When an attorney is thinking of joining Two IP they are often surprised and delighted to find out that they wouldn’t need to work the same hours to earn the same (or even more!) as they currently do employed in private practice.
When you also include the reduced (or non-existent) commuting due to our fully remote model, the time individuals have back during their working week can be considerable.
In this blog we look at the hobbies and pastimes the Two IP team take part in and their thoughts on balancing their home and work life.
Anna – Co-founder
Anna is not only co-founder of Two IP but also senior independent director of Bowls England.
Alongside the official board duties of this role, she also plays for her club and the Warwickshire county side, which requires regular practice and match playing commitments.
Lawn Bowls is clearly a huge passion of Anna’s and by creating the working life she has, she can participate fully in both board and playing roles.
It’s not just about spending time on the green. Anna also likes to play the piano and will spend time during the week practicing and perfecting her pieces, for her fortnightly lesson.
In a traditional IP attorney role, the time for activities like this would not normally exist, so they can easily fall by the wayside as work pressures build. Anna has been able to make time to take part in the things she enjoys – they rarely, if ever, get cancelled due to work commitments. And these non-work activities have a benefit that you might find somewhat unexpected – spending time doing these things, fully switching off from work, means Anna finds it easier to focus when she gets back to her client work or having conversations with attorneys thinking about joining Two IP.
Donnacha – Non-Exec Director
Donnacha lives and breathes the flexible working model. With a home base in Westport, Ireland and a house in Cyprus, it’s always a fun game guessing which country he is in on our team calls.
His preferred past times are of the physical variety, so cycling, windsurfing and kayaking. These active pursuits mean he can experience plenty of time in the Cypriot sunshine and be invigorated by the fresh Irish air. Working across time zones also has the added advantage of taking part in his preferred activities well before the rest of us have woken up.
Danielle – COO
Danielle has advocated for flexible and remote working long before the pandemic and has perfected the art of carving out plenty of time for activities outside of work.
A key one for her is the ability to go to the gym early each morning.
Commuting and regular working hours can make fitting this in difficult. Still, with a fully flexible schedule, she can attend a spinning or HIIT class most days and even have time for a relaxing coffee afterwards.
Although strictly speaking not a hobby, Danielle also has an energetic dog that requires a fair amount of walking daily. As she has chosen to live in the depths of the Herefordshire countryside, another part of her daily schedule is long dog walks around the footpaths her house is surrounded by. No quick loops around the block in between client calls here.
Continuing the outdoors theme, she has also been known to work for a week at a time from a campsite, working for a few hours before heading out and exploring the local area.
With no requirement to be in a particular place or even working at specific times, she can take a ‘holiday’ whenever she likes knowing she can still keep on top of work, and the Two IP infrastructure means she can attend meetings and receive calls wherever she may be.
How would you spend that time if you could save 2 to 3 hours each day and still earn the same? Let us know at hello@two-ip.com, and we can have a chat about if this is realistic for you.
