Thursday Tapestry: When the Rules Change, So Must You
- Feb 26
- 2 min read
This month, I've been having a lot of conversations with senior leaders who are navigating that in-between space. No longer in corporate roles, yet very far from the traditional notion of retirement. Here are three thought-provoking reads about the world ahead of us and what it really means to reinvent ourselves in an era of accelerating change.
The Ground Is Shifting. Fast.
If you read only one thing this month, make it Matt Shumer's essay, Something Big Is Happening. An AI veteran, he argues that the disruption tech workers have felt over the past year - watching AI go from helpful tool to "does my job better than I do" - is the experience everyone else is about to have. The alarm is real. But so is the opportunity: barriers to building something new have never been lower. What would you start, if the only thing standing in your way was you?
The Rise of the Third-Act Entrepreneur
Here's who's best placed to seize that opportunity: The average U.S. entrepreneur is 44 years old - and the data shows that self-employment rates rise with age. Experience, networks, and hard-won judgment are entrepreneurial superpowers. For seasoned professionals navigating AI-driven disruption, building something of your own may be the most strategic move of all. Read about this here. Where might your expertise find its boldest expression yet?
But Know What Your Time Is Worth
So you've reinvented yourself and then the inbox fills up. Quick look at this deck? Join our panel? Just a brief intro? This piece captures the trap perfectly: once you leave the institutional structure, people see the expertise but assume the price tag left with your business card. Saying yes out of flattery - or insecurity - quietly turns you into a free resource. The foundation of any sustainable third act is knowing your terms, and holding them. Where are you giving away something that deserves to be valued?
Good news! Or not…
So… the bots are clapping for the bots?
Does this year feel different to you too? It does to me. I hope you find a quiet moment to notice what's shifting, decide what truly matters, and move forward with a little more clarity than before.
P.S. If this sparked something in you, share it with me! I read every message with gratitude.
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