In conversation with Lennie Varvarides
Lennie & Kaz
1. Introduce yourself
Hi, my name is Lennie Varvarides.
2. What is your job title?
The Boss - I like the way that sounds. (My mum was always the Boss too and like my mum, I run my own business). I am a Talent Agent and a Creative Producer at MSFT Management, DYSPLA, a London-based Arts organisation producing the work of dyslexic and neurodivergent storymakers.
3. Who looks after the kids when you are working?
My daughter is now 6, so she is at school and my partner is very hands on with most of the school runs. When she was born, I took her with me to work, until I was asked not to bring her to the office anymore. It was a shared open space, so I guess breastfeeding and changing nappies made other people feel uncomfortable.
4. How long did you take off work after having your baby?
Well...I wasn't working when I was in labour - does that count?
I couldn't wait to leave the hospital the day my daughter was born, and I was working from my laptop the next day. I would rest her in my lap while I typed or take her with me to meetings. I didn't really think about taking time off; I just made her part of my normal daily routine.
5. Would you say that you have a good work/life balance?
No! The only time I have ever had a good work/life balance is now, during the Covid-19 Lockdown. I have never taken time off, not even mentally.
6. Are you job sharing or working flexibly?
I run DYSPLA with my partner, so I guess we do a form of job-sharing.
I am very lucky; he is my rock.
7. What do you think is the hardest part of being a working in media/film/tv industry and being a parent?
I used to want to prove that having a family does not have an impact on productivity, therefore work always would come first. That is the hardest part of working in this industry; the expectation that one must keep going at speed and the fear that if you do not, you risk the chance of become irrelevant.
8. What are your tips for any other women out there wanting to have kids and keep a career in film?
I would probably do everything exactly the same - but with the addition that if I want to slow down and spend time with my family, no-one will make me feel guilty about it again.
9. Any advice for anyone about to return to work after maternity?
Don't apologize for being a mother.
10. What advice did you wish someone had given you?
People gave me some good advice and I just didn't listen. I thought that work was the most important thing and that to get ahead you have to put in more hours than everyone else. The truth is, I was probably using work to avoid having to be domesticated because I thought I wasn’t very good at that stuff. Working, in comparison, is easy. Being a mum is hard. Covid-19 has given me so much space to re-evaluate. Having the headspace to really enjoy your children is the only memory that will last forever.
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