Discover Travis' unexpected career in technology and his secret life as a TikTok star
Travis Whiteman, a Technical Support Analyst, lifts the lid on his dynamic career path and how he makes the most of his work/life balance
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In this Q&A, Travis from our New York office gives the lowdown on how he balances his podcasting stardom with his role at Schroders. Plus, hear first-hand his remarkable career journey and where work and home collided!
My alarm goes off at…
4.15am. I start work as a Technical Support Analyst at 7am. The team work shifts and I like to give myself enough time to get ready at a calm pace.
I got the job…
I was a Concierge in a residential building where the then Schroders’ Head of Technology, US, lived. He knew I had an enthusiasm and experience for technology – we’d talk about the industry and he’d ask me questions about my interests. He suggested I apply for a role on the technology Helpdesk, and I was initially offered a six-month contract.
Deciding to change career was a risk as I had a permanent job at the time, but I’m really pleased I took the leap of faith as over five years later, I’m still here!
Best part of my role…
Every day brings something new, and I never know what’s going to come up. In this role I get to know everyone across the business at all levels, and it’s great to be able to walk through the office and have conversations with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds.
Biggest challenge…
The start of lockdown. We suddenly had to make sure everyone was equipped to work from home. It was a lot of work over a short time, but we felt a great sense of achievement when everyone was optimally set up.
I refocus by…
At the end of the day, I make a to-do list for the following day. It clears my mind and means I’m set up for the next day. I can then focus my energy on my family.
After work…
I‘m married and have two boys aged nine and one, so when I get home I need to be ‘daddy’ and have some energy in the tank for the boys!
I do a weekly podcast with my wife called 'We still like each other'
We now have 11,000 subscribers on YouTube, 180,000 downloads on Audio and 100,000 followers on TikTok, so it’s doing pretty well.
Work and home collided when…
A few months ago, I helped some interns on rotation and one of them approached me and said, ‘I love your podcast!’
I’m in bed by…
Ideally 9pm but normally it’s closer to 10pm. I like to sit with my wife and watch a series on TV. My favourite TV show at the moment is ‘The Last of Us.’Which one of your podcasts if we had to choose one, should we click?:
Quick fire
What did you buy with your first paycheck: A pair of sneakers
Favourite footwear: Nike Air Jordan 1
Go-to karaoke song: Usher – U got it bad
Favourite restaurant: Flor de Mayo, it serves delicious Chinese/Latin fusion food
Which one of your podcasts if we had to choose one, should we click?: Episode 063: The Levels to Childhood Trauma
Plan B: First and foremost, I’m a family man, so I would do whatever it took to provide for my family. However, I would try to make my way into the podcasting industry. Possibly as a video editor or audio engineer.
What does working at Schroders look like? Hear from our people across the globe:
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