Do you have a dedicated space to work?
Interview with Hannah, a freelance writer that travels the world
My physical workspace changes depending on where I am. Last year, I had an office in my home with a desk. When I was abroad earlier this year, I worked at an amazing coworking space. Right now as I’m visiting friends and family, I mostly work at dining room tables. If there is a surface that fits my laptop, I’ll make it work.
Hannah is a freelancer writer and social media manager that travels the world while working remotely. Read her interview to learn how she works.
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Interview with Hanling, a data scientist that works remotely on machine learning
No, I can work as long as there's computer and network. Usually I work in the laboratory, library or my dormitory. I even worked in the airport when waiting my friends.
Hanling started working remotely as a student and now does freelance machine learning and data analysis for clients all around the world.
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Interview with Elizabeth, a graphic designer and art director
This is one area where I’ve gone a bit overboard, I’m afraid. I have an AWESOME dedicated workspace!
Photo of Elizabeth's desk and work area.
My business and life partner and I both work from home and made the decision to dedicate the largest room in the house to the success of our business. We have a large studio space with two workstations that are set up for our various needs.
His is based around music production and mine design—there are a lot of screens!
Elizabeth provides the ultimate list of tips for aspiring freelancers and remote workers. Check out her game-changing tools, and advice for thriving as a freelancer.
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Interview with Deb, a sales copywriter who transitioned from software development
Yes, I do, a study desk on one side of my bedroom currently. I do have plans to rent a separate workspace sometime in the medium-term future. The reason is that at times, my bed proves to be too alluring and I find myself taking naps which can be counter-productive at times.
Deb made the jump from full-time software developer to freelance sales copywriter—learn how he made the transition.
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Interview with Meryl, a digital marketer and master of home office organization
Yes, I have an office with four walls and three doors: one regular door and French doors that see the front door of the house. The office is the perfect size as I can use a portable heater or fan to warm up or cool down without wasting any energy on the rest of the mostly empty house.
Photo of Meryl's home office.
Meryl K. Evans is skilled at creating a home office that leads to remote work flexibility. See her advice for creating a successful workspace, and hear about her journey into freelancing.
Read full interview from Interview with Meryl, a digital marketer and master of home office organization.
Interview with Haley, a VP of Operations shares her stellar remote work strategies
I am dedicated to my bedroom. It makes naps easier. 😅
Currently, I either work at my desk in my room or at my kitchen table. I live in a quiet condo on a quiet street, and find that hours easily pass without remembering that I’m working.
Haley has figured out the way she works best as a VP of Operations. See her principles of remote work and the unique advice a former boss gave her about breaks.
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Interview with Artur, an engineer who found purpose as an Intrapreneur
Plenty!
My fiancee —who also works at Automattic— and I recently bought an apartment, and we have sacrificed one of the rooms to serve as the office. It is furnished with a Herman Miller Embody chair and an Ikea Bekant standing desk. However, in all honesty, I have not yet tried the standing desk.
The biggest enemy of working from home is the fridge. I can hear it calling me to check what is inside. Also, somehow there is always so much to do at home that I get distracted by laundry and other chores.
Since WeWork recently launched in Poland, I also rent a space there. I was pleasantly surprised by the community and the benefits of leaving home. For example, it's somehow easier to hit the gym on the way back home than to leave the house specifically for that reason.
Paying for both a home office and the coworking space is a bit extravagant, but fortunately, Automattic helps pay for the coworking space.
Also — on top of that—we travel for about 100 to 120 days per year. By no means are we approaching nomad territory, but this is a significant amount and has to be taken into account.
For example, I consciously bought an Apple Magic Keyboard for my desk setup, because it has keys similar to the ones on my laptop. That way, switching to laptop-only mode needs no adjustment.
Artur realized entrepreneurship wasn't for him—see how he carves out his creativity and purpose as a remote Intrapreneur at Automattic.
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Interview with John, a web developer who works from home
One of the major selling points for working remotely is the fact that you can 'work from wherever you want'. And yet, I'd say that 90% of my time is spent sitting or standing at my desk in my home office.
Occasionally, I will move downstairs to work from the couch for a bit, or if the weather is reasonable, I'll sit outside. But that's typically only when I'm working on writing projects, such as blogging or answering emails.
When it's time to do any sort of development or research work, I prefer to be at my desk with a big external monitor.
For about 6 months, I had a dedicated desk at a coworking facility. I was able to set up an external monitor and I'd bring my keyboard with me each day. So the setup was similar to working from home and I really enjoyed it.
There were two key problems that caused me to stop using that as my office 5 days a week:
- My budget for food and gas shot through the roof. Eating out 5 days a week in downtown was crazy expensive.
- Even though it was only a 15-20 minute drive, I felt like I was losing about 2 hours of productivity each day. By the time I had reached the office, got the desk set up, and had all the mini-conversations that happen all the time at coworking spaces, my actual work time was diminished.
These days, I have 2-3 calls with clients or team members each day. Working at a coffee shop or coworking facility just doesn't seem like a reasonable option anymore.
John is a web developer running a mini-agency inside a larger WordPress agency - learn how calendar management and establishing boundaries have helped him boost his productivity.
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Interview with Nathan and Connor, owners of Freeeup
We both have dedicated workspaces within our homes where we regularly work and move around from throughout the day.
We both also enjoy getting out and going for walks while taking phone calls. I also tend to move around to different coffee shops in my local area as well when I need to change up the space and get different inspiration for the day.
Thinking of creating your own remote startup? See how Nathan and Connor built a successful and effective remote team from scratch.
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Interview with Ascencia, a content marketer, and avid gig economy professional
Not really. I get bored easily, so I usually just keep moving inside the house. I can work in the living room, my room, or my parents’ room. If I get stuck in a rut, I will bring my work (read: my laptop) to nearby cafes.
I realized I should have a proper, ergonomic work setup, though.
A forgotten two-year-old Upwork account allowed Ascencia to become a content marketer—see how the gig economy has offered her an alternative path to success.
Read full interview from Interview with Ascencia, a content marketer, and avid gig economy professional.