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Few issues pair as precariously as A.I. and the future of work.

Artificial intelligence or A.I. frightens people who fear that robots will take away their jobs and paychecks.

Truth be told, A.I. will soon replace millions of low-skill jobs, for it can manage many tasks faster and better than people.

But A.I. has no heart; only people can do jobs that require human touch and interaction.

To help us understand A.I. and the future of work, we turn to Prateek Joshi. The author of numerous books on Artificial Intelligence, Prateek is the Founder and CEO of Plutoshift, a company that uses A.I. to make the world a better place.

In this episode, Prateek:

• Describes Plutoshift and his role in the company. Starts at 3:03
• Defines A.I. and contrasts it with Machine Learning. Starts at 3:51
• Addresses workforce concerns that A.I. takes jobs away from people. Starts at 8:52
• Illustrates how Plutoshift helps clients involved with providing clean and potable water. Starts at 13:03
• Identifies the training and advanced skill that he seeks in hired talent. Starts at 20:25
• Tells us how, beyond his work, he adds fun and enjoyable activity to each day. Starts at 27:59

In regards to A.I. and the future of work, Prateek says:

“One of the biggest things that [we look for] is the ability to learn. [Are you] the type of person who has learned how to learn?”

About our guest:

Prateek Joshi earned a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka and a Masters of Science in Computer Vision from USC. He is the author of numerous books on Artificial Intelligence. Prateek lives and works in Palo Alto, California.

EPISODE DATE: April 23, 2021

Social media:

– LinkedIn

– Twitter

– Plutoshift Website

– Prateek Joshi Website

– Amazon Author Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:11 — 44.3MB)

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We pose five questions on post pandemic work experiences to our guest, Edythe Richards.

Edythe is an Emotional Intelligence expert. She is also the new host of the EQ at Work podcast which explores how EQ may be used to positively shape the future of work.

As we emerge from the pandemic, some of us will travel back to co-located offices. The prospect of returning is both exciting and terrifying.

People used to working remotely for more than a year may be ill-prepared for their return to the office. With that in mind, we ask Edythe for answers to these five future of work questions:

1. What does one do if someone thrusts their hand out for a handshake? Starts at 4:55
2. How do we negotiate others’ needs for personal space? Starts at 8:46
3. How do we empower those who want to work anywhere but at a traditional office setting? Starts at 13:29
4. How do we reduce Zoom time and encourage more asynchronous communication? Starts at 20:12
5. How do we contend with post-pandemic “irrational exuberance?” Starts at 25:03

What is more, Edythe expresses the need for intentionality in our ongoing work communications:

“[For me], it’s about the difference between urgent and important. So, I think that smart organizations are going to differentiate between what’s urgent and what’s important.”

About our guest:

Edythe Richards received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling from Seton Hall University. Her nationally recognized career counseling consultancy, A Top Career, is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

EPISODE DATE: April 16, 2021

Social media:

– Website

– EQ at Work Podcast

– Myers Briggs Question Corner Podcast

– LinkedIn Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:41 — 46.3MB)

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Entrepreneurs need financial security to scale business, but also have choices to do meaningful work.

And more broadly speaking, financial security plays a big role in the future of work.

Some entrepreneurs strive to scale take their start-ups public. But, more often than not, they are just people looking for autonomy to create products and services that solve vexing problems. And their pursuits typically take the form of side hustles.

Angela Anderson is a veteran wealth advisor who counsels entrepreneurs and other careerists to make sound money decisions.

With a process of thorough engagement that includes money therapy and other tools, Angela frees people to build wealth.  That allows them choices to enjoy a good retirement or for a second act career that may favor social purpose.

In this episode, Angela:

• Introduces her company and the value that it provides her clients. Starts at 3:08
• Explains the sports metaphor that conveys her unique value proposition. Starts at 4:18
• Offers examples of what clients seek for financial security. Starts at 7:22
• Describes the experience of working with people who may be career successful, but not financially sophisticated. Starts at 15:41
• Recalls the money lessons she learned from her time in the Peace Corps. Starts at 21:58
• Discusses how wealth building considerations factor for doing work with a purpose. Starts at 25:56

About our guest:

Angela Anderson earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Spanish from Adams State University. She lives and works in Colorado.

EPISODE DATE: April 9, 2021

Social media:

– Facebook

– LinkedIn

– Website

– Media

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:34 — 43.4MB)

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We revisit some amazing interviews with workplace futurists who helped the future of work to become present.

Astronishingly, 2020 ushered in massive changes in how and where we work.

Helping to us navigate the changes are these featured guests from The Dan Smolen Podcast:

Anne Driscoll and Chris Schultz: Launch Pad is their co-working community of first believers.

Anne and Chris, the married co-founders of Launch Pad., celebrate co-working by fostering a community of first believers. Starts at 2:04

Nellie Hayat: she leads workplace transformation at VergeSense.

Nellie, the Head of Workplace Transformation at VergeSense, helps companies and people get the most out of their workplaces, wherever they happen to be. Starts at 8:39

Dan Rosenzweig: he co-founded KettleSpace to offer co-working spaces with a sense of place.

Dan explains how KettleSpace benefits workforce professionals who need an inspiring place to meet others or do heads-down work. KettleSpace also helps the owners and operators of venues—like restaurants and hotels—fill their underutilized spaces with happy workforce professionals. Starts at 15:05

Marti Konstant: she drives the future of work agility mindset.

Marti conveys the importance of agility in the workplace. Especially as we exit the pandemic, agility will be mission-critical in the future of work. Start at 20:40

Darren Murph: he is the world’s first Head of Remote Work.

Darren, the Head of Remote Work at GitLab, recounts the joy of people who get to live and work for this 100 percent distributed workforce company wherever they choose. Starts at 26:29

In 2021, each of our guests helped the future of work to become present.

EPISODE DATE: April 2, 2021

Social media:

–    Launch Pad Website

–    VergeSense Website

–    KettleSpace Website

–    Konstant Change Website

–    GitLab Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:50 — 52.0MB)

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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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:23 — 28.0MB)

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Future of work thought-leader Nellie Hayat describes a brilliant future at transformed workplaces.

Nellie is the Head of Workplace Transformation for VergeSense.

Her mission is to empower companies to reimagine their workplaces so that their talent thrive in them, wherever they may be located.

Since the start of Covid lockdowns one year ago, the American workplace has permanently changed.

No longer do the majority of workforce professionals commute to co-located offices. Now, many prefer to work from home, or remotely.

In this wide ranging discussion, Nellie:

• Discusses the scope of her work as VergeSense’s Head of Workplace Transformation. Starts at 2:06
• Describes the reimagined workplace. Starts at 5:17
• Explains what big hiring firms can learn and adopt from workplace transformation achieved by Microsoft and other Silicon Valley companies. Starts at 7:10
• Informs the intentional changes happening to headquarters design. Starts at 9:28
• Imagines the ways commercial real estate will pivot as a result of pandemic-caused workforce shifts. Starts at 13:37

Of the brilliant future at transformed workplaces, Nellie says:

“[We were] all living on a dream that the [co-located] workplace is the only place where you can deliver your best work. And Covid proved us wrong. Actually, people, if they are supported by their leadership, can work anywhere.”

About our guest:

Nellie Hayat earned an MBA in Industrial Engineering and Management from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. She lives and works in the Bay Area of California.

EPISODE DATE: February 26, 2021

Social media:

– LinkedIn

– Twitter

– Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:34 — 43.4MB)

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Dan Rosenzweig appears on the podcast, to describe how novel venues reimagine the workplace.

There are many players in co-working. But among them, KettleSpace turned a glaring problem, underutilized spaces such as hotel lobbies and restaurants, into dazzling places to work.

As co-founder of KettleSpace, Dan wants to give people who work:

“[the opportunity] to choose their WHERE, so that they can achieve and focus on their WHYs.”

Currently in the United States, over one billion square feet of commercial space lies vacant, because the pandemic has pivoted millions of workforce professionals from co-located offices to remote workplaces. Some of them now prefer to work from home, but others find that they need to achieve a sense of place and community. And that’s where KettleSpace comes to their aid.

In a wide ranging discussion, Dan:

• Describes the origin story and business model for Kettle Space. Starts at 2:31
• Illustrates how the KettleSpace experience enhances the workday. Starts at 5:34
• Explains the draw for a sense of place and community. Starts at 7:04
• Speaks to the pandemic’s impact on restaurants and other service businesses, and, tackles the question: “are big cities dead?” Starts at 12:23
• Reimagines applications for the billions in square feet of vacant commercial space. Starts at 17:49
• Tees up KettleSpace metros beyond New York City. Starts at 28:09

Tackling the sad effect of so much vacant retail space, Dan says:

“[As people], we can read a vibe. And the vibe of vacant retail space is [we’re not] open for business.”

Clearly, in the future of work, novel venues reimagine the workplace to support people and needy businesses.

About our guest:

Dan Rosenzweig earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from Vanderbilt University. Prior to co-founding KettleSpace, he worked for other co-working providers. Dan lives and works in New York City.

EPISODE DATE: February 19, 2021

Social media:

– Website

– Facebook

– Instagram

– LinkedIn

– Twitter