Hello, friends! Welcome back for month 4 of my new monthly series where I will be interviewing other remote/digital nomad/work from home workers. Whether you already work remotely or are hoping to in the future, it’s great to learn from people who are doing it well. Did you miss out on previous editions. Feel free to check out Month 1, Month 2, and Month 3 interviews.
Today I have my third guest, Belen Baquerizo. Belen blogs at Hint of Life where she talks about nutrition, fitness, personal development, and career. Meet Belen…
First + Last Name
Belen Baquerizo
Hometown + Current Location
Born in Ecuador but my hometown has been Weston since the age of 11 and still is.
How long have you worked remotely?
2 years!
What did your life look like before you worked remotely?
I commuted a total of 3 hours everyday to work for a marketing agency in Miami where I was an account manager. I worked 9-6 but my day spread to 7am – 8pm. Left home at 7, came back at 8pm.
How did you learn about or decide to work remotely?
I met a girl who was doing what I do now and secretly thought to myself, “wow! what a cool job”, a year later I was working for her and six months later I was doing her job because she got promoted and I did as well. I saw it as a way to be more free with my time. Not be behind a desk all day long, see the sunlight. It felt liberating.
Describe your current work/side projects?
I currently work as a regional marketing manager for a coconut water company. So, that entails consumer facing marketing, sales relationships and brand awareness. On the side, I have an online business in the health & wellness industry. I blog about fitness and wellness and offer 1:1 and group coaching for healthy living. Healthy living in my perspective, focuses on: nutrition, fitness, personal development, career. So those are all things I work on with clients.
How many hours do you work in a typical day/week?
10
Do you have a set work schedule or does it change daily or weekly?
Changes daily and weekly. Most of the time I don’t sit down for 8 hours straight to work. So my workday can be 5 hours or it can be 8 or 10 – 14 hours in different breaks of time. if that makes sense. 2 hours here, 3 hours later, 30 minutes here and so on.
Do you have any favorite apps, tools, etc. to stay organized?
I love google calendar. I use my iphone notes ALL the time. Email. I’m pretty basic. Love my pen to paper notebooks and a real planner where I write down everything. I have different notebooks for different things though. One for personal development, one for my full time job and one for my personal business. In my planner, my to-do lists are all intertwined.
What do you like most about working remotely?
I can do many things and succeed in all of them. I’m not tied to a desk where I need to wait until 6pm to leave even though I have already finished my tasks for the day. Working remotely you have the ability to have multiple income streams, that’s the beauty of it and that’s how wealth is built.
What do you wish you had known before you started out?
I don’t have to have a set schedule. In the beginning I used to work everyday 9am – 5pm ONLY on my full time job and then work on my personal business. I was working TOO Much and not accomplishing much. Now, I have 1 to-do list and I don’t slack in either of my jobs.
How do you build community or avoid loneliness while working remotely?
Instagram DM’s are the best. That’s where the magic happens. AND joining a group you resonate with in your local community. It doesn’t have to be about work although for me it is. I joined a group of women that meets once a month to co-work together. We are all from different industries. It’s good to see other faces, to network, to market your brand, to learn. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Favorite hobbies or ways to relax?
Honestly, I love working. I read, mostly to keep learning. I love watching movies. working out is a great way to let go of stress.
Biggest struggle of working remotely?
Waking up early. I used to be a morning person but I think that’s because I was forced to wake up early to make it to work on time. Now, I find my biggest inspiration late at night sometimes.
Favorite books or podcasts?
The subtle art of not giving a fuck. Unfuck yourself. Tuesday’s with Morrie. I think all podcasts talk about the same things… sometimes I just listen to not think. When I do, I listen to girlboss, workparty, secondlife (I think everyone listen’s to these), LOVE theskinnyconfidential, yogagirl and spiritually intimate.
Connect with Belen on her blog!
Follow Belen on Social Media!
@ahintoflifeblog (instagram) @ahintoflife (facebook)
Are you a remote worker? Want to participate in this series? Click here to check it out!
