The warm morning sunshine leaks through the windows of a one-story, red and white home in the jungle-green hills of Los Angeles. The house is filled with the clacking of computer keys, the hollow notes from a keyboard piano, and the soft coos from a one-year-old boy with curious eyes and curly brown hair. These noises create a sweet melody to fill the ears of BDI employee, Anna Koons.
Her life is off the beaten path from most BDI employees. As a full-time telecommuter, Anna works from home beside her husband, Christian, and their son, Damen. Their lives together are filled with reading, picnics, tea parties, arts and crafts, and exploring outdoors. “It’s easy for me to find joy in the small things,” she said. “Especially having a toddler around. He shows me the simpler parts of life.”
As a curious pair, Anna and her son are always discovering and creating new things. From candle-wax sculptures to clay miniatures, their creativity knows no bounds. “Having a child gives me an excuse to make things that I want to make,” she said. “I say it’s for Damen, but it’s really for me.”
Anna’s husband, Christian, also works remotely as a podcast producer. The two sit side by side in their home office, editing and refining content for their companies. “Lots of people have been thrust into telecommuting because of the pandemic, and while I know it’s not ideal for many, at best it can allow for some balance in your days,” she said. “You can make breakfast in your own kitchen between meetings, you can water your plants on a call. As I heard someone at BDI say, you’ll always be on time for dinner!”
As BDI’s Lead Proofreader, Anna assesses her team’s workload and administers tasks so that the proofreading department can run efficiently and keep moving forward. She loves to create and establish new systems to increase organization and heighten work accuracy amongst her team. “My job satisfies my type-A desire for organization,” she said. “It leaves all my creative energy for outside of work.”
But when Anna first came to BDI, she had no intention of becoming a full-time proofreader. Moving to California from her hometown in Chicago, young Anna set out to follow her dreams of becoming a creative writer. “I was hesitant when I first read the job description at BDI because it was half administration and half proofreading, and I was scared of leaving my comfort zone of just working with a pen and paper,” she said. “But I knew I was going to apply.”
As Anna started working in proofreading, she discovered passions outside of her creative mindset. “Writing takes a different type of energy,” she said. “I found myself more drawn to the process of perfecting our jobs, and ensuring that our copy represents each of our unique clients.” As the company grew, Anna was able to make proofreading her sole focus, and to eventually build a team of specialized proofreaders.
Moving forward, Anna plans to continue leading charge for the proofreading department—refining, expanding and maximizing workflow for her team and for the greater company. She hopes to continue working from home, being part of the small and large joys in the life of her son.
As her day comes to a close and dusk begins to settle in, Anna watches as her son carefully picks wildflowers for their kitchen table. Her husband’s music swells in the background and she smiles to herself, reveling in a home that’s full of life. “My days might not be very unique or exceptional, but I am able to find lots of moments of beauty,” she said. “My life is simple and I love it.”
