How I Spend My Working Day – Coffeeangel’s Caroline Sleiman-Purdy

Caroline Sleiman-Purdy is director and co-owner of Coffeeangel. After a very successful decade as market development manager for Moët Hennessy, Caroline ‘officially’ joined Coffeeangel four years ago, applying her expertise to a whole new beverage category. As her husband Karl is the co-founder, Caroline wasn’t new to the business. In fact, she had been supporting the company in an unofficial capacity for 15 years, as many spouses do!

Waking up to smell the coffee is all part of the day job for Caroline Sleiman-Purdy. “Speciality coffee, as an industry, is very young. Both business and consumers are continually making exciting discoveries in taste and technique as well as uncovering challenges and opportunities,” says Caroline. “But youth is one of speciality coffee’s greatest strengths – providing inspiration, energy and innovation. Similar to the consumer’s journey of discovery with the nuances of the wine world decades ago, we are seeing an almost identical trend in people’s understanding of and interest in how coffee is grown, processed, roasted and brewed. It’s super exciting to be at the leading edge of this change.”
As for the personality traits she relies on to get her successfully through the day? “I always try to see the bigger picture and don’t sucked into the smaller daily dramas, which we’re all faced with.” Caroline also prides herself on being empathetic and empowering others to do their best work.

I wake at…
6.40am

The first thing I do every morning is…
Take a moment to be grateful for all I have and mentally prepare myself for the day ahead by doing a short meditation session.

I usually don’t have…
Breakfast until around 10am. By then, I am definitely looking forward to a filtered coffee accompanied by a chia pot, to which I add passion fruit, almonds and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

I can’t go to work without…
My phone, laptop, and the contents of my handbag. I change bags nearly every day.

Enter here for IMAGE Businesswoman of the Year 2019

Deciding what to wear each morning is…
Mostly done in advance, but that said, it very much depends on how I am feeling on the day.

The best investments I’ve made in my work wardrobe are…
Great shoes and handbags. I always save and buy the best I can afford, even if that means only a couple of investment pieces per season, be that clothes, shoes or accessories.

I travel to work by…
Car. I recently switched to an EV and absolutely love it!

I start my working day…
At Coffeeangel HQ.

I usually spend the first portion of the day…
On paperwork, emails, marketing plans, training plans, etc and the second half is blocked off for meetings and spending time with the team in stores.

I rarely…
Stop for lunch. Really bad I know! This is normally a salad or soup. I don’t go anywhere without water.

I think meetings are…
Useful; if there is a clear agenda, decisions are made and then actioned. Otherwise, they are time-killers.

The most useful business tool I use every day is…
Bamboo HR, an online HR platform that is a life saver. With 40 plus staff, it’s the only way to keep all records in one virtual place.

I save time by…
Planning!!!

I rarely get through my working day without…
At least 400 plus WhatsApp messages.

The best part of my day is…
Seeing the sunrise over the sea as I drive to work.

The most challenging part of my day is…
Getting into the city centre and leaving it on time.

I know it’s been a good day if…
All my to-do list gets done!

My day ends…
When you own your own business there is no end to the day. You’re always on.

I switch off from work by…
Reading.

Before I go to bed, I’ll always…
Kiss my daughter goodnight. We spend a moment or two talking about what we are most grateful for that day.

I often prepare for tomorrow by…
Mentally running through all that needs to be done and prioritising what I will do, but more importantly, I also acknowledge what I achieved today.

Read more: To book your tickets to this year’s Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

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