👨‍💻 Remote Work 4 Years Later

Yes. This is the CityChad, your Tag Team partner ready to take on the Heavyweight Financial Championship together. Let’s get ready to rumble!

In this week’s edition:

• Markets: 🫤OKish

• Article: 👨‍💻 Remote Work 4 Years Later

• News: 💉 Enhanced Games, 💑 Dink Shaming, ✊🏿 Ye Against Everyone

• Chad Of The Week: 🏹 Chris Williamson

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MARKETS: 🫤 OKish

REITs were hit the most during last week, trading below their net asset value, with a median discount of 15.8%.

Industrial, medical and office REITs are struggling, while data center REITs are thriving.

Residential REITs are also hurting as more of them see their occupancy rate falling to an all-time low at 87%

Safe to say, not a great time for REITs at the moment.

Ethereum is leading the Crypto front as developers launch the Dencun Upgrade, which will improve the coin’s scalability and efficiency. According to the Ethereum team, the upgrade has yielded positive results on their testnets.

Bonds and stocks also showed some resistance as the United States Treasury aims to auction almost $42 billion in ten-year bonds.

Ford Motor Co. is this week’s big winner, while New York Community Bancorp got BTFO by Moody’s, who just downgraded its bonds to ‘junk’.

ARTICLE: 👨‍💻 REMOTE WORK 4 YEARS LATER

TLDR: Remote work became the norm for many as companies had to adapt to the global pandemic. Even after Covid faded away, companies saw the benefit of having “hybrid” systems, with some of their workforce either partially or fully working remote. 4 years later, is it still all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s find out.

• 🚗 How it all Started

• 👍 The Pros

• 👎 The Cons

• 💼 What’s the future looking like?

• 😎 The Chad Takeaway

🚗 HOW IT ALL STARTED

For most of us, 2020 was the year when we got pulled out of our office desks straight into the home office experience.

As governments around started to put populations in quarantine, some of stocked our fridges and woke up the next day figuring out where would our improvised work station be.

The COVID-19 pandemic came and went but home office became the new normal for a bunch of different people. It for sure change the lives of many.

So is it good? Is it bad?

Let's dive into it

👍 THE PROS

• No Commuting Drama: Working from home means saying goodbye to traffic jams and overcrowded buses.
  
  The daily stress of racing against time, worrying about unreliable transport, and envisioning your boss's frown as they glance at your empty chair, while wasting an average of 54 hours every year.
  
  Now, the longest commute is from your bed to your desk, coffee pit stop included. Plus, you get extra Z's even if you had a trusty commute before.
  

• Expanding Horizons: The world of remote work breaks down barriers. The internet is a game-changer, enabling employers to connect with talent miles away.
  
  Workers from quieter, more remote areas now have the same opportunities as city slickers.
  
  You could be in a quaint village and still earn a city salary.
  

• Flexible Lifestyle: Home is where the heart is, and also where you can juggle work with personal life. Got kids? Save on daycare. Caring for someone special? Balance it seamlessly with your work.
  
  Plus, choose when you work best. Night owl? No problem, tackle those tasks in the wee hours.
  
  And let's not forget the dress code – or lack thereof. Working in your comfiest clothes? Priceless.

👎 THE CONS

• Distraction Central: Just a quick game of FIFA before that budget planning meeting. Surely you can squeeze one more episode of The Wire before continuing with that pesky project you are due.
  
  Although numbers show that people tend to focus more while working from home, it is not without the danger of your mind wandering somewhere else. Discipline is your best friend here. Remember, a clear mind does wonders.
  
  Try working in focused bursts. Did you know? On average, we lose 2.1 hours a day to distractions and take about 25 minutes to refocus after each one. So, bro, keep your work game strong!
  

• Isolation Nation: If you're flying solo at home, the lack of office banter and human interaction can be a downer.
  
  Some offices are more than just workspaces – they're social hubs, complete with cool amenities and great colleagues. Feeling isolated? Reach out to your work pals.
  
  Being remote doesn't mean you can't keep those connections alive and kicking.
  

• Mixing Work and Play: Especially in a small space, your gaming or chill zone doubles as your office can muddle things up. Your haven becomes a place of stress. The trick?
  
  Set clear boundaries. Have distinct zones for work and leisure, even if they're just different corners of the same room.

💼 WHAT’S THE FUTURE LOOKING LIKE?

Businesses are seeing significant cost savings – goodbye, large expensive office leases; hello, leaner operational costs.

But it's not all about the bottom line. Companies are finding that remote work can boost employee satisfaction and productivity, as their teams relish the flexibility and work-life harmony this setup offers.

But having said all this, 9 out of 10 companies are still demanding the dreaded “RTO” (Return to Office).

Why? Well they perceive that workers are simply more productive at the office and will produce more revenue.

Is this true? Hard to say. The data was gathered from surveys from company managers. So basically pulled from thin air.

😎 THE CHAD TAKEAWAY

Remote work is like a rollercoaster – full of ups and downs, twists and turns.

It's about finding what works for you and your employer, striking that perfect balance between productivity and personal life.

The days of remote working may be numbered for some. But a real Chad will make find a way to make it his choice.

Location independent entrepreneurship, anyone?

NEWS: 💉 ENHANCED GAMES

Although the idea was being mulled over the past few years, it seems like finally the Enhanced Games will get their funding, ready to start in 2025.

What are the Enhanced Games, you may ask?

Basically, the Olympics but where roiding is allowed.

PayPal Co-Founder Peter Thiel is among the investors ready to fund the games which, according to its own site, says “well, everyone is already using PEDs on the side, so why not make it legal?”

It might be controversial, but we are gonna be watching this one.

NEWS: 💑 DINK SHAMING

Elon Musk, who is a father of 10, recently stirred the pot with his views on childlessness.

He took a jab against the DINK (Double Income, No Kids) lifestyle as morally questionable.

His take? It's wrong to expect others' children to care for you in old age without having your own.

This sparked a fiery debate online, with opinions split between the freedom of a child-free life and the traditional values of parenthood.

From viral TikTok videos celebrating the DINK life to harsh online backlash, it's clear that the choice to have kids or not remains a hot-button issue.

NEWS: ✊🏿 YE AGAINST EVERYONE

Kanye West has been complaining on social media as he is struggling to book venues for his upcoming shows, as he hints at a possible world tour, including sets in USA, UK, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Japan and Egypt.

He posted a video on his Instagram saying that he could only book the United Center, as most other venues don’t want to get associated with him after most of his comments were dubbed antisemitic by mass media.

Despite the Cancel Culture doing whatever it takes to shove Ye under the rugs, it seems like other parts of the world were more receptive of the rapper.

CHAD OF THE WEEK: 🎙️ CHRIS WILLIAMSON

In less than 5 years, a humble Chad from northeast England built a Podcasting Empire.

Growing up in Stockton-on-Tees, Chris didn't have the easiest childhood. Bullying and feeling like an outsider were part of his daily life. But he found solace in cricket, where he excelled, showing early signs of the grit and determination that would define his later years.

Once Uni started, he dove into the nightlife scene, co-founding a nightclub promotion company that rocked the student world.

This period was all about living large and fast, a stark contrast to his earlier years.

Late nights and heavy partying taking a toll on his mental health, however. His first real brush with fame came with dating reality TV show "Take Me Out," but it was "Love Island" that marked a turning point. On the show, Chris realized the 'professional party boy' persona didn't fit him.

He pivoted with an intellectual turn.

He dove into the world of long-form podcasts, creating "Modern Wisdom" in 2018. His podcast became a space for deep, meaningful conversations, a stark departure from his reality TV days.

What can we learn from Chris's story?

Reinvention.

From a bullied kid to a nightclub promoter to a respected podcaster, his journey is a reminder that we're not defined by our beginnings or the roles we play.

Chris Williamson, you're our Chad of the Week for showing us the power of resilience and the courage to redefine our paths. Stay tuned to CityChad for more stories of personal transformation and triumph!

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