Lesley Heizman’s Post

Do you have any traditions at work? Back in 2003 or 2004, this picture of Judy Garland was purchased from a thrift store on Main Street in Cedar Falls. At first, it was kind of a joke that this picture got put on different people's desks. But as time went on and we started to grow, it turned into something else, way better. When a new team member started, this would be put on their desk. It stayed there until the next new team member started and so on. There was a sense of pride in handing it off to the next person. It did become fairly challenging as we grew to three physical locations, but we did manage to get it to each office when needed. What started back in 2004 lasted until March of 2020. That's when we went fully remote due to Covid. While we still have three physical offices we now have team members in 27 states and this tradition has fallen to the way side. Last week when I was in our Des Moines office I saw this picture on a desk and it sparked a lot of memories, feelings, and one important question. What traditions can you have in a more remote team that carry this kind of cultural pride? I don't have a great answer for how to do something similar at the moment, but I think this is something I realized I miss greatly about being in person. I want to push our team to think of more ways to connect on a personal level in this environment. We have made so many amazing changes to adapt to this remote world, but I still believe we all can continue to make it better and better.

I negotiated 3 upfronts, built a team, a business and culture from pop-up offices like this all over the country. And it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Let me explain… This started in 2021. If you remember things were still pretty well locked down that summer. No business travel and no summer camp. So what does one do? Well if you are me, you buy a giant RV and convince your wife and 3 kids (in that order) that traveling the country all summer is going to be the greatest thing ever. And it was… We covered over 10k miles that summer. Starting in So Cal up to Maine, down to Florida, up to Glacier National Park, over to Washington, and back. We caught up with extended family, visited multiple national parks, the National Mall and one theme park in Orlando. Each week was a new location and a new set of experiences. Was it perfect? No. Could I do everything that my kids did along the way? No, I had to work. I had an obligation to my work team but for the first time, I felt like I was also delivering on my obligation to the home team as well. I found some balance. I spent more time with my family, sharing more experiences than any summer prior. And that was the takeaway for me. I learned that my kids, my wife, appreciated that I could be present and participate. This is why I am a fan of remote work. Do I value in-person meetings with clients and partners? Yes. Do I value team functions and events that promote collaboration and creativity? Yes. Do I regret the constant travel and time away from home prior to this? No. But I do appreciate that I have, many of us have discovered that workplace flexibility is also pretty rad. We are 3 summers in now... P.S. This is just outside Rocky Mountain National Park. And yes, the light is necessary if you don't want the background all blown out. It's all about the background. 😀 #remoteworking, #remotejobs

This week’s Elephant in the room is the work from Home vs. office dilemma  As someone who recently embarked on a new role this week, I’ve been reflecting on the ongoing debate of working from home versus working in an office. While each way has its advantages, my experience this week has reinforced my personal preference for being in an office environment. The Pros of Working from Home: • Flexibility to manage responsibilities such as housework (I mean lockdown has shown us that there is more to our weekends than ploughing through our washing, spending hours in TESCO and being on our hands and knees and scrubbing our bathrooms!), childcare (obvs for me ‘cat care’), no lengthy commute and hobbies. There’s nothing like getting up early and going for a run to keep me sane.  • Autonomy for roles that thrive on solitude, especially in the tech world. For example I’ve seen many coders thrive in a remote setup, utilising tools like MIRO to connect and it seems to work. The coder in my life, shuts the door, dims the lights and he’s in his element, appearing only for snacks a few times a day! The Benefits of Office Work: On the other hand, my time spent working face to face has been nothing short of a gamechanger. There’s a unique magic to in-person conversations, shared spontaneous brainstorming, learning or help others learn and the energy that comes from working with others. While some companies have started to acknowledge these intangible benefits, perhaps with the lack of concrete data, I can't help but feel that the learning and motivation, I’ve felt this week is priceless and dataless (if that's a word!). Personal preference plays a huge role, even by decision makers about whether you’re a hybrid, fully remote or in the office company and what works for one might not work for another. For many, remote work is a game changer. Yet, for me, being with people, sharing ideas, and getting to know people is unmatched.  Let’s discuss! #WorkFromHome #OfficeLife #PersonalPreference #Collaboration #Teamwork #RemoteWork #CompanyCulture

I had a 90+ minute commute to work today. It was glorious. Not only was I able to read 100 pages of my book, but I was also able to complete 50% of my work for the day. That's right, by 9:00 a.m., I was in the office at my desk with only half a day's worth of work to do. I took my time doing the other 50% of the work, but I still finished it all by 1:30 p.m. So what did I do with my other three and a half hours of work left in the day? I networked. I went up to my coworkers and chatted up a storm. Office culture is crucial, and being able to complete half of my work on the train while coming into the office enabled me to spend more quality time with my fellow employees. By 5:00 p.m., I had successfully completed all of my work for the day and talked to coworkers I had never talked to before. I got on the train for my 90+ minute commute home and read another 100 pages of my book. Then, I got a jump start with tomorrow's work. I finally got home at 7:00 p.m. to find my fluffy dog, Bear, all sleepy from the multiple walks his dog walker took him on throughout the day. I'm so fortunate to have the money to hire people to watch my baby Bear while I'm in the office. He loved the remote days of work when I was home all day to play with him, but the office was calling, and I had to answer ;) After greeting Bear, I did a quick run in the dark around my neighborhood, showered, DoorDashed some food, and now here I am writing this post, excited to wake up tomorrow at 4:45 a.m. to get ready to go back into the office! #90minutecommute #commuting #commute #officeculture #networking #antiremotework #wfhnomore #ilovecommuting

Home is where I live, the office is where I work. If I try to work from home, my dog thinks we have an all-day playfest booked in. And when I'm not being harassed by my dog, I somehow discover rattly door handles or squeaky windows on my way to the loo 🤷🏻♂️ Working from home has many benefits, but I cannot properly focus on my work. Instead, I prefer to get up in the morning ☀ get dressed 👔 and spend the day working from my desk in the office. Why? 👨🏻💻 Working within a professional environment enables me to focus properly on my work. 🎂 It gives me the opportunity to fully enjoy our company culture, like celebrating birthdays with colleagues, and get involved with any office activities. 🗣 Improved communication with my team as Slack messages or emails are often misconstrued, and we usually have to jump on a call to clarify. 🤜🏻 🤛🏻 Socialising and networking with people from other companies is something I love doing at Campus X. 🙅🏻♂️ The separation of my work and personal life - business owners always take their work home, but it's nice to be able to come home sometimes and just NOT talk about work! 🍷 Other small things like grabbing a bottle of wine on my way home is always appreciated. Yes I know we can have wine delivered but it is more appreciated when you turn up with a bottle! Ultimately, I guess I prefer having a structured routine, and having the option to switch off after work. At TechPods, we have a flexible hybrid approach to working. You can work from home full time or in the office full time or somewhere in between. #TechPods #CoSourcing NOT #Outsourcing #HybridWorking 

Fun Math #261 Bart has been assigned to help out with managing the schedule of employees at his company. They company allows a hybrid work arrangement where the employees must come at least three days a week to the office, in a five-day work week setting. Those who plan to come to the office would need to book a workstation since there is no assigned workstations. There are 45 employees in the group and there are 23 available desks for booking. It should be come apparent really quickly that, given the number of available workstations, the obligation for everyone to come at least three days a week could not be met. So, the company would need to accept that some people could only come to the office twice in one week, unless the company is able to provide extra desks. Could you help Bart in setting up the schedule for the employees such that the number of unhappy employees is minimized? By the way, in this scenario, the unhappy employees are those who are denied the opportunity to work at the office 😊. #funmath

One day, in March 2020, the whole company went remote “for a while”. A few days later, a national lockdown was happening. We remained remote for the whole year. In 2021 I visited the office a few times for client meetings. Not wasting two hours a day on the commute meant more time to spend with my toddler. Not spending money on lunches or on transportation meant over 10% increase in my income. Having the flexibility to take a break in the middle of the day to pick up my kid from the kindergarten was one of the best perks I could get. At work, I was more focused and productive, without the constant interruptions and noise of the open space. I felt that I worked better and harder The Corona pandemic changed the way we work in the Tech Industry forever. I cannot see myself going back to long commutes, the noise of the open spaces and the 10s of interruptions per day to go on a cigarette break (I'm not a smoker, never was, never will be). #remotework #remoteworking #newnormal

Last week's trip to New York, where I attended the Airtable Builder Connect in Brooklyn and met clients face-to-face, was a wonderful full circle moment for me. Reflecting on the past 13 years, the evolution from our humble beginnings to our current success is truly remarkable. In 2011, with a newborn in tow, I launched my agency by cold emailing prospects on LinkedIn and visiting real estate offices in California's South Bay. Those early days involved juggling parenthood and pounding the pavement to build a client base—a challenging but rewarding time. By the time my second child was born, the demands of in-person meetings began to wear on me. The logistics of childcare, commuting, and managing time-constrained office visits became overwhelming. Thankfully, the rise of remote work tools like Zoom allowed me to shift nearly 90% of my work online, a change that proved crucial as our family grew and we moved across the country in 2015. This move marked a significant pivot in how we operated, transitioning from in-person client interactions to an entirely online model. This shift not only accommodated my growing family but also expanded our reach as we maintained California clients from our new base in New Jersey. Our full commitment to being location-independent was tested and proved successful during our 2020 move, which coincided with the global shift towards remote work. This transition was seamless, affirming our business model's resilience and the benefits of our online approach. Today, with three children and a business that has thrived through multiple relocations, the chaos of managing work and family life has transformed into a balanced routine. Visiting clients is now a delightful change rather than a necessity, and our distributed team across multiple states is stronger than ever. Looking back, it's astonishing to think that I once walked into offices handing out business cards, compared to how we operate now. Our journey reflects not just changes in my personal life but also the broader evolution of work dynamics over the past decade.

Being in the office robs you of too many important moments. Over the past years, I've realized that hybrid and remote work aren't about working from home. Let me explain. Yesterday, I was able to visit my son’s school at 3:30 PM to meet his teacher—without worrying about rushing back to an office. It’s moments like these that remind me how valuable flexible work really is. With companies like Amazon enforcing a return to the office full-time, many of us are losing more than just the opportunity to work from home. We’re losing the ability to show up for our families in meaningful ways. Here's what work flexibility allows me to do: ✅ Be there for school meetings or emergencies without stress. ✅ Stay connected to my family, balancing both work and personal responsibilities. ✅ Work efficiently before and after these moments to still fulfill all job expectations (yes, as a CEO, you don't have a boss, but you do work for everyone.) When you're tied to an office, especially far from home, it becomes nearly impossible to be part of those important early years of your child’s life. What do you think? Should flexibility be a standard part of modern work culture, or do some roles truly need that in-office presence? How does this impact your ability to be present in your personal life?

This article points out two really good points. 1. The world (and corporate world) is very different than it was pre-pandemic 2. Good employees are good employees, whether they’re in the office or remote, and mediocre employers are mediocre, whether they’re chained to their desk or not. I understand that there are people that need that be "in the hive" and have face time with their peers and managers or the need to go in because they don't have a place where they can be productive other than the office. But, there are a lot of use that don't and that time spent commuting each day can be better used to be productive for ourselves, our families and even our employers. Now, a four day work week may be the carrot to get a lot us back in the office but that's like putting screw tops on wine bottles. Only the truly innovative vineyards will do that because they understand it leaps and bounds better than cork and helps to make a better product, but the dusty old school ones will still keep to tradition and use cork because it's all about perception.