#WFH Diaries: Maximilian Florian Schöngen of Serviceplan Creative Board

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on everyday life, we’re checking in with people in the creative industry to see how they’re faring. Here’s the good word from Maximilian Florian Schöngen, global creative strategist on Serviceplan’s Creative Board.

Give us a one-sentence bio of yourself.

I’m a creative with a strategic background, trying to apply both to our clients and projects, in order to find the right story a brand can tell.    

Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?

In Hamburg, Germany. I am sharing my home office space with my wife Laura and my 1-year-old daughter, Ella.

What’s your work situation like at the moment?

Busy. Everyone is trying to figure out what’s the right move to take right now. What can we do, how can we help, how should we react? We’re doing our best to support our clients in making these decisions and inspire them with creative ideas.

Describe your socializing strategy.

My socializing strategy is entirely digital.

How are you dealing with childcare?

For the moment we’re lucky, I guess, as my wife hasn’t started work, and my daughter is not in childcare yet. All of which was supposed to be different from the first of April.

What are you reading?

American Psycho and the autobiography of Keith Richards.

What are you watching?

Tatort on Sundays.

What are you listening to?

Mostly songs for children, very loud, all day long. But also to my colleagues and peers. Communication is key these days.

How are you staying fit?

Short workouts at home and lonely runs around the Alster at night.

Have you taken up a hobby?

No. Every free minute you have, you’ll want to spend with an infant. She doesn’t know what’s happening outside, and it’s beautiful.

Any tips for getting necessities?

Keep your distance.

An awkward moment since all this started.

A colleague thought the camera was switched off in a relatively crowded MS video call. But it wasn’t.

Best work email you got since all this started.

A mail from our CCO explaining the stand of the company, next steps, and what’s important right now.

An aha! moment since all this started.

Solidarity isn’t dead. Which makes me very happy personally. People look out for each other and support the elderly.

What’s your theory on how this is going to play out?

Everything is going to be fine in the end. And if it isn’t fine, it isn’t the end yet. We have to adapt, work through it and come back stronger. It’ll be fine.

Also, I had one remark on how to home-office: The most important thing to working solely digitally is to have your calendar up-to-date and organized. Otherwise it all goes to shit.

All the best from Hamburg.

See the full #WFH Diaries series here.