Newsletter
#WFH Diaries: Camilla Harrison of Anomaly London
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to upend life across the globe, we’re checking in with creative people to see how they’re faring. Here’s an update from Camilla Harrison, CEO of Anomaly London.
Give us a one-line bio of yourself.
I’m CEO and Partner at Anomaly in London.
Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?
Just me in my house in southwest London. I know this because I double check that I’m alone every time I watch a creepy psychological drama.
What’s your work situation like at the moment?
In a word, intense. Looking after our people and being the best possible partner to our clients in this context is asking new, big questions of us all. However, we’re incredibly fortunate in terms of how little we’ve had to adapt functionally: We already work virtually (across time zones and offices) with most of our clients. At a human level, I’ve been blown away by how our people have responded to the new reality—it’s been humbling and inspiring—our values and culture have never felt stronger, or more precious.
Describe your socializing strategy.
Stand up. Open fridge. Get drink. Move laptop to the other room. Sit down. Socialize. Repeat as often as possible.
How are you dealing with childcare, if applicable?
I don’t have kids, but obviously many in the agency and across our client partners do. Flexibility is critical—the notion of a working day is different for everyone (whether they have kids or they work across time-zones). But we’re also trying to help everyone create boundaries and in particular to try and step away from their laptops at the weekend. We’ve established a consistent lunch hour to ensure absolutely everyone gets a proper breather every day, and we check in weekly on each person individually to see how they’re managing their own particular challenges and how we can help.
What are you reading?
Very little.
What are you watching?
I’m mostly revisiting my absolute favorite shows and re-watching things that are guaranteed to make me cry with laugher. Am currently howling my way through The Thick of It and Alan Partridge.
What are you listening to?
My friends. Whenever I can. Hearing their voices (and in particular the nonsense) is priceless.
How are you staying fit?
A brilliant fitness and cycling studio near me Evolution are delivering all their classes via Zoom, which is keeping me not only fit but sane. It’s genuinely uplifting to work out with a group and get feedback/encouragement/banter. So much so that I’m now getting them to run a bespoke program of classes for the agency.
Have you taken up a hobby?
Absolutely not. However, in breaking news, I’m finally getting more (i.e., enough) sleep. Which is life-changing in a way that baking or crochet cannot compete with.
Any tips for getting necessities?
I’m definitely the wrong person to ask. Turns out I don’t actually need very much, and when I do, it’s usually not available.
An awkward moment since all this started.
The first few days of social distancing felt super-weird—and kind of rude—stepping into the road to avoid people. But now even that feels normal. “No, you go, you’ve got a buggy. I’m just going to back up into this flowerbed while you pass…”
Best work email you got since all this started.
The regular email submissions for The Week on Zoom. Everyone screengrabs their best moments, which are reviewed and awarded in one of our weekly agency meetings. It’s getting seriously competitive.
An aha! moment since all this started.
Discovering the hand-raising function on Zoom.
What’s your theory on how this is going to play out?
It’s evolving every day. But the one theory I’ll stick to—and I know that many share—is that this period will permanently alter our relationship with what we value and how we live for the better.
