Bert, Ernie & Kathleen: Redefining what it means to work from anywhere | #customersupport #supporticket

Highlights:

• Kathleen Milbier and her rescue poodle-mix Ernie, work from “Bert”, a 60’ sq. ft Winnebago Travato
• The trio has already visited national parks including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Crater Lake

RingCentral’s new Recruitment Marketing Manager, Kathleen Milbier, is currently leading an exciting, invigorating, and untethered life—despite being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer just a few years ago.

When the pandemic began, she was limited to transitioning back and forth between lockdown at home and chemo treatments at the hospital.

Now, she’s traversing across the country in her converted Winnebago with her beloved road dog, Ernie. This is her story.

Going down the road. Feeling glad

2020 and 2021 brought many changes for Kathleen—some great; some not so great.

She was able to fully transition from the conventional chemotherapy that kept her bedridden and weak to advanced immunotherapy that gave her more energy, new hair, and a new lease on life. However, Kathleen also lost a job she loved in the hard-hit entertainment industry. 

Both changes encouraged her to make a life-changing decision: to put herself—and her pooch—in the driver’s seat instead of cancer. Literally.

Kathleen gave up her apartment and squeezed her entire life into a 60-square foot Winnebago she named “Bert.” Now, Bert, Ernie, and Kathleen spend their days exploring the country, visiting family, and living life to the fullest.

You can keep up with their adventures on Instagram. 

New year, new possibilities

When 2022 rolled around, Kathleen’s life looked brighter than ever. But, there was still one thing to take care of: finding her next career move.

Before jumping into a new position, she outlined some non-negotiables the role had to fulfill. First and foremost, Kathleen wanted to find a company where diversity and inclusion—especially disabilities—were embraced and prioritized. She wanted the flexibility to work from her Winnebago no matter where it parked.

Lastly, Kathleen wanted a job that would surround her with kind and creative people who valued open communication and enjoyed challenging the status quo. Those are precisely the motivations that led her to RingCentral. 

Culture makes the cut

Kathleen’s new mobile lifestyle might have proved challenging when seeking employment at more traditional companies, but our culture of flexibility and acceptance was the perfect fit. Our team immediately embraced her unique situation.

“[RingCentral] was absolutely open to it. It became a thing that everyone was excited to talk about.”

Putting our products to the test.

Keeping Kathleen connected on the road is a great pressure test for our products. Having driven cross-country more than once, she’s tested RingCentral technology in mountains, forests, deserts, and every location you can imagine—with fantastic results.

Whether she’s talking with coworkers in Manila or chatting with family and friends on the other side of the country, RingCentral delivers the reliable connection Kathleen needs to support work-life on the road.

Hello, mobile workforce

Studies show that remote work is now widely recognized by companies around the world. The recent pandemic sped up that transition as businesses were forced to accommodate remote work with little to no preparation time.

Kathleen’s decision to work on the road is a unique version of countless stories of individuals who were pushed to adopt a more remote employment environment either out of necessity or desire.

And RingCentral’s innovative technology has been the perfect boon to Kathleen’s new lifestyle. We know it has the potential to offer the same support for individuals and businesses around the world who need a trusted remote solution.

With diversity, everyone wins

RingCentral couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kathleen to the team, and we’re excited to see what we can accomplish together. We’re always looking for new ways to add diversity to our team and culture –  now, we’re pursuing it on the road.

If you’re in a meeting with Kathleen, find out how the weather is wherever she happens to be. And don’t forget to say hi to Ernie! 

#HelloToErnie

Kathleen’s Mobile Comms: Tech Specs

Interested in the tech that keeps Kathleen connected whether she’s in a city or campsite?
We knew you would be. Here’s her minimal yet capable mobile comms setup:

*4G LTE MoFi metal router with extended Wi-Fi range

*Unlimited AT&T data plan through MobileMustHave.com

Originally published Jan 27, 2022, updated Jan 28, 2022