Weekday Edition and Reading Suggestions

A weekday update and some recommendations from fellow subscribers

Hey folks,

Normally, I write this newsletter on Saturday mornings and release on Sunday’s, but I am a bit busy this weekend as I’m getting married, so we’re mixing it up with a weekday edition.

One of the reasons why I can write this newsletter is because my fiance gives me time on Saturday mornings to do my creative thing. 

Having a partner who is supportive and encouraging of your work and career is something I am incredibly grateful for, especially because she is also incredibly dedicated to her own career as well. I would also like to think that I am the same in return.

Part of why I chose the path of solo/entrepreneurship is because I saw the realities of what many of my peers and leaders who I looked up to in the corporate world and realized that it probably was not going to work for me. 

For me, being able to be a good partner, sibling, son, in the future, hopefully good parent, means having the flexibility and agency to prioritize a whole bunch of other important priorities in life as needed, and to have a life where I can be content and happy without feeling like I am on an endless treadmill. As I got further into my career in the traditional corporate workplace, I began to see the complexities and costs of what it would take in order for that to happen in the spaces and places I was in.

I do think it is possible, and regularly see people do it. But seeing the cost and toll and strain it put on a lot of people made me think that there had to be a better way to navigate through life, based on what I wanted. Ultimately, as I’ve noted previously, building a side-business for seven years and a busy first year and a half of the pandemic along with some personal changes in my life gave me the confidence to pursue another path that would enable me to work in different ways and have a different kind of career.

Sure, it meant making some sacrifices, in terms of leaving a comfortable career path, great colleagues and some predictable options for future career opportunities, but it also gave me a chance to pursue something I was always yearning for (entrepreneurship) as well as an opportunity to incorporate my strengths and talents into the work that I do each day, and get paid for doing it.

This is even an option for three reasons. First, I made a bunch of smart decisions earlier in my career that gave me the resources, opportunities and knowledge to go off on my own. Building a side hustle for 7 years allows you to learn and de-risk, but also having the connections, resources and expertise doesn’t hurt. 

Second, a bunch of privilege. Growing up in the right zip code and with good parents matters. Some of my first clients and opportunities have come from executives and CEOs who have known me for 20 years, and former leaders who believed in me. 

Finally, I have a partner who has a steady and stable job, which allows a bit more flexibility for me. As we like to say, she is the bond and I am the stock. (Thank you to my mentor Grace for the analogy, although these past few weeks in tech have really tested that anology!)  

As someone who works each day to build better leaders who can build better workplaces for their people, part of my reasons for wanting a better workplace is because I believe we need more expansive views of what work and careers can be. For But in order for that to happen, we need to actually create more work modes and career paths that enable people to choose success on their own terms.

While I don’t think that my path and decisions are right for everyone, I do think that everyone should have more options for the modalities for how they work, and that there are structures/systems and protocols in place for that to happen.

Supporting Your Partner and Their Career

As I think about couples and careers, I’m drawn to the work of Jennifer Petriglieri over at INSEAD who has studied dual career couples. The gist of it is that supporting your partner in dual-career households is an ongoing journey with that requires a handful of big moments where you need to re-evaluate how you support each other, as well as constant ongoing maintenance. But, the upshot of it is that dual career couples have many benefits, including greater incoming earning and less likelihood of splitting up. But they also face many challenges, especially as they try to reinvent and form identities of work and life, figure out how to support each other while focusing on their personal goals, and also how to navigate other priorities such as kids and families.

Both my fiance and I care deeply about our careers, and have identified a similar set of priorities that are also important to us as we build a life together.

Part of choosing that path I am on is to try to create surface area and slack in to manage all the things that are important to us. For now, it may mean taking 2.5 weeks off in September to go on our honeymoon, or the ability to help out family members in the middle of the day because I have control over my calendar.

For my fiance, it also means being a bit more understanding of my uneven schedule. The first few months of this year were quiet which had me around a little bit more, but last September and October I was gone for many weeks. Outside of just really trying to be understanding of one another and trying to communicate clearly is important or what I need to prioritize, I don’t really have a ton advice on this as I am still figuring it out and have plenty to learn.

In the meantime, thanks for reading a weekday edition, and if you have any marriage advice, shoot me a reply.

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What People are Reading & Listening To

I have a good/bad habit of sending articles and podcasts to people, which also means that I get a bunch in return. I also know that the readership and listenership of my podcast is incredibly smart and well-read/informed, so I decided to reach out to a few people who to see what they were reading and listening to. 

The following are some recommendations from some of the Edge of Work/Work In Progress Community. 

Note: If you like this feature, I’d like to do it again, so please feel free to send me what you’re reading. 

Podcast: How American Pragmatism Can Facilitate Environmentalism With Tyler Huggins

“A key trend I am following is how our understanding of physical and mental health is key to performing our best work. On the Dave Chang Show, food is more than just a topic; it is a reflection of culture and up-to-date ideas. In a recent episode, Tyler Huggins, founder / CEO of Meati Foods, shares his unique viewpoint on environmentalism and sustainable food systemsI believe we are going to experience a huge wave of better-for-you products that will help us operate at peak performance – which leaves the question – so we can do what? Focus more? Play more? Live longer?” - Daniel Liu

Book: Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending

“A book I've been reading is Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending - for a number of reasons. In a world surrounded by MBAs where most care about salary, I've been curious to learn more about how to get the most out of the money you are making. Especially as there are multiple industries I would love to be in for my next job that pay significantly less.” - Brad Vonick

Book: Ride of a Lifetime

“I LOVED Bob Iger's book "Ride of a Lifetime". I'm a Disney nut, and loved getting the inside look at how he ran the business. I read it before he returned to be CEO (again) and it's interesting to see how he's navigating the return to the position and untangling the org structure that Bob Chapek put in place. A good companion piece to the book would be "Disney's CEO Drama, Explained" from Decoder” - Jodi Innerfield

Article: People Ops as a Product

“This piece is foundational to understanding how to be successful in a modern people operations function — a must-read for anyone in any type of role that focuses on building programs for the employee experience.” - Alex Hilleary, The People Ops Newsletter

Article: What Makes Leadership Development Programs Succeed?

“I'm working on a three-year leadership development survey, so I found this article particularly interesting (and affirming!). I also loved this quote from it - "The best leadership development programs lead to deep personal growth and boost the happiness, meaning, and vitality people experience at work and in life.” - Madison Arist

Article: The End of the English Major

“As a person who identifies both as a business professional and as a performing artist, I've been following the trends of higher ed throughout the last two decades and how the tide has really shifted toward practical degrees and away from the humanities. As someone now in mid-life, I can say 100% that learning about the humanities has enriched my perspective, my work, and my life. Reading this article also gave me a little boost of validation that my podcast work interviewing people who straddle two careers, often one of these being a creative pursuit, is important and needed in this world.” - Jessica Wan, Host, The Ampersand Manifesto

Article: 4 Things I Learned About Burnout 

This is a great reflection from my friend Jodi about her experience dealing with burnout and what she has learned since that experience. 

Podcast: Turning Imposter Syndrome into Confidence

“I listened to Adam Grant's conversation with Reese Witherspoon where she shared that she tried to quit the role that ultimately won her an Oscar. As Adam says, "moments of doubt are not a sign that you lack ability. They're a signal that the task is hard. When you're struggling, it's often because you're stretching your skills. Feeling like an imposter might just be a clue that you're on the verge of learning something new." - Emily Sawyer.

That’s all for now. Have a great week!

Al