My location-agnostic PR agency life | Lauren Armour
Hello! I am Lauren Armour, Associate Director at Tyto, and this my location-agnostic life. In this series, we want to highlight the freedom our model enables and how we navigate any challenges it presents.
What’s your morning routine?
I usually wake around 6.30/7am and the first thing I do is let my puppy out into the garden! I was one of the many people who succumbed to getting a dog during lockdown. Working from home, it felt like the perfect opportunity. So my morning routine is centred around Luna, my 7 month old Whippet. After a cup of tea (me) and a bowl of food (Luna), whilst listening to the news headlines of the day, we go for a 45-minute walk around the village where I live in Staffordshire. Walking first thing means Luna will sleep for the majority of the morning, so after we get home I can have my breakfast and start my working day around 8.30am, knowing Luna is happily snoozing on the sofa.
How do you organise your day?
I use a number of tools and traditional methods to organise my day. My Outlook calendar is my best friend. Working remotely, I think it’s incredibly important to use my diary to block out time for ‘deep work’ in between meetings, to ensure I can focus on bigger projects and campaigns. So I use my calendar not only for external meetings, but for internal down time too.
I’m not sure how common this is now but I also still write a written to do list that I get down on paper every single morning – actual pen and paper! Even though I rely on online tools to manage workflow and progress, there’s still something incredibly satisfying about writing down my priorities and ticking them off throughout the day. I find it focuses me on what absolutely has to be done vs. what is on the wider to do list.
When are you the most productive?
Definitely in the morning. I find I am at my most productive as soon as I wake up. If I have long form content to write, or something particularly tricky to work on, I like to log on really early, when I know there will be little distractions, and get my head into it then.
One of my favourite things about working remotely and working with Tyto is that we can take control of our hours and flexi time as needed. I’ve made the decision before to log on around 6.30am to work on content, and instead choosing to take a few hours off mid-morning for a walk or gym session.
What is your favourite workplace?
My office in my home in Staffordshire. It’s where I find myself the most productive, the most comfortable and the least distracted! I decorated it to my taste around four years ago, keeping it super minimalistic with little distractions, in line with my work style. Sometimes I wish I was more of a ‘visual’ worker, with pinboards full of creative diagrams and ideas all over the walls. But, I’m definitely not. I work best in a tidy environment with space on my desk for my notebook – and that’s it. I realise how boring this makes me sound!
What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?
The freedom to have the life I want as well as the career I want. When I left London in 2017 to move to a rural part of the country, I came to terms with the fact I might need to take a few steps back in my career, in order to have the lifestyle I wanted. But I was completely wrong. I’m now exactly where I want to be in my career and in my personal life, which I didn’t think was achievable back then.
Also, I love that I can work from anywhere – not just from home. My family live in Kent and my partner works all over the country. Working remotely means I can travel around to see both without having to take annual leave every time. I have so much more flexibility and freedom.
What do you miss about working in an office?
Friday treats? I remember a colleague in London used to buy a selection of treats every single Friday without fail. Krispy Kremes… those amazing little tubs from M&S with Rocky Road and Mini Rolls… Millies Cookies! Drooling at the thought.
What’s your secret weapon?
Not so secret, but the thing that instantly makes me more productive / lifts my mood is a dog walk. Taking a full break and going for a walk used to be something I would deprioritise but now I have Luna, it’s something I have to make time for every day. It’s amazing how a quick walk and some fresh air can give me fresh perspective when I’m feeling busy, stressed or not very creative!
