Fraser Sutherland

6.15 AM

I get up, make a coffee, and drive off to the gym.

7.30 AM

I shower, prepare my lunch, and get ready for the day ahead.

8.15 AM

I put on the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia podcast and let Mac, Charlie, and Rob get me amped for the day ahead. I hop on the tram and skim through the headlines on a couple of news apps. Our work is often relevant to the news, so I find it helpful to keep my finger on the pulse.

8.45 AM

The new grads just started, and the office is humming, I find a hot desk. I have a yarn with one of my colleagues for a few minutes before opening my laptop. I know I've got a fairly busy day so I write down on a piece of paper what I need to do. It sounds simple but it keeps me on task for the day.

8.50 AM

I get cracking on a piece of work. The main deliverable for my project is a PowerPoint that details a set of short-form policies to support industry development. I've been researching and refining them for the past week or so. This included workshopping them with internal subject matter experts and the client. I send it off to my Project Director (PD) and explain some of the changes. I'm working on a big renewable energy project. My stream of work is mainly focusing on supply chain and industry development. I've been really enjoying it and it is the sort of positive influence work that I joined Nous for.

10.00 AM

I grab a quick tea with one of my friends and a piece of fruit. If free fruit is your main metric when choosing a workplace, look no further than Nous!

10.15 AM

 I jump into a meeting with some Nousers to discuss AI and its potential uses in certain practice groups.

10.45 AM

There's a new grad joining my team. I do some thinking around areas where she can best add value and contribute to meaningful work in her early days. Although I must admit it feels a bit like the blind leading the blind.

10.45 AM

Next up is a monthly team get together for my project. We did a survey about the project beforehand and it is an opportunity for the leadership to hear how everyone is tracking. It's an open environment where everyone can speak up and offer ideas on how we can work better.

12.15 PM

I head back to my desk and send off the slide deck to my PD.

12.30 PM

I've been scouting the best Banh Mi places within 1k of the office since I started - with 3 key factors informing my decision: quality, price, and distance. As I'm under the pump I go for a medium quality one that is close by. I'm hungry and shamelessly get stuck into my Banh Mi in the lift.

I sit down with my colleagues at the lunch table. Everyone of all levels sits with each other and talks all things, pets, politics, and fun stuff from the weekend. However, Wednesdays can be a difficult conversation day as I'm never sure if I should ask about the weekend just gone or upcoming. A bit of Chat GPT and its implication for white collar workers also slips into the conversation.

1.00 PM

I grab my second coffee for the day and head back to my desk. My PD has delivered feedback, so it'll be a big push over the next few hours with the aim of sending it to the client by 5.00 pm. The feedback is more about sharpening the focus of some of the case studies. Thankfully I do not need to do large amounts of restructuring.

2.45 PM

I take a short break and grab another piece of (free) fruit. One of the other grads speaks French and we like to catch up once or twice a week to practice.

3.00 PM

The main focus for my afternoon is polishing off the slide deck (no more deep thinking), so I decide to put a Gorillaz album on.

4.45 PM

I finish off the slide deck and my PD is happy. Sending off deliverables you are proud of is one of the better parts of consulting. Although I'm sure the client will have lots of feedback.

I tidy up a couple of other things and respond to a few emails and MS teams messages.

5.15 PM

I say goodbye to my colleagues and catch the tram home. Once home I put the figurative and literal feet up. My hours are generally pretty good, ranging from 8 to 9.5 per day. However, it’s the intensity of consulting that tires me out.

5.45 PM

I facetime my partner as she's currently living in NZ!

6.45 PM

I catch up with a couple of friends and go to a Thai restaurant.

8.20 PM

Get back home, do some stretches, and get on the foam roller. I’m currently managing a lower leg injury.

9.30 PM

I do a bit of journalling –  often about nothing and everything. I then get into bed and read some of The Great War for Civilisation by Robert Fisk.

10.15 PM

I toss and turn, but eventually get to sleep - my blunders from the day thankfully don't get in the way of me having a peaceful sleep.

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