Having the ability work from anywhere is a HUGE benefit of being a copywriter. For many of us, that means we can visit and spend more time with loved ones.
And that’s a huge perk—we love our friends and family! It’s 100% doable to work from their homes. But working remote from family and friends’ homes is a very different experience than working from pretty much anywhere else.
If you think you’ll get the same amount of work done, or the same type of work done: surprise! That’s not realistic. Even if you tell friends and family—and they know you’re working—hiccups are inevitable.
On this episode, Nicki and Kate are getting realistic about what to expect—and what you can do—when working around friends and family. Going into this environment with this knowledge is half the battle for maximizing success and minimizing frustration.
TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[02:15] I If you’re freelance, certainly you have the ability to work from different places and that kind of lends itself to visiting loved ones more often. We would like to help you avoid making this mistake thinking that you’ll be able to get the same amount of work and the same type of work done.
[04:31] One of the first tips when it comes to working remotely from a loved one’s house is to really not take on as much work during that time period that you’re visiting as you normally would.
[05:16] You don’t wanna be so pressured to get things done so to add to that pressure by putting the stress on yourself to deliver things like you normally would, it’s just unrealistic. And you’re setting yourself up for not the best at home visitation.
[07:35] You can have a blur on your background so that people can go about their day and not feel like they’re disrupting you. But noise will happen. Save your important meetings for another time.
[09:28] When I break for lunch, that lunch might take a little longer than expected. And I think that’s okay to remember that we do this to have a work life balance.
[10:26] I think when possible too, travel as much as you can take time off. But again, build it into your rates so that you do feel comfortable knowing that okay, I’ve built this into my project rates.
[10:50] How much money I wanna make each month roughly on average. You’ve done that math so that you can take 3, 4, 5, whatever number of weeks off that you’ve kind of accounted for.
[12:02] There are also workarounds if you absolutely have to get things done. Make sure there’s a place you can go. The Starbucks; a library near there; if you prefer more silence versus coffee and coffee shop environment, that’s always an option as well.
[13:03] Adjusting your schedule also in terms of when is your peak creative time? My early hours are my best time, I might have to figure out a way to carve some of that out at my parents’ house.
[14:56] The last little point is just make sure that you have a go-to kit of what you will use, what you need to have with you when you travel.
[15:19] You can just grab your travel kit. Things that you might need, earbuds or headphones, chargers for your computer, chargers for your phone, chargers for if you use a tablet or something, chargers, earphones or earbuds or whatever you use.
[17:04] Before you’re starting to travel and you’re making these plans, just have a conversation with whoever you’re staying with, friend, family member. Just setting some expectations to begin with and then not being afraid to remind people of that.
[18:46] We also can spend quality time together and maybe just work it out in advance so that you go in with a plan and then you don’t have to let resentment build or get stressed out.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“It’s not the same as working from your house. even if you tell your parents and friends, even if you carefully explain that when I’m on my computer, I am working. Things just don’t go as plan. ” – Nicki
“If you’re traveling around the holidays, just give yourself a little more buffer than you normally would.” – Kate
“Put yourself in your loved one’s shoes too. Maybe not realistic to make the entire household be silent, is not a great plan to begin with.” – Nicki
“Is it derailing the work that I need to get done? But what’s ultimately more important in our lives? Am I gonna remember the project that I was supposed to be working on when I’m 80 years old in a rocking tree? or am I gonna remember kind of quality time spent with friends and family?” – Kate
“I think that this is part of why we do this to be flexible so if we have the opportunity to focus on our loved ones instead of work, let’s take that. Build that into your schedule” – Nicki
” We should be using these opportunities to go spend time with our families. None of us are gonna be around forever. Our career is flexible and we should be taking advantage of that to spend more time with people we love.” – Nicki
Mentioned on This Episode
Related Links
- Is it Really Possible for Copywriters to Work Entirely Remotely?
- 7 Tips to Living the Digital Nomad Lifestyle as a Copywriter
- How Can I Work Remotely from Anywhere in the World?
Get an *Exclusive* Bonus Recording!
Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it!
Get all the details on how to get your recording here »
About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
