June: Marking mid-way through 2020, a year of change, challenges, and gratitude
And just like that another surreal summer month, the second quarter of 2020, and the first half of the year is about to come to an end. We are looking back at what challenged and inspired our team this month as we dream about the second half of summer and hope for more exciting days ahead.
We have to start by highlighting how pleased we were this month to begin the step by step journey out of lockdown and we couldn’t be more grateful to welcome July and begin to return to our favourite hotels, restaurants, bars and hair dressers – whilst continuing to socially distance, of course! As the old saying goes, you really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone and we can’t wait to begin socialising with family and friends once again as we plan summer barbecues, staycations, and perhaps an adventurous jaunt to the mainland for some sun, sea and sand.
The ‘working model’ of the future
As a team we have made the decision to continue with remote working for now. Whilst we have always operated as a flexible team amidst a combination of working from home, on-the-go, and from our office, we miss having our ‘home base’ where we can all come together and don’t think working in isolation is something any of us will get totally used to any time soon! However, one thing lockdown certainly has strengthened is our ability to communicate effectively with each other – the key to successful remote working – and work seamlessly on shared projects.
Throughout June, remote working has continued to be a hot topic of conversation within the news. Will this now be the preferred working model of the future for some small and larger scale businesses?
Planning, Planning, Planning
Throughout June we were as busy as ever working on a diverse range of client campaigns and projects. We have spent a lot of time working side by side with Dave at Made by Break and were excited to see two new brand projects for 3T Power and The Alchemists Forum come to life. However, those outside of the ‘Impact bubble’ will still have to wait a little longer before these new brands are officially launched.
June was also a month of new client partnerships as we welcomed HSL and Tutum on board. We also spent significant time drafting proposals and strategy writing as we prepare in July to launch new client campaigns - and welcome more new clients to our growing portfolio.
‘Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day’
As always, we continued in June to build on our own skills and challenge ourselves in areas we hope to grow. We have all progressed through the Google Academy and look forward to being a fully-accredited team by the summer’s end! In addition to continued personal development, we took time in June to focus on our mental health. It’s no secret that it has been a challenge over the last few months to start each day with a healthy, happy mind set, so to ensure we are at the best we can be, we welcomed The Happiest Gratitude Journal and are working on building our personal gratitude practices.
We have been told that it takes less than 30 days to retrain your brain and introduce a new habit. We can enjoy more happy moments each day by creating a habit of gratitude. Each day we record 3 things we’re grateful for and remember these as the day passes. In times like these, even the little things can make a world of difference to your mental health, and identifying what you are most grateful for provides a fantastic touchstone for maintaining a positive mental attitude and keeping perspective in this wobbly world.
Reunited at last!
Our favourite moment of June had to be when we were finally reunited (at an acceptable social distance) after three long months. It was great to get to see each other non-virtually for a walking team meeting with the dogs in the sun. As always, we forgot to get a picture to document the moment, but most importantly, we did get a picture of when Penny met Maggie for the first time! Not only did we get the opportunity to catch up as a team, but we also got the chance to catch up with some of our blogger friends and enjoy a picnic in the park to mark two special birthdays, those of some of our favourite Northern Irish influencers, Jeff from Belfast Times and Emer Dooris.
June has been another month of newness and challenges both in work and outside of the working environment. In addition to planning new client campaigns, launching new brands and writing proposals, we have been perfecting the art of making slime, struggling to cope through the world’s worst hayfever (thankfully we’ve had no client zoom calls on the days of puffy eyes!), getting adventurous in the kitchen and dreaming of foreign lands and sandy beaches.
Bring on July, we have a feeling it will be a good one!
Team Impact. x
