Thoughts on Leaving Your Hometown

Thoughts on Leaving Your Hometown

What happens when the place that shaped you is also the place you feel called to outgrow? In this episode of Rich and Remote [https://richandremote.com/], Alex and Karla Booth talk about something deeply personal for both of them: leaving their hometowns, building a life elsewhere, and making peace with what that decision gives and takes away. From Idaho to Davao, from Seattle to Thailand to Mexico, this conversation moves through the emotional and practical sides of leaving home. They unpack the pressure to stay, the reasons people go, the identity shifts that come with starting over, and why sometimes leaving is not rejection, but expansion. This episode is especially for anyone who has ever felt torn between comfort and growth, family and freedom, roots and reinvention. IN THIS EPISODE: * how success can look completely different depending on where you grew up * the fear of leaving, and the fear of staying too long * what changes when your income is no longer tied to one place * the skills that actually transfer into a remote life * the hidden emotional cost of leaving your hometown * why identity can feel shaky after a big move * what made leaving worth it for both Alex and Karla * practical advice for anyone thinking about making a move If you’ve been wondering whether leaving home would change your life for the better, this one might stay with you. MORE FROM RICH AND REMOTE * Website: https://richandremote.com/ [https://richandremote.com/] If this episode has you thinking more seriously about building a business that gives you more freedom, here are two places to start: BUILD YOUR REMOTE TEAM WITH PROXIMITY OUTSOURCING If you are growing an agency or online business and need support without the usual hiring headaches, Proximity Outsourcing helps Founders build reliable remote teams for manager and marketing roles, without micromanaging or overpriced labor. Explore Proximity Outsourcing: https://proximityoutsourcing.com/ [https://proximityoutsourcing.com/] STRENGTHEN RETENTION WITH GETCSM If your business needs better customer retention, stronger loyalty, or a world-class Customer Success Manager, GetCSM helps companies hire and onboard top-tier client and customer success talent, with support, training, and ongoing coaching built in. Explore GetCSM: https://getcsm.com/ [https://getcsm.com/]

The ROI of PR is Forever with Bryce North

What if PR is not just about visibility but about building the kind of trust that keeps paying you back for years? In this episode of Rich and Remote with Alex and Karla Booth, Alex and Karla sit down with Bryce North, founder of Don’t Be A Little Pitch, to talk about what PR really does for a business when it’s done well. Bryce shares why most founders think about PR the wrong way, why trust beats leads in the early stages, and how earned media can shape everything from partnerships and sales conversations to hiring and authority in your space. This is a really good episode for founders, coaches, consultants, personal brands, and online business owners who know they need visibility, but want visibility that actually compounds. IN THIS EPISODE: * Why PR should not be judged like paid ads * How earned media creates trust that compounds over time * The difference between attention, credibility, and actual authority * Why partnerships can be one of the biggest hidden returns of PR * How PR helps pre-frame trust before a sales call even happens * The role of vulnerability, story, and personality in getting noticed * Why founders with imposter syndrome still need to learn to tell their story * How strong PR can shape who reaches out to work with you, buy from you, or partner with you If you’ve ever wondered whether PR is really worth it — or how to think about it beyond short-term leads — this episode will give you a much better lens. CONNECT WITH BRYCE NORTH * Don’t Be A Little Pitch: https://www.dontbealittlepitch.com/ [https://www.dontbealittlepitch.com/] * Bryce North profile: https://www.dontbealittlepitch.com/team-member/bryce-north [https://www.dontbealittlepitch.com/team-member/bryce-north] * FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/19BtzZPNVU/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/19BtzZPNVU/?mibextid=wwXIfr]  * LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/brycenorth [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/brycenorth] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brycegonorth/ [https://www.instagram.com/brycegonorth/] EXPLORE MORE FROM RICH AND REMOTE * Website: https://richandremote.com/ [https://richandremote.com/]https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-and-remote-with-alex-and-karla-booth/id1879811727

The State of Social Media in 2026 with Kate Buck Jr.

THE STATE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2026 WITH SOCIAL MEDIA OG KATE BUCK JR. Everyone published their "2026 trends" list in January. Then they stopped paying attention. The problem is that the year already moved. What looked true in Q1 is not what's actually showing up in the data now, and the gap between the two is where most personal brands are about to lose six months they can't get back. So we did something different. We pulled the real numbers from Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Metricool's study of more than 39 million posts, then sat down with someone who has watched every algorithm shift since 2008 to make sense of it. Here's the part we'll say out loud: the things winning in the back half of 2026 are the exact things AI cannot fake. One of them is hiding in plain sight, and most people are doing the opposite of what the data rewards. We name it in the episode. ABOUT MY GUEST: KATE BUCK JR. Kate Buck Jr., known online as @katebuckjr or simply "KBJ," has been called the Godmother of Social Media, and the title is earned. She got her start on Twitter in 2008, accidentally built a reputation as a social media expert by answering questions, and within 18 months was earning more than double her previous income. That accident became an empire. Today the numbers speak for themselves. She has trained over 50,000 social media managers and built a boutique agency serving names like Keala Kanae, Perry Belcher, Mark Moss, and Russell Brunson. She has consulted with top brands and spoken on stages worldwide, including SXSW and the Traffic & Conversion Summit. She is the founder and CEO of Social Media Pro, the certification her students proudly display on their profiles year after year, and she runs it all as a full-time digital nomad. She has also burned it down and rebuilt more than once, which is exactly why her read on what's coming next is worth more than a recycled trends post. Kate doesn't guess from vibes. She's been reading the signals for almost two decades. I’m lucky enough to have spent a huge chunk of my life with her, as best friends, since 2021. Fun fact: She was my maid-of-honor for my 2023 Mexico wedding! Kate and I nerd out on social media a lot, and this time, you get to be the fly on the wall.  Why you'll want to hear this one If you have a personal brand and you use it to make money, this is the strategy session you didn't schedule but needed. We get into why the aesthetic influencer is quietly losing ground, why posting more is the wrong instinct right now, and the one format that has become completely human-proof. There's also a prediction about where the smart money is moving its budget before Q4, and a platform shift that has every agency scrambling for a point of view. We tell you what it is. We don't tell you what to do about it. That part's the conversation. Press play. Bring a notebook. This is the episode that decides how your next six months go. Check out the best of what Kate Buck Jr. teaches:  Content Manager Pro (DISCOUNTED LINK): https://orders.socialmediapro.com/products-list?am_id=karla7458 LINKS AND RESOURCES * Kate Buck Jr.: https://katebuckjr.com/ * Social Media Pro: https://socialmediapro.com/about-social-media-pro/ * Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebuckjr/ * Hootsuite, Social Media Trends 2026: https://www.hootsuite.com/research/social-trends * Sprout Social, 7 Social Media Trends to Know in 2026: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-trends/ * Metricool, Social Media Study 2026: https://metricool.com/social-media-study/

23 Outsourceable Side Hustles

If you’ve been thinking about starting a side hustle but don’t want to build another full-time job for yourself, this episode is for you. In this solo episode of Rich and Remote, Karla breaks down 23 outsourceable side hustle ideas you can build while still keeping your main business, main income, or full-time job intact. Some of these ideas have a physical component with online operations behind them. Others can be run almost entirely online. The common thread? They’re all businesses you can grow with the help of affordable, talented remote team members from the Philippines and Latin America. This is a practical episode for anyone who wants more income streams, more freedom, and more protection against whatever the economy decides to do next. IN THIS EPISODE: * Why side hustles feel more relevant than ever * The difference between physical businesses with online ops and fully digital side hustles * Side hustle ideas that can be outsourced from day one * Which businesses can realistically run in under 5 hours a week once set up * How remote talent can help you start smaller, move faster, and avoid burnout * Why the right side hustle can become a hedge, a growth play, or even your next main business If one of these ideas stands out to you and you want help figuring out the right team structure, the right roles to hire, or how to actually get it off the ground, book a call here: https://proximityoutsourcing.com/book-a-call [https://proximityoutsourcing.com/book-a-call] RESOURCES * Book a call: https://proximityoutsourcing.com/book-a-call [https://proximityoutsourcing.com/book-a-call] * Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNIZlhvJSJQ&t=167s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNIZlhvJSJQ&t=167s] * Explore more from Rich and Remote: https://richandremote.com/ [https://richandremote.com/]

Delight Means Dollars: Iconic Customer Success Stories

What makes a customer stay, spend more, and tell everyone about your business? In this episode of Rich and Remote with Alex and Karla Booth, Alex and Karla talk about the kinds of customer experiences people never forget. The ones that go beyond good service and create real loyalty. When someone spends money with your business, there’s already a baseline expectation. But every now and then, a brand delivers an experience so thoughtful, so seamless, or so unexpectedly good that it completely changes how you see them. That’s what this conversation is about. Alex and Karla unpack some of their favorite examples of exceptional customer experience, what makes those moments stand out, and why customer success is one of the most overlooked growth strategies for online businesses. This episode is especially relevant for agency owners, consultants, service providers, and remote businesses that want stronger retention, better referrals, and customers who keep coming back. IN THIS EPISODE: * What makes a customer experience truly memorable * Why delight is a serious business advantage * Real examples of brands that get customer success right * What creates loyalty beyond price or convenience * How better customer experience can drive retention, referrals, and revenue If you want to build a business people don’t just buy from, but genuinely love, this episode will give you a lot to think about. RESOURCES * Rich and Remote: https://richandremote.com/ [https://richandremote.com/] * GetCSM: https://getcsm.com/ [https://getcsm.com/] * Proximity Outsourcing: https://proximityoutsourcing.com/ [https://proximityoutsourcing.com/]  CONNECT WITH ALEX AND KARLA * Alex Booth: https://mx.linkedin.com/in/alexander-booth-huckleberry [https://mx.linkedin.com/in/alexander-booth-huckleberry] * Karla Singson: https://www.instagram.com/karlastefan/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/karlastefan/?hl=en]