One career path that we haven’t expanded on fully is the non profit industry. Working with these types of organizations can easily give you the opportunity to see new places and experience once in a lifetime adventures. While a lot of international non profits have hubs in various cities, there are some that are fully remote, which naturally appeals to people like Laurie, our always smiling triber who first traveled with us in Jamaica this past November. We caught up with Laurie, who’s been gracious enough to share some of her journey with us.
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Occupation //
As the Community Support Manager at Khan Academy, I get to build and lead the community management and customer support team for an amazing nonprofit with the mission of “a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.”
How long have you been a remote worker/How did you get started?//
I’ve been working remotely on-and-off since my first startup job in 2007 (where I worked from Australia!), so it’s never struck me as a unique concept for my field. Online community management and customer support, are positions that often pop up as remote-friendly, and in many cases this can even be an asset (such as with building a team able to cover a spread of timezones).
Top Essentals while Travelling //
Anker Soundcore nano compact speaker – for never being without good tunes and podcasts.
Pocket blanket that weighs nothing and I can bring along anywhere because you never know when you might find yourself freezing on a mountaintop in Jamaica.
Foam roller because I’m an old lady
Why WiFi Tribe? //
I checked out several options in the remote working space, but Wifi Tribe’s program flexibility, small group sizes, and accessible price point stood out for me. The fact that there are cheaper options available means that Wifi Tribe can attract a more diverse community than other similar groups, which I really appreciate.
What pushed you to finally go remote?//
As I mentioned, my first serious startup job was actually remote – about as remote as you can get – so the concept has always been a familiar one for me. In the case of Khan Academy, I worked onsite in our Bay Area office for over a year before transitioning my position to remote, and I’m planning on returning to work locally again soon. For me it’s really about being deliberate about my priorities, and right now being able to travel and get story-worthy new experiences are near the top.
What has the Remote Worker life taught you so far?//
As a student of human nature and communities, being able to meet so many new people from so many different backgrounds on a regular basis is a total privilege and one that I constantly learn from. An important skill for my line of work is being able to apply one’s understanding of people in order to design communications for them, on both individual and large group scales, and getting to know a diverse set of stories sets me up well for being able to do this for a variety of audiences.
#1 Productivity Aid? //
World Time Buddy stands out for managing people across multiple timezones, and similarly I’ve recently become reliant on Calend.ly when it comes to folks needing to schedule meetings with me when my schedule is busy and my timezone is regularly changing. For general travel life, TripAdvisor, Google Translate, GlobeConvert, Spotify, Overcast, Google Maps, and Private Internet Access (VPN) are all essential apps for me.
Last Advice//
Invest in your electronics, always agree on the price before buying anything, and wear sunscreen…
You can follow Laurie’s adventures via her instagram (@laurie_was_here).
Massive thanks to Laurie for letting us share her experience!
If you’d like to have your own WiFi Tribe adventure, click here to find out where we are going to next!
Until next time…
xx
