If I had to start over today… I’d do the one thing I resisted for years.
That was my honest answer during the live masterclass this weekend.
Someone asked me, “What would you do differently if you had to start again?”
And I didn’t even hesitate:
“I’d build a personal brand on social media. I’d use AI. And I’d do it publicly.”
That question wasn’t just about business strategy. It was about how fast the world has changed.
Because eight years ago, when I left my 9-5, I built my first business the old-fashioned way: networking, referrals, spreadsheets, elbow grease.
No AI.
No social media.
No content strategy.
Just me and a thousand conversations.
But if I had to do it again?
There’s no way I’d build my business in the shadows.
The world has changed. And it’s not going back.
Quote of the Week
“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”
Robert Greene
The Cost of Avoiding New Tools
Here’s what I hear all the time from women in midlife:
- “AI is for Gen Z.”
- “I’m not a tech person.”
- “I don’t want to be glued to Instagram.”
I used to say the same.
But you don’t need to love these tools. You don’t even need to use them every day.
You just need to understand what they can do for you.
AI won’t replace you.
But someone who knows how to use it might.
Social media doesn’t make you shallow.
But staying invisible? That might keep you broke.
We are not in the same job market we were 10 years ago.
And we won’t be in the same one 10 years from now.
According to the OECD, 40% of jobs will be affected by automation and AI in the next two decades.
And many of those jobs?
Traditional 9-5s we were taught to cling to.
The world is shifting fast.
Are you?
The World Is Moving – Fast. Are You?
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman recently predicted that the traditional 9-5 job will be extinct by 2034.
That’s not science fiction. That’s 10 years from now.
In a viral interview, he predicted a “Gig Economy Revolution” – where work no longer means one employer and a fixed desk.
Instead, we’ll see:
- Project-based work
- Freelance gigs
- Multiple income streams
This isn’t a theory. The numbers are already here:
- 38% of the U.S. workforce freelanced in 2023 (an all-time high)
- By 2030, the OECD predicts that 50% of professionals will hold portfolio careers
- The creator economy is projected to double to $480 billion by 2027
Work is evolving.
We’re shifting away from jobs and toward personal brands, platforms, and flexibility.
We’re Entering the Era of Portfolio Careers
A portfolio career means you’re no longer just a marketer, a lawyer, or a teacher.
You’re a consultant + content creator + workshop host + community builder.
Multiple income streams. Multiple roles. One aligned life.
And before you think this is just for 22-year-old influencers –
It’s not.
This is for the finance director who wants to consult three days a week.
The HR manager who wants to launch a leadership podcast.
The marketing exec turning her systems into a toolkit.
We’re not one thing. We’re a portfolio of experience.
It’s time we monetized it like one.
What I’d Do Differently Today
Here’s what I’d focus on if I were starting again – today:
1. Build a Personal Brand from Day One
Not for ego. For access.
People can’t hire you if they don’t know what you do.
Google is your new CV. LinkedIn is your shop window.
You don’t need to go viral.
You just need to be memorable for something.
2. Use Social Media to Learn, Not Just Promote
It’s not just for influencers.
Social media is a free market research lab.
You can learn what people are struggling with. Validate ideas. Start conversations.
That’s how you sell without sounding like a salesperson.
3. Let AI Handle the Heavy Lifting
AI won’t replace your humanity.
But it can replace the time-sucking admin that’s slowing you down.
Use it to speed up:
✔ Research
✔ Brainstorming
✔ Drafting content
✔ Outlining offers
✔ Repurposing ideas
In midlife, energy efficiency is a power move.
Closing Thought
If you can’t beat the robots – or the algorithm – you might as well join them.
Not as a copy.
As the human who stands out because she knows how to use them.
In this new world?
The skill isn’t knowing everything. It’s knowing how to adapt.
Your Weekly Action Plan: Embrace the Shift
- Choose one AI tool to test this week (writing, brainstorming, research)
- Post one idea online about what you’re building or learning
- Identify one area where you’re hiding – and commit to showing up
- Ask yourself: If I had to start over today, what would I do differently?
Write it down.
Then do one thing differently this week.
I used to think visibility was about ego.
Now I know it’s about access.
And as midlife women, we’re at the cusp of something big:
- The death of the 9-5
- The rise of portfolio careers
- A creator economy exploding to $480 billion
This isn’t the time to shrink.
It’s the time to build.
If you’ve been wondering whether it’s too late to start?
This is your moment.
The world is changing.
And the fastest way to future-proof your career?
Make yourself visible, valuable, and unforgettable.
See you next Wednesday.
Claudia
