Thrive Remotely champions the sovereignty of remote and independent professionals, so we can thrive on our own terms.
Hey friend,
Next year's pay is being decided now. In budget meetings you won't attend.
In an office, someone argues for you there. Remote, your work has to do the talking.
This week, we're getting your number into the room. Salary, title, scope and staying remote if you're employed. A rate letter if you're independent.
You'll learn what you're worth, when decisions land, and how to build your case.
Talk soon,
— Ric & Shellie
P.S. Know someone who's crushing it but secretly convinced they're winging it? Send your unique referral link their way. 🙌🏼
SOVEREIGN CAREER
The Ask Is the Last Step
Your number for next year gets decided long before you ask for it. Here's how to make sure they've seen your work first.
by Ric Pratte
Every fall, I hear the same question. Different people, different industries, same knot in the stomach.
"How do I ask for more?"
Remote employees ask it about raises. Independents ask it about rates. And most of the time, they're starting in the wrong place. Not because asking is wrong. Because the ask is the last step, and they're treating it like the first.
SOVEREIGN CAREER
Your Raise Won’t Ask for Itself
Two free Vanguard Documents: one for remote employees, one for independents.
Next year’s pay is being set now, in meetings you won’t attend. Remote work makes that harder: research shows managers lean toward office staff when they can’t see the evidence. So bring the evidence.
The Raise Case Blueprint walks remote employees through it: when budgets lock, what your work is worth on the market, an evidence log written for people who never saw you work, and the exact words for the ask.
The Rate Letter Blueprint does the same for independents: the rate your year actually requires, the terms worth fixing, two ready-to-send letters and replies for every kind of pushback.
Both are free. Start this week, before budgets lock.
LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS
Where does your number for next year stand right now?
QUICK TAKES
Be Strong For Yourself
💪 Remote Work Proximity Bias Statistics 2026. Remote workers are 31% less likely to be promoted than their hybrid or fully in-office peers, and 38% less likely to receive bonuses.
💪 Raise Your Freelance Rate in 2026: What the 25% Who Did It Know.
MEME OF THE WEEK
The Field Report
What's real this week, the gap between freedom and follow-through, closing.
THE VIBE
News to Use
💡 Employee Engagement Is at a 15-Year Low. Remote Work Isn’t the Real ProblemMost employees don’t know what success looks like at work, and nearly two-thirds don’t feel cared for. Leaders can fix both.
💡 Remote Work Was Supposed to Make Parenting Easier. Why Are Parents Still Struggling?
💡 Remote work automation just crossed a troubling threshold. A sharp warning for the labor market because the Remote Labor Index asks a harder question than most on AI.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Go Get Overheard
Your number needs a sanity check, and a spreadsheet won't talk back.
Coworking mornings from El Paso to DC, happy hours in Boise and Gaylord, a portfolio review in Asheville, tacos to close the week. Real people, real rates, real gut checks.
Bring your number. Leave with a better one.
POLL – NEXT WEEKS TOPIC
Next week: Who Approves Your Time Off? - Remote or independent, the real approver is you.
This holiday season, who really approves your time off?
This Week’s Partner
Stop Making Shoppers Spell It Out
“Running shos” shouldn’t return zero results. Neither should “red waterprof trail runners under $150.”
Traditional search needs exact keywords. Gladly understands what shoppers mean, typos and all, and turns dead-end searches into products that fit what they asked for.
🌺 Find Joy in Your World Today
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