He’s joining us today to talk about his journey, his work, and his insights into how to stay employable in a rapidly changing world. Jeff, welcome to the show.
Jeff Gothelf: Thanks for having me, Mike. I’m excited to be here.
Mike Palmer: So, Jeff, I know you’ve had a really interesting career trajectory. You started out in rock’n’roll, you transitioned into design, you wrote a book on Lean UX, and now you’re talking about Forever Employable. Can you walk us through that journey and how you arrived at this point?
Jeff Gothelf: Sure. Yeah, it’s been a bit of a winding road, but I started out in music, playing in bands, and that led me to web design in the early days of the internet. I was leading a design team when Agile software development was starting to take off, and we had to figure out how to align our design process with the Agile process.
That experience led me to write my first book, Lean UX, which was about applying Lean principles to the design process. That book opened up a lot of opportunities for me to teach and speak about Lean UX, which I had never done before.
More recently, I’ve been exploring the idea of being Forever Employable, which is about creating a continuous pull model where opportunities come to you, rather than you constantly seeking them out. It’s about building your personal brand and credibility so that people come to you for your expertise.
Mike Palmer: That’s really interesting. Can you talk more about this idea of a continuous pull model and how it works in practice?
Jeff Gothelf: Yeah, so the idea is to establish yourself as an expert in your field and then consistently provide value to your audience. This could be through writing, speaking, teaching, or any other form of content creation. The key is to adapt to the signals your audience is sending you and continue to provide them with what they want.
It’s about building trust and credibility over time so that when opportunities arise, people think of you first. It’s a long-term strategy that requires patience and persistence, but it can lead to a more sustainable and fulfilling career.
Mike Palmer: That’s really insightful. How do you recommend finding the right focus and dealing with imposter syndrome along the way?
Jeff Gothelf: I think finding the right focus is about listening to your audience and understanding what they value most from you. It’s about being willing to experiment and try new things, and not being afraid to fail. As for imposter syndrome, I think the key is to just “ship it” – to put your work out there and not worry about it being perfect. The more you create and share, the more you learn and grow.
Mike Palmer: That’s great advice. And how do you recommend learning from thought leaders both within your field and beyond?
Jeff Gothelf: I think it’s important to be curious and open to new ideas. You can learn a lot from people who have been successful in your field, but you can also gain valuable insights from people in other industries. It’s about being willing to step outside your comfort zone and explore new perspectives.
Mike Palmer: Looking ahead, where do you see the future of work heading, and how do you plan to continue exploring the creator economy?
Jeff Gothelf: I think the future of work is all about flexibility and adaptability. As technology continues to change the way we work, it’s important to be able to pivot and evolve with the times. I plan to continue delving deeper into the creator economy, exploring how individuals can leverage their expertise and creativity to build sustainable careers.
Mike Palmer: That’s really exciting. And how can Forever Employable help people find the freedom to work when and how they want?
Jeff Gothelf: Forever Employable is all about taking control of your career and building a platform that allows you to work on your own terms. By establishing your expertise and credibility, you can create a steady stream of opportunities that come to you. It’s about building a sustainable career that gives you the freedom to choose how you want to work.
Mike Palmer: That’s fantastic. Jeff, thank you so much for sharing your insights with us today. If our listeners want to learn more about your work, where can they find you?
Jeff Gothelf: They can visit my website at jeffgothelf.com or follow me on social media. I’m always happy to connect with new people and continue the conversation.
Mike Palmer: Great. Thanks again, Jeff. And thank you to our listeners for tuning in. Be sure to follow us at TrendinginEducation.com and wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, keep learning and keep growing.
And I realized that I had a knack for teaching and sharing knowledge in a way that resonated with people. And that’s really how my journey from practitioner to teacher and speaker began. It’s been a wild ride, but I’m grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way. And now with Forever Employable, I’m able to share my story and help others navigate their own career paths in a rapidly changing world. It’s been quite a journey, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next. So it’s really about finding your voice and sharing it with the world. The second opportunity that we have today is the ability to learn continuously. There are so many resources available online, from courses to webinars to podcasts, that can help you expand your skills and knowledge.
By taking advantage of these resources, you can stay ahead of the curve and adapt to the changing landscape of work. And finally, it’s about building relationships and connections. Networking is crucial in today’s world, and by building a strong network, you can open up new opportunities and collaborations.
So in essence, becoming forever employable is about creating a personal brand, continuously learning, and building relationships. These are the keys to resilience and thriving in chaotic times. Jeff Gothelf: Absolutely, and it’s a natural human tendency to want to hold onto things that we’ve invested time and effort into. But the reality is that if something isn’t working, it’s better to pivot and try something new rather than continuing down a path that isn’t yielding the desired results. This is where the Lean and Agile principles really come into play, as they encourage experimentation and iteration based on feedback and data. It can be challenging to let go of ideas or projects that we’re attached to, but ultimately it’s necessary for growth and success in the long run. The people whose content you consume, whose talks you go to, whose workshops you attend, whose books you read. And that’s the thing that we’ve got to start doing. If you’re not already doing it, you have to start contributing to that community. You have to become one of those thought leaders. You have to become one of those experts. And the way to do that is to share your knowledge. You’ve got a ton of experience. You’ve got a ton of knowledge. Share it. Write about it. Create videos about it. Give talks about it. Teach workshops about it. And do it consistently. That’s the thing. You can’t just do it once and then be done. You’ve got to do it consistently over time so that you build that reputation, so that you build that social proof, so that people know who you are and what you stand for.
And that’s really the key. It’s about consistency. It’s about sharing what you know. It’s about teaching what you know. And it’s about doing it on a regular basis so that people know who you are and what you stand for. And that’s really how you build that reputation and how you become one of those thought leaders, one of those experts in your community. So that’s really my advice to anybody in the education community. Share what you know. Teach what you know. And do it consistently.
Mike Palmer: I love that. That’s great advice for anyone who’s looking to build their personal brand and build their reputation in their industry. Jeff, thank you so much for joining us today. It’s been a pleasure having you on the show. And we’ll make sure to share out all the links to your website, your book, and your workshops in the show notes so folks can find you easily.
Jeff Gothelf: Awesome. Thanks so much for having me. It was a pleasure to be here.
Jeff Gothelf: Absolutely. And the learning from the misses is where the growth happens. It’s where the improvement happens. And if you’re not putting stuff out there that’s not working, then you’re not pushing yourself enough. You’re not challenging yourself enough. So you’re absolutely right. Every time something doesn’t hit, every time something doesn’t land, you have an opportunity to learn from it and improve for the next time. And that’s really where the growth happens. So I love that quote from Nelson Mandela. It’s all about learning and growing from every experience, whether it’s a win or a miss. dedication, and a willingness to learn and adapt, to create a sustainable and fulfilling career for yourself. So my final thought is to embrace the idea of being forever employable, of constantly evolving and growing in your skills and knowledge, so that you can thrive in an ever-changing world. Thank you for having me on the show, it’s been a pleasure to share my insights with your audience.
No nos andemos con rodeos, ¿verdad? Tienes que trabajar duro, pero a través del trabajo duro, puedes cambiar esa dinámica completamente y ponerte al mando para luego decidir qué quieres hacer y cómo quieres hacerlo. Y cuánto de eso quieres hacer. ¿Y quieres tomar un descanso? Y para mí eso es tan empoderador y liberador, que no lo cambiaría por nada en el mundo.
Mike Palmer: Esa es una excelente forma de terminar. Jeff Gothelf, autor de Forever Employable. Puedes visitarlo en @jeffgothelf.com. Compartiremos enlaces a sus libros y todas las referencias que hizo a lo largo de la conversación. Definitivamente alguien a tener en cuenta y seguir si quieres entender hacia dónde se dirige el mundo y cómo construir un futuro resiliente para ti mismo. Algo que creo que todos queremos hacer.
Si te gusta lo que estás escuchando, síguenos en Trending in Ed en Twitter, visítanos en trendingandeducation.com y suscríbete donde sea que escuches podcasts. Jeff, gracias nuevamente por unirte.
Jeff Gothelf: Es un placer, Mike, muchas gracias por tenerme.
Mike Palmer: Y para nuestros oyentes. Volveremos pronto. Esto es Trending in Education.
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