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When we achieve a career agility mindset, we benefit with boundless opportunities in the future of work.

A year out from the start of the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, one key driver has emerged for people in the workforce: a career agility mindset.

Agility is the-most important attribute of successful career professionals. People now must respond to new tasks, skill requirements, company directives, and market factors. And given that more of us work from anywhere, agility becomes a key success indicator for remote and hybrid workplaces.

Marti Konstant of Konstant Change is a globally recognized workplace futurist.

As one of the top experts in career agility, Marti helps people to succeed in fluid work environments.

In this episode, Marti:

• Describes Konstant Change and its unique value proposition for clients. Starts at 2:40
• Defines the agility mindset and provides reasons as to why it is important for career development. Starts at 3:37
• Offers perspective on why people who work are often resistant to change. Starts at 4:57
• Discusses why C-suites should embrace change in how work is performed. Starts at 10:14
• Provides insight on the agile workforce and the importance of project management skill. Starts at 12:51
• Considers changes in workforce composition, benefit portability, and worker safety nets. Starts at 26:29
• Provides perspective on people pivoting to smaller localities to work. Starts at 29:18

About our guest:

Marti Konstant is an author, consultant, and globally recognized workplace futurist. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Marti lives and works in Chicago.

EPISODE DATE: March 26, 2021

Social media:

– LinkedIn

– Twitter 

– Website

– Activate Your Agile Career (Book Page)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:37 — 29.7MB)

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Emerging from the pandemic. virtual assistants help professionals to succeed. They take over many critical tasks that are associated with scaling a business.

As millions of business founders and entrepreneurs settle into remote work, many of them turn to virtual assistants for help.

As principal of VirtualKGB.com, Kate Gable Bright delivers the capabilities of big marketing services companies. Often times, Kate launches marketing campaigns, increases sales, and builds formidable social media presences for her clients’ brands.

Kate’s background is impressive. For years, she led a successful experiential marketing agency. Then, during the pandemic, Kate decided the time was right for her to apply her considerable talents via a virtual assistance company, providing project management expertise to a wide range of clients.

In this episode, Kate:

• Introduces VirtualKGB.com and the unique value it provides entrepreneurs, CEOs, and company founders. Starts at 2:18
• Describes some of the stressors that keep her clients up at night. Starts at 3:58
• Explains how she overcomes the “do it all” mentality. Starts at 8:28
• Illustrates the positive experiences of clients who launch side-hustles like online businesses. Starts at 11:28
• Offers what she likes about being an entrepreneur. Starts at 17:03

Clearly, virtual assistants will help professionals to succeed and inform many best practices in the future of work.

About our guest:

Kate Gable Bright earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. Prior to launching VirtualKGB.com, she ran a successful experiential marketing agency. Kate lives and works in Southern California.

EPISODE DATE: March 19, 2021

Social media:

– LinkedIn

– Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:08 — 44.2MB)

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Launch Pad is a coworking community of first believers founded by Anne Driscoll and Chris Schultz.

Anne and Chris know firsthand the struggles of starting a business.  As serial start-up entrepreneurs, they often heard “no” or “that will never work.” Thus, in establishing Launch Pad’s first believer premise, Anne and Chris set up their coworking brand and members for success.

First believers help each other overcome the stresses and strains of scaling start-up businesses.

Often, they provide one another critical sales, marketing, technological, and operational support. What is more, they help once struggling local communities become great places to live and work.

With locations in five U.S. cities and growing, Launch Pad provides workspace, essential resources, and a supportive community structure that empowers entrepreneurs.

In this episode, Anne and Chris:

• Introduce Launch Pad and its mission. Starts at 3:06
• Describe the brand’s unique value proposition. Starts at 3:44
• Define the term “first believers” and demonstrate why it is important. Starts at 5:13
• Illustrate Launch Pad’s member experience. Starts at 8:22
• Support the notion of a smaller scale path to success. Starts at 11:28
• Explore the benefits of the guild economy, maker movement, and localism. Starts at 18:48
• Provide their take on the future of work trends that are pointing people to gigs and side hustles. Starts at 24:30

According to Chris, Launch Pad ascribes to noble purpose:

“[Our goal] is to help entrepreneurs succeed, because we want to focus on the economic impacts of the communities that we service.”

In support of a coworking community of first believers, Anne adds:

“We spend a lot of time with city governments across the country, talking about the importance of entrepreneurship, the importance of creating a hub.”

About our guests:

Anne Driscoll and Chris Schultz are co-founders of Launch Pad. In prior roles, Anne was an executive at Google and several tech start-ups. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Queens University. Chris founded numerous start-ups and provided angel investment capital to others. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business. Anne and Chris are married; they and their young daughter live in the Bay Area of California.

EPISODE DATE: March 12, 2021

Social media:

– Instagram – Launch Pad

– LinkedIn – Launch Pad

– LinkedIn – Anne Driscoll

– LinkedIn – Chris Schultz

– Twitter – Launch Pad

– Twitter – Anne Driscoll

– Twitter – Chris Schultz

– Website – Launch Pad

– YouTube Channel – Launch Pad

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:16 — 40.3MB)

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As hiring managers navigate the future of work, they must also help to create opportunities for a neurodiverse workforce.

Larysa Kautz is the President and CEO of Melwood, a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities find and do meaningful work.

In the broad future of work discussion, neurodiversity gets scant attention. And yet the number of neurodiverse people in the workforce is considerable.

The neurodiverse workforce often includes people with physical or intellectual disability. Furthermore, its ranks include people on the autism spectrum, and, those diagnosed with ADHD.

However, one year since the pandemic started, the neurodiverse workforce expanded to include so-called Covid long-haulers. These are people who now suffer long-term and permanent disability. What is more, they may present with difficult conditions, such as brain fog and balance issues, that require special workplace accommodations.

In this episode, Larysa:

• Describes Melwood and its mission. Starts at 2:57
• Defines neurdiversity. Starts at 3:38
• Illustrates the challenges neurodiverse candidates encounter when applying for work. Starts at 4:52
• Explains the benefits neurodiverse workers gain when working from home is an option. Starts at 10:07
• Looks back at the 30-year history of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Starts at 13:27
• Discusses the positive future of work benefits of hiring and supporting neurodiverse workers. Starts at 23:48

Hiring managers must create opportunities for a neurodiverse workforce. And yet, Larysa points out a glaring injustice that has long plagued the disabled:

“It’s still legal in this country to pay people with disabilities less than the minimum wage.”

About our guest:

Larysa Kautz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Connecticut College and a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School. Larysa lives and works in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

EPISODE DATE: March 5, 2021

Social media:

– Facebook

– Instagram

– Twitter

– Website