In conversation with Sophie Urquhart

1. Introduce yourself

Hi, my name is Sophie Urquhart. I live I London with my husband, Stephen and our 3 year old, Silas.

2. What is your job title?

I’m a Music Supervisor and the owner of Tin Drum Music which I set up in 2011. My job involves sourcing, negotiating and licensing commercial and bespoke music across advertising, film and TV.

3. Who looks after the kids when you are working?

Silas is at nursery 4 days a week and on Fridays my husband and I share the care dependent on our work loads. We both currently work from home so we share the nursery runs.

4. How long did you take off work after having your baby?

I made the decision to take a full year as I knew it would be the only opportunity to ever do that. I had some money put away for IVF treatment which I ended up not needing so I used that to pay for my maternity cover. Statutory Maternity pay is laughable so I wouldn’t have had the luxury of the full year if it wasn’t for that.

My brilliant business partner took on all responsibilities so it was a joy to spend my first year of motherhood being completely present for my baby. I had a rough delivery so I was grateful for the time to fully recover whilst not thinking/ stressing (too much) about work.

5. Would you say that you have a good work/life balance?

At the moment, yes. I am lucky to have flexible working hours which allows me to work when I need to and spend time with my son when I need to. My husband handles a lot of the nursery drop-offs and pick-ups which allows me a full working week and then we spend Fridays and weekends together.

 Where possible, I have learnt to mostly keep my working day within “office hours” so that I can prioritise my son when he’s at home.

6.  Are you job-sharing or working flexibly?

I am the managing director of the company so I can choose my own hours although they tend to fall within a Mon - Fri working week. It does allow some flexibility with my son and other personal appointments.

7. What do you think is the hardest part of being a working/industry parent?

Being self-employed comes with its drawbacks. Financial insecurity, lack of benefits.

Fast-paced jobs and high-pressure deadlines can transfer into your home life which can be difficult and even damaging to a parent/ child relationship so I do what I can to avoid that.

8. What are your tips for any other women out there wanting to have kids and keep a career in film?

Do it! There is never a perfect time and for some (👋) it can take a long time. Babies and young children are adaptable so bring them into your schedule where possible.

 If you need to be away for work for periods of time, get them used to being around other people such as family, child minders, babysitters. Admittedly we failed at this and now have a 3-year-old co-sleeper!

My husband is American so for us travel is an essential part of life, we took Silas on long and short-haul flights from day dot to get him accustomed to both travelling and different surroundings.

9. Any advice for anyone about to return to work after maternity?

Take your time. Ease in slowly and embrace your new priorities. Look after yourself as well as the newbie. The early years are so precious so be present for them, the cliché is true, it goes so fast!

 10.  What advice did you wish someone had given you?

I was shocked at the lack of medical support after childbirth. It took me around 7 months to fully heal physically so had I gone back to work any earlier I would have really struggled. If you can take a decent amount of time for maternity, do. I know it’s not possible for a lot of people and therefore make sure you have help around you for when you need to return to work.