As I closed the door to OVID Health’s ‘old’ office in March 2020, I feared what was about to become of the business I’d poured blood, sweat and tears into over the past 18 months. There was a deep fear this could be the last time. There were so many unknowns I didn’t know if we’d ever open that office door again.
As we all know now, there was worse to come. Lives cut short, families devastated, mental health corroded. Businesses went under and people’s livelihoods disappeared as a result.
In a way the pandemic was a great leveller for an agency founder like me. At that point it didn’t matter if I’d founded my business 10 years ago or one year ago – all my competitors were grappling with the same challenges that were new to them.
During this time, I reflected on whether the experience and impact was different for female founders compared to our male counterparts. I can honestly say I don’t think it made the slightest difference, but I’m sure there are others who would say they unfairly shouldered more of the domestic burden.
As a leader I felt strongly that when members of the team needed to work weird hours to juggle homeschooling, we made it work – no questions asked. And I’m sure that made the difference to how well the team bounced back after that initial pandemic shock, and helped us to recover and build the pipeline of work that had initially disappeared almost overnight in March 2020.
In fact, I think one of the secrets to nurturing and growing a successful agency is about creating the right environment for people to flourish, despite the pressures and strains the external and domestic worlds can throw at them.
One of the main reasons I founded OVID in 2018 was ironically one of the ‘issues’ the pandemic turned on its head for the better. It seemed radical at the time, but I could see mid to senior-level consultants leaving the industry for roles that would give them more flexibility. They didn’t want to stay chained to their desk until 10pm at night, every night.
I set out to change this by hiring a permanent team with a network of trusted Associates. This model has been proven as one that works during a pandemic. Not once has a client expressed reservations about members of the team sometimes working remotely like they did pre-pandemic. In fact, clients have been impressed with how seamless it is and frankly, if they’re getting the best talent and outcomes then they don’t care!
So, did we unlock the door to that office that I closed in March 2020? No. But for a great reason – we’ve outgrown it and moved into a sparkly new one. If you fancy joining us, take a look at our current vacancies!
Five survival tips as an agency leader during a pandemic (which will help you post-pandemic):
- Surround yourself with mentors (the more the merrier).
- Don’t feel guilty about prioritising your social life sometimes – this is a vital decompression tool.
- On that note, don’t talk about your business all the time to your friends and family – they are not nearly as interested as you are in it!
- As Elsa would say, let it go – let others take the lead and facilitate those around you to shine (they will do a better job than you will).
- Force yourself to take a break sometimes. In the pandemic I didn’t always get this right, but I promise to try harder in 2022!
Jenny Ousbey is CEO and Founder of leading health communications agency OVID Health. She began her career as a political journalist and prior to launching OVID was a former political adviser to a government health minister. She is also the founder of the Patient Partnership Index.
