Rise of the Semi-Digital Nomad

How Remote Work Changes Everything — If You Let It

Remote work has given millions of people more freedom than ever before — but for many, that freedom comes with guilt, anxiety and the pressure to recreate an office mindset at home. In this episode, host Eric Fish talks with Darcy Marie Mayfield, a hospitality-rooted culture strategist, consultant and “serendipity engineer” who’s spent more than a decade helping people, organizations and cities build remote work cultures that thrive. Darcy explains why so many remote workers fall into “learned helplessness,” the psychological pull to cling to old habits even when the constraints are gone. She breaks down the four stages of remote life design, from recreating the office at home to fully integrating a lifestyle centered on energy, alignment and intentionality. Then she zooms out to the company and community levels — including her work with Experience Tulsa and the programs reshaping what cities can be in the remote era. Links * Darcy’s website: Shift with Darcy Marie [https://www.shiftwithdarcymarie.com/] * Thrive Remotely Newsletter: How to Design A Remote Life You Love [•%09https:/news.thriveremotely.io/p/momentum-magic-for-remote-workers] * Thrive Remotely Newsletter: The Four Stages of Remote Life Design [https://news.thriveremotely.io/p/soar-beyond-work-boundaries]     * Fast Company: Remote Work isn’t the Problem. Mediocre Leadership is [https://www.fastcompany.com/91391672/remote-work-isnt-the-problem-mediocre-leadership-is-work-from-home-bad-leadersh]

Rise of the Semi-Digital Nomad

Remote work has opened the door to full-time travel — but not everyone wants to live out of a backpack year-round. In this episode, host Eric Fish talks with Jaco Verdini, a UX/UI designer who embraces what he calls the ‘digital semi-nomad’ lifestyle. Instead of constantly moving, he keeps a home base while taking extended work trips throughout the year. Jaco shares how he organizes his travel, maintains routines on the road, and finds community through co-living spaces and coworking hubs. He talks about the creativity boost that comes from changing your surroundings, the trade-offs between full-time nomading and semi-nomading, and how to keep remote work sustainable without burning out. Links  * Jaco’s article: Work from everywhere. What’s a digital semi nomad? [https://medium.com/design-bootcamp/work-from-everywhere-whats-a-digital-semi-nomad-456ab68466e7] * Jaco’s website: jacoverdini.com [https://www.jacoverdini.com/] * Nomad List: A global community of remote workers living and traveling around the world [https://nomads.com/] * Nomad: International SIM card [https://www.getnomad.app/] * Meetup: An app to find social events anywhere [http://meetup.com/] * Couchsurfing: App with a hangout function to meet people while traveling [https://www.couchsurfing.com/] * ClassPass: App to find gyms and classes while traveling [https://classpass.com/] * Noma Collective: Co-living organization hosting trips around the world for digital nomads [http://www.noma-collective.com]

The Trust Gap in Remote Work

Remote work has opened up incredible flexibility — but it’s also created new challenges around communication, trust and visibility. In this episode, host Eric Fish talks with Dr. Peggy Kendall, a Bethel University professor, researcher and consultant on virtual communication and remote team dynamics. Drawing from research for her new book, Trust at a Distance: 6 Strategies for Managing in Remote Workspaces [https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Distance-Strategies-Managing-Workspaces/dp/B0DXP29R5Q], she explains why trust is harder to build across screens, why remote workers often overcompensate, and how small misunderstandings can quickly snowball without the signals we rely on in person. She breaks down the pillars of trust that remote teams need to thrive, offering practical strategies for managers and employees. From proximity bias and digital presenteeism to predictable check-ins and the importance of psychological safety, this conversation gives a blueprint for creating healthier and more effective distributed teams. Links * Peggy’s book: Trust at a Distance: 6 Strategies for Managing in Remote Workspaces [https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Distance-Strategies-Managing-Workspaces/dp/B0DXP29R5Q] * Peggy’s website: Peggykendall.com [Peggykendall.com] * Harvard Business Review study: Monitoring Employees Makes Them More Likely to Break Rules [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368242793_Monitoring_Employees_Makes_Them_More_Likely_to_Break_Rules]

Thrive Remotely Podcast Trailer

We’re living through the biggest shift in work in a century, and the transition is just beginning. Thrive Remotely is a podcast about what happens after we leave the office: how we develop good habits, career strategies and community when work becomes location-independent. We speak with travelers, digital nomads, remote professionals, leaders and remote work experts about the new possibilities — and challenges — arising as more people lead location-independent lives. If you want to not just work remotely, but thrive remotely, this podcast is for you.