How Felipe discovered reality over appearances by working remotely

New work, new lives: a limited blog series

New work, new lives is a SafetyWing blog series about how remote work has changed the lives of unique individuals.

We profiled some of our closest partners to hear their personal stories and insights, while taking the opportunity for ourselves to reflect on what has changed in the world of work as we know it. We look at what is working well but also what they struggle with, and how it has changed their lives, for better or for worse. We hope you enjoy this series! – SafetyWing

When Felipe and I first started communicating, the conversation quickly led from work to personal. It went from meetings and documents, to weekends and evenings, to books and habits that improve your life. It turned philosophical. I wanted to interview Felipe to understand the inside of a person who can connect so deeply through email alone, a mode of communication most of us take for granted as a daily chore. Maybe the remote space gives introverts an edge; an abstract, pliable space in which they can express themselves in the manner and pace that best suits them. - Katie

In Felipe’s hometown of São Paulo, the noise of life never stops. In this sprawling metropolis, he’s found a quiet corner where work meets life in a harmony that was once, for him, unimaginable. As we talked to him, we enjoyed hearing what Felipe has uncovered: how trust leads to authenticity and meaningful productivity.

In his early thirties, Felipe is an HR specialist focusing on employee retention and engagement at Revelo. His escape from the hell of the daily commute, traditional work hours and the physical office wasn’t without its bumps in the road– he “changed jobs three times due to stress, bad bosses, poor support, not being fully remote”– but in the end, it was worth it.

In Revelo, Felipe found a company he can actually see himself staying at long-term. “One of my dreams turned out to be working here,” he says. “It’s the culture,” he emphasizes, “they are totally flexible.” They wholeheartedly support remote work and trust their people to do what they need to without constant supervision. “If you need to do something besides your work, they are totally okay with it. You should do what you have to do but if you're done, you don't have to spend the whole time just looking at the screen doing nothing. So I love this autonomy they give to us.”

Some of the ways in which remote work has changed Felipe’s life are things most of us working from home have now realized: taking back our time to read, unwind, pursue hobbies and personal growth, and spending time with our loved ones, who for Felipe very much includes his cats, Roberto Junior, and Tigrão (Big Tiger). "Now, I eat better, spend less money eating out in restaurants and spend time with my cats and books…I think going to the gym, exercising every day, is the most important one to do.”

But there are still moments when Felipe misses the tangible energy of in-person interactions. “I can always send a message to a coworker or friend but it won't be the same as being there talking in person," he says. As a single man, he admits to struggling socially. Even with friends and family in the city, staying at home all day doesn’t produce the same opportunities to connect. “At times, I feel very alone," he admits. Luckily, Revelo maintains an office in Sao Paulo that Felipe visits once a month to co-work and interact with his colleagues in real time and space.

Talking to Felipe about loneliness made me reflect about how I talk less to people in real time, and my work interactions are often limited to Slack and scheduled meetings with set agendas. Even though I don’t live alone, that feeling of missing something crucial can get very real. It’s far easier to get stuck in my head, to feel increasingly more separated from the rest of the world where all the people are. But at the same time, I wouldn’t have the colleagues I do at SafetyWing without our globally distributed model– another example of taking the good with the bad in working remotely. - JS

For Felipe, remote work shifted the emphasis from superficial metrics, like punctuality or attire, to real and tangible results. He’s struggled with toxic environments and past jobs in the office that were just not a good fit, mainly because of that superficiality. "Always thinking about how you need to be there on time, always be the last to leave the office, getting dressed up.”

But maybe it was a good thing in the end, as he used that frustration to fuel his search for something better. He eventually found what he needed in Revelo, where their culture of positivity and trust aligns everyone on the same goal: for the company to grow. “It's not so much about appearances now. It's more about the quality of the work you deliver.” And instead of struggling at work, always at odds with what the company wanted from him, Felipe can direct all his focus to what will actually move the needle forward.

In my experience at previous companies, autonomy is rare in the physical office. But working remotely doesn't automatically mean you have more autonomy, as we can see from stories of employees being watched through their cameras, having to always have an 'online' status during set hours, and attempts at micromanagement through an internet connection. Felipe demonstrates how autonomy requires a great culture to be successful. When the trust is strong, people don’t need to be watched and can reach the full potential of being autonomous. Revelo is doing good in the world- moving this needle really matters. - Katie

How Revelo manages remote work is key to this. “They have tools not to micromanage you, but to make sure you have goals,” Felipe said. This highlights a fundamental tenet of remote work: trust. Trust that employees, when given the freedom and responsibility, will produce outcomes that matter.

Another crucial part of making the remote work: in-person offsites. “We had a summit where everyone at the company got together, it was very fun and was the best day,” Felipe reminisced. This creates more of a balance for fully remote companies– the fun of getting together and making the most of that time, while still being able to enjoy the usual advantages of being remote.

We remember the first time we met at a SafetyWing gathering in Tulum, Mexico, and what a massive impact it had on us. At SafetyWing, we don’t have any offices or sponsored coworking spaces– even if we did, the chances of living close enough to a colleague to co-work with are rather slim, with teammates spread out across 10 timezones, many of whom are fully nomadic. So our occasional gatherings are often the only times we can connect in real time and space.
It’s ironic that we always wanted to work remotely to get away from our colleagues, but now we work with people whom we like so much we wish we were around them more.

For Felipe, if remote work is to succeed not only for the employee but also for the business, a mandate of trust and personal responsibility is absolutely necessary. His dream now is “that the company continues to grow so that [he] can grow with it.” To succeed, both the company and the employee need to laser-focus on results and what is actually accomplished, as opposed to surveillance and what merely appears to be accomplished. It’s the triumph of authenticity over superficiality, of substance over form.

Book spotlight

Inspired by Hal Elrod’s “Miracle Morning,” Felipe starts every day with 6 simple tasks that can take as little as 6 minutes. “By putting this practice into your morning routine, you can experience a lot of benefits like increasing productivity, improvement of health, and development of positive habits, which is great,” he says. “When I started doing that I felt it changing me, and I realized, oh it works. This book changed my life.”

About Revelo

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