Last week we hosted the first Boundless Life event of its kind focusing on the challenges of families who are location-independent. Our list of experienced panelists provided much-needed advice on how employers can create effective work-from-anywhere policies adapted to the needs of families.
With a profound mix of personal revelations and business insights, we couldn't be more grateful to have facilitated this discussion with a group of individuals who have been living this lifestyle for years.
With the talented former Olympian, Jaime Komer as the moderator, a series of remote-work-related questions were presented to our expert panelists to which they responded through knowledgeable experience from their various trades.
Panelists
Rowena Hennigan, LinkedIn Top Voice & RoRemote Founder
Lona Alia, Head of Revenue at SafetyWing
John Lee, Co-Founder of The Work from Anywhere Team
Rekha Magon, Co-Founder of Boundless Life
Jaime Komer, Olympian Athlete & Consultant in Well-being
How has work life changed over the past two years and how will it evolve for working parents in particular?
Rowena kicked off the discussion by describing the trauma of the pandemic which left a bittersweet taste in the mouths of many. Although the pandemic also served as the catalyst in the massive acceleration of remote-work adoption, at the time, however, this only sparked the “work-from-home” concept. As we were forced to create home offices due to the crisis, this was not remote work in its truest form.
The bitter feelings for most came from working at home where the environment often resembled a catastrophic playground of children running back and forth making cameos on important Zoom calls, while the resident animals ran across laptop keyboards, demanding attention from their beloved owners. Fortunately, many remote workers were able to adapt and conquer this new way of life, and here is the silver lining. Working from home created the most metamorphic opportunity - a shift in values for companies, destinations, and individuals.
“People have had a taste of it, and that was just working from home. Now we need to move to look at working from anywhere as a concept, adopting that, and looking at the benefits that it can bring us all.” - Rowena Hennigan
Recent studies suggest that a whopping 97% of people want to work remotely, and for companies, destinations, and individuals alike, there are clear tangible benefits.
What is some advice that we can give to employers who want to transition into the remote-work model?
Given the fact that remote work is a trend that is here to stay, many companies have caught on to the global phenomenon and want to be able to transition their company from in-office to location-independence, but simply do not know how. Many are scared of the valid factors that would need to be treated with immense care including insurance risks, employment law, taxes, visas, etc. John Lee concluded, that while it is all fair to look at what this transition will cost the company, it will also significantly cost those who simply do nothing. These companies will suffer the loss of acquiring a team of talented candidates - a clear return on investment that should not be ignored.
So what is the solution? How does a company transition into hiring those who will be willing to work from anywhere in the world? Our group of accomplished panelists are here to help.
- John Lee from the Work From Anywhere Team is a certified tax consultant who helps those in need figure out the risk on tax depending on where the company resides, and where they want to move;
- Lona Alia from SafetyWing provides health insurance no matter where you are in the world or how often you move;
- Rowena Hennigan of RoRemote is a consultant that offers advice on exactly this topic, and is more than willing to talk companies through this transition;
- And Rekha Magon of Boundless Life is here to offer a service that wipes out those daunting logistics of uprooting one’s family to live abroad through accommodations, co-working facilities, community, and a transformational education program.
As there is clearly an abundance of solutions being offered, our panelists’ advice to these companies is not to be scared. They encourage organizations to offer freedom and flexibility in both time and location for their employees.
The result?
When opening up the door to working remotely, it is not only a drastic change for companies but for the employees and their families. Executives will witness happier teams, and an increase in productivity, efficiency, and therefore revenue. Gifting these individuals the beauty of travel and community, and providing an alternative educational experience for their children will result in a sense of fulfillment. Happier employees tend to be much more loyal to their companies.
“What company is not aware that if an employee is happy and fulfilled, they will bring 200% of themselves to execute the job? To have your children with you, walking from the co-working space to home, as everything is within a walkable distance with Boundless, it brings people so much fulfillment, and empowerment!” - Rekha Magon
Our panelists advise employers to look into remote companies that already exist, as there are companies that adopted this mindset much before their time. Look into the countries that will mesh well with your company, consider the flexibility, research the policies, and measure the impact. With this type of mentality, along with the correct data and support from individuals such as our pristine group of panelists, the transition can be seamless.
Founders and executives who are wishing to implement these changes are highly encouraged to actually experience the digital nomad lifestyle before showering the opinions that they received from a random article they read, and/or remote-working stories from a friend of a friend. After experiencing the lifestyle, only then will they truly understand the change that they are trying to drive within their companies.
John elaborated on the fact that within just the last two years, there has been a massive explosion of remote employees, and with that has come the need for destinations to accommodate these figures. With more and more countries implementing the digital nomad visa for their remote-working visitors, this is a great way for employees to dip their toes into a new country, and also covers a lot of risk from the employer’s perspective.
Companies are advised to also take their employees’ values and needs into consideration by facilitating a vote on what is most important and implementing these aspects into their benefits package.
Co-working space is another topic that arose during our discussion and was something considered to be underrated. Finding your neighborhood co-working facility, (or with Boundless Life, the Co-Working Hub) is a simple way to foster innovation. The networking and sharing of ideas with like-minded professionals, sparks joy and creativity in remote workers, inherently allowing them to be more successful at their jobs.
“Not only should companies create products that people want, but build companies that people actually want to work for.” - Lona Alia
What are some of the challenges that remote-working parents come across?
The initial challenge of adopting this lifestyle is tackling the logistical aspect, because soon after making the decision to travel abroad, in pours the anxiety-filled questions. “Where will we stay? Where will my kids go to school? Will they be put into a local system? But the system differentiates from location to location. What about community?”
Travelling alone with kids can be quite isolating. Yes, travelling allows the entire family to experience different cultures, but there is also the risk of not making friends or co-mingling with other families.
This is where Boundless Life offers the solution of breaking down the common barriers that arise when travelling abroad with one’s family - not only operationally through our accommodations and education program, but by providing families with something that no other destination can give - a sense of community. And so whether you are in Portugal, Greece, Italy, and so on and so forth, the Boundless Community is filled with familiar faces and meaningful connections.
Rekha insightfully added, that with the current system in place, there is a huge divide that exists between home, school, and family. Boundless Education connects families through a carefully crafted curriculum that includes an area called “Endeavour Time” where certain adults who are staying with Boundless are leveraged and brought into the classroom to talk about their genius and skillset with the students. For example, next week Jaime Komer will leave the students in awe after enlightening them about the mindset needed to become an Olympian!
Our panelists also encourage parents to discuss their family values with their children, find out what works for them as a whole, and then pursue this exciting new lifestyle.
What motivates us to work from anywhere?
For many of us, including the courageous and honest Lona Alia, the answer is simple. “My inner child wants to feel alive, and when I travel, I feel alive.”
Lona went on to describe the emotion of wanting to be in a new place, and feeling a sense of wonder. Rather than being stuck to one location - a concrete box that serves as an office or cubicle, a 100-year-old model that many are being forced to do, introduce yourself to a new way of living. The 9-5 job is not conducive to life and especially not conducive to living one’s best life.
Jamie chimed in that satisfying one’s inner child creates a ripple effect that inevitably impacts your children directly. Doing what you are passionate about brings about a significant positive change for one’s children, family, work, and community.
Another huge aspect, as Rekha described, is the reward of seeing such personal growth in children through travel. These lucky children are able to experience the world, and as a result inherit a compassionate lens where everyone seems more like themselves, no matter where they come from. The effects of this lifestyle on a child are one that molds them into the person they are becoming, and will definitely impact the world in a positive way. It is difficult to go back to a traditional lifestyle, after seeing the impact of remote work on the little people.
“The ability to immerse yourself in the local culture is powerful. For children, the different environment, energy, vitamin D, cultural immersion, whatever it may be, makes them more malleable and agile, and this is the gift that we are giving them!” - John Lee.
What are the challenges/opportunities for well-being and longevity with remote work?
Rowena promptly responded with the fact that just because you can work from everywhere doesn’t mean that you should work all the time. Travel clearly supports our well-being, but balance is key. It is extremely important to figure out one’s values and match one’s life accordingly. Acknowledging one’s individual personality, company culture and national culture are all intercultural tools that can and should be compared. When living abroad and working remotely, this can serve as a benefit, but can also be a friction point for well-being.
Working from home also often means overworking. When regulating this balance on their own, many find themselves to be working for 12 hours a day or more.
Boundless Life offers a lifestyle where there are constant reminders through activities such as yoga, spa days, beach days, and much more, given to our families, causing them to take these moments for themselves, and give their bodies and minds the much-needed break from work that they deserve. This lifestyle gives remote workers balance and turns out to be a sustainable lifestyle option in the long run. The aspect of community that provides social interaction makes remote-work life more fun, making you a better worker at the end of the day equipped with new ideas, inspiration, and creativity.
Rekha added that living amongst a like-minded community who are also trying to prioritize their well-being also serves as a reminder to those who may sometimes forget. These experiences are pre-planned by our community managers, giving these hardworking adults a chance to “turn off” and instead “plug into yourself”, and be the role model you strive to be for your children.
How do you stay in touch with family and friends back home?
Aside from the obvious advantage of modern-day technology such as Facetime, our panelists dove a little deeper, as they have all faced the shared experience of leaving many loved ones back home.
They all agreed that living their best life full of adventures and travel with their children actually serves as an inspiration for their extended families. Many of the panelists have had or are expecting visitors to share the experience that they are living, and most can agree that a shared encounter abroad with extended family is so much more meaningful than visiting home. Families are able to connect more by being abroad, whereas visiting home can cause one to internally make a to-do list of all the things that need to be done.
For those loved ones who cannot travel to visit, our panel encourages travelling families to stay connected. Facetime your family while witnessing an exhilarating view after a 3-hour long hike to share the experience and allow them to feel included. Through storytelling, which is even more impactful coming from your children, you will open the doors to connect in more meaningful and profound ways.
Rowena added that more practical options to show your family you are thinking of them would be not only to send pictures and videos but postcards, souvenirs, and even fridge magnets representing your travels!
All of these efforts are ways to invite your extending family into your home away from home and keep that connection intact.
It’s safe to say that this discussion was not only informative and enlightening but relatable on so many levels. From a panel that regularly travels with their families while working, we had a first-hand look into what the future looks like for working and travelling parents, and can we just say, the future looks bright!
“This is progression. Evolution.” - John Lee
We hope that this answered most of your questions whether you are a working parent, employer, or HR representative, and if you have more questions, contact us!
If you’d like to see the full discussion live, you may do so by clicking here.
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