Let’s Get Face To Face
I’ve worked from home for more than a decade--since long before many of my clients packed up their desks and started living the #wfh life due to COVID-19. Early on in the pandemic, I fielded lots of questions from clients who were new to working from home. How is your workspace set up? Can you recommend a better webcam? And the biggest question of all: How do you work and watch your kids all day? (Answer: I don’t--shout out to my husband, the grandparents, neighbors, and a babysitter.)
My favorite question, hands-down, was this: Why didn’t you tell us working from home was so awesome?
As the pandemic progressed (and continues to be a collective pain in the you-know-what for all of us), I doled out some of my best work from home advice, including things like “you’ll feel much more productive if you don’t work in your pajamas” and “work in a separate room in the house, if possible, for work-life balance” and “beware the temptation to snack all day!”
While I continue to love the flexibility and time savings that come with working from home, I’m eager break free from these four walls and get back to some in-person time with clients and members of my team.
I learned early into working for myself that working from home doesn’t have to mean working alone. Pre-pandemic, I spent a couple days a week attending meetings in-person with clients, enjoying working lunches, and working on my networking skills at industry happy hours.
I also tried to spend at least one day a week with a change of scenery, whether that meant working from a co-working space or holing up at my favorite local coffee shop. A new environment does wonders for boosting the creative process and busting through writer’s block.
Now that some of my clients are heading back to their offices, and others will continue to work from home but are vaccinated and ready to meet up, I can’t wait to give my Zoom app a break and enjoy some face-to-face collaboration.
I’m also eyeing my favorite table at the local coffee shop. Whenever those seats open, I’ll be there, AirPods in, iced tea in hand, and ready for a much-needed change of scenery.
Written by Jen Lyons
