How did you get started with remote work?
Interview with Dani and Luca, digital nomads who have mastered work and travel
We were already both contractors for clients that covered about 80 percent of our income. We were going to their office every day, but it was not essential to our work to be done.
We simply told them we wanted to switch to full remote, and after we guaranteed them our availability in their time zone, regardless of where in the world we’d be, and promised to keep up with the quality of our results, they agreed.
We put our home on rent and bought two tickets to Thailand. No remorse ever.
Dani and Luca have mastered the art of traveling while working—see their hacks & tips for thriving as digital nomads.
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Interview with Michael about being an entrepreneur and freelancer
I got started with remote work because I was tired of the 9-5 grind. I had a high paying job, but I was miserable. I hated having a boss, working on stuff that didn't interest me and having a schedule.
I wanted to create an online brand, but knew it took time to grow/monetize a website so freelance writing helped in the interim. Last week was my one year anniversary.
I quit my six-figure job with absolutely ZERO money coming in, I made $60 from my blog when I left corporate America. I saved over 12 months of living expenses in a separate account and forced myself to figure it out.
Freelancing was much harder than I anticipated in the beginning.
At the time I left I also just published my first book, Advice for My Younger Self. This added a new income stream along with my blog and random side hustles. It took some time guest posting, learning new skills, and building a portfolio to get recurring clients on projects that I enjoyed working on.
If I'm not building my blog and freelancing business I'm working on my golf game as I'm turning professional in the next six months.
Michael is an online entrepreneur, author, and freelance writer who specializes in self-improvement and personal finance.
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Interview with Paul, a remote product designer who has found his zen
Like many around the world today, the Covid-19 pandemic saw me retreating from the office to the safety of home, where Ireland announced a national lockdown back in March. Fortunately, the move was quite seamless as the company I work for —Global Payments—uses GSuite.
I have teammates and colleagues based in the United States and India, so it makes no difference whether I am sitting in the office or at home when on a Google Meet call with them.
As it happens, prior to the pandemic, the idea of working remotely more often was beginning to appeal to me. I wasn’t too sure when to take the plunge but was on the verge of doing a couple of trial weeks when the pandemic fast-tracked all that. Covid-19 anxieties aside, I’ve enjoyed it so far.
The COVID-19 pandemic drove Paul to embrace remote work. See how he has adapted his routine to this new normal, and the one tool that keeps him organized.
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Interview with Saibu, an HR content writer for a remote company
My journey started when I was still a student at the University. That time, I needed a hustle that would make me some cash, and after trying many options, I settled on content writing. That got me started – searching for remote work. I landed a few gigs, both short and long-term.
So after graduating in 2016, I decided to go into remote working full-time. Things weren’t that smooth, so I had to take some on-site jobs from time to time. But I realized at a point that on-site jobs aren’t just for me – and went into remote full-time. And, I’ve been working remotely since 2014.
Hear how Saibu, a thriving HR content writer, navigates the complexities—and perks—of working with a remote team from Ghana.
Read full interview from Interview with Saibu, an HR content writer for a remote company.
Interview with Betsy, a head of content and remote work routine expert
In 2012, I had recently finished grad school and was looking for a new job. I was tired of moving and wanted to stay in the same place, but I knew that I might not find the exact position that I wanted where I was living. Therefore, I started a blog and began researching and looking for work that I could do remotely.
I love the flexibility of remote work and wouldn't change it for anything!
I was also doing a certificate program part-time and knew that I needed a job that could be done flexibly on my own schedule. After a few months of searching, I found a position as a social media manager in the Personal Development space.
Since then, I have worked in many remote teams, primarily in content related roles.
Betsy Ramser is a content manager, blogger, and teacher who helps other remote workers thrive while creating a daily routine that works.
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Interview with Ayush, a CEO and avid remote team builder
Well, for me, embracing remote work was a part of the experiments I do with myself. I keep checking out newer ways of working, sleeping patterns, and managing my team.
I started with remote work since I was working on scaling up my team and finding ways on how an organization should work without any micromanagement.
We have come a long way since then, and now we are managing teams in five countries.
Ayush is a CEO that is committed to helping companies build successful remote teams—see his process and tips for developing location independent teams that thrive.
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Interview with Tyler, a director of customer success models how to start a remote work career
In early 2019, I had been studying for an educational leadership master's degree. I intended on becoming an assistant principal or a technology coordinator with a school district, but I kept running into roadblocks.
My spouse met someone who was working remotely as a Salesforce administrator, and that sparked my journey from being a technology-oriented educator to becoming an education-oriented technologist. Eventually, I was hired as a customer success manager at Hubstaff.
From networking to land a remote work gig, to building out an exceptional remote work tool stack, Tyler has quickly figured out how to thrive in remote work. See his tips for starting strong.
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Interview with Gregory, a Senior Software Developer
I was 19 and working for a very small website development shop out of the owner's in-law suite in their house. It was my first real job as a software developer, and I came into the "office" most days.
But everything was done from my laptop, so whenever the owner needed the space, I would work from home. And slowly I began working from home even when it wasn't strictly necessary.
When I left that job, I joined a company that was semi-remote (they went into the office once a week), and I was the youngest by about 20 years. The devs there taught me how to manage remote work well, and a lot of the habits and skills related to working from home that I formed at that time are still going strong.
I was able to skip a lot of the biggest "pain points" of remote work - and to avoid a lot of the mistakes - simply because that company was already well versed in working remotely.
They were able to give me the tools to succeed, and they already had the communication system down very well, which helped a ton.
Gregory is a senior software developer working from home - learn how he finds the balance between lack of focus and hyperfocus.
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Interview with Digital Nomad Sage, an entrepreneur and UX consultant
I had just come back from teaching abroad in South Korea and was applying for jobs in 2015. I had a really hard time because I was overqualified for many jobs with a Masters degree, and I lacked the experience to get entry-level jobs.
I tried studying Web Development but quickly lost interest since I’m not really good at coding. I came across Youtube videos about Amazon FBA, so I became a Fulfillment by Amazon Seller for pet supplies, but that didn’t work out.
My former Japanese language professor saw my struggles and decided to take me under his wing in 2017 and hired me into his UX company. Thanks to him, I have about two years of experience in UX Research working remotely!
My primary job is as a UX Consultant assisting my boss with UX Research.
From e-books to blogging, Digital Nomad Sage has become an expert on making money online—see his advice for developing an online business.
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Interview with Liz, a UI/UX designer and cowork advocate
It was a bit of a happy accident! I started to work at a company where my team met a few times of the week outside of the office to cowork in cafes.
We would grab lunch all together as a team, and it created such a relaxed and collaborative environment. I had never worked remotely before, and I loved the balance it struck between office life and remote life.
Liz is a traveling UI/UX designer—see her strategy for thriving as a digital nomad and her efforts to promote coworking.
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