CJ'ers Share Their WFH Spaces: Volume Two

Hello from home...again! 

Well, we've now lost count of how many weeks it's been (what day is it?). Curious to know where we're working these days? CJ'ers across our global offices were kind enough to share a peek.

Corinne Travis, Director, Influencer & Brand Partnerships, Westborough, MA

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? TRYING.

What does a typical WFH day look like for you? Do you have a set routine that helps you focus? Sort of! I get up and get ready as if I'm going to work. The consistent AM routine provides some normalcy but also gets my mind right for the day. I always log on before my kiddos wake up to get some work in. But from there it looks different every day. I try to take breaks around mealtimes to be with my kids and I also may need to step away from work to help my kindergartner with school or occupy my toddler. Putting my kindergartner on a schedule helped a lot, but a toddler throws a wrench in the system :)

Tell us more about what your "set-up" looks like! I started out at the dining room table but quickly learned I needed my own space with a door to close. I now have a desk in a spare room where I tried to infuse positivity—white boards filled with positive messages, a salt lamp, plants, natural light, etc.

What's the best part about working from home? No commute!

What's one thing you now know you took for granted about working in an office? Total quiet.

Alex Quevedo, Director, Support Operations, Santa Barbara, CA

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Relentless.

Any funny or embarrassing WFH anecdotes you're willing to share? Since I have such a great view of our backyard, I see plenty of birds flying by. Recently, a mosquito was flying around... until a bird swooped in and got a snack out of it. That was BRUTAL NATURE.

What's the best part about working from home? I've enjoyed having more inspiration to keep up my fitness. Throughout the day, I've found more ways to keep moving (even if it's an Instagram push up challenge...), drink even more water, and get going on post-work runs even faster.

What's one thing you now know you took for granted about working in an office? With so many people needing to work from home, it's overloading the Internet resources in my area and making Skype or Teams calls harder to have. I may never complain about Skype/Teams connections issues in the office again (for at least 1 week once we get back).

What's one thing that brightens your day while working from home? My wife and I have separate workstations in the house, which helps split up our days, but being able to pop in and see each other throughout the day is an absolute bright spot.

Talia Wun-Young, Client Partnerships Manager, New York, NY

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Zen.

What does a typical WFH day look like for you? Do you have a set routine that helps you focus?  A typical morning starts with a smoothie and yogurt and some lo-fi/future bass beats. I like to start the day going through email and putting together a to-do list. Every day is slightly different, but I like to video chat with my coworkers throughout the day to stay connected and talk through action items. Open communication is incredibly important!

What's your favorite WFH snack? BarkThins snacking chocolate or celery and ranch!

What's one tip that you'd share with others who are working from home for the first time? Don't be afraid to pick up the phone or turn on video—human connection is key and you may get to see some surprise pet guests!

What's one thing that brightens your day while working from home? I've surrounded my WFH space with flowers, succulents, and assorted plants. Definitely nice to have a nature-y feel from my "office".

Owen Kauppila, Sr. Key Client Development Manager, Munich, Germany

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Resourceful.

What does a typical WFH day look like for you? Do you have a set routine that helps you focus? A lot of people roll their eyes at this, but I've given myself the lofty goal of wearing jeans every day. I know...it's not cozy, but it helps me maintain the work mindset, especially during this extended WFH period. Aside from that, my day always kicks off with some tea while I organize my emails, and always ends by building a to-do list for the next day.

What's the best part about working from home? The sheer ability to multitask and be hyper-productive with minimal distractions.

How do you spend your lunch break? My apartment in Munich is pretty small so I try to spend time on the balcony as much as possible if the weather permits. A lunch break stroll is often needed to help clear my mind and get the creative juices flowing.

What's one tip that you'd share with others who are working from home for the first time? Make a daily to-do list and stick to it. There's nothing more satisfying than crossing things off your list for the day and being able to see your level of productivity given the new circumstances. It's easy to feel overwhelmed with the change of work environment, so I find it helpful to keep organization as a top priority while WFH.

Neelima Bhujel, Client Service Analyst, Bangalore, India

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Connected.

Tell us more about what your "set-up" looks like! I have a specific office area set up with a table and a comfortable chair. Since I like to keep my things organized, I keep all the things necessary near me for easy access like water, diary, pen, and most importantly...hand  sanitizer.

Any funny or embarrassing WFH anecdotes you're willing to share? Once I was on video call with my team and suddenly my MOM came inside the room and stood next to me for almost one minute and I was like...mom, please go.

How do you spend your lunch break? I love cooking so I cook a nice meal for my whole family to have lunch together.

What's your favorite WFH snack? Nachos!

Nicole Ron, VP, Marketing & Business Systems, Santa Barbara, CA

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Resourceful.

What does a typical WFH day look like for you? Do you have a set routine that helps you focus? I try to mimic my standard routine as much as possible. The only deviation from my standard workday is that I now take a lunch break to hang out with my daughter while our child caregiver takes a break. Now that I've settled into a WFH space, it's a really nice added benefit to being at home!

Tell us more about what your "set-up" looks like! Both my husband and I are working from home and we don't have a dedicated office space. We also can't use any of the common areas to work from since my daughter and her caregiver use that space. I've set up a "workspace" in our spare bedroom that I constructed from TV trays and a nightstand. It gets the job done and it's way better than working from the bed like I did the first week at home!

What's the best part about working from home? Getting to see my daughter more often. She's ten months old and learns more and more every day. I get to see more of her daily learning and even got to see her take her first step!

What's one thing you now know you took for granted about working in an office? I love seeing my team in-person and I miss that. Also, my desk setup is SO MUCH BETTER at work.

Blair Birmingham, Client Development Director, London, England (WFH in Atlanta, GA)

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Borderless.

What's the best part about working from home? By far, seeing my family. My husband and I came to Atlanta to visit family in early March and got stuck here due to flight cancellations when the travel bans started. We’re now quarantined in a home with my parents, sister, and two-year-old nephew (who loves to make cameos on my video calls!). It’s been a blessing in disguise, and quite a silver lining to this difficult situation.

Tell us more about what your "set-up" looks like! I find a new spot to work from every day, and sometimes multiple times a day. My favorite spot so far is the porch swing!

How do you spend your lunch break? Since I’m working UK hours from the US, my mealtimes are a bit screwy. Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed joining the CJ London team for their virtual lunch a few times a week just to see everyone’s faces! 

Any funny or embarrassing WFH anecdotes you're willing to share? Most days I only dress for the camera, meaning that while I look ready for the day on my top half, I’m usually sporting pajama bottoms!

What's one thing that brightens your day while working from home? Getting snuggles from my family dog, Charlie. He manages to find me each day, regardless of where in the house I’m working from. He’s also pushed his way into several video conferences to say hello!

Zoë Pedziwiatr, Sr. Content Marketing Manager, Santa Barbara, CA

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Upbeat.

Tell us more about what your "set-up" looks like! I set up my monitor and stuff on my dining room table every morning next to a sunny window. After work is done, I put it all away in the window seat so I don't have to look at it and I can have a separation between normal home life and work. Once in a while, I take calls laying on my bed or couch to mix things up.

Any WFH challenges? How do you deal with them? The monotony of being at home 24/7 can be a lot. I try to get outside as much as possible and take advantage of "tiny joys" that I aren’t available to me in the office (popsicle break at 3pm?!? OK!) Also, my two cats can be loud and annoying. Sometimes they get into fights and I have to separate them into different rooms. Headphones and Spotify keep me focused.

How do you spend your lunch break? I make lunch and eat in my backyard! My spoiled indoor cats come with me for some supervised outdoor playtime so they can chase bugs and lizards and get all their wiggles out. While I'm out there I also read, catch up on Instagram, or play a game on my phone.

What's your favorite WFH snack? Exactly three Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups. And sparkling water from my SodaStream that's been getting a lot more use lately.

What's one thing you now know you took for granted about working in an office? Ice-cold filtered water with the push of a button. Constantly refilling a Brita pitcher is the pits.

Nancy Kim, Director, Data Science & Analytics, Santa Barbara, CA

If you could describe your WFH self in ONE WORD, what would it be? Organized chaos (I know, that's two words).

What's the best part about working from home? I get to see and be with my family all day. I can't express how grateful I am to have such a supportive husband who never hesitates to grab the kids for an outing if I need to get work done. My kids are little (two and six years old) so they still think my husband and I are "cool". While they're not thrilled about being cooped indoors, they do love all the extra family time.

Any WFH challenges? How do you deal with them? Turning off 24-hour work mode. Because I have child-caring obligations during the day, I try to "catch up" in the morning and at night when the kids are still asleep. I've been making a conscious effort to leave my workstation and get some exercise to decompress before bedtime.

What's your favorite WFH snack? Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Caramels!

What's one thing that brightens your day while working from home? Knowing my team is here to support me and vice versa—can’t ask for better colleagues!

Charles Murelius, Country Manager, CJ Nordics, Stockholm, Sweden

What does a typical WFH day look like for you? Do you have a set routine that helps you focus? I'm an every other week dad, so weeks with kids start early with a visit to the gym or a walk around the lake nearby after I drop off my daughter at school. I try to make sure to get a real break from things and get out for a take-away coffee during the day.

Tell us more about what your "set-up" looks like! My small office space has for a long time been a place to store bills and post. Today it is one of my favorite places. And I enjoy the fact that the wall behind me makes a personal and interesting backdrop during video calls. My "cubicle" is my desk, but I also use the sofa in the living room that has more daylight when making video calls.

What's the best part about working from home? I am in reality not a "WFH" person. I get restless and miss the interaction. The only good part about being at home is staying safe.

What's one tip that you'd share with others who are working from home for the first time? One thing that I make a point of, that I would recommend all my colleagues to do, is to "keep up appearances"—look your best! Even if it is only for your own benefit. Dressing appropriately will keep you business focused and show that you still mean business.

What's one thing that brightens your day while working from home? Music and a short walk when the sun is shining.