24 hours with... Abe Thomas

Ever wondered what an ideal day in the life of someone from advertising/marketing/media is? We're here to spill the beans on it.

Every Tuesday, we'll have a person from the advertising/marketing/media industry profiled in this section.

Name: Abe Thomas

Job: CEO, Big FM

Professional and personal mantra: The time is now

6am: I have always been an early riser. Getting up at 6am is a practise I have been following for years now. Before the day’s bustle commences, I get a few minutes to myself, meditate, plan my day, prioritise my to-dos, set the right tone for the day. 

6:30am: I usually prefer going for a walk or do yoga to refresh and recharge my senses. No gadgets, just soaking in nature and breathing in the fresh morning air is a must for me. I also love spending time with my dog, which works as a bonus after the workout session. Taking him out for walks or just some playtime with him is my biggest stress buster.

7:30am: It’s coffee time! I am a huge coffee fanatic and I love to collect different types of coffees from my various travels. Brewing my own coffee in the morning is quite therapeutic for me. It’s my ‘me time’ and often I choose my coffee in line with my mood and the way my day looks. Also music plays a big role in my life. When I am home, music is always on in the background. Depending on my mood, I shuffle between old Bollywood classics, iHeartRadio's 70s and 90s hits or rocking out on Radio X. Some days, it’s my own playlist that takes over the house. 

8am: The entire family comes together for breakfast before we all move forward to our respective days. I also like to catch up with news, generally online. Intellectual arguments with my daughter are a highlight at breakfast.

9:15am: This is when my work day officially starts. During the morning call with my leadership team, we discuss various priorities on our agenda. Post the call, I leave for work. 

10am: During my commute to work, I often tune in to Big FM. While timeless music is a personal favourite, it’s a great way to experience our offerings first hand as well. 

11am: Meetings and calls is what my day is usually filled with. I find immense joy in my work and I am one of those lucky few who look forward to going to office. Each day has its own routine – Mondays are for business dashboards, Tuesdays are dedicated to meetings with functional heads, Wednesdays are for external meetings and so on. My work keeps me thoroughly engaged.

1:30pm: Rain or shine, I make sure to take a break for lunch latest by 1:30pm. While I enjoy different cuisines, there are days when I like to indulge in a decadent dessert as well.  

2pm: Some more meetings and calls! I believe in an open door policy at work wherein I encourage my colleagues to keeping it as informal as possible. The idea is to build connections and strengthen relationships with the people I work with. I feel it’s essential to keep our work environment more collaborative and enjoyable. These hours are also most crucial for me as it helps me gain understanding of work that’s pending and needs my foremost attention.

5pm: It’s time for another round of coffee. There are days when I also indulge in my favourite snacks – be it sev puri, dahi puri or Mumbai’s favourite vada pav. I unapologetically look forward to relish my cheat meals. 

7pm: While heading back home I enjoy tuning into podcasts, some of my favourites are Indian Express’s ‘3 Things’ and ‘WTF with Nikhil Kamath’. 

8pm: Arriving back home, I make sure to spend some quality time with my family. Sometimes my friends come over, other times we go over. 

9pm: Dinners are a family affair. Post which, we kick back and enjoy some fun OTT binge-watching. Recently some of the series I loved include ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘The Morning Show’, ‘Kaala Pani’, Guns and Gulaabs’ to name a few. Also, December is the time for Christmas movies which I absolutely enjoy.

11pm: I get back to bed, for my seven hours of sleep.

Come weekends I’m off to Alibaug for two days of re-charge, renew, refresh for the next week.