A Day In The Life

Julia Mende

Posted 01 April 2017

New York Program

September 2006 Intake

Our Day in Life of Julia, a graduate of the European Business School, Vienna, Austria, last year took on the role of City Manager Vienna for Urban Massage (https://www.urbanmassage.com/en/about), a startup which was founded in London in 2014 and expanded to Paris and Vienna in 2016. Here, Julia describes how she was recruited into this role, plus a typical day at present, and is also delighted to be able to offer all Mountbatten alumni a special 10% discount when using the services of the organisation (full details at the end of the article).

How did you get into this line of business?
I was contacted via LinkedIn by Laura Haynes, Head of People & Talent at Urban Massage, and then in October 2016 I was hired as City Manager.

Let’s talk about a typical day. What time do you get up?
I usually get up around 8 and try to do some yoga or running before I get ready for work and walk or cycle to the office between 9 and 9:30.

Describe a "typical" work day. What projects do you have on the go at present?
Our current focus in Vienna is to boost supply, this means we are actively looking for massage therapists to join Urban Massage and offer massages to the customers. Our Therapist Operations Associate Finn is in charge of finding new therapists and checks them thoroughly before they are listed on our platform. Marketing and B2C communication is another focus as we need to build the brand in Austria and make sure people trust us enough to order a massage and let a therapist they haven't met before into their home. Our PR agency is helping us here and our local Marketing Manager Carina is driving all marketing efforts. My focus as a City Manager is the overall strategy and the heading up of the entire launch process, as well as the team in Vienna.

How would you describe the culture of your place of work?
We are a start up so the overall culture is very relaxed, amicable and hands-on. My team in Vienna is small but extremely dedicated, and while there are no strict office hours we all work 24/7 even on the weekends when we are often at events or on the phone with therapists and customers.

Where do you have your lunch?
Usually a sandwich or salad at the desk, sometimes in the park across the street from our office, when we combine it with a team meeting. Foodora and Uber Eats value us as their customers as we often don't have time to leave the office.

What time do you normally leave your workplace at the end of the working day? Around 8pm.

Where's your favourite place to meet friends after work? What is the social scene in Vienna like?
During the week it's a bit tricky as we all work long hours but across the street from the office there are some lovely restaurants and bars where we like to go after work sometimes. They offer traditional Austrian food and beer - it's a bit like going to the pub in London...

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Urban Massage is the most convenient way to relax after a long day at work - simply book your massage via the app or on www.urbanmassage.com and Mountbatten alumni will receive a Special 10% discount with the promo code MOUNTBATTEN10 - you will love it!