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Stephanie Liu Hey, what's up everyone?
It's Stephanie Liu and welcome to a new episode of Lights Camera Live.
And listen, listen, listen, listen…
You know, it's going to be an amazing show, because I've got Mr. Tim Salau, Mr. Future of Work, and we're going to talk about the things that are going to be changing within the next year - the next five years - the next 10 years.
So seriously, if you're thinking of building a business or if you have a business now, how are you going to prepare for the new era that's coming - as far as it goes in terms of automation and artificial intelligence?
So having said that, let me go ahead and quickly introduce you to my guest. Go ahead and say, what's up! Tim?
Tim Salau What’s up everyone?
Stephanie Liu Yay!
All right, you guys. So let me go ahead and give you a quick introduction of the amazing, the wonderful - Tim Salau.
Which, PS, by the way -
When I first met you at Global Marketing Day, Goldie and I (yes, Goldie Chan and I) - We were hanging out like in the green room, you know how it is - we're all messing around and stuff. And then, all of a sudden you came on. We all just stopped and we're like, what's Tim saying? What?
And you started about pie and then there was food funnel, and it was like - game over. I was like, okay, who is this guy?
We got to meet. We got to talk. And then Dennis, he was all over. I was like, excuse me, Dennis, can you please move?
Good times. Good times.
All right, everyone.If you're just tuning in, I'm Stephanie Liu. I'm here in San Diego.
Tim, you are in?
Tim Salau I’m in Oakland.
Stephanie Liu Okay, cool. So let me go ahead and introduce you real quick. You guys, it’s Tim.
Tim, you're gonna be on the screens. I hope you don't mind.
Tim Salau All right.
Stephanie Liu So Tim Salau’s life purpose is to strengthen the bonds people share through empathic and compassionate action. He's the CEO and co-founder of Guide, the life skills training app - reimagining high school education by helping students learn essential life skills from their favorite creators. I can't wait to learn more about that.
Hey, Mandy. So good to see you! Mike Allton, you're here as well. You guys, Tim Salau championed in inclusive innovation and led product development at Top Fortune 500 and hyper growth companies. Like what? Like Google?
Okay, Microsoft, Facebook, and Wework. I was just there yesterday.
All before the age of 25? Who are you? Are you Superman? What's going on here?
And, he travels the world speaking with organizations, executives and government leaders-
Government leaders, man? About the future of work?
You guys, this is going to be an amazing show because he is an absolute total rockstar - you could already tell. Plus, he's got that Oakland vibe - West Coast in the house. Let's go ahead and do this!
What up, Tim?
Tim Salau Hey, Stephanie. Thank you so much for having me on the show. You're amazing.
Stephanie Liu Oh my gosh. It is so much fun to actually catch you because you've just been traveling all over the world. Where did you just come back from?
Tim Salau So, actually I just came back from Oman, which is right in the Middle East - On the border of the Middle East, actually.
Stephanie Liu How was it?
Tim Salau It was amazing.
I was there talking with potential business partners and investors for our company. And I love that they are on it. No one's ever been to Oman. It is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. You would love it.
Stephanie Liu How did they find you? Was it more like you already had business contacts there, a family there - because I saw the ones you were like, this is family. I saw you eating dinner. I don't know.
I always pay attention to food cuz you're like - this is how they eat. This is what they do.
Tim Salau On Instagram.
I actually have business contacts there already. And so, I was revisiting, following up on a few and just kind of actually enjoying my time there. I call that ‘bleisure’ trip, which mixes business with leisure.
Stephanie Liu I've never heard that before. ‘Bleisure’?
Tim Salau Yeah, ‘bleisure.’
Stephanie Liu Okay. Okay. I love it. I love it. Alright, cool.
So, if you guys are just here, you're tuning in...
We're talking to Mr. Tim - Mr. Future Of Work the CEO of Guide. And, this is one of those conversations, everyone, where it took me a while to really prepare for this show.
Because, when you hear Tim Salau speak, everyone listens. And, you have to be prepared, because you don't just want to be like - Oh, hi!
Like, you got to know like be on his level. When he's talking to Google and Microsoft, I was like - What is the future of work?
And, I found myself going down this rabbit hole of looking at like my consumer behavior and how it's shifted, how I rely a lot on technology, how I have certain expectations when doing transactions with business, right?
And, because I'm in the Social Media Marketing World, I stay updated on technology. I know what to expect.
And for small mom-and-pop businesses, how's this going to impact them?
So, this is going to be a really fun show. I'm going to be grilling him and I'm going to be inspired by him. So, don't mind me if I'm in the background, taking down notes.
All right. So, Tim, what is changing in the future of work?
Tim Salau You know, Stephanie? That's a great question. It's a broad question. And, to give it some focus, I believe what we're really seeing in the workforce is that there is a new generation of -
You can even regard them as consumers.
But really, I like to treat them as workers, who are coming to work. And they are more intentional about who they work for. And, they actually prioritize choice and freedom, and flexibility over stability. Right?
They are rocking in a work environment that gives them options - or is focused on their growth versus staying. We want you to stay in this role for three years, and then we'll upgrade you to a senior level role or eventually a VP by 10 years, right?
But, the information is so accessible today. So, I think that's one of the biggest indicators.
When you look outside of the lens of organizations, you think about personal branding, and the freelance economy, right, Stephanie?
And the fact that to a degree, we all have to become more entrepreneurial. Now, I think that's also something that we're seeing changing the future of work. Whether you're an entrepreneur or you’re a full time, salaried worker - you have to have a side hustle or a hobby, because just relying on one source of income is actually no longer...
Stephanie Liu Yeah, you know, it's so true, because I do have friends that have their full time jobs, but they are still hustling in the background. They're trying to create their own passive income. They're launching planners, they're doing their own events - their own workshops. And, it's always interesting because I feel like when I listen to them, they talk about work, they're limited with options. For some reason, their bosses just want to keep them in this box. But, they're creative, they're passionate, and they're multi-passionate.
And so, they're creating these creative outlets to go ahead and make that happen. And when they realize - okay, I could actually make money off of this, I could build a career off this by actually doing the stuff that I love. Then they're all for it.
And, it's everything that you're saying about how people want more flexibility. That became even more apparent to me when I found out that I was pregnant. Because I was working at the agency 50 to 60 hours a week. That's crazy.
And then, to bring in like a new human being into the world and only see her a couple of hours, I was like, No, I am the creator of my destiny. I'm gonna create something new.
Tim Salau That's a great mindset. And, that's exactly why I said that I think a lot of people are now having thoughts about work is the fact that I don't want to feel this about the choose between my newborn child and slaving for an organization for 50 - 60 hours.
I don't think I need to do that. You don't. You have so many options to work from home. And skilled people like you, Stephanie, who can start businesses right from the comfort of their own feet.
Entrepreneurs. That's the generation we're living in and you're like a perfect template of that, Stephanie.
Stephanie Liu Love it. Love it. All right. So how do you see careers changing in the future?
Tim Salau Oh, my goodness.
What do I think about careers, right?
No one leaves a job because they were happy. There's two pieces why people will leave jobs. People leave jobs, because they're seeking work, and people leave jobs because they have really, really bad managers.
Over 70% of people, actually -
It's been shown, the data has shown this, that 70% of people leave jobs because of the direct impact of their manager. The manager is actually not paying attention to them, helping them with their growth plan - whatever it is, right?
So when you think about that, you think about the importance of leadership, and you think about a career more broadly.
People are going to have shorter -
They're going to have longer career horizons, and we're going to have people who have probably 20 to 26 roles. Within just like the horizon of their career, so there's a lot more fluidity when it comes to career. The average worker right now is actually staying in a role for about three years.
Stephanie Liu Okay. See, I knew that. I knew that because I remember. This is crazy, too, because back in the day when I was at the agency, and I sat down with the CEO. She's like, so how long are you planning to stay at the agency?
And I totally get it because, you know, they're going to invest in you. They're going to build you, develop you - all that stuff. And I was like, well, on average, an agency person usually stays at an agency for about two to three years - depending on what the workload is like.
If you are investing in the employee, if you're giving them what they're looking for, as far as values -
Most conflicts that arise in work is usually because there's an underlying need that's not being met. And sometimes, it's just value and recognition. So I love that you bring that up, because now having my own business I always think about like all the interns that I hire, right? Because they stay on for like three years and they graduate. It's like, okay.
Tim Salau Yeah, they're ready. They're ready to leave, but at least they have a supportive manager and that’s you, Stephanie.
Stephanie Liu I try. I try. I think I've had like a couple. I mean, we've all had that one bad manager, right?
Where you've been -
Now I know how not to act, right?
How not to be because you know, there were times where I'm like, I came home from work. I'm like, man, that was like, why? And you expect me to come back to work tomorrow, right? You know, that’s not okay.
So then with everything in terms of full time employees - all that stuff - we've been talking about that.
What about entrepreneurs? How do you think the future of work is going to be impacting entrepreneurs?
Tim Salau Oh my goodness. I think it's gonna be an entrepreneur's paradise. I think because we'll have more opportunities. You know, start our own jobs or lead our lives, or choose our destiny. I actually see more gig platforms such as Upwork, or even platforms like LinkedIn make it easy for entrepreneurs to do business with each other. And, I'll give you a great example of this.
Right now, by 2025. It's predicted that a majority, over 50% of people are going to be freelancers, right? You're going to have to actually need a kind of infrastructure, or platforms that really allow it to be easy for inter/intra entrepreneurs and freelancers to find good work. Now, Upwork is a good platform.
But when we think about LinkedIn, then we think about TaskRabbit, and we think about Uber, this actually needs to be a more kind of direct listing of Remote Jobs.
And there's a lot of companies, such as a company called Remotely, who are offering remote positions for freelancers as well as anyone that wants to have their entrepreneurial hobby, and do other jobs on the side.
So you’ve actually seen a rise of different platforms make themselves available just for people who want to be entrepreneurial, but don't necessarily want to be like full-time on-site in a big corporate job.
So I think, entrepreneurs, one from that angle are gonna have more options. But then, think about the venture ecosystem. For those of you who are entrepreneurs, right now, you're trying to raise capital. You're starting to see more attention being paid to entrepreneurs, who may come from corporate jobs and may not have time on the weekends to build their business.
You're actually starting to see funds dedicated to those types of entrepreneurs, because they're freelancing, essentially, right? They have that hobby they're building, but at the same time, they're full-time workers. So now, even the venture capitalist ecosystem is thinking about how can we make the future of work or make it easy for entrepreneurs to scale their business, even if they have full time roles.
So you could actually see a lot of different industries and different parties actually paying more attention to the plight of entrepreneurs in the future of work.
Stephanie Liu That’s so Interesting, like you know, I remember when I was leaving the agency world to start my own thing. I didn't have to worry about anything, like health insurance and benefits, right? Because my husband had had that.
But what about those entrepreneurs who are doing the side hustle? Like, how is it being short-sighted, just only thinking about the gig economy and not thinking about - like healthcare?
Tim Salau You know, it's not short-sighted at all. And one thing that I can propose is that there are actually companies who are working on this right now. And one that comes to mind, because I've been tracking them, it's called Catch.
Stephanie Liu Catch? Like C-A-T-C-H?
Tim Salau Yes, perfect, okay.
They actually positioned themselves as the safety net for the freelance economy for the future of work. And essentially, they offer portable benefits for freelancers and entrepreneurs who may not be working in full time roles, because they don't necessarily have the reliance or the advantage that a corporate job gives them - benefits of healthcare - all of that.
So Catch has actually built a product for their behalf - where they can track how much they have to allocate for taxes. And they can also choose - maybe a health care provider or an insurance provider.
So, you see, catch is one of those companies that are really working on this, but they do have some competitors - most popular ones. So there are actually companies right now who are really invested in solving this problem for entrepreneurs.
And you know, for me, I actually use Catch. Right now, I'm building a company. So you know, I highly recommend them for those of you who are interested in finding out more about them.
Stephanie Liu Very cool, very cool.
Shoutout to Mike, who you absolutely caught his attention. He said by 2025, over 50% of the workforce will be freelance.
Tim Salau Yeah. Wow. Right. Like it's crazy. It's crazy.
Stephanie Liu And do you think that really stems from the fact that it's because workers - they want more flexibility, more better pay or their -
Just again, it's just like that - Maslow's hierarchy of needs. They just don't have those needs being met. We're both psychology geeks, by the way.
Tim Salau We are. We are. We gotta let the people know, let the people know, you know. I think that it's this desire for more flexibility to actualize your potential, right?
Because we all have this yearn to create, as well as to feel as if we're a part of something bigger than ourselves. But also on another perspective. Stephanie, to your point is technology. Right?
The internet has made it accessible for us to connect like this. Right, Stephanie? But it also has made it so accessible for us to start a business within our right. Or I can have an e-commerce store up in a Squarespace website, you know. Like, I could do everything possible. I could design an app, right within an hour.
We have all of these applications now that have made it easy for entrepreneurs to build businesses and actually for free, right? On-demand.
So when you think about that type of generation - this type of era that we're living in - when everything is so accessible and so on demand, starting a business, there's no friction to it anymore. It's easy for anyone to be an entrepreneur. What's hard is executing as an entrepreneur now for the long run, right?
Stephanie Liu I just got goosebumps. By the way, I think you should have a sticker that says “Frictionless Business” or something like that. I was like -
Because now, you could have your own merch store, Mr. Future Of Work: Frictionless Business.
We're brainstorming while we're doing the show at the same time. You gotta love it. You gotta love it.
So Mandy just joined us. And she said, I used to be that 9 to 5 office worker and I loved it. But, I can't imagine going back to that.
Yeah, I think it's hard for a lot of us. Applause everyone gets that - applause applause applause applause! Love it.
So then, let's go back to the fact of why is it important to have a personal brand?
Tim Salau Oh, my goodness, Stephanie. You know this more than anyone, and I'm sure some of our viewers are feeling this, too.
When you have a personal brand, that allows you to set yourself apart from those who don't understand the value proposition, right? Like, when you have a personal brand -
You don’t have personal brand - just a showboat, right?
I think it's often assumed that people start branding themselves because they just want to brag, but really, for me and Stephanie, and I'm sure for some of our viewers, it’s so that they can showcase their value and communicate their worth.
And it's so important now in this generation, that we have people building personal brands, especially because it's really, really hard to get a job just by directly submitting a resume. Right?
So, you have to think about ways to differentiate yourself and showcase why and how you kind of create impact within an organization, or if you're not trying to go to the full-time route for your client. Why should your clients like you? Why are you the expert in your niche? Right?
For you, Stephanie, right? That is live, you know, live video. Like you are the queen of that. When I think of livestream, I think of Stephanie Liu.
Stephanie Liu See? Facebook Live Hype Queen. Thank you.
Tim Salau I know. People often tell me they think of me when they think of the future of work, right? And, it's because I was talking about it so much. And I was educating, you know, my community around it.
I've been actively in this space for so long now as a practitioner, as a thought leader, and that's why we have personal brands to say, this is our value proposition. And this is why you should work with this.
Stephanie Liu What do you think the best way is right now to go ahead and build your personal brand? I'm so curious to hear your thoughts on this.
Tim Salau You know, there's a variety of ways to do it. I think you can’t be scared to be visible anymore, even though there are some people who are introverts. I understand and I can empathize with them because to a degree, I'm an ambivert - you know.
I've flipped the spectrum from introvert to extrovert, but you can't be afraid to be visible anymore, especially online, because literally, being online and building your personal brand is easy, right? Whether it be on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram.
Stephanie Liu Tiktok? Who’s on Tiktok? What?
Tim Salau Stephanie, you’re on Tiktok. You and I are on Tiktok.
We're having fun and we're sharing our value. You can't be afraid to be online and to a degree, you have to start investing in content creation, right? I've been telling people this for the last few years now, right?
If you want to get a job in the next 10 years, you're going to need a content strategy. If you're gonna win a client in the next 10 years, you're gonna need a content strategy.
Stephanie Liu Yes. Come on, I got a 4k camera. You can see the goosebumps, can't you?
Okay, so as you were saying that, I think about my good friend Mike Allton. He has created like, this content pyramid of like - Stephanie, if you want to be the queen of Facebook Live, then you gotta create all these pieces of content -
He keeps pushing me, and so, I ended up actually hiring a VA to take all of my live videos, turn it into blog content - she's absolutely amazing.
And then, just this month alone, I pushed out like five blog articles, which is like, bananas! Right?
I was like, Oh my gosh. I was channeling my inner Goldie Chan and all her forts.
But it was amazing, and it was so good.
But, I also want to give out another shoutout to Mandy, who's tuning in. And this is a long one. So she says:
I hit the glass ceiling in my office job. And I love branding myself and not having a glass ceiling in to pick to play.
Tim Salau Yes, yes, yes. Go, Mandy!
Stephanie Liu Go! Good, good. Good.
So if you guys are loving this conversation -
If you're the type of person who's just like sitting in the office right now - You're like, Oh, my gosh, what do I have to do to build my personal brand?
Tim and I were talking about that. Right now, whether it's blogging, whether it's jumping in front of the camera, whether it's hopping on someone else's show, you know -
Just the fact that Tim even knew that I existed. I was like - Oh my gosh, he’s gonna come over to the show.
Tim Salau You mentioned a really great point. It is partnering with other collaborators in your same space, or even in a tangential space that you can collaborate with.
I think the future that we're building - we think about technology long term. You need to have an open ecosystem with people that you can partner with, that you can trust.
Right now, we have like, gig workers, but I actually think long term. We're going to have what I consider gig communities, right? Like so, freelance communities, similar to what you have in a coworking space - but online, right?
It’s where we can share what we're working on - like projects and this is, like, really future board, but we're moving towards that type of future.
When you have ecosystems in which everyone can participate, share their skills and work together, that's how you create abundance. And that's actually how you create a more sustainable economy as well.
Stephanie Liu Oh, interesting. Have you heard of that? There's like this one company now, where you could be like -
If you love to travel, you're a freelancer and you're an entrepreneur, you could actually travel with other entrepreneurs and live in these houses. Kind of like a mastermind. You go to these different things.
And I was like, well, I can't do that with my family now. But, if I was a younger entrepreneur, like, I would totally dip into that. I think that's so so, so, so interesting.
Tim Salau Yeah, it's true. It's true. And, I wish I could have done that. We are still young, Stephanie. It’s never too late.
Stephanie Liu That is very true. Shout out to Mike Allton, who's saying that he's all about collaboration as well.
You know, it's one of those things where, you know, if you have a platform -
People know me, like forever live video. But for me, I'm also thinking about how do I leave a lasting legacy. It's so important for me to talk to people like you - to just to start thinking about that, you know.
So many of us are thinking about what we're trying to do for our business, especially in 2020. We're only thinking about like, what do we have to do today? And tomorrow?
Like, that's as far as like our timeline goes - when we should really start thinking about planting the seeds now for that legacy that you're going to build. Right?
So, again, when I saw you at Global Marketing Day in San Francisco, I was like, Shhhh! Tim is talking. Stop talking. Stop talking. Go over there. Go over there.
All right. So now, let's talk about which industries are going to be impacted by the future of work.
Like who should be like, Hey, what's up! Heads up, this is going to be changing. These are some things that you're just going to have to start adjusting towards or, or learning new skills.
Tim Salau Yeah, you know, one of the biggest industries is traditional finance, right? And, they are being hit from all kinds of angles.
I love this question, Stephanie, because I think it's a really powerful question. And finance is currently in this role, where because of the emergence of digital currency and mobile wallets, some finance companies need to completely rethink their business models.
And at the same time, the people that come to work in financial services companies, such as JP Morgan or Chase, right? It's really the traditional cookie-cutter student type of people. And some of them have left those types of environments because it's not conducive to the generation that we're in, right?
If you come to Silicon Valley where I stay, like, people go to work in tshirts, flip-flops sometimes, and jeans, right? And now, you're seeing in financial services companies where the next generation of talent, they actually have to bend to their will. They have to actually say how we can design an employee experience that serves you - someone that's highly entrepreneurial. But, it's bringing so much energy and creativity, and maybe, new ways of thinking to our workforce. Also on the, you know, the former end, even like the people who are getting work done in their workforce, like they are yearning for that same type of atmosphere where things are a little bit more relaxed, versus pure, bureaucratic...
And, you've actually seen some companies, like JP Morgan, and Chase, and Goldman Sachs -
Goldman Sachs, kind of, start changing how they're positioning their culture to be more flexible and more welcoming. So finances, I think, is the number one industry that's been affected by some kind of a change in behavior in the future of work.
Stephanie Liu Oh, that's interesting. Okay, so here's a shout out to Fiona. Fiona, your comment is long, but I still want to show it on the screen that says -
She's from Australia. She says:
I've run sessions for teens, and they're called Generation Social in the past. But, the gig economy is a big change for many of us in Australia. They're used to set hourly rates, set hours, paid leave, etc. And so, it scares them.
Oh, that's interesting. That's interesting.
You know, I'm like, what's your -
I'm gonna tell you about my business and the seasonality of it. So, when people are asking me like, Hey Stephanie, can you do this and do that?
You know what, like the first three months, in my business, it's conference season. So I'm putting together, like presentations and slides. I'm traveling - all that stuff. And then, there's a certain time during the summer, where it's like, I always go to Comic Con, right? I cosplay as a stormtrooper - that’s what I do. I love Star Wars, and like, nothing else about it, right?
And then September, that's our anniversary - with my husband. And so, that's blocked out. And then the holidays, I really don't like to work in the holidays. And some people, they get really surprised by that.
Or they're like, what? You completely shut down during the holidays? I was like: yeah, you know, it's just - I've been working so hard. I have that freedom and that flexibility. And I built my business that way.
And so, when people hear that they're like, I have never even thought about that.
I was just thinking outside of the box. I'd love to know like, what's your 2020 going to look like? Like your high season and your low season.
Tim Salau You know what? You know every quarter is a high - even this, right?
I'm often asked to come on amazing livestreams, such as yours, where I can speak about the work that I'm doing. But by speaking, that's like my go-to in terms of revenue, you know. It's always consistent throughout the year, due to the fact that there's always people who are looking for thought leaders to educate them on this future.
So, season is like my primary go-to, but then, from like an aspect when -
Right now, I'm working on a book. I'm dropping a book and I'm really being intentional about you know, when I want to drop this book. Often, I'm thinking like, I probably would have shared this book when it's around Christmas time or you know, as we go into fall, just so it can act as another revenue stream, but also, it's gonna be my first book, right?
In which, I really like delivering something to my audience, so you know, with things such as the products. Delivering, I think I'm more intentional about what season I want to share it, right?
Obviously with a book, you have to take time to write it and make sure it's writing. You have to go market it, you know. That it's polished the way you want it to be.
But for speaking, you know, it's pretty consistent. I usually don't have any problems. So, it’s up and down in terms of seasonality, for that.
Stephanie Liu
That's cool. Yeah.
So, we've talked about, so far, different industries that are going to be impacted by the future of work. And I absolutely agree with you when it comes to finance because I still feel like, you know -
I don't know about you guys, but it's January 31. Everyone needs to send out their 1099s, and all that stuff. And, just pulling all of that and sending that over to the fax. Sometimes it's just like, I don't have a fax machine. Why do you want the fax number?
But actually, I mean, I heard that it's safer for faxing but I don't know -
I was just like, I didn't even have that in the house.
So now, let's talk about like, what are some skill sets people need to have to start preparing for this? Right?
Because like I said, I have nieces and nephews that are in high school. I've got a four-year-old who loves playing Roblox. So, she's learning different things of technology. But for those of us that are starting our business in the middle of our business, what are some other aspects that we should be aware of?
Tim Salau Yeah, I think, for the entrepreneur and business owners watching this right now, really start focusing on chiseling your creativity, really working on your adaptability, right?
Making sure that you're always looking out for new ways to reinvent your business or yourself. And lastly, continue working on your communication skills, right?
And, these are the essential life skills that I think any business owner, any entrepreneur, any worker needs to thrive in the future of work. And, you know, one of the things that my company, Guide, is really focused on doing is we're focused on equipping high school students with these lives - life.
And you can go to guideapp.co to learn more about our business, but we're really focused on, you know, ensuring that the next generation of workers are prepared to thrive in the future of work through life skills, education, creativity, adaptability, and effective communication. I think their skills will be driving the future of work.
Stephanie Liu Especially, I think, if you're going to be building an online business, and you're working with remote employees in different countries -
I remember when I first hired my first VA in the Philippines - and it was during the holidays. And what was cool about the VA company that I worked with, it was that they would enlighten me more about the Filipino culture.
Like, it's normal that way. It's normal during the holiday season that not only do you pay them for the work that they do, but it's kind of expected that they also get like a holiday bonus, you know, which I didn't think that VA would expect.
But so, it's really kind of interesting to see the different work cultures, and learning about them. And I think it's also helpful in the sense that if you are working with a VA - and I have worked with VAs in other different countries - the communication is huge. It's so important.
You know, it's so important because so many of us are used to like, the way that we talk is just via text message, right? And it's short. And it's very to the point without really building that rapport.
It's just - it's so different. It's so different, especially when I talk to employers and organizations in the US, and then, when I go to a vacation in Japan and see how they have like, more collaboration, more teamwork. Like they want to clarify things here just like they want to point fingers, right?
Tim Salau Different ways of working, different customs.
Stephanie Liu Yeah, that's all. It's so amazing to me, and I love that Precy is here because she's saying that I'm glad that you brought up improving our communication skills - because it is important.
If you're, you know, like my husband's upstairs and I could always hear when I walked by I hear the Slack going… duh duh duh duh.
Like, what is going on? Are you guys even talking?
Yeah. Like, okay, babe, I don't know what you guys are talking about.
So, if you guys have any questions about the future of work, especially like your business, your industry, because we've touched upon, entrepreneurs like myself, Precy and Mike.
We've talked about finance, which no one in here is in finance. But, I do have a good friend like Mitch Jackson, who has like the Legal Mastermind.
Let's talk about lawyers, like are there things that they need to be like, up-to-date, too, just to prepare themselves?
Tim Salau That's interesting. Yeah. You know, there's a lot of different companies out there now that are actually offering on-demand legal services.
So you know, we now have software as a service or a chatbot as a service. We now have companies, such as one called Atrium, that are offering on-demand legal professionals that will work with you if you're an individual business owner.
So lawyers now, you know, they have to start thinking differently about how they market their product practically there - what do they call it, right - and their companies.
But another interesting thing is how technology can help lawyers, right? In the past, you probably have thousands of case studies, or thousands of legal briefings that you'd have to go through. Now so you can leverage artificial intelligence systems, like IBM Watson, to like literally go through all of that data and just give you the insights. So you're ready for your next legal briefing, or for your next case.
So, their role is actually now becoming elevated. But at the same time, you can outsource lawyer services now. So if you're not an expert in legal as you start your business, you can just use Atrium, which is a really interesting tool. Check it out.
Stephanie Liu How do you spell that one?
Tim Salau A-T-R-I-U-M
And I know that means a lot of different references for y'all. So, see, this is a -
Stephanie Liu I had sent him an email. I said, Tim, is there anything that you want to give Lights Camera Live? Like PDFs? You know, some tips?
And then, five minutes before the show he is like, yeah, how about…
I was like, I can't build a bot for that now.
But Mike Allton is here and he's asking, you know, Tim. He would love to hear your thoughts on some, like other apps and records for remote distributed teams, because that's what I see that comes up a lot in my Social Media Strategist Group.
There are a lot of strategists that are looking for remote jobs, and then, they get frustrated because there's just a communication breakdown. Or it's really hard to get all the assets that they need in order to deliver the job on time and on budget.
So, what are some other apps we've talked about? Atrium. There was Catch. What else?
Tim Salau Yeah. So we Slack within our company, and we stay in touch with each other, right?
I think another one that I've heard that is really interesting is one called Twist. And it's by this company called Todoist. And, they essentially are the antithesis of Slack. They're a lot cleaner, a lot more polished from a UI standpoint. And they still kind of focus on, you know, distributed team collaboration.
But there's also another company that actually was recently in the news because they had a huge series, a financing over $56 million raised, it's called Front. They're like the new next generation of email.
Yes, it's called Front - F-R-O-N-T, but it's also really good for remote distributed teams, who still want to use email to collaborate, communicate, but they do a few things differently. So you know how in like Gmail, you have thousands and thousands of threads, right? And, it's like, super difficult to just manage it all.
What it does is it allows actual teams to collaborate in threads in email. So it's almost kind of like this merge of Gmail, and Slack in an email - but it's really, really clean. And there's been thousands of companies who are using the product. And they've been really successful so far. So they definitely have a niche. So I definitely encourage you to check that out - Front and Twist.
Stephanie Liu That's one word? Or they're just two separate things?
Tim Salau Oh, two separate companies. Front is more so email, and then Twist is more so kind of a remote workplace collaboration.
Stephanie Liu Interesting. Very, very cool.
Mike says...
Tim Salau All these apps in my head, I need to just get them out of my head.
Stephanie Liu Yeah, you do. He was all like...
Here's Mr. Future of Work saying like, you need to create more content. I'm like, Oh, you could have just dropped like a PDF guide for the whole show.
You know, but actually, that’s what I love most about live video is that sometimes you're just like, Oh, you know, I don't have time to write a blog post, but someone asks you a question. Then, right away that just opens it up and then all of a sudden, you're all like a Slack.
Shoutout to Mike. He says that he hates Gmail threads as well. I had, you know -
We all have our stories of the worst threads we've ever been on. I had this one client that I was working on, and the girl that was managing it. I swear to him, every thread was a different color. And I love Rainbows, but not in an email thread. I was like which color am I supposed to look at?
Do I reference red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo violet like, what's going on? So, Front would be very helpful.
Alright, so let's see here, Mandy says that they could utilize zoom calls with clients and cut down on travel.
Okay, that's actually a really good one. So I went to this. I went to Facebook f8, right? And they're talking about how Portal is encrypted, right? I'm like - I'm trying to sound smart. But, Tim knows all this. But like the encrypted messaging, and then, now they could actually do these Portal phone calls with their clients knowing that it's going to be encrypted. They don't have to worry about privacy concerns.
I've also heard people using Portal for clinical stuff like, if you need to talk to your doctor.
Tim Salau Oh, wow. We're telehealth.
Stephanie Liu Yeah. We’re telehealth, yeah. Have you seen any other shifts in that, and just communication, innovation, just merging and that respect for privacy?
Tim Salau I know you're really big with Facebook as you do live streaming. And you have Portal at home, right?
Stephanie Liu I do. Yeah.
Tim Salau You kind of - you can live stream from your portal, right?
I think that's really interesting in terms of - I'm just an overall technologist. So I actually I have looked into this a little bit, but I think with Portal and how they have over what - 10 million people - who have portals in their own now, right?
Facebook, I think that there's an interesting opportunity for -
You know, I think communication now, actually -
There's less friction in us when communicating with each other, but now with Facebook Portal, like Facebook, and start connecting that to health industry or emergency services, right?
Or if you need to, you know, call a local business, you can do it from your portal device, right? So I've been reading a little bit about it, but with what you just said, I think, it's almost as if like Facebook and all these different tentacles are coming close to us in our living rooms.
And, I can only imagine how they kind of overlap that with augmented reality, and VR, right? So, it's interesting stuff. I think it's really exciting actually.
Stephanie Liu Like, you know, I think VR would be really powerful especially -
Especially like, I remember when I was pregnant and they first showed me like the picture of my baby - what do you call it? Sonogram?
I don’t really remember.
But if they had given you a VR headset, so I could see what was going on inside of me, right?
Or let's say - if I was a smoker, and you really wanted to convince me to stop smoking, because what was happening and how it's impacting my body - you give me a VR headset to actually see what's happening to my lungs. That would freak me out.
Mandy is joining in the conversation. Mandy, you're a rockstar today. Give it up for Mandy.
She said she's asking if you could actually go live on a Portal.
Yes, you can. There's a new functionality with it where you can say, Hey, Portal, go on Facebook Live, and then, it'll set it up for you. Right now, it only goes on your personal profile. And, it's been fun. Like, we use it. We use it basically for family stuff, but we've had a lot of fun with it too. Cool.
All right, any other tidbits that you want to share about the Future Of Work that everyone should be taking into consideration?
Tim Salau Yeah, so if you are concerned about, you know - how, what do I do, how do I - kind of create this freedom or how do I build my business in this future, please join the community.
Join mentors and mentees of Guide community. It's a community that I've built for the last three years now and it has over 10,000 members - global members - in our community. Join our movement.
In that community, we share a lot of resources and tips and just, you know, empowerment, on how you can thrive in the future of work and really take control of your career building, your business, and build your personal brand in the meantime.
So we would love if you could join our community or join any community where you can find like-minded people who can support you.
Stephanie Liu Love it, love it, and then tell them again about the app that you have. Because I'm seeing the names pop in. I know you probably have some kids - some kids in high school, those maybe even like in college that would find this really, really helpful.
Tim Salau Yeah. So Guide is a life skills training app for high school students to learn essential life skills from amazing content creators, like Stephanie or even entrepreneurs who can teach students how to build a business, how to manage your phone - all of that.
And, you know, we're really open to working with education partners, and content creators who want to create content on Guide. We're actually going to be launching that soon towards the end of March. So, if you're interested in working with us, collaborating with us, or even bringing me out, you know, to showcase Guide in high schools around your neighborhood, or with you know, companies in your in your country let me know I'm all for it. I'm always traveling, speaking, and we would love to just partner with amazing people who want to lead this movement with us.
Stephanie Liu Have you already connected with Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang
Tim Salau Yeah, I have. I have. I need to get on her live.
Stephanie Liu Yeah, ‘cause, she has this whole perspective about, like, how the education system is broken and so her whole thing is like #classroomwithoutwalls.
Tim Salau Yeah.
Stephanie Liu And she's big on immersion, and I think she just did something in Singapore. I think you guys need to connect. That would be amazing. I also think you need to bring Guide on live streaming seriously.
Tim Salau I’ll do that. Good. Good. Good.
Stephanie Liu Alright, so where can people go ahead and find you?
Tim Salau mrfutureofwork.com is where you can go find me. That is my dedicated portal for all things Tim and all the crazy things I'm working on. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn as well.
Stephanie Liu Are you pretty active on LinkedIn? Is that the best place to reach you?
Tim Salau Yes, LinkedIn, I am super active. Please be a part of the community that I support on LinkedIn. I would love to connect. Please DM me, send me a message, comment on my post. I'm always engaged with my community. And I would really, really appreciate to be connected with whoever's watching right now.
Stephanie Liu So shout out to Heather to Mike to Mandy Joe, to everyone that's tuning in. You guys have been absolutely amazing. I know everyone is going to be really just thinking about this. Check out the app.
So, I'm so happy that you got to hang out on the show and geek out with me. ‘Cause, I don't know when is the next time I'm gonna see you. I don't know whether our paths are gonna cross again. I just have to go - I have to go up to Oakland.
Tim Salau Let me know. I'll be here.
Stephanie Liu Oh, yeah, I'll definitely hit you up.
All right, you guys. Thank you so much for tuning in to Lights Camera Live. Again, if you really enjoyed the show, go connect with Tim. He already invited you. He personally invited you, right?
So, go reach out to him and if you know anyone that could help him with his mission in helping others understand the future of work and getting those soft skills or other platforms where we could share the gift of Guide, please connect with him.
I know you guys have amazing communities, amazing networks. We all love to help each other. So please, please, please, please, please do connect. Okay?
All right, everyone. Thank you so much.
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In today’s technology-driven world where cars drive themselves, drones deliver groceries, chat bots respond to customer service, and voice commands are becoming a part of our daily habits...
It’s no secret that our world is changing and consumer habits are evolving.
🤔But have you thought about the future of work and how that impacts YOU and your business?
According to McKinsey Global Institute, up to 800 million global workers will lose their jobs by 2030 and be replaced by robotic automation.
🔥 How do you stay competitive in the age of digital transformation?
🔥 What skills will you need?
🔥 Which industries will be safe?
If you’re worried about losing your business to automation, artificial intelligence, and all the possible changes that might happen in the future, this Lights, Camera, Live® episode will give you all the insights you need to survive the future.
Tim Salau, Mr. Future of Work, joined us in this episode to share his fearless forecasts and answer all of your burning questions on how you can stay competitive in a business environment where everything is evolving.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN
Why Personal Branding Is More Important Than Ever
How Careers Are Changing, and How It Will Impact Your Industry
What You Can Do Now to Future Proof Your Business
ABOUT Tim Salau
Tim Salau’s life purpose is to strengthen the bonds people share through empathic and compassionate action. He's the CEO and Co-founder of Guide, the life skills training app reimagining high school education by helping students learn essential life skills from their favorite creators.
He’s championed inclusive innovation and led product development at top Fortune 500 and hyper-growth companies: Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and WeWork, all before the age of 25. He travels the world speaking with organizations, executives, and government leaders about the future of work.
He's been recognized by The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Young Presidents Organization, SXSW, Opportunity Hub, LinkedIn, Google, The Millennial Mogul and other major media platforms for his work as an innovator, dynamic global tech influencer, and one of the few leading multicultural experts leading the discussion on the Future of Work and emerging innovation. He’s impacted millions of students and professionals through his platform of over 100,000 followers across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to take control of their careers and pursue purpose over paychecks to thrive in the Future of Work!
What is changing in the future of work?
Thanks to the internet, information is now accessible. Connecting with people, working from home, and establishing businesses has never been easier. Nowadays, it's even possible for any individual to build a business for free.
Because of these developments, Salau believes that there's a growing number of people who are having second thoughts about work.
This new generation of workers are now more intentional about who they work for. They prioritize their choice, freedom, flexibility, and growth over stability. They also have a strong desire for a work environment that gives them options. Above all, the new generation workforce yearns to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
In this day and age, there are so many options - and Salau predicts this whole freelance economy will exponentially increase a few years from now.
“By 2025, over 50% of people are going to be freelancers.”
In this freelance economy, Salau believes that personal branding is very crucial as more and more people turn to entrepreneurship. Even those people employed by traditional companies have a side hustle, as they come to realize that one source of income is not enough anymore.
Are you currently employed full-time and have a side-hustle?
Tell us in the comments below.
How are careers changing in the future?
"People will have longer career horizons," Salau began, “This freelance economy will give more fluidity to an individual's career. An average individual would probably have about 20 to 26 roles in the entire course of his career.”
How is the future of work going to impact entrepreneurs?
Full-time employees don't have to be onsite all the time for their big corporate career.
People have started to realize how easy it is to work from the comfort of their own home. Even those who are currently working as corporate employees may have already started building a business from their hobbies.
Salau thinks that this significant change will trigger more opportunities to arise.
"It's gonna be an entrepreneur's paradise," he said, "We can start our jobs, lead our lives, or choose our destiny."
Salau also sees more and more companies addressing the demands of the freelance economy in the future. He added that more platforms supporting freelance work or entrepreneurs will continue to rise.
Salau also believes that the future will forge a venture ecosystem, where it is easy for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, even if they have full-time roles as a corporate employee.
“In this era, more attention will be paid to entrepreneurs,” Salau added, “They will have access to funds to scale up their ventures even further.”
As a matter of fact, Salau observes that more companies are now on their way to paying attention and addressing the plight of entrepreneurs in the future of work.
“An average individual would probably have about 20 to 26 roles in the entire course of his career.”
For entrepreneurs, is it shortsighted to NOT think about healthcare?
A common misconception on why some corporate employees don’t make the jump to entrepreneur life is because they think that access to affordable healthcare is limited.
Salau mentioned that there are companies like Catch, who are trying to position themselves as the safety net for the freelance economy.
These programs offer benefits that freelancers could avail, such as healthcare benefits, tax tracking and allocation, healthcare options, insurance, and more. Above all, these companies would make the process easier and more convenient for freelancers - so there is no need to make an extra effort on benefits, such as healthcare.
Why is it essential to have a personal brand?
"When you have a personal brand that allows you to set yourself apart from those who don't understand the value proposition," Salau emphasized.
"People brand themselves so that they can showcase their value and communicate their worth," he added.
It's vital because it makes your business distinct. It should help entrepreneurs stand out from the crowd.
RELATED: Personal Branding with Goldie Chan
What is the best strategy for building a personal brand online?
"There are a variety of ways to do it," Salau began, but he emphasized that an entrepreneur should learn how to step up his or her game and go out there.
“You can’t be scared to be visible online anymore.”
Salau strongly recommends entrepreneurs to invest heavily in content creation and content strategy. Ten years from now, job openings and clients will be looking more into relevant published content. Which means if you don’t already have a blog, start one today.
When you think about technology long-term, Salau believes that having an ecosystem of people you can trust and partner with will help create an environment where everyone could participate, share their skills, and collaborate, thereby leading to a more suitable economy. Soon enough, there will be a rise of gig workers participating and collaborating in gig communities.
Which industries are going to be impacted by the future of work?
Salau immediately thought of traditional finance as the number one industry that would most likely be affected by some change of behavior in the future of work.
He observed that the traditional finance industry is currently being hit from all kinds of angles, primarily due to the emergence of digital currency and mobile wallets. To thrive in the future, traditional finance companies should prioritize and completely rethink their existing business models.
In fact, there have already been employees from this industry who left the traditional environment because it's bureaucratic and not conducive to their generation. Quite a number of these workers have already shifted to jobs/businesses that are a bit more relaxed, flexible, and more welcoming.
What is your 2020 going to look like?
Salau sees speaking gigs as his go-to in terms of revenue. He finds these gigs consistent throughout the year, and there's always that massive demand for thought leaders, like him, to educate people about the future of work.
"Every quarter is a high," Salau says.
Also, Salau is working on a book right now, to add to his current revenue streams.
What are some skill sets people need to have to start preparing for the future of work?
Salau highly recommends doing the following tips:
Focus on chiseling your creativity
Work on your adaptability
Make sure you're always looking out for new ways to reinvent yourself or your business
Make your communication skills shine with advanced communication training.
Learn and master the essential life skills that any business owner, entrepreneur, worker, need to thrive in the future of work
With his Guide app, Salau is determined to impart life skills, education, creativity, adaptability, and effective communication to high school students. This way, students will be more prepared to face the future.
How about lawyers? Are there things they should prepare for?
"Lawyers' roles are becoming elevated," says Salau, "they have to start thinking differently about how they market their services."
He pointed out that legal services can easily be outsourced. Nowadays, there are companies, like Atrium, that offer on-demand legal services - similar to having software as a service, and chatbot as a service.
Also, Salau mentioned that lawyers can now leverage technology. They could use AI systems to help them with their cases.
Any other apps entrepreneurs would find useful in the future?
Here are two apps that Salau recommends:
Aside from Atrium and Catch, Salau finds an app called Twist interesting. He says it's clean and polished from a UI standpoint - the very antithesis of Slack. He also added that it might be beneficial for teams when it comes to distributed collaboration.
Front is similar to Gmail, only that it has more advanced and handy features - perhaps a new generation of email. He also added that it's suitable for remotely distributed teams.
Where can people learn more about Tim Salau and keep up with all of your projects?
To those who are interested in learning how to build businesses or create freedom for the future of work, Salau encourages them to join the Guide community. It is where over 10,000 global members share their insights and knowledge about the future of work. The Guide community has been running for over three years now.
For all other things that Salau is involved in, visit www.mrfutureofwork.com.
He’s also very active on LinkedIn.
Interested in learning all the life skills you need for an empowered future?
Download the Guide app here.
Get more behind-the-scenes tips by joining the Social Media Strategist Group!
RESOURCES:
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▸ Join the Social Media Strategist Group: https://facebook.com/groups/smstrategist
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