Working at home has loads of well-documented benefits, but the best perk for many people is spending extra time with the family, something that Charlotte Cawthon, an Ambassador at Activus Connect, values immensely.
Charlotte lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has fully embraced the work-at-home lifestyle. Her role as an Ambassador has allowed her to plan her day around her ten-year-old twins, giving her time to take them to school, pick them up, cook, clean, and be there for them whenever they need her.
“My job at Activus has enabled me to be a stay-at-home mom while earning money and having a full-time career, which is really amazing,” she says. “During the pandemic, the twins have been attending an online school at home, so I’ve been able to help them with their work and education whenever they need me. Name one office job where that would be possible.”
Work-at-Home Background
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, Charlotte had plenty of experience working from home. She completed her master’s degree online while raising the twins and worked for mystery shopping company A Closer Look for nearly five years, where she edited shopping reports from home.
In November 2019, Charlotte was tasked with piloting A Closer Look’s editing program at Activus Connect, when she officially became an Ambassador. Since then, her role has continued to expand into recruitment and different campaigns, resulting in a diverse job that keeps her challenged and motivated.
“Activus has been providing plenty of work, despite the pandemic,” says Charlotte. “The ability to make some money during this time of uncertainty has been really encouraging.”
Charlotte has a bachelor’s degree in biology and aspires to work at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Before the twins arrived, she spent some time teaching and preparing for her Master’s degree, which she finished when the twins turned two years old. Her Master’s was in education with an emphasis on learning in technology, giving her knowledge that she is now utilizing in her role at Activus.
Day in the Life
Charlotte’s workday starts a little before 7 AM when she logs on to check which Ambassadors are online and on shift. With those numbers, she sends out her first report of the day to the leadership team.
“I’ll keep on top of that every hour to make sure people are on task and not goofing off,” she laughs. “I’ll also spend time adding new categories and metrics to the report, showing deeper insights into our growing workforce.”
Charlotte is one of four subject matter experts on her current project, so she’s always on-hand to answer questions that other Ambassadors may have. On top of that, she is helping with recruiting, processing interviews, and bringing on additional Ambassadors to support the project.
“Sometimes adjusting to different campaigns can be a challenge, but not a difficult one,” she says. “Some campaigns have set hours while others have flexible hours, so it just requires a little adapting on your part. Still, when it comes down to the choice of working set hours in an office or at home, I’d go with work-at-home every time.”
Second Family
Aside from the perks of spending time with her own family, Charlotte has grown close to her extended Activus Connect family since she became an Ambassador.
“I loved working at A Closer Look because it felt like a family, and I didn’t think that I would find that anywhere else,” she says. “When I first started with Activus I didn’t know what the work culture and environment would be like, but after just a few months it became a hugely positive part of my life. Some of the bonds that I’ve formed with other Ambassadors at Activus have been life-changing and they will last a lifetime. It makes coming to work so much better.”
One of Charlotte’s favorite aspects of being an Ambassador is how easy it is to reach out to the CEO and management team, something she says is next to impossible at large corporations.
“Whenever I speak with Felix or any of the managers, they always check in with you personally and make sure you don’t feel like just another number,” she explains. “The team at Activus cares about their Ambassadors and want them to do well, so the environment is always so positive and so welcoming.”
Joining the Team
For new Ambassadors, Charlotte has a few tips for feeling less isolated and being more productive.
“I have a very loud dog who likes to bark whenever the neighbor’s dog gets rowdy, which can get pretty aggravating when I’m on the phone, so the first thing I did was to set up a quiet space where I can close the door, ignore the dogs, and get down to the task at hand,” she recalls.
Charlotte’s second tip is to share your work hours with family, so they know when you’re unavailable. While this can sometimes feel isolating, Ambassadors can participate in chat rooms, reach out to other people at Activus, and should engage with other Ambassadors as much as possible. As Charlotte says, “everyone is there to help you and make you feel part of the company”.
Any final thoughts, Charlotte?
“You never know where you’re going to end up, but somehow the stars aligned, and I found Activus. I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to learn and grow with Activus in a work-at-home, SmartVirtual™ setting. I’ve expanded my skill set, made lifelong friends, and had the flexibility to be there for my family 24/7. Where else could I find such amazing benefits?”
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