Hello, remote crew,

Remote work is powerful. Flexible. Efficient.

It’s also quietly lonely.

Async threads get longer. Slack gets louder. And without intentional time together, “culture” slowly becomes whatever people imagine in their own heads.

This week, we’re talking about the one thing remote teams can’t automate: real, in-person connection. Not forced fun. Not awkward icebreakers. Strategic, intentional gatherings that actually strengthen trust, collaboration, and belonging.

Because sometimes the most productive thing you can do… is close the laptop and pull up a chair.

Let’s fix this before your culture becomes a rumor.

— Ric & Shellie

P.S. P.S. Leading a remote team? This might be the most important thing you share this week. 🙌🏼

By Maria Scarzella Thorpe

In-person time is a strategic asset, if you design it with intention and connect it to a year-round culture rhythm that holds. 

In this piece, Maria shares five golden rules for making retreats and meetups actually work. Having helped distributed teams and founders reimagine how they gather and grow, Maria has seen how intentional time together strengthens collaboration, engagement, and belonging.

Make in-person gatherings your team’s greatest advantage →

✅ 10 Company Retreat Ideas for Your Remote Team to Bond

✅ How to Host a Mastermind Retreat

✅ How (and Why) to Plan a Quarterly Solo Business Retreat

By Dr. Peggy Kendall

Remote work is great...until you finally meet your teammates in person and think “oh, now I get it”.  

It is in those face-to-face meet-ups where ideas move faster, conversations go deeper, and misunderstandings shrink.

Turns out, shared space has some unfair advantages. Dr. Peggy Kendall shows what distance quietly costs your team.

Read more about Peggy’s “force multipliers”...

🔆 10 Modern Habits That Replaced “Living to Work”. Success is increasingly defined by how life feels day to day.

🔆 We Do Not Have the Luxury to Be Bystanders in a Hybrid World. Four steps toward agency amid AI.

🔆 Why Aren’t Organizations Teaching People How To Work Virtually? Virtual work can be thoughtful, efficient, and sustainable, but only if the foundation is clear.

Next week: The "Async-First" Advantage: Reclaiming Time and Focus

Coworking in Ann Arbor. Happy hours in Cary and Plano. Ski sessions with nomads in Mars Hill. Pickleball in Charlotte. Arcade nights in Chicago.

Remote doesn't mean isolated.

Your tribe is gathering this week across the country. Show up. These casual hangouts beat another solo desk day.

Find your crew. Make it happen.

🗓️ See all meetups near you →

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