My location-agnostic PR agency life | Justus Meuzelaar

Hello! I am Justus, a Consultant at Tyto and this is my location-agnostic life. In this series, we want to highlight the freedom our PRWithoutBorders™ model enables and how we navigate any challenges it presents.  

What’s your morning routine? 

First, I have breakfast with my wife and daughter, then take my daughter to day care, make myself a cup of tea and start work. I would love to say that I have a very interesting morning, but it is mostly practical!  

How do you organise your day? 

I usually start out by checking my e-mail and Slack to see if the to-do list I made at the end of the previous day needs adjusting, catch up on the daily news and then I get started. I like to make sure that I have a clear view of what must be done that day, the “nice to haves” and which reminders I need to send out to the people I work with so we don’t miss deadlines. 

When are you the most productive? 

I like busy days; they give me a very clear focus on what needs to be done, when and help prioritise my to-do’s. I usually concentrate on bigger tasks at the start of the day and use the last part of the day to finish up several smaller tasks.  

What is your favourite workplace? 

It depends on the task at hand. For productivity, I definitely prefer my home office. It enables me to focus and  control all important factors in the environment I work in, like the temperature and music. 

For brainstorming, learning and bouncing ideas of my colleagues, I like to meet up with them in an office in my hometown, in the Randstad area. It’s only a five-minute bike ride for me to get to the office, so I can be very flexible when I’m going there. This enables me to take on more tasks at home in the morning and then later head into the office for a   brainstorming session in the afternoon. 

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?  

I think working remotely is all about flexibility. You can choose any location you want to work in, which gives people who like to travel the chance to work in all kinds of interesting locations. I’m not much of a globetrotter myself, but with our young daughter, the flexibility of working remotely is really valuable to me. I can take my daughter to daycare and take the time to wish her a great day without the pressure of beating traffic.  

It also means it’s much easier for my wife and I to handle the unexpected circumstances that sometimes come up when you have children. Not having a commute, besides the occasional five-minute bike ride, also means we’re always able to have dinner as a family.   

What do you miss about working in an office? 

Birthday cake! When I worked in a large office, we would have birthday cake probably every week. I’m probably much better off (and healthier!) without the inevitable sugar crash though.  

Besides, Tyto often sends us thoughtful gifts and treats around work anniversaries, Christmas and other occasions. And if I must have a treat, I can always meet up with my colleagues for a chat and a stroopwafel. 

What’s your secret weapon? 

My number one secret weapon must stay, well, a secret. But, besides that, I think it helps to be curious and driven to learn something new. The topics that matter to our clients can be quite complex but are almost always interesting. I like to take a deep dive and often find myself reading up on technologies and solutions, way beyond what is needed for just doing my job. It always gives me ideas and I feel that clients appreciate it when you show genuine (researched) interest. It also helps to bring their attention to topics they hadn’t previously considered.  

What is the culture like at Tyto? 

Tyto brings together a group of people who all choose to work with our remote model for many different reasons. While this comes with a lot of liberties, it actually translates into everyone feeling very responsible for their work and  clients and being  dedicated to doing the best work they can, which is very inspiring. 

What do you like most about working at Tyto? 

Having the chance to work with awesome clients and to learn from some of the smartest communications people all over Europe. It’s so interesting to see the differences in approaches and cultures within our team, which always makes for great discussions and helps with creative approaches to our work. Also, I loved Hackweek, where we got together with the whole team. It was so nice to meet up with everyone and it proved that despite our differences in the location we work in throughout Europe, we still have so much in common.  

Axel von Arnold - location agnostic

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Axel von Arnold

Hello! I am Axel von Arnold, Senior Consultant at Tyto, and this is 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? 

In general, I’m quite a morning person and I don’t like to stress, which usually means that I get up by 6 or 6.30 am, and depending on the season I prefer to go for a bike ride. After all I live in Sweden and each season really has its own energy – which will affect you.  

I keep it quite simple, after I’ve had my bike ride, I gather my thoughts and handwritten to-does for the day. I always have my notebook to help me through the day. 

A while back I’ve started intermittent fasting, which has really cleared up my mind and boosted energy – I used to get quite tired in the mornings after breakfast. This also frees up valuable time which means I usually start working by 8 or 8.30 am.  

How do you organise your day? 

Each week I start off with some general housekeeping and planning. I try to dedicate certain types of work to specific times during the day, e.g., what time is the best for reaching out to journalists or different prospects. Afternoons tend to be dedicated to tasks that are more internally oriented, and I try to be as effective as possible.  

In contrast to many, I tend to leave space in my calendar for ad hoc opportunities. To me personal conversations between me and my coworkers, journalists or prospects are very important. 

When are you the most productive? 

From previous answers I think it’s a given that I’m a morning person and really feel the most clear and productive in the morning. However, I tend to get a spike of energy and creativity around 7 to 9 PM. Usually it’s dedicated to cooking or exercise, but every now and then I just feel inspired to get some work done as well. 

What is your favourite workplace? 

I don’t have any place in particular that I prefer, however I really like a closed off space where I’m isolated from impressions and surrounded by a lot of vegetation. At my last co-working hub, I had a special corner that I really enjoyed – until they rearranged the floorplan…   

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?  

The flexibility and the possibility of planning your day. Previously, when I worked at an office and had a dedicated desk. I could feel quite trapped and in need of a change of scenery, which wasn’t possible. Working remotely suits me much better since I can take short breaks and find different spots that suit my current mood.  

What do you miss about working in an office? 

The daily chatting, spontaneous after work or just getting to know your colleagues better. However, I believe it’s a lot what you make of it, and I’ve managed to find a lot of great people to chat with or get to know closer, while working remotely as well.

Which in my case is very beneficial since it presents great networking opportunities.  

What’s your secret weapon? 

Maybe not earthshattering, but I really had to get to know myself and my energy rhythm. So, in other words, self-management. I need to take frequent smaller breaks, keep an eye on my blood sugar level and get some fresh air every now and then during the day.  

What is the culture like at Tyto?  

During my time at Tyto I’ve noticed that the internal culture is very supportive and positive – everyone is aware of the need to connect with co-workers, especially when you’re working remotely. I’d also say that there’s a lot of curiosity and understanding for people culture and the unique ways we practice our profession in different countries.   

What do you like most about working at Tyto? 

What really attracted me is the borderless approach, to feel like one team across an entire continent, but still working as a close knitted team. I’ve always sought out an international career and I believe that this is an amazing opportunity. 

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Lauren Wood

Hello! I am Lauren Wood, Senior Consultant at Tyto, and this is 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? 

My routine always starts with feeding my two guinea pigs. No doubt they would have created an absolute mess in their little home overnight. Beyond that, I like to mix it up every day. Sometimes I go on a walk, other days I might have a slower start eating breakfast, and sometimes I hop on a train to go to my local co-working space. 

How do you organise your day? 

I start with a pen and paper to jot down all of the to-do’s that are taking up headspace. Once I’ve done this, I know I can focus on one task at a time. I start by doing a handful of quick to-dos to trick my brain into thinking I’ve accomplished a lot already, which then allows me to clear headspace to focus on some bigger tasks. 

When are you the most productive? 

100% in the morning. My brain feels fresh and alert in the morning so I’ll often prioritise writing first and then project management in the afternoon so I can maximise the brain power available throughout the day.  

What is your favourite workplace? 

I would say my home office is my favourite workplace especially since I finally banished the dining chair for a comfy desk chair (thanks to Tyto!). That said, I have really enjoyed being able to visit a co-working space 1-2 days a week recently to enjoy a change of environment. It really helps to spark some creative ideas and it also means I can walk away from the office ahead of the weekend. 

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?  

I love the flexibility it allows. It’s allowed me to make life choices that were otherwise not possible such as re-locating 200 miles away to live closer to family. I also love how I can exchange the time spent commuting to an office to instead go to an evening Clubbercise class or spend some time on a hobby to recharge for the next day. This means I’m always showing up to work with my cup full rather than half empty which enables me to make my most valuable contribution whilst I’m there. I wish I found Tyto sooner who were doing remote working before the rest of the world cottoned on! 

What do you miss about working in an office? 

I really miss being able to talk with colleagues and check-in with them on how their days are going. Thankfully, there’s always daily and weekly opportunities for everyone to come together in both natural ways and through planned team get-togethers where we can share stories, ideas and challenges with each other.  

I also look forward to travelling to see colleagues at some point through the Tyto passport scheme initiative and at our annual company-wide meet-up. 

What’s your secret weapon? 

Meditation. When I am disciplined enough to do it regularly, it really helps to clear my head and focus. With so much information to consume both professionally and personally, it is my secret weapon to re-calibrate, re-focus and find mental energy when my brain batteries feel depleted.  

What is the culture like at Tyto? 

There is an ambitious and entrepreneurial team culture which really allows everyone to feel like they can make meaningful, and impactful contributions.  

What do you like most about working at Tyto? 

I love how collaborative and proactive everyone is in sharing creative ideas and support to others across the whole company – even when it’s not related to something on their to-do list. Despite the fact we all live miles away from each other across multiple countries, there’s an energising team spirit that is really inspiring.  

Tyto Summer Soirees: reconnecting and celebrating together

With the world back into the swing of travelling and the balmy summer months upon us, what better way to treat our dedicated and hard-working Tyto team than with a well-deserved break? For a few days in June and July, spanning France, Germany, and the UK, Tyto organised a series of get-togethers—the Tyto Summer Soirees.  

Being a location-agnostic employer, we purposefully chose the remote model to provide talent with opportunities regardless of location and create a pan-European agency that works as one across borders. But we are aware that these intentional meetings play a crucial role in our success as a remote team, and we place great emphasis on thoughtful planning and making the most of our in-person gatherings. Our approach fosters a healthy and flexible culture. 

These Tyto summer gatherings provided the perfect occasion for us all to pause momentarily from our daily work routines, step away from our desks, and disconnect from our screens. A chance for us all again to engage with our colleagues in the flesh, many of whom we hadn’t seen in quite some time or even, for our newest recruits, were meeting for the first time! Moments like these always reaffirm the essence of Tyto’s culture as we all naturally fell back into that familiar laughter and storytelling, reminding us of the significance of our teams’ unique connection.  

A day of creativity, togetherness, and Italian delights in London 

Nestled in the vibrant heart of London, our team members in the UK gathered at The Oxford Circus Spaces—a coworking space that exudes creativity, making it the ideal location for a team workshop. The team’s morning was filled with lively discussions, team-building activities, strategic brainstorming, mixed in inevitably with a lot of laughs and trips down the Tyto memory lane. As the workday ended, the team continued celebrating togetherness at Lina Stores, an enchanting mint green Italian Delicatessen on the Kings Cross Stable Street. There, the team indulged in a delightful spread of sparkling Italian aperitifs, antipasti and mouthwatering pasta. The night concluded on a high, a customary end to a wonderful team outing.     

From skyscrapers to schnitzels in the Frankfurt summer  

Meanwhile, our colleagues located across Germany and Sweden met up in vibrant and Frankfurt were blessed with summery weather during their two-day gathering. The co-working space, situated amidst the city’s skyscrapers, provided a picturesque backdrop for this team’s workshop. After a delicious lunch, the team embarked on a leisurely stroll through the city centre towards Eiserner Steg, where they boarded the Wappen von Frankfurt passenger ship for a cruise along the waters of the river Main. Upon their return to dry land, the festivities and team bonding continued at a typical Frankfurt restaurant, where the team savoured traditional German delicacies like Gründer Soße (green eggs – delicious, look it up!), Äppelwoi (apple wine), and Schnitzel.  

The gathering in Paris was unfortunately cancelled due to the serious social unrest across France in late June. But all is not lost as we have rescheduled this much anticipated gathering to September for our colleagues based in France and Spain. Watch this space for more!  

Overall, the Summer Soirees that went ahead this summer, were an absolute success (and pictures can prove this statement!). They were genuine team experiences that not only offered a refreshing break but also strengthened our spirit. Being back together again, forming new connections and creating more memories are what keep us motivated and give us the ability to approach future projects with renewed enthusiasm. As we continue to grow, we will not lose track of what makes us unique! 

Want to join this pan-European superstar team? We’re hiring…  

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Nira Fecher

Hello! I am Nira, Senior Consultant 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 am definitely not a morning person and I usually need quite some time to get going after a good night’s sleep. Only in the last few weeks, I have created a simple morning routine that is working quite well for me.

The first step was to ditch my annoying beeping alarm clock and replace it with a sunrise alarm clock. Now, every morning, I gently and slowly wake up to soft and warm light. Then I enjoy a cup of coffee in bed and mentally prepare for the day ahead. After a shower and getting dressed, I have breakfast while listening to news podcasts to get an overview of current topics. Finally, I tidy up the kitchen and clean the surfaces which gives me a refreshed and productive feeling – exactly what I need to start work.  

How do you organise your day? 

I love using a combination of a paper notebook, a digital to-do list and Outlook. Every Monday I note down all meetings and appointments in my notebook to have an overview of the week always right next to me on my desk. My paper notebook also serves as my brain dump where I scribble down every thought that crosses my mind during a workday. In my Outlook calendar I block out deep work sessions to focus on writing texts and I also reserve a time slot for a lunch break to have some food and reenergise. My digital to-do list helps me to collect all my tasks sorted by day, account and priority.  

When are you the most productive? 

During my focus sessions without distractions from Slack messages. 

What is your favourite workplace?  

My favourite workplace is my dedicated work corner at home which is surrounded by plants – a rubber tree on my right, a hanging ivy above me and a bamboo as well as some herbs on the balcony on my left. I like watching the calming atmosphere they create. 

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?   

Lunch breaks with my personal chef (aka boyfriend) – who cooks delicious meals for me every day. I also enjoy that I don’t have to commute and instead use the time to do something more fun like a walk at the nearby river.

What do you miss about working in an office? 

While I prefer working remotely, I do sometimes miss chatting with my co-workers in person, going out for lunch with them and having in-office activities such as celebrations. I also think you must be more disciplined with balancing out your private and professional life when working remotely. Ending the workday by simply leaving the office seemed to be easier in this case. 

What’s your secret weapon? 

Turning on some lo-fi music to enhance my focus! 

What is the culture like at Tyto? 

Tyto has a really unique culture where everyone feels close to each other while in fact being located all over the planet. This is thanks to a lot of initiatives to foster this togetherness such as the newly introduced Tyto Thursday Tea to socialise and celebrate while having a cup of tea together virtually.

What do you like most about working at Tyto? 

Working at Tyto means working with so many creative and experienced professionals across borders. What I like the most about it is being able to learn from them every day – being it PR-related topics or cultural aspects. 

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Dave Turnbull

Hello! I am Dave, Partner, Creative Planning 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’m up a lot earlier than I’d like to be these days, thanks to a new baby boy, but after a quick nappy change (him not me) I’m out on my bike along the coast to work. I now live in Spain on the Costa del Sol, so cycling from home to the city centre is now one life’s daily little pleasures. The route is completely along the coast, and I find the journey helps clear the mind and lets me ruminate on some of the bigger challenges of the week.  

How do you organise your day? 

I start by setting out the week’s priorities, front-loading as many of them as I can so I have the flexibility to move things around as new priorities emerge throughout the week. This means I more-or-less know what each day of the week will look like and can adjust things as I go.  

When are you the most productive? 

In the morning. Despite not being a morning person at all, once I’m up I find I have lots of energy to throw at things. 

What is your favourite workplace? 

I love meeting up with colleagues in co-working spaces when I have the opportunity, but to get things done day-to-day I like having a nice, quiet space of my own to focus. With a decent coffee machine on standby. 

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?  

Working remotely has literally changed my life, switching London for the south coast of Spain and starting a little family in the sunshine. This was a laughable idea to many before the pandemic, when I made the move, but what Tyto knew about the remote model all along has now been proven to almost everybody else. It can improve your quality of life in so many ways, but I find it to be an infinitely more productive way of working too. Then, when the team does get together, it means more to everyone, and we can really focus on the social aspect. 

What do you miss about working in an office? 

I don’t miss anything about actually working in an office, but I do miss the impromptu post-work get-togethers.   

What’s your secret weapon? 

Curiosity. I find the tangents and rabbit-holes you go down when something piques your interest often lead to the best germs of ideas. If something interests me then it stands a decent chance of being interesting to somebody else too. And I’m lucky that I get to speak to lots of experts who can help me to better understand and ultimately communicate those concepts or ideas. 

What is the culture like at Tyto? 

This isn’t written down in our staff handbook, but Tyto only hires brilliant, lovely people. You can rely on everybody to provide support, great ideas, and nice chat whenever you need it.  

What do you like most about working at Tyto? 

Tyto turns down more business than I ever thought possible, while growing at a seriously impressive rate. Perhaps counter-intuitively, this is one of our biggest strengths. It means we only take on the briefs and the clients that connect with us, inspire us, and where we believe we can deliver our best-possible work. 

Yeiny Location agnostic

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Yeiny Hernández

Hello! I am Yeiny Hernández, Art & Design Lead at Tyto, and this is 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 tend to feel very sleepy in the mornings and have a hard time waking up, but once I do, all my mornings start with a cup of coffee with milk and a good breakfast (the best meal of the day) while reading the news or listening to some music. For some time now, I have started exercising in the mornings and I have to say that it gives me a bunch of energy. 

How do you organise your day? 

 I am an organised person. I like to make a list of my daily priorities to be done during the day and prioritise what is most urgent.  

When are you the most productive? 

I consider myself a fast person who likes, from time to time, to work under pressure, so for me any hour can be productive. I work with the whole team, so many times the needs arise without warning, but I think mid-morning is when I feel most productive. the sleepiness is gone, I feel more energetic, and for me time seems to last an eternity to do a thousand things. 

What is your favourite workplace? 

I would say that it is working from a beach. It’s a great experience, but let’s face it, it’s not something that can be done on a daily basis. I miss the office from time to time, but the serenity and peace of mind that working from home gives me is wonderful. I’ve managed to create a dynamic  environment which allows me to finish work without wanting to rush off from home after our business hours are finished. I don’t have my own office, but I have managed to establish spaces and routines that allow me to work better and feel more relaxed. 

For some time now, I’ve been mixing things up by visiting different coworking spaces a couple of days a week, to keep myself connected with people and avoid feeling isolated.    

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely? 

In my opinion, the greatest benefit of working remotely at Tyto is the flexibility it provides. The ability to manage my schedule and balance my work with my personal life is invaluable. This work model also gives me more independence, responsibility, and fosters greater trust within the team. I love being able to work from any location (I’ve even done it on an airplane!), as it allows me to explore the world without neglecting my responsibilities. Work can travel with me, and I have the freedom to organise it in a way that suits me best.  

What do you miss about working in an office? 

I really miss being able to talk face-to-face with my colleagues, as well as getting up, getting dressed and leaving the house to go to the office. I don’t miss the time wasted on public transportation, but I do miss that “good morning!” when you enter the office, the mid-morning laughs when someone says something, and our Spanish lunch break together (my favourite). Or just being able to turn around and ask something out loud. That human warmth is what I miss the most, the camaraderie you get with your colleagues when you see them every day.   

What’s your secret weapon? 

My speed is my secret weapon! As I said before, I like to work under pressure, and when I must deliver something right away, I feel more productive – and that doesn’t mean that the quality of my work is lower, quite the contrary. Another of my weapons is my ability to get straight to the point and do my best.

What is the culture like at Tyto? 

At Tyto, I found a new way of working. The possibility of working in a more flexible way, the multiculturalism of my colleagues, the number of languages they speak and how talented they are – these are all things that surprised me from day one. But I think that above all, it is knowing that you can contribute to the growth of the company, and that you are here because they believe in you, in your work and that your ideas are always welcome.   

What do you like most about working at Tyto?

The team, without a doubt. I have met some amazing and talented people. From day one, which was not easy because I broke my ankle the day before joining, everyone has been kind and welcoming. Every day I find that push I need to keep giving my best, reach my goals and, together, make this incredible project grow. 

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Giulia Goodwin

Hello! I am Giulia Goodwin, Senior Consultant at Tyto, and this is 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 consider myself a very productive person in the morning but funnily enough, I have difficulties getting out of bed! So, once I have found the courage to put one foot out, I start my morning routine. It is a moment for me to get in a great headspace to start the day. I hop in the shower, sing along to some energising songs, do my beauty routine and then get dressed. Once that’s done, I take some time to prepare my breakfast and I eat it in front of my computer while I get caught up on the news. And around 8:30 am my workday can start!   

How do you organise your day? 

 I always start by writing down my to-do list and checking my agenda. I like to highlight my priorities and the actions that absolutely need to be done in the day. After completing this, I start putting actions in my agenda so that I have a great overview of what my day’s going to look like.   

One of my managers once gave me great advice that I have been using ever since: first work on actions that might be holding my team’s work before covering my own work.  

When are you the most productive? 

 I work better in the morning. My focus is at its highest, I’m fresh and feel that I can conquer the world or at least the day. Starting to work at 8:30 am allows me to have 4 hours of pure focus without starting to feel the weight of the day.   

What is your favourite workplace? 

I prefer to work from home. Currently, I work from the desk in my living room but soon I’ll have a proper office…. So, I’m looking forward to that. When working from home I feel it is important to have separate areas that clearly mark workspace and personal space. I live in the South of France, so I am very fortunate to be able to catch a glimpse of the sea and the beach when I look outside. I feel that this makes a real difference in my overall mood. Not everyone can have that at work!   

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?  

I would say that the best benefit from Tyto’s remote work is being able to manage my hours and organize my work around my life and not the other way around. We all share the same vision and way of working so there is a lot of trust and independence that allows us to have the freedom to go to the dentist for example without difficulties or justification.  

Before working at Tyto I used to commute and spend 2 hours each day going from home to work and back around. Now, that time can be used for personal activities.  

I’m also very grateful to be able to work from anywhere in Europe. I like to take advantage of that and schedule some “workations”: little vacation trips where I work from a different city than home.  

What do you miss about working in an office? 

I’m a very social person so even though I talk a lot with my colleagues on Slack, I sometimes miss them. I’m the only one in my city so I can’t meet-up during the week. But fortunately, we have the Tyto passport scheme to travel and go work with my colleagues, and we schedule some meetings with the rest of the team based in France which allows us to strengthen our relationship and spend time together.  

What’s your secret weapon? 

 My personality! I’m a very positive and joyful person and I like to bring laughter and joy to people. I always try to talk and be available to my colleagues so we can have a great moment together even when we are experiencing a difficult day.  

What is the culture like at Tyto? 

At Tyto I found a workplace embracing cultural diversity and entrepreneurship. I love that they have created a culture where employees are free to suggest ideas and be involved in the growth of the company.   

What do you like most about working at Tyto? 

The people! Tyto is a great place to work for many reasons but to me, my colleagues are the highlight. I have met incredible, culturally diverse, creative, smart and fun people and they give me energy every day to do my best and achieve our goals.  

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Giselle Villeta

Hello! I am Giselle Villeta, Digital and Insights consultant 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? 

Quite predictable, but my mornings usually start with a cup of black coffee. I’m not much of an early morning person so I try to keep these as uplifting as possible by adding yummy fruit to my breakfast or tuning in to the Calm app as soon as I wake up. Music is usually on as soon as I open my eyes too! 

How do you organise your day? 

I like to add a little structure by prioritising my daily tasks in my notebook. Yes, I’m an old-school paper and pen fan. Nothing beats the feeling of marking off an item on your to-do list after you’ve completed it! I note which tasks need to be done earlier in the morning, which ones need collaboration and consider the schedules of those who are on the team for each project.  

When are you the most productive? 

I would say I’m most productive around mid-morning and early afternoon. But depending on the task, I prefer to do it at a specific time. I tend to reserve my mornings for content creation or the most creative bits as I like to approach them with a fresh mindset and leave my afternoon free for data analysis or more repetitive tasks like reporting.  

What is your favourite workplace? 

 I am most comfortable at my home office in Madrid, which might seem a little boring when you can work from anywhere, but I’ve found I can concentrate a lot better and create my own little universe at home. Plus, I am one of those people who tend to be cold all the time, and at home, there are no limits to layers!  

I do also enjoy visiting coworking offices at least a couple of times a month with my Madrid-based colleagues. And I’ve been a regular at the delicious coffee shop right in front of my apartment! Especially during the Spanish summertime, you need that AC.  

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?  

Nothing quite beats the flexibility of being able to decide where and how you’re going to work. I can organise my day depending on my mood and my needs. In 2022 I was able to visit my family in the Dominican Republic (twice!) and work from my childhood home while escaping winter and spending some quality time with my loved ones. I was never able to do this freely before Tyto, and I can say my family and I appreciate this freedom greatly.  

I also enjoy travelling, and this past year I was able to work from Rome, Paris, London, Barcelona, Sicily… Without missing any deadlines and with my team’s support. Trust is an essential ingredient to make this work. I read this somewhere, not long ago: work is not somewhere you go but something you do. At Tyto, thankfully, we share this approach. 

What do you miss about working in an office? 

The Spanish lunchtime moments with my colleagues, the morning coffee and afternoon tea conversations. We used to have a lot of fun in the office as my colleagues and I became very close during those years working together. Thankfully, I still share workplaces with two of them and we have those moments every time we can outside of the office! I also met some incredible people after joining Tyto in 2021 – and either by using our Passport scheme or by attending our Hackweeks, we meet whenever we can!  

What’s your secret weapon? 

My secret weapon must be my notebook. I keep a thorough (perhaps too thorough!) account of my different tasks, projects, deadlines, teams, etc. and I think this has helped me navigate the ever-changing agency world. I made the mistake of trying to remember every single thing very early on. Paper and pen have been my close friends ever since!

Sophie Banda

My location-agnostic PR agency life | Sophie Banda

Hi! I’m Sophie Banda, Associate Director at Tyto, and this is 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’ve always loved reading about other people’s weird and wonderful morning rituals, so several years ago I came up with my own. Kicking off at 5am, it included a cold shower, celery juice, exercise, meditation, three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing… 

Unsurprisingly it didn’t last long and within a week I was back to snoozing the alarm and scrolling on my phone in bed until the last possible minute. Not exactly the habits of a Highly Successful Person.  

Nowadays I keep it simple: I’m up at 6am for an hour of yoga and meditation, then I take my dog Ella for a good walk in the park. Once we’re back home, Ella instantly falls asleep while I shower and get dressed, and then I settle down with a coffee listening to The Today Programme on Radio 4 to get a sense of the big news stories of the day.  

How do you organise your day? 

I’m a big fan of handwritten to-do lists, so I get through a lot of pens and lined paper notebooks. I’m constantly scribbling down ideas and doodling during calls as it really helps engage my creative brain in a way that typing on a keyboard doesn’t.  

However, pens and notebooks often get eaten by dogs, so as a sensible backup measure I’ve started transferring my handwritten lists into a live Google Doc that’s bookmarked and open at all times. This lets me reshuffle and reprioritise things as the day progresses. 

My Outlook calendar does a lot of heavy lifting. Every Sunday when I sit down to plan the week ahead I look at all my upcoming meetings and events, and I also try and block out a couple of meeting-free hours each day so I can give my full focus to tasks that involve writing or research.   

There’s always lots of unscheduled ‘mutual appreciation time’ with my dog throughout the day – it’s vital for keeping us both motivated. 

When are you the most productive? 

Very early in the morning, before the steady stream of email notifications and Slack messages has begun.  

What is your favourite workplace? 

My local swimming pool in Manchester is a beautiful Victorian building with high ceilings and big windows, and they recently opened up a great coworking space upstairs.  

Hiring a desk for the day includes use of the pool, sauna and gym, so I always go for a luxurious swim and steam session at lunch time – leaving my laptop upstairs, obviously.  

What’s your favourite thing about working remotely? 

Coffee breaks in my garden on a sunny day, and also having my mum pop round for a cuppa and a chat (which former colleagues in a busy office probably wouldn’t have appreciated).  

What do you miss about working in an office? 

Walking through London in the early morning is the only thing I really miss. My old office was tucked right in the heart of Soho and I loved my stroll along the colourful little winding roads with their cafes, boutiques, bars and fabric shops.  

It was also great for people-watching; Soho is famous for its eccentric, bohemian locals, and its bleary-eyed partygoers still up from the previous night.  

What’s your secret weapon? 

The ‘Touch up my appearance’ feature on Zoom.   

What do you like most about working at Tyto? 

 We’re an incredibly creative, driven bunch here at Tyto, which makes working with the team a pleasure – even when things inevitably get busy and stressful.   

I’m always so impressed by the team’s sheer range of talent and expertise, and the general attitude of positivity, resourcefulness and camaraderie.