Remote work introduced problems offices never had. Dogs barking. Contractors arriving. Kids at the door. Cameras off or multitasking? Working in PJs or logging extra hours? Brad thinks remote work kills his 550-employee culture. Brian cleaned out VHT's fridge in March 2020 and never came back for two years. COVID forced the experiment. Some companies stayed remote. Others are dragging people back. AT&T doesn't have enough parking spaces. Microsoft's thriving. Brad can't imagine meetings with cameras off. This is episode 39. Remote versus in-office, and why nobody's figured it out. You'll discover:

• Why Brad forces therapists into offices but can't justify leaders working from home • Brian's refrigerator story that explains VHT's accidental two-year remote experiment

• The logistical nightmare: marketing spread across 5 states, now sitting with IT guys

• Why cameras-off meetings signal you're not actually engaged

• Brad's equity problem when some groups get remote work and others don't Brian hired people from Idaho, Nebraska, Canada, Japan. Brad runs 550 employees across 11 therapy centers where hands-on work requires showing up. Different businesses, different answers. WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS:

• Prove productivity remotely before earning the privilege

• Cameras on shows you're present

• Don't force marketing to sit with IT because they're in the same city

• Hybrid works when rules are clear

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees. Matt Croke keeps it real.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "If you're going to have people in that meeting, there should be nothing else going on. No multitasking. If you're not engaged, why are you there?"

Where do you stand? Cameras on or off? Drop a comment. SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Friday. Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy. ————————————

*TIMESTAMPS* 0:46 - COVID Hit: The Fridge Cleanup Story

4:06 - Blizzard Forced VHT Remote (Before COVID)

5:04 - Brad's Philosophy: Productivity Loss is Real

9:25 - Brian's Pro-Remote Argument: Hire Anywhere

12:00 - Matt's Experience: Remote Killed Connection

16:17 - The Post-COVID Hiring Problem: 5 States, One Office

18:08 - We're Literally on Zoom in the Same Bar

20:37 - Jamie Dimon vs Elon Musk Approaches

23:24 - Brad: Cameras On, No Multitasking

25:31 - Brian's Brown M&M's Segment

26:27 - Book Rec: Apple in China (Supply Chain)

28:07 - YouTube's New AI Tools (Dancing Parakeet) ————————————

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS* Three entrepreneurs share real business failures and successes over drinks every Friday. Brian Balduf (VHT Studios), Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy), and Matt Croke (host). Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy. ————————————

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three work setups. Pick yours.

🍸 *THE FRIDGE CLEANUP* Brian Balduf - Left the office March 2020, never came back Recipe: • 2 oz bourbon • 0.75 oz lemon juice • 0.5 oz honey syrup • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Lemon twist • Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Clean out that fridge, you'll be gone two years. This drink is what you make on that last Friday thinking it's just two weeks. Smooth, practical, gone before you know it.

🍸 *THE ZOOM CUBICLE* Brad Balduf - 550 employees, cameras better be on Recipe: • 2 oz rye whiskey • 1 oz sweet vermouth • 0.25 oz Benedictine • 2 dashes orange bitters • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into coupe The Vibe: You're in a meeting. Camera's on. No multitasking. If you're not engaged, why are you even here? This drink demands your full attention. Complex layers you miss if you're distracted.

🍸 *THE IDAHO HIRE* Matt Croke - Hired from anywhere, worked with no one Recipe: • 2 oz gin • 1 oz elderflower liqueur • 0.75 oz lime juice • Club soda • Build in highball, top with soda The Vibe: Brian hired people from Idaho, Nebraska, Canada, Japan. Never would've worked if they had to be in Chicago. This drink's light, flexible, works from anywhere. Just like that perfect remote hire. Make all three. Figure out where you stand. Still going to the office? Fully remote? Sitting with IT guys you don't work with? Tag us with your drink choice.

———————————— *JOIN THE CONVERSATION*

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#RemoteWork #OfficeLife #WorkFromHome #HybridWork #BusinessPodcast #Leadership

Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)