Key Highlights
- Ali Greene is co-authoring a book on remote work.
- Ali Greene loves to go to some off the beaten path places like the Faroe Islands, or smaller towns and rural communities looking to build an international remote work community.
- Ali Greene has shared her thoughts on productivity, ability, and social connections while working remotely.
Ali Greene has shared her remote working experience with us.
What’s your profession, what do you do?
Co-Founder // Co- Author of Remote Works Book and Workshops
What company do you work for? Are you a freelancer or Digital Nomad?
I am currently co-authoring a book on remote work for the everyday manager. I was a Digital Nomad for over four years and decided to move to Spain during the pandemic as travel restrictions was making that lifestyle more challenging.
How did you start with a remote work journey?
I am originally from a suburb outside of Detroit, MI, and have always had nomadic tendencies, unintentionally. I lived in eight cities in three different countries before I even knew what being a Digital Nomad was all about.
Some of my early wanderlust occurred while growing up, but as an adult, the amount of time and money I spent buying IKEA furniture only to sell it a year later and repeating the process in a new place, was probably an early warning sign to leave the conventional idea of a home behind. To make this lifestyle work for me long-term, I was able after some time consulting, find a fully remote full-time job: Director of People Operations at DuckDuckGo.
Not only did the mission speak to me, but after learning that the company was “remote first,” and that my co-workers lived all around the world, I knew this was a special opportunity. I worked there for just over four years before launching my own remote business.
What do you think are the main benefits of working remotely?
I always believed work should be about what you can do, not how many hours you sit behind a desk.
The benefits of working remotely are vast:
- flexibility of schedules.
- creating work environments where you and your team each uniquely feel most productive.
- finding the best talent around the world for your company.
- creating a more inclusive work environment for those with disabilities or personal circumstances that may make commuting to an office challenging are just the tip of the remote work ice-berg.
Discover Remote Jobs and Get Hired Today To Work Remotely
Do you think there are disadvantages or that you’re missing something by working remotely?
No. If you are doing remote right you are only offering freedom, flexibility and choice to each and every team-member. Things we hear about like lack of culture, miscommunication, and isolation can easily be defeated by an intentional approach to remote work strategy that leaders can implement in their business.
From what cities or countries have you worked since you have become remote? What are your favourite countries or cities to work from?
Too many cities and countries to name. I think I have been to over 40 countries at this point. My favorites are Javea, Spain and Mexico City.
From what type of places do you prefer to work? Home, co-working spaces, coffee shops or others?
Coffee shops and anywhere with a good view and friends for coffee breaks! Home for video calls and presentations.
What places would you like to travel to while working remotely?
I would love to go to some off the beaten path places like the Faroe Islands, or smaller towns and rural communities looking to build an international remote work community. This summer I am co-organizing a retreat in a spot like that in Normandy, France.
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? Share your remote productivity, communication, management, etc. tips based on your experience!
My favorite productivity "hack" is One Spot, One Goal: https://ali-greene.medium.com/one-spot-one-goal-my-remote-productivity-hack-58ef09715aa9
What tools you use to improve productivity and manage work efficiently?
- Energy tracking.
- Expectation setting.
- Concepts over tools always.
- Tools: Asana, Slack, Google Docs, WhatsApp
What advice would you give to people looking to work remotely?
Self-awareness is everything! There are many drawbacks to choosing this as an alternative way of working and living. To be successful, you have to know yourself to know if remote work is for you.
Think about:
- Productivity: Do you know what environments you need to do your best work? What time of day are you most productive? Have you been able to successfully motivate yourself to work on your own? Do you work better with routine? Can you create a remote routine that works for you?
- Ability: Do you have the right tools to communicate with peers, clients, and stakeholders? Does your job involve creating physical things or spending time in physical places?
- Connection: How important are the social connections to you at work? Do you like to be head down in your work or rather inspired by other individuals? How do you seek out meaningful connections?
If you can’t answer or at least haven’t yet asked yourself some of those questions, maybe you need to spend time on self-exploration before packing your bags and exploring the world!
Website: www.remoteworksbook.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greeneali/
Keywords: remote work success stories, live remotely, tips working remotely, work from home tips, working from home tips for success, wfh tips, work from home productivity tips
