Hello, readers! It’s nice to e-meet all of you. My name is Ashley Chiaradio, and I’m the senior content strategist for Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s sister brands, Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) and Total Retail. My time is mostly spent on the two retail brands within the Retail & Travel Group of NAPCO Media (parent company of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality), but I’m lucky enough to write for Women Leading Travel & Hospitality as well. You’ll see my name pop up here and there in this e-newsletter, like today. My role for WIRLC spans all things content, including conducting podcast interviews, managing our social media accounts, moderating panels at live events, and much more!

I wanted to share with you some tips about improving your work-from-home (WFH) experience. Since many of us are officially at the one year mark of WFH, there’s no better time to enhance your routine and spruce up your home office space.

1. Evaluate Your Lighting

Consider investing in an on-camera LED light for Zoom calls. Depending on your home office situation, sometimes it can look like we’re sitting in the dark on video calls. A great light with a tripod that’s adjustable solves this issue and helps make sure you’re “video ready” at all times.

2. Help Your Dog Stay Quiet

One bonus of working from home is spending more time with our pets, but sometimes they like to make themselves heard, even when you’re working! An ultrasonic dog training device can tell your pup to stop barking, ensuring that you don’t have to continually mute yourself on conference calls and Zoom meetings.

3. Create a Dedicated Workspace

No matter what you job you do, you’ll benefit from creating a dedicated work space in your home. Get your kitchen back by moving into a spare room or guest bedroom if possible. Bonus points if there’s a window in the workspace to let in natural light, which can help immensely with your mental state.

What tips do you have for working from home? Drop me a line at achiaradio@napco.com to let me know your thoughts.