Sarah Archer is the Content Marketing Manager at Anyplace, a marketplace that allows people to secure flexible-term furnished housing rentals.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I kicked off my career working for a PR agency where I managed outreach, supported rebrands, and planned events for Fortune 500 brands.
After a couple of years in PR, my background in pitching the media helped me land a role at Siege Media, a content marketing and SEO agency in San Diego, CA. I spent four years leading content strategy and outreach for nearly 20 different brands. Within that time, I sat down with the CEO and pitched working remotely full-time — he approved and I haven’t stepped into an office ever since.
Tapping my experience in content marketing and as a remote worker, now I’m a Content Marketing Manager at Anyplace, a housing marketplace geared towards remote workers and digital nomads. We make it easier for people to live and work where they want when they want — something I’m a huge advocate for myself.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
No day is the same working at a startup and that’s something I love about my current role. I’m one of two marketers at Anyplace, so that means we manage the whole gamut of marketing activities: an affiliate program, remote work and digital nomad community, content marketing and SEO efforts, social media, advertising, perks program, and more.
Four things that remain the same across every workday are working out, coffee, documentation, and project management. I almost always start my day with a workout (online HIIT workouts are my favorite!) followed by a cold brew or hot cup of joe. Then I sign on and start my work day.
I begin by prioritizing my tasks on Asana, our preferred project management platform. I’ll shape my week around projects that will make the most impact on our company-wide OKRs and our developer’s schedule so we can strategically fit priority projects in the next sprint.
Additionally, I write everything down in Notion, our hub for documentation. Being a small team, it’s so important to build out a centralized place where we keep track of progress, record processes, and share any learnings. Not only will it help us keep track of each project, but it will make onboarding that much easier as our team grows.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Yes! Anyplace is a distributed company, so everyone works remotely from all around the world. I feel lucky to be part of a team that’s fully in support of my digital nomad lifestyle since I sign on from a different timezone every six months or so.
I love the flexibility because it allows me to get my best work down from anywhere in the world. That means I can network with fellow remote workers in various coworking or co-living spaces, as well as explore new places during my free time.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
To me, work-life balance means putting energy into my career while also making a conscious effort to make time for my personal life. It’s easy to feel burned out if you work long hours or constantly think about work projects during your free time.
I avoid this by doing the things that make me happy, which are being outdoors like hiking, biking, exploring a new city, and more. I try to stick to a hard-stop work hour and plan evening or weekend activities that make me happy.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
When the pandemic hit, old routines went out the window for most people. When workouts went from in-person to online, restaurants closed, and meetups were postponed indefinitely, I realized that I had to be more deliberate when it came to getting outside.
So in addition to my workout routine, I make sure to get outside and go for a walk every day. Since the time has changed and there are hours of daylight after work hours, I’ll usually take a walk for an hour or so when I sign off. The fresh air makes a huge difference in my mood and overall productivity.
6) Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
The two podcasts that I religiously listen to are How I Built This with Guy Raz and About Abroad by Chase Warrington. How I Built This dives into the backstories of some of the world’s most successful companies — even if you’re not on an entrepreneurial journey, it helps you think differently about how companies started and stood out, including their failures and successes.
In About Abroad, Chase Warrington, an American expat in Spain, interviews other expats and digital nomads about their lifestyles and what they think about the future of work. You learn a lot about what it’s like to live in different countries around the world and other people’s journeys to location independence.
On another note, I recently signed up for Some Good Content on Patreon where John Bonini shares expert advice on managing content marketing and SEO — his tips are actionable, understandable, and go beyond any other guides I’ve read.
7) Are there any products, gadgets, or apps that you can’t live without?
Notion is my best friend! I document everything, in my professional and personal life. It keeps me sane and organized. I also like App in the Air to manage my miles across airlines and organize boarding passes.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
I’d love to read more interviews about work-life balance from parents. I give so much credit to leaders who are able to balance their family life and business and think there’s a lot to learn from those who can do that successfully.
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