You may think of finance as an industry with little work/life balance, but that’s definitely not the case everywhere. Case in point: Fidelity Investments. The multinational financial services company offers incredible benefits to help its associates thrive in and out of the office, including on-site fitness and wellness centers, concierge services, fully-paid 16-week maternity leave and more. (Interested? Apply here!) In celebration of companies that make it easier to blaze your own trail, we’ve asked Erica, a Financial Consultant with Fidelity Investments, to share her daily responsibilities and tasks during a typical workday for this week’s “What She Does” segment. Enjoy!

Name: Erica, CFP®
Career/Title: Financial Consultant, Fidelity Investments
City: Upper West Side, NYC

What does your job title mean? What does your job entail?
As a Financial Consultant, I am my clients’ trusted point of contact when it comes to all financial areas in their lives. That entails building long-lasting relationships, as well as helping them achieve their financial goals. I handle everything from investment planning, retirement planning, estate planning, income planning and helping to navigate family conversations around the family’s finances.

When do you wake up?
I’m a morning person, so I wake up around 6:30am, and I am at my desk by 7:30am. The mornings are when I am the most focused and efficient, so I always welcome early-morning client appointments.

At 9am I am…
At this time I’m usually in or finishing up my first client meeting of the day. My calendar is always open for an 8am meeting for those who wish to speak before they start their day. By this time, my emails and voicemails from the previous evening have been checked and answered, and I’ve made sure that my daily tasks and project work are in order for the day. I usually aim to have 30-35 tasks. That’s the number that I believe can be handled efficiently in a single day.

At 11am I am…
By 11am I’m in my second client appointment of the day. I try and give myself at least an hour in between each client meeting to take notes, as well as take care of any other housekeeping items for the client. I also give myself that block just in case the meeting may run a little longer than expected—I don’t want to feel rushed, and more importantly, I don’t want the client to feel rushed.

What does lunch normally look like for you?
I don’t really have a set lunch time. I’ll take lunch as the schedule for the day permits. Lunchtime is usually the busiest hour of the day for me because for my working clients, that’s when they can sneak out for a financial consulting meeting or do a phone appointment while at their desks. I mostly bring my lunch for this reason.

At 1pm I am…
Usually catching up on answering any emails throughout the day or returning calls. I also take a 2-hour block to make my own calls. I like being proactive, and I usually set up half of my own appointments per week. Besides setting appointments, during this time I will often call some clients just to check in. It just takes a few minutes of my time, and I know that they appreciate it.

At 3pm I am…
In the last appointment of the day. I prefer the last appointment to be around 3/3:30pm. Of course, that time is flexible, and if a client needs to meet later in the day I can accommodate them.

At 5pm I am…
From 4pm to 5pm I’m usually putting together my clients’ plans or investment strategies, and reaching out to any business partners that are necessary to help me get these accomplished. I believe that it’s really important to know your resources. This part of the day is crucial because I need to make sure that I allow enough time after my meetings to follow through and put together a sound plan for my clients to reach their goals. Around this time, I’ll also look over the appointments for the next day to make sure that I am fully prepared.

How does a workday end for you?
A work day usually ends by checking in with my manager to see how the day went and if there are any pressing items that should be done before we leave for the day. It’s also a great time to set expectations for the key items that we need to get done the next day, as well as make sure that all emails and calls have been responded to.

What do you do after work?
I usually work out when I leave work. I really enjoy exercising, and it helps to keep me focused. After that, I go home and cook dinner—I love to cook. On the days I don’t work out, and if the weather is warm, I will bike home from work. Other days, I will catch up with friends or family and go out to dinner. Living in a city is great, and I’m a big foodie, so there’s always many restaurants on my list to try.

What time do you go to bed?
I am usually in bed by 10pm every night—I need my 8 hours of sleep. I’ll usually unwind after the day and watch a show before bed. I like to feel well-rested for the day ahead!