The year 2020 turned everything upside down, but amidst the chaos, some positive changes emerged. Take working from home, for example. While everyone's situation is unique, I've spent the past year working remotely and only recently returned to the office downtown two days a week. Like many web developers, I've found working from home to be a blessing. In fact, going back to the office feels like more of a hindrance. I'm less productive on those days, perhaps due to the dreaded commute or waking up extra early. Honestly, I'm struggling to see the benefits of being in the office.
Like many businesses, we initially faced challenges during COVID. But as remote work became the norm, companies turned to us for help navigating the new marketing landscape. This led to growth for Bunn Brands, allowing us to expand our services and invest in new resources. We even secured a larger office space, hoping for a collaborative environment post-pandemic.
However, I wasn't truly listening to my team. Everyone, including myself, preferred to work remotely. With productivity remaining high, we eventually closed the office after six months and embraced a fully remote model. This required reinvesting in project management systems, calendars, and ticketing tools to support a distributed team that could work whenever and wherever they wanted. It's been an amazing shift, and I hope more companies embrace the potential of remote work.
During 2020, Brittany was pregnant, navigating the transition between office and remote work. While there were some COVID scares at her office, thankfully everyone recovered, and Brittany remained healthy. Our son was born in December 2020, and he's spent most of his first year at home or with my in-laws. We've recently started venturing out more, and William enjoys "people watching," though he's still a bit hesitant around strangers. I hope to increase his social interactions in the coming years, but I'm also determined to maintain the freedom and flexibility of this new remote world.
My hope is that we embrace a more agile and fluid approach to work, where priorities and deadlines matter more than rigid schedules and office presence. I'm far more productive when I have autonomy and trust. When I find the right people and give them that trust, they thrive. Trust should be freely given and only revoked when someone proves untrustworthy. This approach allows us to fill the gaps in our workforce as the economy and job market evolve.
