Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabriella Hoffman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Gabriella thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

Remote work has worked tremendously for me as a freelancer and policy analyst. I’ve been working from home since 2016, when I started my full-time freelance business. In fall 2023, I shifted back to W2 employment and now manage my freelance business on a part-time basis.

For me, remote work has made me more productive and accountable. I can maintain a work-life balance and accomplish tasks with more ease. Saving time on daily commutes allows me to get more work done.

I’d say that the only drawback to remote work is limited social interaction with colleagues. But in lieu of this, I try to make time to meaningfully interact with coworkers, colleagues, friends, etc., in-person over coffee, lunch, and events when appropriate.

Gabriella, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a jill-of-all-trades: a freelance multimedia specialist, policy analyst, podcaster, and award-winning outdoor journalist. I spent much of my career in grassroots organizing and media relations in the nonprofit space in politics. I eventually branched out to outdoor industry, too.

I’ve been very lucky to have bylines in several national publications and appear TV, radio, and podcasts. I’m also a board member of a prominent outdoor media association, called the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), and was recently appointed to a conservation board position by my governor here in Virginia.

I’m most proud of branching out on my own and learning what it takes to run a freelance business. I’ve had ups and downs, and everything in between. The experience has taught me invaluable lessons about overcoming adversity, trusting my gut, being persistent, and working hard towards objectives and goals.
Some of my journalism work has equally inspired policy changes at the federal and state level, or sparked an important conversation about underreported topics.

As a freelancer, I’ve had the privilege to testify before Congress about safeguarding freelancer rights. Now as an energy policy director, I’m responsible for leading a center at a prominent national think tank that engages the White House, federal agencies, Members of Congress, and other stakeholders.

I’m very fortunate to be in my position and don’t take it for granted. Taking risks early in my career prepared me for the career I have today. I also didn’t take “No” for an answer.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

With social media being so ubiquitous today, I frequently get asked out I built up a following of 100,000+ across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X/Twitter as an early adopter of social media. I engaged on Facebook and Twitter early on, and became a trustworthy voice on political and outdoor topics. I supplemented my musings with writing (articles, op-eds, blogs) to build my name and visibility. I’ve had a steady following, that has seen somewhat of recent growth after years of lagging. While I’ve shifted my strategy and selectively opine on my interest area these days, I’m grateful my followers have traveled alongside me and now reference/cite me as a subject matter expert. I’m also very keen to leverage my social media networks to share and amplify the work of others – friends or colleagues – where appropriate and help them get more exposure.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

For much of my career, I was the sole decider of client relations, editing, meetings, and the like. Now that I work in public policy, I have a team I can delegate certain responsibilities to while remaining focused on company goals. Having a great team around you – even virtually – is optimal for maximizing success. Working independently and alongside others keeps me balanced and makes me a better professional.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gabriellahoffman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriella_hoffman
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegabbyhoffman/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabbyhoffman/
• Twitter: https://x.com/Gabby_Hoffman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/gabriellahoffman