By Victor Hill, CAPP

Yes, that’s a picture of Optimus Prime behind me. The other one features Megatron. Both pay homage to the 1986 movie that traumatized a generation of kids, me included.

What, you expected to see a wall of degrees or my CAPP certificate?

When I started working from home, I thought my office needed my bona fides on display, but I did not want any of those items in my space. I spend the majority of my workdays talking to colleagues and customers on camera, so it makes better sense that people see the real me. And the real me is an old-school Transformers nerd. What you don’t see on camera is the barcade I built a few years ago, the mini-fridge, or the Autobot logo that’s part of a modern interpretation of Prime’s trailer striping – and that’s way more than you wanted to know, but there it is, with photos.

I’m more productive at this point in my professional career than ever, in small part, because I work in a space that’s my own where I can truly engage. I have easy access to the professional tools I need to be successful, but they’re balanced with the stuff that keeps me focused and, often, serve as ice breakers.

We’ve spent the last two years talking about working from home, but we haven’t spent enough time talking about the things that make us productive, effective, or fun. If a wall of degrees is what makes you happy, cool. I just think Autobots are cooler, and the people I work with do, too.

Or maybe they’re just humoring me.

Victor Hill, CAPP, MPA is an account manager with T2 Systems, and a member of IPMI’s Sustainability Committee.