As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, Zeno Group reflected on our collective mental health and how we can improve our work-from-home mindset.

At Zeno Group, ‘fearless’ is one of our core values. We embrace the unexpected and push the boundaries of traditional thinking. This year, Zeno moms (and moms everywhere) have been nothing short of fearless. 

Monday, March 8 is International Women’s Day 2021. This day comes almost a year since the outbreak of COVID-19 forced all Zenoids to work remote – a disruption to our lives, routines, and traditions. After an unprecedented and enlightening year, we at Zeno Group are celebrating and reflecting on how we can make a difference.

Leading up to International Women’s Day, Zeno’s Jackie Cox Battles kicked off PRWeek’s series of perspectives from women in PR facing the professional and personal challenges of surviving the pandemic. This is her story. 

I pride myself on being a pretty positive and resilient person. It’s all about perspective. Choose happiness. Life is what you make it. Be grateful. And though I still subscribe to this philosophy, the pandemic has turned me from optimist to realist forcing me to address a silver lining that has dulled or disappeared entirely.

When it comes to representation, especially within media, we constantly hear about how much it matters. But what does that really mean? From empowering all of your employees to be their authentic selves within any space, to integrating intersectionality into how you interpret representation -- considering ways to amplify all kinds of Black voices, and more, there are many ways that you can do your part in ensuring that your team members feel seen and heard in and out of the office all year long. Take a look at what some of our employees had to say.

Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel." As a POC, I think about this quote often because of how people make me feel due to the color of my skin. And this feeling travels with you everywhere – the grocery store, the airport, a restaurant and even in your own neighborhood. Why do people of color have to be treated differently? Aren't we all the same? Aren't we just as human as everyone else?