WHAT DOES MATH IN THE NEW ECONOMY HAVE TO DO WITH YOU?

This is NOT about addition, more like multiplication.

Algorithm class is now open.

Plaid uniforms, monogrammed white button down shirts and cardigan sweaters made transitioning from one catholic school in New Orleans to San Jose pretty easy but getting used to immersing myself in technology was a whole other story. We didn’t have computers in the classrooms in New Orleans, but we did in San Jose, which I’m sure is no surprise now; it’s not only one of the richest cities in America. San Jose is the epicenter of Silicon Valley and where all the major Technology companies were born.

My mom worked for Hewlett Packard, so I was able to do my homework at home (on the computer); the days when computers were big,bulky, intimidating and not fashion forward. They looked like a cross between a TV and a typewriter. Yes, I learned how to type on a typewriter.  I can still hear the click-clack or clickety-clack (which my spell checker doesn’t like) and let me not forget the bell ringing every time I hit the return key. It’s nice to be part of history and type 75 words a minute too. I had no clue what was about to go down. I feel like my generation (Gen X) tiptoed into technology, unlike Millennials.

History shows Tech resources have been invading our lives for the past century and the way we purchase goods, maintain our households, entertain and educate ourselves. Tech completely transformed our communication channels. We are more efficient because of it, think about how Google,Skype, Youtube, WhatsApp, and even Candy Crush leaked into our lives, saving us hours of research and how social media created another outlet for us to build relationships and stay connected to those we love, like a little and a lot.

The invasion of TECH

On one hand technology has transferred our lives, saved us money but on another it’s annihilated thousands of bank accounts. Many people have lost their jobs because of automation. When we look at the rate of unemployment, Tech sits quietly in the corner pointing the blame at other industries. You and I both know who is partly to blame!

According to Oxford University research, 47% of US jobs are at risk of becoming automated in the next 20 years. Why? Because apparently it’s easier, cheaper and sexier to enlist a robot or an algorithm instead of YOU – in a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll of unemployed Americans ages 25 to 54, 35% believed they’ve been replaced by technology. It’s true that software is more efficient than a human body behind a desk and in front of the computer. Not to mention, the lack of human employees ensures employers some amazing benefits; less taxes, no complaining, no sick days, no pay raises and lots of profit.

Self-driving cars are coming for chauffeurs; drones threaten delivery drivers. Economist Jeffrey Sachs recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper hypothesized that software developers themselves might someday be replaced by the very programs they create.

Good news, your talent and your creativity can’t be easily substituted by computers   or the most magnificent software.

Truth is we can’t live without technology, but the thought of being replaced by mindless, emotionless drones should supercharge your entrepreneurial ammunition.  Why? The days of depending on a company to solidify your future are over.

Even CEO’s of billion dollar corporations have a tough decision to make: keep talented human employees or succumb to this apparent Sky-net drone-dominated era.

Retirement might I ask(you know what I want to say)!  Furthermore, a one dimensional bank account will not pay the bills. The social class gap is deepening, breaking apart the middle-class as we know it, as corporations’ tip-toe across the US boarders to save lots of dollars, chewing their primary source of income.

Today’s Lesson: Hard Math in The New Economy.

Multiple streams of income will keep you out of the unemployment line.  I’m not saying job security is obsolete. Many Americans still have great paying jobs inside & outside of Tech, but if you’re at all concerned about your financial future, know that rolling up your creative sleeves is the fashionable thing to do. Crack open any history book and you’ll see advancements in society have catapulted some, while crippling others.

A Chinese proverb says that the seed of opportunity lies in times of uncertainty.

Not everyone has to be a Ph.D. or a hand labor worker (which are two very separate ends of the spectrum and that’s not the idea) to succeed, it’s better to freely be your best self in the niche you love than being the best at something that doesn’t move you but pays the bills . Being YOU for a living, is a much more rewarding existence.

What’s enlightening about the new economy?  It’s all on you.Get out there; use your assets on the inside to multiply your bank account on the outside. Women who are smart, industrious and refuse to sit pretty are overcoming the machine vs. human obstacle. They are winning in The Algorithm Revolution and you can too!

Funny, I wasn’t concerned about algorithms back then and I’m certainly not concerned now.

Beauty,Wealth & Success,

#Ungenita