What do you like about remote work?
Interview with Artur, an engineer who found purpose as an Intrapreneur
In the beginning, I was enticed by travel, but what I love the most is how democratic it is.
I can be a kid from Nowhere, Poland and have the chance of working with the smartest people in the world. I can chat with our CEO, Matt Mullenweg, who wrote software that runs over 30% of all internet websites. I can also work on a product used by millions of people all over the globe.
Yet—and here is the kicker— I did not have to leave my hometown to do that! I can hang out with my grandpa or old friends. I can visit my mom and invite childhood friends for a party.
If office jobs were remote by default places like San Francisco, London, or New York would not have such a horrible housing crisis. Remote work would allow the charming neighborhoods of Lisbon or Brooklyn not to be taken over by the more affluent, and it would also result in the prevention of pollution since there would be fewer commuters.
If more people started getting well-paid remote jobs and started spending this money in small towns within Kentucky, Idaho or Ukraine, it would be intriguing to see how it would change these communities.
This is the future of remote work that gets me excited, and I started Deliberate and Remote to help this happen. I want to help people get hired remotely, make deliberate life choices, and stop running on autopilot.
Artur realized entrepreneurship wasn't for him—see how he carves out his creativity and purpose as a remote Intrapreneur at Automattic.
Read full interview from Interview with Artur, an engineer who found purpose as an Intrapreneur.
Interview with Ascencia, a content marketer, and avid gig economy professional
I like all things about remote work. And I see no reason why everyone wouldn’t do it. Once you work remotely, you wouldn’t want to go back (at least for me).
I LOVE the ability to work from anywhere.
Because that means I could travel while I work. This year, I’ve lived outside my house for two months. One month in Yogyakarta (a city in Indonesia) and another in Bangkok, Thailand. And take breaks (read: sleep) whenever I need it, as long as the work is done.
Economically, it’s cheaper than traditional office work. No commuting required! Especially if you live in Jakarta, the city with the worst traffic, that means A LOT.
The ability to work internationally without leaving the comfort of your home country, and being friends with people from around the world, understanding their culture, and opening doors to new possibilities are awesome.
Since I’m an introvert, I’m not a big fan of confrontations and office drama. Working remotely lessens these to a minimum, so I could focus on the important things, like results and productivity.
More free time = more time to do the important things and spend time with the people dearest to you.
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.
Interview with Nathan and Connor, owners of Freeeup
We both love the freedom that it allows. With our first business, we had an office with a staff that we went into every day. While it had its perks, we both really love the independence of working from home, communicating online, and being able to work from anywhere we go.
We also love that we’re not limited to whom we can hire.
With the rapid growth of the freelance economy all over the world, we can tap into talent from all over the world. It’s allowed us to meet some really amazing people and build a completely remote company. We wouldn’t have been able to do that without remote work.
Thinking of creating your own remote startup? See how Nathan and Connor built a successful and effective remote team from scratch.
Read full interview from Interview with Nathan and Connor, owners of Freeeup.
Interview with Maggie, a senior product manager at HubSpot
I feel like I can manage my work around my life. I love that I can be available to my kids by dropping them to school and picking them up.
I never imagined being able to live in a smaller town while maintaining my career goals.
I get to work for an amazing company and also have the lifestyle I want. It’s a win, win, plus I’m far more productive.
Remote work allows Maggie to live in a small town and excel in her career. Hear about how she stays professionally connected, and her essential career advice for remote workers.
Read full interview from Interview with Maggie, a senior product manager at HubSpot.
Interview with Chanell, a freelance writer and social media manager
I love the freedom. It allows me to have the time to walk my dog, go to the gym, visit with a friend, or go on a vacation without the need to ask permission. I have always been excellent at self-management, so having the freedom to manage my whole schedule is excellent for me.
I also enjoy the fact that I get to work on a lot of different projects, and learn a lot about a variety of topics. This part of it helps me to never become bored with what I do.
I genuinely feel that I have the opportunity to work at my own pace, and which is honestly one of the best feelings.
Chanell is a freelance writer working from Atlanta that writes about business management tips and video game entertainment threads.
Read full interview from Interview with Chanell, a freelance writer and social media manager.
Interview with Ben, a web developer who freelances from home
For me, I've always disliked the office environment. I've made friends over the year with some of the in-house developers at clients I work with, and they always seem to be operating in an environment that's counter to one where you could get work done. Constant walk-up interruptions, having to work in the same space as Marketing or CSR departments, or in one case, in a warehouse. So, the freedom to work when and where I choose is a huge thing. It means if I want to work at 3AM because I'm actually productive, I can.
I love having control over the hardware I use. Too many companies under-supply developers, or lock them down to secure things. The fact that my 6 year old desktop is more capable a development machine than one of my friends 2 year old company supplied laptop is a testament to how valuable that is. Having to work with company developers and watch them struggle with systems that make them submit requests to be able to use updated versions of common tools, I'm glad I have 100% control over my system.
Since I work from home, my lunch is 10' away, my bathroom is 3', and I can walk in the grass whenever I want. I can work while travelling. I don't do it often, but the ability to put money in my pocket in between shows at a music festival is awesome.
Learn the tips and tricks Ben uses to stay productive while working remotely on a hybrid team
Read full interview from Interview with Ben, a web developer who freelances from home.
Interview with Jake, a customer success manager for Atlassian
The freedom and quality of life it allows. The lack of commute. The ability to see family more often. The ability to live where I want, not just where my job is. Also, the opportunity to create my own office space vibe.
Jake was burned out on the San Francisco lifestyle—see how he transitioned from working in-office to working remotely for a remote-friendly company.
Read full interview from Interview with Jake, a customer success manager for Atlassian.
Interview with Molood, a CEO who shares how minimalism has improved her remote work experience
Two words: Freedom and dignity.
No beautiful office in the world can offer the deep sense of content regarding the freedom one gets to have over a part of their life that they spend about one-third of every day on.
A fraction of the investment that goes into designing a beautiful office could create secure infrastructure and provide the tools and education to empower employees to have the freedom to work from anywhere they are most productive, while also giving them the dignity to integrate their work and life instead of constantly trying to find a balance between the two.
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.
Read full interview from Interview with Molood, a CEO who shares how minimalism has improved her remote work experience.
Interview with Jenna, a freelance writer who works remotely to help manage her health
The freedom, definitely. Some of that is from freelancing and not just working remotely, but definitely there’s more freedom in working remotely.
Like having more control over my work space and not dealing with constant interruptions.
Working in an office was a lot of sensory overload for me, between all the noises, random smells, fluorescent lights, uncomfortable furniture and clothes, and so on. I also didn’t feel like I had much control over how I spent my time, whereas now it’s a lot more flexible.
Overall, I really like how working remotely gives me the ability to design my workday however I like, and to suit my needs/lifestyle. I don’t think I could ever go back to a traditional office.
Jenna started working remotely after realizing her office job was causing health problems—now she works as a freelance writer and writes about self-improvement
Read full interview from Interview with Jenna, a freelance writer who works remotely to help manage her health.
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.
Read full interview from Interview with Henry, a consultant who found remote work by saying No.