Let’s be honest—this industry is a mess right now. Layoffs are everywhere, leadership roles are disappearing, and even the best of the best are struggling to get a callback. In this episode, Stephen Gates tackles one of the most asked (and most urgent) questions from mentoring sessions: What’s really going on with the creative job market—and how do we survive it? No sugarcoating. No fake optimism. Just real talk on what’s broken, what’s changing, and how to move forward when the ground keeps shifting.

Stephen breaks down the hard truths behind today’s hiring chaos, including:

• Why this isn’t just “ageism”—it’s experience-ism
• The real reason design leadership is losing ground
• How authenticity is your most underrated asset
• The dangerous myth of the magic shortcut
• Why you need a Plan A, B, C (and maybe D)
• How to ask for help the right way—and actually get it

It’s brutal out there. But there’s power in being real, staying specific, and building something that’s actually yours.

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