CHICAGO — Trade Show Executive spoke to Paul Pedrow, Vice President of Sales at Restaurant Events, about his path to remote work, tips and tricks, and more.
ANDREW: When did you first start working remotely and how were your first few months?
PAUL: I was with UBM at the time [which has since been acquired by Informa] and, due to a family situation, had to work from home. I went from working in New York City to Westchester, Pennsylvania … It took an adjustment at first.
Key for me was finding a new pattern and not feeling cooped up. You have to find an excuse to leave your house when you’re working from home — you need to go and see the outside world, because you’re not commuting.
Often, there’s also less boundaries as far as how early you’re willing to work or how late you’re willing to work, because you’re at home. That was tough for a while.
Make time to step away from your computer and create a routine. Figuring it out took me a month or two.
ANDREW: What does your schedule look like?
PAUL: It depends on the day. Some days, I start at 6:00 a.m. and end at 9:00 p.m. Some days, I work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I take it in stride.
This business can throw curveballs all over the place, however, and have you working late hours. It’s difficult to put a hard stop on anything.
I make sure to walk my dog once a day … I do it when time allows and sometimes time doesn’t allow it until the end of the day.
Also, a morning routine is key for me and I usually get ready every day as if I am going to work.
Related. Remote Work Advice from Diversified’s Devin Temple
ANDREW: How do you stay connected with your coworkers?
PAUL: That’s an interesting question, because in the trade show industry, almost everyone travels frequently. I have time on the road to connect with my team while organizing our shows.
Also, we communicate constantly through texts, phone calls and Teams. Everyone’s pretty much online any time between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
If you have something quick to ask about, it makes sense to chat on Teams. If it’s something that makes sense to talk through more, a Teams call is usually better. In meetings, we make sure that we are on camera throughout the day.
Everyone on our team uses these tools a little bit differently and we adapt and figure one another out.
ANDREW: What are your dos and don’ts for remote work?
PAUL: Keep your space clean. Also, to the extent that you can, create a workspace that you can leave.
I might stay in my office for 10 hours one day, but when I leave and close the door, I can shut that part out and transition from work to my personal life. That’s pretty valuable.
Get into a routine and make sure to go outside, because you can get stuck and, suddenly, have five to six days where it feels like you haven’t stood up.
It’s vital to stand up and move around because, working remotely, it’s easy to stay put.
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