In today’s evolving workforce, companies and universities alike are grappling with how to prepare and integrate Gen Z. Talent strategist Watchen Nyanue shares actionable strategies to bridge generational gaps, ensuring young professionals and graduates are equipped to thrive in multi-generational environments.
Read MoreBoomers, Gen X, Xennials, Millennials, Gen Z—what's next? The wars between generations are nothing new to history. Cultural critics have theorized for decades about generational shifts and what they mean for our future. And if you're on social media, no matter your age, the algorithm has likely fed you video skits depicting scenarios that show generational differences in mindsets, norms, and productivity styles in the workplace—some funny, and some downright scathing. So, what gives? How can we, instead, welcome Gen Z, our newest members of the workforce, and instill peace and creativity in the workplace?
Read MoreSummertime is upon us, bringing a renewed sense of joy for time out of the office. Adventures outdoors, vacations with our loved ones, and creating new memories in warmer weather is something we all look forward to. While we hit the reset button away from work, it's important to have these moments to remind ourselves why we do this work and how we can find work that both satisfies our essential needs as well as makes life more exciting and fulfilling.
Dev Aujla has written a new best-selling book, 50 Ways to Get a Job: An Unconventional Guide to Finding Work on Your Terms, with just this in mind. Dev shares some insights on his research and writings of finding a job with meaning as well as what he enjoys most about speaking at events and creating meaningful experiences with audiences.
OA: What are you Outspoken about?
DA: I believe that the way that we have been taught to find jobs is fundamentally broken. During the process of researching for this book, I read every career book from the 70's forward and the advice simply hasn't changed. We have made a shift to making learning-based careers from stability-based ones and it is changing the way that we get job, ways that we learn and how we build a life today. I want to help people navigate this new type of career.
OA: How has your recent work transformed the focus of your content when delivering a speech?
DA: It has become a lot more activity focused. You can't just hear someone talk and inspire you. You need to stop and actually do something, ask yourself the hard questions or make a list of what you want to learn. Even to large crowds, there can be opportunities for a type of engagement that actually lets people feel what the process of navigating our career should feel like.
OA: How do speaking events help your growth [whether that’s with inspiring new content, new research, or other opportunities]?
DA: I really believe in this material. We are living in a world that tells us that we all need to be entrepreneurs --- take risks and follow your passion. A different story needs to be told --- you don't have to be an extrovert or an entrepreneur! Get a job. It's great. The process of finding a job should feel calm, grounding and like the job you eventually want to have. People need to know this is possible because, otherwise, we are left feeling depressed that we aren't hearing
anything back from job boards.
OA: What would you like to see happen more often at events to engage with the audience?
DA: The most interesting one was I once spoke to a room that was divided male and female with a divider in the middle. I was standing at the center looking at both sides but they couldn't see each other. I could see which parts of my speech resonated with the men and women. It was
fascinating and definitely transformed my speech.
OA: What has been one of the most fulfilling audience experiences at a speaking event and why?
DA: The most fulfilling would be all the conversation I have after each talk with individuals in the middle of figuring it all out finding new ways to see themselves and their career.
OA: If you could hear someone give a speech alive or dead, who would it be and why?
DA: I would like to hear Oscar Wilde talk. I want to know how that kind of witty, quick, cutting banter would stand up today in the age of Twitter.
OA: How can people become more involved with your work and/or where is your writing being featured mostly these days?
DA: You can visit 50waystogetajob.com to see what led to the book and what has helped over 500k people navigate their next steps. I am writing short articles that range from GOOD Magazine to Fast Company at the moment.
Not our normal speaker video, check out new exclusive Jesse Israel's recent Big Quiet mass meditation at the World Trade Observatory in NYC and the unique experience of mindful meditation in one of the world's busiest cities and most recognizable buildings.
The Big Quiet draws entrepreneurs and meditators to group meditations at awe-inspiring spots.
Read the story: https://www.fastcompany.com/videos/list/jVdHZUiT/video/urTTys28/what-its-like-to-meditate-on-top-of-the-world-trade-center
With a degree in education and a love for community-building, Amanda Slavin uses her knowledge and experiences for unconventional educational opportunities. As the curator of the founder of CatalystCreativ and Life is Beautiful Festival's IDEAS Series, Amanda knows how to cultivate learning experiences that both excite and inform through engaging speakers. As a speaker herself, Amanda understands the importance of sharing new ideas and engaging with audiences beyond her onstage appearances.
OA: What are you Outspoken about?
AS: I am outspoken about quite a few things! Mainly, I am outspoken about the fact that the advertising industry is shifting, and companies need to embrace and understand true engagement to connect with today’s consumer in an authentic way. When it comes to internal shifts within the work place, I am outspoken about how work places and culture need to embrace femininity in order to thrive.
OA: How has your recent work transformed the focus of your content when delivering a speech?
AS: I have always given talks about millennial trends and how that is impacting advertising, but it is much deeper than that regarding today’s consumer, in which we have segmented into millennials and the millennial minded (those who share similar values but are not the same age demographic as millennials).
The more work we do with brands, and test out the methodology of engagement I created during my Masters Year, the more we (at my company CatalystCreativ) see it truly working, and the more I want to share that knowledge with the world. Since CatalystCreativ focuses on internal and external transformation in companies, I also have become more passionate about speaking about the importance of a feminine workplace and how by embracing femininity, work places can shift to be a space of vulnerability, creativity, and connection to develop more engaging experiences for employees and consumers.
OA: How do speaking events help your growth?
AS: I have a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, and as a teacher, I absolutely love speaking to audiences. It helps shape me because it allows for me to develop relationships with people I may not meet otherwise. It also allows me to learn from audience members and what interests colleagues/potential clients based on their reactions and feedback.
OA: What would you like to see happen more often at events to engage with the audience?
AS: I would really love to see more openness around interactive talks and workshops. My company CatalystCreativ has created a proprietary internal brand workshop called the Brand Acupuncturist Workshop. This dives deep with brands to identify “pain points” and come up with solutions that optimize teams and develop creative campaigns, and these workshops provide opportunities for audience members to connect deeply with the facilitator, rather than sitting there passively.
OA: What has been one of the most fulfilling audience experiences at a speaking event and why?
AS: I absolutely loved speaking at The BizBash Event Conference about the work CatalystCreativ has done in regards to impactful experience and millennial trends, the audience was extremely engaged and so many people came up to me after and told me how much they learned from the presentation.
OA: How can people become more involved with your work, whether that’s CatalystCreativ or your personal interests?
AS: CatalystCreativ has so much to offer when it comes to unique value propositions. We would love to explore how to work with more brands starting with our internal service offerings and parlaying those offerings into external creative activations. In terms of my personal interests, I absolutely love to write and facilitate workshops, moderate panels, and participate in conferences even in smaller ways than keynotes, as it allows for me to meet new people and share new ideas.
OA: If you could hear someone give a speech alive or dead, who would it be and why?
AS: Lin-Manuel Miranda. After seeing him in Hamilton, and reading about him and his story, I am blown away by what he has been able to build for himself, his family, and how he has gone from a teacher in a classroom, to a teacher to the world.
