How to Manage a Remote Marketing Agency Team Across 7 Time Zones
Key Takeaways
- Document processes so any team member can find what they need without asking - use tools like Loom, Guru, and Rippling
- Host three to four in-person retreats per year to strengthen relationships and align on vision across a distributed team
- Hire for values and talent first, location second - a global talent pool gives you access to far better candidates
- Overcommunication beats silence in remote environments - lead with transparency, clarity, and vulnerability
- Balance retreat agendas between structured planning sessions and open time for team bonding and exploration
- Intentionally nurture culture when your team is distributed - it does not happen organically the way it can in an office
Janet Mesh, CEO of Aimtal, joins the Agency Journey podcast to share how she built and scaled a fully remote marketing agency with team members spanning seven time zones. Since founding Aimtal in 2018, Janet has doubled the company’s revenue and team size each year - all without a physical office. Her approach offers a practical playbook for agency leaders who want to build distributed teams that actually work.
Clear Processes and Documentation
When your team is spread across seven time zones, synchronous communication cannot be the default. Janet explains that the foundation of Aimtal’s remote operations is documentation so thorough that anyone can find what they need without having to ask a colleague.
The test Janet applies is simple: can a team member figure out what they need and move forward without sending a message? If the answer is no, there is a documentation gap that needs to be filled. Aimtal uses a combination of tools to achieve this. Rippling handles HR and onboarding workflows. Guru serves as the internal knowledge base. Loom provides asynchronous video walkthroughs for processes that are easier to show than write.
Janet notes that video documentation is often more effective and faster to create than written guides. A five-minute Loom walking through a process captures nuances that a written SOP misses - tone, context, and the “why” behind each step. New team members can watch at their own pace and revisit as needed.
In-Person Retreats for a Remote Team
Despite being fully remote, Aimtal gathers the entire team three to four times per year for multi-day retreats. Janet views these as essential investments, not optional perks. When your daily interactions happen through screens, the relationships built during in-person time create a foundation of trust that carries through months of remote collaboration.
The retreat agenda balances structured work with unstructured time. Planning sessions tackle vision, strategy, and cross-team alignment. But Janet is intentional about leaving open blocks for team dinners, group activities, and exploration of the host city. The informal moments - conversations over meals, shared experiences outside of work - are often where the deepest connections form.
Retreat locations rotate, which keeps the experience fresh and gives team members from different regions a chance to host. The cost is significant for a company of Aimtal’s size, but Janet considers it one of the highest-return investments the company makes.
Hiring for Values First, Location Second
One of Aimtal’s biggest advantages is their approach to talent acquisition. Rather than limiting hiring to a specific geography, Janet looks for people who align with Aimtal’s values and have the skills the role requires. Location is a secondary consideration.
This philosophy gives Aimtal access to a talent pool that location-bound agencies simply cannot match. When you are willing to hire the best person regardless of where they live, you consistently find stronger candidates. It also means the team brings diverse perspectives shaped by different cultures and markets, which strengthens the creative work.
The tradeoff is that building culture across a globally distributed team requires intentional effort. In a physical office, culture develops partly through osmosis - shared lunches, overheard conversations, impromptu celebrations. Remote teams get none of that for free. Janet and her leadership team have to be deliberate about creating moments of connection, reinforcing values, and making sure every team member feels like they belong.
Leading with Transparency and Overcommunication
Janet’s leadership philosophy for remote teams comes down to one principle: overcommunication beats silence every time. In a remote environment, people fill information gaps with assumptions - and those assumptions are rarely positive.
She advocates for leading with transparency, clarity, and vulnerability. When leadership is uncertain about a decision, saying “we are still working through this and here is what we know so far” is far more effective than staying quiet until there is a perfect answer. The silence erodes trust. The transparency builds it.
Clear expectations are another pillar. Remote team members need to know not just what they are responsible for, but how their work connects to the broader goals and what success looks like. When intentions and expectations are communicated clearly, people can do their best work without constantly checking whether they are on the right track.