JustRemote
Sarah Harrison
Marketing
Remote since 2012
When did you start remote working?
May 2012
What did you do before you worked remotely?
I worked for 13 years in office-based marketing and communications roles across Australia and in the UK.
What do you do now to support yourself financially?
I'm a location-independent Content Consultant, UX Writer and blogger/influencer; I help businesses improve their content and communications throughout the customer journey, while sharing where to eat, work and live life well through my blog.
How did you transition to become a remote worker?
I left my day job, started my business and discovered how productive, beneficial and healthy remote working can be.
What's a typical day in your life now?
There’s no such thing! If I’m on an agile project with a client, it’s head down for several months to get the job done and meet multiple, often-pressing deadlines. In between big projects, it’s pure freelance which means I’ll often start work at 11am, finish at midnight(I’m a night owl), and try to squeeze in meals, fitness, time with friends and events for the blog in between. Every day is different but I’ve found this to be a very balanced way of living and often don't need to take weekends, instead making time for rest when I need it.
What's the thing you enjoy most about being location independent and working remotely?
The flexibility to work wherever you feel your most productive and engaged; it's an incredibly sustainable and empowering way of working and living.
What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Working on content with globally-minded and forward-thinking organisations while developing a new side project designed to offer inspiration and support to solopreneurs, remote workers and freelancers. I'm excited to see (and shape) how future ways of working are adopted and supported by individuals and businesses with the help of sites like JustRemote; we've come a long way since 2012 but we’ve still a long way to go…
What is the one thing you would advise to anyone looking to take great control of their work life?
Work out how you want your life to look, and why, and then build something around that (I call it Life By Design). I needed to change my work life in 2012 because the strict 8.30-5 traditional office hours were no longer viable with my chronic insomnia. Now, I’m able to sustainably work hard anywhere, anytime, and deliver value and results to the corporate world that I know and understand, in a consultative, constructive way. It's about finding your passion and being driven to truly make life work for you.