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Author: Aspectus Group

Avoiding herd communication: How impact investing companies can stand out in an increasingly busy market

For those of us who have been cheering on impact investing for some time, the last few months have come with unexpected good news; money is being channelled into sustainable funds in record amounts.

With investors thinking more about the long term, it is becoming clear that the current crisis is acting as a catalyst that will drive impact investing to new heights.

Although it’s an exciting time for impact firms, a new challenge is emerging: more than ever before, they are going to be working in a fast-paced and crowded market.

Until now, the growth of impact investing has been steady, but this change in investor sentiment will see the rate of change pick up and the competition for brand recognition intensify.

The opportunity is stark, but so are the risks. It’s crucial that impact firms ensure they successfully build their brand as the industry has a surge in activity, otherwise they’ll find themselves left behind.

Here are a few basic principles to help them do so.

Be measured

Yes, it’s exciting but don’t try to do too much. When it comes to impact investing comms, better to do a little well, than lots badly. Be selective with what you go ahead with depending on your resources.

Think carefully about your long term aims and make sure your communications align with business goals. The best way to boost your brand is to select a few specific areas you want to be known for, outline your thoughts on them and let that feed into all your comms activity across all channels. A clear, sustained message is one that sticks.

Play to your strengths

More than most industries, yours is emotive. Your audience will engage well with the passion you have so make sure your company mission shines through to your audience. It can be tricky to know what part of the market you should be commenting on but bear in mind that your business is unique. Identify what makes you worth knowing and make sure that features in strategic decisions on your communications.

Similarly, if you are lucky enough to have a good spokesperson who knows the industry back to front, make sure you leverage them. It doesn’t always have to be your CEO. Building up one person’s profile can do lots for a business, particularly when the press know them as a good source.

Relatable content

It will be more challenging to differentiate yourself. Remember that you’re trying to engage with people, some of which won’t always find what you are talking about as interesting as you do.

It’s best to avoid jargon as much as possible. Not only does it make people switch off but many people – including journalists – will not be as familiar with some of the more technical industry terms.

The key is to make it relatable. Taking a creative, light-hearted, or even humorous, approach to your communications can be very effective when executed well. I strongly believe that the power of a good analogy cannot be overstated.

Fundamentally, nobody knows where this crisis will lead, but the sentiment for sustainability will persevere. And, as impact investing grows at this accelerated rate, it will be talked about more and more.

Make sure you are part of the conversation.

If you would like to hear about how we could support your communications strategy, we would be happy to have a chat with you. Get in touch at FSGlobal@aspectusgroup.com

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How to market your business during COVID-19: six actionable tips


By Sofie Skouras, deputy head of technology PR practice at Aspectus

“When this pandemic is eventually over, it is the brands and companies who go out of their way to help who will come out of it on top” – this is what Paul Sutton said.

The scrutiny that businesses are currently facing due to COVID-19 is causing paralysis for some. And rightly so. Getting the tone of a piece of communication right is a difficult balancing act. But, as many business leaders and research has shown, continuing to communicate with your audience – whether that’s your employees, investors or clients during this time is critical.

Free webinar download: Positive positioning – marketing your business during COVID-19 and beyond

The other week I wrote for City AM on how businesses were reacting (both the good and the bad) to coronavirus and outlined six suggestions for marketers and business leaders to consider. Here’s a recap:

1. Use this time to plan ahead

Various respected bodies are saying this will be the sharpest and deepest recession on record. The uncertainty around makes it hard to plan, but business must be prepared for when the economy recovers and use this time now to consider the short and long term of the company’s strategy and positioning.

Although we cannot compare the 2008 recession to the downturn, we are entering in. What we do know from the 2008 recession is those businesses who continued to invest in marketing during the 2008 downturn, were more successful in weathering the storm than those who did not, according to a Deutsche Bank report.

Suggestion: use this time to not only go after quick wins and support your audience or community, but also as a chance to regroup, reassess and plan for the longer term.

2. Closely monitor your tone of voice

You should constantly be reviewing how to discuss the crisis and ensure your tone is appropriate within the changing environment.

Digital presence is more crucial now than ever, so it’s important that firms aren’t continuing to market themselves like it’s ‘business as usual’. For instance, if your brand usually strikes a light-hearted, jokey tone, consider whether that’s appropriate if talking about coronavirus – your posts could be read by someone who has been deeply affected by the virus.

Suggestion: pause any scheduled social media posts for the foreseeable future and instead take it day-by-day. We’ve seen some very awkward looking ads and posts which clearly hadn’t been updated.

3. Tap into the thirst for information

People are consuming more content online – and it’s not just virus related. Use this to start investing in your blog, social media campaigns and building resources.

Suggestion: if you’re struggling to convert leads, shift the focus to top of the funnel tactics. For instance, invest in resources that educate your audience and campaigns that capture leads. Doing this means you’ll have a good pipeline to nurture and convert when spending habits do eventually change.

4. Be supportive

Not surprisingly, consumers are demanding more positive news to reduce anxiety. Indeed, Google Trends shows the spike in searches for ‘positive news’ in the last month.

People are also looking for more support across a range of things from remote working through to staying fit. However, note the tone of voice section above in ensuring you don’t sound too cheerful or chipper about this situation.

Suggestion: tap into this demand but be careful of the tone. Whether it’s by creating informative webinars to bring people together or curating a positive news roundup newsletter about your industry.

5. Be selective about what conversations you join in on

Companies can actively damage their brand with ill-conceived attempts to join a COVID-19 conversation they have no reason to be part of. Ensure you stay relevant and true to what your brand stands for, without that relevance, brands run a risk of exploiting the situation.

Suggestion: If you haven’t already, spend some time mapping out the conversations taking place in the publications you want to be in – it might not all be virus-related. Then see where you can comment and offer insight – it’s important to be strict in ensuring everything ties back to your overall messaging so you don’t adopt a scattergun approach to communications.

6. Do not exploit the situation

According to Kantar’s research, 60% of consumers don’t want brands to be exploiting the situation to profit. For instance, Brewdog faced some backlash for overly branding their hand sanitiser recently.

A good example where the tone was struck, and it felt genuinely authentic, was a local Italian restaurant which accompanied each takeaway order with a CD of Italian music to give to people to listen to try and recreate their restaurant dining experience.

Suggestion: It’s hard to outline where the line is drawn between offering support and exploiting a situation. I think if you’re offering genuine support – without trying to sell people things they don’t actually need, then you’re on the good side.

Of course, the situation is in constant flux, meaning what you say or do one week might not be appropriate the following week. Businesses must be constantly reviewing what communication you’re putting out and if it’s still appropriate.

Above all, now is not the time to cut your remaining lines of communication in the fear of getting it wrong. We’ve seen a few businesses do this, and indeed clients thinking this might be the best option, but continuing to communicate to your audience – when you’re physically unable to do this face-to-face  – highlights the importance of keeping those remaining lines of communication open.

Are you worried about how your business should be communicating? Book a free and confidential 30-minute consultation.

This post originally appeared on City AM.

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Social distancing hobbies – energy team edition


As we pass 50 days in lockdown in the UK, the Aspectus Group team has fully embraced working remotely – from livejack replacing hijack drinks to sessions for meditation and hearing from inspiring speakers. We’re lucky that the culture we’ve worked so hard to create and maintain has bound us together stronger than before.

And we are keeping busy outside of work too and putting that first hour that we usually would be commuting to good use! This week it’s the energy team with an impressive list of social distancing distractions:

Catherine Hunter, Junior account manager

Having escaped London to my parent’s farm, lockdown activities have a slightly country feel

  • Dog training – much to my 9-year-old Jack Russel’s delight, she is being taught dog agility skills (successful jump attached)
  • Painting by numbers – I’m not yet brave enough to do my own designs, but this has been a great way to de-stress
  • Yoga with Adriene – her YouTube videos have been a great way for me to keep doing yoga without my usual classes
  • Quizzes – Friday night’s in the Aspectus bar have been replaced with virtual quizzes
  • “Can you just?” – as is common with a family business, I’ve been receiving a few “can you just: update the website, put together a poster, save a cow from the brook?” tasks since being home!

Chloe Tucker, Account executive

  • Looking after my 10-week-old kitten – plenty of cuddles involved, but mostly spending my time picking up after her mess and worrying about what she will destroy next!
  • Walking – making the most of my daily exercise and taking long walks along the seaside
  • Cooking – and eating way too much!
  • Catching up with all the movies and TV series on my watch list
  • Taking the time to read, play board games, do puzzles and enjoy all the little things I would normally not make time for

Chris Bowman, Strategy and content director

I have used the extra time given back in lockdown to do all the things I usually do/want to do, but finally have the time and energy for. I have been:

  • Running – often into oncoming traffic or bushes to cater for people too dim or selfish to practice social distancing. Still fun though
  • Gardening and landscaping – attached are images of a shed I built and a rare cat bush I planted
  • Reading – getting through – some I’d started ages ago but struggled to find time for and some new ones
  • Hairdressing – my wife is very happy with the cut I did for her. I was less pleased with her reciprocal attempt
  • Cat bothering – very good for mental health (mine, probably not theirs) to have a cat or two on hand to bother in office hours
  • Sleeping – I feel better rested than since I was a kid without a commute!

Claire Wych, Content director

  • Training to join the Army Reserve – which mostly involves learning how I can get my short legs to run fast enough to pass the fitness test!
  • 141 – the number of Netflix films and TV episodes I’ve watched since we went into lockdown on the 23rd March – from Dynasty and Peaky Blinders to Unorthodox and Too Hot to Handle – there’s really nothing I won’t watch
  • Carpentry – amongst other DIY tasks, but building a cupboard in my hallway has been the most adventurous
  • Cheerleading – conditioning every Sunday evening with my 27 team members via Zoom

Laura Iley, Head of energy

  • Exploring London – using my daily exercise as an opportunity to discover new parts of our neighbourhood
  • Running (ok jogging) round Regent’s Park and – if you time it right – catching the giraffes being fed at ZSL!
  • Puzzles! A new-found form of meditation (pic attached)
  • Cooking up a storm. We may have been over-reliant on Deliveroo pre-lockdown, cooking is now a genuine highlight of the day (barring a few near misses in the kitchen)
  • Reading… Finished my first book in as long as I can remember, now onto Motorcycle Diaries!
  • At home beauty treatments! Facials, body scrubs, manicures – even a home haircut or two

Louise Douglas, Senior account manager

  • Yoga – I tried my first ever bit of yoga in the garden, don’t think I am quite zen yet (also learnt that jeans are not the best attire)
  • Sunsets & walks – I have walked on the beach almost every day and watched some beautiful sunsets
  • Cooking – enjoyed having the time to cook with my other half making homemade Wagamamas and Pizzas!
  • Sitting in the fresh air – it sounds strange, but I am loving being able to nip into the garden and have a coffee and a think
  • Quizzes – We have a theme for our zoom quiz with friends every Saturday. One week was Tiger King!
  • DIY – done a lot of painting in my new house and had an attempt at DIY which ended in a trip to A&E so I think I’ll stick to PR
  • Jigsaw – also managed to finish our 1,000 piece jigsaw that we started in Jan – woohoo!

Lucy Buglass, Account director

  • I relocated to Aberdeenshire for lockdown so I’ve been making the most of being in the countryside with regular weekend runs in the nearby hills (piccy attached)
  • I’ve been making an effort to get in 10,000 steps a day and I like to listen to a podcast whilst I’m on my walks. True crime documentaries are the current favourite
  • Rinsing Netflix for all it’s worth (Ozark, Fauda, Dead to Me and OBVIOUSLY Tiger King)
  • I have two online personal training sessions a week which surprisingly works quite well (we’re 8 weeks in and I still feel silly jumping about my living room which I have taken to calling ‘the gym’)
  • Playing the guitar (badly)
  • Doing the weekly shop and forgetting to buy anything other than prosecco

Megain Buchan, Account director

  • Gardening – planting new bushes, building a 2.4m long raised planter, and nursing our grass back to health!
  • Baking – reigniting my love of baking recent treats have included lemon cake, triple chocolate monster cookies and white chocolate rocky road
  • Walks – and finding fairies houses with our little one – the favourite is the replica BrewDog
  • TV – Gangs of London, Hells Kitchen, Making the Cut and all the Real Housewives series
  • Trying to be healthy – working out every day and sticking to a healthier eating regime (such a conflict with the baking!)
  • Self-care – foot masks, hair masks, face masks!

Sam Eccles, Account executive

  • Getting back into the swing of practising/playing guitar again – not realised how much I missed it
  • Unoriginal – but BBQing – and lots of it. More to follow I’m sure
  • Picking up old books I’ve been meaning to finish but haven’t – currently working on an 800 page American Civil War non-fiction book
  • Running – slowly getting back up to my old fitness levels and hoping to get back to the 15km mark soon
  • Binge-watching boxsets – Gangs of London has reignited my love of good TV – evenings sorted for the next week or so
  • Discovered Articulate is in fact NOT a boring board game

Tamsin Jackson, Junior account manager

  • Upcycling the originally mouldy looking shed into a half-finished beach bar (progress so far attached)
  • Buying and eating way too much food, so much so that our weekly food shop for two hasn’t been able to fit into the fridge
  • Barbequing anything we can find, which has included grilled cheese sandwiches and barbequed watermelon on our new Green Egg
  • Walking and running around London – we completed an 18km walk into central London and along the Thames which felt like a ghost town
  • Getting to know all of our neighbours through ‘window drinks parties’

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Fund managers: now is the time to make your voices heard!


After the last couple of years, you would not think it could get much worse for the investment management community. Just as things were starting to look up, with more clarity around Britain’s departure from the EU and the Woodford debacle fading in memory, along comes an unforeseen pandemic. Unsurprisingly, there has been further outpouring of money from UK funds.

One of the biggest concerns for active managers in recent years has been the rise of passive investment options. But the recent pain has not just been felt by those rooting through the capital markets looking for bargains. Passive funds have struggled too. While it is hard to see silver linings from the crisis we are still very much in the middle of, there lies an opportunity to restate the worth of active fund management.

Of course, active managers are well aware of this. So how can communications help active managers put their heads above the parapet during these uncertain times?

Being involved in the market is not just about stocks and bonds. Whether you are cavalier or cautious in your approach with the media, being engaged with the press offers up the platform to speak directly with your target audience. And now is the perfect time to do so.

As we move beyond this crisis there will be new regulations, industry developments and political and economic decisions that affect this industry as much as any. The structure of the markets, takeovers, trade deals, corporate governance, and the future of ESG will all be under the microscope.

With experience in talking to company boards, an understanding of the mechanics of the capital markets required by professional bodies, and a good grasp of the news cycle necessary in making investment decisions, active fund managers are well-placed to provide insight and opinion on the issues that matter now.

Once you have decided that your voice needs to be out there, you need to decide what is important to you and your fund at this time. Is it a certain sector? Is it a regulation? Or is it a trend that no one else seems to have picked up on? No matter what it is, you need to formulate a media approach that maximises exposure and effectiveness in promoting your beliefs and, ultimately, your fund.

We know very well that journalists are looking for voices to cut through the noise and provide the market with news and views that resonate. Those active fund managers that do this successfully will be the ones with access to the most influential reporters and, thus, a captive audience of asset allocators and investors in the process of making their investment decisions.

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Starting my first PR job (remotely) during COVID-19


When I began my degree in Public Relations four years ago, I would never have thought that I’d be starting my first job from my spare room, talking through my laptop’s camera. But for most of us, this has become the ‘new normal’ and a situation we must learn to embrace.

I joined the energy team at Aspectus two weeks into its shift to work-from-home mode. Starting a job remotely has been a challenging, yet greatly enriching experience. Here are a few things I have learned along the way.

Communication is key

Great communication within a team – particularly in a situation like this one where everyone is detached from their usual office environment – is essential.

From day one, video communication became key and a centre for all the team’s activities. What seemed at times like overcommunicating, was in fact the best way to make sure we all were working towards the same goals and supporting one another.

Strong internal communication is also what helped us maintain our relationships with our clients, in our efforts to continue business as usual, regardless of the situation.

Technology is your friend

This experience has also revealed the major role that technology plays in our modern lives. If it weren’t for instant messaging, video calls and the internet, we would have never been able to feel so interconnected and productive. And, although being away from your co-workers can be frustrating at times – you can’t just shout a question to your colleagues from over your desk and get an instant reply – technology does help in making it feel like we are all together after all.

Supposing this situation had happened even 10 years ago, it’s easy to consider how much more of a struggle is would have been.

Get to know your team

The team’s incredible support made me feel welcome and included. I really appreciated everyone’s efforts to set some time from their busy schedules aside and take the time to introduce themselves and run me through how the team worked. Although meeting my colleagues through a camera had less appeal than talking to them in person, it proved to be quite an intimate way to meet each other and a very good way to “put a name to a face” before having to work from a distance with people I’d never met.

Overall, I believe this experience has given me the opportunity to learn and develop plenty of skills, even within this short period of time, that I would not have implemented and retained so quickly if I was in an ‘ordinary’ situation. It has required me to adapt, not only my mindset but also my habits and expectations, in order to make working from home a productive and enjoyable experience.

So, although challenging and unusual, this adventure has only made me more resilient and prepared for the future.

Chloe Tucker is an account executive on the energy team at Aspectus. Based in Aberdeen, Chloe studied public relations at Robert Gordon University and is a native French speaker.

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A moment of truth: How a crisis reveals your true company culture


By Emma Andersson

Until fairly recently, working from home was seen as a luxury by some, a useful way to support health and work/life balance by others – but no one was calling it a necessity.

Now, we are all adapting, or at least trying to adapt, to working from home. Naturally, many firms are wondering how they can sustain their company culture without the obvious benefits of the office, its perks and surrounding cafes and pubs: how can a dispersed staff collaborate, retain relationships and stay focused in the same way?

Whether you have a winning company culture or not, culture matters now more than ever – and now is the time to reconnect with your core values. Having a strong internal compass and inspiring employees is key during a time of crisis.

Ever since I put my foot in the Aspectus offices for the first time, I’ve been amazed by the warm culture I’ve been welcomed with, and especially the smooth transition to working from home. Here’s why:

Innovation on the agenda

At Aspectus, this crisis has ushered in a new generation of working from home perks – from motivational speaker sessions every Wednesday to meditation on Tuesdays and Thursdays. From organising monthly virtual learner lunches to provide ongoing training, to attending virtual pub quizzes and hosting weekly competitions – but what is driving this? A positive employee mindset – the core of a winning company culture.

Visual internal comms is a must

The power of video has never been as crystal clear as now. Replacing traditional comms with video conferencing is proving to be an insanely good way to empower staff and boost communication – all from home. Like many others, I would avoid video comms and preferred calls, but now it feels strange having a call without seeing them. And if you haven’t set up weekly virtual coffees with your colleagues yet, I suggest you do it now.

Invest for the best

The world might be on pause, but it doesn’t mean your growth needs to be. Even if you have a team with a dazzling skill set, they still need to stay challenged. A way to motivate your remote workforce is by focusing on personal improvement. Now is the time to focus your team on their potential. In our team, we have been encouraged to pursue any areas we want to upskill and attend any webinars we want during work hours.

Overall, even though this is sure to be a challenging time for many, the new perspective gained from working from home may well have changed internal communications and company culture for the better. We may not have exquisite local coffee from Nepa or free bar Thursdays, but we might have gained new valuable insights in how to keep people motivated. If anything, it has shown that there is much more that binds a company together than just the perks of the office.

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COVID-19: the ups and downs of life as a virtual media trainer


By Tim Focas, Global Lead Media Trainer and Head of Capital Markets at Aspectus

From a jam-packed schedule including trips to some of the world’s most glamourous destinations (and Basingstoke) to a life of, “sorry you cut out, can you repeat the question?” But like everything relating to this pandemic, one has to try and look on the bright side (even though Hong Kong was the opening trip on my schedule). And as someone who is used to spending half their time training execs on how best to handle the media, “can you repeat the question?”, is an all too familiar response from a spokesperson who doesn’t really want to provide an answer. At least now they can blame it on internet connection.

Five weeks into media training virtually, it would be, like Piers Morgan interviewing a government minister, very easy to pick holes. It would be equally straightforward to dive into cheap salesman’s talk about how Skype and Zoom deliver exactly the same benefits as an in-person session. So, like the goal of any journalist worth their salt, here is some balance.

From Frost vs Nixon to Paxman vs Howard, the most iconic interviews are always in-person. It is, and will always be, the best format to get underneath the skin of a spokesperson to uncover the truth. A journalist can see every flicker of fear in the eyes and every bead of sweat down their brow and a media trainer gets an equally intimate gauge of performance. Now, even if the connection is smooth, you do not get the same certainty that your advice has sunk in.

However (cue attempt to provide balance as opposed to shamelessly plugging virtual media training sessions), there are some unexpected pros to online sessions. For starters, the share presentation/video functionality provides a much better platform for collaboration. Just practically and indeed environmentally speaking, you can train spokespeople based across all parts of the world in one session without clocking up any air miles.

Beyond logistics, it would also appear that the novelty of some of the tools offered up by the various different platforms creates a freshness to the session. As a trainer, you can quickly share relevant breaking news articles that you have read on screen. While you can do this in an in-person presentation situation, it is easier when delivering the session via a laptop. Instead of news pop ups or twitter feeds being a distraction, you can click through to a story before instantly sharing it with the spokesperson for feedback. Also, the whole session, rather than feeling second best to an in-person experience, puts a greater emphasis on delivering clear and concise points. After all, you want to make 100% certain what you are saying is being picked up clearly.

To coin what is steadily becoming a loathsome cliché, this is the ‘new normal’ for media. The biggest takeaway is that like any good reporter, you are only as good as the story. Sure, there are limitations from a mock interview scenario perspective, but even a tech dinosaur like yours truly has to acknowledge there are certain advantages. Perhaps most importantly of all, the format of the training matches the reality. After all, not unlike COVID-19, virtual media interviews and corresponding virtual media training is here to stay for the foreseeable future at least.

See what one of our recent virtual media trainees said:

“Tim is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in the arts of media training. He helps the attendee learn all the core elements in a quick and precise manner, making this training course very doable with a busy schedule and allows the student to go away feeling confident that he/she has a suite of tools as aids.”

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Aspectus Group launches Capital Markets division as earnings hit £1 million

Aspectus Group has launched a dedicated Capital Markets practice after reporting over £1 million in annual global revenues across the sector.

The establishment of the new practice is a key foundation to the agency’s drive to continue its 25 per cent year-on-year growth. The increasing revenues are reflected in a growing team of specialist Capital Markets communications consultants, all based out of the new Aspectus London and New York offices. The practice will be led by Tim Focas, who has been instrumental to the agency’s growth since joining from Weber Shandwick back in 2013.

“It is an honour and a privilege to lead the Capital Markets team at Aspectus. These are unprecedented times, but our solid commercial and cultural foundations means we head into the new financial year stronger than ever,” said Focas. “Continuing to deliver considered and credible thinking to increasingly complex markets will be pivotal to ensuring the future growth and prosperity of the practice.”

Alastair Turner, CEO at Aspectus Group, added: “These are very exciting times for Aspectus across all of our core sectors – none more so than in Capital Markets. We deliver measurable business outcomes for our clients, wherever they are in the world. By continuing to integrate specialist sector knowledge with broad digital and communications skills, we are confident that we’ll continue to deliver strong returns.”

Aspectus Group has a diverse Capital Markets portfolio, with clients spanning market infrastructure, asset management and investment banking. The practice supports businesses at all stages of growth, from start-ups and scale-ups through to mergers, acquisitions and IPOs.

The wider Financial Services practice, with a focus on retail banking, payments, fund services, wealth management, crypto, impact investment and pensions, will be led by Emilie Rowe.

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The US team’s guide to sparking joy in quarantine


This week, a few members of the US team are taking over the Aspectus blog to share how we’ve been managing our new remote working lifestyles. If you missed the last update from the tech team on their quarantine hobbies, check it out here.

While many members of the US team are normally located in Manhattan, some have spread across the globe to quarantine with family and find a sense of routine during an uneasy time. From the outskirts of London to the heart of the midwest, we have managed to find peace and space to adjust to our new working environments.

Hobbies are likely things that have fallen to the wayside for most adults, with more pressing and less fun chores cluttering that slim section of time between dinner and bed. Now, with our new quarantined lifestyles, many of us have been able to work in more joy-sparking activities that previously took a back seat to the grind of daily life.

If anything, this quarantine has brought along many realizations of just how lucky we are and how many things we take for granted in our normal, pre-COVID lives. Easy things like ordering delivery or popping into a shop are off the table. For creatures of routine, like many New Yorkers and even more Aspectus employees, this period of uncertainty has thrown a curveball at our daily activities and schedules. Carving out time to devote to new hobbies, or little activities that help break up the day is essential, and part of the US team’s quarantine guide! See below for some ideas, and the activities and hobbies that are helping us make the most of quarantine:

Kylie Souder, Senior Account Executive:

  • Upgrading my wardrobe and making new ‘friends’ in Animal Crossing
  • Reading lovey-dovey young adult novels
  • Getting to grips with working out in a small studio apartment
  • Taking long neighborhood walks, 6 feet away of course
  • Watching Tik Tok videos, but never making one
  • Confirming there is always at least one pint of ice cream in the freezer at all times

Emily Sakamoto, Senior Account Executive:

  • Buying a paint-by-numbers kit and recreating elementary school art class
  • Cooking new recipes (Bon Appetit is my bible) with whatever we have in the cupboard
  • Taking long lake walks with my fiance
  • Reading Tiger King Reddit theories (Carole Baskin fed her husband to the tigers, don’t @ me)
  • Learning how to play Backgammon and being an excessively sore loser
  • Plowing my way through all of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels and dreaming about summer vacations in Nantucket

Sara Guenoun, Account Director

  • Watching Katharine Hepburn movies on the Turner Classic Movies channel
  • Discovering books on my bookshelf that I forgot I owned and haven’t read since high school
  • Eating all the vegan and fake meat foods I can find at Trader Joe’s after waiting on line for an hour to get in
  • Finally having time for home improvement projects, just be careful with that hammer
  • Learning how to make the perfect stir fry — soy sauce is a must!
  • Watching videos of my nephews playing together on repeat

Megan Rothery, Deputy Head of North America

  • Cooking for my parents (aka watching my boyfriend cook for them) as a thank you for letting us move in indefinitely
  • Pretending my parent’s front room is Equinox, and doing circuit training while they step over me
  • Forcing my boyfriend to do vinyasa yoga videos with me
  • Reading! Trying for a book a week. Highly recommend Pretending by Holly Bourne and The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker.
  • Listening to all the podcasts – mainly Ctrl Alt Delete, The Deliciously Ella podcast and The Goop podcast. Gwyneth is very soothing right now.
  • Walking outside and being continually mesmerised by blossom, staring hopefully at it like it will solve all of our problems
  • Running
  • Cutting my boyfriend’s hair – judging by the fact that he said ‘next time just shave my head’ my attempt at giving him a fade could have gone better

Alexa West, Managing Director – North America

  • Inventing recipes based on whatever items du jour are in the fridge/pantry
  • Finding new podcasts (and embracing podcasts for the first time!)
  • Trying on-demand app-based workouts
  • Watching online university courses
  • Rediscovering classic activities like board games, puzzles, and dominoes

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