What about your space helps you to be productive?
Interview with Stefan, a founder building a location-independent startup
Quiet! I love working from home because it’s quiet. Oddly enough, though, the hum and loudness of a cafe are also helpful because it’s so loud that I can tune it all out.
It’s the middle bit— idle chatter from people beside you—that really distracts me.
The other thing is that working from home gives me access to my kitchen, which means that I can keep my food costs down and make whatever cool things I want.
Stefan now has total control over his time since leaving the traditional office in early 2019. Hear how his routine is helping him build a solid remote startup.
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Interview with Saibu, an HR content writer for a remote company
So I don’t have a dedicated space in my room where I call “my workspace.” Of course, there’s a table and chair, but I work anywhere in my room.
Thing is, I started remote working without knowing anything about the field and didn’t even know that what I was doing was called remote work. Thus, from the get-go, I have always been my own motivation.
Once I wake up and realize I have something to do, I go get it. Of course, there are tough days, but generally, my room reminds me of what I have to do every single day.
Hear how Saibu, a thriving HR content writer, navigates the complexities—and perks—of working with a remote team from Ghana.
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Interview with Andrew, co-founder and CEO of Insured Nomads
Since I work remotely, based in Rio de Janeiro much of the year, air conditioning helps my productivity significantly.
Photo of Andrew at his desk 
If we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of feet. - Rachel Wolchin, entrepreneur
Andrew, co-founder, and CEO of Insured Nomads talks traveling while working, productivity tools, and the best advice he has received.
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Interview with Molood, a CEO who shares how minimalism has improved her remote work experience
Normally I work from places that inspire me and allow me to stay focused for long periods of time. Since my work is rather diverse, I tend to work from different places at different times - that is, when there’s no pandemic.
Usually, I work from nice cafés with beautiful views that also allows me to plug in my computer since I tend to stay in the same café for the whole day. In colder temperatures, I sometimes work from hotel lobbies—some franchises designed their interiors with remote workers in mind. Working from hotel lobbies is great as you always have access to good coffee and you can get much better food than most cafés.
If I have a day that involves lots of meetings, I sometimes work from coworking cafés or rent a conference room in a hotel. It does mean paying a little extra but being able to work in an environment that keeps me productive is really worth it.
Nature mixed with a little bit of comfort is all I need to be productive.
As CEO and Founder of Remote Forever, Molood has made a career in teaching individuals and companies how to work remotely effectively. See how embracing a minimalist lifestyle has caused her to excel.
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Interview with Nico, marketer and advocate for remote worker mental health
My home workspace is usually my desk (which is in my bedroom), but I think it's the simple things that help me stay productive: having my water bottle at all times (hydration is super underappreciated), two coffees per day, a clear desk to work on, and a window above my laptop with natural light pouring into the room all day.
Looking up from my laptop to see grass and trees doesn't sound like much, but it's a mood-booster for me.
"I've felt burnout HARD in the past. When it hits, it HITS, and it can be tough to recover." In this interview, Nico shares his strategies for balancing work and life and reveals the key to avoiding burnout.
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Interview with Kirsten and Jay-Allen, remote team coaches & collaboration experts
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Dual screens
- Easy Coffee
- An ergonomic chair
Remote team coaches, Kirsten and Jay-Allen, offer three pieces of advice for new remote workers and reveal the one question every remote job seeker should prepare to answer.
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Interview with Pola, a Paris-based content writer
It’s a combination of the right lighting, room temperature, and limited distractions— a great setup for writing. But when I’m not working on an article, it can get too quiet, and I need to be around people to feed off the energy around.
A job ad in an online group led Pola to find her ideal career as a content writer—see her remote work & job seeking takeaways.
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Interview with Mehmet, a nomadic digital maker and entrepreneur
I love coffee shops as much as I love working from co-working spaces. If I don’t have a lot of conference calls (I almost exclusively take calls instead of in-person meetings if I can avoid), I like to sit, work and change scenery to different coffeeshops.
In my opinion, being around a crowd creates more inspiration and, weirdly, more focus.
I stay in my co-working space desks longer hours if I’m working on hands-on engineering or design work with my teammates.
Mehmet has embraced his remote team leadership style. Hear about his most helpful productivity trick and why he has "quiet" days for his staff.
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Interview with Deborah, a remote entrepreneur changing perceptions about remote work
It totally depends on my workstate at the time (see my conference paper on digital nomad workstates for more info). I've worked in so many different workspaces around the world, but the ones that always stand out in a positive way, are the ones that really understand the needs of their clients.
Generally, for me, this means:
- Lots of natural light
- Comfortable chairs and comfy areas
- Clearly defined social and quiet working areas
- A genuine desire to build a community by hosting relevant events
- A steady supply of health (and less healthy) snacks and drinks so that I don't have to lose my flow when I'm working on projects that require deep focus.
- I don't need to make too many calls but... DECENT CALLROOMS, folks! Whether you're using them or sitting near them, if they're not fit for purpose then everyone suffers.
I also tend to gravitate towards workspaces that demonstrate they care about sustainability.
Deborah has traveled the world sharing her research about the pros of remote work. See how she is helping companies and clients understand the importance of location independence.
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Interview with Pilar, director of Virtual Not Distant
My workspace needs to be clear, and it needs to be quiet.
Hear about Pilar's flexible approach to managing Virtual Not Distant and the career-changing advice she received from a friend.
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