Career Contessa The New Career Path: Flexible Work, Blended Teams, and What’s Next
Mar 24, 2026
Bria Starmer, founder and CEO of Lions & Tigers who builds blended teams combining full-time staff and independent specialists. She discusses the rise of blended teams and why they matter. She explores why many women choose flexible work and how to transition to freelance roles. She breaks down practical logistics like scheduling, retention strategies, and AI’s role in shifting—not replacing—work.
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Blended Teams Are One Unified Talent Strategy
- Blended teams treat employees and independent workers as one unified talent spectrum rather than separate vendor buckets.
- Bria Starmer notes 29% of enterprise work is already done by non-employees, shifting leaders to think total-talent strategically.
Flexibility Is The Primary Driver For Women Leaving Full Time
- Flexibility is the central driver pushing workers, especially women, toward independent work.
- Bria ties RTO, cuts to DEI, and lack of representative leadership as structural forces making full-time roles less sustainable.
Position Your Skill As A Specific Business Outcome
- Position your independent work around clear buyer outcomes like innovation, quality, or cultural add.
- Bria advises aligning a single specialized skill to the exact business problem buyers hire blended teams to solve.