On a typical day, Edith (Edi) heads to work at her grandmother’s interior design firm in Atlanta’s Peachtree Battle neighborhood. Luckily, it’s just a short commute from her house in Peachtree Hills. When her parents, Isabelle and Will Adams, were looking to purchase a house, they intentionally looked for places that were close to public transportation.
This was especially important for the family since they share one car. Will drops Isabelle at the Lindbergh Center MARTA station so that she can take the train to Sandy Springs, where she works at Cox Enterprises, while Edi’s grandmother normally picks her up so they can carpool to work for the day. Carpooling helps Edi get a jumpstart to her morning, so that she can worry more about picking out fabrics and less about sitting in traffic.
Edi says that her mother spent some time living in France and the UK (where she met dad Will) and that their experiences living abroad have shaped their choices today. Moved by her time in France, mom Isabelle named Edi for famed 1930s French singer Edith Piaf. But her name wasn’t the only thing that was impacted by her parents’ time in Europe.
Edi says that she grew up in a household that has always relied on public transportation as an integral part of mobility. She noted that in other countries, and even other cities in the U.S., taking public transit is the most convenient form of transportation. Her mother always told her that, living in Europe, it was never a question of whether to take public transit – it was always the most efficient and best option. Their experience helped them, and Edi, know the benefits of taking MARTA. And while Edi hasn’t made it out of the country yet, herself, she knows that she will always be able to get around if public transit is available!
While her commutes are less stressful given that she can carpool, Edi says that her favorite commute day by far is the one where she doesn’t even have to leave the house. On Fridays, Edi and mom Isabelle both telework. Cox Enterprises recently developed a formal telework program, and Isabelle’s team has been teleworking every Friday since August. It’s a way for her to get work done without the distractions that come from being in the office.
And because Edi loves nothing more than spending time with her mom, she now works from home on Fridays, too! They are able to spend some quality time together, while being able to get their work done. Edi takes conference calls with clients while Isabelle has her weekly status meetings with her team. It’s a great fit for both of them!
GCO is celebrating Georgia’s Telework Week November 18-22, 2019. Join Edi and Isabelle as they ditch their commutes – learn more about our services to help you develop and formalize a telework program at your worksite.