Remote Work: How 3 Indy Women are Transforming Tech From Their Home Offices

REMOTE WORK Q&A: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNEXPECTED

Brechbuhl, Saraceno, and Loyd open up about what it’s like to wake up and “go” to work every day without coworkers, a commute, or an office coffee pot.  

At what point did you launch into working fully remote, and why? 

Loyd: Remote work was not something I saw myself doing. In March 2020, I was working for Project Lead The Way and left on a Thursday to go out of town with friends, and never went back to that office. I started at my current job in 2021.  

Brechbuhl: During the pandemic, like everyone, I was forced to be remote. I have a love/hate relationship with being remote! If I had the option, I would go into a place of work sometimes because I like the interaction. In the big picture, I chose a remote job because there are so many more opportunities as a remote designer. You can work anywhere, at any company, and have access to a wider variety of industries.   

Saraceno: Trello has been a remote company since its inception, so I’ve been fully remote since joining four-and-a-half years ago. Remote work was a huge selling point for the position at Trello. At the time, my wife and I had recently completed foster parent certification and were in the process of being placed with two boys (ages three and five at the time) who needed a home with the plan of eventual adoption. For those unfamiliar with foster parenthood, it involves a ton of appointments and meetings, many of which are last-minute or beyond your control in terms of time or location.  

Working remotely also meant that time otherwise spent in a commute could instead be spent bonding with the boys or doing one of the myriad other parenting things that needed to be done. Ultimately, working from home instead of an office removed a layer of complexity from a stressful family life situation.

What’s it like to work with a team that you’ve never or rarely met? 

Loyd: It is different. My company’s a global team and I’m the only person that works in Indiana. I’ve met my U.S.-based team once. Meeting scheduling is a challenge because people are on different time zones. You sometimes have to take meetings late at night or early in the mornings. We live and die by Slack and we also use Smartsheet (their project management software) to stay on top of projects.  

Brechbuhl: It can be challenging. You have to try to find moments where you can create connections that are not work-related. You have to be very intentional about creating time and space for those connections so you can then build a relationship to do really great, awesome work. I’ve been to Brooklyn once to meet the people I work with. It was really fun to see people in the flesh versus on the screen. 

Saraceno: I’d say “fantastic,” with a side of “challenging at times.” We at Trello are very intentional about how we remotely communicate and interact in both social and work-focused capacities.  

Given Trello’s remote-first culture since the beginning, there are many aspects of our practices that facilitate meaningful relationships, team cohesion, and productive work. Most teams at Trello have weekly remote social sessions, for example. I remember the first remote-centered practice I learned about at Trello was that during meetings, if even one attendee is remote then all attendees must join the meeting remotely to level the communications playing field.  

Prior to the pandemic, teams typically gathered in person at an Atlassian office two or three times per year. This in-person time was also a crucial element to team cohesion. Throughout the height of the pandemic, we really felt the impact from not having this in-person time, as these onsite sessions always brought renewed energy and connection within our teams. Trello did some incredible things to try to make up for this loss, including giving everyone an Oculus and having a huge Trello-wide event where we could interact in VR (along with a VR mini golf tournament!).  

What’s the best part of working remotely?  

Brechbuhl: I like the flexibility it brings with kids and a busy life. I have more time in the mornings and evenings. I find that I can focus better because I have less distractions (although there are home distractions!).  

Saraceno: Functionally speaking, the best part of working remotely is the convenience and flexibility offered by not having a commute or being forced to spend eight hours of your day away from your house — but I always have the option of a coffee shop or coworking space, which is great.  

Culturally speaking, the best part of working remotely is that it is the truest form of bringing your whole self to work. I absolutely love getting a glimpse into colleagues’ home offices, getting a feel for their style and interests, and seeing pets, kids, and spouses walk through the Zoom background. I have a bunch of guitars hanging on the wall behind my desk and often have a cat or dog creeping around my office, so there is always a conversation starter nearby.    

How do you think your career or life would be different if you hadn’t had the opportunity to work remotely? 

Saraceno: Simple: I’d be way more stressed out in both my personal and professional life. Remote work has given me extra flexibility to face the challenges of things like foster parenthood and dealing with remote learning during the pandemic. It also gives me more control over my physical environment, often helping me feel more productive and focused than I otherwise would in an open office. 

Loyd: My life would be a lot more hectic. I would not have the flexibility and freedom to explore the things I want to do. Now, I can go to the gym in the mornings because I work from home. I can run errands and get things done that make my life easier. I can join a Zoom call from my phone anywhere.  

What advice do you have for Indianapolis women exploring remote job opportunities?  

Loyd: If you’ve never gone remote, explore a hybrid model first to see if it’s a fit for you. Be open to the opportunity and be clear about your priorities and responsibilities in your schedule. You need to set a routine and utilize your calendar, and be on top of managing yourself and your time. It’s very easy to get distracted: I find myself in the kitchen a lot!  

Saraceno: I recommend thinking about how you can grow your online presence in a way that demonstrates your aptitude for remote communication and collaboration. You can start small by buffing up your LinkedIn profile and thinking about how a recruiter for a remote position may look at it. Consider writing short blog posts about your area of expertise or creating a portfolio site for yourself on something like SquareSpace or Wix. Demonstrate your aptitude for a strong remote presence before you even apply for a remote position. 

How can you determine if a company is truly supportive and inclusive of remote workers?  

Saraceno: You really have to talk with someone within the company to get a realistic feel for whether or not the company has truly remote-centered practices. A company may claim to be remote-friendly, but you’ll find yourself one of two people dialed into a call with 10 other people in a conference room, unable to hear the asides happening between the main topics of conversation. 

In interviews, I would look for signs that they are proactive and intentional about relationship building and team cohesion, and ultimately that they have a high level of trust in employees to do their best work because of the remote-friendly culture, not in spite of it. 

Brechbuhl: I’d definitely do research on Glassdoor and on the company’s careers page to get the sense of their remote work culture. In interviews, ask about their meeting cadence, their in-person vs. remote breakdown, and what kind of groups the company has for remote workers.