The Roanoker January/February 2022 - VBRLife12

" it is gOOd fOR mentAL heALth &
PROfessiOnAL deveLOPment. " -Madison Kantor
Madison Kantor
Firefli brain trust: John
Cornthwait, Greg Brock, Matt
Sams: " You can be in a treehouse
if you get your work done. "
Madison Kantor, a Roanoke native who
wears several hats at Bookalicious, hadn't
been in the office for eight months as this
story was being researched. The situation
" gives me the freedom to be what I want
it to be. I thought it would be a lot harder
to do, but when you're given trust and
freedom from your boss, you want to work
well. It is good for mental health and professional
development. "
Kantor graduated from Roanoke College
and immediately moved to Richmond
where she worked for traditional companies
but found herself " spending so much
time in Roanoke because I love it. My best
friend, who lives in Denver, wants to move
back, too. "
Greg Brock, who heads Firefli with partners
John Cornthwait and Matthew Sams,
has implemented a hybrid. His workers
work where they are comfortable, take unlimited
vacation and sick leave when they
need, snack at a loaded kitchen (including
beer), schmooze liberally or work at
home-wherever home is, including Texas.
And it is a happy, productive, enthusiastic,
talented bunch. " You can be in a treehouse
if you get your work done, " says Brock.
12 2022 VBR LIFE
The freedom to work " is incredibly popular, "
he says. However, " you need a high
level of trust " to incorporate the liberal
workplace that Firefli has become. In fact,
that very philosophy has helped recruit
" extreme A-level players here. We have
valedictorians, people at the top of the
industrial game. "
" Bigger corporations are absolutely looking
at [telecommuting opportunities], " says
King. " At small to mid-sized companies, it
often depends on the flexibility, or adaptability,
of those in leadership. Some won't
pivot because they view it as too big a
change. Others are sensing what is becoming
a massive, industry agnostic shift, and
are changing policies to attract talent. "
Are those choosing telecommuting
happy with it? Says King, " It may be too
early to say for sure due to a COVID filled
year. But I've yet to hear from someone
who regrets it. "
" My experience has been that the highest-performing
teams are ones that also
recognize the needs of the individuals
who make up the team, which is both a
location and agency question, " says Bradford.
" I don't think there is a 'one size fits
all' approach. There are several factors that
have to be evaluated, including whether
or not some work can be done asynchronously
and/or remotely, determining if the
team has the tools to enable remote/hybrid
work. Meeting people 'where they are'
improves morale and performance. "
There are side benefits that Bradford
recognizes. " I think remote/hybrid workplaces,
if created thoughtfully, can definitely
be a competitive advantage for high-performing
teams. It can also be a financial
advantage. Building this team in Silicon Valley,
where we are headquartered, would be
exorbitantly more expensive than building
a remote team. On an individual level, I am
better able to focus and be more efficient
in a remote setting, and I appreciate not
having to factor in commute time "
" We plant the flag that we are employee
first, " Brock emphasizes. " That helps us
retain clients that fit us personally. A toxic
client can run people off. Working remotely
is not new, but since the pandemic, it has
grown as a phenomenon, and many believe
it will remain a significant part of how industries
operate in the future. " I
DAN SMITH
The Roanoker January/February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker January/February 2022
