Today we’d like to introduce you to Elatia Abate.
Elatia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been an entrepreneur for seven years.
Before I left the corporate world to start my own business, I had spent most of my career – in some way, shape or form – recruiting, scouting, finding, interviewing and nurturing talent all over the world. I was Global Director of Talent Acquisition for Anheuser-Busch InBev and served as Vice President of Human Resources at Dow Jones & Company.
In all of the thousands of interviews I had done, I kept on running into people who were fabulous and interesting and wonderful and creative but not particularly engaged in the work they were doing. This happened regardless of country (Brazil, U.S., China, Russia..), regardless of seniority (from the C-suite down to the interns). It turns out that most of the world (>85%) is disengaged or highly disengaged at work. And these numbers have been miserably similar for years!
On the one hand, this costs companies billions of dollars in lost productivity. But, I was interested in the human side of that challenge. What would be possible for humanity if more people could be fulfilled, their potential unleashed, through the work they were doing?
So, in late 2013 I designed a values-based strategy to help people design professional lives that both fulfilling and pathways to financial freedom, resulting in what I call the Mosaic Career (TM). I’ve been sharing this in classrooms and with individual clients around the world ever since.
In 2016, I had an experience that changed my life and business forever. I was at a conference and Peter Diamandis, the futurist (founder of X Prize and Singularity University) jumped up on stage and began talking about self-driving trucks. On the one hand, I was fascinated because I love all things innovation and disruption and possibility. On the other, I thought, “But, what about all the people?” (I am a Detroit native. So, I am particularly awake to the impact of technology on changes in industry.) It turns out that truck driving is the most popular job in more than 25 states in the U.S. What would happen to the economy of so many people began to lose their jobs?
So, I began to dig into the data and saw how enormous the impact of technology on work and our working worlds would be. So, decided that I would use my life as an experiment to discover answers to the question, “How might we empower success in the face of great disruption?” I put everything I owned into storage, save what fits in a carry-on suitcase, to push my own life to an extreme of uncertainty, learn about the technologies creating the impact and learn from those who are masters at managing change. (I shared the journey in a TEDx entitled “Pioneering the Future of Work”)
The trip lasted for over a year, and since that time, I have taken what I’ve learned to help organizations that range in size from Fortune 500 to early-stage start-ups understand the disruption that is here and on the horizon and how to channel that disruption into impactful results.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think every entrepreneurial journey has its peaks and valleys.
When I first began my business my grandmother fell quite ill. I was her primary caretaker. So, although I was starting a business, the first two years of my entrepreneurial journey were largely focused not on the business but on family matters. This push-pull between business and family obligations is one that a lot of people (especially women) face but isn’t spoken about as often.
Focusing more on the business itself, there was a challenge of product/market fit. When I first designed the Mosaic Career (TM) strategy, I was CONVINCED that my market would be career services centers in large universities. They would want to buy my product to help their students not only find jobs but find jobs that are fulfilling. I assumed my extensive network in that world from my corporate days would help me sell lots and quickly. Not so much…
I discovered through trial and no small amount of error that delivering the Mosaic Career directly to individuals was a way better market fit. Plus, it is SO REWARDING to watch people uncover the possibilities for their own lives.
Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about you and your career so far?
The way we work, live, and are in the world is changing faster than any other time in history (hello, pandemic…). I help people and organizations understand how the world has and is shifting so they can empower their own success in the face of disruption – no matter how great.
I am a future-forward strategist and educator. I partner with organizations that range in size from Fortune 500 to early stage start-ups to help leaders make sense of the ever-growing disruption in our world and channel that disruption into tangible results. My client and partner roster includes the likes of PricewaterhouseCoopers, UniGroup, Verizon, University of Arizona, and University of Cincinnati.
I am honored to have been featured in work with Tony Robbins and Trevor Noah and to have been named a leading female futurist by Forbes. I am also an instructor in the Continuing Studies Departments of both Stanford University and University of Toronto.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t know if it is luck as much as it is perspective.
Meaning, in each and every moment, we all of the choice to be captives to our circumstances, driven by the question “Why is this happening to me?” or captains of our destinies, driven by the question, “Given that I’m here, what do I want to create?” It has been my experience and observation that the magic happens when we focus on what we can control and appreciate wherever we are.
Pricing:
- Virtual keynote speeches & workshops – pricing starts at $12,500
- Mosaic Career Coaching Packages – pricing starts at $2,500
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elatiaabate.com
- Instagram: @elatiaabate
- Other: www.linkedin.com/elatiaabate
Image Credit:
NIck Onken
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