How Comma's "Life-First" Commitment Renewed My Creativity
From Burnout to Balance
Have you ever experienced a seemingly small moment that ends up being the spark needed to kick off a chain reaction of broader life-changing events? Learning about Comma was one of those pivotal moments for my life and my career.
When I was asked to apply to Comma a few years ago, the timing couldn’t have been more serendipitous. I was working (more than) full-time as one of a few remote team members in a high-pressure role with little flexibility. My current role was leaving me burnt out and with little time to do what I wanted to do most — apply and grow my creative skills through writing and editing while still having a life outside of work.
Up to that point, freelancing hadn’t been on my career roadmap. Although I knew the freelance lifestyle would help me meet my goals of more freedom and creative growth, I was scared to take the leap and start my own business. Would I be able to find any clients? How could I find consistency in a career notorious for its ups and downs?
Learning about Comma’s flexible but consistent work and “life-first” values was the final nudge I needed to step into the unknown and embrace a new way of working. I applied to Comma, quit my old job, and started to build a new career path where I could heal from burnout, find true work-life balance, and build a lifestyle where work was one part of the whole (instead of the very center).
A True Comma-unity Where Connection Is the Norm
One of the first things that drew me to Comma was the excellent remote-first culture. A frequent worry I had when transitioning to freelancing was that I would lose the sense of community and camaraderie I had while working in a full-time role alongside other coworkers. Since I was new on my freelance journey and eager to learn from other writers, I was elated to find that Comma provides various opportunities to connect with a growing team.
For example, Comma leadership provides a host of avenues to engage with other freelance contractors such as:
Group chats and fun weekly prompts to get to know each other
Opportunities to share success stories and wins
Frequent Comma-unity spotlights to learn more about other writers
Monthly Comma Catch-Ups for ongoing learning and professional development
An annual all-day retreat to go over strategy and workshop skills
It was immediately apparent how much Comma cares about cultivating a sense of “Comma-unity” among all the contractors they bring on. Not only that, but Comma’s remote-first processes for working with clients, keeping track of assignments, and communicating with other writers were easy to adopt and kept things organized.
It was easy to tell how Comma’s value of “life first!” was at the core of Comma’s remote culture. With built-in flexibility to work whenever and wherever I wanted and with a group of like-minded freelancers at my side, I immediately felt like I belonged and would be able to grow both personally and professionally in that environment.
Flexibility and Consistency to Build a Lifestyle I Love
Going on a couple of years strong, one of the best benefits of working with Comma today is the flexibility and consistency of the work. Consistent clients meant I have a consistent stream of income through Comma, but the ability to be flexible with where and when I work means I’m able to spend more time on other areas of my life outside of work, such as travel and personal well-being.
Another perk is I never have to worry about taking time off when I need it — Comma takes their first value of Freedom to live “life-first” seriously. Since starting working with Comma, I’ve been able to prioritize other areas of growth in my life in addition to my professional career such as:
I completed a 300-hour yoga teacher training
I’ve traveled to three countries, taken countless road trips across the U.S. in my camper van, and even worked from a different state for a month
Through Comma’s company-wide summer and winter breaks, I’m able to take off time to spend with family during the holidays and over the summer
By having a flexible schedule, I know I can always refuel my creativity through travel or learning new skills (not to mention taking time to rest when I need it). Each month Comma checks in on your capacity, making it easy to take on more work or less work as your goals change.
Editing Is About Adding Value
Ultimately, I love working with Comma because it allows me to do what I love most — write and edit! Comma helps me keep my skills sharp and get feedback from other writers and editors (every piece of writing is reviewed by an editor before it goes to the client).
My favorite editing tip is to remember that your job as an editor is much more than ensuring there are no errors, although that’s certainly important. Editing, at its best, is about uncovering what will add more value to the reader. Maybe that’s eliminating fluff, fixing grammatical errors, or enforcing a style guide — but it’s also so much more. If you want to edit well and maximize your word-to-value ratio, don’t only focus on eliminating errors.
In the same way that an editor can improve a piece of writing by looking for areas to add value, Comma’s life-first values of freedom and care have added immense value to my career and personal trajectory. While I never could have anticipated this turn in my career roadmap, I’ll forever be glad I took a chance on the unknown.
Written by Eleanor Adams as part of the Comma culture series. Are you looking for a team of writers to support your marketing content? Schedule your free 20-minute consultation today.
Eleanor Adams is a writer, editor, and operations manager. A transplant to Colorado, you can usually find her exploring the Rockies in her camper van, practicing yoga, reading, or walking her dog, Everest.
