49. On a Holistic, Ambitious Flex Philosophy with Annie Auerbach

Overview

Today I’m joined by Annie Auerbach, an expert in cultural trends and co-founder of Starling, an agency which keeps brands relevant through understanding cultural change. She is also the author of FLEX: reinventing work for a smarter, happier life, which came out pre-pandemic, but is so relevant as we rethink our world and how we live today as we enter a new stage of the pandemic. Is it any wonder that Annie was on top of this trend? It wasn’t just because she tracks cultural trends; it’s also that she has been living, modeling, and championing a “flex” life for 20 years. 

In this conversation, Annie shares how living flexibly is ambitious and that now is the time to reimagine how we live our lives more flexibly to make it all more sustainable. She advocates to first look within to what you need now and then to think big and muster the courage to craft and ask for what you want. One of the things I love about Annie’s approach is that it is multi-faceted; flex is not one thing and not just about work. Rather, Annie shares how flex applies also to home, mind, body, and future and is really a holistic philosophy: “It should be about a more progressive way of living and a more progressive way of society working.” Listen in to learn more, and pick up Annie’s book. So good!

Thanks so much for putting your beautiful book into the world, Annie, and for sharing your insights with us and championing flex for us all!

More about Our Guest

Annie Auerbach is a seasoned trends forecaster and consultant. Annie is co-founder of Starling, an agency which keeps brands relevant through understanding cultural change. Previously she was the co-founder of the Cultural Intelligence department at Flamingo with over 11 years of experience in cultural foresight, futures and brand strategy. Starling specializes in futures, cultural reports for brand PR, understanding generations, modern womanhood, beauty, health and wellbeing and emergent behaviors driven by technology.

Is it any wonder, then, that Annie was on top of the trend around Flex pre-pandemic. Annie has long known that a traditional 9-5, in-office work structure doesn’t work for most of us, and her book, FLEX: reinventing work for a smarter, happier life, was published by HarperCollins and has been featured in the Financial Times, Stella, the Sunday Times Style, Stylist, and the Sun. It came out in the U.S. in 2021.

She herself embraces Flex and was recognized in 2019 by Timewise, an organization that features and highlights senior part-timers, like Annie, as a Timewise Power Founder. #timewisepower50

Topics Covered

  • Annie shares why flex got on her radar, both based on her personal experience (she’s been living in a flex way for the last 20 years) and on what she was seeing culturally.

    • “There's been a lot of retrenchment and kind of fear, I think in a way of, of flex and feeling that it is not something that pertains to a successful career, or it doesn't mean that you are ambitious, or that you are somebody who is in the fast lane of your career. So I experienced all of this flex-ism, if you like, this kind of prejudice against flex, and I wanted to write something that would be a guidebook for people like myself, so they could almost fast forward the bumps in the road that I had experienced.”

  • We talk about the courage it requires to step off the path, especially since historically there’s been a bias and prejudice against flex, which has caused people fear in embracing it or asking for flex options. But Annie suggests that the first place to start is to get “clarity with yourself” on what you need and then to have the “chutzpah” to ask for it and craft it for yourself, sharing why it will be mutually beneficial for you and your employer. This idea of mustering courage comes up again!

  • We hear from Annie why she believes flex is so relevant to bringing more sustainability to our lives+work.

  • Annie acknowledges how we do here at Sustainable Ambition that our motivations, satisfaction with work, and ambitions ebb and flow over time. We have different moments of ambition. We also talk about how we think about sustainability here at Sustainable Ambition: there is a short-term energy management aspect, and there’s a longevity of our careers aspect as we live longer lives.

  • Annie sees flex as “a holistic vision of a philosophy that's come of age.” That’s why she brings in different lenses: work, home, mind, body, and future. And we explore each.

  • We talk about what people often get wrong about flex. One area is around ambition. Annie shares the idea that people used to think flex was, “Part-time working, part-time committed.” But that’s a false narrative. Annie also says it’s not something that is soft and pliable, but rather requires hard edges and setting boundaries. It’s also a capability that Annie believes is a superpower and actually makes workers more valuable, not less.

  • Given this stage in the pandemic, Annie notes how it is a perfect time for reimagining what’s possible. And we discuss how companies can think about putting in place better systems to support flex work and making it work well for all.

  • I love how Annie shares that people should be proud of choosing flex and see it as an act of ambition. I wholeheartedly agree! She also wants to make clear that flex is in flux; it needs to be re-evaluated over time. It’s not a set it and move on, since our lives and situations change.

  • A final takeaway or suggestion around flex for all of you: Start with looking within, and think big!

  • And share your learning and insights with Annie! While she has been one of the early champions of flex, she knows it’s evolving and gaining more momentum now. She’d love to hear what you’re shaping for yourself and what’s working. Find how you can stay in touch below.

Resources Mentioned

Thanks for Listening!

  • I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Sustainable Ambition Listener Survey here

  • Submit a question or comment for future episodes here

  • Get my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter. Sign up here

49. On a Holistic, Ambitious Flex Philosophy with Annie Auerbach

Listen below or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Overcast.

Check out other episodes here. Be sure to subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Overcast. If you enjoy the show, I would be very grateful for a rating and/or review! 

Sign-up for my Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter to receive a bi-monthly round-up of content and the best tips, inspiration, resources, tools, books, podcasts, and more that we uncover to achieve Sustainable Ambition. We’re here to help you experience more fulfillment with more ease.

2022Kathy OnetoRight Success, Right Effort, Right Aspiration