Team Building That Actually Works (Even for Remote Teams)

Summary

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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).

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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

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

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Transcript

[A]

I love team building. I love what team building does. I love how 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. 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. Think about Richard on three or four calls where things didn't exactly go his way and then having to tell him on a call that he's wrong about something. Would you do it? It? Hi and welcome to another episode of Special Ops podcast. We give real, actionable insights to direct response marketers and e commerce sellers. I am Emma Rainville, your host and today I'm joined with Thiago and Richard and we are talking about team building in our visionary vault. Over at www.specialops podcast.com. we have a freebie for you today. It's going to be 101 team building ideas that work with remote teams. We put this together for you in mind, so take a look and let us know. We're going to dive right in. I love team building. Do you know that?

[B]

Yeah, I know, I know.

[A]

I love Richard's. Yeah, I am crazy about it. Richard's been able to come to my house in a three day team building that we've done for clients and that we've done for Shockwave. I love team building.

[B]

Didn't you invite Saga for like, stay 60 days if you want something like that?

[A]

And my house is always open.

[B]

It's always open.

[A]

My house is always open to my staff. Always, Always. Richard's been there. I think the longest you've stayed is like 35, 36 days. I think it was more than that. Was it? Yeah. He wanted to kill himself the whole time, but yeah. No, my house is. My house is always open to my staff. My house is my office. And for people who've been there, no, I spend time in two places only. My office and my bedroom. That's it. But I do love team building. I love what team building does. I. I love how 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. I really do love team building. So I'd love to start with how important it is and how to implement team building into your company. A lot of people hear team building and they think, oh, well, we Have a remote team. We can't get everybody together so it's not a possibility. But the reality is there's an opportunity for team building every day, on every call, in every meeting. And in Slack.

[B]

Totally. So as you said, I think it's about knowing the human like all the angles to our human. More angles. Especially when we're digital, you just get like 2D, you know, angle and. But not just about that. So we are going to be setting new situations outside of the work objectives and the work like paradigm. You say in English? Yeah, paradigm. The pronunciation in Spanish is slightly different. And you're going to see know their history more about the history. You told me yesterday about how you and gave mate met, for example. And we're going to hear about Richard and Caitlin, of course. And that already starts shining that person in a new light and yeah, now you're going to understand better where they coming from. So may you get just stuck with one teammate, you know, you just keep bumping heads and maybe it's just one opportunity of team building or it could be just how we start the breakers on Thursday.

[A]

So what Thiago is talking about is we have an internal meeting in our company that we do weekly. We do it on Thursday at 11 o' clock Central every single week, same time, same bat time, same bat channel. And we start that meeting with what are you excited about? What are you grateful for? Personal, professional one which isn't necessary in a business meeting, but it allows us to reconnect every week and understand like, hey, Tiago, what is it that you're excited about? And it's kind of important because Thiago might say his daughter's first birthday is on Thursday, is the following Thursday and Tiago might not be the easiest to reach the next Thursday. But guess what? I now know that it's Rose's first birthday. Of course Tiago's like, you know, headed in the clouds. Right.

[B]

An example from Richard. He was so in love with Caitlin's cats.

[A]

Oh yeah, yeah.

[B]

You are so in love with Caitlyn.

[A]

And, and that stupid dog too.

[B]

And the nice dog as well.

[A]

I love how Ti was like. And the nice dog. Have you heard it breathe?

[B]

No.

[A]

That's why you don't think it's a stupid dog. She's lovely.

[B]

Well, it showed attender's side that maybe it was not so evident on the operational data.

[A]

Oh, he does not come off cross as tender at all.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But he is, he's very tender. He's. He's very, very tender. Yeah, absolutely. It's a really good point. I think when you can kind of reach into someone's brain and see the way that they think, which happens a lot with team building. Yo, we interrupted this pod to tell you to like and subscribe. What are you doing? Why haven't you liked. Why haven't you subscribed? Just subscribe. What's the problem? In all seriousness, subscribe so that you get notifications every time we drop new content. Additionally, if you have not signed up for our visionary vault, what the hell? Www.specialopspodcast.com Go sign up. It's free. We never try and sell you, and we're putting all kinds of stuff in there to help you with the operations of your business because we're passionate about it and we want to share operational excellence with our direct response. E commerce and online selling family. 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. Because then when you can do that, when you're over here and the shit is hitting the fan now, like, I've already been vulnerable with you. We're vulnerable in this situation together. I've already learned to trust you. I can trust you in the situation together. If I don't know you, I can't imagine someone showing up to four or five Shockwave, just brief calls and then telling Richard Parkin that he was wrong at anything. Or me. By the way, I'm not just picking on you. I'm the same way. But I can't imagine, like, think about Richard on three or four calls where things didn't exactly go his way and then having to tell him on a call that he's wrong about something.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Would you do it?

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

Absolutely not.

[B]

Took me a while.

[A]

Oh, of course.

[B]

And I don't say even like that. I just like. I think maybe if we look at this. Yeah.

[A]

From a different perspective, because you've learned him and you've learned how to talk to him. So now when he does something wrong, you don't sit there and wait till everything falls apart. This is so huge. And for businesses, for their teams, 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. I don't think the way you're thinking about this or looking at this is the right way. Can we explore something else? You have to have the balls to do that. First of all. And most People aren't going to do that with someone they don't know. So if I can build vulnerability and small amounts of conflict that we can solve together in a safe space of team building when everything is awful. Hey, Richard, I don't know about this. I think this might really cause you a big problem. Can we talk about it? But there's not a chance in hell anyone will go to him or me and say, hey, you're doing this wrong when they first meet. So that team building and that's a lot of people are like that. Right. They're still, you know, particularly when you're running a business in the multi millions, everything's moving quick. So intentfully creating those relationships and intentfully driving people to build trust and build more value for each other.

[B]

I think it's also empathy.

[A]

Yeah. And you can't have empathy if you don't understand where someone's coming from though.

[B]

And it helps at the same time like not taking it personal because if you see that same person on a different setting, maybe they are telling you about, about how they met Gabe and you say, okay, she was rough with Gabe from the get go.

[A]

Oh, I mean, yeah, I met him because I was firing him.

[B]

Exactly. So you say, okay, it's not about me. It's not about like something personal. This is a person who has their characteristics.

[A]

You know Julius from, he was at scale one at the time. He's over rival now. But Julius came to my house and he stayed there for like 10 days. And he always thought that I was the meanest person. I hated Filipinos. He came to my house, he spent one day there and I could hear him. He was in the media room on a call with all of the people in the Scale one team. And he was like, no, guys, she's so nice to us. You should hear how she talks to her husband. So yeah. It's funny how when you see someone in their own dynamic and their response to the people that they love most in the world, you kind of get a glimpse of like, oh, wait a.

[B]

Minute, that's just them.

[A]

That's just them. She's just an asshole. But in all seriousness, I really love that. I want to give like one quick like really big takeaway that I think will help anyone who's running a business. The first step. And I know that we wrote the one team building ideas that work with remote teams, but I think the number one thing that you can do as a business owner and we've done this, we've done this with a bunch of our Clients, employees is go take the 16 personalities, the Myers Briggs 16 personalities. Have everyone take it and then spend about a 90 minute call going through each person's 16 personalities. So would you be surprised to know that I'm the executive? No, not at all. Do you know who I am most? Like Judge Judy and Oprah Winfrey.

[B]

Nice. Yeah.

[A]

Makes sense though, doesn't it? Do you remember going through that, Richard? Do you remember like we had multiple girls that hated each other. We had like eight girls that hated each other. So what did we do? We brought them to my house for three days. They came on Thursday night and Friday, Saturday, Sunday was team building intensive. Everybody flew out. On Monday, they left and to this day are best friends. All eight of them. See them on Instagram and Facebook doing stuff together all the time. All eight of them. They all live in Florida and they just hang out all the time. They went from at each other's throats in three days because one of the girls had extreme anxiety every time she had to get on a call with someone. So if she had to get on a call with someone, she. And this all came out during the team building. She would have to like take 15 minutes to prepare herself and then she'd have to get on a call. And then after the call she would need 20 to 30 minutes to de escalate herself. Cause she had serious social anxiety. And so she would generally get on a call because she needed something done quickly and then she just didn't do it. But it wasn't that she didn't do it. She was in catastrophic condition in a fetal position because she had to get on a call. So what did we learn to do? Put everything in text of a video and send it to her. Simple little things. Anyway, so I highly suggest grab those 16 personalities, take 90 minutes, sit down as a team and just read through them. And 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. It's always free. We never try and sell you anything. We're just trying to add value to our community. It's at our website, www.special ops podcast.com. again, you can just sign up for the Visionary Vault. Totally free. We have tons of resources there. Thank you guys. This is always fun. I like it this way. Can we just all move to the same country?

[B]

Which one?

[A]

Yeah, that's going to be the problem. I think that, I think England, not having anybody. Love England. Yeah. Thanks guys.