The Human Cloud Podcast

Jason Posel, CEO of Greenlight.ai, is a recognized leader in the Future of Work. He is an expert in managing contingent workforce payroll programs and associated contractor classification, tax, and labor law issues. This conversation explores the topic of worker classification and its impact on the freelance economy and provides timely insights into the potential impact of the recent updates by the U.S. Department of Labor on worker classification. Risk of misclassification is by far one of the leading blockers for freelance adoption, at scale, due to the massive implications of not getting this right. Jason emphasizes the need for a robust process to evaluate and engage contractors and helps companies adapt to these changes, ensuring compliance and fostering a fair and transparent work environment.  Takeaways Having a robust process to evaluate and engage contractors is crucial for larger enterprises. Recent changes in classification legislation have made it harder for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors. Companies have traditionally used internal processes, employer of record services, or staffing companies to manage classification. The rise of freelance work has introduced new challenges in classification, particularly in terms of compliance and risk management. Companies should pay attention to this issue and implement programs to mitigate risks.

Leaders, Gali Arnon, Chief Business Officer – Marketplace, at Fiverr explains why human relationships will become even more important in the age of AI and automation. Touching on her 6+ years at Fiverr, her prior experience leading a range of software companies, and the journey of Fiverr from a startup in 2010 to a leading public company today. Gali will show us why the future of work is more human than ever, and how Fiverr’s focus on product and technology has enabled both freelancers and clients to form deeper collaboration. She’ll discuss the practical applications of how Enterprises are scaling their freelance workforces, with examples from Amazon, Monday.com, and Stripe to name a few, and uncover the transformational benefits these companies have had from the creation of custom marketplaces and integrating freelancers into existing business processes. Last, she’ll let us in on Fiverr’s latest product launches. To no surprise…since Fiverr has historically been the leader in product innovation as they’ve both internally developed or acquired future looking products like the acquisition of And.Co, a freelance operating system that’s now Fiverr Workspace, and Stoke Talent, an Enterprise Freelance Management Suite that’s now Fiverr Enterprise. Some key takeaways from this episode: Fiverr has had a significant impact on the freelance economy by productizing the process of hiring freelancers and removing friction and bureaucracy from the talent marketplace. The future of Fiverr and the freelance economy lies in bridging the talent gap and providing personalized, efficient, and trusted solutions for businesses of all sizes. Human talent is irreplaceable and plays a crucial role in creativity, human touch, and uniqueness, even in the age of AI. Creating custom marketplaces for enterprise clients allows businesses to integrate freelancers into their existing processes and leverage their expertise to drive growth and innovation. Follow the link to learn about Fiverr’s latest product release: https://fvrr.co/3SBv9vj

Leaders, Our guest today is Pat Petitti, Co-Founder & CEO of Catalant, the leader in independent management consulting. For over a decade, Pat has pioneered the transformation of traditional consulting into a more responsive, on-demand model. He's been at the forefront of the freelance economy since founding Catalant in 2012. A few key takeaways: Pat will go beyond just using the term "freelance" and explain what a freelance workforce enables The focus is on transformation - specifically transforming traditional consulting into Consulting 2.0 The freelance model provides benefits beyond just speed, cost, and quality It's more than a staffing or contingent talent model - it enables fundamental organizational change

Brett Trainor is a fractional leader and the Founder of the Corporate Escapee Podcast. He is an expert in one of the fastest growing segments of the freelance economy - Fractional. Brett is helping GenX escape the corporate world and take control of their future without sacrificing income.  Some key insights to listen out for in this episode: Fractional work represents executive-level leadership - fractional leaders have the experience and expertise of VPs, directors, etc. Brett provides tactical advice on what works well for fractional engagements based on his experience, such as building out the infrastructure and processes Ideal workflow: Brett breaks down how he operates fractionally - working on hourly, monthly retainer, or outcome-based engagements

Rae Hames is the Co-Founder and CEO of Teamera, a pioneering insights platform revolutionizing how companies build and optimize hybrid teams. With an extensive background that spans 15 years in advertising — including roles as an agency operator, brand-side leader, and freelancer — Rae brings a deep understanding of the operational challenges of managing an increasingly freelance-dominant workforce to the table. Before launching Teamera, she co-founded Work Sandy, a freelance staffing consultancy, where she and her team supported major consumer brands build their flexible team infrastructure to improve hiring speed, reduce recruiting costs, and improve team performance. Rae has an impressive ability to create efficient, data-driven flexible teams, specifically by helping leaders create systems that blend full-time employees, agencies, and freelancers under one cohesive unit. A couple of highlights from within this episode: Why freelancers will never completely replace full-time employees… and why getting the right mix of freelance/full-time talent is critical for businesses today How agencies ended up in a “doom loop” that has impacted their profit margins while improving opportunities for freelancers The practical challenges of planning freelance teams - and how to optimize them over time Rae's advice on how leaders can start building an effective flexible workforce (Hint: all you need is two people - a leader with a strategic vision and a project manager!)

Joy Batra is the founder of Quartz Consulting, a freelance consulting firm that has advised start-ups, venture capital firms, and Fortune 500 companies. Joy is also the author of “The Freelance Mindset” which has been featured in The Washington Post, Fast Company, and Oprah Daily. Joy represents the trajectory of the freelance economy, particularly with regard to the freelancers themselves. At the forefront of this evolution is the growing category of executive-level freelancers. These individuals embody a profile that aligns seamlessly with roles such as directors, vice presidents, and general counsels — Joy herself serves as a prime example in the realm of general counsel. While certain datasets may categorize them as freelancers earning over 100k, this segment signifies an exciting transformation in the freelance landscape, showcasing the capacity of freelancing to unlock expansive and diverse scopes of work. Enjoy!

Fractional Growth Executive Sundar Swaminathan shares his experience freelancing and the importance of autonomy and flexibility. He discusses his expertise in data science and his growth strategy of networking and referrals. The podcast also covers transitioning from marketing to startups, exploring career options, strategies for managing stress, and casual conversations about expenses, TV shows, favorite restaurants in Amsterdam, and favorite animals.

Leaders, Asal is the definition of an HR Changemaker we want on our side. She was Phillips' Global Head of Strategic Priorities Delivery, What blew me away were four things: How similar the technology of the freelance economy solves top challenges for talent leaders. Not all talent is created equal when driving an effective Talent Strategy. How similar the language is between HR and innovative freelance solutions. For example, she mentioned talent pooling. How challenging the freelance economy can be for HR leaders In this episode we'll hit on the elephant in the room - why every Enterprise isn't already 10-30% freelance. As Asal puts it, there's a black box mystery in effective talent management, and there are tough conversations that need to be had to move an initiative as transformational as freelance forward. We'll also hit on what I believe is the painkiller that we can solve for HR - enabling successful HR transformations by unlocking agility both internally and externally. Enjoy!

While many experts agree that the freelance economy is the future of work, access to credit is a leading barrier for solopreneurs, freelancers, and freelance marketplaces. While large, traditional companies can leverage credit to grow their business, freelancers as an asset class lack the same traditional banking opportunities, hindering the growth of individual freelancers, thus hindering the growth of freelance marketplaces. Credilinq is an exciting technology and company that can break this barrier. By building a net new custom technology stack, that enables an algorithmic solution to digitizing alternative data that banks can’t access, Credilinq has built a solution that can embed within marketplaces to provide marketplace users access to credit that traditional banks would overlook. Deeper than credit, Vikram and Deep encompass the future of entrepreneurs using cutting edge technology to transform the paradigm of work. As you’ll learn, Vikram and Deep have been able to harness digital banking, generative AI, and cutting edge data science to unlock opportunities for traditionally underserved communities. You’ll also learn how entrepreneurs can harness their expertise to transform an industry.

Leaders, AI is all the buzz...but what is the practical application of AI for every leader? According to Arvind, GM at Wipro, a leading global digital transformation consultancy, the practical application is that in the next 5 years, there will be a fundamental disruption in the value of intelligent labor. This disruption will impact everything - including your job, your team structure, and your company structure. Here's a quick example from Arvind. Competitive research that typically takes a week with a human team can take a couple hours with an AI agent. We've already seen early examples of this through the freelance economy. Whether individuals choose to work as fractional CMO's, COO's, etc instead of continuing on the corporate ladder. Or companies embracing freelancers as a strategic sourcing channel to drive outcomes like North America's leading motorcycle manufacturer leveraging over 30 freelancers to build their collaborative riding mobile application. Or companies like Intuit creating TurboTax Live, a standalone feature made possible by building freelancer talent pools. Arvind will help us understand early examples of success with AI, describe use cases we can all apply now, and show us how tools like ChatGPT can generate brainstorming ideas. He will also give us a 4 step process we can apply to start embracing AI: Step 1: Change our mindset Step 2: Scope what can be done Step 3: Leverage Data Step 4: From Pilot to Production