Jane McDaid

The MD of Thinkhouse, Jane McDaid is at the forefront of youth-targeted PR, social and mainstream media. Jane founded the agency in 2001 and their client list boasts big name brands like Coca-Cola, Innocent, eBay, Dove and Movember. Jane and her staff work on unique strategies from their super-cool HQ in Dublin’s Fumbally Square.

Working Day I have a major iPhone addiction and frequently find myself going from Facebook to Twitter to Instagram and emails and back again, in that order, for hours. I’m on an iPhone diet at the moment, attempting to put it away when I get into bed, as it was interfering with my sleep. Thinkhouse specialises in social media, so I have great reason to be on my iPhone 24/7. That said, I’ve an amazing team who are ?on it?, so it’s not something I must do; but I do find that if I’m away from the office, I’m always ?on?. Whilst that is a negative in terms of work/life balance, it is also a huge positive in terms of responsiveness in business

Thoughts on working 24/7 This 24/7 thing has become the norm, certainly in the business I’m in – helping brands manage social media platforms. The PR industry was always an ?always on? game, with radio and TV being outlets that worked unconventional hours. With social media, it’s now just more of the same in terms of being flexible in how we work. As with any business, we need to manage our work/life balance. Putting my iPhone away when it’s family time, not checking emails every five minutes (even when on holidays) or leaving my phone in my bag when meeting friends is something I’m still trying to nail! I think we need to promote responsible usage so that it doesn’t take over our lives. Some digital downtime will make us lead more social lifestyles. To de-stress, I play with the kids, go for walks, go to a gig or read a good book. I spend a lot of time Googling holidays too, to make me escape.

Advice for screen queens If you find yourself online at midnight, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Instant message me – I’m most likely to respond in lightning speed!

Jane McDaid @thinkhouseIE ?Meg Walker @MegWalkerDublin