I just took the longest break in my life…

… And towards the end of that break heard that 80% of job losses in the US are due to technology

It’s good to be back at work.

I took a couple of months off, spent time with my friends and family, and just doing things that are important to me.

The nice thing about an automated business, is that even while I was on a break, I continued to have income – hence fully breaking the time=money equation once and for all for me.

I heard something shocking from John Kerry

Earlier this week, as I was rousing myself back to business mode, I had the privilege of attending a seminar with former US Secretary of State, John Kerry.

Among the various things he spoke about, was the nature of job losses in the US. He pointed out that 80% job losses were due to jobs being replaced by machines. Bearing in mind that this figure may be slightly exaggerated as he is a Democrat, speaking about the current administration’s trade policies to a key US trade partner (Singapore) – 80% is still staggeringly high, even if you apply a hefty discount.

While it is true that machines, automation, artificial intelligence etc, may probably create as many “jobs” as it replaces, the key is to get in front of the curve and learn how to take advantage of the opportunities created by them.

Learn the most foundational skills first

It may seem like a stretch, that someone like me, who was a lawyer for 20 years, and learnt how to market online, be in a position to show you how to get in front of this curve. After all, what does marketing have to do with AI and automation?

You see, once you learn how to market online, opportunities abound.  That’s because marketing is foundational to any business.

I’ve been catching up with friends over the last months, and honestly, even as a lawyer, I’ve never had as many people wanting to ask me for advice. And unlike my lawyer days, where people asked me for “free friendly advice”, people were now wanting to pay me, offer me stakes in their established companies, etc, for me guiding their way into the digital realm.

Which is the scarier path?

While retooling for the future may seem scary and like it’s a lot of work – I would contend that it’s a lot less scary than doing nothing about it and hoping that the future doesn’t come – because it will come.

It took me 6 months to learn the skills needed to replace my lawyers income, and I’d love to show you the tools and strategies I used to achieve that. If I can do it, you can too – although like all businesses, there are no guarantees of success.

The other thing that makes the transition less scary is this – you’re not going back to “school” in a traditional sense to prepare for a “job” in a traditional sense. You study from home in your free time, and apply your learning to “earn as you learn”.

The economy has moved from traditional jobs, and a lot of the new opportunities will be with flexible arrangements. Using my example of being a marketer for myself and products I choose to represent, having people offer me stakes in companies, etc, the opportunities that are created will be for the individual. And as long as any individual has value in this day and age, the need not worry.

Do something, get educated

So, there’s no need to worry if you feel you’re not skilled – I felt that way too. But take the step to get educated so that you increase your value and future proof yourself.

I am opening up applications again, so click here to submit yours, and I look forward to working with you.