Futurism with Karena de Souza

Podtalk
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futurism
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How can parents and younger generations better prepare for an uncertain future shaped by technology, education, and climate change?

A personal journey reveals the link between decision-making and courageous parenting.

“I realized that the future that I thought—as a parent, who grew up as somebody else’s child—I was parenting as I was parented, not as my intellect was telling me I should parent.” ~ Karena de Souza (8:23)

Episode

This conversation explores the intersection of futurism, parenting, and the challenges of preparing for an unpredictable world. Karena discusses her journey into podcasting and book writing, driven by a desire to engage younger generations and their parents in critical discussions about technology, education, and societal shifts. She emphasizes the importance of equipping children with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in a future dominated by uncertainty and rapid change.

Key themes include the evolving nature of work and the need for parents to adapt their approaches to align with new realities. Karena shares her insights into how decision-making skills can be cultivated and applied, using anecdotes from her life and travels. Climate change is highlighted as a significant focus, with an emphasis on fostering hope and resilience while addressing the challenges it presents to future generations.

Takeaways

Futurism as a mindset — Imagining both positive and negative scenarios to prepare for an uncertain future.

Parenting challenges — Encouraging parents to reconsider traditional advice to better align with technological and societal changes.

Generational shifts — Exploring how Generation Z’s unique position as digital natives influences their approach to work and life.

Decision-making skills — Using real-life examples to illustrate how structured decision-making can improve adaptability.

Climate change and hope — Addressing the intersection of environmental issues and the future of work while fostering optimism.

Effective communication — Tailoring messages for diverse audiences, such as parents and younger generations.

Bookwriting journey — Sharing the creative process of connecting futurist themes with personal experiences.

Resources

Karena de Souza on LinkedIn

Contours of Courageous Parenting — Karena’s book focused on helping parents equip their children with skills to navigate an uncertain future.

Akimbo Podcasting Fellowship — A program that introduces participants to the world of podcasting.

Rules for Radicals — A book by Saul Alinsky mentioned in the discussion for its insights into effecting change.

Generational Z Research — Research on the unique traits and challenges facing Generation Z.

Future of Work Studies — Studies examining how technology and societal changes shape work environments.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Thank you for a wonderful interview experience @craigconstantine!

I really enjoyed having to think through my journey with defining my audience when I embraced the idea of podcasting.

The book that I published is Contours of Courageous Parenting - Tilting Towards Better Decisions.
(Available here as an e-book or paperback)

And we didn’t cover it here, but my vision for the audiobook (and where my podcast learning will get resurrected!) is to interview different readers and understand what they liked and learned from the book. One of my favourite reactions was from a single 50-something who said she was able to deploy some of the decision behaviours to better evaluate the criteria for the job she needed vs the one she was originally drawn to.

And of course, I am most happy to answer questions on the Future of Work and the intersection of all the topics we discussed!

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Great to see you here Karena @tiltthefuture !

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I appear to be late to this party, but glad I caught it in time!!!

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@tiltthefuture
Not late Karena. I guarantee it will be just in time. For you, me, or someone else.
Hey, if you had shown up even later, you’d be coming to us from the future. I don’t even know if that makes any sense, but it sounds like it might. :rofl:

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Nice chat. Karena, are you familiar with the work of Adam Smiley Poswolsky? He writes and speaks about meaningful work in the millennial generation. https://smileyposwolsky.com.