OH-SO Digital’s Post

We're witnessing a massive shift towards remote work. Businesses are closing offices and going online. Not me... I'm doing the opposite. Don't get me wrong. I'm a massive advocate of distributed teams. SEO Sherpa - Global Best Large SEO Agency 2023 has been remote-first since we launched in 2012. Currently, 60% of our 55-strong team is remote, and right now we're hiring for ten more remote positions. But while remote has its positives: - Larger talent pool - Lower cost-base - Better output - Convenience It also has its negatives: - Less human connection - Harder to affect culture - Far less innovation The solution? Create a team so good they want to meet in person and give them a physical space that exceeds any setup they could create at home. That way, they get the best of both worlds, and the agency continues to drive culture and innovation in a manner thats WAY more challenging in an exclusively remote setup. I'm betting on our new space being a competitive advantage. Let's see how it plays out. Either way, I can't wait to show you the new SEO Sherpa office when it's finished.

It has been 1 month and 9 days since I sold everything I owned and moved with my wife and business partner to New York. While I made no official announcements, our Instagrams offered a few hints to the world. Since then, many of our clients have reached out asking: Is Imagine This still operating in the UK and Europe? I’m here to set the record straight. Having just celebrated my first 4th of July in the US, it made me realise why I made the move. Imagine This was founded with a core principle in mind: to provide our team with ultimate freedom and flexibility. Our model is simple….work where you want, when you want, with one golden rule: when work calls, you answer. This philosophy has allowed our management team to span across New York, London, Cape Town, Boston, and Los Angeles, while our talented roster extends to every corner of the globe, from the usual film hubs to the more unique locations such as Napa Valley to Singapore. With no fixed office we have experienced some challenges sure… we’ve had our fair share of dodgy café Wi-Fi and hotspot nightmares. But honestly, the pros are massive. No pricey office leases mean we can spend more on what matters. We get to design our work lives around our personal lives. It's not just a smart business move; it’s about keeping our team happy and productive. Being global by nature has allowed us to shop in any market for talent, not limiting us to hires from our home towns. Imagine This is made up of some of the best and brightest from around the globe. Another unexpected but interesting benefit of our global presence is the rich cultural diversity it brings when hiring outside of your bubble. While our vision was always to be a multidisciplinary roster, the cultural diversity we are experiencing has profoundly enhanced our creative vision and company culture. But we can still do more…We are looking to bring on a part time executive assistant to work across a number of company wide projects. The role is open to anyone in the world. On a personal note, running Imagine This Creative Studio feels like being at the helm of something genuinely new and exciting. It’s a fresh, evolutionary step in the production model. So, to all our lovely clients and partners in the UK and Europe, don’t worry, Imagine This is alive and kicking in your neck of the woods.

Two weeks ago we walked into our office and discovered that we had run out of space. We got creative and re-arranged things so we could squeeze the whole team in. Bad planning aside, it was a reminder of two important things: 1. As a start-up we constantly feel like things are going too slowly. We're always looking to speed up, get our products built faster, make more sales and build our team. Then suddenly one day you realise things are, in fact moving very quickly, and those new customers and employees show up! Sometimes it's worth stopping for a moment to reflect on what we've built so far, before diving into the next thing! 2. More and more our teams want to be together in the office. It was a big adjustment when we put in our 2-day in-office policy, but now the office is choc-a-block most days. We love learning new things, and increasingly, we're realising that being in the same room makes that much quicker. Watch this space for a new Jem office very soon!

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫? This is the motto of many companies worldwide now forcing their staff back to the office. The goal: to take back more control. But does it work? 🤔 𝐈’𝐦 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡! I believe in flexibility, not force. At OUTFITTERY, we therefore take a different approach. While we maintain our commitment to being a remote-first organization providing freedom and flexibility, we also believe in the power of coming together as a team in person. We have therefore yesterday opened our brand new community hub in Berlin! Our new office is designed for collaboration. With big open spaces, seating areas, and the heart of our company (the kitchen!), it invites us to be creative together and interact with each other. Another bonus: breakfast, snacks, etc. are on us! 🥞☕ Personally, I believe that it's not about forcing people, but rather convincing them. We endeavor to unite individuals because, from my perspective, it presents two profoundly significant benefits: #Teamwork: Gathering in person at consistent intervals plays a crucial role in fostering community and enhancing collaboration both within and across teams. #Creativity & #Strategy: While many people can handle everyday tasks more efficiently and effectively from their home-office, we have found that particularly creative and strategic tasks are more easily accomplished when we come together in person. Working together as a team should be fun – that's the most important thing! What type are you? Team home office, office lover, or a mix of the two? #Office #Workplace #Companyculture #Homeoffice

Hey everyone! Ever heard of oobleck? It's this fascinating slimey substance that has some surprisingly useful lessons for us in the workplace. Just like oobleck's ability to go from solid to liquid in a flash, our office vibes can change faster than you can say "team meeting." Sometimes we're all about structure and deadlines, and other times we're flowing with creativity and teamwork. In the hustle and bustle of office life, it's easy to forget to loosen up and embrace the weird and wonderful. But oobleck's here to remind us that a little fun and flexibility can go a long way. So, let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit the magic of oobleck. As we explore its fun and fascinating properties, we'll uncover valuable lessons that can help us navigate the twists and turns of office life with ease and agility I invite you to join me for a one-on-one call where we can dive deeper into these concepts and discuss how to implement them in your work life. Let's chat about how soft skills, trust-building, diversity, and resilience can transform your office experience for the better. topmate.io/bhuvana_nakul #bhuvananakul #corporatehumaneness #bhuvananakul_ethos #FunAtWork #TeamBuilding #TrustworthyTeams #DiversityMatters #Resilience #OobleckMagic #OfficeFun

From bare walls and construction chaos to a vibrant, modern workspace that fosters creativity and productivity. Every corner tells a story of progress and transformation.   Witness how this space has evolved into a dynamic environment that inspires our team and guests alike.   #officetransformation #newofficespace #WorkspaceEvolution #companyculture #innovationhub #officedesign #businessgrowth

Just a couple of weeks into my new role, at my new company Emendo Consulting Group, and already I have had so many positive impressions, introductions and collaborations, that my fingers itch to post an update about it here. Day 1: Excellent welcome day at the Sundkaj in Copenhagen. When I entered the building, several Emendo employees that I had never met before, greeted me with enthusiasm, telling me they had heard about my arrival and were looking forward to getting to know me better. Our Office assistants were extremely well prepared: All devices for a well-functioning hybrid office setup were ready to go. Any questions I had were either immediately answered, or followed up on within a few days. Access to the right tools, sites, channels: pure clockwork. Thank you Iulia Moraru and Ida Richter! Throughout the last few weeks I experienced some very strong cultural principles: * People are taken serious as holistic intelligent professionals, and are trusted to freely apply their common sense in collaboration with each other. * No need for elaborate governance, policies, procedures, unless there is a benefit for a group of people. This means that most procedures originate bottom-up, because teams see a benefit. * Everyone applies company assets and means as they see fit, responsible and useful, without having to go through multiple approval layers. Beautifully transparent and self-regulating. * Management & information meetings are reduced to the essence, and meaningful content counts way more than the look & feel of the presentation. Nobody looks for tiny spelling or calculation mistakes, everyone looks for the essence of the message, the storyline, and if they can add value. But the best thing at Emendo so far: there is a buzz of enthusiasm, excitement and fun amongst our people, no matter which office, which online channel, or what day we meet each other. Looking forward to an amazing journey together (have to find a way to wipe that grin off my face, because it is starting to hurt 😉).

The mantra our team have lived by over the past 10 years at Hubble: “The best way to predict the future, is to create it.” My favourite thing about founding and running a business is creating new things and bringing them to the world to solve real problems— especially when those ideas come from my team. The Hubble front-line team, whether it was sales or customer support, product managers or designers - kept hearing that our customers were sick of the complexity of hybrid working. Too many surveys, too many opinions, too many battles. Our customers were just asking for the simple solution of using an office a few days a week and working remotely the rest of the week. It felt obvious to them, and they were frustrated as to why such a product didn’t exist. Complexity fails, simplicity sells. So, we went and spoke to our landlords - out of 100s, we found 5 that were willing to take a punt on providing an office part-time. That was back in June 2023, and since then, we’ve onboarded over 1,000 part-time offices across the UK. From 0%, part-time offices now make up >25% of our office enquiries. This product also helps businesses save hundreds of thousands of pounds per year or rent, whilst ensuring their team continues to be happy and productive. It brings me huge pride to see something we created out of thin air, growing so quickly and helping so many. I wouldn’t take back a single second of the time I’ve spent creating. It’s truly the biggest joy in life. What are you creating at the minute?

Is there a perfect office? We don’t believe it really is. However, we should always strive to get as close to perfection as possible. We discussed how, at Heureka Group office in Prague – Karlín in a panel discussion with Jirka Zavadil, Martina Chloupková) and Vendula Bláhová. We would like to thank all the panelists and guests for coming and creating a nice vibe. We learned that: 🙋♂️ People are unique. One size never fits all, so that is why offices today offer great variability of spaces. 📈 55% of employees consider office a collaboration hub. It should look like one. 🖥 56% of employees is ready to share desks in exchange for flexibility and a variable work environment. ✅ The basics must be right before we start thinking about cherries on the cake.  💶 Investing in quality pays off and it is part of sustainable approach. It is best to collaborate with experts. 💥 Creating great workplace experience is an ongoing process. Not only a big bang every 10 years. #workplace #betteroffice #iopartners