Freedom, Flexibility, Success: The Top 5 Skills of Successful Remote Workers
So You Want to Land your Dream Job and Work from Home?
Everyone’s talking about getting a job that allows them the freedom to be a better mother and a better wife, right? We all know that finding a good paying, flexible, work-from-home job is difficult. But what almost no one understands about getting a job that allows them the freedom to be a career woman, a mother and a loving wife is the concept of new media jobs. I’m not talking about selling facial cream or jewelry for a large MLM. Maybe you are and you’re wondering why you’re spending so much time and energy for so little reward.
We’re educated, we’re driven, and we’re managing our household by chopping healthy vegetables for our crock pot in between meetings. We work from our home on a flexible schedule, we start work when our kids get to school and have the flexibility to visit their school on Field Day.
Learning the right way to leverage new media so you can make a living working on your own terms is simple once you’ve got the tools you need at your fingertips. And that can happen even if you are still working full time and just searching for a side hustle or you’re commuting to a high paying job in your local community that currently offers you little flexibility outside of the regular 9 to 5.
A strong team is the foundation of any successful business, whether it’s a global corporation or a small start-up; what you need to know is that businesses of all sizes share the same need for assembling a team of high quality employees that are driven to succeed. But are you driven to grow someone else’s company or your own?
When I started my career in the late ‘90s, hiring remote workers was rare. Today, it’s a smart move being made by multi-national corporations that reduces overhead costs and allows them to improve their reach and maximizing efficiency. Advancements in technology have made working remotely easier and more efficient than any time in history.
According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, as many as 90% of workers in the US alone would prefer to hold a job that allows them to work from home.
What do you need to know to get a high paying, remote job like this?
…And what is the difference between working from home and getting paid by a company versus starting your own online business? Hint: Starting your own business is a lot of work, but the reward is far greater in the long run. But what business will you start?
I’m sharing this story with you because I know there are sooo many amazing women out there who give up every day because they feel like they aren’t getting the results that everyone else is, or in certain situations, no results at all.
I know how defeating that is.
Women, moms, all the hardworking people who desire flexibility to be their own boss. We all have so much potential in this online space, with unbelievable talents and a unique gift to share with one another.
This is for you, because I don’t want you to give up.
If by sharing this story, of being vulnerable in a space that we’re all still new to, sharing the truth behind what it’s really like having worked for a digital agency will provide you the tiniest bit of hope, to keep you going, and not give up on your dreams, then this was worth it.
And for that, I’ll take one for the team.
Who Am I?
I am Kate Murray.
I have been in this business for over 2 decades. TWO DECADES. Sometimes when I’m invited to speak at Career Day for my local high school, I realize that it really has been over 20 years since I graduated from college!
Straight from undergraduate, I worked in corporate marketing for 10 years. And then I worked in agency marketing, for 8 more years. I earned an MBA along the way, and then got married and freelanced when my kids were babies…because at the time, I needed the flexibility to work from home and most large companies were not doing that yet. I had clients of my own, and I did something called “white label” work, which means I built websites and digital marketing plans for clients of Digital Agencies as a 1099 of the Agency. In other words, I did the work, but the client wasn’t really my client. It was the agency’s client. I still do both freelance and client work because I spent so much time building the brands of large corporations (ie: the clients of the agencies that I worked for) that I neglected myself and my own ‘brand’.
Business is my life. Business is my passion. But in 2018, I came to an important crossroads. My kids were being neglected so that I could grow other people’s businesses. I was feeling undervalued and under-appreciated at work. I was working long hours in the office, a half hour commute to and from the office, and my babies who are now 11 and 12 years old, were going to bed feeling sad because I was too tired to give them the attention they needed.
They ate cereal for dinner.
This was absolutely not what I wanted for them, for my husband, or for me. I needed balance. Yoga. Meditation. Healthy food. Children with manners. All of these are important, and yet I was so loyal to my job…but going to work was completely uninspiring.
Motivation is intrinsic. It doesn’t come from a leader, rather it comes from appreciation…I was feeling no appreciation from my work. Can you relate?
And now this.
All these people in the online world showing up and sneezing out a 6-figure income. They started last month and already made $5k. Is that possible? Yes. With stipulations.
Can You Make Money Blogging?
Blogging is not a “get rich quick” scheme. You can “get rich” but let me manage your expectations by saying that it might not be as quick as you think.
Here you are, giving it YOUR ALL and you haven’t achieved that $5k a month milestone yet.
Hang in there.
You cannot start a blog for free and make money. If you need some further explanation on that one, watch this video:
So you invest in your new online blogging business because you know it’s the responsible thing to do. Whether you could afford it or not. Whether it was a Facebook ad, a website, branding, all the online courses you might need to take to gain some education on how this whole system works. You did the responsible thing because you know you wanted the results, and you were willing to do whatever it takes. And still, nothing. Crickets. How can this be?
Hang in there.
You’re showing up, daily. More than daily. You are doing all the things you’re supposed to be. You’re building relationships, you’re communicating, you’re sharing your offer. You have all the social media accounts, the hashtags, the keywords, you’ve even tried to tone it back and focus on 1 or 2 platforms.
Hang in there.
It must be your money mindset you say, so there you go again. Learning, investing, listening, watching, reading, obsessing, trying. Trying. But that’s not working…
I have brushed myself off and opened up my laptop, day after day, not knowing if I will ever be able to build my brand from scratch.
Baby steps.
Day in and day out.
I finally stopped all the noise from getting inside my brain, my inbox, my life.
I started to believe in myself.
It’s not a miracle.
It’s not Forbes worthy.
But it’s the truth.
So I keep going.
Tears. No’s. Crickets.
Still going.
And if you’ve stayed with me this long, I want you to keep going, too. Because it will be worth it. I can assure you that the methodology for generating evergreen leads, setting up your website and automation the right way and delivering digital content in a way that resonates with your nîche is not yet taught in any MBA programs. I know this because I taught courses at a local college. Our colleges and universities train students for the dream of a corner office, but we’re ALL living proof that the dream of a corner office has been replaced with a need for flexibility.
Brush yourself off, and get back out there. You can do it. I believe in you!
Whether you’re starting an online business, thinking of starting one, or looking for a company to work for in a remote capacity, there are certain characteristics that make a candidate more suited for remote work.
Here are 5 Tips for being a Successful Remote Worker (whether you’re working for a corporation or for yourself!)
:
Your previous work experience
If you have already had successful work experience, this can be a huge relief for other professionals. When you have experience working out of your home and you know how to conduct yourself online, in writing, and verbally in front of a video conferencing platform, other professionals can assume it’s likely you’ll hit the ground running. The ability to start producing meaningful deliverables is huge, so if you can show that, you’ll already be a front-runner. Do you Email Marketing Automation effectively for your business? Businesses large and small need to know that you are capable of using more than the free version of Mailchimp. Try something like ConvertKit, it integrates well with a variety of platforms.
Excellent communication skills
You’ve got to be able to show that you can communicate professionally, both orally and in writing. Articulate your point clearly and professionally, and show that you’re approachable and coachable. Job prospects who stand out from the crowd will be able to use email correspondence, phone calls, and video chat on a regular basis as part of their communication repertoire and will be able to effectively express themselves clearly no matter what form of communication they are using.
Technology Proficiency
Today’s successful remote professionals are comfortable using a variety of collaborative software whether it’s for project management, online messaging, a group project organization board like Trello, or a CMS such as HubSpot. If you can quickly learn and navigate various cloud-based applications, it will make you more suited to a remote role than your competition. Do you use Webinars in your business? If not, get accustomed to WebinarJam.
You must be driven
You must be able to function with little supervision. A strong candidate can deliver on a project and thrive in an independent role without requiring constant attention. People who make a lot of mistakes, require a lot of direction, or need excessive feedback can take time away from their supervisor’s other responsibilities. HR managers and other professionals who you might collaborate with see this as a red flag. Whether you’re seeking a job or seeking to collaborate with an influencer, you’ve got to show that you’re motivated.
Always be professional
Remote workers must be brand ambassadors. Be mindful that just because you are at home doesn’t mean you should have kids, pets, or TV sounds in the background of your conversations. Showing up to a meeting in yoga clothes or performing chores while on a conference call are all easy traps that remote workers take for granted. Don’t let this undermine your professionalism. Even though you are working from home in a more relaxed setting, always behave as if you were working in a corporate environment.
A great remote worker will have all the necessary traits listed above, along with confidence and the ability to perform the highest quality work. Do you have what it takes? Share your comments below!
Interested in selling your industry expertise, coaching, or blogging so you can start up your own online business and make money with your blog? Get started with my FREE GUIDE: The Ultimate Guide to Starting (and Finishing) Your First Blog or Website.
Want to join a collaborative of women entrepreneurs who support each other’s online businesses (no matter what industry you’re in)? Join my NEW Private Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/connect.share.grow
