Hey friend,

Your Thursday got hijacked again, didn't it?

Another day lost to meetings that could've been messages. Another afternoon scrambling to do your actual work.

Going async-first isn't trendy. It's survival.

This week, we're showing you how to take your calendar back.

– Ric & Shellie

P.S. The easiest way you can support us is by sharing the newsletter with friends. 🙌🏼

Ever had a week where your calendar looked like a Tetris championship — color blocks, back-to-backs, "quick syncs" — and yet the actual work was stuck? 

Remotivated founder Jim Coughlin calls this "synchronous debt," and says teams are drowning in it. 

In this story, Jim breaks down how it quietly kills productivity, drains focus, and slows decisions. Then he shares an async-first playbook teams can use to move faster with fewer meetings and less burnout.

Read Jim’s full story and the payoff →

✅ How to embrace asynchronous communication for remote work

✅ The Role of Strong Documentation in Asynchronous Work

✅ 5 Remote Work Communication Challenges and How to Overcome Them

The Culture Edit: Your invitation to shape the remote life that works for you.

Reduce interruptions and unlock your best focus by mastering async communication. Shift from default meetings to default documentation.

Protect deep work, post updates in writing, and let thoughtful responses replace reactive chatter.

This week, choose one recurring meeting to turn async.

What clarity could you gain if decisions lived in writing - not endless calls - and your time stayed yours?

What energy and freedom could async return right now?

by Maria Scarzella Thorpe | Workplace Culture Strategist & Founder of Nomad Pass – Designing Retreats and Culture Experiences for remote and hybrid teams.

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🔆 Surprise! Office leases drive return-to-office policies. Long leases are expensive artifacts of a different era.

🔆 The Strategic Playbook for Building a Remote-First Company. How to build and scale a remote-first company that thrives across borders, cultures, and time zones.

Next week: Health as a KPI: Stop Letting Your Body Tank Your Revenue

Karaoke in Naperville. Slopes in Mars Hill. Happy hour in Philly. Coworking that doesn't feel like work in DC, Covington, and El Paso. 

Your remote job gives you freedom. These events give you people who actually get it. 

Pick one. Show up. Remember what fun feels like.

Find your crew (and ditch your couch)

📈 Revenue Memo : A newsletter that unpacks how great companies make money

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