What My Kids Have Taught Me About Working From Home
Candy and Legos aren't the only things certain small people have brought to my architecture business
At the beginning of this year, I closed up my office space downtown and moved my architecture practice into the sunporch of my house. I'd been hitting the pavement to drum up work for the previous few years, and I was beginning to crack from the stress. So I closed up shop, took my toys and went home. I started thinking of myself as a working father first and a businessman second, third or maybe ninth. I wanted to work closer to my family. I wanted to meet my boys at the school bus every day. I wanted to go to their soccer practices and piano lessons and gymnastics classes and hip-hop dance classes. (Can you imagine a work of architecture more awesome than a room full of 8-year-olds dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller"? I don't think you can.)
So now I work at home. And I put my cell phone in my pocket and take off with the kids whenever they need me. My "office" is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the boys are in school, and then it reopens from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., after they go bed.
I can honestly say, this is the best job I've ever had. And so far my kids have taught me a lot about how to really run a business. Here's what I've learned.
So now I work at home. And I put my cell phone in my pocket and take off with the kids whenever they need me. My "office" is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the boys are in school, and then it reopens from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., after they go bed.
I can honestly say, this is the best job I've ever had. And so far my kids have taught me a lot about how to really run a business. Here's what I've learned.
Besides, when I tell them I'm really designing an evil lair, they're almost young enough to still believe me.