Building a Strong Culture at a Remote Agency
Key Takeaways
- The value set for a remote team is different from someone who works on-site - hire accordingly
- Slow intentional growth without external funding keeps the team aligned and culture intact
- Networking is the primary recruitment method - platforms like Upwork can work with a long-term perspective
Lance Cummins, founder of Nectafy, joins the show to discuss how he built a strong agency culture with a completely remote team spanning multiple continents.
Remote Culture Is Different
Lance makes an important distinction early in the conversation: the value set for a remote team is different for someone who works on-site. When your team is distributed, you need people who are self-directed, communicative, and comfortable with autonomy. Nectafy has attracted at-home parents seeking family flexibility, creating a shared value system between the company and its employees.
Growing Without Outside Money
Nectafy follows a reinvestment model with no external funding. Growth is slow and intentional, aligned with actual business needs rather than investor expectations. This approach keeps the team small enough to maintain strong cultural alignment while growing steadily.
Building the Team
Networking is Lance’s primary recruitment method. He also uses platforms like Upwork but with a long-term perspective - one web developer, Nicolie, was hired from Europe after a relationship that developed over more than two years. This patience in hiring produces team members who are deeply aligned with the company’s values and mission.
Lance documented his HubSpot experience in a blog post that went viral, demonstrating the “they ask, you answer” approach in practice. The brand metaphor reflects this philosophy - nectar attracts pollinators, and quality content attracts ideal customers.