☕️ (R)emote Expresso #30

Belonging isn’t a bonus. It’s the baseline.

Hi (R)emotes,

☕️ (R)emote Expresso is your weekly dose of creator insights on remote collaboration designed to fuel your day - Once a week in your inbox 💌

Hey Remote Rebels and Digital Daydreamers,

You ever log off a meeting and feel like… you were never really there?

You showed up. Maybe even spoke up. But no one really met you in the middle?

Yeah. We’ve been there too.

This is the last issue in our 3-part series on building healthy remote culture - and it might be the most important one.

We’ve talked rituals. We’ve talked boundaries.

Now we’re getting into the heart of it:

Belonging.

Not performative. Not forced. Just… real.

And the best part? You don’t need a budget or a certification to create it.

You already know how.

🫥 Inclusion is an invite

Belonging is someone keeping the door open.

You’ve probably been on both sides.

Maybe you’ve been invited to a brainstorming sesh… only to be ignored.

Or you were added to the Slack channel… but nobody responded to your intro.

Or someone said, “we value diverse voices” - then explained your point back to you.

Remote didn’t fix these moments. Sometimes it made them quieter.

Harder to name. Easier to overlook.

But when people really feel like they belong?

You can feel it in the chat.

In the reaction emojis.

In who asks, “what do you think?” - and actually waits for your answer.

An invite gets you in the room. Belonging makes you want to stay. 🧡🚪

🧭 You probably know what belonging doesn’t feel like.

So let’s talk about what it can feel like - and how to start making that happen.

Here’s what we’ve seen (and tried!) in teams that get it:

  • Cameras can be off - but people still feel seen

  • Questions don’t need polish - they get met with curiosity

  • Decisions aren’t made in secret, and ideas aren’t “polished out” of people’s personalities

  • People share memes, moments, and “no idea if this makes sense but…” - and that’s part of what makes it work

Belonging doesn’t mean you always agree.

It means you know your voice matters - and your weirdness isn’t something to downplay.

Belonging isn’t about being perfect - it’s about being real, and still included.

👣 4 Ways to Start Designing Belonging (No Buzzwords Needed)

1. Let different people lead.

Try rotating who facilitates or does the recap. It doesn’t have to be fancy - just intentional.

2. Make room for quiet contribution.

Async polls, emoji check-ins, shared whiteboards - not everyone wants to unmute to belong.

3. Co-create, don’t perform.

Don’t announce how inclusive you are. Ask others how they want to shape the space. Then listen.

4. Leave space for the human stuff.

Rituals like “What’s something small that brought you joy this week?” go further than most policy decks.

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Mother Teresa

🗓️ THIS WEEK IN BELONGING-FUELED BRILLIANCE

Crafting your A. I. Bot

🗓️ Thursday, June 26 | 60 min | 👩‍🏫 With Marion Zoé Puertas

Hosted by R Generation × Miro × Butter

Sick of bots that sound like corporate voicemail?

In this high-energy, no-code workshop, Marion Zoé will show you how to give your bot a voice people actually want to hear.

You’ll walk away with:

  • A bot persona that doesn’t sound like elevator hold music

  • A tone + personality that builds trust and actually feels human

  • A step-by-step starter framework you can plug into ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini

No tech skills needed - just curiosity and caffeine.

🎁 Bonus: Community members get an exclusive rate for Part II (a 3-hour advanced session with Marion)

Make sure to register for your free Miro account!

🎟️ Join the Session, spots are limited, so save yours now!

🫶 COWORK IS IN THE (R)

🗓️ Friday, June 27 | 75 min | 👩‍🏫 With Tatiana Rodriguez

Remote work feeling a little too… remote?

Join us for the warmest 75 minutes on the internet.

This isn’t a webinar. It’s your permission slip to focus, feel connected, and finally open that one dang file.

What to expect:

  • Intention-setting that won’t make your eyes roll

  • Gentle accountability (aka: “You still working on that?” energy)

  • Real folx, real projects, real progress

  • A little shared silence. A little shared sparkle.

No pressure. No judgment. No fake productivity hacks.

Just a better way to work, together.

Relaxed, creative energy

You don’t need a ticket to belong. Just bring your to-do list.

🫶 ONE LAST SIP

You don’t have to overhaul your team’s culture tomorrow.

  • Start with one little moment of welcome.

  • One new ritual.

  • One voice you make space for that might’ve gone unheard last time.

Belonging isn’t complicated.

It’s people showing up for each other, over and over again.

And you?

You already know how to do that.

With warmth and no buzzwords,

— The (R) Generation Team 🧡

Belonging doesn’t wait for permission - it’s built, together.

👨‍💻 Big Desk Energy : Our biggest startup insights & stories

🦾 EverydAI : AI news for Founders & C-Suite Executives

🌎 Thrive Remotely : Lifestyle and Wellness for Remote Workers

👩‍🎤 Customer Success Jobs : Our remote high-paying jobs for you

🤖 Responsible : Responsible business practices in AI & cybersecurity

🔴 Creator Spotlight : Our favorite inspiration for world class creators journeys

R GENERATION is a dynamic global community where remote professionals, creators, and digital nomads come together to reimagine the future of work. We bridge cultures, time zones, and creative frontiers, uniting around a shared passion for innovation and meaningful connection.

Through engaging events, hands-on workshops, and exclusive access to cutting-edge AI tools, we’re transforming remote work into a space for bold experimentation, open knowledge-sharing, and limitless growth.

Join us in a collaborative and empowering environment where your ideas spark innovation, your curiosity fuels lifelong learning, and your ambition shapes the future of remote collaboration.

If no one’s said it today: you’re weird, wonderful, and welcome here. 💻🧡

What did you think of this issue?

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Deb Haas 
Community Catalyst for the R Generation
Crafted with 💜 in Minneapolis

When everyone brought their whole self and still got a round of applause.

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