Ep 14: Part 1 of 3: The Three Keys of Remote Work Success: Key # 1 Planning

In this episode, I offer Part 1 of 3 parts in this series and dig into Key #1 Planning, related to my free class, The State of Remote Work: The 3 Keys of Remote Work Success.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• About how my June class went.
• More about what's included in the Key #1 Planning.

Here’s what you can find in this episode:

[:36] Context for this episode: This is an adaption of my recent class The State of Remote Work: 3 Keys To Unlock Your Success In an Up and Down Economy. I break this down into three parts. Today I cover Key #1 Planning.

[1:50] The class starts with about 10 minutes of getting to know you. While people log on I check my technology. And I was surprised how many people showed up early and were eager to learn. Over 150 people attended over two days.

[2:22] Slide #1 I show people what we are going to cover. The class covers the type of remote work they want so that they can live a flexible lifestyle. Then we do a little bit of housekeeping around turning off distractions so people can focus and get the most out of the class.

[3:00] Then for the first time, I went into a quick activity. Within the first 2-minutes of class and thought I'd try it. This was telling people to pull out a piece of paper or think about one skill they have or one task they did that day or yesterday. By kicking it off with something simple, I broke down something that can feel intimidating into one simple step so that they could get a quick win. Then I built on that throughout the training. Examples are things like balancing a checkbook or logging on to class. If you can't think of a skill then thinking about a task is another way to "unlock" skills.

[5:26] Then I moved into why people decide to attend my classes. These are the three main reasons. #1 they want the type of remote work they want to do more of wan they want. A lot of people want to travel, spend more time on hobbies or with kids and grandkids, and take care of someone or even themselves. 

[6:31] Reason #2 is that people want to earn income in new ways but don't know-how. Maybe they spent a lot of time in their career or job field.  And reason #3 is that they are excited about doing something else, but they haven't figured out what their "thing" is yet. This could be a niche or new identity. 

[7:49] Then I introduce myself. I shared a few more details about my background. I am a remote career and business coach, and sometimes it doesn't feel real because I have a strong identity around being a corporate trainer. This shows how a strong identity can still get in our way. I'm the founder of Remote Work Schoo and have a master's in Counseling Psychology. I won't my thesis on virtual worlds and the impact of that on people's wellbeing. I wrote about in 2009 well before remote work was a thing, working virtually, etc. I sprinkle in psychology throughout the training.

[10:02] I share that I started in the Welfare To Work program in the 1990s. That's where I helped people get back into the workforce, write resumes, interview for jobs and more. I got through two recessions, the tech crash in 2000 and another in 2008-2009. Then I talked about how we may be entering a recession. But the point of the class is to show people how they can free themselves from the ebbs and flows with the three keys. 

[11:28] In 2016 I walked away from everything to RV full-time. We did 44,000 miles, visited 44 states, and all in 4 years. While reinventing myself to work remotely, doing over 12 different job types. What may be new information is that I got a part-time job. I started taking my own advice on doing the "mash-up" work model. That's working a couple of jobs to future-proof my business and offset my business expenses.

[12:56] It's a marketing strategist and coach job, which feels even more foreign to me because I don't have any special skills or actual work experience or education to do it. Just the past few years of doing it for myself in my own business. More proof that you don't need fancy degrees to get the job types you want. I am proud of getting the job because I felt like I was unqualified, will I get paid what I am worth. I applied anyway and got the job.

[14:02] Then I shared more about www.morethanawheelin.com my RV travel and remote work site. Then I shared more about all the remote jobs I've had. And that I helped over 800 people since 2017. Finally, I share where people may have seen me including the Wall Street Journal, RV Life, Camping World podcast,  presenting on various stages, etc. 

[15:35] Next up, I ask "Imagine what it would feel like to work how you want so you can live how you want?" Is it inspiring, hopeful, exciting, or relieving? Once you imagine that future, remote work on your terms is the #1 to achieve that vision. Of course, if you are independently wealthy then that is truly the #1 way but most people who attend my classes aren't independently wealthy.  Remote work is the new retirement plan.

[17:17] A highlight of the three keys. Key #1 is planning to get remote work, Key #2 is Preparing to get remote work and Key #3 is Pricing your skills and services based on the value you provide. Key #3 feels newer to a lot of people.

[18:08] Key #1 Planning is what we focus on for the rest of this episode. First, I share the biggest mistake that people make and that is that most people don't plan "enough". This could be people jumping in with both feet, like going on every job board, or just asking everyone for ideas. So they get overwhelmed. or they do nothing because they don't feel "ready". So they make no progress. It's a mistake because you have to position yourself so you can say yes to the right jobs, and negotiate your salary or prices.

[19:35] If you don't plan enough the results are things like not knowing what type of remote work is possible. Or they listen to anyone and then the ideas aren't connected to you, like being a travel nurse or selling stuff on ebay. Also, you may take up work you don't like or don't get paid what you like or need. The point is to avoid these results by planning better.

[20:50] Then I introduce "Erin The Explorer" a fictitious character who represents a lot of people I work with or even me back in the day. Erin is always exploring ideas but running into deadends, which leads her feeling stuck, discouraged, or she's not qualified for anything. If you feel like Erin, it's not your fault. There might be a few things you just don't know that could make all the difference.

[21:30] Then I share what they need to know to help them plan better. Most people don't know what their skills are actually worth. A lot of people fall into jobs and then stay there or hop around. So if you stayed in a job or even started a business and set your prices, you may be stuck at earning a certain amount. What would someone pay you for them? What value do they have to others? People don't often think about this.

[23:03] Then I talk about a real client of mine named Kathi. She came into Remote Work School in 2020 because she had been "encouraged to retire" from the airline industry as a flight attendant. She felt like she didn't have a lot of choices and who would want to hire her anyway. She strongly identified with being a flight attendant. Why does this happen to Kathi and a lot of people I work with? I you grew up in an environment where you got messaged like "don;t toot your own horn, it's better to be seen and not heard..." So we end up feeling like we shouldn't brag about ourselves. if there is any place to brag about yourself, it's on your resume, in interviews, on LinkedIn, or with potential clients. 

[24:53] People also think that they don't have enough education. Because it was such a huge component of the American psyche. generations before Gex X have this. But generations after know how to self-teach, find things on YouTube, or know that education can put them into debt. Employers are loosening up on this.

[26:06] So Kathi had these types of challenges. She did skills inventories which helped her open up to other skills and see herself in new ways. Then I asked how many people have done one, and 8-10 people have not done one or done one a long time ago. Kathi did this and it lead her to become a financial coach. She got herself out of debt and realized she could do this for other people. This is using transferable skills. She said she realized that her skills had more value than she ever realized. 

[28:21] Next you might not know that you need a remote work resume. And you need specific things like keywords and designing a custom resume for each job or client. Then you have to be on LinkedIn because that's where people look and if you aren't there you are discrediting yourself. It's where people are going to look you up or they may look you up on Instagram, but professionally LinkedIn is where most people look first. So your profile should be optimized. 

[30:24] The goal with all of this is to be "good enough". It's a concept of being the "good enough" mother. And psychology will tell you that your kid is going to be fine. So apply the good enough standard to your resume, LinkedIn, niche, business etc.

[31:39] Lastly, I talk about how most people are simply looking in the wrong places for jobs or clients. Most people look for opportunities found on job platforms. Only 20% of opportunities are located on platforms. That means that the other 80% are found in the hidden job market, your immediate network, 

[32:35] About 8-10 people in Remote Work School get their remote work from their network, me, groups, direct messages, etc. 

[33;17] If you are only using job platforms and hearing crickets, then here are some possible issues: Your resume may not be optimized, you might not be on LinkedIn, or not seeing enough jobs or clients. 

[33:50] Let's conclude with this activity that sets us up for Part 2 in this series. let's build on the skills inventory that we started, and continue building on the list we started. Think about 2-3 up to 10 or more. Now brainstorm as many skills as you can. If you feel blocked, then think about all the tasks you've done in the last few days . They don't have to be related to work. Look at each of those and pull one skill out of them. 

[35:35] For Part 2 I will go deeper into resumes, LinkedIn and then I share real-world case studies. Part 3 I will talk about Pricing. I will show you how to take the skill sets you already have to create multiple income streams from the same skill sets without working more hours.

 If you have any questions  Click here to DM on Instagram.

Looking for more inspirational ideas? Sign up for my free training:

How To Get Remote Work Tp Have A Flexible Lifestyle (Without Running Out of Money), https://www.camilleattell.com/remote-training

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