WORKING-FROM-HOME CHANGES THE QUALITY OF LIFE …

Our work fills a huge part of our lives and looking at this constantly changing world, sometimes it’s even put in the first place, even if not by the employees themselves, but by their employers, who demand not only availability, but also creativity and devotion from their workers. Such a busy schedule often makes sharing time with the close ones, family and friends even more difficult. Relationships are becoming comfort-seeking, focused on here and now, on all types of entertainments, but not necessarily on the thing that several years ago used to be the center of the human’s life, namely family.

How to combine a successful career with having one’s own family? The Covid-19 pandemic opened a new door for the ones who care about these two matters and for the ones who want to balance their family and professional lives. In what way? Working from home has become more popular and much easier than it might have seem before.

There are people who have willingly opened themselves to such new opportunities, thanks to which they can not only earn money to provide for themselves and their families, but they can also travel and follow their passions, the ones they didn’t have enough time for before.

I’m truly pleased to introduce you to my today’s interviewee – Jessica Marchant – a happy mom and wife, who turned her life upside down and placed importance on her family and working from home. In this interview she will lift the veil of secrecy related to combining motherhood with work and she will tell us a little about traveling with kids and Airbnb projects.

Passion Piece: Could you tell my readers a few words about yourself?

Jessica: I’m a work-from-home mom of two adventurous, adorable, unruly toddlers.

Prior to 2020 I worked full-time at a high-stress corporate job. I started to get burnt out and then I found out I was expecting our first child!

I knew we had to make some major changes after our son was born. My husband and I left our jobs, sold our house and moved 2,300 miles back south.

I started a new job at a smaller company with a focus on family and quality of life. My husband decided to go back to school full-time and be a stay-at-home-dad. We completely restructured our lives.

I started hybrid working (mostly working-from-home with one day in the office per week) in 2020 when my oldest was three months old. In 2021 I became completely remote. It’s been the most amazing journey!

Passion Piece: You’re a woman who wants to live her life to the fullest. That’s why, you resigned from your corporate job for good. How has working from home changed your life?

Jessica: Working from home has changed our lives in amazing ways. There are three ways that really stand out:

1. Spend More Time with Family

I get to see my children throughout the day. We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together. I sometimes put my daughter down for her nap. It’s those little moments that motivate me and are so good for their overall development.

2. Save Money

On top of getting to see my children and husband throughout the day, I save money working from home. I eat my meals here; I don’t need to invest in spendy work attire or spend gobs of money on gas.

3. More Productive

There are far less distractions and impromptu meetings while working from home, and I get much more done in a shorter period of time. I also feel that my relationships with my colleagues are just-as-good, if not better, than they were when we were all working in the same building. Our interactions with each other are much more intentional now. We come to our bi-weekly meeting excited to catch up with one another. It’s great!

Passion Piece: Was it an easy decision to make? What obstacles did you have to overcome at the very beginning?

Jessica: I really started wanting to work from home once I reached the third trimester of my first pregnancy. Getting ready, driving to and from work, and being on concrete floors all day was wearing me down.

I asked, but I was met with some resistance, so I let it go.

After my son was born I knew I needed to work-from-home so I could spend more time with him. That’s also when the Covid pandemic started, and thus working from home became much more “normal”. Companies were encouraging it! I just needed to find a great position at a company that trusted their employees enough to let them work remote fulltime, and I thankfully I did!

Passion Piece: Thanks to changing your lifestyle, you’ve also become a blogger. What does According to Jessica offer its readers?

Jessica: On my blog, According to Jessica, I share tips and tricks I’ve learned from years of camping with kids, traveling with toddlers and Airbnb design.

Writing has always been a passion of mine and I am so happy that I am finally at a place where I can explore my personal passions. I think working-from-home has really helped to reignite a lot of my passions.

Passion Piece: How does it feel having more freedom to travel and camp with your family? What do people say when they hear you travel with toddlers and small kids?

Jessica: It’s been amazing! In November of 2022 we took our two toddlers to Mazatlan, Mexico for a month. My husband and I worked remotely while there. My kids made friends; we went to the beach at least 4x a week. It was magic.

People usually ask me how we do it and I usually laugh and say “very carefully”. The truth is, traveling with two toddlers is not easy but it is very rewarding. We are always glad we went!

Passion Piece: What tips would you like to give all the parents who would like to see the world and travel with kids? What are the most vital things one should remember about before setting off?

Jessica: I actually wrote a blog post about this topic. You can find 10 Best Tips and Tricks for Flying with a Toddler here. I also have a free downloadable checklist on my website.

I tell parents to be patient and enjoy the journey. Everything takes about twice the amount of time it would if it were just you and your partner. The more you try to rush it, the more stressed you’ll be. Pack snacks, changes of clothes and keep them comfortable. You’ll have a great time and loads of funny stories to share afterward.

Passion Piece: What’s important for you while choosing the Airbnb for a stay with your family?

Jessica: I usually look for safety concerns like: is too close to water for my comfort level, are there too many stairs for the little ones, does the loft have a proper railing and so forth. I also look at the types of door handles and pack proper child locks for those style handles. In Mexico, I adhered 3M window locks to the sliding door and sliding windows. I was glad I did because my two-year-old constantly tried to sneak out the sliding glass door, which faced the pool. They’re easy to remove with a hair dryer.

Once I am happy with safety, I look for location. When my kids are along, we like to be close to amenities. They expire quickly in the car.

Passion Piece: Is there a type of design you like in particular? What would you recommend as an interior designer: comfort or luxury and beautiful surroundings? Is it possible to afford both?

Jessica: When it comes to an Airbnb or any hospitality setting, comfort is king, especially for families. I have some furniture buying tips for Airbnb owners here.

Passion Piece: What adventures have you experienced while traveling? Which travel destinations are the most memorable for you?

Jessica: My husband and I eloped in Fiji and it was amazing. We stayed at the Royal Davui Resort and I will forever be in love with that island. From the Chef made meals, to the private villas and the view- it was perfection.

Passion Piece: What do you love doing in your free time?

Jessica: I don’t have a lot of free time but I do, I love to look at real estate. It’s like the ultimate shopping to me. Last night I spent an hour just looking at oceanfront properties for sale in Florida.

Passion Piece: Which motto would you like to share with my readers?

Jessica: Time is the one thing we can never get back. If time were currency, it’d be invaluable.

Passion Piece: Thank you very much for this truly inspiring conversation and I hope you will find some more interesting projects to work on and holiday destinations in the future.

See you around!

Yours,

Passion Piece

Photos by: Jessica Marchant