Episode 4: Working Remotely

On this episode of Free Refills we talk about what it’s like to work remotely, the tools we use to manage our work, the challenges and joys of remote work.

00:30:00: Introductions — Will, Me and Chelsea.

00:03:01: Would remote workers want a videoconference version of Lunchclub? Basically you’d get a virtual coffee with relevant people professionally.

00:09:47: What are some of the biggest challenges of being remote?

00:11:31: Chelsea’s challenges. She was in Germany and the time change was a challenge. Living in a different country and not having a team with you can hinder building a community. Now that she’s in San Antonio, adjusted to a new schedule.

00:20:14: The difference between an introvert and extrovert.

00:23:01: Chelsea tried Bumble BFF. Discussion of how you build a community when you’re a remote worker.

00:30:44: Why are some of your closest friends from college?

00:33:42: Andy’s challenges while working remotely.

00:37:42: What drive friendships at work? Are the close bonds formed at work a function of age? i.e. the younger you are, the more likely you are to make close friends at work.

00:42:11: The benefits of working remotely. One of the best things is the freedom of thought and time (Andy).

00:43:42: Being able to travel and have seen 22 different countries. This is not possible without working remotely. Flexibility of working at home can be nice. (Chelsea)

00:46:11: Challenge can be to switch off when there are no boundaries. Flexibility of doing work with meaning vs. an optics and FaceTime culture.

00:49:03: It can be very challenging to live the Digital Nomad culture. Connectivity and finding place to work. Will’s Not Pictured blog post

00:51:37: Some of the tools and practices we use to manage working at a remote culture:

• Basecamp to help us stay organized and run our business.
• BottleCooler — a channel in Bottle for team chats since we don’t use Slack.
• Bottle Hangouts: our team call where we just chat and talk about whatever is on our mind. We don’t chat about work on the Bottle Hangouts.
• Daily automated questions on basecamp ​“New location on earth? When are you working today?” The answers are fun and give some context about our plan for the day.

00:57:47: Instagram for remote teams to help with team bonding.