Podcast
State of Independence
Hosted by MBO Partners · EN
As MBO Partners predicted a decade ago, independent work has completely transformed the U.S. economy and the global outlook on work. Now, we’re bringing the insights of MBO’s annual State of Independence in America report to you–continuing the conversation with thinkers, leaders, and independent business owners, and discussing an economy fueled by businesses-of-one and the dynamics for companies that want to work with them. Welcome to State of Independence.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Mark Gilbreath, LiquidSpace
May 5, 202100:37:23Tap to summarizeMark Gilbreath is CEO of LiquidSpace, a leader in hybrid and work-from-anywhere workplace transformation. In this episode, MBO Partners speaks with Mark about what productive work environments look like, why distributed work can be good for both companies and workers—whether employees or independents—and what work culture has to do with it.Mark talks about how the pandemic accelerated the shift from “the orthodoxy of presenteeism” to a “work-from-anywhere” workplace and how companies must look along a few axes of office space suitability to get the transformation right. He speaks on the suitability of the physical environment itself – beyond the binary of work and home – as well as the nature of the employee’s role in the company and the nature of the work being done. He also discusses how companies that are now undertaking workplace transformation are fixated on creating great employee experiences and he talks specifically about how company culture can thrive even in non-centralized workplaces. About This Episode’s GuestMark Gilbreath is CEO of LiquidSpace, a leader in hybrid and work-from-anywhere workplace transformation where workers can access an online office marketplace and enterprise leaders can access their own workplace management platform.About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian Burrows.For more episodes, visit mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/podcast/. MBO Partners © 2021
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Joe Fuller, Harvard Business School
Apr 28, 202100:42:39Tap to summarizeJoseph Fuller is Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, where he oversees the Managing the Future of Work Project and focuses his research on the changing nature of work and the evolution of the C-suite. He was the founder and longtime CEO of The Monitor Group, the global strategy consulting firm, now Monitor Deloitte. In this episode, MBO Partners speaks with Professor Fuller about what, in this time of rapid change, the term “the future of work” actually means and how we can apply his learnings to workforce design and transformation. Professor Fuller also talks about what he sees as the biggest challenges facing today’s CEO and organizational management and how many of those top requirements for organizational success involve changes to aspects of talent development and sourcing, including contingent work; digitalization and decentralization; diversity and inclusion; globalization and the labor supply chain. He discusses a recent BCG and HBS Future of Work study on the topic of contingent work and discuss how, in the future, more and more organizations will have needs for high-skill contingent talent for business-critical assignments – and how this is shifting the power equation in favor of the supply side of the talent equation. He also provides a look at the higher education sector and discuss the role of credentialization in talent acquisition. Citing his soon-to-be-published research, Professor Fuller talks about the ways AI is poised to improve and expand talent profile of companies in the future – a profile that will begin to also include the contingent worker to a greater degree. About This Episode’s GuestJoseph Fuller is Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, where he focuses his research on the changing nature of work and the evolution of the C-suite. He was the founder and longtime CEO of The Monitor Group, the global strategy consulting firm, now Monitor Deloitte. At HBS, he oversees with Professor Bill Kerr, the Managing the Future of Work project; the pair co-hosts a podcast of the same name. Research Mentioned in This EpisodeFuller, Joseph B., Manjari Raman, Allison Bailey, and Nithya Vaduganathan. "Building the On-Demand Workforce." (pdf) White Paper, Harvard Business School and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), November 2020. Fuller, Joseph B., and Manjari Raman. "Dismissed by Degrees: How Degree Inflation Is Undermining U.S. Competitiveness and H...
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Paul Estes, The Gig Mindset
Apr 21, 202100:31:42Tap to summarizePaul Estes, the author of The Gig Mindset and currently the Chief Community Officer at Mural, is a workforce influencer thinking about how to keep the human at the center of the SaaS industry. In this episode, MBO Partners speaks with Paul about how workers and organizations are transforming themselves using gig economy strategies, as well as how organizations can harness the power of their own communities of on-demand experts to help create customer-centric solutions. Paul talks about his book The Gig Mindset and the TIDE concept of taskifying, identifying, delegating, and evolving to power an independent career. He also talks about his own transition from independent work back to joining the creative SaaS company Mural as its first Chief Community Officer. He talks about the connection between a software-driven economy and the need for in-demand experts. He also touches on outcome-driven work, the companies that do that well, and approaches that both enterprises and independents can take to optimize work. About This Episode’s GuestPaul Estes is an unstoppable advocate for the talent economy, dedicated to creating opportunity for everyone through a thoughtful marriage of technology and human talent. He has held leadership roles at Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft, where he led a team of progressive HR, procurement, and legal trailblazers to launch Microsoft's Gig Economy freelance program. Still keeping an active “gig mindset” of his own, he has recently joined Mural as its Chief Community Officer. He is the author of The Gig Mindset.About MBO Partners® MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian Burrows. For more episodes, visit mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/p...
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Sharon Kan, Pepperlane
Apr 14, 202100:35:46Tap to summarizeSharon Kan is the co-founder and CEO of Pepperlane, the organization helping mothers turn their skills and ideas into businesses that fit into their lives. She’s also a serial entrepreneur whose startups have been acquired by Oracle, Microsoft, and Barnes and Noble. In this episode MBO Partners speaks with Sharon about how she is shaking up the patriarchal system of work and supporting a 20-million strong market of talented moms that has the power to reshape the small business economy.Sharon talks about how denying our full identities at work—leaving the motherhood label at the door—adversely affected economic output even before the “She-cession” brought about by COVID-19 put many women out of work. She notes, however, how the current situation has also sparked great creativity among entrepreneurial mothers. She discusses how most professional gender gaps are motherhood gaps and the role that independent work plays in closing them. She also talks about the ways that organizations looking to educate and support new sectors of talent can work together to close entrepreneurial knowledge gaps and how a few pointed policies could aid working mothers and society as a whole.About This Episode’s GuestSharon Kan is co-founder and CEO of Pepperlane, the organization helping mothers turn their skills and ideas into businesses that fit into their lives. She’s also a serial entrepreneur whose startups have been acquired by Oracle, Microsoft, Infor and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, she co-founded WIN, the Women Innovating Now Lab at Babson College to help female entrepreneurs start their businesses. About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian Burrows. For more episodes, visit mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/podcast/. MBO Partners © 2021
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Liz Elam, GCUC
Apr 7, 202100:34:38Tap to summarizeLiz Elam is the founder of the Global Coworking Unconference Community—GCUC—the largest coworking conference provider in the world. She's also a consultant and a leader in the flexible work space, studying both the design and the structure of the industry. In addition, Liz is a card-carrying futurist and popular coworking podcast host. In this episode, MBO Partners speaks with Liz about the roots of the coworking trend and why coworking and community are so important for the health and well-being of the future workforce. Liz talks about how COVID-19 has accelerated the discussion about flexible work environments but has also potentially endangered workers through the isolation brought on by work-at-home arrangements. She also speaks from the lens of a futurist about what the workplace of 2045 might look like and how individuals and companies can make today’s workplace work as well. She discusses the ways that coworking spaces can benefit workers in all stages and configurations of work and how companies should be looking toward coworking spaces as strategic aids in managing the needs of both their employees and independent workers.About This Episode’s GuestLiz Elam is the founder of the Global Coworking Unconference Community—GCUC—the largest coworking conference provider in the world. She's also a consultant and a leader in the flexible work space, studying both the design and the structure of the industry. She also hosts the GCUC coworking podcast. About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian Burrows. For more episodes, visit mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/podcast/. MBO Partners © 2021
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Diane Mulcahy, Author, The Gig Economy
Mar 30, 202100:37:20Tap to summarizeDiane Mulcahy, independent consultant and advisor to Fortune 500 and startup company clients on the future of work, created the first MBA course in the country on the Gig Economy and used it to inform her best-selling book of the same name. In this epsidoe, MBO Partners, speaks with Diane about how the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the Gig Economy and how the experience of the last year has both emphasized the benefits of a strong independent work economy and highlighted the need for improved labor policy. Diane talks about how gig work de-risks economic shocks for both the independent worker and the enterprises looking to be nimble in today’s economy. She touches on how the last year has shaped our notions about flexibility and what a new digital nomadism might look like. She also speaks about how policies that helped protect independent workers during the pandemic can now set the stage for the extension of other protections that will further strengthen the independent economy. About This Episode’s GuestDiane Mulcahy is a sought-after expert on the future of work and the gig economy. She also works independently as a consultant and advisor to Fortune 500 and startup company clients, and as a speaker, writer, and adjunct professor at Babson College, where she launched the first MBA course on the Gig Economy. The book that sprang from that course, The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want, is an Amazon best-seller and has been translated into five languages. In addition to her work in the Gig Economy, Diane has been a professional investor for the past 15 years. She is an Advisor to the Kauffman Foundation, where she manages the private equity and venture capital portfolio. About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com.Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="h...
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Joe Mullings, The Mullings Group
Mar 23, 202100:43:20Tap to summarizeJoe Mullings is founder, chairman, and CEO of The Mullings Group, the world’s leading search firm in medtech, healthtech and the life sciences, as well as the founder of a number of other companies, including a production company and a start-up incubator. In this episode, MBO Partners speaks with Joe about his ideas about how the future of technology is already impacting the future of work and the future of search and how workers need to be in control of their own career and personal brand to stay competitive.Joe talks about how independent professionals have become a critical and in-demand part of the talent ecosystem due to the acceleration of the specialization of skills in specific verticals and industries and the convergence of technologies around service- and platform-based work. He speaks about how the expectation that learning is complete at the end of college is shortsighted for those launching a career and how a lifelong reskilling mindset is required for any worker today. He also talk about the need for talent to develop their subject matter expertise into thought leadership to the point of becoming a voice in their industry, using himself as an example of someone who has used the lessons of social media marketing to stake that claim in his own industry space.About This Episode’s GuestJoe Mullings is founder, chairman, and CEO of The Mullings Group, the world’s leading search firm in medtech, healthtech and the life sciences, as well as the founder of a number of other companies, including a production company and a start-up incubator. He is also the creator of TrueFuture TVand the TrueFuture docu-series, that takes audiences on a global search for incredible technology, interesting people, beautiful places and rich cultures.About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian Burrows. For m...
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Keaton Swett, MindSumo
Mar 16, 202100:34:58Tap to summarizeKeaton Swett is the CEO and co-founder of the open innovation platform MindSumo and vice president of product at MBO Partners. In this episode, the State of Independence podcast focuses on Keaton's last decade of experience building and growing MindSumo, MBO’s acquisition of the open innovation platform, and what it means for expanding the reach of crowdsourcing to both enterprise organizations and independent businesses of one. Keaton talks about the typical Bay Area startup story that launched MindSumo, and how he and his team grew the platform to include massive pool of Millenial and Gen Z talent and some of the world’s biggest brands. He talks about the value the platform has provided to companies beyond idea generation and into talent acquisition, as well as the benefits to talented thinkers all over the world who have connected with those enterprises. He also talks about the next phase of MindSumo’s evolution within MBO, providing leverage to the strong independent talent network within MBO’s platform to help create more value for the enterprise clients they serve. About This Episode’s GuestKeaton Swett is the CEO and co-founder of the open innovation platform MindSumo. Upon the company’s acquisition by MBO Partners in 2020, Keaton retained those roles and became MBO’s vice president of product. Keaton graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where he studied business and history. He previously worked in Oracle Corporation's analyst relations and PR divisions.About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian Burrows MBO Partners © 2021
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Connie Steele, Flywheel Associates
Mar 9, 202100:41:04Tap to summarizeConnie Steele is the principal of Flywheel Associates and host of the Strategic Momentum podcast. In this episode, MBO Partners speaks with Connie about her insights from her own independent consulting career and the thesis from her new book, Building the Business of You, on how all workers today must tap into their own strengths to build and curate a "mashup" career. Connie talks about the power of approaching one’s career from the seat of a CEO, constantly looking at the shifting landscape and adjusting one’s strategic plan. She touches on how networking, not only with close contacts or when looking for the next job, is an important component of career success. She also about the need for enterprise organizations to respond to the uncertain future by harnessing the best talent-- “Tiger teams”--wherever and however they appear. She shares why she thinks organizations must design to a future workforce will include a higher number of freelance and independent contributors, by design. About This Episode’s GuestConnie Steele is principal of Flywheel Associates, a strategy consultancy that works with businesses to create the necessary momentum to lead to sustained success. She is also the host of the Strategic Momentum podcast and author of Building the Business of You. For all her media channels, she draws from insights spent leading marketing initiatives for major technology players such as AOL and Network Solutions, as well as her decades in leading her own successful firm. About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian BurrowsMBO Partners © 2021
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Balaji Bondili, Deloitte Pixel
Mar 2, 202100:36:23Tap to summarizeBalaji Bondili is head of Deloitte Pixel, a business within the global consulting firm that helps clients tap into the power of external crowds to deliver improved outcomes. In this episode, MBO Partners talks with Balaji about his ideas for the future of crowdsourcing, his views on the open talent economy, and his ideas for how to help companies be more open to using independent professionals and gig workers to meet business needs. Balaji talks about how, after years as an international consultant he realized he wanted to make his own product. Instead of becoming a carpenter—which had been an option—he stayed within Deloitte as an intrapreneur to help build a new way of contributing to client outcomes through the power of the global crowd. He speaks about using independent workers as not only a source of great ideas but as a risk mitigation strategy and about how the supply side and the demand side of the open talent market can and must do better to improve opportunity for billions of people on the planet. About This Episode’s GuestBalaji Bondili is head of Deloitte Pixel, a business within a global consulting firm that helps clients tap into the power of external crowds to deliver improved outcomes in market research, prototype design, and data analytics. He has decades of experience helping global companies entering emerging markets, particularly working within the global healthcare sector. To learn more about his success developing and launching Pixel into an incubation hub within Deloitte, see the Harvard Business Review case study, “Deloitte’s Pixel (A): Consulting with Open Talent.” About MBO Partners®MBO Partners is a deep jobs platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com. Episode hosted by Aassia Haq; produced, edited, and engineered by Leslie Jennings Rowley. With music by Brian BurrowsMBO Partners © 2021 &...
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