WorkShift, a future of work blog by Stadium

From College to Working From Anywhere

When talking to friends, family, and acquaintances about what I do and where I work, I simply tell them, “I sell snacks”. If people want to press further, then I’ll speak more in- depth about my roles and responsibilities but my favorite question is: 

“Where is your office?”

“I work from home.”

“Yeah but where are you based and when does your company plan on going back to the office?

“We don’t have an office, so there’s no office to go back to.”

The fact that we don’t have a central location (outside from our NY distribution warehouse) is very strange to most people. There are countless companies that have remote/hybrid roles nowadays but since SnackMagic/Stadium started at the onset of the pandemic, everyone began their roles in their living rooms, home offices, and beds. As someone who started their career at SnackMagic straight out of college, this WFH model was something I had been used to since April 2020 when all my courses at university were switched to virtual. It has its pros and cons, but for me, the pros of a work from anywhere model far outweigh the cons. Especially in a company that encourages autonomy and independent thinking.

I never feel restricted in my job–I am based in New Jersey and have been living with my parents for a year. Just a post grad saving up to move to Philadelphia. Again, the conversation I have with people about this is always the same:

“Oh, so you’re moving to Philly for work?”

“No, I work remotely.”

An employee's remote work setup working from anywhere.
Nick’s work setup

“Then why are you moving to Philly?”

“Why not?”

The beauty of the new Work From Anywhere model is the nuance of not having to make a major life change like moving across the country to start your job. I was given the opportunity to work remotely, allowing me to move back home after college and save up money, not being restricted geographically by a job. I mean Philly is just a state over from me, but it is solely my decision to move there.

Working for SnackMagic has been a blessing. From my coworkers to our culture, I feel included and try to project that feeling for all new employees. We all work towards the goal of making the company as big as it can get and are not restricted to one area. I work closely with people in California, Illinois, Montana, India, Spain, South Africa and so many other places all while in the comfort of my home. 

There’s something amazing about the idea that, as long as I have my 13” Macbook with me, I can get paid to work with great people and sell a great product. Location in the future of work is arbitrary.

– Nick Novoa

Nicole McCabe, a VP at SAP said it best when it comes to finding talent for your company: “If you are not limited by a specific office location, you can look anywhere in the country or anywhere on the globe.” 

That’s the beauty of our company. We aren’t restricted by conventional geographic restrictions. We are able to find the best and brightest people, from anywhere they reside, eager to work at a rapid growing startup. We all come from different backgrounds, religions, countries, families. Most of us have only ever seen each other from our shoulders and up in our zoom calls. But we still wake up every day with the collective goal and meaning to make our company the greatest it can be. I’m glad to say that I love my job and everyone I have had the pleasure to work with.

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