Conversations with Lisa: This Moment in Time

Everyone's talking about AI replacing jobs, but what's actually happening out there for real people in real workplaces? In this episode, I'm chatting with career coach Nikki Smith, who works with people at career crossroads every single day.

And here's the thing - the conversation went in directions I totally wasn't expecting! 

We dive into why burnout is still lingering post-COVID, how portfolio careers are becoming the new normal, and why your "people strengths" might actually be your superpower in an AI-dominated world. Plus, Nikki shares the absolute game-changer approach she's teaching her teenage daughters about work that none of us learnt at school!

If you're feeling exhausted at the thought of learning yet another new technology, frustrated with return-to-office mandates, or secretly wondering if it's time to explore something completely different - this conversation is for you. It's practical, hopeful, and refreshingly honest about the messiness of modern work life.

What You'll Learn:

• Why people are still running on a deficit from COVID (hint: it's not just in your head!)
• The portfolio career revolution - and why Nikki's coaching almost everyone towards this now
• How to make AI work for you instead of replacing you (spoiler: start with the tasks you hate!)
• Why "outcomes over hours" might be the key to reclaiming your life
• The human strengths that AI can't touch (empathy, connection, creativity - your time to shine!)
• Strategic effort: teaching our kids (and ourselves) that we don't need to excel at everything
• How to find the good in a "bridge role" when your industry gets disrupted

Resources Mentioned:

I’ve recommend Nikki to loads of friends, and family and members in my programs over the years. She’s brilliant at what she does. And I love that she’s doubling down on helping people uncover their strengths and design a role or portfolio career that works for them. 

This is her FREE portfolio career masterclass
 

And a link to have a FREE 15 minute chat with Nikki to explore what is possible for you.

If you want the strengths code for $44 that she mentioned on our chat, just email [email protected]

Connect With Lisa:

Website: https://lisacorduff.com/

Instagram: @lisacorduff

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!) 

This is a reading of my Substack Series exploring why I felt I lost my voice the past few years. The feedback I received from these posts spurred me into action to create a new program called Back to You in Midlife and is for any woman who has lost a part of herself through this stage and wants to take a moment and reconnect with herself and what matters to her now and create more of what she wants (amongst the chaos!). We start November 10 - join here

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!) 

This is a reading of my Substack Series exploring why I felt I lost my voice the past few years. The feedback I received from these posts spurred me into action to create a new program called Back to You in Midlife and is for any woman who has lost a part of herself through this stage and wants to take a moment and reconnect with herself and what matters to her now and create more of what she wants (amongst the chaos!). We start November 10 - join here

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!) 

This is a reading of my Substack Series exploring why I felt I lost my voice the past few years. The feedback I received from these posts spurred me into action to create a new program called Back to You in Midlife and is for any woman who has lost a part of herself through this stage and wants to take a moment and reconnect with herself and what matters to her now and create more of what she wants (amongst the chaos!). We start November 10 - join here

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!) 

This is a reading of my Substack Series exploring why I felt I lost my voice the past few years. The feedback I received from these posts spurred me into action to create a new program called Back to You in Midlife and is for any woman who has lost a part of herself through this stage and wants to take a moment and reconnect with herself and what matters to her now and create more of what she wants (amongst the chaos!). We start November 10 - join here

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!) 

This is a reading of my Substack Series exploring why I felt I lost my voice the past few years. The feedback I received from these posts spurred me into action to create a new program called Back to You in Midlife and is for any woman who has lost a part of herself through this stage and wants to take a moment and reconnect with herself and what matters to her now and create more of what she wants (amongst the chaos!). We start November 10 - join here

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!) 

How do you engage with big issues like AI and climate change when you're just trying to keep everyone fed and functional? In this conversation with philosopher Dr. Simon Longstaff, Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, I got answers that actually helped.

Simon makes ethics accessible and practical. He gave me permission to let go of trying to be ethically perfect (spoiler: it's impossible) and reminded me that small gestures - falling "just a little bit on the right side" over and over - can shift the world on its axis.

We talked about navigating "right vs right" dilemmas, what makes us distinctively human that AI can't replace, what skills our kids actually need, and why breaking patterns of "unthinking custom and practice" matters more than we realise. You're going to love this conversation.

Key Quotes:

"The real threat to us engaging in the world is not that we are powerless, but rather that we believe ourselves to be."

"Ethical perfection is not possible. Therefore you are liberated in some sense from thinking that that's what's required of you."

"Your heroism doesn't need to amount to the lofty gesture, but it can be in that area of just falling on the right side."

"Demand and offer the best reasons. Never accept things simply because everyone's doing it or it's always been done that way."

Resources Mentioned:

• The Ethics Centre
• Festival of Dangerous Ideas 

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

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You know that feeling when you're scrolling through social media and everything starts to look... the same? AI-generated captions, templated posts, marketing formulas that feel about as authentic as a plastic rose? Yeah, me too. And it's exactly why I'm on my soapbox today about something I'm ridiculously passionate about: the absolute game-changing power of storytelling.

In this Lisa Bytes episode, I'm sharing why story isn't just nice-to-have content filler - it's the secret weapon that cuts through all the noise, especially in this age of AI everything. Plus, I'm getting real about my own journey from trying to outsource my voice (spoiler: epic fail) to discovering that being authentically me is actually what people want to hear.

What You'll Learn:

• Why AI content is making everyone sound like robots - and how real stories are your antidote
• The moment I realised my audience could smell outsourced content from a mile away
• How I found the golden thread for this entire podcast season (thanks, Nick!)
• Why "What's the Story?" became one of my most successful programs
• The contrarian marketing approach that's about to change everything
• How storytelling works in literally every area of life (yes, even parenting!)

Resources Mentioned:

• "What's the Story?" program 
• "Grief Notes" - 30 days of audio support
• Ryan Levesque's newsletter on contrarian marketing

Connect With Lisa:

• Join the storytelling waitlist: https://lisacorduff.com/whatsthestory/
• Instagram: @lisacorduff
• Website: www.lisacorduff.com

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!) 

Sometimes the most important conversations happen in the most unexpected places. In this episode, I'm sharing insights from a recent Ethics Center membership gathering that left me thinking about the massive shifts happening right under our noses - and why it's so important to be having conversations about them now. 

From the collapse of trust in our post-reality world to the looming job disruption that's closer than we think, this episode dives into the uncomfortable truths about where we're heading. But don't worry - I'm not going full doomsday on you! This is about keeping our eyes wide open while still choosing joy, connection, and intention in how we navigate what's coming.

What You'll Learn (From My Geeky Ethics Center Adventures!):

• Why there's a direct link between trust in society and prosperity (and what happens when that trust breaks down)
• The difference between "post-truth" and "post-reality" - and why it matters more than you think
• How to navigate a world where you can't trust what you see is real (hello, my questions about flood footage!)
• The crucial distinction between "work" and "jobs" - and why this will matter sooner than you think
• What history tells us about revolutions and disgruntled middle classes (spoiler: it's relevant right now)
• The CEO of Anthropic's prediction that half of entry-level jobs will disappear in 24 months

Connect With Lisa:

• Join the conversation on Substack: https://lisacorduff.substack.com/
• Instagram: @lisacorduff
• Website: www.lisacorduff.com

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

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What happens when the skill you've spent decades perfecting becomes obsolete overnight? In this refreshingly honest conversation, I sit down with my long-time mate Karly Nimmo - a voiceover agency owner who's watching her entire industry disappear thanks to AI.

This isn't your typical "AI is scary" conversation. It's a real-world look at what's happening RIGHT NOW to creative professionals, and what it means for all of us as we navigate this unprecedented shift in how we work and live.

What We Discuss:

• Why Karly's voiceover agency went from thriving to almost non-existent in just a few years
• How AI is already infiltrating our lives in ways we don't even realise (spoiler: 60% of Instagram content isn't human-created)
• The generational divide: why Gen X faces unique challenges in this AI revolution
• What happens when your ChatGPT becomes an echo chamber of your own thoughts
• Why the question: "Does it matter if it's real?" should be a major talking point right now.
• The psychological impact of AI-induced psychosis (yes, that's a real thing)
• How to maintain agency in a world where the rules change monthly

Uncomfortable Truths We Explore:

• Your job might already be replaceable and you don't know it yet
• We're consuming AI content daily without realising it
• The skills that took decades to master can be replicated in seconds
• Government workers thinking they're "safe" might be in for a shock
• Our entire concept of authenticity is about to be stress-tested

The Bottom Line:

This conversation isn't about whether AI is good or bad - it's about acknowledging that the train has left the station. The question isn't whether change is coming; it's whether you're going to participate in shaping what comes next or wake up one day wondering what happened.

Resources Mentioned:

• Descript (AI editing software revolutionising audio/video production)

Connect With Karly:

Karly runs a voiceover agency (while it still exists!) and works as a podcast producer, bringing decades of technical expertise to the ever-changing world of audio content. Find her at Karlynimmo.com and @karlynimmo on Instagram 

This conversation will make you think differently about the future of work - whether you're ready or not.

Continue your conversation with Lisa on Substack

Know someone who would love this episode? 

Share it with them here (um, and a hefty handful of stars would be greatly appreciated!)