Make money doing the work you believe in
2026 will be a pivotal year for many careers. Being caught unprepared is a choice. All changes have winners and losers. You can choose to be a winner.
It’s rare to be able to see disruption coming as clearly as we do right now, with AI:
Will the AI bubble burst?
Will layoffs hit your or your team?
How will AI change your job?
You do not need to know the exact answers to each question to know that change is likely coming to your job, company, and career. Rather than worry about the exact changes, how can you prepare for it?
When asked about the future, Jeff Bezos used to say that his solution was to focus on what will not change rather than what might change.
His example was "price, selection, convenience." He correctly said that people would always like lower prices, more choices, and easier shopping. No matter what changed, he could focus on those constants.
Today, millions of Black Friday shoppers will buy more than a billion items from Amazon as a result of that focus.
So for your careers, what will never change that you can build on in 2026
Relationships will always matter. Managers and executives find reasons to keep and promote people they know and trust. They will find it emotionally easier to ignore or lay off people they don't know well.
Standing out for having unique skill or knowledge will always be valued. If you are doing the same work as the people around you, it's critical to find a way to stand apart. Certain AI use or tools might be the path; equally, something AI cannot easily do might be a better choice.
Understanding what is going on behind the scenes will always give you an edge. Managers never want to create worry or fear. This leads them to hide truths, through silence or by downplaying risks. This is intended as a kindness but leaves you in the dark.
In honor of Black Friday, here are three resources on sale:
1) Managing Up - understand and build your relationship with the decision makers who count. 33% off, just $200 with the code LEVELUPNOW2025: ethan-evans.mykajabi.co…
2) Break Through to Executive - my signature course on career growth - starts Jan 10 and will have new content this session on 2026 careers. 25% off, save over $400 with the code BreakthroughBF25: maven.com/ethan-evans/b…
3) My newsletter, which includes our newly enhanced Ethan Evans AI, available 24/7 to help you all year. Price is going up December 2nd: lock in a year now at the old price: levelupwithethanevans.s…
Being prepared is a choice!
I'll be posting my best advice to help you succeed all year. The courses are simply jump-starts if you want it all in one package, in one place, so that you never miss a tip.
What is your plan for 2026?
List of all my Black Friday career offers: levelupwithethanevans.s…