Hello, and welcome to the first official installment of A Founder’s Lens! The kickoff post outlined series expectations, including the guru messaging tactics you won’t find here. Now that we’ve covered that ground, I’m excited to delve into actual data points and action steps with you.
I’ve prepared all material for a general audience, so no prior business education or managerial experience is required. That said, if you have knowledge in these areas, please share! I’ve designed this space to be a learning environment for us all, and your perspective enhances our discussion.
This first post provides an overview of shifting norms and trends shaping work and opportunity today. This information will lay the groundwork for subsequent posts and hopefully prompt reflection on your own career, sparking inspiration for new possibilities you may not have previously considered. So without further adieu, let’s begin!
Contextual Perspective: A Career Deviating Beyond Expectations
As I wrote in Adopting An Entrepreneurial Spirit, my journey to launching a business evolved largely from happenstance (hence the name, SarNDipity Solutions 😊), the result of a career path varying greatly from the staircase-like ascent I originally imagined. Growing up the daughter of a now retired elementary school teacher and maritime industry executive, watching my parents advance in their respective careers shaped my expectations regarding my own future. Namely, I saw myself finding a job, working there until identifying my next role, and repeating that cycle for a 40 year duration - essentially, continuing on the linear track I knew from nearly 20 years of schooling.
My actual career has unfolded in a much more roundabout manner. After finishing college, I worked for several years at a publishing and events firm, then left the company to pursue a master’s degree. Following graduate school, I interned at a local non-profit for several months while searching for my next role, eventually landing a position overseeing institutional reporting for Iona College (now Iona University). Several years into this work preparing the school for its next accreditation review, the Covid pandemic hit and, like millions, I faced a sudden, unexpected job elimination and career pivot.
I’ve previously shared the rest of my story: My experiences networking and skill-building led to my role at Publio, the marketing agency where I began working in a freelance capacity in 2022. Two years later, I formalized my work with Publio under my business entity, SarNDipity Solutions. Most recently, I launched a presence here on Substack, activating a paid subscription tier in March. Eventually, I aspire to develop courses and coaching programs based on my experiences scaling Publio and SarNDipity. I’m not sure what my career will look like six months or six years from now, but I approach each day as an opportunity to learn and cultivate professional relationships I can take with me whatever my next step may be.
Panning Out to a Broader Social Shift
Compared to the direct path I initially envisioned, my circuitous career arc reflects a more accurate reality for many during an era of whirlwind of economic, technological, and social change. These shifts date back nearly thirty years, as author Daniel Pink describes in Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself. Originally writing in 2001, Pink explains how the institutional structures and norms shaping economic prosperity over the mid- to late twentieth century have become increasingly ineffective in serving a population characterized by increased diversity, digital infrastructure and mobility, and changing expectations around corporation and employee loyalty. These changes, Pink forecasted, would facilitate a shift from organizations to individual “free agents” as the central drivers of economic development and innovation.
Since Free Agent Nation’s initial publishing twenty-five years ago, we’ve seen many of its predictions materialize. These outcomes have unfolded in response to multiple economic downturns, the rise of remote work during Covid, AI and automation’s impacts on hiring and productivity, and the emergence of social media, influencers and the creator economy. Technology has been a key facilitator, with online platforms like Kajabi, Kit and Gumroad empowering individuals to launch digital products and services, reach prospective buyers, and process sales transactions and payments. This Kajabi post explains:
With global Internet usage growing year over year, the digital marketplace has become the new worldwide bazaar, an endless array of opportunities for anyone who understands how to start selling products on the Internet.”
Similarly, Substack founder Hamish McKenzie writes of launching the platform:
“The internet makes distribution frictionless and free…The tools we’re building have lowered the barriers to starting an independent publishing business. You can set up a newsletter, start writing, and be making money within minutes. Everything’s simple; everything just works.”
Of course, building an online audience and customer base still requires effort and expertise, but we’ll discuss this further in future Founder’s Lens installments!
In addition to the tools empowering independent professionals to launch offers and gain visibility, agencies, staffing firms and websites like Upwork help them identify and secure opportunities. In doing so, these platforms service both workers and organizations in need of part-time talent. One such provider, MBO Partners, observes:
“Digital technology continues to reshape the independent workforce—not just through connectivity or marketing, but by transforming how work is found, secured, and delivered.”
In upcoming posts, we’ll explore these emerging work models and how you can adopt them within your own career. Look for these next installments to land soon. Meanwhile, check out the following resources and share your own favorites and recommendations.
Sources and Further Reading
Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself, Daniel Pink, 2001
How To Start Selling On The Internet, Kajabi, 2021
2025 State of Independence Study, MBO Partners, 2025
The Creator Economy Explained: How Companies Are Transforming The Self-Monetization Boom, CB Insights, 2021