Whether it’s banging out bicep curls, planning his wedding or sound-checking with a DJ, One Wellness boss David Barr’s energy just doesn’t quit

All Systems Go

7:00am Wake up–wow it feels early–still remember fondly coming home at this time! Ah, the early party years. But once I feel this amazing city waking up with me, it’s all systems go!

Wagas

7:15 Early morning breakfast at Wagas–honey ginger tea and fruit muesli. Bump into Jules from URBN who’s also a morning regular. We talk about all things green and the weekend ahead.

One Wellness

8:30 In for a coffee, say “Hi” to the morning team (which has been in since 6am). Meet to discuss the day ahead and plan new One events later in the month. Meet with suppliers and partners. Without their support, the dream of my wife Laurie and I could never have been realized.

Olympics

10:00 Luckily it’s just across the road from One Wellness so no taxi for me. Work through client emails–the good the bad and the ugly. Put on Beatles tunes in the office to lighten the mood. This has to be fun or what’s the point?

Center Court

12:00pm Now it’s my time in the middle of the day. The sun is out—superb! I go off for my little fix: lunch time tennis with my friend Nick. It’s hot and it’s hard work but wow is it fun. One moment I’m playing Nick at Fuxing Lu and the next I’m playing Federer on center court at Wimbledon and it’s match point and then … back to reality. Nearly pass out from the heat. I go and have a nice, long, cold shower.

Cantine

2:00 Late lunch at Cantine, one of my favorite restaurants. I meet Scotty and Stuart, best men at my wedding later in the year–the stag is going to be scary.

One Wellness
2:45 Off to One Wellness for meetings with the management team. Emails rolling in way too fast. Talking with our key partners Technogym and Adidas about future events. Planning the parties is the best part, the fun. Then meet our new personal trainers; these guys are simply awesome.
3:30 Sound check with our in-house DJ Andrea working on which sounds One members will train to next month. This is fun. These are the times of our lives.

Olympics Round 2

4:30 Back to Olympics. I’m getting dizzy running between the two places. Wrap up meetings and book tickets with Steven, our sales manager, for tomorrow’s trip. Nantong, here we come.
5:30 Phone home to see how everybody is back in England. Check in on my super nan, Aggy, who talks fondly of coming back out to Shanghai to play. At 84, she is simply inspirational.

Work Out

6:30 Time for a work out session with Murat, our trainer. It’s chest and biceps today, a one-hour power session. He pushes me to the limit. Don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the end. Is this is really fun???

Wind Down

7:30 I take a conference call with a European client while laying out on a sun bed in the One Wellness garden. If the client could see me now! Client tells me they are coming to Shanghai. More people are coming to Shanghai. Everybody’s coming to Shanghai. Twelve years in and I’m still dazzled, shocked, surprised and energized by this amazing city.
8:00 Best part of the day as everyday is waiting at the club for my fiancée Laurie to arrive. She has a PT session while I finish off the last emails of the day. My stomach’s already excited for the treat ahead. I have a smoothie and chat with our members in the garden. It’s great to have a club–the One big family.

Da Marco

9:00 Must be some secret ingredient they put in the food; it is awesome every time (and the place is packed!). I always forget to book a table, but Marco squeezes us in. The first glass of Procesco goes down like a dream, maybe a tad too fast. Dinner is antipasti and roasted chicken and a few more glasses of the bubbly.

Home

11:00 Laurie and I float out of Da Marco and head home. We talk about her biz trip to Europe next week and our wedding at the end of the year. Wow, it’s coming fast.
11:30 Cup of tea and we dig out a DVD which we put on and then almost immediately we both pass out. It’s a ritual.
12:30am Long day but lots of fun. I fall asleep to David Gray’s “Babylon.” Yup, he must have been to Shanghai as well.

What we think ...

Wow, we’re tired just reading David’s day. But, hey, conference calls laying out on a sun bed pretty much sound like the wave of the future. Think David’s got way too much energy for one human being?