Yogesh Chavda, a marketing leader, educator, and AI consultant who advised brands like P&G and Spotify, shares his move from corporate life to a portfolio career. He discusses the challenges of going independent. He explains how AI is reshaping consulting, the value of packaging knowledge into products like custom GPTs, and why critical thinking and human creativity still matter.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Corporate Exit Forced Rapid Skill Expansion
Yogesh left a long corporate career (P&G, Amway, Kimberly-Clark) in 2014 to test whether he could work independently and escape corporate fatigue.
The pivot forced him to learn business development, legal, finance, and run projects solo for the first 36 months.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Pick A Narrow Swim Lane
Do pick a narrow swim lane and be known for a specific capability to accelerate consulting traction.
Yogesh credits a late realization that focusing his positioning transformed his consulting pipeline and client perception.
insights INSIGHT
Consulting Market Favors Known Infrastructure
Independent consultants compete with hourly contractors and large firms, creating tension between price and perceived infrastructure.
Big clients prefer known vendors due to longer lead times and risk, disadvantaging unknown independents.
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What happens when you walk away from a global corporate career to build a portfolio life and then face the rise of AI?In this episode, I sit down with Yogesh Chavda, a marketing leader, educator, and AI consultant who has worked with brands like Procter & Gamble, Spotify, and Pinterest. We talk about his leap from corporate to independence, the challenges and lessons of building a portfolio career, and how AI is reshaping the way we all work.If you’ve ever wondered how to future-proof your career, whether AI will replace your role, or what skills will always remain uniquely human, this conversation is for you.Chapters:00:01 – Finding joy through teaching and consulting00:55 – Meet Yogesh Chavda: corporate leader turned educator and AI consultant01:27 – From corporate to portfolio career: the big pivot02:38 – Downsides of going independent (no infrastructure, new roles to learn)05:53 – Swim lanes, positioning, and competing with big firms06:32 – The rise of AI and its impact on consulting07:11 – Marketing yourself as an independent07:22 – Triggers that led Yogesh to leave corporate life08:30 – Building recurring revenue and creating products as a consultant08:53 – Custom GPTs and frameworks as value drivers09:37 – Can one job give you everything? Rethinking fulfillment11:00 – Purpose, passion, and redefining career meaning12:02 – Future-proofing your career with AI: Yogesh’s advice14:09 – Who benefits from AI productivity gains — the company or you?15:03 – Tools and experiments: custom GPTs as thinking partners16:36 – What humans can do that AI can’t17:39 – Creativity, intention, and setting the problems worth solving19:42 – Compassion vs empathy in leadership20:23 – The risk of AI making us less thoughtful21:03 – Why critical thinking is the most important human skill22:21 – The disappearing entry-level job problem23:57 – The pendulum swing: why entry-level roles may return24:21 – Embracing AI while investing in humanity24:49 – Joy, emotion, and what makes us uniquely human25:38 – Closing reflections and future conversationsIf you found this conversation valuable, please like, comment, and subscribe. It helps others discover the podcast and join us in exploring how to navigate work, leadership, and life in an AI-driven world.#FutureOfWork #PortfolioCareer #AIandWork #CareerChange #LeadershipDevelopment #ArtificialIntelligence #WorkLifeBalance #CareerGrowth #ExecutiveCoaching #FutureProofYourCareer #midliferemix #stevenmiyao #jogeshChavda #coachingmetta #spotify #P&G #pinterest #Procter&Gamble
Midlife Remix 