What do you like about remote work?

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 Hannah, a freelance writer that travels the world

I love the flexibility, as long as I complete all my tasks, I can work from anywhere at any time.

Lately I’ve been waking up pretty early naturally, but I haven’t set an alarm in a long time. If I’m feeling sick one day, it’s great that I can sleep in and wear pajamas while I work. If I get stiff from too much sitting, I can decide to go take a walk.

Another advantage to remote work is that you can take advantage of how less crowded everything is on weekdays. If I can get enough work done on Sundays, it’s great to get lunch with a friend on a Monday because it’s a lot less busy than it would have been the day before when most people have off work.

I think it’s important to remember that working remotely doesn’t just change your life, but also the lives of people close to you.

This can be good or bad. If you plan to be traveling the world, either find a significant other who wants the same thing, or plan to be single while you do it.

Also with traveling, be prepared to miss the people you used to see more often and make sure to find time to email, Facetime, whatever it takes.

However, remote work also gives you the opportunity to visit friends who live far away more often, so it can also be useful for relationships. It’s important to maintain a good balance between work and personal relationships.

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 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 Hanling, a data scientist that works remotely on machine learning

The thing I like the most about remote work is that I can learn about the market easily (what is popular in the market and what market needs).

Then according to the market, I would be able to improve my skill sets and set a clearer goal for my future career.

Also due to the emergence of remote work, I would be able to utilize some of my fragmented free time to train my skills as well as making some pocket money, which makes me feel fulfilled.

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 Deb, a sales copywriter who transitioned from software development

I like a lot of things about remote work, so yes, I have more to add –

• Being able to work in my pyjamas.
• Being my own boss – very important since I know that my own future is directly commensurate with the efforts I put in. All the more important, since I was laid off my last job because of reasons that were not in my control.
• The freedom of being able to work for multiple clients at the same time. I am constantly challenging myself, because each business is unique and whatever I need to do in a new project might be completely different from the previous one. One week I might be writing an email sequence for an e-commerce shop, the next week I might be writing website copy for a small business.
• Having to learn new skills to keep on top of my game – just being a decent writer is worth nothing if you don’t keep yourself updates. I invest heavily in courses to constantly learn new skills – be it free courses offered by [Hubspot], or paid courses on various aspects of content writing and copywriting.
• Being able to take a holiday from work as and when I want to.
• Having the potential to earn much more than what I did as a salaried employee. For the last 6 months, I have consistently pulled in an average monthly income which is 4 times what I used to earn when I was working in my last 9-to-5.
• Last, but not the least – getting a positive feedback from my clients from my clients and the feel-good factor, when they get in touch with me in a couple of months’ time telling me about the positive results they have got by utilizing the copy I wrote.

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 Stefan, a founder building a location-independent startup

Location freedom! In 2019 I ran my business while on a 3-week vacation to England, Scotland, and the Netherlands. I’ve been able to spend more time with family in my hometown since all I need is my laptop.

It’s been amazing to be able to have total control over my time. This may not be the case for all remote workers since some companies will still have “working hours,” but no matter what, remote work affords at least a bit more time freedom.

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 John, a web developer who works from home

Just about everything, actually.

But specifically, I like the lack of a commute to/from work. I used to enjoy my 15-minute drive to/from the office as I found it a nice way to ramp up or wind down from the day before being with my family.

But the ability to jump on the computer in the evening and knock out an hour or two of work without having to drive to an office to do it far outweighs it.

I like being able to work in whatever clothes I'm comfortable in.

I do a lot of video calls, so I'm rarely just wearing a tank top or anything like that, but I feel most comfortable wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and no shoes. That doesn't always fly when working in an office. Oh, and living in Vegas, any day not having to put on pants is a good day!

I like having access to my kitchen at lunchtime. And there's never a line for lunch or somebody else cooking something stinky in the break room. These were big issues when I used to work in an office. I don't miss that at all!

Plus, I save on the cost of eating out for lunch. I'm also able to better control what I eat this way.

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 Meryl, a digital marketer and master of home office organization

I'm spoiled and want to work in a home office for the rest of my career because it gives my schedule flexibility, the most comfortable dress code, zero commute (no way to start the day or go home with a stressful commute), solitude, opportunities to volunteer at an elementary school during work hours, and a clean kitchen and bathroom.

I also get sick far less often than when I worked in an office, and I don't have to deal with cubicle neighbors holding meetings on speakerphone.

When they did, I turned off my hearing aid. However, I prefer to keep it on! It's also nice to turn it off when it gets too noisy outside.

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.

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Interview with Erin, a virtual assistant with a successful approach to freelancing

I love the physical freedom that remote work gives me. My wife and I are currently working from our home base in New Orleans, but we're headed to Italy and Hungary very soon!

Erin has found freelancing success as a virtual assistant—see her organizational tips & insights into how she picks clients that suit her business.

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Interview with Haley, a VP of Operations shares her stellar remote work strategies

• People: Connection to the best talent in the world. I can’t imagine being able to source such amazing people if we weren’t distributed.

• Time: Getting rid of the commute creates time to learn, think, and nap, all of which drive my productivity. I’m able to apply energy and discipline to the highest leverage activities (vs. figuring out where to park, getting annoyed sitting in traffic, navigating office chit chat when I just want to get something done).

Don’t get me wrong — I love people and enjoy the social aspect of work.

Working remote has allowed me to create much deeper relationships though; fewer surface “hi, hey, and hello's."

We get randomly paired with other people on the team for 30 minutes every other week and get to know people on a totally different level than I have in any office environment.

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.

Read full interview from Interview with Haley, a VP of Operations shares her stellar remote work strategies.