Get ready for this special episode that you needed to hear years ago.

Let me say this plainly: Working for someone else is the riskiest thing you can do right now.

For decades, we believed that a "good job" was the ultimate security. A steady paycheck. Healthcare. Maybe a 401(k) with a match.

But that model is falling apart in real time.

I’ve seen this from the inside. I’ve been the employee. I’ve been the boss. I’ve been the guy who signed the layoff papers. When I was at Penton we went through three rounds of layoffs in 18 months and it was devastating for everyone involved. And this continues today but at breakneck speed. Here’s the truth: no job is safe anymore...especially in marketing.

AI is replacing entry-level marketers faster than we can track. Some agencies I know are in desperation mode. The only advice brand marketing teams get is to lean more into AI. Is that even the right strategy? And executive teams still don’t understand what content actually does...until they decide it’s too expensive (even thought it’s not) and cut it.

Here’s the harsh truth: Most people following the “good job, good life” blueprint are broke, stressed, unfulfilled, and trapped.

The old dream isn’t dead because people stopped working hard. It’s dead because the game changed and nobody updated the playbook.

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This week's links:

Dallas Cowboys NOT America's Team

Joe Pulizzi's New Book "Burn the Playbook" Pre-Order

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This week's sponsor:

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When they started, data was housed across multiple systems.

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This allowed their small team of three to build an entire website in just three days.

The results? Nearly 350 new sign-ups a week and 300% database growth in just two years.

Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.

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Civilizational Work with John Wilsey and Stephen O. Presley