As one of our Business Directors, Deepaah plays a central role across client work, new business and plays an important role in shaping life at Medialab. From early starts with her family, managing key projects and leading our Roots Community, Deepaah gives us an insight into her day in the life at Medialab and how to find your voice in such a competitive industry.
Pre-Morning:
With two little ones, I’m naturally an early riser, and I find it much easier to start my day before they get up and begin theirs. When I’m working from home, I like to get up early and fit in a workout as I have found it helps me feel ready for what’s ahead and has been really positive for my mental health before getting the kids off to school or nursery and settling in at my desk.
However, on my office days, I’m usually out the door between 7 and 7:30am, take the train in, and try to fit in a 10–15-minute walk to the office, grabbing a coffee on the way before I log on.
Morning:
Getting in early gives me a bit of headspace to map out what’s ahead and to make a start on key projects, whether that’s working on the strategy behind a brief, a new business pitch or briefing the team.
My meetings usually start around 9:30am and can range from team 121’s and project check-ins, to kicking off new projects or catching up with key clients on ongoing work. One project I’m enjoying at the moment is leading the cross-channel strategic response to brief for one of our clients. It’s a regular project I’m part of and an exciting one! If I have any gaps throughout the morning, I’ll usually keep that momentum going and continue moving those projects forward.
Lunch:
I always make time at the weekend to meal prep, as I’m rarely inspired by buying lunch and usually think the prices are crazy for what you get. When I’m in the office, I’m definitely guilty of eating at my desk, although I do try to get out for a walk whenever I can. If I’m working from home, I’ll usually head out for some fresh air and a bit of headspace away from my desk or put on a podcast instead. I’ve recently been loving Romesh Ranganathan’s show with his mum, partly because he’s Tamil like me, and their mother-son relationship feels incredibly relatable.
Afternoon:
When the afternoons come around, I try to keep things a little lighter on meetings. I’ll also spend some time each week reviewing my monthly budgets and checking how we’re tracking across different clients.
Alongside that, I lead our Roots Community -one of our five Medialab Communities (ERGs). Roots celebrates all heritages and cultures here at Medialab. We have regular catchups to talk about life as well as the initiatives we want to bring into the agency, whether that’s key moments across the year, blog pieces, or broader ideas that can help drive change. Leading the Roots community is something I’m really proud of, especially with how we’ve created such a safe space to celebrate and shine a light on how important representation is in and outside of work, especially with finding your voice in a sea of so many others.
After Work:
At the end of the day, I usually log off and head home so I can get back to my little girls. If I’m working from home, I’ll pick them up from school, get them settled in, sort dinner, and start the bedtime routine- which is definitely not as easy as it sounds!
If you weren’t at Medialab, what would you be doing?
I wanted to be an animator when I was little. I doubt I’d be doing that now if I wasn’t at Medialab as didn’t get any of the qualifications! I am also a qualified nail technician, so I would probably be pursuing that a bit more than I am right now.
What advice would you give to someone looking to get into the industry?
Be curious, ask questions, don’t be afraid to use your voice and be proactive. Those that succeed in this industry engage with their peers, try things out autonomously and come with ideas and insights. I struggled in the earlier stages of my career in finding my voice but the best piece of advice I got here is your inner voice controls your outer. If you shut yourself down internally, you will take that action. If you don’t overthink and just go for it, you will take that action and have your voice heard. That will set you apart.
