Desert Island Desk

Where shall I work from today?

04
AUGUST 2022
Zoe Galea is the Executive Assistant to the President of The Athena Advisors, Robin Heller. Zoe is the Founder of ZCG Consulting LTD and you can find her on Instagram and Facebook: @zoecgalea and LinkedIn. Here, Zoe reflects on the positive shift in her work-life balance facilitated by hybrid working, allowing her to be present for her four girls and do the work she loves.
Desert Island Desk…. Where should I work from today? The very question would never have arisen before the Pandemic. My daily work routine consisted of a one hour hot and stuffy commute from leafy Hertfordshire into the thralling and thriving West End. Every day was a lottery on how I arrived…delays…disruption or just plain commuter chaos. The feeling of dread dawned before I even stepped foot into the office.

Fast forward two years and I can ask that question today. My answer can be: ‘’where do I want to work from today or for the summer?”. How life has changed for us all. Most of us are getting back to some form of ‘new normal’ work style, and some of us have had complete career changes, taken decisions that have arisen from the dilemmas many of us faced. Putting family and loved ones at the forefront of our career decisions and plans are now met with appreciation, admiration and a newfound elevation in the new hybrid and work-life balance equation.

I no longer feel a sense of guilt being a working mum, whereas for nearly thirty years –nineteen with my daughters (4 beauties) – I was working crazy hours in The City supporting some amazing and challenging people. But I always felt I had to justify and prove

myself more than someone with no children or dependants, or just younger than I, that I was worthy, extremely capable, and valuable to their organisations. This was paired with the shame that sets in with your family. You try to do the best you can and have ‘quality time’ with them and not miss those precious milestone moments.  

So, back to today and where I have arrived on my journey. I have taken that leap of faith and embraced the extremely valuable experience gained during my elaborate career and now celebrate those unique skills and attributes that have got me to where I am now. I am so happy and proud to be a female business owner, with my own start-up, adding incredible and superior services as a Virtual Assistant and Online Business Manager to some amazing people. It’s so enlightening to work with them and be part of their wonderful businesses.  

Kindness, compassion and supporting one another will enable the injustices we have all faced in our lives to dissipate and enable the ‘Desert Island Desk’ feeling, facilitated by the new culture being embraced. Wouldn’t we all want to pitch up on a beach, with amazing Wi-Fi to boot to get the work juices and inspiration flowing.

So, I ask you, where would you like to be? What’s your perfect ‘Desert Island Desk’ location? Take a few moments to really think about it: it may be your stunning new home office, or your garden, or even that funky new co-work space – I definitely have one of those to go to.  

The work has gone remote, and it will never go back to the way it used to be. Women deserve better tools and opportunities to pursue their dreams at work and in life and this new model better facilitates that.