Can you please introduce yourself?
I am Michael Vachmiel.
What’s your profession, what do you do?
I am an Independent Mixed Media, Multimedia Artist and Assistant Producer. I am also a Massage Therapist.
What company do you work for? Are you a freelancer or Digital Nomad?
The House of Vachmiel is my company. I am a freelancer as well.
How did you start with a remote work journey?
I created my own company selling my aromatherapy products. Then I became a freelance massage therapist. Following those journeys, I explored acting, modeling, and public speaking. I am currently exploring freelance assistant producing.
What do you think are the main benefits of working remotely?
Personal freedom of expression and the raw creativity of remote work can not be understated. When you are not confined in traditional group think methodology, you are able to quickly and professionally respond to challenges. You are able to adapt to situations quickly, such as implementing new technologies, with minimum cost and maximum speed.
Do you think there are disadvantages or that you’re missing something by working remotely?
Disadvantage depends on each individual or career. Fixability of chose may work well for artist, but not so much in where policies and procedure are in place to safeguard business interests. Also, having a core team and a home base for support can be an amazing asset to draw upon.
From what cities or countries have you worked since you have become remote? What are your favourite countries or cities to work from?
Los Angeles is amazing! Dallas and San Antonio are fun! So far my current travels have kept me in the States.
From what type of places do you prefer to work? Home, co-working spaces, coffee shops, or others?
Coffee shops are a goto. Chill vibes, good music, and amazing coffee! I do a surprising amount of work out of restaurants and nightclubs, coordinating events, arranging vendor spaces, making sure events go off without issues.
What places would you like to travel to while working remotely?
I would love to incorporate more artist studios into the professional mix. You get a feel for the passion of a person when they are working on their art in their own space.
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? Share your remote productivity, communication, management, etc. tips based on your experience!
Communication in field is always a challenge. Sometimes the signal is just not there. Understanding the lay of the land is vital. Know where you coffee shops are, they offer free internet for customers. Batteries go out - invest in good car chargers. Cables vanish or break - always have a spare cable and wall charger.
What tools do you use to improve productivity and manage work efficiently?
I learned to split my daily planner and project planner into two different books. Not apps and voice recording apps for meetings are amazing. Google calendar is such a powerful tool.
How do you manage your business and taxes as a remote working professional?
Record your mileage daily. Enter your mileage and receipts weekly. Order your supplies and materials base off a weekly inventory count. Coming up short for production or getting buried in paperwork kills time, your most precious tool in remote working.
What advice would you give to people looking to work remotely?
You have to treat remote work like work or you will fail. It nice to play your music in the background. It great to take your laptop to wine bar and have brunch with clients. Working from the beach in spring is amazing. It is still work with amazing benefits. Cherish that.
Do you work on any side projects?
I am assistant producer to The Vampire Ball and Beauty Pageant in Galveston Texas.
Links to your side projects?
https://galvestonvampirepageant.com
Would you like to share any interesting stories while you worked remotely?
Please share if you can. Public speaking on our projects at Comicpalooza in Houston Texas was an amazing experience. Dressing up as a vampire persona and speaking about subculture and projects we created while surrounded by so many enthusiastic people was amazing.
Another event took me to the Guadalupe River for a music festival where as a massage therapist I had the please of meeting some amazing people.
Michael's Website: https://www.thehousev.com/
Michael's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelvachmiel/
Michael's Twitter: https://twitter.com/VachmielVampire
