Creator Market Map, the Great Midlife Crisis, You Might Like Permalancing, and More...

Approximately 60 million independent workers in the United States represent $1.5 trillion in U.S. GDP and growing. Projections estimate that 50% of our U.S. workforce will be independent workers by 2025- 2030. The Gig Economy represents a trend that will digitally transform the future of work.

I believe that?every organization?in?every industry?needs a Gig Economy strategy. Not having one is like missing the internet trend in 1990 or the mobile revolution in 2010.

The Freelance Revolution

The rise of independent contractors and globalization of knowledge work is the Industrial Revolution of our time. We can see the U.S. workforce undergoing a massive structural change everywhere we look.

How the gig economy is shaping the future of employment?-?India is undergoing a symbolic shift in its work culture. The new generation doesn't want to be stuck with a time-bounded job. These individuals are finding sustainable employment opportunities in the country's rapidly growing gig economy. Recently, you must have come across the word?'gig economy'?many times. But, do you understand the meaning of the term?

I quit my customer service job to become a freelancer. No longer feeling disrespected by customers has done wonders for my health.?- Zanny Steffgen, 24, is a freelance writer based in southwestern Colorado. She quit her job as a restaurant manager after months of dealing with poor treatment from customers. Steffgen says she feels happier and more respected by clients as a freelancer.

Your job Sucks? You Might Like Permalancing, But Here's What You Should Know.?According to the Cambridge dictionary, a permalancer works permanently, or for a long time, for a particular employer as a freelancer. Permalancers sit somewhere between a regular staffer and a freelancer and are further defined by written or unwritten contracts outlining a steady set of deliverables over a time-bound period.

Fiverr: Unlike The Stock, The Company Isn't Broken?- After falling 75% from its 2021 highs, Fiverr (NYSE: FVRR) is a buy here. The company is building a sticky ecosystem and positioning itself to become the place to be for freelancers worldwide. Fiverr is already in my portfolio with a 4% allocation after purchasing more shares at $56 per share last week.

The Creator Economy?

The Creator Economy has many similarities to the sharing and gig economies in 2012-2015. Independent talent, technology platforms, and hype. All are driven by the dream of making a living by doing what you love. At over $100B+ the creator economy is just getting started.

Creators on Creators: Social Stars Pick Their Faves?- The internet's a big place — no matter how many hours a day you scroll, there will always be more content than there is time to consume. We asked some of our favorite creators to break down their favorites, from who makes them laugh to their favorite fellow creators on the socials right now.

SignalFire's Creator Economy Market Map?- What is the creator economy? It's defined as the class of businesses built by over 50 million independent content creators, curators, and community builders, including social media influencers, bloggers, and videographers, plus the software and finance tools designed to help them grow and monetize.

Web3 Startup LoCo+ Ambitiously Builds the Betterverse For Massive $104B Creator Economy?- LoCo+, the world's first Web3 creator-first, the regional streaming platform, announced today the addition of 5 new cities to the platform, as well as adding key roles; Head of Creator Equity, Nesha Nycee, and Product Advisor James Malone. Founded by policy and entertainment industry veterans Kate Atwood and Megan Matousek, LoCo+ was created to harness authentic creative, cultural, and social capital at the regional level. It gives creators access and opportunities to transform aspirational value, forging more robust and direct connections with their audiences.

Democratizing the creator economy, how Wondrlab is tapping into the influencer marketing space?- Wondrlab's recent acquisition of Opportune will allow it to wield greater power to structure campaigns for brands based on the need for premium and mass influencers, all on the same platform.

?

The Changing Workplace

We see unprecedented numbers of companies implementing remote work programs. The way we work has forever changed and will require new skills and leadership approaches.

The Great Resignation is becoming a "great midlife crisis"?- With prices soaring and?analysts predicting?a recession on the horizon, it might not seem the best time to quit your job. But that's not keeping American workers, especially older, more tenured ones, from doing so.

'Bossware is coming for almost every worker': the software you might not realize is watching you?- Computer monitoring software is helping companies spy on their employees to measure their productivity – often without their consent.?

Airbnb tells employees they can work remotely forever.?- Airbnb told its 6,000 employees on Thursday that they would have the option to permanently work remotely, joining a growing number of companies that have ditched return-to-office plans, including?Zillow?and?PwC.

Dear Airbnb: Congratulations and Some Lessons Learned?- Overnight, I saw the?note?from Brian Chesky announcing to Airbnb employees that they would be moving to a permanent remote-working model. I applaud Brian and his team. While it may sound simple in a post-pandemic era, logistics can be anything. Still, I am ecstatic to see them join the growing ranks of remote-first companies because more people, more ideas, and more experiments will make remote work better for everyone.?

?Wellness?

We will spend one-third of our lives working, and the disruption to the way we work has never moved faster. This all can impact our overall wellness as we navigate the changing landscape and fight for balance.

?To combat mental health discrimination at work, first shift beliefs?–?"Unlike most physical health disorders, mental health problems remain deeply stigmatized," said?Matthew Ridley, a doctoral candidate in economics at MIT. Curious about this stigma, he set out to study how revelations about mental health might affect workplace relationships. Would they change how one person views another? And, if so, how? "There is a huge economics literature trying to understand discrimination based on gender and race, but very little of this looks at mental health," he said.

????????????

PAUL ESTES, the best-selling author of the best-selling book?Gig Mindset?and is an unstoppable advocate for the simple idea of ensuring that all voices are heard and that all people have access to opportunity. This passion is inspired by the quote from the late?Leila Janah?"Talent?is equally distributed,?opportunity is not."?Now is the time to address systemic?location bias?and encourage companies to reach beyond their organizational boundaries to engage the world's best minds.?For 20 years, He struggled to balance his life with fast-moving leadership roles at Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft. He led a team of progressive H.R., procurement, and legal trailblazers to launch Microsoft's Gig Economy freelance program. Hiring his first virtual assistant transformed the way he lived and worked.

Paul is the former host of the Gig Mindset and Talent Economy podcasts. Each week, Paul provides insights and perspective to over 100,000 readers of his weekly LinkedIn newsletter, and he frequently shares his insights as a keynote speaker and panelist.?