Olivia Founded Breed, a London-based illustration agency representing a select group of highly individual talents, in 2007.

With her team she looks after the work of 15 artists, illustrators and photographers, each with their own distinct style and perspective.

Over to you, Olivia.

Please tell us what your role in the business is?

I’m the director and agent of our business.

Where do you do most of your work?

In normal, non-COVID, times I’m based in East London, but at the moment I’m working from home and splitting time between West Oxfordshire and Battersea.

How many people do you work with closely on a day-to-day basis?

We work in a small team. There’s myself, Tine our marketing executive, the girls in the finance team and Glenn, who I work with closely.

What is the biggest challenge that you face at work every day?

Definitely keeping the right flow of work for each of the artists that we represent. We want to make sure they’re staying in the areas that they want to be working in.

Talk us through lunch. A sandwich at your desk or a full hour in the park?

In an office situation, it’s normally something that I’ve bought to have at my desk.

But since I’ve been working from home, the days go a lot more quickly and often it can be 3pm before I even think of lunch.

What is the biggest lesson that you’ve learned that you wish you’d known when you started your career?

That change is constant and we shouldn’t be fearful of that.

Email. Friend or foe?

Friend, definitely.

Do you use a digital or paper To Do List? And how effective are you at getting everything done?

Pen on paper for my lists, always. And I’d like to say I’m effective at getting things done!

Do you leave work at a set time each day?

I like to put my laptop away at 6pm. Sometimes there might be time differences with clients, so I’ll need to be checking my phone throughout the evenings.

How do you relax? Do you look after yourself properly?

Nature helps me instantly relax. I love being outdoors.

How confident are you about the future of your business?

I think that when it’s your own business, there will always be worries about it, its future and making sure the right choices are being made along the way. But I think that as long as you’re enjoying the work and have a genuine passion for what you do, you’re on the right path.

What is your secret time-wasting technique at your desk?

I’m probably a bit of a procrastinator…

Do you listen to music as you work and if so, what has been playing today?

I find it quite hard to have headphones on with music whilst I’m working as it can be distracting. But if I do have music on, it would probably be something very chilled. I’m into Ólafur Arnalds at the moment.