The Rethinking Work Show

How do you keep evolving when the world around you won’t stop changing? Marketing leader Lou Paskalis explores what it takes to reinvent your career, stay relevant through disruption, and embrace change before it’s forced upon you. Lou Paskalis is CEO and Founder of AJL Advisory, a consultancy focused on helping marketers to improve their business narrative and tech companies to better understand marketers and their needs. He also serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Ad Fontes Media a Public Benefit company that is dedicated to increasing advertisers’ investments to reach audiences in quality news journalism with a unique technology that allows them to measure, mitigate and monitor bias and reliability in a manner consistent with their values and principles. Paskalis sits on the advisory boards of Ebiquity, Nielsen and POSSIBLE, among others and is very active with the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in several key areas, including their ongoing efforts in supply path optimization. Previously, Paskalis was President and COO of MMA Global, a trade association focused on architecting the future of marketing. In that role, he was responsible for driving innovation and change across a broad portfolio of functional areas, initiatives and forward-looking activities centered on shaping the future of marketing. Prior to MMA, Paskalis spent three decades of client-side leadership experience, having led Global Communications Planning, Media Investment, Marketing Data Strategy and Brand Safety and Suitability at Bank of America; Media, Content and Mobile Marketing at American Express. He is well-known as an outspoken champion for marketing innovation, governance and the advancement of the art and science of marketing as well as a strong advocate for ad-supported journalism and marketers’ unique responsibility to support news organizations in their valiant efforts to uncover, disseminate and defend truth. He makes his home in Manhattan and is a lifelong F1 fan and enjoys international travel. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

As AI becomes more capable, what will make humans indispensable? Matt Lewis, founder and CEO of Transformental, explores why the future of work depends not just on smarter technology, but on strengthening human judgment, leadership, and the qualities that AI can't replicate. Matt Lewis is the Founder and CEO of Transformental, the first AI-enabled consultancy focused entirely on human-centered transformation. Over a career spanning neuroscience, data science, healthcare, and innovation, Matt has helped organizations navigate complex change while keeping people at the center of the equation. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

How do you find work that aligns with who you are, not just what you can do? William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, explores how understanding your strengths, behaviors, and motivations can lead to more fulfilling careers and more effective leadership in a rapidly changing world of work. William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, is a renowned speaker, author and expert on leadership, workplace culture and staffing issues. When William combined his ministry experience as a Senior Pastor with the best practices of executive search, he created a brand new industry: executive search for faith-based organizations. A firm believer in data, William has discovered trends and traits common to the best leaders through more than 3,000 executive searches and 30,000 interviews. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

Is career success measured by moving up or moving forward? Cliff Maxwell, co-founder and CEO of Vocation, explores the difference between career progression and career progress, why fulfillment matters as much as advancement, and how individuals can take greater ownership of designing meaningful careers in a rapidly changing world of work. Cliff Maxwell is the Co-founder and CEO of Vocation, an AI-powered career coaching platform for students and professionals to discover their next step. Prior to Vocation, Cliff spent several years investing in early-stage technology startups and was the Chief of Staff to the late Professor Clayton Christensen who developed the theory of 'disruptive innovation'. Cliff's career began as a CPU design engineer. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He resides in Salt Lake City where he is busy raising three boys. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What happens when you leave the career you've spent decades building? Julie Fedele, a Future of Work strategist and portfolio career mentor, explores why career transitions are as much about identity as opportunity, and how more professionals are moving beyond traditional employment to build a body of work that’s truly their own. Julie Fedele is a Future of Work strategist and portfolio career mentor based in Melbourne, Australia. A former C-suite leader and venture builder across Australian and European startups in HealthTech, ClimateTech, and Media, she works at the intersection of individual career transition and organisational workforce design. Julie helps women in mid-to-senior career stages move from the corporate model to what she calls the Hollywood Model: a shift from employee to talent, where you build a body of work, move between productions, and own your career narrative and income mix. Her methodology blends strategic business frameworks with diagnostic tools for energy and decision-making. She writes rawmaterials , a weekly newsletter on identity, income, and the real work of building something that's yours, and is currently writing Off Script, a book on the structural shift reshaping how we work. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

In a world overflowing with productivity tools and AI assistants, are we actually working better together? Toby Daniels, co-founder of ON_Discourse and Domain, explores why the future of work depends on better collaboration, stronger networks, and systems that help us think and not just work more effectively. Toby is the Co-Founder of ON_Discourse , a global network of technology, business and innovation leaders, investors and entrepreneurs and Co-Founder of the ( domain ), an AI collaboration platform that connects your work to your network. Domain is now available as a free public beta: ondomain.ai Prior to this, he was the Chief Innovation Officer at Adweek, the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem. Toby was also the Founder & Chair of Social Media Week, which Adweek acquired in January 2021. Prior to the acquisition, Social Media Week was owned and operated by Crowdcentric Media, which Toby led as CEO for over ten years. Before Crowdcentric, Daniels led business development in the US for Mint Digital and prior to that was the Managing Director of Online Creative Communications, a London based digital agency that he managed for 7 years. Toby is also an advisor to a number of companies including Adweek, Legends, a confidence-training program for elementary schoolers, building legendary kids in 5 minutes a day, and Simon Data, a SaaS marketing platform that helps clients deliver better customer experiences using data. He was also an advisor to BOND, which sold to Newell Brands in 2016. As a thought leader in media, marketing and technology, Toby has been featured in mainstream and trade media, including articles on CNN.com , The NY Times, The Next Web, Huffington Post, AdWeek, PSFK and Fast Company. He speaks regularly at conferences and has given talks at PdF Latin America in Chile, Social Media Brazil, The Co-Creation Conference, Phoenix and SXSW. In 2013, The Next Web named Toby as one of New York's 50 NYC Tech Entrepreneurs You Need to Know About. In 2014 Toby co-curated the book On! The Future of Now, with the proceeds going towards supporting clean water projects in the developing world. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

As AI transforms marketing and reshapes organizations, what skills and leadership qualities will matter most? Richard Sanderson, Partner at Spencer Stuart, explores how companies are rethinking talent, adapting team structures, and balancing automation with human judgment. Richard Sanderson is a Chicago‑based Partner and Consultant at Spencer Stuart, where he advises CEOs, boards, and people leaders on recruiting and retaining transformational marketing, customer, and growth executives. His work spans all industries, and he is retained to solve some of the most complex leadership mandates that require a nuanced understanding of modern marketing, product, and customer strategy. Over the years, Richard has shaped high‑impact executive searches ranging from Chief Marketing Officers to senior customer, brand, digital, growth and experience leaders across a range of Fortune 500 companies, middle-market private equity backed businesses, and early-stage category disruptors. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What if teams weren’t built around roles, but around problems? Britt Gage, founder and CEO of oAT (of All Trades), explores the shift from static org charts to dynamic teaming, where generalist operators execute, adapt, and connect across functions. As AI reshapes work, Britt argues the future belongs to flexible, problem-centered teams, and to organizations designed to move as fast as the challenges they face. Britt Gage is the founder and CEO of oAT (of All Trades), a company reimagining how teams are built in the age of AI. Drawing on 15+ years in early-stage startup operations across talent, growth and people functions, Britt launched oAT to offer organizations an alternative to rigid, specialist-driven hiring models. of All Trades (oAT) is built around a different kind of operator, embedded generalists who flex around problems rather than job descriptions. Over the past five years, oAT has grown from a solo practice to serving 50+ organizations from startups to nonprofits. At the core of their work is a proprietary Dynamic Teaming methodology, where teams form around problems and disband when problems change, where skills matter more than titles, and where generalists become the essential connective tissue holding it all together. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

In a world where skills expire faster than ever, how do you stay relevant? Veronika Kryuchkova explores the idea of the “capability stack", a dynamic mix of core, human, and future skills, and why thriving in today’s workplace requires continuous reinvention, high agency, and the ability to learn, unlearn, and evolve faster than the market. Veronika Kryuchkova is the Global Head of Capability Building for the Reckitt Marketing Academy, where she leads initiatives to equip teams with the skills and mindsets needed to drive transformation at scale. The Academy reaches 90% of Reckitt’s marketers across 59 countries and has been recognized externally with the prestigious Learning Technologies Award for its impact. Her work focuses on how individuals and organizations build the capabilities required to adapt in a rapidly changing world, with a particular emphasis on continuous learning, reinvention, and high-agency performance. Beyond her corporate role, Veronika hosts the podcast Get Superpowered , where she explores the human side of transformation, including creativity, connection, and courage. Through her work, she champions the idea that thriving in the future of work requires not just new skills, but a new approach to growth—one rooted in curiosity, adaptability, and intentional development. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What if we stopped paying for time and started paying for outcomes? Matt Seiler, founder and CEO of Excelerators Inc ., explores why traditional compensation models are breaking down in an AI-driven world, and how performance-based pay, better incentives, and a renewed focus on human value can reshape how we work, measure success, and reward impact. Matt Seiler is the founder and CEO of Excelerators Inc., a company focused on helping organizations rethink talent, incentives, and performance in an AI-driven world. A three-time CEO in the advertising and media industry, Matt has spent more than two decades leading and transforming companies, and the last seven to eight years reimagining what effective talent management looks like today. He has played a key role in building and scaling tech-enabled marketplaces that connect people to work they are most energized to do and organizations to the talent best suited to deliver results. With Excelerators Inc., Matt is expanding that vision beyond individuals to help companies redesign how they structure teams, measure value, and reward performance. Known for his focus on performance-based compensation and the intersection of technology and human potential, Matt brings a practical and forward-looking perspective to the future of work. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

As AI accelerates and traditional corporate structures strain under pressure, what does leadership look like in the next era of work? Justin Billingsley, co-founder of Simbioniq and former Global CMO of Publicis Groupe, explores why the age of heroic managers is giving way to orchestrators who design systems that think, adapt, and coordinate at scale. Justin Billingsley is Co-Founder of Simbioniq, an AI company creating psychologically complete digital humans for marketing research, and author of "Brandflow: The Marketing Orchestration Playbook." As former Chief Marketing Officer of Publicis Groupe, including seven years on the Management Committee, Justin led marketing transformation for one of the world's largest advertising holding companies. His earlier client-side experience includes leadership roles at Coca-Cola, Nokia, Orange, and Unilever. Justin writes Brandflow, a twice-weekly strategic newsletter for senior marketing leaders navigating what he calls "The Great Compression” or the simultaneous forces of budget decline, platform disintermediation, AI automation, and margin compression reshaping the industry. His work focuses on sustainable transformation practices, moving from "sidelines to arena," and building competitive advantage through systematic orchestration rather than heroic coordination. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

Are we preparing students for the world of work or a world that no longer exists? Authors Alexandra Levit and Stephanie Loeck explore how work-based learning can close the gap between education and employment, and why real-world experience, not just classroom instruction, may be the key to building adaptable, future-ready talent. Purchase and learn more about their book Make School Work here: https://makeschoolwork.org/ Alexandra Levit is the founder and CEO of Inspiration at Work, a futurist consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations and their employees thrive in a rapidly evolving business landscape. A former nationally syndicated columnist for The Wall Street Journal , Alexandra is the bestselling author of They Don’t Teach Corporate in College , Humanity Works , and Make School Work , which addresses the American youth employment crisis through work-based learning. She holds a certificate in strategic foresight from the University of Houston and advises leading organizations including Deloitte, American Express, Adecco, and Upwork on leadership, workforce transformation, technology adoption, and skills development. Alexandra has collaborated extensively with U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Labor and Department of Defense, and her work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times , Forbes , CNN, and NPR. Recognized by Thinkers50 and the American Management Association, she lives in Chicago. Stephanie Loeck is Vice President of Strategic Development at GPS Education Partners, where she leads national growth initiatives advancing work-based learning and expanding career-connected opportunities for students. A passionate workforce and education advocate, Stephanie brings expertise across strategy, policy, communications, and economic development to help modernize the transition from school to work. At GPS Education Partners, she shapes long-term growth strategies, builds partnerships, and drives thought leadership around learner-centered program design. She played a key role in developing GPS Ed’s signature six-part work-based learning framework, which supports program implementation, continuous improvement, and sustainable impact. Previously, Stephanie served as Vice President of Partnerships at America Succeeds, engaging business leaders in education reform initiatives such as Durable Skills and Age of Agility. She has also worked in economic development and with technology startups. Based in Colorado, Stephanie serves on national advisory boards championing authentic, career-connected learning aligned with the future of work. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What if the future of careers isn’t about résumés or job titles but about fit? Avi Steinlauf and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, co-founders of myTrudy , explore how personality science and AI are reshaping career decisions, helping people move from static search to dynamic, human-centered reinvention in a rapidly changing world of work. Avi Steinlauf is the CEO and Co-Founder of myTrudy, a personality-driven career intelligence platform using validated psychometrics and AI to help individuals and organizations make better, fit-first career decisions. At myTrudy, Avi is building a new category at the intersection of human potential, data platforms, and the future of work. Prior to myTrudy, Avi spent more than two decades at Edmunds, where he served as CEO and led the company through its successful sale to CarMax. Under his leadership, Edmunds scaled into one of the internet’s most trusted consumer marketplaces, known for its data-driven products, industry transparency, and market influence. Avi holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and earned his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the chief science officer at Russell Reynolds Associates, a professor of business psychology at University College London and at Columbia University, a cofounder of MyTrudy.com, and an associate at Harvard’s Entrepreneurial Finance Lab. He is the author of Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (and How to Fix It) (Harvard Business Review Press, 2019), upon which his TED talk was based, and I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique , (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023). His latest book is Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead) (Harvard Business Review Press, 2025). EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

As AI reshapes the marketing landscape, what makes human talent more essential not less? Jeff Levick, CEO of We Are Rosie, shares why performance-based compensation, flexible teams, and the right culture are key to unlocking the full power of people in a tech-driven world. Jeff Levick is a 20+ year veteran leading media, marketing, and digital growth companies from early stage through IPO. Currently, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer at We Are Rosie, an agency that’s imagining and building a better future for the advertising industry with fractional talent and teams as well as a community-based approach. Prior to joining We Are Rosie in 2023, Levick was the COO of Redesign Health, a venture studio firm focused on the health and wellness vertical. Before that, he was the CEO of The Players’ Tribune, a new media company founded by Derek Jeter that provides athletes with a platform to connect directly with their fans, in their own words. Jeff led the company’s acquisition by Minute Media in December 2019. Jeff served as Spotify’s Chief Revenue Officer from 2011 to 2016, leading the company’s commercial business and its global acceleration from 1mm subscribers to more than 40+mm subscribers. He also grew Spotify’s physical footprint from 11 countries to over 60 markets worldwide. Prior to Spotify, Jeff served as President of Global Advertising and Strategy at AOL from 2009 – 2011 where he was responsible for the overall revenue business including premium display, Advertising.com, research, marketing, ADTECH, and branded entertainment. Before AOL, Levick held various global leadership roles at Google in the US and Europe from 2001 to 2009 where he was also an original member of its advertising team. A frequent lecturer on topics related to media, marketing and digital trends, Levick is also an Executive Director at NYU’s Entrepreneurial Institute. He holds a B.A. from New York University and a law degree from DePaul University in Chicago. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

How do we bring dignity, flexibility, and innovation to the millions of hourly workers who keep our world running? Jarah Euston, President and Co-founder of WorkWhile, shares how behavioral data and community-driven design can reshape frontline work and why the future of labor starts on the warehouse floor. Jarah Euston is the President and Co-founder of WorkWhile, a workforce-as-a-service platform. Previously, she co-founded the DataOps platform Nexla and was founder and CEO at Famous Media, a pioneer in hyperlocal content acquired by McClatchy. She also led the analytics and marketing teams at Flurry, an innovator in mobile app analytics acquired by Yahoo, where she was VP of Product. Jarah was formerly a consultant at Boston Consulting Group and started her career in hourly work as a retail associate. She is a member of EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women. Jarah holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BS from New York University. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

How can small teams now match, and even outperform, the output of much larger organizations? The team at Fourth Wall Advisors shares how AI-driven workflows, intentional design, and diverse, non-overlapping expertise are reshaping how work gets done. From reducing friction to unlocking deeper creativity and faster iteration, they explore why the future of high performance belongs to small teams built for curiosity, adaptability, and human connection. Joseph Thumpasery is the Managing Partner of Fourth Wall Advisors . He brings over 15 years of experience on Wall Street, with the last 10 spent running 9-figure portfolios for macro hedge funds. Most of Mr. Thumpasery's buy side career was spent as a Portfolio Manager at Bluecrest Capital, which was arguably the top macro hedge fund in the world while he was there, posting returns ranging from 20% to 153%. He has never hit his 5% "stop-loss" during the course of a trading year and has never finished the year down money, in over 10 years of money management. The strategy currently deployed at Fourth Wall Advisors LLC was researched and run by Mr. Thumpasery at multiple hedge funds. Samantha Rhoads is the Head Data Scientist of Fourth Wall Advisors. Passionate about studying human behavior, she began her journey as a quantitative social scientist during her joint Bachelor’s/Master’s program at Columbia University, before moving into the people analytics sphere. After 7 years spearheading diversity analytics, machine learning, and automation projects at a NYC law firm, she's now leveraging her experience in a new domain of human behavior: finance. Samantha has a keen interest in mixed methods: supplementing the quantitative with the qualitative, which is one of Fourth Wall's key tenets. Anika Harode is a Financial Analyst at Fourth Wall Advisors, where she contributes to investment research and portfolio strategy. She studied Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Virginia, bringing a quantitative foundation and a deep interest in applying data-driven methods to financial markets. Prior to Fourth Wall, Anika worked as a machine learning researcher at the University of Virginia. She has worked on projects analyzing and decomposing long-term, value-oriented investment strategies. Anika is a driven self-starter and contributes heavily to the research library at Fourth Wall. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What if where people live became a core part of how they work? Gary Brown, president and co-founder of Furnished Quarters, shares how workforce mobility is changing in a hybrid world, and why companies are shifting from hotels to flexible housing, what employees need to thrive on remote assignments, and how thoughtful living solutions can strengthen culture, retention, and performance. As Co-Founder and President of Furnished Quarters, Gary manages the sales and financial efforts to ensure the company achieves sustained growth. Before co-founding Furnished Quarters, Gary worked as a certified public accountant and attorney in New York and Connecticut. With a sharp sense of where the real estate industry was heading—and inspired by the Brown family’s long-standing family business in furniture sales—Gary, alongside brother Steve Brown, identified an untapped need for high-quality furnished accommodations in New York City. In 1998, the brothers founded Furnished Quarters to serve that need. Starting with a handful of furnished apartments in a New York City brownstone, the venture saw immediate success, with high demand leading to continued growth for over 25 years. Gary has spent most of his career developing and investing in Manhattan real estate and continually identifies key trends and opportunities within the alternative accommodations space. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What if companies could access top creative and marketing talent as easily as opening an app? Lara Vandenberg, founder and CEO of Publicist, shares how she built a platform that connects global brands with premium freelance talent, and why the future of work depends on flexible, trusted systems that empower both companies and creators. Lara Vandenberg is the founder and CEO of Publicist , a freelance management system and premium talent marketplace redefining how global enterprises access and manage marketing talent. With thousands of pre-vetted professionals spanning communications, creative, media, content, and production, Publicist enables companies to build and scale flexible, high-performing teams through one trusted platform. Before launching Publicist, Lara worked across brand strategy, communications, and technology, where she saw firsthand the growing gap between how companies hire and how top talent wants to work. She founded Publicist to bridge that divide—creating a solution that brings efficiency, transparency, and opportunity to the freelance economy. Recognized as a next-generation leader in the future of work and marketing innovation, Lara continues to champion a more flexible and inclusive workforce model, helping companies and creators thrive in the modern economy. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What if the corporate job is no longer the default path to a meaningful career? Alex McCann, founder of TrueNorth, explains why so many young professionals feel lost at work, how Gen Z is redefining success, and why the future may belong to those who start with self-discovery instead of job titles. Alex McCann is a writer, community builder, and founder of TrueNorth , an AI-powered career coach designed to help people build meaningful careers by starting with self-discovery, not job titles. Through TrueNorth, his MidWeek events in London, and his newsletter Still Wandering , Alex helps people in their 20s and 30s navigate uncertainty, question outdated career narratives, and define success on their own terms. His work is grounded in a simple belief: you can’t build a fulfilling career until you understand what meaning means to you. Alex now focuses on giving Gen Z and Millennials the tools, language, and community to design lives and work they can truly stand behind. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.

What if culture was the key to competitive advantage? Alastair Creamer and Doug Milliken, co-founders of Creamer Milliken, share why accelerating culture change is essential for growth, how leaders can make transformation stick, and why the companies that thrive tomorrow will be the ones that reinvent from the inside out. Alastair Creamer is a cultural change consultant and co-founder of Creamer Milliken. He began his career at Unilever, where he created Catalyst , an award-winning program that ran for seven years and transformed creativity across the company’s UK operations. Since then, Alastair has worked with leaders, teams, and organizations worldwide, helping them unlock creativity and accelerate meaningful cultural change. In 2012, he co-founded Eyes Wide Opened , a coaching program supporting people at professional crossroads—from quarter-life crises to later-life reinventions—guiding them toward clarity and personal purpose. His work continues to focus on enabling individuals and organizations to adapt to change with confidence and creativity. A lifelong creative, Alastair is also a musician, writer, and artist. In 2023, he published a book of prose-poems about his relationship with his son, Ollie. Today, he finds inspiration in the arts and in gardening, which he calls one of his most creative pursuits. Doug Milliken is a co-founder of Creamer Milliken and a seasoned transformation leader with over 35 years at The Clorox Company. During his career, he led marketing, innovation, and cultural transformation initiatives across the global organization. Most recently, Doug spearheaded Clorox’s Digital Transformation , shifting from mass marketing to personalized, data-driven approaches that generated over $50 million in incremental profit. He previously created the company’s brand-building process and redefined strategy, insights, consumer experience, and media across multiple teams worldwide. Doug is the only employee in Clorox’s history to win the CEO Award for Outstanding Leadership twice. He also co-led the company’s enterprise-wide “Growth Culture” initiative, designed to help 8,000 employees act simpler, faster, and bolder . With an MBA from Kellogg, Doug has also served as an adjunct professor at INSEAD. He lives in Northern California, where he enjoys music, hiking, biking, and restoring his property after the 2017 wildfires. EPISODE CREDITS Produced, edited and mixed by Ria Tobaccowala Artwork designed by Ben Damiano Additional music licensed through Premium Beats LINKS Explore more about the new frontiers of work at Rethinkingwork.io For more actionable insights that inspire subscribe to Rishad Tobaccowala's free weekly substack: The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past. This show is also available on YouTube which includes visual supplements. Rishad's Book Rethinking Work is available in print and audio. Click here for where to buy.