
Your AI Roadmap
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As seen at VentureBeat, CES, and in Harvard Business Review
A pesky truth of the age of AI is that everyone's day job is at risk, but we all still need money. We all need to future-proof our careers and finances ASAP.
Your AI Roadmap is not just an advice book, it's a modern blueprint for your career and income. One part modern careers and one part wealth building, this book is ready to take you on an adventure!
You will never be truly free, stable, and at peace until your financial house is in order. If AI takes a huge number of jobs in the next few years, jumping from job to job won't future-proof your income and provide stability. You need to have your own money, in your own name, in your own accounts.
With humor and data-driven examples, Joan provides fresh and tactical career advice as well as ways to expand your income to get your finances in order in the era of AI. Serial entrepreneur, investor, and AI influencer, Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek is a global leader in AI. She has served as CEO, President, VP, advisor, and senior roles at AI startups and enterprises including Clarity AI, Nuance, VERSA, and Edward Lifesciences. Joan is the Founder of Women in Voice, 501(c)(3). She is the CEO of Clarity AI creating custom AI and data products. She is the host of the Your AI Roadmap Podcast where she has interviewed top executives from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and more to discuss their projects and careers: YourAIRoadmap.com
To be clear: Joan is not satisfied with knowing how to build wealth herself. Everyone deserves a financial education and to know that through the age of AI that they can take care of themselves. Let's talk about careers and money! But Joan's AI career hasn't always been smooth sailing. Joan has lost her job in two large-scale AI layoffs. That hasn't stopped her! Being entrepreneurial is key to Joan's financial resilience on her way to financial independence.
Playful, inclusive, and poignant, this book provides personal and professional guidance for people just launching their careers and for people well on their way. The book offers:
- Goal Setting: Set your goals in a clinically validated way via the WOOP method
- Storytelling: Owning your story and accomplishments via the STAR method to connect the dots for listeners
- Personal Brand: Steps to build, grow, and optimize your professional presence online
- Networking: Modern, people-first techniques to expand your network with coffee chats
- Joan's 3 Step Recipe for Financial Freedom Recipe: Know, grow, and be in control of your finances
- Income Streams and Diversification: Joan shares her 22 revenue streams to build her net worth
- Wealth Expansion: 5 Simple Steps to launch a Basic Offer
- PSS 3-Step Framework to Expand Your Income to $1M in revenue
- Income Streams: 57 income stream ideas to try out from easy to advanced difficulty
- Inspiration: Joy, confidence, and meaning in your next steps to craft your own AI roadmap!
Perfect for anyone dreaming about AI, careers, and future-proofed finances from the classroom to the board room, including college grads, executives, pivoters, managers, directors, investors, founders, entrepreneurs, parents, and career counselors. Your AI Roadmap is your guide through the age of AI to future-proof your career and income.
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Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek
Entrepreneur, investor, and AI influencer, Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek is a global AI leader known for technical and social innovation. She has held CEO, VP, and advisory roles at startups and enterprises including Clarity AI, Nuance, VERSA, and Edwards Lifesciences. Joan is the Founder of Women in Voice, a 501(c)(3). Her work has been featured at CES, VentureBeat, Harvard Business Review, Adobe XD, and Google I/O. Dr. Bajorek holds a PhD in the field of multimodal AI from the University of Arizona and lives in Seattle, WA.
Content
Choose Your Own Adventure: How to Read This Book xiii
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Where to Find the Answers to Your Questions in This Book xiii
Introduction: Why I Wrote This Book xvii
Goal of the Book xix
You and Me xx
My Story xxi
Scope of the Book xxv
Part 1 So You Want a Job in AI? Let's Accelerate Your Career 1
1 Let's Future-Proof Your Career and Income: Volatility and Opportunity in the Age of AI 3
Future-Proofing Your Career Steps Overview 5
Resilience and Mindset 6
The Inner Saboteur and Thought Work 7
Imposter Syndrome 10
Questions for Reflection 13
2 Goals, Dreams, and Purpose: Craft Your Goals with the WOOP Method 15
Blue Zones: 9 Lifestyle Habits for Living Long 16
Ikigai: Sense of Purpose 17
Investor Arlan Hamilton 18
5 Career Tips 20
WOOP Method: Clinically Validated Framework for Goal Setting 20
Questions for Reflection 27
3 On Lily Pads and Rainbows: Job vs. Career, Paychecks vs. Income 28
Why I Focus on Careers and Income 30
Questions for Reflection 30
4 People, People, People: Weak Ties Will Help Me Rise, 80% of Effort on Your Network 32
My 80% Networking Rule for Career Building 33
People-First Career Building: The 80% People, 15% Projects, and 5% Skills Recipe 33
Strength of Weak Ties and LinkedIn Research 35
Taylor's Dad 37
My Biggest Professional Opportunities and the Person Who Helped Me Get Them 38
Avoid Networking List: 11 Common Reasons and Excuses People Tell Me About Why They Hate Networking 41
Effective Networking List: 10 Ways to Prepare for Effective Networking Questions for You 46
Set Your Goals: What Is Your "Why"? 46
Do Your Research: Identify Key People and Companies 47
Choose Your Outfit 47
Figure Out Logistics and Transportation 48
Post on Social Media Before, During, and After 48
Have Your Elevator Pitch Ready 48
Have Your Call to Action and Follow-Up Materials Ready 48
Be Gentle with Yourself 49
Follow Up! 49
Rest and Get Support 50
The Power of a Cup of Coffee: Informational Interviews and Coffee Intros 50
Marion's Story: From Amazon Layoff to 55 Coffee Chats to Job Offer 52
Mentorship and Connectors 54
Questions for Reflection 55
5 Personal Brand: Get Credit for Your Work and Hone Your Brand 56
Personal Brand 57
My Personal Brand 58
Personal Brand via LinkedIn Profile 60
Email Inboxes 63
Questions for Reflection 64
6 Left, Right, and Center: Pivots, Resilience, and Connect the Dots via Storytelling 65
Own Your Story 67
Questions for Reflection 73
7 Chasing the AI Rocketship: Your Next Steps for a Fleeting Job Market 74
AI Job Salaries 77
Projecting from Jobs Today to the Future 80
Questions for Reflection 81
8 Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Degrees, Portfolios, and Getting Credit 83
Your Portfolio: Get Credit for the Work You've Already Done 85
Get Organized and Intentional 87
The STAR Method: Project Storytelling 88
Get Credit, Get Proof 90
Take the Next (Small) Steps: Prototyping 91
The Stories We Tell: The STAR and WOOP Methods 94
Your Personal Brand 101 Course 97
Recap of Future-Proofing Your Career Steps 98
Ready to Talk Money? 98
Questions for Reflection 99
Part 2 Beyond the Day Job: Future-Proofing Your Income and Entrepreneurship 101
9 B*tch Better Have My Money: Beyond the 9 to 5, Finances, and My 22 Income Streams 103
Groceries and Trader Joe's Cheese 104
Income Expansion and Revenue Streams 105
My 3-Part Financial Freedom Recipe: Know, Grow, and Be in Control 108
My 22 Income Streams 111
A Note on Net Worth 115
The "Taboo" of Talking About Money and Who It Serves 117
U.S. Census Salary Data by Race, Gender, and Sexuality 119
Wealth and the City: 4 Fabulous Pals 122
A Note for My Beloved Older Readers 122
Hail Mary: Universal Basic Income 123
Questions for Reflection 124
10 You Want to Be a Millionaire: Money in and Money Out 125
Shoot for Seven Figures 126
You Can Only Save as Much as You Earn, So Let's Earn More 127
A Note on Taxes 130
Debt: Credit Card, Medical, Student, and Auto Loans 131
Lifestyle Creep: When Living Expenses Balloon 133
My Beat-Up Car 134
Your Yearly Finances: Fill Out Your Current Financial Picture for One Year 134
Questions for Reflection 136
11 Your Money's Making Money: Saving vs. Investing 137
Investing Is Better Than Saving 137
A Note on Inflation 140
Stocks and the Stock Market 140
Only One Stock Is Risky 141
Diversification: Complex Word, Easy Concept 142
Historical Stock Market Performance of 150 Years 144
Questions for Reflection 148
12 How Much Money Do You Want? Goals, Retirement, and Financial Independence 149
Goal Setting and Financial Timelines 150
Retirement, Care, and Aging 152
What Is Financial Independence? How Much Money Do I
Need to Retire? 153
What Is Your Financial Independence Number? 154
Wants vs. Needs 160
Questions for Reflection 161
13 Are You Ready for It? Wealth Expansion, 41 Ideas to Grow Your Income Streams 162
5 Common Paths to Becoming a Millionaire 164
Start Simple 167
5 Simple Steps to Make a Side Income 167
Thought Work Revisited 169
16 Fancy Obstacles to Avoid: List of Things You do NOT Need to Start: 170
Pineconing: Label and Address Fears 171
41 Income Stream Ideas, Easy to Medium Difficulty 172
Operational Costs 174
Quick Cash 175
Revenue Is NOT Profit: Important Pitfalls to Avoid 178
Questions for Reflection 180
14 You Better Werk: Get Organized, Find Time, and Make Money 181
Founding UW French Club 182
Founding Women in Voice 183
Just Start: Online Businesses 185
Scaling to $1 Million in Revenue: The 3 Step PSS Framework 186
Five Secret Sauce Tips of Entrepreneurship 192
A Note on Time 196
A Note on AI for Business 197
The Goal of $1 Million in Revenue 198
Advanced Revenue Options 199
Questions for Reflection 202
15 How Financial Freedom Feels: Fire Me, I Don't Care, My Income Is Future-Proofed! 203
Future-Proofing Your Income: On Wealth, Goals, and Values 204
Side Effects of Income Expansion: Warning! Results May Include Happiness 206
Future-Proofing Your Career 207
WOOP Method Goal for Your Financial Independence 208
Financial Freedom Power Hour: Make the Time 209
From Food Stamps to Multimillionaire 210
Your AI Roadmap: Future-Proofed Career and Income Framework 212
Questions for Reflection 212
16 Haters Gonna Hate: Let's Say I'm Wrong 214
Results of Inaction: Unaware of Your Goals 217
Results of Inaction: Don't Take the Next Small Steps 217
Results of Inaction: No Network, Not Landing a Job, Not Bringing in Income 218
Results of Inaction: No Research on Compensation or Negotiation, Being Underpaid 218
Results of Inaction: Living in Fear and Financial Insecurity 219
Questions for Reflection 219
17 Beyond AI's Horizon: Mindset and an Irresistible Revolution 220
Growth Mindset 221
Democratization of Wealth and Power 222
The Power of Yet 225
Joy and Meaning 226
Conclusions and Opportunities for Change 227
An Irresistible Revolution 229
Book Reflections of the Entire Book 232
Epilogue 234
Acknowledgments 235
About the Author 237
Index 238
Introduction: Why I Wrote This Book
A pesky truth of the age of AI is that everyone's day job is at risk, but we all still need money. This book has one job: to provide you with practical, data-driven tools to equip you with the ability to future-proof your career and income. I dare say we can have fun, too! If you have the desire to develop your career, expand your career opportunities, and make more money, you're in the right place. This book is all about the agency you have in your life to take action, upskill, and expand your life and income. But before we get there, I need to address the elephant in the room: fear.
No one's job is safe. Shifting sand under our feet and an often small safety net can be scary. Large-scale layoffs at companies fill our new feeds almost daily. Almost 50 percent of Americans report layoff anxiety.1 About 28% of Americans have already been laid off since 2021.2 While the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in these layoffs, the anxiety continues today. Does working in AI keep you immune to being laid off? Nope! Even the chief executive officer (CEO) behind ChatGPT, Sam Altman, lost his job in 2023 when the board tried to oust him. Luckily for him, he was reinstated a few days later.3
That's truly the age we live in. The age of AI brings both high volatility and opportunity. These types of opportunities did not exist even as recently as 2015, when I was in graduate school. In the age of AI, it is estimated that "69 million new jobs are expected to be created and 83 million to be eliminated," says the World Economic Forum in their 2023 report.4 "The report finds that nearly a quarter of all jobs (23%) globally will change in the next five years." That is a loss of 14 million jobs eliminated internationally. Even large companies previously considered relatively stable have had layoffs: Amazon, Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP, Dell, Cisco, IBM, Uber, X (formerly Twitter), Xerox, VMware, Peloton, PayPal, Shopify, Indeed, Zillow, Airbnb, Wayfair, and Yahoo, among others.5
I myself have been in two large-scale layoffs. It's painful, but so common for folks working in the tech sector. When we look at the individual to the societal level, do the folks whose jobs are eliminated have the experience for the new jobs being created? Not necessarily. So begins a great time of upskilling to get new jobs, make pivots, and reconsider our life paths. This book is especially for you if you're at the crux of these career decisions.
Why do we have jobs? For some it might be a vocation that is meaningful for us personally. I know doctors and scholars who feel truly called to their work. For most people I know, jobs are about money. We work for a paycheck. We need to pay our rent, mortgage, student debt bills, childcare, and grocery bills, to name a few. We need money to live our lives. For people who were used to a world of stable jobs for 30 years, this is a pretty big change for so many to have such high amounts of job and career volatility. One interpretation from this is, "We are doomed! There is no more job stability! Gahhh!" Things are changing for sure. Doom and gloom is one way to look at it. I see this as a time of reimagining-a time when you question if a 9 to 5 job is what you want or need.
I'm wildly optimistic about your future. Yes, it's true that the age of AI is a time of great volatility. With great change comes great opportunity to democratize power and wealth. This is especially true for people previously excluded from wealth and agency in their lives and careers. You can build wealth today fast, ethically, and legally for you and your family. This is especially powerful for Black and Brown folks, women, gender expansive, caretakers, LGBTQIA+ folks, people with disabilities, veterans, and other marginalized folks in our world. Lucrative opportunities are now readily available to anyone with a computer, Wi-Fi, and enough time to take action. I am not saying this to diminish the digital divide and those who do not have the time or access to tech, which often are in marginalized communities. For those who do have access, my goal is to show how they can use these tools for good, for themselves, and to lift others up.
In this book, we will explore answers to the following questions:
- Resilience in the Age of AI: How do we build resilience during the turbulent and opportunity-filled times of AI?
- Careers: How do we future-proof our careers in the modern age of AI?
- Income: How do we future-proof our incomes?
This book is a collection of answers. These answers have changed my life and the lives of those around me, and are bolstered by data-driven research and exemplifying stories. I'll share my own story in these pages, as well as the journeys of others who have different identities from mine.
Goal of the Book
This book provides robust answers to these questions as you craft your AI roadmap through the age of AI. Frankly, I'm really jealous of you! You have this resource that distills more than 30 books worth of career and finance content in what I hope is a clear and openhearted way. This book is about 200 pages. Roughly 100 pages are about careers, and 100 pages are about finances. Wow, do I wish I'd had this book even two years ago! I had to chart many decisions that were hard and scary alone. I'd love it to be easier for you! This book can provide actionable shortcuts.
As the author, I hope you can view me as a friend, rad cousin, or ridiculously bold niece/granddaughter who talks about careers and wealth in an open, inclusive, and modern way. I would love for this book to cheer you on and equip you with practical tools to be resilient and live in joy, freedom, wealth, and fulfillment.
Do you talk openly about careers and money? My family doesn't. I'll be honest with you, some of my family members can't stand how openly I talk about these topics. It can be deeply uncomfortable. Words akin to, "How dare you talk and post about how much you get paid?" In fact, "Oh, you know that other people are going to see this?!?!" is a heated discussion my mom and I have had at least five times across the years. I love you, Mom. Agree to disagree! I frequently get told at family dinner tables to quiet down and change the topic. People say that influencers are stupid, not realizing my friend, who is an influencer, brought in $3 million in revenue last year.
Pressured to work long hours? Are you pressured by others to work wild hours and never dream of alternate paths? Is it taboo to talk about side hustles? I have worked a job where I was pressured to work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days per week. Life is too short. I definitely didn't stay at that job long. There are still people I know who work there more than half a decade later. That's a choice! Not what I want.
Some people in my life are indifferent to ambition. They blink at me when I mention negotiating large contracts, raising $500,000 for my nonprofit, or semiconductor stocks. They say, "That's nice, dear, so about our recent trip.." To protect my tender heart from shame and disinterest, there are some folks I choose to never talk with about money or careers. We instead talk about the weather and our current favorite show on Netflix. That's okay!
Is it a taboo for you to talk about your ambitions? To explore how you could expand your income? Perhaps you're from a family and community that openly talks about stocks, portfolios, and entrepreneurship. Lucky you! If you have ever felt like the odd duck out, I want to let you know: you are not alone.
You and Me
You and me, though? I bet you're here because we are on the same page. We are ambitious. We have goals to build our careers and bank accounts. We want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. Not all of your family and friends may feel comfortable with these topics. Your boss may work from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week. That's their choice. That's their journey. But there are other options. There's never been a better time to make a plan, take action, and make a change. Let's make it easier! I've got a great map to help you chart your way-this book!
Will all of it be easy? If I said "Yes, all of it is easy," then I'd be lying to your face. It may be even hard if folks in your life aren't supportive. My advice? Create and enforce boundaries as a strategy for the haters and doubters. Prioritize friendships and people who cheer you on. Consider therapy (it's been awesome for me!). Keep eating your vegetables, working out, and increasing your wealth. It may be safer to build wealth in stealth! It sure has been for me! No one is coming to save you but you. Let's build that roadmap and achieve these goals.
My Story
Who am I to be talking about careers and wealth? My name is Joan.6 I am an entrepreneur, influencer, and investor living in Seattle. Before I share my story, please know that despite these accolades I'm about to share, I really don't have a big ego. In real life, I often get mistaken as Sarah, that brunette from yoga class, or Rachel, your mom's friend's daughter. Let me share my story.
I have always loved languages. But no one was sure whether that passion would ever pay the bills. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, to parents who have advanced degrees and a love of exploration and...
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