Kathryn E Strachan is managing director and owner of the award-winning B2B content marketing agency, Copy House.
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I recently returned from a year-long vacation in South America with my husband and daughter. We wanted to travel as a family before my daughter began school. I also hoped I could show my team I was serious about their freedom to work from anywhere, too.
Working remotely—especially as the founder and managing director of a budding startup—felt impossible at times, but it also had high points. Here are 10 things I learned from running my business on the road:
Overcommunication is key.
You lose the capacity to easily keep tabs on the little things when you don’t have a workplace—particularly day-to-day logistics, like where a specific file is stored, who’s taking the day off and how your team is feeling. That’s why overcommunication is essential, especially keeping project conversations in shared channels so nothing’s siloed away.
Don’t get caught up in meeting culture.
At the same time, don’t let your internal communications come at the cost of productivity. My team and I found that meetings were becoming longer and more frequent, and we were working more hours to actually carry out what we’d discussed. We’ve since cut down on unnecessary catch-ups and ensure calls last no longer than 15 or 45 minutes, so we can get more done during the day.
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Build a team you trust.
Working from another continent meant I couldn’t be the face of my company as much as I liked. Equally, I always had a large hand in delivering client projects in the early days of Copy House. But as my agency grew, I had to step back and trust the amazing writers I’d hired to do the job for me.
It was a real leap of faith, but I found that my team thrived with the autonomy and blew my clients’ expectations out of the water time and again. It doesn’t come easily, but having the right people around you is invaluable.
Time zones can be cruel and kind.
With most of my staff either living in or traveling across Europe, I was consistently the farthest away. While they were all scheduling weekly 10 a.m. meetings, I had to start my workday at 5 a.m. just to keep up.
I slowly embraced early mornings, both as a way to get work done without distractions and as a way to free up afternoons for my family. I also learned my limits of working while being sleep-deprived. In fact, they’re still lessons I use today, now that I’m back in one place.
Create a work-life balance.
Remote work didn’t create my always-on mentality, but it did heighten it. Marketing can sometimes feel so fast-paced, and I had always struggled with achieving a healthy work-life balance.
However, traveling and spending time with family helped me understand what’s important in life. It was a struggle at first, but I gained a better sense of my working priorities, delaying what wasn’t vital and seeing my daughter grow up instead (and surpassing me in Spanish).
Find yourself.
As entrepreneurs, it’s so easy to get consumed by work and forget why we do it. Ironically, seeing more people and places gave me a better sense of myself. The time away helped me build healthier barriers with my work self and discover new interests, perspectives and values. I think this experience is vital for all entrepreneurs as it can help us stay grounded and navigate our relationships with employees and clients more effectively.
Make in-person meetings a special occasion.
Remote work has so many benefits, but I felt it came at the cost of spontaneity. FaceTime and Zoom helped me touch base with my team, but there’s something so special now about seeing them all in person. Catching up over dinner and drinks has become an unexpected novelty and has helped create a team-building spirit whenever we have events together.
Build strong relationships with people you don’t see all the time.
I knew that my travels would strain some of my relationships, so I made an effort to reach out and stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues. Agency life is rocky at the best of times, but working remotely came with new pressures. Keeping those connections alive meant I could call on their advice when I needed it most and return the favor.
Find what works for your business remotely and in person.
Over time, I’ve realized that a hybrid approach to running my business is the best option. Remote working allowed me to attract talent from across the globe and give my staff a flexible schedule that works for them. That being said, attending client meetings and delivering workshops in person brings a new vibe that you just can’t replace.
I’m keen for my staff to feel the same, so I’ve learned to get out of my own way and create new opportunities for them to dazzle our clients.
Setbacks will happen.
Unlike past vacations where I could be more laid back, I knew I had to plan ahead and find working environments I could rely on. The same was true for the time with my family since we had to structure our hiking and beach trips for times when I didn’t need to be online.
Of course, it’s never perfect. I’ve lost count of the number of times where the only place with a stable Wi-Fi connection was a noisy bar or when my video feed dropped during an important industry event. Although it took time to find a rhythm, in the end, I learned to adapt and delegate key tasks to my fantastic team.
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Author: Kathryn Strachan, Forbes Councils Member
