Laugh, Learn, and Get Inspired: Beckie Jones' Remote Work Adventures - ep. 091

Get ready for a fun-filled and insightful NSFRW episode! Hosts Rick Haney and Kaleem Clarkson chat with Beckie Jones, the CCO of Reef. This time, Beckie recounts her most outrageous remote work experience that involves a high-stakes client meeting and an unexpected event! Listen in as Beckie shares how she kept her cool amidst the chaos, proving that anything can happen when you're working remotely.

But it's not all mishaps and mayhem—Beckie also dives into her role at Reef, the multi-award-winning app that's revolutionizing remote and hybrid work by connecting teams with laptop-friendly venues across the globe. Discover how Beckie's innovative work helps enhance remote working lives and why good Wi-Fi and a kid-free zone are now at the top of her meeting requirements!

Packed with laughter, surprises, and valuable insights into the world of remote work, this episode is a must-listen. Beckie's resilience and adaptability will inspire you, and her story will remind you that even the most unexpected situations can have a sweet ending. So, grab your headphones and join us for a delightful episode filled with cake, chaos, and career highlights!

Learn more about Beckie:

• Beckie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckie-jones/
• Reef App: https://www.reef.rocks/download-app

Transcript

Rick: 0:32

Welcome to Remotely one's N S F R W. Not safe for remote work where we invite employees at all levels to share their most outrageous moments while working remotely. Do you have a story to tell? We want to hear it. You could submit your story@remotelyone.com slash podcast. Today's guest currently lives in London and is the head of commercial at Reef, which provides alternative spaces to work from Becky Jones. Come on down.

Kaleem: 1:02

Woo.

Rick: 1:07

Today we're sitting here with Becky Jones and I'm really excited to hear your story Becky.

Kaleem: 1:12

So where are you based out of? Where are you from?

Beckie: 1:14

I am literally in the uk. I'm smack banging in the middle between Manchester and Liverpool. So I've got two really cool cities either side of me. So I'm based from home a few days a week. And then, yeah, just try and get out as much as I can into sort of different cities around the UK as well, which is nice.

Rick: 1:30

Awesome. So, Becky, tell us about the story that you wanted to share with us and our audience.

Kaleem: 1:36

Ooh, exciting.

Beckie: 1:38

I know, I think this is a moment where I was kind of like, oh my God, I can't believe that just happened. Sorry.

Kaleem: 1:47

Is it rated R? Because we can only do NC

Beckie: 1:49

no. It's, it's, it's not the worst one.

Rick: 1:53

Okay, good.

Kaleem: 1:54

Okay.

Beckie: 1:54

But it's one that sticks out. So as you know, we work from coffee shops a lot because that's what we do.

Kaleem: 2:03

Mm-hmm.

Beckie: 2:03

I had a meeting with quite a fairly big client, quite a fairly high up person that was gonna be making a decision over whether they were gonna use Reef for their business.

Kaleem: 2:15

And is this early in your career? Are you nervous at this point? Like what's the anxiety like as you're going to the meeting?

Beckie: 2:22

I mean, not too bad. Not terrible because I'd been with Reef for a few months, so I kind of, know what I'm talking about.

Rick: 2:29

You are ready.

Beckie: 2:30

but I was late.

Kaleem: 2:31

Oh.

Beckie: 2:33

it's not even the worst bit. I was running late, so I didn't manage to get to the venue that I actually wanted to get to. So I ran into another one that was closer because I knew that I had to get on this call within like two minutes. So, Completely unprepared. Ran into this other coffee shop that's not listed on Reef, but ran into this coffee shop, and sat down, plugged my headphones in and I was like, right. Cool. I'm okay. I'm ready to go. Um,

Kaleem: 3:00

Are you sweaty? I mean, like is your hair messed up? What's that situation like?

Beckie: 3:03

Probably, probably. It would've been better being a camera off moment, but yeah, it was okay. You know, you're just like, right, let me just compose myself. I'll be all right. I'll be fine. And then get on the call. And obviously I'm expecting one person to be on the call. In fact, there was three of them, which again is okay. Not the worst. Um, No intro in re talking about how we reflect, blah, blah, blah. And the next minute I have cake all on this side. It's not

Kaleem: 3:36

What What do you

Beckie: 3:36

mean?

Kaleem: 3:37

Uh, hang on, hang on.

Rick: 3:38

someone threw a piece of cake at you.

Beckie: 3:40

there was, there was a kid that was sat next to me.

Rick: 3:44

Oh, shit

Beckie: 3:46

the pa, the parent had got up to go and I could see, I could see her walk in. So she must've gone to get another coffee, so she must've said to her kid, look, sit there, be good. You know, eat your cake while I go and get another coffee. So I'm sitting here on this call with directors of companies,

Rick: 4:04

Oh, wait, so, so how old was this kid, do you think?

Beckie: 4:07

probably about 4, 3, 4,

Kaleem: 4:10

no.

Beckie: 4:11

and then, The next minute you just see a hand.

Rick: 4:17

oh my God.

Beckie: 4:19

And this kid is literally covered in cake and he just wants to be on the call. You know, you see a little face pop up and he is like this. I'm like, I was like, ah, I just wants to die.

Kaleem: 4:31

I mean, are you turning red? Is your boss on the call too? Like

Beckie: 4:34

mine isn't, but you know, there's three pretty high up people. I think there was like a financial director. There was like a c e O and there was a HR director and I'm trying to, you know, go through this. I'm already a bit flustered anyway, and then the next minute, yeah, just literally a face. Half of this side

Rick: 4:54

Oh my

Beckie: 4:54

in This kid is literally all over me and you. I'm trying desperately to keep it together, so I'm like, just,

Kaleem: 5:06

She just, she just, slowly wiped For all our all our listeners, she was like, she just put her hand and slowly wiped it off as she's presenting. what

Beckie: 5:17

have just like looked at each other. I think they're all trying to do the same as me, so, you know, British people are quite, we try and be very polite about things. You probably know that, but we're all very much trying to ignore the situation. Like it's not happening. but it fully is and this kid's like putting his hands like on me.

Rick: 5:39

part of the interruption, but would you like a piece of cake?

Kaleem: 5:44

Stew.

Beckie: 5:45

that was, that was great. I love that.

Rick: 5:48

Yeah.

Beckie: 5:49

So yeah, so that was, um, yeah,

Kaleem: 5:52

Well, okay, so, you slowly wipe the cake off your face. Everyone's just looking at the camera going, nothing to see here, you know? Hello?

Rick: 6:00

So you get like smeared frosting and cake on the side of your head. You're trying to get through this and this kid's over here nee were you like jumping outta your skin ready to swear at this kid in

Beckie: 6:13

I, I,

Rick: 6:13

the, these people that you're trying to win over.

Beckie: 6:16

But

Rick: 6:16

And did what did a swear word slip out? Like out of anger.

Kaleem: 6:20

internally?

Rick: 6:21

okay.

Kaleem: 6:21

What about moms though? So you're presenting, you wipe the cake off your face, you have to do your thing. Where does moms come in and with the kid behind you? Like how does it end? Like, how does the cake end? Like, does the mom come and say, I'm so sorry while you're presenting? Like, what happened?

Beckie: 6:36

Well so she's still stood in the queue and I'm trying to control a child that's covered in cake.

Kaleem: 6:42

Whoa. Hang on. I'm sorry. you say she's still what?

Beckie: 6:46

She's still waiting in the queue to be served, so she's obviously waiting for the coffee. Still, I'm trying to control this cake covered child that's here.

Kaleem: 6:55

child,

Beckie: 6:57

And then, and then the wifi decides, it was the worst call in the world. The wifi decides that it's having a field day, so that then starts dipping in and out. So I have to leave the call, come back into the call. I'm like, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about this. I'm so sorry about this. I'm so, so just apologizing. They were like, Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Kaleem: 7:21

Dead face. Wow.

Beckie: 7:25

Um,

Kaleem: 7:26

So what happened? Did you land the deal?

Beckie: 7:28

yeah, surprisingly, I dunno, it took them about two weeks to come back to me and I was just thinking, oh, no, no, they're gonna see me on LinkedIn, they're gonna, you know,

Kaleem: 7:39

Did you ever say anything to the mom?

Beckie: 7:41

well, she came back and then she, I think she saw what had happened and she was just like, I am so sorry. And then she was like,

Rick: 7:48

acknowledged

Beckie: 7:49

no, she was, she was totally cool, but she was like, I told him to sit there and eat his cake and I'm so sorry. And'cause he was trying to grab the laptop, so I had like a bit of cake on the laptop too. I think he was just bored and thought there was something that he could watch on my screen. So yeah, I've made sure that I'm always prepared from now on. I don't sit next to any kind of kids when I'm, when I'm in a coffee

Rick: 8:12

With any consolation that kid's got a corrections facility in his future, I'm sure.

Kaleem: 8:17

Oh my God.

Rick: 8:20

You don't do that shit in public kid.

Kaleem: 8:22

and he is like wiping cake on people's faces still. He is like, yeah, yeah.

Rick: 8:28

Please tell me that as a, thank you for their business. You sent them a cake

Beckie: 8:32

Okay. Yeah,

Kaleem: 8:34

Oh, you should do it anyway. You should do it.

Beckie: 8:37

yeah,

Rick: 8:38

oh man. Becky, that is such an amazing story. We're so glad that you could share that with us. That's great.

Beckie: 8:44

Yeah. I just make sure that I'm always now fully prepared.'cause I thought obviously what we do is we promote this. So whatever I'm doing now, I'm promoting that on the call. So, you know, good wifi, quiet areas and all I've got is rubbish wife,

Rick: 9:01

Yeah.

Kaleem: 9:01

rubbish.

Beckie: 9:01

all over me. I'm like, I promise your employees will not have the same experience. When they're working remotely. A hundred percent.

Rick: 9:08

Amazing, amazing. Becky Jones, where can our listeners find you?

Kaleem: 9:13

Yes, yes.

Beckie: 9:14

mainly on LinkedIn. I'm just kind of always hovering around on there. So yeah, so feel free to connect with me on there. Um,

Kaleem: 9:22

addresss, of course, for the company. If they want to learn about more about it.

Beckie: 9:26

yeah, so it's www reef rocks. That is it. On there you can find out all about how we work with both teams and we work with individuals to enhance people's remote working lives.

Kaleem: 9:37

That is fascinating. Once again, thank you so much for doing this and if you have another story, we'll have to bring you back on This one was pretty funny,

Beckie: 9:46

I've got plenty.

Rick: 9:48

Oh,

Kaleem: 9:48

much. Yes. Awesome.