REWORK

Take A Break, our last regular episode before sabbatical - 2:47Why we only work 4 days a week during summer (Signal v. Noise) - 3:02Carcassonne in southern France is a UNESCO World Heritage site - 4:11It is also a board game that Shaun enjoys! - 4:14Wailin thought she discovered Aperol spritzes in Europe but it turns out she was just brainwashed by a liquor brand and has no original ideas or tastes of her own. She still likes to drink Aperol spritzes. - 4:36All about the viol da gamba - 4:58It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work, due out October 2 - 5:38The Bean Machine on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram - 6:53

Shaun and Wailin are still on vacation, but we have another of our favorite episodes from our previous podcast, The Distance, which was about long-running businesses. Wailin's pick is this story of America's last bicycle manufacturer.

Shaun and Wailin are on vacation! During our hiatus, we're bringing you our favorite stories from our previous podcast, The Distance, which was about long-running businesses. Shaun's pick is this story of a 90-year-old jewelry store and how running a business can be a true labor of love.

Rework made its podcast debut with an episode called "Sell Your By-products" in August 2017 — 00:37A list of employee benefits at Basecamp — 00:51Adeline Koh is the founder of Sabbatical Beauty and you'll also find her in the company's very friendly and welcoming Facebook group — 1:45Adeline's essay on starting a business while on academic sabbatical —1:59A primer on Korean beauty — 4:20Jason Fried — 14:08Jason and DHH's upcoming book about calm company practices — 16:19Soapwalla — 23:01Rachel Winard's original cleanser and moisturizer are still sold today — 24:13Rachel's blog post about taking sabbatical — 24:34

In a bonus conversation with Sarah Park of MeetEdgar, she talks about making the company handbook public and why they have a policy of opening up meetings and conversations to everyone.

One of our colleagues on the Basecamp customer support team, Jayne Ogilvie, wanted to find out how other tech companies with remote staffs handle issues like communication, career development, and hiring. Jayne sent out a survey and got back a wealth of information and ideas about how other teams work together. In this episode, we hear more from two participating companies: Sarah Park of MeetEdgar talks about how their staff gathers internal feedback on important decisions, and Patrick Filler and Anitra St. Hilaire of Harvest talk about taking on the challenge of making their company more diverse and inclusive.

A famous guy once said, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" But he was a grifter. In fact, going behind the scenes—whether it's a factory tour or cooking show—can be a valuable experience for both visitors and guides. In this episode, we crash a middle school field trip to the Method soap factory on Chicago's South Side. We also hear from Basecamp's CEO Jason Fried on his YouTube series on making design decisions and from the managing partners of Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan on why they don't believe in secrets.

Who needs a fancy office when you can work out of a dingy food court? Who needs fancy equipment when you can buy what you need at Walmart? Who needs to hire an SEO specialist? What does an SEO specialist do, anyway? (A question for another episode, or maybe another podcast altogether.) On this episode, three very different companies—a fashion brand, a company that sells fresh salads from vending machines, and an auto detailing shop—discuss their humble beginnings and offer practical advice about being resourceful and staying lean.

Do you struggle with finding the right podcast? Are you tired of true crime shows and hosts trying to sell you a mattress? Introducing Rework, a podcast that's free of both murder and midroll ads. When you listen to this episode of Rework, you'll learn the fascinating history of infomercials and hear sales tips from experts like the marketing guru who made the Thighmaster a '90s sensation. But wait, there's more! Stick around after the episode to hear Wailin explain the premise of Three's Company to Shaun. Subscribe to Rework today!

Alison Green of Ask A Manager, whom we featured in our previous episode, gives her advice on a couple of questions too. Topics covered:Communicating changes in a corporate culture when the workforce is remote (0:40)Being transparent about why a change is made when the news is unequivocally negative (3:25)Setting up a system where conflicts and problems can be escalated and resolved (9:28)Managing feelings of loneliness and isolation as a remote worker (12:15)If you'd like to submit a question for Jason and David to answer on a future mailbag episode, call us at (708) 628-7850 or email us at hello@rework.fm.