Commuting is more than just a daily grind; it’s a routine that can dominate your life. This morning, my partner’s exasperation at her commute reminded me of my own journey and the options we often overlook. I’ve been navigating the waters of remote work since 2008, and I want to share how this dynamic landscape can drastically improve work-life balance, cut down on childcare costs, and eliminate the exhausting daily commute. Imagine having the freedom to choose how and where you work, allowing for more family time and continuous career growth without the constraints of a traditional 9-to-5 job.
In this premiere episode of the Remote Work Life podcast, I dive into the wealth of opportunities remote work presents. Through my own research and enlightening conversations with CEOs and senior staff from pioneering remote companies, I’ve discovered that many of these businesses are mission-driven and align closely with personal values. These interviews offer invaluable insights into how these companies operate and foster a thriving remote culture. Whether you’re seeking a better work-life balance or looking for a role that aligns with your values, this episode illuminates the myriad possibilities that remote work can offer.
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Speaker 1
0:00
So I'm recording the first episode of the Remote Work Life podcast on a morning where I received a text message from my other half who is complaining about the commute into work, as many of us do. And I've been in London now myself, hence the trouble with commute for a number of years. For a number of years, and in some ways, when you work in a big city, you have to accept that there are going to be issues whether you're driving or you're on the tube, as she was. But obviously I feel for her, having gone through that myself for years. And the Remote Work Life podcast is just to show you that there are different options, there are different ways. Now I myself I still, you know, have the option of commuting or not commuting, and that's what it's about. I mean, I still I appreciate the the network for what it is, that the london transport network for what it is, because it allows me to get from one end of London to another. And within that and over the last few years, I've been working remotely on and off since 2008. And I'm very much still on my journey to a complete remote worker. But it's one of those things I think everybody should be aware of the options that are available to them when it comes to work, and perhaps we've got used to very much a prescribed pathway in terms of our career, in that we're shown jobs and opportunities that mean that we have to travel in the rush hour every day. That's what we're used to, that's what we know. But the Remote Work Life podcast is just my way of showing you that there are other options, and it's all started from me doing research myself because I am in a situation now where I prefer to work remotely. I do also work on site from time to time and I'm happy to do that, but I like the option of 100% remote and the opportunities that it has given me to be there for my family.
Speaker 1
2:28
I respect people who want to commute. It suits some, it doesn't suit others and for me at my time of my life now, or at least for the past few years, it hasn't suited me. So I wanted a way to be there for my kids to be able to take them to school, to be able to pick them up, to be able to not have to fork out so much money on childcare. But I also wanted to continue some continuity with my career. I didn't want to have to be that person who perhaps had a gap on their CV which was perhaps difficult to explain in terms of continuity, in terms of what I enjoy doing in my work.
Speaker 1
3:17
And so I set about doing my own research and I revealed a number of businesses out there, a number of remote businesses out there, and what appealed to me even more is that a number of these businesses are very much mission led and their values are very much out there for all to see and understand, and I love that, because I want to work for a business that is as closely aligned to my own values as possible. I want to work for a business that is on a mission really to help people, to help other people to do something that is helpful and gives other people and other businesses an opportunity to do better themselves. So it was really refreshing for me, and perhaps it was something that is not well known, in the sense that, as I said before, we are taught in many ways a prescribed route, a prescribed pathway in our career path, and there's a different way of doing things, and I wanted to share that way with you. That's the whole reason I started this podcast and I went even a step further. I started to interview a number of prominent figures within these businesses a number of these remote businesses CEOs and really senior members of staff within these businesses, a number of these remote businesses CEOs and really senior members of staff within these businesses to understand them even more, because I think that's an important thing If you're going to work for a business, whether it's remote or not, you have to have an understanding of what they're all about.
Speaker 1
5:05
And I wanted that deeper understanding because I wanted to be sure. And I wanted that deeper understanding because I wanted to be sure and I wanted to understand that I you know, I suppose the research started because I was looking for, essentially looking for a role myself, looking for an opportunity myself. So the questions I asked them were very much in line with the sorts of questions I would ask a prospective client or a prospective employer. But, as I said, I decided to go that step further, go that bit deeper and really create these informational interviews, and I think it's a. I thought why don't I share it with other people? So that if you're the kind of person who wants to spend more time with their family, with their friends, with their loved ones, you have an option to to look at, you know, a values aligned, remote business.
Speaker 1
6:03
If you're this kind of person who doesn't want to be, doesn't want that sedentary lifestyle, you want to travel, you want to see different parts of the world, you can look at a remote work life yourself. If you're the kind of person who perhaps can't access opportunities via, you know, commuting or by the train, if you're limited in terms of the opportunities that are available in your local area, you should have an option, you should have an understanding of what options are available to you. So I wanted to bring that to you. I wanted to bring that to you via this podcast and, as I said, I went a step further. I've put together an event as well, where you can see some of these interviews in full, so you can get an understanding of their thought process when it comes to hiring, when it comes to connecting with people who, who they feel, can work with them. So that's what the remote Work Life podcast is all about. It turned into something which was about me and my work and my opportunities into something that was about helping you to understand what opportunities are available to you.
Speaker 1
7:25
So what I'm going to be doing is bringing you some interviews, some taster interviews anyway, because these interviews are quite long. So I'll bring you snippets of these interviews and do some commentary on those interviews, but I'll also talk to you about the businesses behind the interviews, the people behind the interviews as well. And it's not, as I said, it's not just going to be an entrepreneurial podcast. It's not going to be just a work podcast. It's going to be a podcast about you getting understanding of the options that are available to you if you're looking for more flexibility in your work and in your life. So that's what it's all about. If you've got ideas yourself and if you've got people or things that you want to hear about, let me know and I'll try and implement that in the podcast. I'll try and put that in as part of the podcast as well. But that's it for now from me. Any ideas from you? Just let me know.
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