#WFH Diaries: Byron Beach of Orcí

As the Covid-19 pandemic gallops along, we’re checking in with the creative industry to see how people are doing. Here’s an update from Byron Beach, head of digital and social strategy at marketing firm Orcí.

Give us a one-sentence bio of yourself.

A typical Bay Area marketing guy who “thought” he was already advanced when it came to working from home. Ha!

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

My husband Casey and my extremely happy cat, Lili, who now thinks the new standard for attention is constant.

What’s your work situation like at the moment?

Surprisingly normal—except for the whole Armageddon thing happening outside my home. The biggest change is that I am spending a lot less time trying to coordinate travel and meetings. #unforeseenblessings

Describe your socializing strategy.

I find myself reaching out to a lot of old friends I haven’t spoken to in a while. I put about 25 names in a box this weekend, and plan to pull one out every day and call someone I haven’t spoken with, because I know they are home and probably free to chat.

How are you dealing with childcare?

If my cat Lili is my child—and she thinks she is—I am giving her lots of extra … well, everything.

What are you reading?

At the start of this year, I began a project where I only read books written more than 100 years ago, with the vague idea being that humans are maybe not as changed by modern media as we all think. Quite possibly there are classic voices that can tell me valid stories. It seems that plague is a classic event that we somehow seem to have forgotten about, so needless to say there is a lot of material out there!

What are you watching?

Lots of Australian murder mysteries. I don’t know why, but the accent makes them more charming.

What are you listening to?

My husband Casey is in the music business and has been creating amazing playlists of artists who are less well-known but who could really use the added attention.

How are you staying fit?

Is eating considered exercise?

Have you taken up a hobby?

I have rediscovered ones that deserve more attention. Many of my favorite books are getting rebound as I remember how much I love book-making arts. Every story needs a great frame, as they say.

Any tips for getting necessities?

There are way more food items buried in your cupboards and shelves than you might realize, and finding ways to use them takes only a little bit of creativity and a few Google searches. Hello, Nutella waffles!

An awkward moment since all this started.

I coughed once, just once, while I was at the market. The looks at me were daggers, daggers.

Best work email you got since all this started.

My clients in Hawaii reminded everyone that “aloha” means both hello and goodbye – and that we will all be back again.

An aha! moment since all this started.

There has been plenty of imagery suggesting that this world is closed. But it really dawned on me that there has not been a global event in my life that impacted everyone as profoundly in their daily lives as this one.

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

This could be the key event that shapes the thinking of both millennials and Gen Z about the government’s role, and how businesses conduct themselves. How businesses respond now, including efforts to demonstrate whether they are part of a community or focused on shareholder profits, will set the tone for their brand in young people’s minds for many years to come.

See the full #WFH Diaries series here.