Hewlko News - Lessons from Covid-19
In like a lamb, out like a lion
What a whirlwind, rollercoaster and overall unsettling month! But with challenge, comes learning and growth, and we learnt a lot this month. Some were very practical things that helped us to stay grounded and others explored creative outlets that had been on the back burner. So we thought we would pivot from our originally planned newsletter to bring you some key things we learned and explored this month.
What COVID-19 taught us
First, if you are not following Matthew Hunt on LinkedIn, we encourage you to start. He hosts live videos with actionable tips and we’ve taken a few from him.
Put your own mask on first: Run your numbers, figure out your burn rate and cash flow so you understand the current state of your business.
Stay calm: Easy to say, harder to do. This means talking to your staff and clients to set expectations of how these relationships will be different moving forward.
Pivot: Update your communications to be sensitive to today’s current environment.
Start helping: Don't wait to be asked for help, look for where you can help and share with your social networks. This builds a sense of community and helps people feel supported.
Leverage science and plan: Field Law is putting out a ton of helpful information and has provided one of the best Post-Crisis Planning Guide we have seen. Our partners at Graphic Intuitions also have a dedicated webpage with useful resources that are added to daily.
Get creative: Watch government websites for subsidies and assistance. Solve problems that are within your control and learn something new!
Skillshare; self-distance learning for free!
Here are three Skillshare classes we've flagged to do while social distancing is in effect. You can get two months for free when you sign up today!
Productivity Masterclass: Creating a System that Works
Typographic Composition and Fonts
Pricing for Creatives: Talking real numbers for Illustrators
Why not make some ink?
Social distancing has allowed us (Tori) to tackle art projects that have been sitting on the back burner. Jason Logan, wrote a book about making ink from street harvested pigments, this means things like rusty nails, wild berries & copper scraps can all be turned into vibrant inks. Who knew?
This activity helped us slow down, be patient and notice more while out walking. We like to think that these bottles of ink can act as little time capsules. It also makes us feel a bit like a mad scientist... Check out the book here.
Join the Quarantine Sweater Club
We can confirm that these sweaters have not left our bodies for the past week! Local business, Ugly Ass Embroidery is selling "Quarantine Sweaters", along with many other fun designs. It feels good to support our friends and local businesses, especially during this difficult time.
Hook + Ladder invited us for a panel discussion
Hook + Ladder started an industry gathering called The Calgary Marketing League and invited us to join the very first discussion titled "Client Relationship Management, How to Win!" As we are predominantly a creative firm with no dedicated accounts team, our first thought was - "we're not really on account side." But because of this, we play a combined and nimble role of account strategist, project manager and creative team. It was great to have the opportunity to reflect on what a quality client relationship looked like to us, while meeting some new people along the way!
The panel included:
Host: Caleb Clark, Hook+Ladder
Mike Payne, Arcade
Kevin Wilhelm, POD Marketing
Shauna MacDonald, Brookline PR
Q&A with Chris Amat, Photographer
This month we contemplated not posting a Q&A, but we believe consistency is important and that a friendly interview on how Chris became the sought after photographer he is today would be inspiring. So meet Chris! Our go-to photographer for lifestyle shoots and anything else he has time for when he’s not off travelling or working on client projects.
Be kind and stay safe!
—Hewlko Creative Direction + Design