As an adult, one must accept bills as a constant part of life, so a stable income is important. But what would you do if you could have a job that offers flexibility, financial stability, and the opportunity to indulge your travel bug?
Let's face it: We expect more out of life than our parents, or their parents, ever did and the old-fashioned "work for the same company until you retire or die" thing isn't going to cut it for us anymore. The thought of working remotely would often pop into my head but I never really considered remote work as an option until I had a conversation with a young lady I met while dog sledding in Wyoming. She had talked her boss into letting her work remotely from a different country for a month every year. I was inspired and, on August 7, 2017, I submitted my proposal for working remotely to my boss!
Working remotely would be a dream come true for many people (like yours truly) who force themselves out of bed every morning just to make it to the office in time. So why haven't you asked your boss yet? The question is rhetorical. You're still young and you just want to try something different without having to give up your stable position to pursue it.
If only you knew the power you have, especially at work.
Once you've decided to take a leap of faith and ask about working remotely, you'll want to be very strategic in how you present your proposal. Though I'd like to believe my reputation for being a hard worker was the reason I was approved to work from Thailand for a month, it was actually my ability to develop a well-structured work plan that proved to my management team that it could be done. You definitely want to work out the logistics before presenting the idea to your boss if you want them to take your proposal seriously.
If you're considering pitching the idea of working remotely to your boss, here are a few steps to help you with preparing a proposal prior to the conversation. My hope is that you are not only inspired to work remotely but are given some helpful tips to make your work-and-travel dreams a reality.
Step 1: Don't Believe Beyoncé...You're Irreplaceable (Sort of)
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Anyone can be replaced. Before popping the question to your employer, make sure they value you enough to even entertain the idea of you working remotely. Are you an asset to the company? If you took a leave of absence for a week or month, could they manage without you?
Do they depend on you to get things done? This may sound arrogant but these are questions you'll need to ask yourself. Also, employers are often open to being more flexible for their star employees. So, ask yourself, are you a star?
Most people are surprised by the leverage they can have at work if they are great employees that can't be easily replaced. If you're not a star employee, there's always time to improve but you may want to hold off on packing your bags until you can show your boss that you can't easily be replaced.
Step 2: Do Your Research
Before you begin keying 'best beaches' into your search engine, start researching the country you are most interested in working remotely from. You want to select a country that won't make your remote work life difficult.
How will you work reliably while there? Do they offer work cafes or will you need to rent a workspace? Does the country have website/app restrictions that can only be accessed using a VPN? Is there a difference in time zones? What equipment and software will you need to ensure your daily work schedule goes as planned? How will shifting your work schedule impact your workflow?
These are some of the questions you will need to have answers to prior to submitting your proposal. There are many helpful blogs and articles online to help make the decision on location a tad bit easier.
Step 3: Creating the Proposal
Before pitching your idea to your boss, create a proposal that includes everything they'll need to know about the opportunity. Be sure to include your plan for handling your work responsibilities while abroad.
My six-page proposal listed everything from my remote work schedule to monthly meetings (my boss made it clear that I could not cancel meetings and would be expected to continue conducting meetings while overseas). If your office does not have updated equipment like webcams installed, you can use apps/software like GoTo Meeting and Skype to conduct meetings.
Want to impress your boss? Include a plan for every meeting in your proposal. This shows them how serious you are about doing your job while you're gone.
Step 4: Communication is Key
Clear communication is non-negotiable for remote work. In your office, your boss can stop by your desk or pop into your office to ask a quick question. Your coworker can stop you in passing to ask about a project deadline. There's also the traditional last-minute meeting you're told you'll have to attend thirty minutes before it is scheduled to begin. You won't have these luxuries while working abroad.
Your boss will want to know that you can be contacted at any time during your assigned work schedule even though you're not physically in the office. Be sure to explain how you plan to communicate with staff in your proposal. Fortunately, technology is so advanced that there isn't a limit to what you can do from wherever you are.
Step 5: Be Transparent About Footing the Bill
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Understanding that your employer is probably not going to pay for your flight, housing, and other expenses that come along with your new remote work lifestyle will help you stay focused on your ultimate goal. The only thing you should expect your employer to pay for is your paycheck.
If you cannot afford to pay for everything, you may want to abort the mission until you're able to save enough money to do so. Remember, you want your boss to take your proposal seriously. Expecting them to pay for the whole experience could make it easier for them to deny your proposal. Letting your boss know upfront that you will be paying for everything lets them know how committed you are to working remotely.
Step 6: Let Them Know What's in It for Them
Companies will want to know how they can benefit from you working remotely. As an employee, you will never get anywhere if you only pitch personal benefits to your boss.
Focus less on personal benefits and more on benefits from the company's perspective in your proposal. What can you promise them? Leave no stone unturned. Look at your company's mission statement closely.
For example, something as simple as wearing your company's T-shirt while volunteering abroad could be the marketing strategy that gets your proposal approved – especially if your company is big on making a social impact.
Step 7: Wait for the Perfect Time to Pitch
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I'm not a fan of baseball but I know it's easy to strike out if you don't wait for the perfect pitch. Not sure how one can easily equate the importance of a great pitch in baseball to pitching a proposal to your boss but it's there...somewhere.
The pitch is almost as important as the proposal. Have you double-checked your proposal to make sure you have your plan for communication, work schedule, and expenses included? If your proposal is complete, it's time to pitch your proposal. Be prepared to answer any questions your boss or senior management may have.
Include a letter of intent with your proposal that briefly summarizes why you are interested in working remotely and what you hope to gain professionally. Instead of emailing the proposal to your boss, print out a copy and hand it to them personally.
Whether you work remotely for a week, three months, or an entire year, the benefits are all-encompassing. The experience itself can be life-changing.
Hopefully, you now feel encouraged and inspired to begin writing a proposal of your own to work abroad. Taking the leap to talk to your boss about working remotely can also be very challenging – especially if your company has never approved anyone working remotely before. Though you will serve as a guinea pig for the company, you are not alone!
Thousands of young professionals have dreamed of leaving their office space for new experiences, but they are also nervous about pitching the idea of working remotely to their bosses. Employers know the 21st century workplace is slowly evolving and making small changes to allow young employees to develop professionally through nontraditional work-life experiences.
They also know they'll need to evolve to remain competitive and keep young professionals engaged. Remember, you are the star employee. You have more power than you think you have when it comes to your employer. Now, what are you waiting for?Write the proposal and go for it!
Need help getting started? Click here to download my free Remote Work Proposal Resource Guide.
*This article was originally published on BucketlistMemoirs.com and has been shortened for clarity.
Featured image by Getty Images.
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Now, with more than 20 years of experience in professional aviation, starting with American Eagle Airlines and then on to becoming a captain at American Airlines, she has continued to pay it forward. In 2022, she made history as the first commercial airline captain to lead an all-Black, women-led flight crew. She has also written a biography on Bessie Coleman, the first African-American and Native-American woman to earn a pilot’s license, and produced and directed, Discovering Bessie Coleman, working alongside the family to get the project completed. Add to that her role as a founder of consulting firm LadyAv8rBeth, which offers a guide of pathways into aviation, and as a podcast host covering all things aviation.
For Women’s History Month, xoNecole caught up with the busy pilot, in between flights, to talk about her career journey, her role in a Bessie Coleman documentary and book, how she balances self-care and safety, and how other Black women can add to the aviation legacy:
xoNecole: You’ve built an successful career in aviation. And you were only 15 and already had your first flight. Were you afraid at all, or did it feel like second nature to you?
Beth Powell: It felt completely natural. There was no fear, just excitement and curiosity.
Now, it’s what they call STEM, and my teacher at the time thought that I was really good at numbers. He recommended three career paths, and I tried the first one.
I didn't understand why it made sense back then at 15, but as I grew up and met other pilots, I recognized that the reason I liked math and physics was that we were technical learners. So we like to break things apart and put them back together. We like to check procedures. We like to write manuals. We were technical artists.
xoN: That’s such an important message. Many young women and girls are often discouraged from pursuing careers in STEM or aviation, so it’s incredible to hear your story. Now, fast forward a bit—how did you transition into your corporate career with larger airlines?
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BP: After that first discovery flight, I quickly finished my high school classes and graduated at 16. By 17, I had earned my private pilot’s license, and by 18, my commercial license. Then, I moved to the U.S. to attend flight school in Florida. While working on my degree in professional aeronautics, I began working for American Eagle Airlines at just 21. Over the years, I’ve built my career and have now spent 25 years in the airline industry, including 14 years at American Eagle and 11 years at American Airlines. In terms of leadership, being a captain is key.
As a captain, I’m responsible for the aircraft, the crew, and the passengers. It’s a huge responsibility, and you learn a lot about leadership when you’re in charge of so much.
Being a captain definitely teaches you leadership. You’re in charge of every aspect of the flight from the moment you sign in to the moment you sign out. From overseeing the crew to managing the safety and well-being of passengers, you have to make quick decisions and take responsibility. Even when you’re starting out as a first officer, you’re learning vital leadership skills that prepare you for the captain role.
xoN: There's a lot going on with airlines right now that might make someone feel afraid in terms of some of the tragedies that have recently happened. How do you sustain your self-care balance and your resilience in the aviation industry when those sorts of things happen?
BP: I truly believe that aviation is still the safest and the No. 1 safest means of transportation. I say that proudly. For any airline, any pilot, any air traffic controller—anyone who works in the industry—safety is our number one priority. However, of course, we see things happening in the news, and it is concerning to passengers.
What I'm telling everybody to do right now, including myself, is that it's very important to have your source of strength. I'm a Christian, and one of my sources of strength is prayers. I go deep within my prayers every morning, and I pray to God, giving things that I can't control to him, and the rest— I can do my best to deal with.
No. 2 is meditation on the Deepak Chopra app. Ever since COVID happened, that was the first time I thought that I needed something more than just my prayers to help me go through to calm down the noise around me.
And last but not least, I'm really big on self-development. I read, I read, and I read. If your foundation is strong, you have something to build from. And so, when I read, I learn a lot about myself. I learn about what triggers me and when something triggers me. I literally hear the Kendrick Lamar song, "TV Off" in my head, because sometimes you need to shut the noise off.
xoN: That's amazing—the combination of faith and just being excellent at what you do. Now, how did you get involved with the Bessie Coleman project?
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BP: I sit on the board of advisers for an organization called Sisters of the Skies, and was at a gala celebrating with all our Black women of our achievements. At the end of the night, Dr. Sheila Chamberlain walked up to me. She was the first Black woman U.S. combat intelligence aviator in the Army. So, if she's walking up to me, it's very serious. She said, ‘I have a favor to ask.’ I said, ‘Yes.’ I did not hear what the favor was. I didn't know what she was going to ask me, but somebody like that walking up to you saying, ‘a favor’? The answer is yes.
She told me [the project involved] helping the Bessie Coleman family elevate the story. ‘I'd like you to ask your company if they will do a flight in honor of Bessie Coleman.’ I went to the different departments at American Airlines, and the rest was literally history. We did that flight on August 8, 2022, and it became a historical flight because everyone on that flight, from the ground up, was a Black woman.
Gigi Coleman, Bessie’s grand-niece, was also on that flight. We started chatting at the end of the flight. Another night, we were hanging out—Sheila, Gigi, and I—and she kept telling me she wanted to write a book, that she wished there was a movie, and that people approached her about it. Nothing had been done as yet. And I thought, sounds like another mission.
I literally took it on. We do have a documentary with the family sharing their perspective of who Bessie Coleman is. And we do have a book called Queen of the Skies.
xoN: For the young women who are looking for career paths in aviation, what are some skills they need to thrive?
BP: While you don't necessarily have to love math to be a pilot, technical knowledge is important. You’ll need to understand aircraft systems and aerodynamics. This includes weather patterns and instrument training. It might seem daunting at first, but the great thing about flight training is that it builds on itself. The more you learn, the more it all clicks. Also, aviation is constantly changing, and you need to be adaptable.
It’s a field where you need to be ready for anything, from unexpected weather to technical issues. Being open to learning new things and adjusting to change is crucial.
My daughter, who has her private pilot’s license, once said, “This journey is both challenging and rewarding. I feel like I’ve grown so much since starting.” It’s important to keep going, even when it gets tough.
To help others, I’m outlining how they can go from “zero to hero” as a pilot. I offer this information freely on my Instagram account, and it’s something I’m passionate about sharing. I want everyone to have access to the resources they need to follow their dreams.
For more information on Beth Powell, the Bessie Coleman documentary, and aviation career resources, visit LadyAv8rBeth.com.
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