Future Work/Life is my newsletter in which I explore ideas focused on the future of work and how to design legendary careers. Every week, I share something I’ve written, a few things I’ve enjoyed reading, and something great to listen to. If you find it interesting, please share it!
I don't know if I mentioned this, but my book, Work/Life Flywheel, will be published on the 17th of January 2023!
I’m hoping you might be able to help with the launch, and I promise it won’t take up much of your time. I’m putting a crack team together to help me share news of the launch in the build-up, so would love you to join if you’re up for it? For now, I’ll just add you to my list before getting back in touch in January to let you know how you can help (seriously, it will take less than 5 minutes!)
Let me know if you’d like to get involved!
In this week’s podcast, I spoke with Isabel Berwick, host of the FT’s Working It podcast. Isabel explained how launching and presenting a podcast for the first time has reinvigorated her career. What started as a side hustle has now become her full-time job, leading to a newsletter, and she’ll write a book next year.
I’ve had similar conversations with dozens of people recently as I’ve discussed my book, and keep highlighting the same thing - the importance of constantly experimenting.
When it comes to podcasts, for example, I credit starting mine with many of the new relationships and opportunities I’ve experienced over the past couple of years. That’s why, for today’s newsletter, I thought I’d reshare something short I wrote earlier in the year. Perhaps it will inspire you to take action because if you like learning and talking, and want to make 2023 a great year, you could do worse than launching your own podcast.
As ever, if you wanted to ask me any questions about how to kick this off, feel free to get in touch.
Cheers,
Ollie
How creating (and sticking with) a podcast will help you pivot your career
2 years ago, I launched my first podcast from scratch. Since then, it's become a Top 10 Careers Podcast and has been the launchpad for my career pivot. These are the lessons I've learned.
It might seem like everyone has a podcast, but the reality is most people give up after a handful of episodes.
Why?
Because it's hard work and the rewards are slow to come. Unless you reframe why you're doing it.
You don't need to be Tim Ferris to be 'successful'.
Staying motivated means being clear about your reasons for spending the many hours it will take to consistently produce and share content.
For me, it begins and ends with curiosity and a love of learning.
Here are five tips that will increase your chances of being among the few podcasters that stick with it:
Don't overthink getting started:
There are some amazing tools that allow to you start cheaply and easily. I use Zencastr for recording, Uppbeat for music, Descript for editing and Acast for distribution.
Optimise for interesting
Curiosity to discover more about someone's work is a signal you've identified a potential guest, so do it! Don't be shy about contacting them - most people will reply (even if they don't always say yes!).
Break into manageable chunks:
A weekly podcast forevermore is a huge commitment. The simple alternative is to run it in seasons - create clusters of recordings and then release them in bursts, giving you breaks in between.
Listen and learn:
Podcasts are an incredible way to connect with people and accelerate your learning, which means careful preparation, active listening and a real conversation! It’s not essential, but I then follow up by writing about one of the themes we discussed in this newsletter, helping to reinforce how I think about the ideas we explored.
Personal, not audience growth:
Growing an audience can take time, so instead, focus on the value each conversation produces for you and the people who are listening. A ‘successful’ podcast doesn’t have to mean it’s listened to by millions. Think about making a difference to those who matter most to you - whether potential clients, collaborators, mentors - and yourself, of course!
My show has created opportunities and relationships I'd never have imagined. Good luck producing yours!
Top listen this week has to be Isabel Berwick’s Working It podcast, which has run a 4-parter on the 4-Day Week. Her colleague Emma Jacobs has met some of the people involved in the experiment taking place with 70 firms in the UK at the moment, and it’s revealed some interesting results for employers and employees alike.
Rather than share 3 new articles to read, I thought I’d be more ambitious with my reading suggestions this week and share 3 books. I know, I know, when will you have the time? But the holidays are coming up, so if you’re looking for a business book to peruse before you return in January, then here are those Isabel and I discussed in this week’s pod:
Fortitude by Bruce Daisley:
Bruce’s second book disavows some of the lazy assumptions we make about ‘resilience’ and “reveals the true secrets of inner strength”. It’s a great read for anyone interested in the changing relationship between our work and personal lives.
As you’ll have heard if you heard Bruce on the Future Work/Life podcast earlier this year, true fortitude is more about social connections and gaining strength and a sense of identity from being part of a group.
Redesigning Work by Lynda Gratton:
We’re all trying to work this out, and Lynda’s book is the best book this year for those who need a playbook to get the best out of people as we experiment with remote and hybrid work. Her 4-step redesign process helps you:
Understand the challenges your business is facing
Reimagine creative, new approaches and processes
Model and Test these within your organisation
Act and Create based on contemporary, data-led feedback
Listen to my chat with Lynda on the FWL podcast here.
The Power Law by Sebastian Mallaby:
For its relative size, the venture capital industry has had an outsized impact on public consciousness about business life over the past few decades. Yet, most people don’t really know much about it.
By focusing on the people involved in the industry’s birth and growth, Sebastian Mallaby brings what could otherwise be a dry subject to life, creating a genuine page-turner. With everything happening in the news at the moment, it also gives you a fascinating insight into the incentives that many venture-back businesses operate under - the good and bad.