Most people only dream of the advantages and conveniences of a portable, work from home job, but Marilyn has been living that dream since early 2013, and in a big way. In seven years, she has moved roughly fourteen times for a combination of family reasons and adventure, and has managed to do it all while still keeping her job.

Life is full of surprises, but work doesn’t have to be one of them if you can score a work from home opportunity that offers freedom, flexibility, and income continuity. If this sentiment resonates with you, keep reading to hear more about Marilyn’s journey and the benefits of working from home, wherever that may be.

Marilyn’s Story, A Tale of Freedom

As a past vice president for a phone center, Marilyn was intrigued when she heard about a work opportunity at TeleReach Corporate. With a strong background in call center protocol, she knew the job would be a perfect fit and decided to attend an informational meeting about available job openings.

Shortly after she was interviewed by executive staff, Marilyn found herself to be one of the Houston office’s newest hires.

Since her first day with us, Marilyn has hands down moved more times and places during seven short years than anyone else I know. Her geographical resume simply speaks for itself:

  • January 2013: Marilyn started with TeleReach Corporate in Houston
  • June 2013: Moved to Sedona, Arizona where she admits to being so captivated by the awe-inspiring scenery, it actually made focusing on the road a bit of a challenge
  • September 2013: Moved to Chicago, Illinois to be closer to her nephew and his children, but on a trip to Houston, Marilyn met a coworker who was renting her property in Austin, Texas and became enamored with the idea of moving back to Texas again
  • March 2014: Marilyn made the move to Cedar Park, Texas near Austin
  • September 2014: After making several weekend trips to Houston from Austin, Marilyn decided it might be time to go back home to Houston
  • July 2015: She needed a change and decided to move to Boise, Idaho because it was equidistant to family members
  • September 2015: Marilyn moved to the small town of Silt, Colorado for several months to be closer to family
  • January 2016: She missed Boise and decided to return
  • September 2016: Marilyn relocated to Grand Junction, Colorado
  • 2017: Still happy with Grand Junction, Marilyn stayed in the area but found new lodging
  • 2018: Marilyn found yet another place to call home within Grand Junction
  • May 2019: She moved down south to Pensacola, Florida on a recommendation from an acquaintance who simply loved the area but did not stay
  • 2019: She couldn’t help but come back to Texas one more time
  • 2020: Today, Marilyn resides in Oregon where she moved to be closer to an ill family member

Amazing, isn’t it? It isn’t hard to see why she and I often joke that she would be voted Most Likely to Move. For a woman who loves adventure and has packing and unpacking down to an art, a constant change of scenery fed her need for adventure, and her work from home portable job made that possible.

Marilyn is not just an all-around cool person, she has been fearless in pursuing her dream of taking work on the road so she could travel as needed, whether it be for leisure or to be near family.

She committed to making her dream a reality, and you can too.

Is A Portable Work from Home Job for Me?

Do you ever have dreams of freedom and flexibility for yourself? Would you like the ability work from wherever life takes you? Does the opportunity to see different cities and experience different traditions sound appealing? Maybe it is time to make those plans a reality.

Some of the reasons people look for portable work from home opportunities can include:

  • Wanting to travel around the U.S.
  • Living in a dream home outside the city
  • Being able to spend time with family who live far away without missing work
  • Moving closer to a loved one who is sick or incapacitated

 

What Do I Need for A Portable Work from Home Job?

If any of these scenarios match one of your own, the next step is to consider if you have the skills and equipment necessary to do the job well from wherever you are.

The skill sets typically needed are as follows:

  • Motivational skills. People working from home do not have a supervisor standing directly behind them and looking over their shoulder. For this reason, people wanting to work from home must be able to motivate themselves to get the job done in a timely manner.
  • Computer proficiency skills. This generally includes easy navigation of a computer and its most widely used programs. For a portable job, it will likely require being familiar with how laptops work and assess if they will need any additional equipment such as a bigger keyboard, a mouse or a headset.
  • Good communication skills. While these are necessary in almost any job, it is essential for those working outside of the brick and mortar office. For most workers this means they must be comfortable communicating via email, phone, and attending virtual meetings.
  • Phone skills. Any time cold calling or appointment setting is a part of the job, excellent phone skills are required. This can mean active listening skills or how to build rapport over the phone without the use of body language.

The beauty of a portable job is that very few office requirements are necessary, and it should be fairly easy to transport or access from new locations. Those looking to work from home or the open road should plan to have the following items available:

  • Up to date computer or laptop
  • Excel Program
  • Microsoft Word
  • Adobe PDF Reader
  • High speed and reliable internet connection
  • Virtual meeting programs (Skype, Zoom, etc.)
  • Headset with microphone

A Word About Portable Work

Marilyn already possessed the necessary work from home skills and equipment with a substantial background. All she needed was a place to put those skills to work that would allow her the freedom of finding a place to do just that. Maybe you do too. It’s time to stop daydreaming and find a portable work from home job that lets you chase those dreams instead.

About the Author

Tracie Chancellor, CEO and Founder of TeleReach Corporate, national business to business call center specializing in sales appointment setting and lead generation, based in Houston, Texas. Chancellor is an MBA graduate of the University of Houston with over 20 years hands-on sales and marketing experience, working with privately-held businesses, universities, non-profit organizations, as well as Fortune businesses in the business to business marketing space.