I am lucky to work for a small business that helps other small businesses. It’s an incredibly caring approach to serving our clients: A team of creative, driven marketing, editorial, and digital pros pool our thoughts and ideas and research to deliver our best efforts to each entrepreneur, local business, and growing firm we work with.
And the part I consider extremely impressive is that a majority of it is done remotely. We are a working example of how many start-ups and small businesses aim to operate today, for whatever predominant reason—to save on overhead, to attract the best talent from across the country (or world), to diversify geographically.
Here’s my personal situation: I work from my (newly purchased) home in my (newly moved to) small town in New Jersey. The closest thing I have to a physical coworker is my (emphasis here on the NEW) baby. In case it’s not clear, the whole arrangement is new—including my status as a writer with The Found Gen. In my “old” life, I worked for a luxury lifestyle magazine based in Manhattan, which I commuted to via subway from my third-floor, walk-up apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone. I worked late more than occasionally, and I spent more money than I should have on fancy bourbon cocktails and sweltery yoga classes. (Though I really miss those cocktails.)
Now I commute up to the finished attic of my home, which gets great light (the former owner was a lighting designer who worked on Broadway) and has an abundance of playthings for my tiny companion, who is most helpful when he’s napping. I’ve always done some freelance editing and writing in addition to my day job, so I was used to the idea of working remotely. The best thing about creativity for me, when it comes to language and words, is that my freshest thoughts happen when I’m away from the computer—when I’m giving the baby his bath, or stealing away for a stroll through my new local park (though this one is also designed by Olmsted), or holding him for a nap on those days when he needs a little help powering down. Just turning phrases over in my mind, or contemplating the direction of my next blog post…
At the end of the day, work is work: You, in some place, amid some amount of distraction, sit down to commit time to producing something. I think The Found Gen is proof that the virtual office can yield outstanding results. And, in my case at least, it allows one very happy (new) mom to spend more time enjoying her baby and less time going to and from anywhere else.