Sue Woodard, Chief Customer Officer at Total Expert, interviews an awesome group of leading women in mortgage to get their thoughts on working from home during this quarantine.

Whether you have been married for 20 years, living with a partner, or even just sharing space with a roommate, quarantine and work-from-home has truly been an eye-opening experience for all of us. Now that we’ve all been locked in our homes spending 24/7 with friends or family, like it or not, many of us have gotten a glimpse of some interesting, funny and maybe even a few odd work habits we never saw coming.

Laura Norkin, deputy editor of InStyle, posted on Twitter a few weeks ago, “A funny thing about quarantining is hearing your partner in full work mode for the first time. Like, I’m married to a “let’s circle back” guy – who knew?”

I read this and suddenly realized I’m living with an “at the end of the day” guy. If I only had a roll of toilet paper for every time I’ve heard that in the past six weeks!

So, this sparked my curiosity to see if anyone else was having similar experiences in their home, and, sure enough, many of you are experiencing just the same. Break up your day with some laughter and hear from a few brave souls in the industry who had the guts to tell their working-from-home-with-a-partner stories with us today.

• Stephanie Bacot, content specialist, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation – “I only heard bits and pieces of a call yesterday, but the words “let it percolate” were enough to consider changing the locks! LOL!”
• Felicia Killman, mortgage loan officer, Southern Trust Mortgage – “My husband said, “I knew it, you just schmooze all day”
• Ruth Lee CMB, founder & CEO, Big Think – “I got to listen to my IT husband talk super loud on a call because he was wearing his noise-cancelling headphones, but the sound was coming through his speakers. #shakesheadsadly”
• Meghan Heath, chief development officer, NAMMBA – “My boisterous, energetic hubby is ending many of his calls with “Let’s go make some noise!” and now I’m starting to say it! Jeez!”
• Leora Ruzin CMB, director of real estate lending, Valley First Credit Union & Editor in Chief of Mortgage Women Magazine – “I got to hear my husbands “customer service” voice last week, while we were working from home together. He was calm, patient, understanding, took copious notes. It was sexy. I felt like I was cheating on my real husband with this imposter. I was shook.”
• Christine Beckwith, president, COO & master coach, 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching – “I learned that despite a religious diet, apparently starring in our own sci-fi life he has decided dessert is in order – and has pretty much eaten dessert after every single meal, when for over twelve years I’ve never seen this. Sugar has replaced all other missing luxuries.”
• Shelly Schwieso-Kramarczuk, VP national account manager, Radian – “We split the house: I’m up, he’s down – we separate church and state”.
• Beth Millstein, principal, Millstein Consulting – “I’m actually working in a second space from my husband because I don’t like him to hear me on the phone!! Funny thing is, he works in front of me all the time and doesn’t give it a second thought. Gender differences perhaps?”
• Melanie Marsh, director of digital and sales marketing, Movement Mortgage – “Mine says “I *never* knew you knew that!” He’s a tech guy and I’m on the business side and he and his co-workers express surprise that I can brainstorm with them too! Haha!”

At the end of the day (see what I mean? *sigh*), we are truly all in this together. As we work through the challenges of work from home and quarantine life, don’t forget to take time to laugh and appreciate the good things we have in our lives – including those fun folks we share our homes with. Stay safe and healthy – until next time!