Kat Robinson is the Managing Director at Miroma Project Factory, the digital development arm for the globe-spanning Miroma Group of agencies.

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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

For the last 15-20 years I have worked across a range of cross- functional roles;  strategy, digital, marketing and innovation. I’ve worked across a wide array of industries and sectors, primarily using digital to solve problems or tell a story.

My role now and for the last four years has been the Managing Director of Miroma Project Factory. We are a creative digital agency that supports both our own customers, and those of the wider global Miroma Group of agencies. I adore it! 

2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

I start nearly every day with an oat coffee and power walk around the park. It levels me. 

As we are global, my mornings start with LA and end with London where our teams and wider group have offices. 

The team commences with daily stand-up’s, and we have team rituals on different days such as a team lunch on Friday, midweek motivational moving and 15-min masterclasses. 

My days are fairly diverse and can be long, peppered with people popping in and out of zoom or swinging by my seat in the open plan office.

I keep an active hand in current work and clients, although I do not actively lead projects. My passion for what we build really drives me – particularly the commercialisation of new start up’s, the strategic product design of health products and any real innovation around new technology. I will often crash an ideation session just to give the creative juices some nourishment. 

A dash of commercial paper work, negotiations and networking; we call it a day. 

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

Yes, with the onset of COVID we were lucky to have such a resilient team. We packed up our office in a day and picked it all up a day later with no disruption.

Early adoptions of remote tools, online collaboration and digital connectivity is one of the benefits of being a software company – so adapting to full remote work simply meant more of some ways of working than others.

The mental adjustment of clients has definitely worked in our favour, international clients are now far less hesitant around remote teams than they were before the pandemic!  

COVID has certainly shifted my routine, giving me the ability to take some pause and step outside when times and meetings allow. Enjoying the small things such as hanging out the washing or feeding the chickens in the sunshine are welcome mini-breaks. 

We maintained our office through the various lockdowns and I think we are all starting to look forward to the idea of blended home/office working (with a bit more ‘office’ than recently!).

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

As a business whose work focussed heavily on behaviour change, mental health and wellbeing, we place a huge emphasis on the emotional support, resilience and stamina of our team. We spend so much time at work, we can’t afford to have this feel like the poor cousin to life. I see this as a balanced work life, not work-life balance. 

We try to be open about stress and pressure, whether the source is work or home. The stigma associated with dealing with any kind of mental health or stress is changing and we actively encourage our team to share, be aware and be kind. 

As a company that truly embraces diversity, we want each person to be who they are and do what they need, while remaining considerate of the group as a whole and the experiences of others. 

The difference in my day and what I consider to be balanced; would be very off kilter for some – but that’s ok. 

5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

During the past year, Sunday has become a habitual ‘me’ day. I really enjoy taking up that space and languishing in my own time, along with leaving my devices aside for a day. 

6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

A client who is creating a revolutionary mental health application around trauma and death, provided me with a book called Healing Spaces- The Science of Place and Wellbeing – it’s a fascinating read. Thinking, Fast and Slow remains a bible to understand motivation, and I like Revisionist History and Cautionary Tales to remember that not everything is as it seems!

7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?

My coffee plunger. 

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