A Day in the Life: Meetu Budholia
For this segment of The Water Cooler the Operations team has decided to leave our reception desks and live a day in your shoes to see what’s really going on in the office. Come along as we experience Wipro through the candid eyes of one of our many dynamic coworkers… maybe we’ll shadow you next time!
Today’s graciously willing subject is Meetu Budholia (she/her) - a remarkable US HR Function Head for Enterprise Apps & Global Markets and champion for women’s empowerment. In addition to driving excellence as an HR function head, she is the US ERG lead for Women of Wipro. In this role, she spearheads initiatives that empower and uplift women within our organization. (You may recall seeing her as one of the moderators on last month’s Breaking Barriers’ Live Global Webcast as part of Women’s History Month series or from their new monthly book club she is part of where knowledge meets camaraderie.)
Meetu lives in a quiet New Jersey neighborhood with her husband and 11-year-old daughter; sometimes visited by her mom as well. She worked for Wipro for nine years in India, later rejoining in 2022 when they moved to the US. She loves fitness, documentaries, and making personal connections.
A Day in the Life: Meetu Budholia
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A Day in the Life: Meetu Budholia •
Date Tuesday, 2 April 2024
Time I woke up 5:15 AM
Every day starts with a glass of water and a cup of chai. Mornings are packed with making breakfast & lunch, sending my daughter to school, getting myself ready, and leaving by 7:45 AM.
Today’s breakfast consists of tortillas & chickpeas. I am careful to avoid junk food, especially in the morning and mindful to get lots of veggies.
To get going I always do 40 minutes of yoga and exercise in the morning. I am up to 108 sun salutations 5 days a week, then I do HIIT or a cardio workout.
I am usually listening to a podcast on health - Dr Pal’s podcast is a current favorite. I am not really a music person, so in the morning I watch ABC or BBC news live during my sun salutations.
Today I am headed to the East Brunswick (Americas Headquarters) office
A Meetu-must before work: healthy snacks!
Before I start working I check my Envoy desk booking in the lift to confirm where I am sitting that day. I have set up auto check-in for Envoy, so I get checked in as soon as I enter the parking garage! In the office I go straight to hang up my coat and wish good morning to Amanda who is generally the only one in that early. I finish my breakfast, pick up some fruits & nuts in the café, and get straight to work.
I do my best work from I used to prefer working only in closed rooms, however thanks to my AirPods, I am now comfortable working anywhere in the office. For critical meetings or when I need special focus I request a private room. Today I am at an open desk in a quiet area – only a few people nearby. There is a great view from the floor all the way to the horizon.
Best part about my job is that in HR we never have a dull moment, always busy. I like being able to add meaning to the work and life of my fellow employees and leaders.
I keep the flow going by getting up in between calls to grab a cup of coffee – always with almond milk. My mornings are packed with calls until about noon so I try to take 1-2 calls standing or walking if possible and ensure I always have a big glass of water at my desk - a must have for me.
For lunch I am often at my desk or in the building’s café in the lobby. Today I am having mixed vegetables, rice, curry, and yogurt from home.
Today everyone is talking about the Autism Awareness event. I am so grateful for this event as my overall understanding of the subject was poor before. It was surprising to me how prevalent autism is and how many people on the call had personal experience with autism themselves. It was an important learning session and the speaker (Brittany Hummel, the US Disability Alliance Network Lead) had great information to share. I am grateful to have been able to attend the session with other NJ people. We watched together and afterwards there was a spontaneous discussion on personal experiences with autism, so it felt like a shared learning experience.
The most fun time I’ve ever had at work - Bring Your Child to Work Day – my daughter loved it! She loves learning and is fascinated about what happens in the office and what her parents do. Food, fun, frolic essentially! Actually, I will be on leave for the event this year, but she has made me promise to bring her anyway. Children are so inspiring.
In the afternoon leave office around 3 pm, as a fixed routine to pick up my daughter. If I can, I try to snag the fresh snacks brought up by chef before I go. At home I take an hour break then resume work to catch up on emails.
My favorite work “hack” is to go on a walk during calls that I don’t need to be on video or see someone’s screen for. I schedule these for the evening – luckily the weather is great today for this, but you must be intentional about it and plan your calendar. It won’t just happen. I always feel more focused on a walk.
Meetu addresses the guests of honor during 2023’s Bring Your Child to Work Day
I wind down with documentaries. I am crazy about Netflix and currently watching New Amsterdam and a documentary on Pepsi.
Bedtime 10 PM, after some reading . My current book is Becoming by Michelle Obama. This is the next book for review for the Women of Wipro ERG book club.
One thing I wish people knew is how great it is to be back in the office since the pandemic ended - I love to meet people and to be moving. It helps that I can pick which days to come in, but the in-office days are genuinely my best work days.
Share a Day in YOUR Life
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Share a Day in YOUR Life •
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