Navigating the Digital Nomad Life
What it truly means to work remotely
- by Devon Older -
What it truly means to work remotely - by Devon Older -
In January 2020, I quit my 9-5 city PR job and booked a one-way flight to travel the length of South America. As you already know, 2020 was not the year to do this, and whilst I was lucky to have 6 weeks of amazing sites and unlocking core memories – the pandemic hit and left me with a lot of unfinished business.
I was lucky in a sense, as the pandemic opened up huge possibilities in the remote working field and proved that it not only works, but it works well. I noticed my productivity was much higher when I could work on my terms and schedule rather than being chained to a desk. The 9-5 life really is a case of square peg, round hole for me, and I felt my creativity tank during that time. I wasn’t finding the enjoyment I once felt when I secured a piece coverage or won another meaningless ‘star of the month’. I craved benefits from a job that actually added to my quality of life rather than being caught in the corporate loop.
Then Evoke happened. Evoke Media opened a world of possibilities for me – literally- and in my three years at the company, I have worked abroad in France, Malawi, and my current location, Thailand. I feel so lucky to be able to take my job with me anywhere in the world and to find that it works – it works really well.
Navigating the digital nomad life in Asia brought its own set of challenges, with the time difference meaning that I wouldn’t be able to match the UK hours. But with the help of my amazing team and a little dash of flexible working – it’s been a huge success. Having a team member in a different time zone helps massively with tight deadlines, as they can turn bits around in their morning so it’s ready to go for 9am UK time the next day. It’s just like having your own factory of elves, getting press releases prepared while you sleep, ready to hit journalists’ desks first thing that morning. How’s that for productivity?
Thailand has been a dream to work remotely, with its boho cafés serving Pad Thai and fresh passion fruit smoothies on demand in your own tropical oasis – it’s difficult not to feel inspired. In your downtime, you’re met with a slice of paradise with white sandy beaches lined with palm trees and clear blue water to take a refreshing dip and cool down from the heat of the day. If that doesn’t cure a case of the Monday Blues, I don’t know what will.
At Evoke, we’re not the only ones who understand the benefits of remote working, with searches for remote jobs have skyrocketed since the pandemic. But at Evoke, we are one of the few that takes flexible working seriously and allows its staff to actually walk the walk in whichever country they like! And I feel so lucky to be a part of a company that is driving a flexible culture forward and I hope more companies are able to follow suit as the world continues to open up to the benefits of a true work/life balance.
