Jessica Armstong Shares Her Thoughts On Remote Work, Productivity, & Life!

Jessica Armstong Shares Her Ideas On Distant Work, Productiveness, & Life!

That is an interview about distant work with Jessica Armstrong, a advertising and partnerships affiliate at TeamUp. Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica!

Why did you begin working remotely and the way do you examine it to your earlier work experiences?

My first distant work expertise started in March 2020, one week earlier than the pandemic was declared in Spain. I had been beforehand working for 4 years for a journey start-up in an workplace surroundings in Sevilla once I jumped on the alternative to transition corporations to be a freelancer for a brand new journey firm to take my profession additional overseas.

Sadly, with the pandemic, my do business from home life did the truth is flip into solely working from dwelling, nonetheless, I shortly discovered this to be a very good factor. After working with that firm for six months, I started working for TeamUp, health administration software program and have simply celebrated my one yr anniversary with the distant firm.

Having labored in a number of completely different settings from motels, to an workplace, to my now at-home workplace spare bed room, listed here are my greatest private takeaways:

• I’m rather more targeted at dwelling. As a social particular person, I didn’t understand how a lot the thrilling hustle and bustle surroundings distracted me. Whereas I don’t consider this took away from the job at hand, I do consider that my deal with getting all the way down to it and focus in addition to time administration have drastically improved.
• I additionally benefit from the flexibility of distant work. Since becoming a member of TeamUp, I’ve labored from my home, my household dwelling in California, a beachfront rental in Hawaii, a resort in Portugal, an Airbnb in Southern Spain, and look ahead to the place I’ll go subsequent. This was one thing I deeply craved, to have the ability to work from the consolation of any which vacation spot, and I’m utilising the flexibleness to pack up and discover to the very best of my talents.
• My morale and psychological well being have more and more improved. At TeamUp, whereas we don’t work head to head, our firm goes out of its approach to make our staff really feel part of the neighborhood. Now we have digital meetups, we’re collaborative, and so they assist us in different distant work actions as effectively together with our personal health journeys. The truth that a health enterprise encourages their staff to train and invests in our bodily and psychological wellbeing shouldn’t be a shock, nevertheless it additionally isn’t the norm, and it is without doubt one of the issues I recognize most about being their worker.
• I really feel extra worth in my work and the trouble I put into succeeding. Accountability is big for me and additionally it is important when working for a distant firm. The truth that I don’t have somebody monitoring the whole lot I do but has expectations of me relieves a lot strain for me to really focus and focus on delivering a product and venture each I and my group might be pleased with.

What’s your background and what do you do for work?

At present, I’m the advertising and partnerships affiliate at TeamUp, health administration software program. My duties embody the whole lot from PR and social media, to weblog and content material curation and distribution. I focus predominantly on serving to health enterprise homeowners discover ways to greatest run their companies, with the assistance of our software program and sources. I additionally visitor write for different health blogs and web sites to convey publicity to TeamUp and our clientele.

What are a very powerful digital instruments that your organization makes use of?

As a distant firm, we use a plethora of instruments and options to speak effectively and collaborate, together with Notion, Slack, and Basecamp. Having used Slack previously, I’ve discovered it really works nice for group conferences and messaging, whereas Basecamp and Notion have been elementary in collaborating and dealing on tasks, content material, and distribution, in addition to process and venture administration.

What are your favourite and least favourite issues about distant work?

My favourite factor about distant work as talked about above is the flexibleness. I like my routine, and saving a lot time by working from dwelling has really inspired me to go away the home extra and reap the benefits of the mornings, afternoons, and even lengthy lunches to get out, discover, and do issues outdoors of labor. All of which contribute to my total psychological well being and perspective I convey to work each day.

My least favourite factor must be the occasional moments of isolation and loneliness. It’s a little bit of a shock to go from a busy workplace surroundings to your self in your own home, however I take that and switch it into focus and focus, leaving social hours for when I’m accomplished and might benefit from the disconnect.

What are a few of your greatest current enterprise learnings that different individuals can be taught from?

Clear communication, accountability, and consistency are key. This isn’t essentially a current takeaway however I believe it is without doubt one of the most necessary. It’s really easy to fall right into a lazy sample particularly when working from dwelling or to be distracted with issues akin to laundry, cooking, turning on the TV within the background, however attempt to keep away from doing this stuff throughout your work time. Or alternatively, if you wish to do this stuff to interrupt up the day, plan the time you’ll take a break or give your self duties to finish and reward your self by taking a break to be productive in different areas. If you happen to can keep away from breaking your productiveness and circulation, I’d at all times advise in opposition to it.

My greatest piece of recommendation every time anybody asks me methods to develop of their profession and get forward, is to community. It’s not utilized sufficient early on particularly with the quantity of on-line instruments and communication we now have. Individuals both go the route of over-using or under-using social media moderately than studying methods to greatest use it each personally and professionally. Networking is without doubt one of the positives social media presents and there’s no one stopping you from benefiting from entry to a few of the most profitable leaders in enterprise. They need you to achieve success too.

Who’re your favourite thought leaders in your discipline (that different individuals can be taught from)?

Shola Richards has a superb TedTalk on Ubuntu: the one phrase to vary how you’re employed, reside, and lead. His focus is on constructing and sustaining a greater office surroundings. He has been very influential in how I’m as a colleague, good friend, and associate, in addition to how I reside my life outdoors of the workplace and I like to recommend everybody to take a look at his speak, here.

What are your greatest recommendations on maximizing productiveness?

Construct a routine, construct a routine, construct a routine. I can’t say it sufficient, nevertheless it makes life and productiveness go a lot smoother. And when one routine doesn’t work out have a backup. I like my early morning exercises however I additionally love sleeping in once I can, so having a routine doesn’t should be strict, however I get pleasure from going into my day understanding what’s forward and leaving time to see what comes up and alongside. I additionally love utilizing organisational instruments for my venture and time administration akin to Notion and Basecamp. They’re wonderful instruments for distant companies.

What small change has made a giant distinction in your life?

The pandemic has put a variety of issues into perspective for me. I might be fairly a ‘sure’ particular person, however studying methods to say ‘no’ when wanted and applicable has given me a variety of time to deal with myself, develop, and enhance in areas of my life that make me a greater particular person as a result of I took time for myself.

What’s the very best buy you’ve made underneath $100 within the final 12 months?

My greatest buy underneath $100 within the final yr I’d need to say can be my new fan (Sevilla will get scorching in the summertime). My greatest buy over $100 is unquestionably my standing desk.

What software program or app that you just pay for has added probably the most worth to your life?

Psychological well being is essential to me and with the previous yr particularly I’ve discovered a number of apps to offer an important ordeal of consolation and calm to my life together with Calm and I Am for meditation and affirmation. I additionally love Spotify for podcasts and music, and I’m the current proprietor of an Apple Watch which has been nice at holding me motivated in my health journey.

How can individuals be taught extra about you and your work?

I’ve discovered Linkedin to be such an important community and useful resource for each staff and employers and undoubtedly utilise Linkedin to showcase my advertising content material, articles, and interviews. All of which might be discovered on my Linkedin page.

You’ll be able to keep updated with all my health enterprise content material on TeamUp, https://goteamup.com/resources the place we publish as much as 5 blogs weekly.