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In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Mikes Sarles, a Statewide Program Coordinator for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Mike is a founding team member of the program and helped get the  Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course off the ground in 2018. Today, he plays a critical role teaching and coaching Utah business leaders through the Master Remote Work Leader (MRWL) course as they adopt remote work operations in their organizations. He explains the structure of the course, what leaders can expect after enrolling, and provides additional insights into what it takes to be successful in developing remote work plans, policies, and positions.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Jordan Leonard, the Regional Program Coordinator in Eastern Utah for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Jordan is a founding team member of the program and helped get the  Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course off the ground in 2018. Today, he plays a critical role teaching and coaching rural residents of Utah as they learn remote work skills and find their first remote job. He explains the structure of the course, what you can expect after enrolling, and provides insights into what it takes to be succesful in the course and in your remote job search.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Trenton Willson, the Regional Program Coordinator in Central Utah for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Trenton is a founding team member of the program and helped get the  Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course off the ground in 2018. Today, he plays a critical role teaching and coaching rural residents of Utah as they learn remote work skills and find their first remote job. He explains the structure of the course, what you can expect after enrolling, and provides insights into what it takes to be successful in the course and in your remote job search.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Kevin Goodwin, a water technician for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation living in rural Juab county. Kevin is also a retired combat veteran and father of seven kids with a wide-ranging educational background and many unique skills. As an alum of the the Rural Online Initiative program, Kevin uses the remote work skills he has learned in his current job testing materials and setting up mobile labs in the most remote locations of Utah.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Jake Marino, a former vocational rehabilitation specialist, who recently joined Utah State University Extension as a Regional Program Coordinator for the Rural Online Initiative program. Tune in to learn about Jake's background and his passion for improving the lives of those who are disadvantaged and underserved.  

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Liam Martin, a 20-year veteran of remote work. As a teaching assistant and tutor in grad school, Liam noticed a problem with how tutors would log their hours. This led him to co-founding Time Doctor, where he now serves as the company's Chief Marketing Officer.  Learn how his experience led him to also become the co-organizer of the Running Remote conference, the biggest conference on distributed teams and remote work.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, Marta interviews Randy Kenney, a new small business owner living in Emery County, UT. Randy is not a remote worker, but he used the knowledge and skills from USU Extension’s Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course to start a new business. After commuting over 200 miles from Ferron to Salt Lake City for over 5 years, Randy used the Rural Online Initiative program to update his skills and is now running his business in his rural community and spending everyday with his family.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen reconnects with Carri Beck, a remote worker living in Iron County, UT. Carri is an alumni of USU Extension’s Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course who found a remote job as a staff accountant for LedgerGurus, a remote-first accounting company for e-commerce businesses. She provides an update on her recent promotion and her long-term plans for moving up within her company.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Brynn Larsen, the youngest alumni of USU Extension’s Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course. Brynn is an artist who lives in Carbon county and started an animation business while she also devotes her time to attending college and working as a math tutor. All of her business operations are fully remote and she provides a unique perspective as a young adult on starting a business and working remotely.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Carolyn Lewis, a nurse and teacher who lives in Washington County, Utah. Carolyn shares how she transitioned from being a nurse working night shifts to becoming a nursing educator and pursuing her masters and Ph.D. degrees. She recently moved to Utah in order to care for her mother and worked at a nursing home while taking the Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) course from USU Extension’s Rural Online Initiative program. After completing the course, she was hired to teach online nursing courses for Dixie State University.  

In this episode, our executive producer, Paul Hill, features the audio of the film “Empowering Rural Utah Through Remote Work," a short documentary on the impact of the Rural Online Initiative program in the lives of three women from rural Utah who found remote work: Marriah Birch in Carbon County, Vicky Kuykendall in San Juan County, and Carri Beck in Iron County. The film also features Joshua Aikens, Chief of Staff at Zonos, a Utah tech company, and Spencer J. Cox, Governor of the Great State of Utah.  The full-length documentary is available on the USU Extension - Rural Online Initiative YouTube Channel. 

This special episode of Remote Work Radio is a blast from the past! In March 2020, our executive producer Paul Hill caught up with Piute County Commissioner Darin Bushman to discuss how small, rural businesses were adapting to the unique circumstances of the pandemic and innovating through e-commerce technology and social media. They also discuss the success of USU Extension’s Rural Online Initiative program in helping businesses adapt to the unanticipated, pandemic induced implementation of remote work.  

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Brent Willson, a father of 6, Air Force veteran, and resident of Carbon County. Brent explains how he was able to find a new remote job after completing USU Extension's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course. He also shares the personal benefits he's experienced through remote work and the impact it has had on his family life.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews William Kremlin, a native of Vernal, Utah. William loves his life in the Uintah Basin, but had been laid off from his job and was worried he would have to leave his hometown to find work. He learned about USU Extension's Master Remote Work Professional certificate course from the state's Vocation Rehabilitation office and decided to pursue a remote job by taking the course and was recently hired by Concentrix.  In the interview, they discuss his position at Concentrix and how remote work will positively affect the quality of life in the Uintah Basin.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, host Marta Nielsen interviews Ann Collier, a mom of 8 living in rural Utah. Ann was recently hired as a customer service representative with Entrata, a property management software company. In this episode, Ann describes her experience and gives great advice about the remote job application process and creating a resume.

In this episode, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Kevin Franke, a 10-year remote work veteran. As an experienced remote employee for Sierra Wireless, Kevin found the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course very beneficial, providing him with a wide variety of relevant information.

In this episode, our host Marta Nielsen interviews Dolores Heaton, a Program Coordinator for USU Extension's Rural Online Initiative program. Dolores discusses her shift from in-office work to remote work and encourages everyone, interested in working remotely or not, to consider taking the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielsen interviews single mother, paraprofessional, and remote transcriber, Coree Buck. Coree describes how she juggles two jobs while being a single mother to five boys and emphasizes the benefits of having a remote position so she can spend valuable time at home with her sons while still doubling her income.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Bess Bennett, an entrepreneur and single mom who lives in rural Utah. Bess completed the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course and is expanding her work as a freelancer with the skills she gained through the course. In this interview, she tells us her story, including how she manages her homestead, works as a virtual assistant, and maintains her side hustle.

In this episode of Remote Work Radio, our host Marta Nielson interviews Laurel Farrer. Laurel is a remote work consultant and CEO of Distribute Consulting, a firm that helps organizations and people make the switch from the traditional office environment to working remotely. In her interview, Laurel provides insightful tips on how to adapt to the modern workplace practice as both an employee and an employer. She also discusses the long-term implications of the abrupt shift people have made from in-office work to remote work.