The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of our lives, but how are Pact members adapting? We’ve asked them to share their lockdown lessons and reflections on where the industry might go from here.
Helen Howells is co-founder of Pact member Hoho Entertainment, a children’s production and rights management company based in London.
The crisis has shown us all that we can adapt to working remotely and in many cases I think we can be more productive when we are not so distracted by other things going on in the business around us.
Q. What one thing about working in the industry are you missing most in lockdown? And what are you not missing at all?
I’m missing seeing people in person – it’s all very well talking to a screen but I much prefer meeting people in person. I’m also going to miss events like the upcoming CMC (Children's Media Conference) in Sheffield. Although a virtual version is still going ahead, it’s one of my favourite places to network and meet new people. It’s such a different vibe to the usual ‘markets’ and it’s a lot of fun too. As for the markets, we just have to wait and see. What I’m not missing is the 2.5 hour commute across London to and from work.
Q. Zoom: love it or hate it?
Love it! For the most part anyway. I’ve found it to be more reliable and stable than SKYPE and other web based communication software I’ve used before. But Oliver and I still use Facetime for our daily catch ups.
Q. How have you adapted to working from home and what does a typical day look like?
No day is typical when you’re trying to work and home school three kids at the same time and we realised very early on that while it’s good to have some sort of structure and timetable, you also need to be flexible. I like to get up and start a little earlier so that I can then spend time working through what the kids need to do. My husband (who also works in the business) and I tag team as much as we can. We break for lunch and all eat together outdoors, weather permitting, then we crack on through the afternoon. At the end of the school day the younger kids get a bit of ‘Golden Time’ - a phrase we picked up from school – which basically means go and do something interesting or productive that doesn’t involve a screen or a video game. Lego is making a huge comeback in our household. And this gives us an hour or two to work quietly or do meetings and catch up with my business partner, Oliver. After dinner I generally get back on my laptop to finish off anything that I haven’t managed to do in the day. So although sometimes I feel like I’m never really switching off, I don’t feel the additional stress that comes from the usual daily grind, especially from the commuting.
Q. Have there been any surprise benefits to the lockdown?
Yes! The amount of money I’ve saved on ‘takeaway’ coffees. There are personal benefits too like the family all being able to sit down and eat dinner together, as we often eat in relay. Despite the usual ups and downs it’s been nice spending more time together as a family.
Q. How are you and your team keeping up morale whilst working remotely?
I took up gardening a few years ago and we’re fortunate enough to have an allotment right behind our garden so whenever I get a break I hop over the fence to check on the greenhouse and the veg beds. A bit of sunshine and just seeing everything grow strong and healthy really lifts my spirits, especially given the current circumstances.
Q. Do you anticipate lasting change to your organisation’s way of working beyond this immediate crisis?
Yes I do. The crisis has shown us all that we can adapt to working remotely and in many cases I think we can be more productive when we are not so distracted by other things going on in the business around us. But I do like the office environment and I hope we will be able to return to some sort of normality in the not-too-distant future.
Q. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?
“Be kind to people on the way up. You might need them on your way down”. It doesn’t take a lot to be polite and kind to people.
The thing that has inspired me most is we are all in this together and that we are taking more time to speak to people (be it on the phone or via zoom).
Q. What films/TV programmes and series are helping you get through the lockdown?
I’ve really got into Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. It’s laugh out loud stuff – I love it. We also signed up for Disney+ as me and my boys are big Marvel fans, so we’ve been re-watching films we’ve seen and taking advantage of those we missed without having to buy the DVDs.
Q. What or who in the industry has inspired you most since this pandemic began and why?
The thing that has inspired me most is we are all in this together and that we are taking more time to speak to people (be it on the phone or via zoom). It feels like the old days of “smile and dial” instead of constant, faceless emails. And even with emails, people are taking the time to ask how you are, if you are safe and well. It’s such a shame that it’s taken a pandemic to make us all a little more empathetic.
Q. What lasting change do you hope we might see in the industry after this crisis is over?
The reduction in air travel and commuting generally has made a huge and positive impact on our environment in a short space of time and generally speaking I think we have all become much more aware of the need to be ecologically friendly in all aspects of our lives, not just in the industry we work in. Let’s hope this continues post COVID-19.
Pact would like to thank Helen for taking the time to answer our questions. If you would like to feature in our member interview series, please e-mail membercomms@pact.co.uk.
