mid-season review
The Work Is Weird Now podcast recently celebrated its first birthday, and hosts Alice & Dan took a moment to reflect on our fifth season and our journey so far.
The Portfolio Career Isn't New—We Just Didn't Call It That
The conversation kicked off with Dan sharing her early work history, from earning all four stars on her McDonald's badge to juggling multiple jobs at university: bartending on weekends, working at a sunbed shop, and even hosting parties before bar shifts. "I was doing a portfolio career when I was 19 and 20," she realized. "I just didn't know it."
This revelation tied directly into their recent interview with an upcoming guest, who discussed a platform enabling people to pick up shifts at grocery stores across Europe—getting paid immediately and working wherever they happen to be. For Alice, the appeal is clear: "The idea of just being able to pick up work where you want to and technology enabling that now creates freedom on so many different levels."
Rethinking Work, Identity, and Purpose
The hosts explored how portfolio careers might evolve—mixing purpose-driven work with straightforward income-generating gigs. Dan shared that just 14 months ago, she was interviewing at Sainsbury's after leaving corporate life. "There was something about just going and doing my shift and walking away," she explained, noting there's value in work that doesn't require the same mental load as consulting.
Alice suggested we need to "unravel our identities associated with work," pushing back against the idea that stepping into basic jobs somehow diminishes professional achievements. "We're all capable of many different things," she noted, "and reducing us solely to how productively our brains function ignores all the other work we're capable of doing."
AI: Both Exciting and Terrifying
The conversation turned to artificial intelligence, with Alice describing how she recently spent hours with ChatGPT outlining a young adult novel she's had in her head for 15 years. "All these things that we've potentially been dreaming of are now accessible," she said—though she acknowledged it might not pay immediately. The point? AI enables creative pursuits alongside income-generating work.
That said, both hosts acknowledged the week's headlines about AI's impact on jobs have been "particularly terrifying."
Season 5 by the Numbers
The podcast has seen steady growth, with thousands of listeners across the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and beyond. Top-performing episodes this season include Ben Legg's interview (now the most-listened episode), the 2026 predictions premiere, and episodes on memes and work clothes—topics Alice jokingly attributed to "following the interests and appetites of Alice and Dan all over the shop."
What's Coming Next
Looking ahead, the hosts are considering some format changes: mini-series focused on specific topics rather than wide-ranging seasons, and practical "what to do if" episodes covering scenarios like starting a fractional career or navigating a career change.
They're also partnering with the She Shapes AI Awards, featuring shortlisted nominees in the future of work category.
Personal Updates
Alice has returned to office life two days a week—her first time using Microsoft Teams regularly, which she admitted has been "quite an education." She's also been doing business travel again, experiencing those early-morning Heathrow runs she hasn't done since her twenties.
And yes, her LinkedIn post about embracing her gray hair became unexpectedly viral, proving once again that authentic personal content often resonates more than polished professional messaging.
Work Is Weird Now releases new episodes throughout the season. Connect with Dan and Alice on LinkedIn to share topic suggestions or guests you'd like to hear from.
