Talent Hack Raises $17m, Your Boss May Be Breaking the Law, Dollar General Gets the Gig, and More...

There are approximately 60 million Independent workers in the United States, representing $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 work gets done.

I believe that?every organization?in?every industry?needs a Gig Economy strategy. Not having one in 2021 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 and structural change everywhere we look.

Rover vs. Wag: Which Is a Better Way To Make Money??-?The gig economy and smartphone apps have made it easier than ever to?make money. Today that includes getting paid to care for some adorable pets. If you have ever considered taking up pet care, you have probably heard of Rover and Wag.

Now Dollar General will do same-day deliveries via DoorDash?-?Besides its?European expansion, DoorDash is reaching into new areas within the United States via an expanded?partnership with Dollar General that's already available via 9,000 locations. Gig economy services initially proliferated in urban areas, using venture capital money to push the convenience of getting everything from cold medicine to a single candy bar hand-delivered within the hour.

Gig startups want you to believe they can replace your job — don't fall for it?-?With the poorly named Great Resignation in full swing, talent is leaving the nest (prison?) of gainful full-time employment at record levels and sometimes seemingly on a whim. As a result, talent marketplace startups are popping up to backfill that labor with the promise of a full-time salary on a work-for-yourself basis.

EVmo Launches Industry-First Integrated Gig Delivery Technology Platform?-?EVmo, Inc. (OTC: YAYO), a leading provider of vehicles to the rideshare and gig delivery space; today announced the launch of a crowd-sourced delivery application that will provide renters on the EVmo platform with exclusive access to same-day delivery job opportunities for items such as hot food, e-commerce packages, groceries, and on-demand fulfillment of consignments requiring urgent delivery.

??Why Fiverr International Stock Skyrocketed Today?-?In the third quarter of 2021, Fiverr's sales jumped 42% higher year over year to $74.3 million. Your average analyst would have settled for revenue in the neighborhood of $71.1 million. On the bottom line, adjusted earnings increased from $0.13 to $0.19 per diluted share.

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.

Li Jin on the future of the creator economy?- Imagine a world in which Facebook is owned and operated by its users, who vote to decide its policies on content moderation and data collection. Those users—whose photos, videos, and other posts give Facebook its value—collectively co-own the platform, and the earliest adopters have seen the value of their stakes appreciate as it has grown in scale.

Talent Hack raises $17 million led by Emergence to power the fitness creator economy?- The Great Resignation, the pandemic-caused seismic shift in the way we work, play, and live, and the boom of the creator and influencer economy, has led to a surge in apps designed to serve those creators. We had a very long-winded discussion about it at TechCrunch just this week.

Brands Want Bigger Slice of the Creator Economy?- As Hollywood models of theatrical films and linear television undergo rapid change, TikTok, Twitch streams, and sponsored posts may be morphing from side businesses to the lucrative main event in some cases.

The Hybrid 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 next phase of remote work will be even more disruptive?-?As jarring as?the transition to remote work?was during the coronavirus pandemic, it was modest compared to what's coming next, says Adam Ozimek, a labor economist at the freelancing platform Upwork. He argues that the next phase of remote work will transform economies, as more companies revise their policies to accommodate employees who have permanently shifted to working remotely, and more workers move to places they've always wanted to live but couldn't.

Working from anywhere just got easier with Airbnb's new features?-?Earlier this year,?Airbnb dropped a series of new features?such as flexible stays and flexible destinations that helped people find places to travel during the pandemic when the "where" and "when" were less important than simply taking advantage of remote work and schooling.

Is Your Boss Breaking The Law By Texting You After Work??-?We've all been there before, bearing the brunt of a?lack of boundaries at work. You'll clock out of a long shift, drive home, and finally,?relax. Only to be interrupted by your phone buzzing on the table. It's your boss texting.

24 funny and real tweets about working from home with a partner.?- For many of us, working from home has become the norm. But that doesn't make it normal. Or comfortable. Bringing the office home has its ups and downs, especially if you live with a significant other. Suddenly, you share your home with your partner and your co-workers and your partner's co-workers. And this can get messy in every sense of the word. At least you're never, ever lonely!

Workplace 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.

?As Workers Struggle With Pandemic's Impact, Employers Expand Mental Health Benefits?- As the covid-19 pandemic burns through its second year, the path forward for American workers remains unsettled, with many continuing to work from home while policies for maintaining a safe workplace evolve. In its 2021 Employer Health Benefits Survey, released Wednesday, KFF found that many employers have ramped up mental health and other benefits to support their workers during uncertain times.

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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 podcats. 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.?