Remote Work Radio

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our program director, Dr. Paul Hill, interviews Roger Ormisher, Vice President of Communications and PR for McLaren in The Americas. With a career spanning three continents and extensive experience with global automotive brands like Volvo, Nissan, and Fisker Automotive, Roger shares his insights on accelerating your career as a remote worker. Drawing from his background in experiential marketing, product launches, and brand partnerships, Roger offers practical strategies for building a successful remote career and thriving in today's evolving work environment. Tune in for expert advice on advancing your career as a remote worker. For remote work skills training and job search support, please consider taking the Certified Remote Work Professional© course form Utah State University Extenison. 

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen and her colleague Katie Christensen, of USU Extension's Remote Online Initiative, interview Jill Christensen, a top-rated global speaker and employee engagement expert. Jill shares her strategies for re-engaging employees, drawing on her extensive experience as a former Fortune 500 corporate communications executive and Six Sigma Green Belt. With her insights on attracting, retaining, and engaging remote employees, Jill provides valuable takeaways for enhancing productivity and organizational success in the remote work era. Tune in to learn how business leaders can nurture a more engaged and productive remote workforce.   I

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Mandee Herbert, a dedicated accounting student who embarked on her emote work career journey. Mandee shares her experience of taking the Certified Remote Work Professional course and engaging in a career coaching session with her program coordinator, which proved pivotal in shaping her career trajectory. Mandee discusses how the course and coaching session helped her gain clarity and direction for the next steps in her professional journey. Join Marta and Mandee as they delve into the power of guidance in navigating the evolving landscape of remote employment. This episode offers valuable insights for anyone considering a remote work career path and those seeking guidance in defining their professional aspirations.    

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Tsipursky shares insights into leveraging hybrid and remote work to enhance retention, productivity, and cost-efficiency within organizations. Drawing from his best-selling book, Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams, Dr. Tsipursky explains the crucial role of cognitive biases in leadership decisions and offers practical strategies for navigating the evolving landscape of work. Don't miss this enlightening conversation, where Marta and Dr. Tsipursky explore the future of work and the transformative power of hybrid models in shaping organizational success.    

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Jessica Meyers, the founder of PorchLight and managing partner at PASQ, a rural development company. Jessica seamlessly integrates project management, talent acquisition, and strategic planning to empower communities and nonprofits. Join Marta and Jessica as they explore Jessica's unique journey, highlighting her flexibility and leadership, and gain insights into the dynamic intersection of remote work and community growth.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen welcomes Joe Rare, the founder of Level 9 Virtual and an expert in enhancing business operations through the use of virtual assistants. Joe shares his extensive experience managing teams of virtual assistants to run his business operations, revealing how effective delegation and management of remote teams can liberate business owners, giving them the freedom to focus on growth. Learn from Joe's wealth of actionable advice on utilizing virtual assistants to transform your business and achieve new levels of success.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, host Marta Nielsen welcomes back Dr. Paul Hill, Utah State University Extension professor and founder of the Rural Online Initiative. They discuss his research published in the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, "A Descriptive Analysis of Remote Work Adoption in the United States," which explores the innovation-decision process of remote work adoption which was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic across all sectors of the economy. With his background and experience in economic and workforce development, Dr. Hill provides insights about how organizations have embraced remote work, shedding light on the broader implications for leaders, remote workers, and the future of the modern workplace. Reference Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., & Spielmaker, D. M. (2022). A Descriptive Analysis of Remote Work Adoption in the United States. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 10(3), 4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2325-5226.1428

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen engages in a candid conversation with Sarah Duran, the brain behind Fruition Initiatives, and a thought leader in the online freelancing and project management realm. As a self-made six-figure freelancer, Sarah has developed her freelancing business from the ground up, and now dedicates her time to coaching aspiring solopreneurs towards achieving their own pinnacle of success. Sarah brings to the table a rich reservoir of practical advice and a straightforward blueprint for anyone interested in transitioning into a prosperous online freelancing career.  Download Sarah's book Instant Freelancer Blog posts written by Sarah https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/blog/male-freelancers-make-more-shocker-here-s-what-to-do-about-it  https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/blog/turn-your-skills-into-dolla-bills  https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/blog/freelancing-is-more-secure-than-your-day-job  https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/blog/freelancing-is-the-future-join-us  https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/blog/when-to-charge-an-hourly-vs-a-flat-rate  https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/blog/get-paid-what-you-deserve  Podcast episodes by Sarah https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/podcasts/the-freelance-revolution-podcast/episodes/2147801381 https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/podcasts/the-freelance-revolution-podcast/episodes/2147797625 https://www.fruitioninitiatives.com/podcasts/the-freelance-revolution-podcast/episodes/2147702784            

This episode of Remote Work Radio, is a mini-episode preview of the keynote address by organizational psychologist, Dr. Jeb Hurley at the Remote Teams Summit on September 15, 2024, in Park City, Utah. The title of Dr. Hurley's address is Bridging the Distance: How to Cultivate a Hybrid/Remote Team Culture of High Performance and High Trust. In this presentation, you will gain deep insights as Dr. Hurley helps us think differently about remote leadership by viewing it through the lens of behavioral science. Understand the art of leveraging human neurobiology to create trust, psychological safety, and strong work relationships. Learn how to apply this understanding to improve performance and foster individual well-being.   

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Lona Alia, a start-up entreprenuer and Head of Revenue for SafetyWing, a company that provides global health insurance for remote workers and digital nomads. Lona is not only a digital nomad herself (visiting 80+ countries as a remote worker), but an expert at building fully remote teams. Learn all about how to manage your remote job around the lifestyle you design.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Sharon Koifman, the CEO of DistantJob, a Montreal-based company that provides remote worker staffing and best practices-based advisory services for companies seeking to improve and expand their remote work operations. Sharon has led remote teams in successful businesses for 20 years and shares what distinguishes “remote mediocrity” from “remote excellence” and what it truly means to thrive in the remote age. He is also the author of the book Surviving Remote Work.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Jodi Schaan, a medical staff coordinator for MultiCare, a hospital system in Tacoma, Washington. Jodi works remotely from North Dakota and started her journey into remote work while she worked at a local hospital. After contracting COVID, she negotiated remote work arrangements with her boss and soon learned about the Certified Remote Work Professional course at Utah State University Extension from our affiliate partner, North Dakota State University Extension. Learn all about how Jodi positioned herself from working in-person at a hospital to future-proofing her career path as a remote worker using the skills she learned in the Remote Online Initiative program.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Jeanna Barrett, Founder & Chief Remote Officer for First Page Strategy, a growth marketing agency that helps product-led brands create exponential growth. Jeanna is a successful young career woman who ditched her high-paying, fast-paced corporate gig to live it up on the beaches of Central America. She is a thought leader in the space of remote work and growth marketing and has assembled a team of experts around the world, with combined decades of experience in SEO, content, social media, lead-gen, and much more. Learn all about Jeanna's story and how she works and lives by design, purpose, and harmony.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Joel Rackham, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Direct Sales at MarketStar, the leader in outsourced inside sales, outsourced partner enablement, and outsourced customer success teams. Joel shares his career journey, MarketStar's process of remote work adoption in response to COVID-19, and the new tech sales training partnership with USU Extension's Remote Online Initiative program. The Certified Tech Sales Professional is a 45-hour course that launches in January 2023. You can submit your contact information on our website, and we will follow-up: remoteworkcertificate.com/sales 

In this two-part episode series of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Dr. Paul Hill, a USU Extension Professor who has been the Program Director of the Rural Online Initiative program since its founding in 2018. Dr. Hill shares insights into the adoption of remote work as a modern workplace practice, the benefits and challenges of remote work, and why leaders resist change.

In this two-part episode series of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Dr. Paul Hill, a USU Extension Professor who has been the Program Director of the Rural Online Initiative program since its founding in 2018. Dr. Hill shares insights into how rural communities can build tech-echosystems and the role of remote work in strengthening and diversifying rural economies.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Molly Rose Speed, an entreprenuer and military spouse who founded The Virtual Assistant Academy which trains and places virtual assistants nationally. Today she is a speaker, educator and owner of Virtual Assistant Management which provides trusted VA solutions for busy entrepreneurs. After years as a corporate accountant cubicle dweller, Molly Rose decided to live out her mission to live a life owning her time and her unique service to the world. By helping passionate, mission driven entrepreneurs implement their ideas online through flawless tech execution, she has not only freed herself, but the hundreds of the entrepreneurs she has automated and streamlined.    

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Mikes Sarles, a Statewide Program Coordinator for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Mike is a founding team member of the program and helped get the  Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course off the ground in 2018. Today, he plays a critical role teaching and coaching Utah business leaders through the Master Remote Work Leader (MRWL) course as they adopt remote work operations in their organizations. He explains the structure of the course, what leaders can expect after enrolling, and provides additional insights into what it takes to be successful in developing remote work plans, policies, and positions.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Jordan Leonard, the Regional Program Coordinator in Eastern Utah for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Jordan is a founding team member of the program and helped get the  Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course off the ground in 2018. Today, he plays a critical role teaching and coaching rural residents of Utah as they learn remote work skills and find their first remote job. He explains the structure of the course, what you can expect after enrolling, and provides insights into what it takes to be succesful in the course and in your remote job search.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Trenton Willson, the Regional Program Coordinator in Central Utah for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Trenton is a founding team member of the program and helped get the  Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course off the ground in 2018. Today, he plays a critical role teaching and coaching rural residents of Utah as they learn remote work skills and find their first remote job. He explains the structure of the course, what you can expect after enrolling, and provides insights into what it takes to be successful in the course and in your remote job search.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Kevin Goodwin, a water technician for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation living in rural Juab county. Kevin is also a retired combat veteran and father of seven kids with a wide-ranging educational background and many unique skills. As an alum of the the Rural Online Initiative program, Kevin uses the remote work skills he has learned in his current job testing materials and setting up mobile labs in the most remote locations of Utah.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Jake Marino, a former vocational rehabilitation specialist, who recently joined Utah State University Extension as a Regional Program Coordinator for the Rural Online Initiative program. Tune in to learn about Jake's background and his passion for improving the lives of those who are disadvantaged and underserved.  

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Liam Martin, a 20-year veteran of remote work. As a teaching assistant and tutor in grad school, Liam noticed a problem with how tutors would log their hours. This led him to co-founding Time Doctor, where he now serves as the company's Chief Marketing Officer.  Learn how his experience led him to also become the co-organizer of the Running Remote conference, the biggest conference on distributed teams and remote work.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Randy Kenney, a new small business owner living in Emery County, UT. Randy is not a remote worker, but he used the knowledge and skills from USU Extension's Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course to start a new business. After commuting over 200 miles from Ferron to Salt Lake City for over 5 years, Randy used the Rural Online Initiative program to update his skills and is now running his business in his rural community and spending everyday with his family.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen reconnects with Carri Beck, a remote worker living in Iron County, UT. Carri is an alumni of USU Extension's Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course who found a remote job as a staff accountant for LedgerGurus, a remote-first accounting company for e-commerce businesses. She provides an update on her recent promotion and her long-term plans for moving up within her company.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Brynn Larsen, the youngest alumni of USU Extension's Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course. Brynn is an artist who lives in Carbon county and started an animation business while she also devotes her time to attending college and working as a math tutor. All of her business operations are fully remote and she provides a unique perspective as a young adult on starting a business and working remotely.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Carolyn Lewis, a nurse and teacher who lives in Washington County, Utah. Carolyn shares how she transitioned from being a nurse working night shifts to becoming a nursing educator and pursuing her masters and Ph.D. degrees. She recently moved to Utah in order to care for her mother and worked at a nursing home while taking the Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course from USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. After completing the course, she was hired to teach online nursing courses for Dixie State University. 

In this episode, our executive producer, Paul Hill, features the audio of the film “Empowering Rural Utah Through Remote Work," a short documentary on the impact of the Rural Online Initiative program in the lives of three women from rural Utah who found remote work: Marriah Birch in Carbon County, Vicky Kuykendall in San Juan County, and Carri Beck in Iron County. The film also features Joshua Aikens, Chief of Staff at Zonos, a Utah tech company, and Spencer J. Cox, Governor of the Great State of Utah.  The full-length documentary is available on the USU Extension - Rural Online Initiative YouTube Channel. 

This special episode of Remote Work Radio is a blast from the past! In March 2020, our executive producer Paul Hill caught up with Piute County Commissioner Darin Bushman to discuss how small, rural businesses were adapting to the unique circumstances of the pandemic and innovating through e-commerce technology and social media. They also discuss the success of USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program in helping businesses adapt to the unanticipated, pandemic induced implementation of remote work.  

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Brent Willson, a father of 6, Air Force veteran, and resident of Carbon County. Brent explains how he was able to find a new remote job after completing USU Extension's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course. He also shares the personal benefits he's experienced through remote work and the impact it has had on his family life.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews William Kremlin, a native of Vernal, Utah. William loves his life in the Uintah Basin, but had been laid off from his job and was worried he would have to leave his hometown to find work. He learned about USU Extension's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course from the state's Vocation Rehabilitation office and decided to pursue a remote job by taking the course and was recently hired by Concentrix.  In the interview, they discuss his position at Concentrix and how remote work will positively affect the quality of life in the Uintah Basin.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, host Marta Nielsen interviews Ann Collier, a mom of 8 living in rural Utah. Ann was recently hired as a customer service representative with Entrata, a property management software company. In this episode, Ann describes her experience and gives great advice about the remote job application process and creating a resume.

In this episode, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Kevin Franke, a 10-year remote work veteran. As a an experienced remote employee for Sierra Wireless, Kevin found the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course very beneficial, providing him with a wide variety of relevant information.

In this episode, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Dolores Heaton, a Program Coordinator for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Dolores discusses her shift from in-office work to remote work and encourages everyone, interested in working remotely or not, to consider taking the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews single mother, paraprofessional, and remote transcriber, Coree Buck. Coree describes how she juggles two jobs while being a single mother to five boys and emphasizes the benefits of having a remote position so she can spend valuable time at home with her sons while still doubling her income.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Bess Bennett, an entrepreneur and single mom who lives in rural Utah. Bess completed the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course and is expanding her work as a freelancer with the skills she gained through the course. In this interview, she tells us her story, including how she manages her homestead, works as a virtual assistant, and maintains her side hustle.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Laurel Farrer. Laurel is a remote work consultant and CEO of Distribute Consulting, a firm that helps organizations and people make the switch from the traditional office environment to working remotely. In her interview, Laurel provides insightful tips on how to adapt to the modern workplace practice as both an employee and an employer. She also discusses the long-term implications of the abrupt shift people have made from in-office work to remote work.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Murice Miller, a resident of Moab, Utah. Murice recently completed the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course and in this interview, he describes his experience with the course and how he came away inspired to pursue his goals as an entrepreneur.

In this special 4-part series of Remote Work Radio, we are interviewing tech entrepreneurs from Southern Utah. Joshua Aikens, one of our past program participants and chair of the Silicon Slopes St. George Chapter, will interview founders who started tech companies outside of urban areas. In this episode, Josh interviews Ryan Wedig, co-founder and CEO of PrinterLogic, a leading software as a solution (SaaS) platform for serverless printing infrastructure. Beginning in 2012, Ryan has successfully built a small team into a global operation with over 150 employees and thousands of customers around the world. As CEO, Wedig successfully bootstrapped the company through early-stage growth before bringing in Mercato Partners as investors in 2017. Wedig holds an MBA from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. Prior to co-founding PrinterLogic, Wedig was a Systems Engineer at Cisco where he saw firsthand the emergence of cloud solutions and their impact on technology infrastructure planning.

In this special 4-part series of Remote Work Radio, we are interviewing tech entrepreneurs from Southern Utah. Joshua Aikens, one of our past program participants and chair of the Silicon Slopes St. George Chapter, will interview founders who started tech companies outside of urban areas. On this episode, Josh interviews Brian Green, co-founder and CTO of Aptivada, an enterprise software solution for TV and radio stations. Brian and his cousin Creighton founded Aptivada in 2010 which now has over a thousand of the top TV and radio stations in the country using its platform. They have set themselves apart from other vendors in this space by creating an extremely easy to use platform that includes the most important digital products all under one roof. The Aptivada platform, coupled with their industry leading consulting and support has given them the opportunity to work with many of the largest names in this industry.

In this special 4-part series of Remote Work Radio, we are interviewing tech entrepreneurs from Southern Utah. Joshua Aikens, one of our past program participants and chair of the Silicon Slopes St. George Chapter, will interview founders who started tech companies outside of urban areas. On this episode, Josh interviews Skylar and Travis Topham, brothers who started out as health-care specialists in hearing in 2012. When they realized that medical and patient data wasn’t digitized, and hearing centers had to navigate confusing paper trails to purchase devices or file insurance claims, they founded Smartcare, an audiology business platform and billing service offering a more efficient way to serve independent practices and their patients.

In this special 4-part series of Remote Work Radio, we are interviewing tech entrepreneurs from Southern Utah. Joshua Aikens, one of our past program participants and chair of the Silicon Slopes St. George chapter, will interview founders who started tech companies outside of urban areas. On this episode, Josh interviews Ryan Kohler, co-founder of ApplicantPro about his experience starting a hiring software company in 2006 and growing it to over 6,000 users across the nation. Ryan's mission is to help companies, managers, and HR teams improve their hiring results. To do this, he and his team strive to create educational content, tools, integrations, and software to help businesses drive their hiring results. Because he is an entrepreneur and owns a business that involves working with thousands of HR folks, Ryan understands what it takes to bridge the gap between an organization’s vision and the goals of HR. He is an HRCI and SHRM-CP approved provider and enjoys sharing his knowledge to help make hiring processes more strategic. He currently conducts weekly, free webinars and presents at SHRM events around the country.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Carri Beck from Iron County, Utah. Carri completed the Rural Online Initiative's Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) certificate course and was soon after hired as a 'remote' accounting specialist for LedgerGurus. In this interview, she shares how she discovered this remote job opportunity, the hiring process with a virtual accounting firm, and how the skills she learned in the MRWP course at USU Extension made all the difference.    

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Simone Kuzma who recently moved to Escalante in Garfield County from Kentucky. Simone is a remote worker in the tourism industry for a company based in Germany. She recently completed the USU Extension Rural Online Initiative's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course and explains how aspiring remote workers can find telework jobs by stepping outside their comfort zones and putting in the hard work.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Pyper Lambson from Sanpete County. Pyper is a financial manager for a company in Bluffdale, Utah who opened the door to remote work within her organization. She recently completed the USU Extension Rural Online Initiative's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course which helped her improve her remote work skills so she is more productive and confident in her role. Learn how Pyper successfully transitioned her position so she could work from home in rural Utah and take care of her family.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Callie Ward, the USU Extension Assistant Professor in Garfield County who recently completed the Rural Online Initiative's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course. Callie provides a review of the course and explains how it is designed to support working adults by providing an experiential learning environment that mimics having an actual remote job.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Chelsea Guymon from Emery County. Chelsea was an early graduate of the USU Extension Rural Online Initiative's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course and became a remote worker soon after. She not only successfully negotiated with her current boss to allow her to work from home, but she was also hired as a part-time intake specialist for a physical therapy office in New York City.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Dr. Lendel Narine, the statewide evaluation specialist who developed the evaluation plan for the Rural Online Initiative. He explains how the ROI program is directly aligned to the statewide needs assessment he conducted in 2020 with over 1,000 subjects.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio our host Marta Nielson interviews Jeff Mottishaw with the Utah Governor's Office of Management and Budget. Jeff is leading the new Utah Works statewide telework program that is tasked with the rollout of converting 2,500 state jobs to remote by the end of 2020. Jeff shares findings from a pilot study and how implementing remote work will help improve everything from traffic and air quality to productivity, retaining talent, and saving tax dollars on the construction of new buildings. 

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Greyson Fox, a business value consultant who works remotely from rural Utah. Greyson is a fan of the USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program as well as an advocate for remote work and living a rural lifestyle. He shares how he and his team bridge the gap between space and time while all working from different locations.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Becky Newman from Washington County. Becky is a graduate from the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course and became a remote worker soon after. She utilized her skills in the Microsoft Office Suite to become an instructor for Brigham Young University - Idaho where she teaches word processing to students from all over the globe.