Walpole: In a world where we’re always available, how do you separate your personal time from your work time?
Katy Simpson: I run the business from my home office and have done so for 12 years, therefore my work and home life are entwined – I always have candles burning and diffuser tests being conducted in other rooms around the house. A regular routine of exercise and spending quality time with family and friends helps me to separate personal time from work.
What’s one thing you do after the work day to help you unwind?
Exercise is critical to handling work stresses and life strains and is a great way to switch off after a long day in the office. Running by the river or in forests puts life into perspective. I look around at landscapes and trees that have stood for hundreds of years. I find this very humbling and puts work problems into perspective. Plus, I always find solutions during these runs.
What activity do you do in your time away from the office that helps you relax and re-centre after a stressful week?
One of my passions is cooking. Over the years I have done several cooking courses and I really enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and techniques. This summer I did a cooking course in Barcelona and was taught the true techniques for paella (turns out I have been making Spanish risotto all these years!). When I am cooking, all the senses are focused and tuned in – cooking is my yoga.
What’s something you’ve read, listened to or seen in your spare time that’s helped you at work?
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown. This remarkable book serves as a comprehensive manual for cultivating courageous leadership. It provides a clear path to leading with mindfulness, embracing bravery, and daring to inspire. Rather than focusing on titles, status, or power over others, the book underscores the essence of genuine leadership who willingly assume responsibility for identifying and nurturing the untapped potential within both individuals and innovative ideas.
After home and the office, where’s your favourite third space?
The river. I live a few minutes’ walk from the Thames, and as soon as I get by the water, my stress levels drop, I breathe differently, all problems seem resolvable, I find solutions and I come back as a new woman. In Bourne End Marina, there's a Spanish Tapas restaurant called El Cedro and it has a terrace that looks out over the river and the green fields and hills beyond. I love dropping by at the weekends for a glass of Sangria or Alberino, I feel like I am on holiday for an hour or two.
On Sunday night, how do you prepare yourself for the week ahead?
Organisation, preparation and a tidy house is paramount for a good week ahead. I check my diary to mentally prepare for the week ahead, make sure my office is organised and tidy, my food is prepped for the week, and I even plan my wardrobe. Before I settle in for the night with a Sunday evening movie, I tidy my office and house, so everything is in order for the start of the working week. A tidy house equates to a calm and organised head.
Best reason you've had to turn your Out of Office on recently?
I haven’t set an out of office for 12 years! That said, I didn’t look at my emails on the day of my best friend’s wedding in Florence last month. I had not been to Italy since the pandemic, and I had forgotten how beautiful the country is
