Written by Kianna Best on Nov 27, 2024. Posted in General Interest

The emPOWER Breakfast redefines self-care at FOCUS London 2024

FOCUS London 2024 is excited to welcome The emPOWER Breakfast on Wednesday 11 December. Founder Athene Parker moderates the panel along with three industry leaders, exploring the question of Is Self-Care a Dirty Word in an Uncertain World, discussing how to maintain the optimal balance between physical, mental and emotional health in the high octane of the screen industry business and the coping mechanisms to navigate the workplace.

Launched this year on International Women’s Day, The emPOWER Breakfast is a monthly business networking event held in London, bringing together their community of women in the advertising, media and communications industry. Founded by Parker, the monthly events have hosted several talks, welcoming a roster of inspirational guests with conversations rooted authenticity, connection and empathy building.

After learning that her son was autistic at two and a half years old with a speech delay that could lead to a fully non-verbal diagnosis, Parker found herself very isolated as her and her family were having to navigate this new reality. Finding herself devastated and managing sleep deprivation, Parker found a light when she met a fellow mum of a pre-verbal child that opened her eyes to the power and healing of shared experience.

“When I met this woman, I knew for the first time that I would be okay. That I would cope. That we could thrive. That's when I started looking around at the women I know and love in our industry and realised that everyone has a challenge - it's just when you are deep in yours, you think you are the only one. It made me realise we desperately needed a space for this. Our trauma informs everything we do, the lens through which we operate in the world and the need for support and understanding goes a long way to creating a better more compassionate, supportive working environment.”

In recognising this, Parker would enlist the help of Framestore’s Steph Burning to gain support for the initiative and the space to host the community events, as well as asking Leila Bartlam to be the first speaker, an apt decision with her own autism diagnosis at 48 years and having to lean her new normal. With all the pieces in place, The emPOWER breakfast was born.

“We work in a very highly stressed environment; we also work in an industry that taps into emotions and sells stories to connect to the audience yet as humans we often feel we have to hide or bury our own. We are an industry populated with uniquely wired independent thinkers and creatives - so why aren't we delving into that more.”

“As DE&I is coming more to the forefront, it is also the area whose development is arrested during any financial contraction - So it's really a push to create change on a micro level, to give tools for self-care and emotional regulation through listening, to the women in the room and these learnings then move out into the world through osmosis.”

Coming to FOCUS London 2024 on 11 December, The emPOWER Breakfast takes on a new format, shifting from its one on one chat to a panel moderated by Parker, with three industry leaders, Bartlam (Song Studios EMEA executive leadership and UK country lead), James Hayhurst (The Magic Sauce Course global marketing director and founder) and Melissa Robertson (Dark Horses and Menopause Mandate CEO and director). The panel will explore what self-care means on an individual basis as well as discussing how tactics and strategies can aid tackling challenging times.

The future of these crucial events sees major growth, with a 2025 guest lineup already set, and the launch of emPOWER Men on the horizon. Often with minimal focus positioned on men’s mental and emotional health, The emPOWER Breakfast will welcome four male panellists to discuss their experiences on topics ranging from LGBTQ+ issues, divorce, parenting, addiction, sexual abuse and neurodivergence. There are also plans for spin off events, an emotional mentoring network, and much more in the pipeline.

Register HERE for your complimentary delegate pass now for FOCUS London 2024, and attend The emPOWER Breakfast session and many more informative panels.