It's snowing outside and the roads are an absolute mess. Do you dare venture out, even for work? For many commuters out there, that's a winter reality.
That's not the case for Kurt Mensching, a writer and editor who focuses most of his time working for a company known as Vox Media. There, Kurt is an editor with Vox's SBNation, a rapidly-growing website dedicated to sports. If that weren't enough, he's also the editor of the popular Detroit Tigers-based Bless You Boys blog and he writes a weekly column for the Detroit News about the Tigers.
Kurt has been blogging since 2006, despite having a full-time job as a journalist at that point, and fully immersed himself in an at-home work environment in 2012 when he turned his focus to SBNation, primarily.
Working from home has some definite upsides, says Kurt.
"My dog is always next to me," he said. "You can't have that in most offices. And work can be stressful. Having my best friend there to pet or to tell things to is kind of nice.
"Second is the dress code. I wear what I want! I'm not a slob. But I also don't like going around in a tie and collar, either. Wearing shorts in summer, track pants or whatever in winter, it's nice. You're comfortable."
Of course, it's not all joy and fun and laughter, either. Even with his best friend at his side, Kurt says he still finds himself missing the company of co-workers now and then.
"You're not really out around other people as much, especially when you work as many hours as I do," he says. "You need to be around people, I think, to have that real face-to-face interaction, and it's not possible (from home)."
Another Upper-Peninsula-based at-home worker agrees. Aileen not only runs her own marketing consulting business from her home, but she also stacks on the responsibility of home schooling her teenage son.
"I have to be strict on when I need to get anything done for a client," she says. "That can make the home schooling a juggling act, but it also can take away from my own projects I am working on at any given time."
Aileen says working from home without the structure of a 40-hour work week can take a lot out of her if she's not careful, draining her energy and making it difficult to move on to the next demanding project.
"It can be a frustrating balancing act, but I'm currently working on healthy ways to create more energy, which will no doubt have a positive impact on my energy levels, allowing me to get more done," she said.
Aileen isn't complaining, mind you. She truly does love working at home, despite the oft-crazy hours it demands.
"My favorite thing is the easiness of the schedule, though the hours can be long," she says. "I am my own boss, and I love it."
Working from home isn't for everyone--especially those who aren't very good at self starting or who don't enjoy work weeks that stretch into 50 or 60 hours regularly, and sometimes even more.
Kurt's work week varies, as does that of many freelancers. During baseball season, he's often found working over his morning cup of coffee thanks to his very portable tablet, and not long after that's done he sits down and starts writing and editing until early afternoon when he forces himself to take a break. Once that's done, his work often stretches into the early morning hours.
"(You do) whatever it takes to get it done," he says of working until 3 a.m. some nights. "I try to fall asleep by 3:30."
Even when he's not actively at a computer writing or editing, Kurt is communicating via chat or email, even over lunch and dinner "breaks."
"I do try to create some separation between work hours and non-work hours, but on weekdays that's really hard," he says.
Aileen says she, too, has to stay extra diligent when it comes to keeping work and non-work hours apart.
"I have to admit my work time can easily creep into and overtake my free time, so I have to put extra effort into being disciplined so I can get things I want done," she says. "I don’t know if I always succeed, but setting timers can be a great way to create boundaries. Having dogs helps, too, as they make me remember to have fun daily."
But Kurt says he has no real interest in trading his current profession for one that requires him to show up at an office anytime soon. Beyond being his own boss, regulating his own hours and avoiding the snow-covered commutes, he can also step outside and take a deep breath anytime he needs--and he gets to work with some of the hottest up-and-coming companies in the country despite being geographically distant from the home offices.
"I feel fortunate to work with Vox Media and SB Nation," he said. "It's really fun to be surrounded by so much talent and to work for a company that is constantly held up for doing things the right way and for being one of the hottest Internet media companies. It's a really exciting time for us and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. That I can do it and still walk out my door and be on a Lake Superior beach after just a 10 minute walk is a real treat that I know most people are not fortunate enough to have."
Sam Eggleston is the managing editor of U.P. Second Wave. He was born and raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and can often be found lounging in his pajamas while communicating with his virtual coworkers at the start of the day. Eggleston can be reached via email.
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