The Road Show Begins: Come Build What's Next with Us

0:04I've got some exciting news. Design Nerds Anonymous is hitting the road. Over the next few months, we'll be traveling across North America for live podcast recordings, keynotes, and experiential research events as part of the Work for What's Next Roadshow. And before we dive into all of those conversations, I wanted to record this quick episode for those of you who've been with us along the way. If you've been listening for a while, consider this your personal invitation. If we're coming to your city, I'd love to meet you. From Chicago to Atlanta, New York to LA, and many cities in between, you can find a link to the full listing of the cities we'll be hitting in the show notes.

0:50Or you can also follow me on LinkedIn, Amanda Schneider, to find more details about each event in each city. And even if we're not coming specifically to your city, don't worry. We're bringing many of those conversations right back here to the podcast feed so you can follow along from wherever you're listening. Now today, I want to give you a quick preview of where we're headed, what questions we'll be exploring and why I think this may be the most exciting season of Design Nerds Anonymous yet. So why a roadshow? Well, because I don't think that the conversation should end when the book is published.

1:32In fact, to me, that's exactly when it gets interesting. Now, when most people hear book tour, they usually picture the author giving the same presentation over and over again to different audiences. And there's certainly a place for that. But that's never really been my style. Now, one of my favorite parts of my job is facilitating real conversations with people who aren't afraid to challenge one another, or the way things have always been done. And what I've loved most about Design Nerds Anonymous is gathering very different people from very different perspectives around the same question, and then exploring topics together.

2:11So that's exactly what we'll be doing. Now, every stop starts with one big what's next question. Then we invite experts from the design industry and far beyond to help us unpack it. Some of these conversations will surely reinforce ideas from work for what's next, but others might challenge them. And honestly, I hope they do. Because the future of work isn't standing still, and neither should our thinking. So instead of repeating the same presentation in each location, we're using this roadshow to keep learning, to keep pushing ourselves to ask better questions, and hopefully to bring you along with us for the ride.

2:52So what are we going to be talking about? I'm glad you asked. If there's one message from Work For What's Next that I hope people get through and through, it's that the future isn't something we're waiting for. It's something that we're creating. Organizations are experimenting. Leaders are trying new approaches. Employees are redefining for themselves what better looks like. Now, some ideas are working, others aren't, and there's probably more we don't know yet than what we do. Truth be told, we're all trying to answer questions that didn't even exist a few years ago. So over the next few months, we're going to explore questions like, how do organizations create more personalized work experiences for individuals without creating chaos for the business?

3:41And if AI is changing work faster than workplaces can keep up, what actually needs to change about that physical space? Things like we're asking this next generation to lead the future, but are we giving them what they need to succeed? And there's some really fun topics. We're even stepping outside of the traditional workplace conversations to invite Deb Walden, who wrote the books forward. She's actually an avid puppy raiser for America's Vet Dogs. And we're going to be interviewing her and the CEO from America's Vet Dogs to understand what leaders can learn from service dog training. And yes, there will absolutely be puppies there.

4:19Over all of these cities and all of these topics, we'll keep coming back to one of the biggest questions our industry has been wrestling with for years. If work can happen anywhere, how does that change the function of the office. The goal of all of these topics and all of these conversations is to learn from people asking the best questions, to connect ideas across industries, to share what's working from those that are prototyping, what's changing, and what the rest of us can learn from those willing to go first. So one last thing before we wrap today. Again, if we're coming to your city, I sincerely hope you'll join us.

4:57Not because I want you to hear what I have to say, but because I want to hear what you're seeing. One of the things I've learned over the years is that the best ideas rarely come from one person standing on a stage. They emerge when someone from the audience says, we're seeing something similar, or actually that's not what's happening in our organization. Or have you thought about it this way? Those are the moments that make us all think bigger, think differently. So think of yourself as part of this conversation. Ask a question, challenge and assumption in the room or even digitally online on LinkedIn, you can share an experience that's working or maybe one that completely failed.

5:38Because every one of those stories helps us better understand what's next. I can't wait to see what we learn together. Again, whether you're joining us in person or simply following along here on the podcast feed, you are an important part of this design nerd community. And I am so glad you're here. So if you enjoy these conversations, there's one simple way you can help. Share them. Share an episode with a colleague who's wrestling with one of these big questions. Follow the show so you don't miss what's next. And if you have a minute, you could leave us a rating or review. It helps more curious minds discover the podcast.

6:15Thank you so much for helping shape these ideas over the years. I have a feeling we're going to learn a lot over the next few months. I'll see you on the road.

6:27Thank you.