I was never that person sitting at my desk staring at the clock waiting for it to strike 5 pm. Instead, I was sometimes the only sales rep in the office staying late; wishing I had just worked from home so I could keep going!

Thankfully my sales experience in Corporate America was very flexible as I set my own appointments with prospects & clients. Sometimes I miss the balance of also having an office and colleagues to talk to throughout the day, but I suppose I’ll just have to work towards opening a SG headquarters 😉 Now that I work for myself, I have all the freedom in the world- literally, I’m working everywhere I travel.

Always remember the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.  It you’re thinking this is the work environment for you, make sure you know the pros & cons first!

Pros:

• Flexibility to make your own schedule & work from anywhere in the world.
• Working in cafes is a great networking opportunity! Other entrepreneurs are hustling at cafes eager to meet other connections too!
• No overhead cost for office. Depending on where you live, you can write your rent off in taxes (Yas!)
• No time/money wasted on commuting.
• You don’t have to get dressed up- hell, you can even put on a face mask and just dive in to work!

Cons:

• Internet issues- Biggest pain of my life!
• Some days I just get SO distracted!…Then I get anxiety for not getting my ish done. Vicious cycle.
• Some cafes are too crowded and or loud.
• Lack of social interaction with colleagues. (There are days I don’t even leave the house)
• You have to buy your own office supplies (ink is expensive)
• No IT team to help with technical issues (oh how I miss them.)

When you work for yourself, you obviously get what you put in. So those internet issues and distractions I mentioned can be detrimental to your bank account. Time management skills need to be 100% ! It’s been a learning curve for me, but here’s whats working for me at the moment.

• Schedule your week with Focus, Field, and Shoot days:
  • Field days- Stack all your meetings on the same day. I find this method best because you have allotted time for each meeting, you’re in the networking mindset all day, and you only use one outfit.
  • Focus days- Days that are spent catching up on emails, planning, reaching out to new leads etc. These are the days I don’t usually leave the house.
  • Shoot days- Pretty self explanatory… these are the days I shoot content. Typically spend the morning with a face mask on as I lay out each outfit/accessory. I usually start my shoots around noon so I don’t look too tired (unless it’s a crowded touristy spot & I don’t want people in it!)
• Wake up early. I set my daily alarm for 7:30 (when I travel it varies due to time differences)
• Have a To Do list! I separate mine between work, personal, and items I’m pending from others. For bigger projects I use a task management template on excel which gives a granule breakdown of steps needed to complete the project task and date due .
• Color coordinated Calendar. I outline personal events, travels, campaign deadlines, and events.
• Gym session- This has been a struggle for me because there are days I just get right to emails, then next thing I know its 4 pm. So now I am trying to go once I wake or around 6pm. When traveling I do this work out during our down time.
• I can’t concentrate at home if it’s messy. Drives me crazy! So I tidy up each night before bed.