In this episode of Monday Next, Scott and Meredith tackle one of the most debated topics in modern business: remote work. Meredith shares how Here Comes the Guide has successfully operated as a fully distributed team for years, while Scott challenges the model from the perspective of a highly physical, in-person business. Together, they break down what actually makes remote work succeed, where it fails, and how leaders should think about hybrid models without falling into ideology or fear.
Business owners considering remote or hybrid work for the first time
Leaders struggling with productivity, trust, or accountability on remote teams
Operators managing field-based or in-person businesses wondering what still applies
Founders hiring for self-direction and results, not "butts in seats"
Managers who worry remote work kills culture or collaboration
Why remote work exploded in 2020 and why most companies execute it poorly
The non-negotiables required to manage a remote team successfully
Metrics, KPIs, and defining success instead of tracking hours
Hiring for self-driven people who thrive without micromanagement
Tools that replace the office without recreating its worst habits
Time theft, accountability, and why in-person teams face the same issues
Hybrid work as a testing ground instead of an all-or-nothing decision
How remote work impacts family life, boundaries, and discipline
01:17 — Why Scott is skeptical of remote work as an operator
03:17 — The two ways remote work fails: lazy employees or micromanagers
03:51 — How Meredith keeps December productive during engagement season
08:24 — When a long-term plan finally does what it was designed to do
12:05 — Tool Time: Why Profit First changes how owners think about money
16:36 — How Here Comes the Guide began experimenting with remote work
20:48 — Trust but verify: measuring work instead of watching people
22:56 — The management recipe that makes remote work actually work
28:58 — Virtual offices, tools, and rituals that replace physical proximity
35:28 — Time theft, laundry, and why Meredith does not care if results are there
42:04 — Why certain personalities thrive remotely and others never will
47:57 — How hybrid work can be a smart stepping stone
52:51 — A simple way to test remote work without committing forever
54:56 — How working from home changes family dynamics in real life
Remote work is not about location. It is about clarity, accountability, and hiring the right people for the right seats.
If you measure results instead of hours and hire for self-drive, remote work becomes a competitive advantage instead of a risk.
Identify one role in your business that could work remotely one day a week. Define what success looks like for that role and test it for 30 days.
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Dialpad VOIP
Gather (Meredith's current virtual office platform)
Sococo (Meredith's former virtual office platform)
Meredith's The Currently Reading Podcast
Scott Monday and Meredith Monday Schwartz are siblings and operators who have spent 15 years challenging each other's business philosophies. On Monday Next, they unpack real decisions business owners face, from systems and execution to people and culture. No guests. No fluff. Just honest conversations about what actually works.
Monday Next on IG: @MondayNextPodcast
Monday Next on YouTube: @MondayNextPodcast
Scott on LinkedIn: @scottmonday
Scott on IG: @scottmonday
Scott on TikTok: @scottmonday
Scott's Substack: scottmonday.substack.com
Meredith on LinkedIn: @meredith-monday-schwartz
Meredith on IG: @MeredithMondaySchwartz
Meredith's Podcast for Book Lovers: The Currently Reading Podcast
