In HELLO!'s new series, How I Make It Work, we speak to inspiring women in business about how they make it work.
From the perfect work/life balance to the people they rely on and self-care that helps them function, prepare to feel motivated.
Meet Dr. Alexis Granite
With 20 years of medical experience both in the US and UK, consultant dermatologist Dr. Alexis Granite poured her heart, soul and expert knowledge into creating her skincare and wellness brand, Joonbyrd.
Inspired by memories of her grandmother's beautiful makeup pots, the British Beauty Council advisor created a skincare and wellness brand to spark joy and make you feel incredible every day.
Here the dog owner and mother-of-two to Jemma, 18, and Dash, 15, tells us how she makes it work…
How my day-to-day works…
My week is split between my job in the clinic as a consultant dermatologist and days with the Joonbyrd team as CEO.
My average day starts at seven am when I wake up, do a quick Joonbyrd body care routine and have an oat milk latte, which is one of those small pleasures that brings me so much joy.
When I'm at the clinic I like to organise all of my tools in a very specific way so that part is just muscle memory and I can focus all of my attention on the patient's concerns.
I turn on a Chill Hits playlist on Spotify and fill up my diffuser with a delicious mood-boosting scent.
I love the rhythm of a clinic day; each patient is so unique but the flow of the appointments has a comforting cadence.
Joonbyrd days take me everywhere. I might be meeting with the team, training staff, meeting prospective retailers, attending events or visiting our manufacturer. No day is the same. Oftentimes, worlds collide and I am in clinic followed by a Joonbyrd event or vice-versa and then, by the end of the day, I am very ready to change into some comfy PJs.
"In the evenings I work from my bed which is honestly where I feel most productive."
In the evenings I work from my bed surrounded by my family and two dogs which is honestly where I feel most productive. Often the kids will join in too and we all work together on my bed, we call it Study Hall.
My day ends at about one am - I am a night owl! This comes in handy with teenagers as they typically want to start talking around midnight. When I finally do turn out the lights, I dream of my delicious latte waiting for me in the morning and quickly fall asleep.
How I make my clothes work
I should be better at laying out my clothes the night before, but I usually decide during my morning shower what I am going to wear. I am always running late because I perpetually try to squeeze one last thing in. My taxi commute is a multitasking mash-up of makeup application and (off-screen) work calls.
How I relax
I think my family would say I don't relax!
Overall my two outlets to destress are exercise and cleaning. I love to run most days of the week. I typically love to watch true crime and documentaries on the treadmill. I also love to clean, especially vacuuming, and I do this most days of the week too. Switching your mind off and accomplishing something at the same time is very satisfying.
The challenges I face keeping a work/life balance…
Even with an incredibly supportive partner, I still manage most of the day-to-day details of our family life, in addition to running a clinic and a business, plus trying to set aside time to spend with family and friends - it’s a juggling act.
The perfect work/life balance for me…
I love being busy and challenged and being surrounded by people. I also think joyful moments and small pleasures go a long way. So working hard and having full days, but also taking the time to have meaningful conversations with family, a delicious meal with friends, go on a gorgeous run outside or watch a great show. To me, hard work sprinkled with lots of small joys and laughter is a great balance.
Who helps me make it work
It truly takes a village! I am lucky to have an incredibly supportive husband. I was still a dermatology trainee in NYC when I had my daughter and I went back to work only six weeks after she was born.
One of the blessings perhaps in going back to work so early is that my husband pitched in from day one and that hasn't changed.
How my work/life balance has changed as I've got older
I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all all solution for work/life balance and truthfully I don't think there is ever perfection, especially for women.
"I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all all solution for work/life balance."
What I have found is a different balance works for different phases of life. When my children were young, I continued working but stepped back from the hustle and kept much more 9-5 type hours.
This allowed me to switch off when I was with them. Now that I have started a business, the lines have all blurred and I'm never really switched off. But I hope I am setting a good example of hard work. Even just sitting side by side on our laptops, but being close to each other is enough. I imagine in five or 10 years' time, the picture will look different again and hopefully right for that stage of life.
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