Today, we’re sharing our interview with Courtney Cavey, Marketing Director at Hubstaff, developing solutions so people can live better, calmer lives.
Currently, her team is working on new communication strategies so customers can better utilize the many benefits of Hubstaff as a productivity tool. She enjoys reading, music, spending time with her family, anything outdoors, and traveling.
How Does Your Remote Workday Look Like?
6:00-7:30 am: I’m usually up pretty early. Sometimes it’s because my one-year-old decides it’s time to start the day. Other times, it’s because of me. It’s important for me to wake up naturally, it sets the tone for the day. I haven’t set an alarm in years. Then, always a good, balanced breakfast.
7:30-11:30 am (work): Log into Slack, Hubstaff Tasks (our own Agile project management tool), email, and start my work timer. With coworkers all over the world, I usually connect with any team members I need to first thing while they’re online.
11:30-12:45 pm: Lunch and 1:1 playtime with my daughter. No cell phone or other distractions.
12:45-3:30 pm: Project work and team communications.
3:30-7:30 pm (off work): Outside time and errands. Usually, I squeeze some sort of exercise in here. Yoga works anywhere with no necessary equipment, and my daughter likes to try the poses, too. I’ll also prepare a balanced dinner for my family and relax.
7:30-9:30 pm (work): I prefer to shift a couple of hours into the evening so that I can spend time with family and get out during the day. I like my work, so I don’t mind logging on in the evening. In fact, I’m pretty productive during this time.
My schedule is fairly consistent, but if I want to take off early to go to the beach or play in the sprinklers, I do.
What Tools Do You Use to Get Things Done?
Everyone on our team uses our own time tracking and productivity software, Hubstaff, and our own agile project management system, Hubstaff Tasks. It’s important for us to use our own tools so that we can better understand our customers and how to improve the experience. We’re a fully remote team that’s grown quite a bit over the past few years, much like many of our customers, so we face hurdles and triumphs similar to theirs.
We also use Slack, Zoom, and Google Docs for communicating and collaborating. For me personally, I use Evernote to organize notes, ideas, and informal agendas.
What’s the Biggest Challenge of Remote Work?
We all communicate throughout the day easily, but it can be hard to get the full message with just verbal and written correspondence. To mitigate this, we do video calls whenever we can, with face-to-face being the default. Emojis help, too.
What Are the Advantages of Remote Work?
So many to list here!
- I live in a small town I love, but there’s nothing exciting in technology near me so I’d have to commute at least an hour to work in an office, and I have done that. It was miserable.
- I focus better away from a busy office. Cubicles and doors and people rushing past me to their next meeting is distracting. I’ve also experienced toxic work environments where there’s a lot of whispering and people looking over their shoulders, and that is just so draining.
- Most importantly, I can be with my family more. I didn’t miss my daughter’s first steps and I’m never far if they need me. Since my hours are flexible, I can decide when and where my free time is. A huge thing that drew me to Hubstaff was one of their core values: Freedom.
What’s the Future of Remote Work?
I love that people and companies are catching on to the many benefits of remote work. It’s really a movement that is going to continue to grow. People are happier, more productive, and companies are able to hire the best to get the job done. Win-win.
What Made You Consider Remote Work?
Lots of research into remote companies and culture. I needed a solution to end my commute and be the family person I wanted to be, and I need the freedom to live my life the way I chose.
What Are Your Favorite Destinations in the World?
Barcelona is pretty amazing, there’s so much culture. There are a lot of awesome places to visit in the U.S., too. I love Colorado with its rapids and rock climbing. I enjoyed my four years in San Diego immensely, there is so much to do from the beach to the mountains to the desert.
What People Who Want to Work with You Need to Have?
We need self-starters who are ready to own their work and commit to the company, team, and our vision. Since we’re remote, we need people with good experience in their field, but there’s plenty of opportunities to learn new skills at Hubstaff. A great attitude is a must.
