What if the safest career move right now is… refusing to be one thing?

In this episode, Alice Phillips and Dan Emery are joined by Charlie Rogers, founder of Undefineable Life Design and author of a new book launching this March.

Charlie introduces the idea of the “undefinable” — people whose working lives don’t fit neatly into a single job title, industry, or identity. Not because they’re unfocused, but because they’re layered.

Against a backdrop of AI acceleration, job instability, and the slow collapse of the linear career ladder, Charlie argues that being meaningfully unique across several things is more resilient than being average at one. He calls it the automation of the average — and explains why your edge now lies in synthesis, lived experience, and perspective.

We explore:

• Why traditional career labels are breaking down
• The Undefineable Ascent: a practical framework for designing work that actually holds up
• The case for being “semi-pro” in multiple things, not obsessed with one
• Why energy, not ambition, is the missing piece in most career advice
• What organisations need to learn as careers become less linear and more ecosystem-based

This is a conversation about clarity without confinement — and designing a working life that’s sustainable, human, and genuinely yours.

Are memes the new language of work?

Memes. GIFs. Reels. The things we send without thinking and yet somehow they’ve become one of the clearest ways we communicate how work actually feels.

In this episode of Work Is Weird Now, we’re joined by Martin Kevill, Creative Director at Tangerine Communications, to explore a deceptively big question:

Are memes the new language of work?

We unpack how memes have replaced the office “water cooler” acting as fast, emotionally loaded signals that convey shared reality, opinion, and feeling in a split second. We talk about why memes let people say the unsayable, how they function as pressure release and micro-connection in digitally fragmented workplaces, and what actually makes something a meme in the first place.

We also dig into the risks: where memes can exclude, muddy meaning, or become a proxy for leadership clarity and whether brands and internal comms teams can ever use memes without killing the joy.

We finish by looking ahead. If AI can generate infinite memes on demand, do memes still work without a real human moment behind them?

Playful on the surface. Serious underneath. Because memes might just be part of work’s new emotional infrastructure.

Guest: Martin Kevill, Creative Director, Tangerine Communications

How will work be weird in 2026? | Live episode

We’re back — and for the first time ever, Work Is Weird Now went live on LinkedIn.

In this episode, we’re joined by award-winning journalist and future-of-work commentator Oliver Pickup to unpack the seven big shifts shaping how work will feel in 2026.

From AI readiness gaps and the collapse of the graduate pipeline, to workplace loneliness, resenteeism, and the growing tension between automation and human connection, this conversation explores why 2026 is landing as a pivotal reset year.

We dig into:

• Why many organisations are rushing AI adoption without real workforce readiness
• What happens when entry-level roles disappear — and why it matters to everyone
• The six human skills becoming the real competitive edge
• Loneliness at work as a performance and leadership issue, not just a wellbeing one
• Why “return to office” only works when the office earns its place
• How resenteeism shows up — and how leaders accidentally create it
• Why learning velocity may be the most important skill of all

We close with a question that stopped us (and the audience) in our tracks: If AI gives time back, what do we want to do with it?

Season 4 is a wrap and this episode is our 2025 Work Mixtape.

Across nine episodes, this year quietly and sometimes loudly rewired how we think about work, careers, identity and contribution. From portfolio lives over single job titles, to contribution over credentials, this wrap-up pulls together the ideas, moments and shifts that stayed with us most.

We revisit guests who changed how we show up, from rethinking LinkedIn with Claudia, to Antoinette’s powerful reminder that work is ultimately about dignity, agency and purpose. We reflect on the most human moments of the year, the funniest behind-the-scenes chaos, and the transitions that almost changed everything.

We also look ahead to what we are carrying into 2026: radical open-mindedness about what work can be, generosity as a strategy, and a deeper commitment to exploring the messy intersection of AI, creativity, dignity and human work.

Season 5 is already underway, with live events, new collaborations including our partnership with She Shapes AI, and more strange, honest conversations ahead.

If your career feels in flux, this one’s for you.

This episode features Ben Legg — former Google Europe COO and co-founder of The Portfolio Collective — as we dive into why portfolio careers are becoming the new normal. Ben explains the shift from single-employer dependence to earning through a mix of consulting, fractional roles, creative projects and more.

We unpack the four types of portfolio professionals, the mindset shift toward life design, why organisations aren’t prepared for a fractional workforce, and the real realities behind going solo. Ben also explores how AI expands what’s possible for one-person businesses and what children will need to learn now to thrive in a portfolio-driven future.

We close with a look inside The Portfolio Collective, a global community of 15,000+ people building sustainable, flexible and fulfilling portfolio careers.

In this episode of Work is Weird Now, we sit down with Nicoletta Idili former humanitarian worker turned podcast host and transformative coach to explore what really happens when you press pause on your career.

After eight years at Oxfam, Nicoletta realised the role no longer fit the life she wanted. Instead of jumping straight into the next job, she took a year-and-a-half career break: time to step back, reflect and explore who she was beyond her job title. That break led her to launch Career Breakers, a podcast sharing stories of women who’ve taken time out to reset, recover from burnout and reinvent their working lives.

We talk about:

• Redefining identity when your career is non-linear and “multi-potential”
• Why so many people only step away once they hit burnout
• The emotional and financial realities of leaving a stable role
• How sabbaticals and structured breaks could (and should) become part of normal working life
• Practical ways to prepare for a break: inner work, money, mindset and support

If you’ve ever felt the urge to stop, breathe and rethink everything but fear the “gap” on your CV - Nicoletta’s story might be the permission slip you’ve been waiting for.

This episode welcomes Abigail Wilmore, HR leader, consultant, and founder of People Flow, a global community supporting HR professionals navigating today’s most complex people challenges. With more than 25 years of experience across luxury, fashion, and beauty, Abigail has helped shape human-centred cultures at brands including Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Tom Ford Fashion.

We explore why HR is still battling a reputation problem, the shift from blanket policies to personalised employee experience, and what happens when HR starts thinking like marketers — telling stories, shaping culture, and building brands people want to work for.

Abigail shares the top challenges facing HR today, including proving strategic value, redefining culture in a hybrid world, and understanding where AI fits without losing the human touch. She also reveals common organisational red flags and what skills HR leaders will need next to help people thrive through constant change.

👉 A must-listen for HR, People & Culture leaders, founders, and anyone interested in building workplaces where humans can do their best work.

In this conversation, Paul Lambert discusses the concept of 'living organisations' and how they can liberate individuals rather than constrain them. He emphasises the importance of purpose, culture, and structure in fostering a thriving workplace.

Paul argues that organisations should prioritize human-centric solutions and balance profitability with a strong sense of purpose. He also highlights the role of technology in enhancing human capabilities and offers practical advice for leaders to create more empowering environments for their employees.

Leadership doesn’t always begin in a boardroom. For Antoinette Daniel, founder of Just Helpers, it began with a belief that everyone, no matter their job title, deserves dignity, fair pay, and justice.

A former PE teacher turned anti-trafficking campaigner, Antoinette never planned to start a cleaning company. But when she picked up cleaning to make ends meet, she saw an industry rife with exploitation and an opportunity to build something better.

Over the last 13 years, Just Helpers has grown into an award-winning ethical cleaning agency, proving that business can be both profitable and deeply human. Antoinette leads with empathy and conviction, running her company on trust, transparency, and care, asking questions like “How’s your family?” alongside “How’s the job?”

In this episode of Work is Weird Now, we explore how Antoinette built a business that challenges the system, champions the Real Living Wage, and campaigns for policy change, all while redefining what leadership and dignity at work really mean.

This is a story about courage, conviction, and the future of work, where humanity isn’t a nice-to-have, but the starting point.

How do you build a personal brand that opens doors without feeling like you’re performing for likes?

In this episode, we speak with Claudia Cardinali, Head of Strategy at Great Influence, the agency behind the personal brands of some of the UK’s most influential entrepreneurs.

Claudia shares how to treat LinkedIn as a career asset instead of a content chore, why sustainable consistency beats viral sprints, and how to use AI as a thinking partner, not a ghostwriter.

We unpack how she built her own career on LinkedIn during the pandemic, what “standing out without selling out” really means in 2025, and how leaders and teams can post with purpose, not pressure.

Key takeaways:

• Treat LinkedIn as leverage for your next opportunity, not a vanity platform.
• Post for the right people, not for reach.
• Systems beat motivation - build a workflow that keeps you visible.
• AI can sharpen your thinking, but it can’t replace your voice.

Best line: “It’s not content, it’s an audience and reputation you carry for a decade.”

📍 Find Claudia on LinkedIn and Instagram @ClaudiaCardinali.