On today's episode Greg & Colin chat with J.P. Michel, education innovator and founder of SparkPath. We talk about the SparkPath approach to career discovery and generally about what this time, and remote learning experiences, can teach us about education.

This interview was recorded prior to the recent Ontario education plan announcements, but we thought this would be a good time to discuss this approach to learning, since it's top of mind for so many of us. Thinking so much about what the new school year will look like is a great opportunity to think more about education and career paths.

If you have some time, we highly recommend watching J.P. Michel's TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38AcJB983TQ

Don't forget to subscribe, share and review so we can get the word out to more 'Upside Down Offic-ers'. Have a comment or idea for the show? Email us at [email protected] or visit us at www.upsidedownoffice.com. We'd love to hear from you.

In today's episode, Greg & Colin talk about Community. What does community mean during this time of crisis? What does remote work show us about our need for community?

 

Don't forget to subscribe, share and review so we can get the word out to more 'Upside Down Offic-ers'. Have a comment or idea for the show? Email us at [email protected] or visit us at www.upsidedownoffice.com. We'd love to hear from you.

An amazing conversation with Shameem Smillie, Contact Center Sales Leader at Mitel UK. Shameem has a tremendous breadth of experience in sales, particularly focused on customer experience and long-term customer relationships. We discuss the future of contact centers, sales, loyalty, and business relationships in general in a remote business-to-business environment. 

 

Don't forget to subscribe, share and review so we can get the word out to more 'Upside Down Offic-ers'. Have a comment or idea for the show? Email us at [email protected] or visit us at www.upsidedownoffice.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Now that so many people have been remote for a few months, and it looks like many will be staying that way, we wanted to discuss an important topic: Finding your Balance. Once the initial early days of forced remote work settled, and the novelty of skipping the commute and working in your PJs passes, the question becomes: how to be effective at home? There are a ton of topics for discussion in this area, and we'll explore many. For today: How to find your personal balance for what works for you in a remote work situation.

Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast so we can reach more 'Upside Down Officers'. Have a question, or suggestion for the show? Email us at [email protected] or visit us at www.upsidedownoffice.com

In today's episode Greg & Colin speak with Habib Mankal, a Microsoft MVP who helps stand up companies for remote work. While the work schedules of many slowed or even stopped during the early days of the Coronavirus shutdown, Hab's workload shot through the roof. We talked to Hab about what teams making the transition should be thinking about and what it takes to make the technical transition work.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the Remotely Prepared podcast so we can get the word out and share more remote advice and experiences. Have feedback or an idea for the show? Visit us at www.upsidedownoffice.com or email [email protected] - we'd love to hear from you!

Last week Greg & Colin had the opportunity to sit down and debrief on the Running Remote Conference with Liam Martin. Liam is the Chief Marketing Officer for both Time Doctor and Staff.com, as well as the co-organizer of the Running Remote Conference. Running Remote is normally an in-person, on-site conference. However, when the COVID crisis hit, the conference pivoted to a virtual approach, with the most recent event taking place remotely on June 17th & 18th (the week before our conversation).

Although we discussed a variety of topics, our interview with Liam was mostly focused on a behind the scenes look at what went into planning the conference. We discuss what went well, what the organizers plan to improve on, and in general the kinds of challenges and opportunities faced in creating a remote conference. If you've ever thought about setting up a virtual conference or speaker event, I would not miss this episode. A big thank you to Liam Martin for making time to have a 'Valley Boys' chat.

If you're interested in the Running Remote Conference, the next conference starts August 12th, 2020 and you can learn more at www.runningremote.com

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the Remotely Prepared podcast so we can get the word out and share more remote advice and experiences. Have feedback or an idea for the show? Visit us at www.upsidedownoffice.com or email [email protected] - we'd love to hear from you!

In today's episode, Greg & Colin talk about Building Culture in a Remote Environment. They discuss how organizations go about defining and constructing their culture with intention, and the impact this can have on making decisions during the remote situation in which many companies now find themselves.

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In today's episode, Greg and Colin talk to Andy Knight, the President of Promaxis. Promaxis is a professional services company with several channels, as well as a large physical office in Ottawa that supports their on premises training services. A great chat with Andy about the challenges of the remote transition and how they have tried to adapt. We also discuss Promaxis' approach to a phased return to work plan.

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In today's episode, Colin & Greg talk with Terry Tyo, Chief Marketing Officer of Great River Media, and author-to-be. When we spoke with Terry, we were in the early days of COVID isolation and he had been putting new effort into a creative project. We discuss his project, 'Plot Twist!', and how he has handled the remote adjustment, especially in the context of starting a creative project. When you start a creative project, it can be difficult to be self-disciplined to get things done -- even more so in a situation where we are dealing with stress and uncertainty. A great chat with Terry, and some tips on how he was able to create some structure and discipline to the project.

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A quick bonus episode for you: Greg and Colin discuss some recent announcements from companies that are extending or making permanent their remote work policies. We discuss the implications and what kinds of considerations should be at play when thinking about these transitions.

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Have an idea for the show, want to share your thoughts, or want to learn more? Visit us at www.upsidedownoffice.com or email [email protected] - we would love to hear from you!