Working Alone Doesn't Have To Be Lonely

Sometimes I take things for granted. For instance, while many have been adapting to working alone, I've been happy as a pig in sh*t. You might think this is because I've been working at home for 15 years, so I'm used to it. Sure, that's part of it. But... I don't always work alone even though I'm at home.

A recent comment in MyRevenueRoom reminded me that working at home has never been lonely for me. And it's because of the telephone.

One of my best friends lives in rural Saskatchewan. We used to work for the same company, me in Toronto and Danielle in Regina. Our 25-year friendship has always been based on phone calls.

Now we both do marketing work from home, sometimes collaborating, and we continue to talk (sometimes for hours) almost every day. And we're not just chit-chatting (although there's some of that) - we work together as if we share an office.

Danielle might say, "What do you think of this idea?" and I might say, "What if you did this instead?" I might say, "Can you think of a better way to say this?" and she might say, "Why the heck are you even saying that?" Sometimes I say, "Just give me a minute to finish this." She puts me on hold while she takes client calls. We share giggles about our own mistakes and, yes, sometimes others' mistakes. We congratulate each other with ooohs and aaahs when one of us does something new or spectacular. And often, there are long silences as we both tap away on our computers.

Our businesses and our clients benefit immensely. We learn from each other, we support each other, and we're social... even though we work alone.

If you're new to working at home and find it lonely, consider recruiting a colleague you can "work with" by phone.

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