Igniting Remote Team Heart: The Power of Playful Connection
What keeps a remote team truly connected? It’s not just Wi-Fi—it’s intention, play, and human moments. At The Skin Deep, we use {THE AND} and a few creative rituals to keep our hearts beating in sync, even across the distance.
(And how to find it, one question at a time.)
Okay, so picture this: you’ve got this amazing team. Talented, driven, funny-as-hell humans who somehow manage all kinds of projects across all timezones, across cultures and deliver great work week in and week out. And you start to wonder:
Where’s the heart in all of this?
Because let’s be honest—a team that’s never high-fived in person, never shared a birthday cake in the break room, or bonded over who forgot their lunch (again)... how do you make that feel like a real, connected team?
The way we work has changed. Big time. Ten years ago, working from anywhere where you could open a laptop sounded like a dream. Now it's possible everyday. And while remote life has its perks (no commute, cozy clothes, working on your own schedule), it also means missing out on the casual, spontaneous connections that office life used to hand us on a silver fluorescent-lit platter.
The hallway chats. The eye rolls during meetings. The post-lunch “we’re all in this together” slump.
So where does that connection come from now? How do we build and deepen our relationships? How do we grow the trust between people? Where do the good vibes come from?
Here’s the thing we’ve learned at The Skin Deep: the real heartbeat of a remote team doesn’t come from our productivity tools, or even really good GIF usage (though that helps).The heartbeat of our team comes from intentional moments of play and vulnerability—from conversations that go beyond deadlines and into who we are as people.
And that’s where {THE AND} comes in.
What’s {THE AND}?
If you’re new here, {THE AND} is our award-winning conversation game designed to spark meaningful, human-to-human connection. We’ve got decks for all kinds of relationships—romantic partners, family members, friends, strangers, and yes… even coworkers and team building.
Every deck is filled with thoughtful, sometimes funny, sometimes deep, always real and meaningful questions that invite people to actually have a conversation. Not surface-level small talk. But the kind of talk that makes you say, “Whoa, I never knew that about you, tell me more.”
The Skin Deep Shop
How We Play at The Skin Deep (and How You Can Too)
At The Skin Deep, we’ve made it a ritual: Friday Debrief Meeting = {THE AND} Time. Every Friday afternoon we hop on a call, pick a deck (there’s lots to choose from!), and pull a few cards. No pressure, no awkwardness. Just a group of people sharing, listening, laughing, and remembering that we’re more than just our Slack avatars.
Want to try this with your team? Here are a few ideas to get started:
💻 1. Set up a Weekly Ritual
Pick a day (Friday is a classic) and schedule a 30-minute call. Keep it casual. No work talk. Just humans connecting.
🎴 2. Choose Your Deck
We recommend the Coworkers Edition if you’re just starting out—it’s designed to spark safe, interesting conversations for professional relationships. But honestly? Any deck works. Self, Friends, even Healing can surprise you in a team setting.
🎲 3. Assign a Card Puller
Have someone volunteer (or rotate weekly) to pull 2–3 cards from the digital deck or a physical one if they have it. Read them aloud, and let folks answer popcorn-style or one-by-one.
✨ 4. Play “Pass or Play”
Not everyone’s ready to go deep every week. Let people choose if they want to answer a card or pass. The safety to say “not today” is just as important as the courage to share.
🧩 5. Try Breakout Rooms
For larger teams, split into small groups. Give each room a few cards and 15 minutes to chat, then come back together and share any surprising moments (if people want to).
📷 6. Add a Visual Element
Have team members take turns bringing a “show & tell” item to go along with their answer—a photo, an object, a screenshot. Bonus points if it’s weird, sentimental, or hilarious.
Why Does This Work?
Because humans crave connection. And remote teams, especially, need intentional spaces to feel seen, connected. These tiny windows of playfulness and realness break through the isolation, build trust, and strengthen collaboration in ways that task management tools just can’t.
You don’t have to make it emotional.You don’t have to “go deep.”You just have to be real.
And that kind of authenticity? It ripples through everything—from how we communicate, to how we give feedback, to how supported we feel showing up as our whole selves.
So if your team is scattered across cities, continents, or even just different kitchen tables—explore this idea and build your own heartbeat.
The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all method to building remote team culture. But there is a golden rule: connection doesn’t just happen—you have to build it.
Make space for a little laughter, a little vulnerability, and a whole lot of connection. Your team might not share an office, but you can share something more meaningful.
Start small. Start simple. But start.
And of course, {THE AND} is just one piece of the puzzle.There are so many ways we stay connected, motivated, and inspired as a remote team here at The Skin Deep—and none of them involve mandatory fun (because ew).
For example:
📸 We’ve got a “Random” Slack channel where anything goes—funny memes, weird dreams, adorable pet content, or just a picture of someone’s coffee that morning. It’s low-pressure, totally casual, and surprisingly powerful for building team culture.
📲 We keep a shared Instagram group chat full of things that make us laugh, think, or feel something. Inspiration, weird reels, beautiful writing, or just a “THIS is the energy today” kind of post—it’s our creative collective brain dump, and it keeps us in sync.
🧠 We share learning resources and inspiration—articles, videos, quotes, podcasts—anything that feels aligned with our mission or just sparks an interesting conversation. Think of it as our digital water cooler… but way cooler.
Whether it’s sharing memes, swapping playlists, or diving into {THE AND} on a Friday call—find the rituals that feel true to your team’s vibe.
So take what works. Tweak it. Remix it. Make it your own.
In the end, the truth is really quite simple.
Behind every remote team that thrives is a group of humans who actually like being on a call together.
So. 💛 Find your heartbeat. Play {THE AND}.Trust us. Your team will thank you for it.
With love, Regina Zuniga
The Skin Deep Digital Content Specialist
