Episode Overview

Podcast: Special Ops with Emma Rainville
Episode: Team Building That Actually Works (Even for Remote Teams)
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Emma Rainville
Guests: Thiago and Richard
Main Theme:
In this episode, Emma Rainville and her team dig into real-world, actionable strategies for building strong, cohesive teams—especially for remote organizations. The conversation covers how to foster vulnerability, communication, and empathy, even when your teams are scattered around the globe, and offers specific playbook action steps for business leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Heart of Team Building (00:00–02:32)

• Emma's Passion for Team Building:
  Emma shares her love for team building, emphasizing its power to resolve conflicts and enable individuals to work in harmony, even when personalities clash.
  • "You need to build a team that's comfortable going to each other and saying, hey, I don't think what you're doing is in the best interest of the business. You have to have the balls to do that." — Emma (00:09)
• Emma’s Open-Door Policy:
  Emma’s home and office serve as gathering points for her staff, sometimes hosting them for extended stays to facilitate deeper team relationships.

2. Remote Team Building—Dispelling the Myths (02:15–03:28)

• Team Building Happens Everywhere:
  The misconception that remote teams can't engage in team building is countered with examples of integrating such practices into daily digital routines—meetings, calls, even Slack chats.
  • "There's an opportunity for team building every day, on every call, in every meeting. And in Slack." — Emma (02:18)

3. Real-Life Icebreakers & Getting Personal (03:28–04:44)

• Weekly Connection Rituals:
  The Thursday team meeting always starts personally, with 'What are you excited about? What are you grateful for?' This practice humanizes collaborators and preps leaders for team member absences or changes in attentiveness.
  • "It allows us to reconnect every week and understand like, hey, what is it that you're excited about?" — Emma (03:40)
• Stories of Genuine Connection:
  Discussion of inside jokes, pets, and personality quirks (Richard's love for Caitlin’s pets) reveals hidden dimensions, fostering empathy and tenderness—even with more stoic personalities.

4. Vulnerability as a Team Building Strategy (04:44–07:50)

• Building Trust Through Vulnerability:
  Emma describes the necessity of being open and honest—even in tough times—so that when conflict arises, honesty is already normalized.
  • "Team building is about getting everyone vulnerable. You have to be vulnerable. And then getting everybody to trust each other to be vulnerable and then just getting to know each other." — Emma (05:05)
• The Power Dynamic Challenge:
  Candidly addresses how hierarchical or intimidating team members (like Richard or Emma herself) can inadvertently stifle open feedback unless there’s a foundation of safety and relationship.

5. Constructive Conflict & Empathy (07:50–08:59)

• How to Critique Constructively:
  The group discusses how trust enables team members to call each other out ("have the balls") for the good of the business.
  • "You need to build a team that's comfortable going to each other and saying, hey, I don't think what you're doing is in the best interest of the business." — Emma (06:39)
• Practice Empathy and Don’t Take Things Personally:
  Personal backstories help teammates reframe and not take critiques as personal attacks.

6. Case Studies: Personal Stories & Team Transformation (08:11–10:44)

• Getting Beyond Assumptions:
  Emma shares how inviting team members to her home broke down negative stereotypes and exposed her true personality.
  • "He was like, no guys, she's so nice to us. You should hear how she talks to her husband." — Emma on Julius’s shift in perception (08:48)
• Personality Assessments (Myers-Briggs 16 Personalities):
  Emma’s top team-building tactic—having every team member take the test and discussing results on a 90-minute team call.
  • "The number one thing that you can do as a business owner... is go take the 16 personalities... and then spend about a 90 minute call going through each person's 16 personalities." — Emma (09:06)
• Resolving Deep Conflict:
  Describes a dramatic reconciliation: eight women arrived despising each other, and after a team-building retreat, became best friends through vulnerability and tailored communication.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Emma on Team Building’s Impact:
  "You can take two people that are odds because they don't understand where the other person's coming from and put them together and then watch them make magic together." (00:03)
• Emma on Vulnerability:
  "If I can build vulnerability and small amounts of conflict that we can solve together in a safe space... I can trust you in the situation together." (05:30)
• Thiago on Empathy:
  "I think it's also empathy." (07:50)
• Emma on Icebreakers & Team Rituals:
  "We start that meeting with 'what are you excited about? What are you grateful for?'" (03:28)
• Emma on the Value of Personality Tests:
  "It's amazing what will happen. If you would like to get the 101 team building ideas that work with remote teams, visit our Visionary Vault." (10:32)

Actionable Takeaways

• Integrate Team Building Everywhere:
  Don’t relegate it to off-sites; weave it into regular calls, Slack, and routines.
• Prioritize Vulnerability:
  Create rituals and space for honest sharing.
• Use Personality Frameworks:
  Myers-Briggs or '16 Personalities' assessments facilitate understanding and communication.
• Be Willing to Get Personal:
  Don't shy from sharing personal stories or inviting workmates into non-work settings (even virtually).
• Tailor Communication:
  Learn your team’s quirks and accommodate communication for those with barriers (e.g., using text/video for the socially anxious).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:32 — Emma on what team building means and how her open-door policy fosters it
• 02:32–03:28 — Debunking “remote teams can’t do team building”
• 03:28–04:44 — Icebreakers and personal check-ins at meetings
• 04:44–07:50 — Vulnerability, trust, and managing conflict in high-stakes teams
• 07:50–08:59 — Building empathy by understanding backgrounds and context
• 08:11–10:44 — Case studies: personality tests, assumptions shattered, and dramatic team breakthroughs

For more resources, Emma invites listeners to download the playbook '101 Team Building Ideas that Work with Remote Teams' at www.specialopspodcast.com.