Life at ApiaryLife is rarely predictable. One day might start calmly, diving into focused research; the next can be a fast‑paced mix of emails, shifting time zones and back‑to‑back Teams calls. No two days look the same, and that variety keeps us on our toes, adapting quickly and constantly learning. Here, I run though what a typical day looks like for me as an ApiaryLife Expert.
9am - 10am: Opening the hive
I start by checking overnight messages and referrals. Because ApiaryLife supports clients across multiple time zones, there’s often a cluster of updates waiting:
- A new referral from an HR team about an employee who’s just had a difficult diagnosis.
- A message from someone caring for a parent, asking if we can move a call to fit around a hospital appointment.
- An urgent request for a call from someone whose VISA has been denied and has a trip planned in the coming days.
- A quick note from a colleague in another country, sharing a resource or legal update that might help one of my cases.
I scan the list, triage anything urgent, and map out the day: which calls need space around them, what reading or research I’ll need to do, and where I can build in breaks.
10am - 11am: First calls of the day
My first call is with an employee whose partner has recently died. They’ve been referred to us by their employer and aren’t quite sure what to expect.
We spend most of our first call together doing three things:
- Creating a safe space for them to say, in their own words, what has happened and how they are coping.
- Gently untangling the practical next steps – paperwork, navigating benefits, timelines, the estate administration process – into something that feels manageable, and creating an action plan of tasks we can take off their plate, or tackle together.
- Agreeing what would help between now and our next call. For example, helping them notify banks, organisations and their employer of their loved one’s death and registering the death.
- Later in the morning, I speak to someone who’s caring for two generations at once - a young family and an ageing parent. The questions are different, but the aim is similar: to reduce the noise, clarify options and create a plan that fits their reality, not an ideal scenario.
- Between calls, I write up notes so that if a colleague ever needs to step in, they can see the full picture without the client having to repeat themselves.
11am – 1pm: Deep work and collaboration
I find that I have a couple of hours between calls today, so I use the time to:
- Review complex documents (for example, medical reports, legal correspondence or policy wording).
- Draft letters, scripts or step‑by‑step guides that clients can use when talking to solicitors, insurers or schools.
- Check in with colleagues in other regions if a case crosses borders or jurisdictions.
One of the best parts of working inside the Apiary “hive” is knowing you’re not on your own with the hard questions. It’s normal to send a quick message along the lines of, “Has anyone seen this scenario before?” and receive three thoughtful replies within an hour, from colleagues around the globe.
1pm - 2pm: Lunch (and a reset)
I try to take a proper break in the middle of the day - even if it’s just 20-30 minutes away from the screen.
On good days, that looks like a walk outside and a bite to eat away from my desk. On busier days, it might just be ten minutes to reset between emotionally heavy calls. It’s important that we look after ourselves when we’re helping so many others through grief and stress - it never gets easier, but we check in on one another as a team regularly.
2pm - 4.30pm: Planning and follow‑up
Afternoons tend to be a mix of:
- Follow‑up calls with clients we’ve been working with for a while.
- Chasing third parties on behalf of a client so they don’t have to spend another lunchtime on hold.
- Comparing options for care arrangements or schooling and summarizing them in plain English.
- Preparing for an upcoming webinar or small group session for one of our corporate clients’ employees.
It’s amazing how much of the value we add happens here, acting as that extra tab open in your brain to “follow up on X, Y & Z” so our clients don’t have to.
4.30pm - 6pm: Wrapping up (and looking ahead)
Towards the end of the day, I:
- Check back through my list to make sure I’ve responded to anything urgent.
- Send short updates to HR or benefits teams where appropriate, staying firmly within confidentiality boundaries but keeping them reassured that support is in place.
- Make a note of any cases where I’ll want to consult a colleague or share learning at an upcoming team session.
- Before I log off, I try to leave myself a short “start here tomorrow” note: one or two priorities so that the next morning doesn’t begin with a blank page.
So, there you have it. It’s not glamorous work. There are no instant fixes. It’s not perfect, or predictable.
But it is always focused on making life a little more manageable when it matters most.
I start by checking overnight messages and referrals. Because ApiaryLife supports clients across multiple time zones, there’s often a cluster of updates waiting:
- A new referral from an HR team about an employee who’s just had a difficult diagnosis.
- A message from someone caring for a parent, asking if we can move a call to fit around a hospital appointment.
- An urgent request for a call from someone whose VISA has been denied and has a trip planned in the coming days.
- A quick note from a colleague in another country, sharing a resource or legal update that might help one of my cases.
I scan the list, triage anything urgent, and map out the day: which calls need space around them, what reading or research I’ll need to do, and where I can build in breaks.
10am - 11am: First calls of the day
My first call is with an employee whose partner has recently died. They’ve been referred to us by their employer and aren’t quite sure what to expect.
We spend most of our first call together doing three things:
- Creating a safe space for them to say, in their own words, what has happened and how they are coping.
- Gently untangling the practical next steps – paperwork, navigating benefits, timelines, the estate administration process – into something that feels manageable, and creating an action plan of tasks we can take off their plate, or tackle together.
- Agreeing what would help between now and our next call. For example, helping them notify banks, organisations and their employer of their loved one’s death and registering the death.
- Later in the morning, I speak to someone who’s caring for two generations at once - a young family and an ageing parent. The questions are different, but the aim is similar: to reduce the noise, clarify options and create a plan that fits their reality, not an ideal scenario.
- Between calls, I write up notes so that if a colleague ever needs to step in, they can see the full picture without the client having to repeat themselves.
11am – 1pm: Deep work and collaboration
I find that I have a couple of hours between calls today, so I use the time to:
- Review complex documents (for example, medical reports, legal correspondence or policy wording).
- Draft letters, scripts or step‑by‑step guides that clients can use when talking to solicitors, insurers or schools.
- Check in with colleagues in other regions if a case crosses borders or jurisdictions.
One of the best parts of working inside the Apiary “hive” is knowing you’re not on your own with the hard questions. It’s normal to send a quick message along the lines of, “Has anyone seen this scenario before?” and receive three thoughtful replies within an hour, from colleagues around the globe.
1pm - 2pm: Lunch (and a reset)
I try to take a proper break in the middle of the day - even if it’s just 20-30 minutes away from the screen.
On good days, that looks like a walk outside and a bite to eat away from my desk. On busier days, it might just be ten minutes to reset between emotionally heavy calls. It’s important that we look after ourselves when we’re helping so many others through grief and stress - it never gets easier, but we check in on one another as a team regularly.
2pm - 4.30pm: Planning and follow‑up
Afternoons tend to be a mix of:
- Follow‑up calls with clients we’ve been working with for a while.
- Chasing third parties on behalf of a client so they don’t have to spend another lunchtime on hold.
- Comparing options for care arrangements or schooling and summarizing them in plain English.
- Preparing for an upcoming webinar or small group session for one of our corporate clients’ employees.
It’s amazing how much of the value we add happens here, acting as that extra tab open in your brain to “follow up on X, Y & Z” so our clients don’t have to.
4.30pm - 6pm: Wrapping up (and looking ahead)
Towards the end of the day, I:
- Check back through my list to make sure I’ve responded to anything urgent.
- Send short updates to HR or benefits teams where appropriate, staying firmly within confidentiality boundaries but keeping them reassured that support is in place.
- Make a note of any cases where I’ll want to consult a colleague or share learning at an upcoming team session.
- Before I log off, I try to leave myself a short “start here tomorrow” note: one or two priorities so that the next morning doesn’t begin with a blank page.
So, there you have it. It’s not glamorous work. There are no instant fixes. It’s not perfect, or predictable.
But it is always focused on making life a little more manageable when it matters most.
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