Take initiative with your professional development, regularly stretch beyond your comfort zone, and proactively shape your work environment—all while combating isolation through virtual connections and team culture building.

We are excited to have Elizabeth Lotardo back for the entire issue on self leadership! 

— Shellie & Ric

LIFE BALANCE

How to Find Purpose When You're Busy and Tired

Is the overloaded inbox, mile-long to-do list, and eternal ‘circling back’ leaving you drained?

Job satisfaction and long-term motivation depend upon us knowing that our work counts for something beyond a monetary transaction. Without purpose, feeling engaged is an impossibility.

Here are three tips to tap into your purpose:

Articulate your ripple effect

After you do something, ask yourself - And then what happens? Who does it impact? What would happen if I failed to do this? Push yourself to articulate the ripple effect.

Read customer feedback

Remind yourself why your business matters and the impact you have on your customers.

Build your network

Learn what other teammates are working on and how departments outside your own contribute. Feed off of the energy they’re bringing to their work. This exercise fosters your own sense of belonging and creativity. 

If you want to feel better about your job, focus on how it makes a difference, instead of trying to convince yourself that it’s the most exciting thing in the world.

QUICK TAKES

Grow Yourself First

✅ How to Develop Leadership Skills as a Remote Worker

✅ 10 Ways to Build Better Relationships Working Remotely

✅ The Benefits of Being Proactive While Working Remotely: Leveraging Self-Leadership

Sail Away with a New Collaborative Partnership!

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From June 7-13th, we'll sail through the most beautiful places in France, Italy, Malta, and Greece. Each day brings a new opportunity to grow, with daily talks, workshops, masterminds, unconference sessions, and networking events.

But it's not all about work. Embrace the lighter side of life with improv theatre, take a few salsa lessons, enjoy your wellness practice in a group, showcase your talents at our very own talent show, and meet friends for life.

Sign up to get your discount code. To use the discount code, simply choose your preferred cabin option and payment method and add it at checkout.

LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

What's your biggest "level-up" goal as a remote work leader?

WORKPLACE DYNAMICS

Surviving Your Boss’s (Annoying) Idiosyncrasies

Even if you have a great boss, at some point, they’ll annoy you. Don’t worry, you’ll inevitably annoy them at some point, too! It’s part of any long-term working relationship and it magnifies when you both care about the work (which, hopefully, you do).

Here are steps you can take to mitigate some common leadership frustrations:

For the micromanager: Define check-in times

Is your manager constantly blowing up your phone? 

Having a designated time to check in can help fend off unwarranted interruptions. Even if this check-in is more frequent than you’d like (for example, daily), a standing meeting gives your manager a place to land. 

When they know they’re talking to you soon, they’re more likely to save their questions and comments. Quiet your manager’s (sometimes irrational) fear that things are out of control by proactively keeping them in the loop.

For the mind-changer: Ask questions before agreeing

Sometimes these bosses don’t realize the amount of rework or confusion they leave in their wake. 

You can ensure they really mean what they say by politely pushing back with questions like- what impact do you envision that having on our team’s goals? If we resolve that, what do you think will change? What will happen if we re-prioritize that? Tone is everything; be genuinely curious.

For the email-forgetter: Build urgency

This isn’t a suggestion to manufacture false urgency for the sake of finally getting a response to your email. 

What you should do is accurately paint the consequences of something going unaddressed- you miss an opportunity, a customer suffers, the team will be left in a lurch, whatever it is. This boss (unfortunately) may need an incentive to engage.

When you make the decision to intentionally lead up, most bosses can become the cheerleader, door-opener, and growth creator you want them to be.

THE VIBE

Workplace Evolution

Despite recent pushes for RTO from some high-profile companies, nearly 70% of US companies still offer work location flexibility. New research continues to show that companies taking a flexible approach to where and when people work dramatically outperform their competitors:

• Economic return: Companies ranked highly for flexible work opportunities had higher short- and long-term share prices than peer firms in their respective industries (University of Melbourne).

• Productivity: More than two-thirds of employers saw increased productivity with remote workers (Global Workplace Analytics). Companies with remote work policies outperform those without by an average of 16% (Flex Index).

• Talent recruitment: About 83% of recruiters say they believe remote work has improved the quality of the applicants they attract (MyPerfectResume).

• Talent retention: 45% of HR leaders express difficulty retaining workers at organizations where on-site work is mandated, while only 15% report it’s difficult at organizations that allow employees to choose where they work (The Conference Board).

• Workforce satisfaction: Nearly one-third of workers say they’re willing to strike over work-from-home benefits (WFH Research).

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POLL – NEXT WEEKS TOPIC

In our next issue: Remote independence is more than a work style. It's a bold declaration that you refuse to be confined by outdated workplace norms. You're not just working remotely—you're reimagining what's possible when you blend ambition with freedom.

CAREER GROWTH

Stepping Up: What to Say When You Raise Your Hand

People who lead themselves are exceptional at identifying opportunities to step up within the boundaries of their current work. This could be volunteering for a stretch project, proactively jumpstarting collaboration with another department, or bringing a big idea to the team meeting.

When you’re raising your hand, go beyond “because I want to.” 

Articulate to your boss:

Your skillset: Do you have experience, information, or connections that put you in a strong position to take this on? 

The support system in place to help you: What colleagues, leaders, or learning materials are available to support you in this effort? If you don’t have 100% of the skills (i.e. volunteering for a stretch project), identifying resources is even more important.

Potential risk: Nothing is a 100% safe bet. Show your boss you’ve reflected on possible challenges and have a plan in place to address them. Don’t make them point it out.

The value of the work: Help your boss see that you know what’s at stake. Prove that you understand why the work matters and how it connects to the overarching goals of your organization. This shows your boss that you’re taking it seriously and will follow-through.

1440 – Sponsorship Appreciation

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🗓️ COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Local Events to Connect & Collaborate

Ready to escape your Netflix rut? We've got you covered! 

Mingle with dreamers in Asheville, howl at jokes in Chicago, or schmooze at Greenville's Commons. Feeling techy? Hit "AI Hacks and Hops" with a cold one in hand. Dirt under your nails more your style? Join us for Bent Creek trail work. 

From fractional living insights to digital nomad spring shenanigans, March is packed with adventures waiting for your RSVP. 

Your couch will understand.

Check out the Community Calendar 🗓️ for the details!

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Until next Thursday! 🕺