We have two economies right now: one thriving and one surviving
Four stories that capture where we are right now: busy people finding joy, companies rethinking what work is worth in the age of AI, teaching the next generation AI fluency, and the luxury boom.
Every other Thursday, I share a curated roundup on the culture of work. Stories that made me pause, take notes, or text a friend “you have to read this”.
I do this because understanding how work is changing is a real competitive advantage. The people who stay ahead aren’t just working harder, they’re paying attention to how the game itself is evolving (smart!).
Consider this your shortcut to what matters most in modern work.
This week features links from HBR, WSJ, EdWeek, and Vogue. Total read time: <8 mins.
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THE ARTICLES I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS WEEK
#1: How the busiest people find joy (HBR) | Free link
The very first paragraph stuck with me:
Research suggests that to have a satisfying life, you need to regularly feel three things: achievement (recognition or a sense of accomplishment), meaningfulness (a connection to something bigger than yourself), and joy (happiness or positive emotion) in the moment.
Personally, I intentionally focus on achievement and meaningfulness in my work, it’s what keeps me going. I infuse a sense of joy and lightness in my work and my 1:1 conversations but I’m not as intentional about proactively seeking joy everyday. I also know from experience that finding joy is particularly challenging when you’re in a demanding or stressful work environment.
There’s one question this piece left me with → if joy’s a requirement (and not a bonus), how am I designing for it every single day instead of just hoping it shows up?
#2: AI really is coming for the jobs (WSJ)
It’s a pithy little headline that plays to (some of) our worst fears. Lately, the news really does make it seem like AI is coming for everything. In moments like this, it’s easy to latch onto a headline (writing a good one is a science!), but the value is in understanding why and using that insight as leverage.
Take this quote:
“I don’t know if there’s ever been a time in the history of Amazon or maybe business, in general, with the technology transformation happening right now, where it’s [as] important to be lean, it’s important to be flat, and it’s important to move fast.” — Jeff Bezos
CEOs have been saying versions of this for years. I shared my thoughts on this IRL yesterday. I was on a panel about AI and the future of work — here were my takeaways:
Anyway, AI is not just coming for the jobs, it’s coming for hobbies too. Even escape rooms aren’t safe anymore; you can’t get trapped in a fake simulation without someone reaching for ChatGPT to help solve the clues…lol.
#3: It’s not magic. How these schools are teaching AI literacy (EdWeek)
I loved this article! It reminded me of learning computer skills in the ‘90s, when “tech skills” meant typing fast (Mavis Beacon forever!) and knowing how to save your work (I cried over files lost to Windows 96).
Eventually, those skills became invisible. Everyone had them.
IMO that’s where AI’s headed. Right now, people treat it like a trick → impressive, mysterious, a bit taboo. But in a few years, it’ll just be... baseline. The next “of course you know how to use that” skill.
Anyway, I have a soft spot for education after spending a decade in the edtech industry. So I loved reading about how teachers are tackling the concept of AI literacy in their schools. It makes me think the kids (Gen Alpha and Beta) will be alright. In contrast, I can’t stop thinking about members of the current workforce, specifically in jobs where AI fluency is required. There’s lots of opportunity, but if you’re not experimenting and learning on your own…you just might get left behind.
#4: Why luxury’s still winning in the US (Vogue)
Everywhere you look, there’s anxiety — layoffs, hiring freezes, cautious spending. And yet… luxury is booming in the US. This Vogue piece breaks down Q3 results for the major houses (spoiler: they all thrived).
It’s a fascinating split: on one side, there’s labor anxiety and economic anxiety; on the other, a market where Hermès, LVMH, and Prada (sales growth up 15%!) are outperforming expectations. The people doing well are doing very well (see: rainmakers on Wall Street having another good year).
Luxury’s success is one of the clearest signals that we’re living in two economies — one shrinking, one thriving.
My Newsletter
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
I had a client who was feeling stuck, stretched thin, and not entirely sure how to make the case for getting support effectively. So we worked through it and she was recently tasked with building and staffing a new department.
You might be thinking, “wow — that’s a huge shift, what happened?” You’re in luck. I shared our formula for success in this week’s post. A big realization was that saying “I don’t have enough time” just doesn’t work as a justification for getting a new hire approved. The angle that works is much more strategic.
Alright, that’s it for this week! From my browser to yours.
Ashley
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