Happy New Year INs and OUTs

Mediacarrie

Jan 3

Happy New Year

Some evergreen INs and OUTs for the year ahead

With 2024 being a wild year in just about everything from business to geopolitics, there is big change on the way no matter what. So this is the year to take your planted seeds of ideas and put them to work for you - no one else gets a say anymore. The old rules are no more, so you might as well put all of those ideas into action. And 2025 better bring some peace with it somewhere.

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I initially included my evergreen list on Linkedin for more career oriented INs and OUTs, but really a lot of this could apply to living life and making the year YOURS. Forget the distractions or other people’s opinions (see Mel Robbin’s new book ‘Let Them Theory’)

IN: Hyping others and speaking their name in rooms they are not in (this should be every year, but especially now). This could be for a job, a client, a mentor, a skill, a recommendation, a connection...we would be far better off supporting each other than waiting on the whims of any organization. And if you have helpful tips or resources, share them.

IN: Lean into your curiosity and learn/try/do anything that captures your interest. Experience in all forms, big or small, are more tools in your tool box for life (and career). And if you venture in a new direction, you are never starting from zero, start now.

IN: Your personal brand (voice, skills, experience, interests, natural abilities) is SO much bigger than any one company or job. Ditch the imposter syndrome, show up for yourself, help others shine too, it will benefit everything you do.

IN: Intergenerational mentorship, because we can all learn from each other regardless of age, be open to it. Ageism is a bore in either direction.

IN: Support women in the workplace of ALL ages, fund more women-founded ventures and health research. It's going to be a challenging equality year, we need to rally the proverbial troops.

IN: More appreciation for social media teams and comms teams, both of which should have a direct path to C-suite roles. They see and hear it all, move at the cultural speed of light, and know their company community better than anyone else. Not to mention, they are the first line of defense for everything public facing, and handle a lot.

IN: Growing independent media. While traditional media is always relevant and investigative journalist is as essential ever, the public is growing weary of some tired tactics, and many establish journalists continue to pivot their skill and brand to their own media businesses (see podcasts, live streaming shows, large substack communications, and more. See Katie Couric, Don Lemon, Heather Cox Richardson, Kara Swisher, Platformer, Puck News, The Information, and more). This is an ideal time for smaller media creators as well.

And of course…..

OUT: Celebrity or mega influencer content/shows/podcasts/etc. I work in media, and all I hear from people is that they want to hear real conversations and stories from everyone else, and stop having other branding shoved down their throats. And there is a reason why call in shows from ‘I’ve Had It’ to ‘Armchair Anonymous’ are such smash hits. 100% agree, so stay tuned for funny convos on our upcoming Age Box Podcast.

OUT: Super long AI generated generic thought leadership posts on any platform but especially Linkedin. Long posts are fine, but this trend needs to slow its roll.

OUT: So many are frustrated with job hunting during a brutal year, and it’s enough. So no more ghosting, automated AI rejections, shameful job postings. We should continue to call out sketchy job posts and warn others about unhealthy work environments. I have seen many companies repost the same role for a year now when I know they have incredible talent applying. Or as an example, just saw a luxury company post a senior marketing role (with 5 years experience?), that was underpaid in NYC (?), and stated 'expect to work long hours 5-6 days a week (!?). Do better.