What do you like about remote work?
Interview with Emma, a freelance marketing consultant
There are so many things! Mainly I love the flexibility it affords and the fact that I don’t waste time commuting and can use that time to get more stuff done.
It’s taken me a long time to realise that I’m much more productive in a calm and quiet environment without the distractions of an office.
And if I ever feel like I need some human contact, then the great thing is there are so many co-working spaces or even coffee shops that I can go to now.
Emma is thriving as a freelance marketing consultant—see her tips on managing client demands & making yourself marketable as a freelancer.
Read full interview from Interview with Emma, a freelance marketing consultant.
Interview with Audrey, a military wife thriving as a marketing manager
Where do I even start? Remote work has made me happier, healthier, and more productive than I ever was in an office job (I wrote an in-depth story about this for SWAAY magazine).
But perhaps more than that, I love remote work because it is giving people the ability to better their lives, spend more time with their children and spouse, focus on their health, workout, spend time traveling, and work on their own terms.
It thrives on trust between employer and employee and provides an opportunity for adults to be treated like adults in their jobs where they can be responsible for getting their work done without having a boss literally breathing down their neck.
Personally, it has given me the opportunity to build a career I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to build.
For others on my team at Boldly, it’s given them the ability to help care for their elderly parents, to attend their children’s school plays and baseball games, to volunteer, to live in the country without a terrible commute and to save their vacation time for actual vacations.
Essentially, it allows you to have a career and a life—which, sadly, can be a rarity in this day and age.
Marrying an active-duty army officer sent Audrey on the search for a remote work position—see how she has established her career while staying on the move.
Read full interview from Interview with Audrey, a military wife thriving as a marketing manager .
Interview with Cecilia, a content writer managing her remote career in Dubai
I think it's a fantastic option for many people. It gives us more flexibility and more control of our schedule. It eliminates the commute and creates opportunities for people with disabilities and parents with young children.
It's presented us with more options to work with amazing companies anywhere in the world and develop our creativity in unexpected ways.
However, I don't think it's for everyone. For other people, going to an office works just as well, and that's okay.
Cecilia got her start translating blog posts, and in 2018 she went fully remote. See her tips for managing an international remote work career.
Read full interview from Interview with Cecilia, a content writer managing her remote career in Dubai.
Interview with Mehmet, a nomadic digital maker and entrepreneur
Owning my own time. I absolutely love to be able to shape my own week and days. I often take a yoga break in the middle of the day. I often stay screen-less on Fridays (just pen and notepad). Sometimes I attend to my kids in the middle of the day and work later in the evenings.
We don’t have formal work hours in our company. The only single thing on the calendar everybody is asked to attend is a 5-10 minute daily standup.
We generally do the traditional standup format in a very light and fast format like 5 minutes (under a minute per person if nobody is blocked), and almost always go over the 10-minute mark just because someone opened or drag the conversation to something in their lives.
Mehmet has embraced his remote team leadership style. Hear about his most helpful productivity trick and why he has "quiet" days for his staff.
Read full interview from Interview with Mehmet, a nomadic digital maker and entrepreneur .
Interview with Pola, a Paris-based content writer
When I need silence to focus on a project, especially writing an article that requires research and statistics, I prefer to work alone. Less noise means fewer interruptions.
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.
Read full interview from Interview with Pola, a Paris-based content writer.
Interview with John, an international business writer sharing 15 years of insights
The freedom. I like to travel where I prefer to be at any given time. And I like the flexibility to be able to run errands when necessary. Also, I can pace myself and work when I’m most able to be productive.
Remote work also allows me to reduce my overhead when I need to.
Also, I can keep the pace of life slower and avoid things like commuting, which can be stressful.
For over a decade, John has worked as an international business writer. See his insights on the state of remote work, freelancing, and attracting clients who are the right fit.
Read full interview from Interview with John, an international business writer sharing 15 years of insights.
Interview with Tammy, founder and CEO of Workplaceless
For myself: the freedom and flexibility to work when and where I want.
For the world: remote work provides opportunities that have previously been unavailable to many people due to location restrictions.
Learn how this founder and CEO of a remote work resource and certification program handles the triumphs and trails of location independence.
Read full interview from Interview with Tammy, founder and CEO of Workplaceless.
Interview with Vernon, a freelance technical writer
I love the fact that I command my own time. Now, while this may not work for all remote workers, such as those who do remote customer service, it works in my case. I work by deliverables.
Where, when and how I decide to work on those deliverables is up to me, but as long as I deliver them on time, under budget, to specifications and at high quality then my job is done.
If I decide to take a day off or do not start working until two in the afternoon, then that's completely up to me. Having said that, if I'm feeling particularly industrious or productive, and I decide to put in a 12 hour day or work on the holidays or weekends, then I can do that if I want. And I know that the extra work I put in will be directly rewarded.
I don't have to work in the same place. Once I have Wi-Fi or data I can work almost anywhere I please, in almost any country that I choose. I can wear whatever I want.
I am able to avoid negative aspects of typical work culture like gossip, office politics, nepotism, favoritism, crappy bosses and their respective sycophants.
If I have a client that I find difficult to work with, and every freelancer will have or has had this experience, then I can choose whether or not to continue the relationship at little risk to my income, career or reputation. Of course, this must be done carefully and respectfully, but the point is that I do not have to suffer in a job I hate impotently.
I have total control over my time and methods, and I'm not bound by someone else's arbitrary rules. I make rules that work for me.
Vernon is a freelance software technical writer that uses lists to organize his hectic freelance schedule—see how he maximizes his time throughout the workday.
Read full interview from Interview with Vernon, a freelance technical writer .
Interview with Danielle, an author who found the benefits of coworking
It can be done from anywhere if you're diligent about your time and priorities.
Danielle's remote work journey led her to become an author—see how coworking with other remote workers and digital tools have helped her to fulfill her passion.
Read full interview from Interview with Danielle, an author who found the benefits of coworking.
Interview with Lauren, a content marketing team lead and hybrid remote worker
Freedom! My family lives in St. Louis, so a lot of times I’m WFH Friday when I’m taking the train to see them and it gives me more time and flexibility. I don’t have to turn down plans and I can visit home on the spur of the moment.
I also love that I can work remote with people! A lot of my friends work remote, so if I'm ever feeling the itch to see other people, I can call them up and we can meet at a coffee shop. It gives the same sense of being social like the office does without having to go into the office.
For Lauren, remote work was a non-negotiable arrangement—see how she manages a hybrid remote work situation and her tips for those on the remote job search.
Read full interview from Interview with Lauren, a content marketing team lead and hybrid remote worker.