What do you like about remote work?

Interview with Shivani, a remote content writer who shares lessons learned

I love the flexibility remote work allows. I can make my own schedule and work from wherever I want to. Not having a daily commute is something I definitely got used to! It’s also a big responsibility and requires discipline. It’s an amazing feeling when you find a team that trusts one another and works well together. That’s when great work happens.

Shivani provides all you need to know about making remote work...work. She shares tips on finding the best remote work opportunity and thriving once you get it.

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Interview with Nelvina, a fashion designer who designs bags and clothing

I love the freedom I have to choose my projects and be my own boss. Also, I did not make that much money with a full time job working from 7.30 – 17.15.

I can now wake up at 7.30, take time to enjoy my breakfast and start working at around 9. I don’t have to leave the house early and get stuck in traffic. I even have free time for my hobbies. If I want to go out in the morning, I can always work in the afternoon and vice versa.

Every job is different. I have worked on travel bags, diaper backpacks, bags for photographers, fashion leather bags, logo designs, label design, packaging, brochure,…

Even when I am designing backpacks for 2 clients, each one is different and I am always learning something new.

Nelvina is a freelance fashion and graphic designer that works remotely while working with clients all around the world

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Interview with Eddie, an Engineering Director

There's a lot to like about remote. Independence, autonomy, privacy, freedom, and health benefits.

• Enables me to hire the best folks for Litmus from (almost) anywhere, and as long as we're being intentional about building our culture, this helps avoid creating a monoculture.

Not worrying about commuting, traffic, parking, etc. Time is a finite resource, and over the years, this adds up to a massive lost opportunity cost, both personally and professionally. #killthecommute

• Control over my daily interactions and flexibility to react to life events. The ability to work around my schedule, instead of scheduling around my work, has improved my quality of life significantly.

Being in control of meals and meal times. Being in control of physical activity. Frankly, I am way less self-conscious about eating and exercising in the privacy of my own home, so both of those things have helped me get healthier.

Eddie is an Engineering Director - learn how he manages to absorb interruptions and manage information overload while staying productive.

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Interview with Ayesha, a freelance writer that gained early clients through her blog

The best part of working remotely is the flexibility you get.

With kids and family, I strongly believe that at least one parent should be working flexible hours. It’s not possible for my husband since he’s working in advertising, so in our family, it’s me.

Ayesha is a freelance content writer—learn how she made the leap to remote work while building her blog and raising her family

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Interview with Michael, a VFX artist that works remotely

I get to be home with my son more that’s almost nonexistent with other jobs.

You get to choose which clients to pursue, and some will pursue you.

You get to meet interesting people, I mean not in person but still pretty cool.

All kinds of ethnicities different cultures accents when you speak to people. That is probably the coolest part to me besides hanging out with my kids, meeting new people.

You get to see how people work professionally which helps you grow and mature yourself into someone more prone to a business atmosphere.

You make friends from all around the world; I still talk to some friends across the United States, Germany, Canada, and other countries.

In a sense it helps you as an artist feel complete.

I mean you can see your friends get hired at awesome jobs and wonder when you will get your shot, but honestly as a past goal I don't mind where I work. Just as long as I get a chance to create something and feel good about making it, I can honestly say remote work has done it for me.

It has challenged me quite a few times when I’ve had to fix other’s work, but I’ve grown as an artist and have a much larger knowledge base than I did when I went to college.

Michael is a freelance visual effects (VFX) artist, creating 3d models, mockups and videos while working remotely.

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Interview with Ben, a CEO/Engineer who works remotely

Flexibility! It's great to be able to work from anywhere, at any time.

It's also great to be able to hire people from anywhere around the world who are great at what they do, and not be limited to people who happen to live near to me.

Ben is a CEO/Engineer who works remotely - find out how he balances working at home and family life!

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Interview with Kevin, a developer and remote consultant

I love having the freedom to work where I want. I really enjoy being able to move around depending on the day and how I feel.

I like being able to choose the environment I work in. Too often, I've been forced to work in noisy crowded places with awful commutes that leave me frustrated and drained.

I like paying for a coworking space and having a say in how that space is run.

I enjoy the camaraderie of a shared working space. It's great to meet and mingle with people not in my industry (as well as people in my industry!) and learn new things.

However, I also liked my former at-home setup. I enjoy mechanical keyboards and blasting the keys at 100+ decibels, not having to worry about bothering others in an open-plan office.

I no longer have that setup (since I work from coworking spaces), but I am exploring ways to have a more dedicated desk.

I love not being distracted in person by the people I work with.

I really love the ability to be able to travel and work. My girlfriend and I enjoy hiking and camping, and we'll occasionally do longer trips that require us to leave on a Thursday evening.

Being able to just pull up to a coffee shop halfway through a trip, or work from a remote Airbnb, is one of the most wonderful things.

Also, the fact that I was able to move cities (from NYC to Boston) last year without so much as a hiccup in my work was amazing.

Kevin is a developer and consultant working on many different projects - learn which tools he uses to optimize his time management.

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Interview with Shauna, founder and business consultant specializing in remote work

There are too many things to list.

Remote work is like an onion; there are so many layers to the benefits that it provides.

I love hearing individual's stories about how being able to work from their preferred location has given them freedom or flexibility to live a life true to them. I speak to businesses who have grown their operations and have been really successful, while also saving money by not having a physical office and having access to amazing global talent.

I speak to communities who are trying to create a remote workforce in their villages and towns so that people don't have to relocate to the cities and can be with their loved ones, while also improving local economic development.

Then there's climate change, of course, lower admissions with less commuting. There are just so many positive stories that have come from remote working, and every time I hear them, I become more and more passionate about the future of work and the remote working movement.

Shauna is a consultant that guides companies in thriving while remote—see her advice for staying grounded as a remote worker.

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Interview with Elizabeth, a graphic designer and art director

If I had to pick one thing - it would be that working remotely allows me to do my best work.

Because I don’t have to endure a commute, I can arrange my day around my needs and the needs of my clients. If I need to join an 8 pm conference call, it’s easy to do that.

My creativity isn’t an ‘always on’ thing - and being able to work when ideas come to me, no matter where I am, is a game-changer.

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 Henry, a consultant who found remote work by saying No

I don't like wasting time. That's not to say I'm the most efficient person in the world (not even close), but with little kids and a company to run, I just don't have a ton of extra time.

I love that I don't have to waste time on a commute.

I love that my mental breaks don't have to be at the computer, discreetly going on Facebook like in an office. I can take a real break.

I love that my fridge is close by, rather than a shared office fridge.

It's a healthy lifestyle with work built-in.

Sometimes a "no" can lead to an exceptional opportunity. For Henry, that answer led to an ideal remote work career. In this interview, Henry shares his remote work tool stack, and essential tip for remote employees and managers.

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