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You left corporate to do work that matters? Tell me your story and build trust: work with me and create your Sunny Chapter Edit

What if the return-to-office mandate isn't about collaboration at all - but about real estate investments and control? This week, we're exposing the truth about why trust is eroding at work, why women are the first to see through it, and how to build your own flexibility before you're forced to react.

Companies are demanding you return to the office while simultaneously talking about AI replacing jobs. The math isn't mathing. In this episode, remote work futurist Nola Simon breaks down what's really happening - and how to position yourself ahead of the curve instead of waiting to be managed out.

The future of work isn't coming. It's here. And if you're a woman, a mother, or someone building meaningful work without the performance theatre, this conversation matters.

Nola Simon, a future of work strategist and remote work futurist, joins the podcast to talk about what's really driving return-to-office mandates, why trust in leadership is breaking down, and how women—especially caregivers and multi-passionate entrepreneurs—are quietly redesigning work on their terms.

This isn't about trends. It's about agency, self-trust, and preparing yourself for what's next without waiting for anyone's permission.

In this episode, we chat about the future of work for moms:

1. Why return-to-office mandates are really about commercial real estate (not productivity)
2. How trust erosion between employees and leadership is reshaping the workplace
3. The hidden pattern women notice first: values vs. behavior gaps in company culture
4. Why portfolio careers and flexibility aren't side hustles—they're strategic safety nets
5. How to practice "everyday futurism" and prepare for change before you're forced to react
6. The critical difference between your job title and your actual skill set
7. Why the most valuable work (connection, ERGs, community building) is still unpaid—and mostly done by women

Don't miss this episode if:

1. You're tired of waiting for work to go "back to normal"
2. You're considering building income streams outside traditional employment
3. You're a working mom navigating flexibility, caregiving, and career simultaneously
4. You sense something is off at your company but can't quite name it
5. You want to future-proof your career without burning out

If you got value from this episode - please send it to a friend!

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Turn your story into influence: work with me

I love to start my Sunday mornings with a lie in, morning coffee in hand, piano playlist in the background, candles, reading my book and enjoying the slowness before I start the day. I love doing that on Sundays.

I just read the following sentence:

“Criticism of the project is not criticism of you. You do not equal the project.”

I am reading these lines on page 47 of the book Purple Cow by Seth Godin. I am getting surprisingly emotional. It’s just a small paragraph in a book filled with observations about creative marketing in crowded marketplaces.

I am reading… “Being safe is risky”.

In the book he points out, that we have been raised with a false belief: that criticism leads to failure.

Just think about the school system or the way you grew up in your family.

A business that is boring, won’t attract much criticism. It will also not stand out and become highly successful. So, by avoiding negative feedback, by staying safe, I am potentially avoiding success?

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Turn your story into influence: Apply to work with me

It’s Time to take One Step Outside.

2026 is the year of the Solopreneur Revolution - How Women are Designing Work That Loves Them Back

The old rules are dying. The 40-hour work week, the corporate ladder, the "lean in" narrative, basically all of it was built for a world that is crumbling. And working mothers in 2026 are done playing a game they can't win.

Anna Lundberg spent a decade building a solopreneur business that runs on 20 hours a week, term-time only. She's present for her two kids. And she earns a great living coaching women who are redesigning their own careers around fractional roles, consulting gigs, and portfolio businesses.

We're not talking about creating more work-life balance. It's much more about intentional work-life design. It's about understanding that you don't have to blow up your whole life to build something different. You just have to take one step. And Anna breaks down exactly what those steps look like - taking you from positioning yourself in fractional roles to building a business model that doesn't require you to hustle, perform, or prove anything to anyone.

The corporate playbook failed working mothers. So we're writing a new one. And it starts here.

Why the corporate system is broken for mothers—and why tweaking it with flexible Fridays isn't enough anymore

What fractional work actually means—and how it's giving women stability plus flexibility without full-time corporate demands

The positioning trap senior leaders fall into—why showing "everything you've done" on your resume actually hurts you in freelance and fractional roles

How to transition while still employed—practical steps to build optionality before burnout or redundancy forces your hand

Anna's real journey—from her "hippie phase" to 5am client calls with a newborn to her current 4-hour workdays

The AI advantage for solopreneurs—how technology is finally giving independent workers capabilities that used to require entire teams

The Solopreneur Operating System—Anna's framework for designing your business, creating demand, and making delivery sustainable

Anna's Website: onestepoutside.com

Solopreneur Operating System: intentionalexpert.com

Program: Architect (12-week mentoring for solopreneurs)

Podcast: Reimagining Success

Books: Outside of the 9 to 5 | Leaving the Corporate 9 to 5

Connect with Anna:

LinkedIn: Anna Lundberg