My son will join every Zoom call in our industry

“The membership team has heard all about the latest Minecraft update and has weighed in on whether one can — or should — make a nether portal that can stretch all the way to the sky.”

In 2017, I admired the style and attitude of Marion as she made her BBC debut dancing into the background of her unflappable father, Prof. Robert Kelly, on his news spot from South Korea. Now I, along with almost all of us in this industry, labor at home with my son a short number of feet away. Even my best defenses — a sign on my office door that says “Keep Out, I Mean It” — cannot stop him from wanting to share his latest updates with every member of our staff.

Therefore, 2021 will be the year that my son Isaac will make a cameo at every meeting in our industry.

The membership team has heard all about the latest Minecraft update and has weighed in on whether one can — or should — make a nether portal that can stretch all the way to the sky. The product team has discussed the relative scarcity of various resources, and whether one should prioritize mining for diamond or searching for gold. And my boss is fully up to speed on his latest science assignment on climate, as he told us that the world would end in 2050.

Now that he has visited every single video and phone call within First Look, it is time for Isaac to gain experience at other media organizations. What editorial meeting would be complete without the latest updates from YouTube livestreams of Mario Maker players? How can we have great prospect-pipeline conversations without taking a break to discuss why the human body shivers when it isn’t even cold? And wouldn’t every management training benefit from a chance to find out why Isaac hasn’t changed out of his pajamas for three days?

Our industry has to collaborate in order to succeed at what we do, and every company should contribute that at which it excels. My contribution is an energetic nine-year-old who will never stop giving his all.

Kate Myers is executive director of revenue and operations at First Look Media Works and deputy director of the Press Freedom Defense Fund.

In 2017, I admired the style and attitude of Marion as she made her BBC debut dancing into the background of her unflappable father, Prof. Robert Kelly, on his news spot from South Korea. Now I, along with almost all of us in this industry, labor at home with my son a short number of feet away. Even my best defenses — a sign on my office door that says “Keep Out, I Mean It” — cannot stop him from wanting to share his latest updates with every member of our staff.

Therefore, 2021 will be the year that my son Isaac will make a cameo at every meeting in our industry.

The membership team has heard all about the latest Minecraft update and has weighed in on whether one can — or should — make a nether portal that can stretch all the way to the sky. The product team has discussed the relative scarcity of various resources, and whether one should prioritize mining for diamond or searching for gold. And my boss is fully up to speed on his latest science assignment on climate, as he told us that the world would end in 2050.

Now that he has visited every single video and phone call within First Look, it is time for Isaac to gain experience at other media organizations. What editorial meeting would be complete without the latest updates from YouTube livestreams of Mario Maker players? How can we have great prospect-pipeline conversations without taking a break to discuss why the human body shivers when it isn’t even cold? And wouldn’t every management training benefit from a chance to find out why Isaac hasn’t changed out of his pajamas for three days?

Our industry has to collaborate in order to succeed at what we do, and every company should contribute that at which it excels. My contribution is an energetic nine-year-old who will never stop giving his all.

Kate Myers is executive director of revenue and operations at First Look Media Works and deputy director of the Press Freedom Defense Fund.

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