#WFH Diaries: Jeanne Lladeres of Willie Beamen

As confinement continues in most parts of the world, we’re checking in with creative people to see how they’re faring. Here’s an update from Jeanne Lladeres of Paris-based agency Willie Beamen.

Give us a one-sentence bio of yourself.

My name is Jeanne, and I’m the head of public relations at Willie Beamen.

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

Hours before the quarantine started, I decided to trade Paris, and my lovely but tiny flat in the 18th arrondissement, for a more comfortable space with a garden. I’m at my sister’s in Bordeaux, near the South of France.

What’s your work situation like at the moment?

The workload has obviously decreased, so we took time with clients to think about what we could bring to the table in the context of a global pandemic. I also try to lighten the mood of everyone at work, as I think it is quite important to tighten our relationships in this moment of need. Even if it means keeping our distance.

Describe your socializing strategy.

My phone is my new BFF. There’s an app for everyone: I call my parents on Whatsapp, use Zoom to get the latest gossip from coworkers, and Houseparty for my close friends. I didn’t think a person could spend so much time on a phone, and I work in communications!

How are you dealing with childcare, if applicable?

I don’t have any, but my sister does. There are three of them, so it’s often quite frenetic!

What are you reading?

I went back to the classics: Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho. Also, Mona Chollet’s Chez soi (“Home” in English), which I find ironically relevant to our situation. I also read the newsletter from a French magazine called Society. I’d missed reading, to be honest.

What are you watching?

I usually watch a lot of documentaries. Then there’s Netflix: I urge you to go watch 7 Koğuştaki Mucize—if you have not yet seen it, and I dare you not to cry! And my guilty pleasure, which reminds me all too often of my previous pre-quarantine life, is Sex and the City. An oldie, but goldie, as they say.

What are you listening to?

At the agency we have a podcast called Le corps et l’esprit (“The Body and the Mind”). Top athletes talk about how they’re dealing with these times in everyday life. Have a listen. It’s worth the time (in all objectivity!). Otherwise, I recently discovered Poolside FM.

How are you staying fit?

I follow live yoga classes on Facebook and Instagram.

Have you taken up a hobby?

I started gardening. It relaxes me. Also, I’ve always had a love for cooking, and this quarantine (plus Instagram) inspires me to try new recipes.

Any tips for getting necessities?

To avoid going grocery shopping every other day, I make meal plans for each day. That way, my sister’s boyfriend only goes out once a week. Besides that, I’ve written several letters to isolated people through an initiative called “One Letter, One Smile.” I started with my grandparents.

An awkward moment since all this started.

I find people flouting the quarantine very irresponsible. It depresses me; they don’t seem to realize if they keep doing this, we’ll be here for a long time. More importantly, it puts other people in danger. I am ashamed of French people doing it, and there are plenty, and of the image it gives the world about us.

Best work email you got since all this started.

An invitation to a Zoom party with the whole team.

An aha! moment since all this started.

Sex and the City, Season 1, episode 3, at 19:45. Best moment!

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

We need to rethink the way we consume. I read a study in Society about the aspirations of French people after the crisis is behind us. Nearly one in two people surveyed plan to change their habits, and the desire for change mostly concerns consumption patterns, in terms of quantity and quality. I have hope for the future, but it will have to be different.

See the full #WFH Diaries series here.