Reasons to Celebrate

Remote Work Anniversary

By Erica Rascón on Mar 29, 2021 in People

It’s been one year since most Yardi employees transitioned to remote work environments. One year since we anxiously attended virtual town hall meetings to learn the next steps. One year of navigating the blurred lines of our professional and personal lives before settling into a new normal.

A lot has changed since then. Haphazard workspaces now have a more customized and personal feel. We’re reaching productivity goals and we’re all experts on Teams and Zoom. Our pets are accustomed to seeing more of us, and the novelty of sleeping on the keyboard has (mostly) worn off.

Much has changed beyond office work as well. Many employees used their time in quarantine to set goals and embark on new personal journeys. Yardi Atlanta team members used Confluence to celebrate their one-year work from home journeys together.

Quarantine journeys

Employees posted images and shared stories depicting “How it started and how it’s going.” A few fun quarantine accomplishments include:

• hiking new trails
• growing a beard
• developing baking skills
• raised bed and container gardening
• sewing stuffed animals
• candle making
• woodworking and reupholstering heirloom furniture
• adopting pets, including sugar gliders
• pulling home design projects out of “DIY purgatory”

Some stories were real heart warmers that demonstrate the power of family. “My Yardi family helped me purchase my first car!” announced MeaResea Homer, technical account manager. Homer (pictured, right) told colleagues that she was searching for a new car. It would be her first purchase, and she was stoked.

“Amanda Carlisle recommended the salesman that she purchased her vehicle from. She got me in contact with him and I scheduled the appointment in late November. To help me out even more, our colleague Jody Borgemenke picked me up, took me to the dealership and supported me through the process. Pedro Acatitlan-Sanchez’s sister works at State Farm and he set me up with her to get my insurance on the car. My whole Yardi family pitched in,” says Homer.

Many employees began to take better care of their mental and physical health. Spending more time with family, eating healthier and exercising more were a reoccurring theme on the thread.

Associate technical account manager, CSD, Esteban Diaz (pictured, left) lost 70 lbs due to spending more time with his family and taking control of his health. “My body was always achy, and I always felt fatigued. I visited my doctor. I was surpassing 350 pounds. I have a family to support. I need to be here for them. I needed to take control of my health,” he says.

Diaz began a regular routine of mountain biking, weight training and healthy eating. “I feel amazing! My body aches are gone. I have a ton of energy to do activities with my family and I can fit in a lot of my old clothes,” he smiles.

It was also a year filled with love and new beginnings. Akai Green got married!

“In the past year my king swept me off my feet,” swoons the consulting practices account manager.  “We got married on July 7th. It was the most magical day of my life.” The couple celebrated their nuptials by jet skiing (and falling off together) as well as visiting a rescue farm.

In many ways, it was a difficult year. Through highs and lows, Yardi team members dig in their heels, support one another and find reasons to celebrate. Yardi employees: we would love to hear about your quarantine journey triumphs! Email Erica Rascon to share your story.