By Camile Sardina | December 5, 2022
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the BookSavvy Public Relations team worked remotely.
Our home bases have ranged from Boston, New York City, Orlando, Omaha, to Germany; and to this day, every BookSavvy team member splits their time between at least two locations.
This vision for a remote global team ignited from founder Sharon Bially, who herself loves the freedom it offers for a more balanced life.
In our early days, team members worked remotely from home, but were all in the Boston area, where Sharon is based. Over time, people moved to new locations while continuing to work with BookSavvy, and new team members from different locations in the U.S. joined. As the BookSavvy team grew, one thing became certain, we all shared the same life non-negotiables of freedom and flexibility! Freedom to do things such as balance work with travel and other passions; and the flexibility to adjust our work schedules to see family, complete errands…whatever is needed for the individual. We soon discovered that working remotely brings other benefits that we never anticipated.
Here are the reasons why BookSavvy’s remote culture works in our favor:
Working from any desired location keeps the mind and creativity stimulated
Since some people can get a little stir crazy working from home, the ability to work from any location – whether a new coffee shop, new city, or new country – gifts our team with a change of scenery when needed, which keeps the mind and creativity stimulated. We found that this variation of surroundings has sprouted some of our favorite story angle ideas.
A more efficient life makes a happier professional
During work breaks, quick chores can be completed such as putting the laundry away or putting the dishes away. Nothing that would hinder workflow, of course, but something that would speedily clear up the mind when returning from the break. This is profoundly helpful to the BookSavvy team manage the balance between work and personal life.
Family time is easily increased
Since BookSavvy’s remote team culture allows for more travel and schedule flexibility, family time is easily increased. Lauren Hathaway, one of the PR Directors at BookSavvy, mainly lives in Omaha, but she stays with her daughter for long periods in Miami throughout the year. Founder Sharon Bially is also able to work from Paris, where she has family, including her son who was working there one year. They cherish having had that experience together. Personally, I was able to spend more time with my sister and nephews in New York City while I lived in Orlando during the pandemic.
A more flexible schedule allows for the team to work at their peak productivity times.
Since the BookSavvy team often works outside a typical 9-5 set-up, our team can start earlier in the day if desired, or later. So long as tasks are completed by their deadlines — and done well! — the when is not significant. We trust that each team member will manage their schedules accordingly in order to finish work on time and arrive to calls with energy and ideas. This trust and flexibility makes us go the extra mile with a clearer mind.
We have the time and freedom to pursue other passions
The skills and passions of each BookSavvy member go beyond public relations. With the remote culture that encourages the pursuit of outside passions, we’ve been able to finally finish writing that book, perfect a dance routine, and get that personal article published, to name a few. We believe that the improvement of any skill will make some kind of positive difference in the work at BookSavvy – whether by inspiration, feeling happier, or connecting more to clients.
We’re well-prepared to work with authors anywhere in the country – and the world!
We’re proud to say that we’ve worked with authors in more U.S. states than we can count, from Massachusetts and New York to Texas, Florida, California, Georgia and Iowa – to name just a few. We’ve also had the privilege of working with authors in Europe (Spain, France, Austria, the UK…), Asia (Vietnam), Africa (Kenya, Malawi) Australia, the Persian Gulf (Bahrain, Dubai) and the Middle East (Israel). As a fully remote team, partnering with people across the country or the globe is second nature to us, and we have all the necessary tools and processes in place.
Is the remote work culture for you?
Is the remote work culture for everyone? No. But if the above benefits of it ring true to you, then seek out that team with aligned values, or take steps toward freelancing. Better quality of life and work will follow. BookSavvy promises this, from wherever our pin on the map lands next.