At EARLY PR we find motivation and inspiration witnessing and supporting the work that our clients have been called to do and the passion with which you do it. Thank you and we love you for it! In order for us to bring our whole selves to this work, to make it better, faster, stronger — for our community, for you — we take breaks.
Stepping away from the work allows us to come back with a fresh perspective, different solutions to problems, and new ideas. Downtime really does make the work better.
To align with our values and bring our best selves to work, we prioritize the mental and physical health of our team. One way we do this is by simply not working on Fridays.
Encouraging ourselves and each other to maintain this agreement required its own sort of work. Unhooking ourselves from the hustle and grind culture felt necessary and unavoidable.
Because as a team of mostly Black and Brown people who are also creatives, we are the first to feel the mental, emotional, and financial pinch of life under a pandemic against the backdrop of the movement for Black lives. And, we are the last to feel any relief.
As Black and Brown creatives, we often feel obligated to show up for the culture, to speak truth to power with art, to say yes to everything, to pour ourselves 1000% into all of the work at all times. We want nothing more than to see our people thrive in spite of these twin pandemics.
We have experienced first-hand the psychological terrorism of white supremacy; we also know that it’s our duty to love each other and protect each other. But what does that look and feel like in the professional realm?
At EARLY PR we decided to start small: no work or meetings on Fridays through summer 2021.
After a couple months, we noticed the reservoir of our imaginations began to refill. When we weren’t spending all of our energy at work, or suffering the mental and emotional toll of explaining anti-Black microaggressions or otherwise convincing people of our inherent humanity, other areas of interest began to bloom.
Experiences of levity and lightness showed the success of Summer Fridays. Because of this, EARLY PR has decided to permanently incorporate it into our company culture through policy change. As of August 2021, all EARLY PR staff and contractors will not be required to work on Fridays.
We’re gonna echo the Nap Bishop, Tricia Hersey, and say, “Go take a nap.”
Rest with us. We’ll see you on the other side.
