Andrea Wade, MBA's Linkedin Analytics

A bad review after years of good ones will get your attention but don’t get distracted. This happened to me and I wasted time trying to address bogus feedback instead of reading between the lines. Me: here is everything I’ve done. Surely this is a mistake. Them: Nope. You are too strategic and your deals take too long to close. The company was in the process of getting outside investment so there was a team evaluating everything. A few months later there were layoffs. Maybe it was just a coincidence? Yeah right. I didn’t get laid off in that round but the review feedback had different meaning. I took it as a sign to get focused on my next move. I made a plan and left a few months later. We “mutually agreed” it was for the best. Sometimes feedback is just that. Incorporate the suggestions and continue to prosper. But there could be other signs of change and the feedback is a warning shot. You don’t want to be caught off guard. Don’t make a rash decision but be prepared to take action as the situation becomes clearer. Calculate your expenses and see how long you could last if If you lost your job tomorrow. If you have already been laid off, you might be scared to look at your expenses but do this now. What is the craziest feedback you have received? P.S. I’ve developed a toolkit to help those who have been laid off with key next steps to help through the transition period. DM me “Next Move” if you want to get info when it launches next week.

Entertainment has always been a super-competitive industry to get a job in. And now? It's even more competitive to STAY in! The happiest place on earth isn't so happy right now. Disney just laid off several hundred employees. They aren't alone: Paramount announced they're cutting another 3.5% of their workforce and NBC Universal is also throwing bodies overboard. What's really happening in entertainment? It's not just about streaming wars anymore. There is a major shift happening with media and entertainment companies.   "Content" used to be "king"; Now it's all about the profit. Let's look at Disney. The infrastructure that's been there for decades is crumbling. Disney's cuts hit marketing, publicity, casting, and development. People who've been building careers for 20+ years. If you're thinking "my department is essential..." Think again. Is it really? There is no fat to cut so now they're cutting the muscle. And they're coming for the bones next. Your 20+ years? Makes you expensive, not indispensable. Your institutional knowledge is great but you need to use it in a different way becuase AI is being positioned as the replacement. If your network is in your same industry, time to expand.  They can't help you if they have already been laid off. Sounds like a horror movie but this is today's reality. These aren't temporary cuts. This is the new normal. Industries are being dismantled. The takeaway? If you're in entertainment, media, or any transitioning industry... Your pivot plan isn't optional. It's survival. Start building it NOW. Not when the email comes. Not when your boss gets replaced. NOW. Do this one thing today: Make a list of your accomplishments related to your current role. Not what you DO everyday, but the VALUE you have DELIVERED. This list is what will help you get to where you need to be. Your industry may survive. But your job as you know it??? Shifting like jello. What industry changes are keeping you up at night?

Would your dream job still be your dream job if you had to have 3 side-hustles to make it work? MIllions watched the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders go through this struggle on the Nextflix docu-series, AMerica's Sweethearts: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. In Season 2 it became clear that these young women weren't in it for the money! They made less than $15 an hour while representing the Dallas Cowboys, a $9 billion brand! Some worked 3 or 4 side hustles just to afford to stay on the team. For years they stayed silent, worried they'd lose their spot if they spoke up. After all, there were hundreds of women eager to take their place. Jada, a 5-year veteran, helped change that. After years of silence, she became the first active cheerleader to speak publicly about the pay. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful. She didn’t want to lose her dream. But she was determined to do something for those coming behind her. Their fight wasn't just about low pay; it was about: • No guaranteed contracts • Extreme physical demands • Mandatory work with no extra pay • Being “replaceable” despite elite-level performance Sound familiar? You are grateful for the opportunity but also feel like things should be different.   You work hard. You stay loyal. You say “yes” even when you want to scream “no.” You fight to keep the dream alive and then you realize the dream has turned in to a nightmare. The takeaway? There comes a point when you have to do something, say something, be ready to pivot. Here’s what most important about this example: • You can love the job or industry and still demand better. • You can make your issues known and still be respected. • You can be grateful and still know your worth. You love the work but hate the pay or the conditions. So you have to take a stand. No matter if the change happens or you have to move on, you win becuase you have stood up for yourself. This isn't easy, but it's necessary. If you are currently in the job market, keep this in mind as you prepare for your next move. Have you watched the Netflix series? Follow me if you need more encouragement like this.

AI has broken the traditional job search process! Today you aren’t competing against other candidates; you are competing against the person who uses AI the best. One job received over 1200 applications within a few days; the overwhelmend recrutier removed the listing. Applying on LinkedIn; but the platform receives 11,000 applications per minute! The traditional apply-and-wait approach is a numbers game that is hard to win. So what works now? Connecting with real people. There's a concept called the "strength of weak ties" that's more relevant than ever. It says that the people who are likely to be most helpful are those who don’t know you that well.  It’s not that your friends don’t want to help. They absolutely do and they might be able to. But your most valuable opportunities often come from your casual acquaintances. Why? They move in different circles. They have access to different information. They hear about openings before they're posted. I had an informational meeting with someone once, hoping that it would lead to project work.  He suggested I meet his colleague in another department. That person ended up being my boss for several years. Here are some ways to tap in to "weak ties": 1. Put yourself in new environments:    Join professional groups, volunteer, take classes, attend industry events (new contacts = weak ties)     2. Reconnect with old contacts:    Reach out to former colleagues, classmates, and connections from clubs or organizations; (distant ties= weak ties)     3. Leverage your strong relationships:    Ask close friends and family to introduce you to people in their networks (friends of friends = new contacts = weak ties) And when you reach out, be clear and specific about what you're looking for, what you want to know (ask thoughtful questions), and how they can help you. Not everyone will be helpful but you are sure to tap into a couple of people who will be. In a world of AI-enhanced applications and mass submissions, human relationships are your competitive advantage. Still use the “traditional process” (apply,wait, and hopefully, interview). It works for some. But don’t JUST do that. Incorporate the above recommendations into your mix. The job search might feel broken, but it is just evolving, prompted by AI. Shouldn't you evolve your approach as well? Have some other suggestions? Leave them in the comments. Share this post with someone who will find this useful.

You want to make a change but you hesitate. Here is how you can overcome your fear and move forward: 1. Acknowledge the Fear Fear isn’t the enemy. It’s just your brain’s way of keeping you safe. Recognize it, but don’t let it run you. 2. See the Possibilities What does success actually look like for you? How does it feel? The more real you make it in your mind, the easier it is to move toward it. 3. Take Smaller Steps Big change doesn’t happen overnight. Break it down. One step at a time, momentum builds. 4. Build a Support System You don’t have to do this alone. Surround yourself with people who see your potential and encourage you. 5. Create a Safety Net Having a backup plan doesn’t mean you’ll need it. But knowing it’s there makes the leap a lot less scary. The familiar feels safe. But it limits your options. If you are thinking about making a pivot, make one small change to your routine to warm yourself up for change. Take a different way to work. Order a different menu item. Wear your blazer with sweat pants. I usually walk in the morning but decided to go later in the day and I was rewarded with this sunset. Sounds silly but small changes will shake up the energy. When is the last time you watched a sunset?

Saying yes to everything doesn’t make you a team player. It makes you a target. Management isn’t looking for order takers. They’re looking for people who know what matters. Early in my career, I thought the way to stand out was to be the one who always said yes. • Yes to staying late. • Yes to taking on extra work. • Yes to whatever needed to get done. I believed that if I made my manager’s life easier, it would pay off. And for a while, it did. Until I wanted to try something new. I was told, “just finish this project first.” So I did. Then came another delay. And another. That’s when it hit me: Being the “yes” person wasn’t positioning me for more; it was keeping me stuck. Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve been that person too. The one who always comes through. The one management leans on,but doesn’t elevate. The one who thought being dependable would protect you. What happens when there are layoffs? Your name could still be on the list. Being Captain "Yes" and doing everything won’t save you. Being indispensable in your current role can make you invisible for the next one. Boundaries aren’t dangerous; they’re strategic. If you’re tired of feeling overworked and overlooked, consider this: 1. Saying no creates space for your priorities. 2. People who get promoted aren’t always the busiest but they are the most focused. 3. Your time is leverage, if you treat it like it is.     I’ve developed a toolkit to help those who have been laid off with key next steps to help through the transition period. DM me “Next Move” if you want to get info when it launches. What is something you said yes to before that you realize should be a full no?

If you are currently unemployed, think twice before you turn it down a job offer with a pay cut. I met with someone who left a high level corporate job. Her company received outside investments and she realized the direction they were going in wasn't good for her. Management offered a package and she took it.                                         She wanted to make a pivot but since she hadn't started the process while she was employed and she had a target time frame to find a job, I suggested that she focused on that and recommended that she broaden her search.    This isn’t settling; this is adapting your strategy to current market conditions.                        She got an offer that was less than she wanted to I gave her this list of questions to   help evaluate it: • Does it come with benefits • Will it teach you something new? • Will you have time to look for another job? • Would you be able to start a side hustle to make extra money? That was over 5 years ago and she is still with the company. She isn't making what she used to make but she doesn't have the stress she used to have and she is able to cover her expenses and save for retirement. Job searches are taking longer and mid-career professionals are having a harder time. If you are currently in the job market, think about your search as triage: First you need to stop the bleeding; next make sure you are breathing during the transition; Then you can work on recovery. Survival first! Determine your bare bones budget so you know where to cut just in case that offer is for less than you expected.           The paycut doesn't have to be forever. Only you know your situation and if a paycut is a workable option.                                                                                        What are your thoughts about paycuts?

Some track obituaries. I track layoff announcements. What do they have in common? Both remind us that life is short. Used to be that hiring was a sign that companies were doing well. Now some see it as a sign that management is doing something wrong. Companies of all sizes are making sure they don’t have “too many employees”. This is amplified with AI. For anyone who hasn’t gone down an AI rabbit hole, it is easy to think that the zillion articles talking about AI’s impact off are overly exaggerated. I remember when the world was going to end after 1999! Technology was going to go bust because systems couldn’t handle the year change. This isn’t that. AI used strategically can multiply productivity. One example: A company that makes shower heads, is on track to make about $50 million in revenue this year. It has five employees. Now is not the time to take your foot off the gas. Start exploring AI. Watch videos or listen to podcasts of people who have experience with AI. Not sure where to start? Ask AI! Do this: Go to OpenAI.com Paste in this prompt: I am a ( insert current or paste title with x years of experience.) I’m new to AI. What do I need to know and how can I learn more? Or (I work in "X" industry and I have “Y” years of experience. I’m new to AI. What do I need to know and how can I learn more? You want to know what you should be thinking about that you aren't. You want to know how your skills can be used in different ways. Keep asking questions. Keep exploring. Keep reading. You can’t break AI. And you don’t want it to break you. Educate yourself and take charge now and control your future. What is your favorite AI tool?

Did you ever think your retirement home might be on a college campus? With college enrollment dropping, housing architects are helping some colleges pivot so that they can reach a new audiences. I don’t have kids so my retirement plan was to move near a college and get to know a couple of students who would hopefully look after me. My idea seems to have evolved into a business strategy to repurpose college housing on campuses including Stanford, Notre Dame, and the University of Florida. Instead of building senior living facilities, companies are taking on projects to retrofit college housing. Not for college seniors, but “I’m retired” seniors! This is boosting revenues for colleges experiencing enrollment drops, and addressing a housing shortage for a specific group of the population. An additional benefit is the mixing of two groups at different life spectrums: college students and senior citizens. It makes sense to me. My grandfather moved near a college campus when he retired. He got his Masters in Counseling and then started a practice in Marriage and Family Counseling. He was working on his PhD in Psychology when he passed away at 86. Things are changing quickly. The people and businesses that survive will be those that pivot quickly in response to market shifts. Would you consider living in “repurposed” college housing in your golden years?

Red Lobster has a new ingredient in its business recipe: 36 year old CEO Damola Adamolkun! 10 years ago when Beyonce was singing about cheddar busicuts, Damola was a new partner at a private investment banking firm. Damola wasn’t supposed to be in the restaurant business. He started trading stocks in high school. At 19 he had an internship at Goldman Sachs. A few years later and he went into private equity. Got his MBA from Harvard. Went back to private equity. Then came PF Chang’s. He pitched his firm to invest in  them. He led the deal. Then something no one saw coming: COVID. So he pivoted. Not away from the problem, but straight into it. He became CEO of PF Chang’s in the middle of the pandemic. No prior experience running a restaurant chain, but deep enough conviction to save what he saw and convinced his company to invest in. And it worked! He went back to his Private equity and then another opportunity popped on his radar. Red Lobster went into bankruptcy in May 2024. Damola saw this as an opportunity to leverage everything he had just learned so he developed a plan, implemented it and led them out of bankruptcy the following September. Now he is the CEO of the brand! The takeaway from his pivot? He’s proof you don’t have to start over to go in another direction. He used his finance skills to lead operations. Damola didn’t change who he was, he expanded who he became. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻: You are not your job title. You are the sum of what you’ve done, what you’re willing to learn, and the chances you are willing to take. If you’re in a role where you’re bored, boxed in, or burned out, ask yourself: • What would I do if I believed I could become the kind of person who could do it? • Am I preparing for the next chapter, or postponing it? • What’s one step I can take to turn a skill into a story? Your move doesn’t need to be flashy. It just needs to be real. I write about real people, real shifts, and real growth. Follow me if you’re navigating pivots in your own life or business. What’s next for you?

After months you finally get an offer only to have it snatched back a few weeks later! What do you do? That’s exactly what just happened to a talented marketer I follow. I first noticed him when he worked at a retail brand and he was posting interesting things he was doing for them. When he left, I figured he’d pop up somewhere interesting. From his posts, it looked like he was staying busy consulting. A few months later, he posted about his new role at a new company, how excited he was and for us to stay tuned to hear more about it. Then BOOM. He was out. He posted about being glad he had options becuase his“dream job” disappeared. Just like that. I remember that feeling: Confusion, disbelief, panic, anger... When you lose a job, you worry that you lost predictable income. But if they can take it away in an instant… how predictable was it really? After I got laid off, I made a promise to never feel like that again. If I didn’t already have money coming in from another source, I’d be set up to get a project or a side gig fast. So I got my EIN and set up my LLC...over 20 years ago. Your bills aren't going to pay themselves. If just got laid off, get your EIN! • Set up your LLC or sole proprietorship: This makes you official. • Start offering services: Writing. Strategy. Ops. Legal. Finance. You’ve got skills people will pay for. • Let your network know you’re available for projects.    Start thinking of yourself as the business. Until the next full-time role shows up, you are the corporation. The economy is shaky. You’re too young to retire and too experienced to be passive. Your anger is justified. Your inaction is not. Share this with someone who needs it. Ever had a job disappear even before you started?

How does the story end when you take the job with the big title but ignore all of the red flags? I pointed out the many red flags 2 years ago when Linda Linda Yaccarino, then Chairman Global Advertising & Partnerships, NBCU accepted the role as CEO of X. At the time, her reputation was stellar. I guessed that Musk lured her away with the title and the challenge. In my post 2 years ago I made up the job description that she responded to: "Major social media platform seeks media expert with vision and connections. Sustained some damage in recent fire (easily addressed by right person!) If you like surprises and seek excitement, this is the perfect position for you!" It was clear then (and still is) that "X" was in need of a pivot. But based on the characteristics of the new owner, I didn't see it as a fit for Linda. I thought her friends needed to stage an intervention. The takeaway? In the words of J.Cole, "Don't save her. She don't want to be saved!" All money ain't good money! If you say yes to that job with the title too good to ignore, even though something in your gut says it is off, go in with your exit strategy in mind. If you just left or were pushed out of a toxic environment, don't beat yourself up. Start your recovery and ackowledge your learnings so that you can avoid that situation in the future. You have to process the trauma from your experience or you risk repeating it. Make a list of your accomplishments and a list of must haves (and have nots) for your next role. How did you recover from a crazy boss?