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From AI-reshaping careers to widening talent gaps, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of labor “stuckness.” We analyze the fastest-growing jobs, high-pay trade shortages, teen gap-year programs, and the quiet end of happy hour.

Here’s the deal—2026 isn’t a boom year.
It’s not a crash either.

It’s a labor lockdown.

In this episode of Your Work Friends, we break down the biggest signals shaping the U.S. job market right now—and why so many people feel stuck, cautious, and quietly uneasy about what’s next.

We cover:

• The 2026 labor outlook and why “stuckness” is the defining theme (low hiring, low firing, high anxiety)
• The 25 fastest-growing jobs in the U.S.—and what they reveal about AI, power, and who’s getting left behind
• A gap year program promising six-figure salaries for teens (and the uncomfortable truth about access, privilege, and judgment)
• Ford’s $160K mechanic problem—and why the headline hides the real barriers to trade work
• And yes… the death of happy hour 🍸 (what we’re losing, what we’re gaining, and why Tito’s isn’t a culture strategy)

We also get real about:

• The growing two-tier workforce (AI insiders vs. everyone else)
• Why proof of work can quietly become proof of privilege
• Where the real bright spots are in a shaky, uneven economy
• And how leaders, employees, and independents should be thinking differently about talent, pay, and pathways in 2026

This one’s part analysis, part side-eye, part “someone needed to say it.”

If you’re feeling stuck, watching the job market with concern, or trying to lead without losing trust—this episode is for you.

🎙️ Hosted by Mel Plett and Francesca Ranieri
🎵 Music by Pink Zebra
🔗 Find more at yourworkfriends.com

References:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• KPMG 2026 Labor Economic Insights
• SHRM 2026 Talent Acquisition Forecast
• The Upwork Research Institute: 2026 Strategic Workforce Planning
• LinkedIn: Jobs on the Rise 2026 - the 25 Fastest Gr

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

Thanks for listening!

Hey! We love new friends! Connect with us!

• On The Socials! You Tube, TikTok, Instagram on LinkedIn - Mel + Francesca.
• The LinkedIn Group: We'd love to have you join the Your Work Friends Group on LinkedIn
• Drop Us a Line: Send us your ideas, questions, comments, complements, whatnot, to friend@yourworkfriends.com

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Smart people don’t automatically make a smart team.

In this episode of Your Work Friends, we talk with Dr. Anita Woolley, professor at Carnegie Mellon University and one of the world’s leading researchers on collective intelligence, about what actually drives team performance—and what most leaders get wrong.

Anita breaks down why high-performing teams aren’t about talent density, charisma, or motivation, but about coordination, goal clarity, and participation—most of which is decided before the work begins. We discuss how team intelligence (team IQ) can be measured, why equal participation predicts better outcomes, and how leaders unintentionally undermine collaboration in meetings.

We also explore what collective intelligence looks like in remote and hybrid teams, including how to reduce meeting overload, improve asynchronous collaboration, and avoid proximity bias.

Then we go into the future: AI agents as teammates. Anita explains why AI doesn’t improve teams by default, the critical difference between AI as production technology vs. coordination technology, and how AI could strengthen collective memory, psychological safety, and cross-team collaboration—if leaders use it intentionally.

If you lead, manage, or work on teams in an AI-shaped workplace, this episode is essential listening.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

Thanks for listening!

Hey! We love new friends! Connect with us!

• On The Socials! You Tube, TikTok, Instagram on LinkedIn - Mel + Francesca.
• The LinkedIn Group: We'd love to have you join the Your Work Friends Group on LinkedIn
• Drop Us a Line: Send us your ideas, questions, comments, complements, whatnot, to friend@yourworkfriends.com

Send us a text

Why are we still treating wealth-building at work like a VIP perk?

Senior executives have long enjoyed equity as part of their compensation. But what happens when everyone gets a piece of the upside?

This week, we sit down with Anna-Lisa Miller, Executive Director of Ownership Works, a nonprofit partnering with companies and investors to expand broad-based employee ownership - creating real financial stability for workers and driving stronger business performance for employers.

📈 Here’s the wild part:
Shared ownership isn’t a feel-good perk. It’s delivering life-changing payouts —
helping employees pay off debt, buy homes, build generational wealth, and finally get out from under the daily squeeze that 1 in 4 American workers are living in.

In this conversation, we get into:

• How equity for all employees actually works (it’s simpler than you think)
• Why private equity has become an unlikely accelerant of inclusive wealth-building
• The cultural shift that happens when workers feel, think, and act like owners
• What CEOs gain when they stop treating employees as a cost and start treating them as partners
• Why empathy + transparency are becoming future-of-work leadership superpowers

This movement is already proving what many of us believe:
When companies win, workers should too.

And Anna-Lisa? She’s a powerhouse — and the daughter of a badass immigrant mom who built the American dream the hard way. This work is deeply personal.

Listen in to hear how shared ownership could redefine what’s possible for millions of workers - and for the companies bold enough to lead the way.

About Anna-Lisa

• Anna-Lisa Miller is the founding Executive Director of Ownership Works. She is responsible for the organization’s strategy, key partnerships, growth, and overall impact. With a career deeply rooted in expanding shared ownership, advancing racial equity, and driving systemic change, Anna-Lisa is a recognized leader in the nonprofit sector. She brings extensive experience in building organizations, designing impactful programs, and forging partnerships that deliver lasting social and economic benefits to communities.

More about Ownership Works:

• Site
• Videos Anna-Lisa references:
  • Ownership Works – ISC Employees Share in Big Payout, Showcasing the Power of Ownership

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

Thanks for listening!

Hey! We love new friends! Connect with us!

• On The Socials! You Tube, TikTok, Instagram on LinkedIn - Mel + Francesca.
• The LinkedIn Group: We'd love to have you join the Your Work Friends Group on LinkedIn
• Drop Us a Line: Send us your ideas, questions, comments, complements, whatnot, to friend@yourworkfriends.com