From Coast to Coast Working Remote

In 2019, after many years of working in sales and as a director of business development, my employer closed its doors. It was something of a shock. This is where I honed my sales and management skills. I made lifelong friends with colleagues. I was connected!

Once the initial shock wore off, I took a deep breath and stepped back. I realized this gave me a great opportunity to consider my options and think about the next chapter of my career.

When One Door Closes, Another (or Several!) Opens

As luck would have it, my husband, Joe Wilferth , was going through a similar career re-evaluation. Joe is in academia and had been with the same institution for over 18 years. It was time for him to make a change for his professional growth, and he was actively exploring options.?

At that time, we were living in Chattanooga, TN. Joe had a few great interviews lined up in the Southeast U.S. region (home to us), and we were excited about the prospect of re-charging his career! Then the pandemic hit. One by one, opportunities dissolved, or interviews and searches paused. We were left asking ourselves, should we stay and wait or continue the job search and explore options in an expanded geography? Would there even be any? After all, this was a global pandemic! No one knew much about COVID at that time. Should we pause and wait for things to become clearer? Were other options even available? So many questions that nobody could answer.

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

After more deep breathing and soul searching, we decided to move full steam ahead with exploring options across the U.S. for Joe. At the same time, I was still figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up. As it turns out, fate again stepped in. Joe was offered a position that seemed to fit him perfectly, but it was in Portland. Joe looked at me and asked, “what about Oregon? It’s gorgeous and the center of the Pacific Northwest.”?My short and quick reply was, “Sure, why not Oregon?”?We are both drawn to the outdoors and natural beauty. We love to hike, ski, and fly fish, all of which seemed right at our fingertips in Oregon.

We Took the Oregon Plunge

The next few weeks were a whirlwind, and boy, did we grossly underestimate how difficult a cross-country move would be during a pandemic and going from two very different political regions. We moved to the Portland area during the rioting, wildfires, and housing crisis.?Fortunately, the ocean and mountains are very close, and we explored it all (including many visits to the Willamette Valle for wine tastings). It was a difficult time but also an adventure. I sold investment properties in Chattanooga and purchased an ocean and (whale) view property on the Oregon Coast to run as a short-term rental (The Moby House). It was a great time to change my investment property business model but it wasn’t enough. I was ready for my next professional step.?

How I Discovered a Remote Work Environment

With Joe settled in, it was time to focus on my career. I connected, networked, and made a few great friends! This is easy for me. I love to meet new people!?I made a new friend who, throughout her career, happened to be a professional recruiter for Nike, Microsoft, and Stitchfix. I told Denise Novosel (she, her, hers) how much I hoped to find a job where I truly like the people.?I would say often, “it doesn’t matter as much what I do as much as whom I do it for and with.” For me, community and flexibility with work mattered most.?

It was time to take my job search seriously now. By this time, the rain had settled over the PNW, and thanks to that weather, I thought how nice it would be to work from my home office and not make a long and wet commute each day. Working remotely had really exploded thanks to COVID, and I was interested in learning if it could be a good fit for me.

?My new friend introduced me to the V.P. of Business Development for?MarketLauncher, (ML)?Dyan Klein. Dyan has been with ML since 2009 and gushed about how much she loves the company, the people, and the clients. And it is 100% remote and has been since its inception over 20 years earlier. ML ticked all my boxes!

?I have been in sales, business development, and sales training / mentoring for nearly two decades. Working at ML would be a significant change but also allow me the comfort of doing a role I was very familiar with and experienced in.

I began interviewing with them in November 2021 and accepted a position as a Client Services Manager in February 2022.?I work with clients in many different industries ranging from healthcare to safety applications for lone workers and with people in six different time zones! I like my job and those I do it with and for! The founder and CEO, Lara Triozzi, is one of the best leaders I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Leadership does matter!

The Only Constant is Change?????????????????????????????????

I began feeling more settled in Oregon with the new job and a few friends. ?Then less than two short years later, another opportunity was presented to Joe and this time it was back in the southeastern U.S. in South Carolina. Another cross-country move and this time even farther!?While it was closer to our original home, we wondered if we could handle the stress of another 2800-mile move less than two years later. Plus, starting new jobs is so stressful and I was really enjoying my role at ML! Thankfully, that became a non-issue.

ML’s 100% Remote Workforce Paved a (Somewhat Smooth) Path to South Carolina

ML is not only 100% remote but prides itself on a flexible work environment. Team members work from anywhere! I have colleagues who travel abroad and split their time between the US, Germany, Italy, and Amsterdam. I could do my role from coast to coast!?With the rainy season looming, it was time to make our plan to be OreGone!

We had a few things on our bucket list to do before we left so we decided to drive from Oregon to South Carolina. Staying caught up with work in the car and at hotels worked out surprisingly well! We stopped for hikes and to visit our kids in Idaho, Tennessee, and family in Missouri before arriving in South Carolina.?

As soon as we arrived in South Carolina, we unpacked the bed and kitchen, and my home office was next. I was ready for work the next day in my new time zone thanks to apps like Outlook and Zoom!?

Being able to keep my job and having the support of my co-workers during the transition has been invaluable. I received encouragement and recommendations for food, lodging and even music to play during the ride from many co-workers and even clients. ?I can’t thank Terri-Lynne Anderson, Peter DeBartolo, Michelle Haarde, Stephen Kirkpatrick, Allison Nakagawa and Lara Stewart Triozzi , enough!!

Honestly, I feel like I didn’t miss a beat supporting my ML clients. Joe has settled into his new position and we are getting established in our new home. Plus, it’s comforting to know that when another opportunity for travel pops up, my ML team will have my back and I look forward to paying it forward to support them.

If you are considering a remote work environment and have questions, feel free to message me on LinkedIn! It really works for me!

Or follow ML on LinkedIn where they regularly share advice about working remotely.