Nike Headquarters
Day two working remote from Portland…and quite a change in scenery. If you are following this blog, day one I worked out of my boyfriend’s (Stephen) house in Portland. Today, I thought I would try working from the Nike world headquarters in Beaverton, OR, where Stephen currently works. I was equipped with my PC, mobile phone and my two headsets that travel with me – the Voyager PRO UC and Blackwire 420. For me, these provide the perfect combination for working remote.
It’s hard to ignore the spectacular campus at Nike, a dream for any sports enthusiast. Employees can take a long lunch break to play soccer, volleyball, basketball, swim, rock climb…you name the sport and you can probably make it happen on the Nike Campus. There are some 3,000 employees at the world headquarters and every building is named after a famous sports personality like Jerry Rice and Lance Armstrong. Their campus includes a lake, pond, river, child day care and the most exciting part for me – famous sports figures/celebrities visit frequently. I was naively hoping to see Mia Hamm or Michael Jordan.
Once Stephen was able to peal me away from admiring the putting green with sand flown in from Augusta (where the Masters tournament is held), he brought me to what he thought would be the perfect place for me to work, one of their cafes with lots of windows and room to spread out. Little did he know, Kobe Bryant just happened to be in that same café! He was on Nike Radio answering Nike employee’s questions and recapping his tour of Asia. Needless to say, I was a bit distracted. I opted to be a “lookie-loo” for a few minutes and then chose a table in the upper level of the café, equipped with lots of natural light and power outlets. It was a perfect time to move because I had to jump on a 10:00am conference call and was dialing in from my PC. I put on my VPRO UC for audio and connected through their wireless network (in case something was projected on screen) and the rest was a breeze. After my meeting was over I had make a personal call (of course to tell my family I just saw Kobe, I think you would do the same).
With my senses overloaded at Nike, I decided to work from a nearby Panera Bread in the afternoon. I learned pretty quickly that while Panera does have a delicious Cinnamon Crunch bagel and quite tasty coffee, the noise level and close quarters to fellow customers make it a less than desirable working environment. To top it off, the internet connection was touch-and-go for awhile. I was afraid to even touch my computer, as if one wrong tilt and the internet status icon would roll off my computer screen like a run-away cheerio. The upside of things? I was still able to join the conference calls I had scheduled (even if my connection was a bit shaky) and with my Blackwire 420 corded headset, the noise level didn’t have much of an effect on my overall productivity. Panera Bread – good food, warm and toasty, but not ideal for working. I would instead allocate time there to study or read, nothing that requires a solid and dependable internet connection.
My day working from Nike and Panera Bread varied greatly from my “average” work day here at Plantronics. To me, the best thing about working remote is the fact that it’s even possible! I am lucky to be able to try out our UC products to find the perfect fit for me. VPRO UC is great for use on-the-go with my mobile phone or even laptop for PC calls and the Blackwire 420 is my go to option for when I’m stationary in a loud environment and need to make PC calls or listen to music. These headsets make the transition easy and in turn working remote becomes even more appealing. I feel confident working anywhere work – or life – takes me.
Day three I ventured out to a public, collaborative and FREE work environment in downtown Portland – a great opportunity to explore the city and work outside my comfort zone.