Can I Be Not Perfect?

This one is for all the remote workers out there, and for anyone who has ever worked with us, or hired us, or thought about what “professional” is supposed to look like.

For the longest time, I thought that to be taken seriously, you had to look the part. Especially in a “client-facing” role.

But then came the pandemic.

And suddenly we were trying to look put-together with food stains on our shirts, messy hair, and laundry piles just out of frame.

We were taking Zoom calls with kids yelling in the background, “Mom! I pooped!”

And guess what?

We proved that looking the part has nothing to do with doing the job.

When I worked from the boat, I loved taking calls up on deck.

The view was stunning, and yes, maybe a little show-offy.

But mostly it made me happy. It lifted my mood and helped me bring good energy into meetings. It even provided a great icebreaker.

That was my “office” for two years.

And then we stopped sailing.

We started moving around and suddenly, I found myself working from... odd places.

Random rooms. Strange backgrounds.

The best one? Our last home office was inside the laundry room.

Yes, it smelled amazing. But in the background you could find  a washer, a dryer and even a water heater.

At first, I considered bluring the background or use a fake Zoom backdrop.

But then I remembered:

We’ve survived video calls from the middle of the sea, with wet hair, toddlers climbing on us, and no fancy lighting.

If I’m the one preaching that work can look different, then this is what different looks like.

And it starts with not being ashamed of it.

I’m not perfect.

My background isn’t perfect.

My work conditions definitely aren’t perfect.

But what is perfect? The attention and profenionalizm I bring to my clients.

Yes, the background might affect how people see me.

But if I make peace with it, they usually do too.

In the end, what sticks is the value.

People learn to accept us in our polished versions, and in our practical, laundry-room setups.

Because professionalism isn’t about your background.

It’s about how you show up.