking in the sunshine in one of our many outdoor areas; however, this is Melbourne, and the weather can change at a moment’s notice. So, when it’s not so nice outside, I like to sit down with my colleagues and discuss all aspects of life from what’s happening in their jobs, whether that penalty in last night’s AFL game was warranted, to who’s going to win The Bachelor.

1.15 PM

After lunch, I like to catch up with the other half of our team – the state finance managers, finance business partners and business analysts – who are based all across the country. Regardless of whether it’s individual phone calls or a group conference call, it is so important to stay in touch, as these are the people who are constantly out of the office and engaging with our store teams, and really understand how we can make a difference in our business. Sometimes these conversations guide what I delve into in the afternoon; other times, it’s great just to find out what the themes in each part of the country are.

2.00 PM

Quick check of my emails, and I’m ready to dive into the afternoon. Afternoons are my favourite part of the day, as I really feel like I’m assisting to help the business reach its strategic goals. One day I might be pulling together a business case to roll out a new range in a selection of trial stores. The next, I’ll be analysing this performance to determine the common themes from successful sites, and proposing a large-scale rollout plan. 

In Finance, we often get mistaken for data-crunchers, but it’s not all about the numbers! I also spend this time catching up with people in various roles around the building, who might have a different viewpoint on something I have been looking into, or might add something into the equation I haven’t even thought of. Building connections in a place as big as this is so important; the calibre of people is exceptional, and you’ll always be able to find the answer to your question, as long as you ask the right person.

5.00 PM

I clock off for the day, but it’s not home time yet. I put aside my laptop and pull out my pens and paper, ready to get in some study for my Chartered Accountant qualification. It’s my exam next week; I’m not worried though, because I’ve been chipping away at the coursework every day and attending classes to help me understand the most difficult areas, and my whole team has been more supportive than you could imagine.

6.30 PM

I arrive home, to the utter joy of my four-legged furry friend. First things first, I put my runners back on and take him out for a well-deserved stroll, the best way to clear my head.

7.15 PM

I quickly mix up my dinner, most of which I’ve pre-prepared, ready to settle down on the couch and see whether my Bachelor hunch was correct.

9.00 PM

The last thing I like to do before I head to bed is some reading – catching up on local and national events, but also learning how to better myself. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is definitely one of my top-reads, but I like to branch out in areas of particular interest to me as well, such as learning about the seven chakras (or energy centres) in yoga, that I can lean on to ensure I am always being the best version of myself.

10.30 PM

Exhausted but absolutely fulfilled, I drop my head to the pillow and am asleep before I notice the dog has snuck up onto the bed…again.