Remote Stars: Our First Year 🎂
One year of building something bigger than remote work.

Hey there,

One year. 52 issues. Thousands of you showing up, tuning in, and proving that “working remotely” can actually mean living fully.

When we started Thrive Remotely, we thought we’d be the ones sharing insights about remote work.
Plot twist: you became the story.

Your messages, your meetups, your photos from coffee shops and coasts. You turned a simple idea into a living, breathing community. And honestly? That’s been the best part.

This issue is our thank-you note, our highlight reel, and our promise that Year Two is going to be even bolder, brighter, and a little bit ridiculous (in the best way).

Here’s to the rebels, dreamers, and digital nomads redefining what work — and life — can look like.

— Ric & Shellie 🎉

REJOICE AND RENEW

One Year In: Everything Changed

By Shellie & Ric

What if this newsletter wasn't supposed to look like this? 

A year ago, we launched a simple lifestyle newsletter. Then you showed up with your messy, beautiful remote work reality and completely rewrote our playbook. 

Turns out, talking to thousands of you across six continents taught us we were wrong about remote work, in the best possible way. What we discovered about career anxiety, productivity myths, and what you actually need to thrive will shape everything we're building next.

👉 Get the plot twist that changed everything → 

LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

Which topic resonates most with your remote work journey?

REFLECTION

By The Numbers

• 52 newsletters published. Yup that weekly thing happens EVERY week 🤯

• 95 stories written. Sharing personal stories have made the newsletter much more interesting. 🤗

• 35 volunteer writers. The people who make the real magic happen. 🥰

• >3700 subscribers. Thank you for joining this journey. 📈

• >48% Open Rate. OMG you love the content 🙏

WHY WE DO THIS

Benefits from a year of Thriving Remotely

By Travis Provin

I began the first workday of 2025 by logging into my remote job without question or intention. It was automatic and felt normal. I was working from home just like I did when I worked in an office. 

Fortunately I stumbled across Thrive Remotely and totally changed how I lived, thought, and worked in 2025.

I adopted a Thrive Remotely mindset and viewed remote work as a benefit rather than simply working from home. I stopped working at home as if I was working in an office. This simple mindset shift led me to do so much more with my workdays and my life in 2025. 

The biggest surprise? My mindset, productivity, and happiness at work all improved!

Because I adopted a Thrive Remotely mindset I:

• Completed 40 hours of volunteer work and created volunteer opportunities for other remote workers to join in on!

• Took time each morning to work on myself through journaling and meditation because I was not rushing to log in ASAP without question.

• Spent more time gardening, mountain biking, and exercising by giving myself permission to step away from work and create a schedule that worked for me and my employer.

• Spent quality time with friends and family while working remotely in another state.

• Became more efficient and happier at work by setting boundaries and saying no to low value meetings.

• Made new friends at Asheville Digital Nomads social events!

The joy, productivity, and happiness that a simple mindset shift can bring is incredible. Here’s to another year of Thriving Remotely!

POLL – NEXT WEEKS TOPIC

Next week: Living Slow in a Fast Paced World - Setting boundaries to resist hustle culture means intentionally defining when, where, and how work happens, so that personal wellbeing, rest, and authentic living take priority.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Get Out There Already

Your laptop misses you, but your couch doesn't.

This week's loaded: happy hours in Philly and Texas, pub crawling in Cary, hiking Rainbow Falls, beach bonfires in San Diego, coworking sessions across the country, and a literal spooky party in El Paso.

Remote doesn't mean alone. Find your people.

👉 See the full event list!