Work 2.0: The Podcast

In this episode, Rachel Wells sits down with Neil Patel (NP Digital) for SXSW London, discussing how AI, large language models, and search agents are changing where customers find and buy. We talk: * Implications for publishers and content professionals * The rise of platform and agent‑driven commerce * What marketers must track now * The skills marketing professionals and leaders need to build im...

In this episode, Rachel Wells sits down with Dan Priest, Chief AI Officer at PwC, about the newly released AI Jobs Barometer 2026 and what it means for graduates, leaders, HR teams, and high-achieving professionals. What you’ll hear: * Why AI-exposed roles are growing and paying more: AI-skilled jobs show an average wage premium of 62%, with some industries seeing premiums as high as 118%. * Rapid...

Join Rachel Wells on Work 2.0 on this early-released episode as she chats with renowned HR analyst and podcaster Josh Bersin about how artificial intelligence will reshape HR by 2030. Josh explains why HR headcount could shrink 30–50% for administrative roles as AI and “super-agents” automate record-keeping, scheduling, and training authoring — while strategic HR work expands from ~30% to 75%. Rac...

Rachel Wells takes Work 2.0 on the road! In this episode, Rachel Wells chats with KeyAnna Schmiedl, Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman, about how leaders can preserve trust and human connection as AI reshapes work. KeyAnna explains why transparency, compassionate listening, and humility are non-negotiable leadership behaviors right now, and why HR (or People/Experience teams) must be give...

In this episode, Rachel Wells sits down with Ryan Serhant ( Million-Dollar Listing, Owning Manhattan star, and founder & CEO of SERHANT.) after his SXSW London talk to unpack why “attention is the product,” how founders can become media companies, and what AI really means for teams and salespeople. Ryan explains how he turned real estate into a scalable media asset, the thinking behind his proprie...

What actually happens when AI doesn’t just automate tasks, but reorganizes how work is coordinated, who holds power inside organizations, and which roles remain economically defensible? In this episode, Rachel Wells discusses with Sangeet Paul Choudary — author of Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Stacks the Knowledge Economy — how work is being redesigned and “reshuffled” in the AI era, and who holds u...

In the race to deploy AI, are we skipping the obvious safety measures that would prevent harm? ISC2’s new CEO, Scott Beale, and I map a practical roadmap for leaders: secure‑by‑design, measured AI safety KPIs, and turning “shadow AI” from an organizational embarrassment into a governed advantage. Three quick takeaways * If you can’t measure AI safety, you can’t govern it — safety metrics must sit...

In this episode of Work 2.0, Rachel Wells interviews Tabitha Brown about the business behind her brand and warmth. Best known for her viral moments and soulful vegan cooking, Tabitha reveals the strategic choices that turned spontaneity into a sustainable brand: closing a restaurant and pivoting into retail, building family-led partnerships, protecting human connection in an AI era, and her plans...

What does it take to scale AI across an organization? Rachel Wells talks with Denis Machuel, CEO of Adecco Group, about key findings from the newly-released 2026 Business Leaders Report — a survey of 2,000 C‑suite leaders across 13 countries. The conversation reveals a worrying gap: the proportion of “future‑ready” organizations has dropped, and only a minority of leaders have talent strategies th...

Join Rachel Wells for a conversation with Vanessa Wyche, Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, who led teams on the ground through the Artemis II mission. Vanessa breaks down how mission success is engineered through readiness and systems thinking, and defines “gritty” leadership. She also shares how NASA is bringing AI into everyday work with a “summer of AI” that invited teams to experiment....

What happens when AI makes every resume look perfect? On this episode of Work 2.0 Rachel sits down with Dr. Jasmine Escalera, career expert at Zety, to unpack the rise of “off‑the‑clock” recruiting — hiring that happens in real life, outside job boards and ATS. Highlights you’ll hear: * Shocking hiring hotspots: hiring conversations are happening in restaurants (42%), grocery stores (32%) and even...

In this episode Rachel speaks with Tiffany Gaskell, CEO of Performance Consultants and co‑author of Coaching for Performance, about how AI is reshaping leadership — for better and worse. The interview unpacks the central tension leaders face today: AI can drive enormous efficiency, but when used as a substitute for presence it can erode trust, psychological safety, and long‑term innovation. Should...

In this episode of Work 2.0, Rachel Wells sits down with Tyler Denk, CEO and co‑founder of beehiiv, to explore how creators, founders, and organizations should rethink content in an AI‑enabled world. Tyler — who helped build Morning Brew’s tech and growth engine and launched beehiiv in 2021 — explains why creator-led strategies are becoming essential business infrastructure, how AI can augment (no...

In this episode Rachel Wells sits down with Ian Bell, Senior Vice President of Global Talent Management at Sedgwick, to discuss how graduates can stand out in an AI‑shaped job market. Ian explains: * Which human skills still matter to employers * How to tell the story behind your achievements * And why emotional intelligence and adaptability are now the real competitive advantages. You’ll hear pra...

In this urgent, eye‑opening episode of Work 2.0: The Podcast, host Rachel Wells sits down with the father of AGI, Dr. Ben Goertzel (CEO, SingularityNET) to unpack AGI: what it means, how close it really is, and why the next few years could reshape work, wealth, and human purpose. Ben explains the technical ingredients still needed for human‑level AI, the risks of centralized rollout, and a hopeful...

Special episode alert: Christina Koch, astronaut and self‑described “space plumber,” sits down with Rachel Wells for a wide‑ranging short conversation about her Artemis II mission: * What it’s really like to work on the far side of the Moon * The qualities and mantras that enabled her to succeed * And her mission to inspire the next generation of women in STEM 🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Po...

Rachel Wells sits down with Trisha Epp, Director of Innovation at Freelancer.com, to unpack one of the most heartwarming and unexpected stories from Artemis II: the Rise plushie floating in zero gravity. Trisha explains how NASA turned to open innovation to crowdsource a zero-gravity indicator, why the winning design captured the world’s imagination, and how a second-grader’s idea became a histori...

What really happens behind the Oscars? Rachel Wells sits down with culinary legend Wolfgang Puck and his son Byron, who reveal how they lead 450 staff and deliver under pressure on Hollywood’s biggest night. Learn how a team of hundreds, restaurant‑level standards, multiple live stations (from sushi to black‑truffle pasta), and on‑the‑spot problem solving make a flawless night possible. Wolfgang s...

In this episode Rachel Wells speaks with Dan Bulteel, co‑founder and CEO of an AI calendar startup (Meet-Ting). We dig into why meetings consume so much of leaders’ time, how better clarity and intelligent scheduling can reclaim that time, and what the future of corporate connection could look like as AI augments our workflows. Expect practical perspective from an early‑stage founder who’s already...

In this quick-fire episode of Work 2.0, host Rachel Wells sits down with Stacy Martinet, Adobe’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and former CMO at Mashable, to explore how AI is reshaping creativity, why visual communication is becoming an essential career skill, and what makes human creativity irreplaceable. Key takeaways from the conversation: * AI is accelerating the demand for...

In this episode, Rachel Wells chats with Dave Treat, CTO/CIO at Pearson, about how AI can truly boost learning and workplace productivity. Dave talks through: * Pairing AI with paired with strong skills diagnostics, embedded upskilling, and thoughtful redesign of work * Why treating AI as an “answer engine” fails * And the DEEP framework Plus, listen towards the end for Dave’s take on the most imp...

Rachel joins Ian Walker, an L&D and business ops exec whose career spans WarnerMedia, Nike, Cisco, and Salesforce, to talk about leadership, coaching at scale, and how AI is reshaping work and coaching. Ian shares lessons from leading teams of up to 150 people, building coaching cultures, helping leaders coach their managers, and balancing AI tooling with human-to-human coaching. They cover: * How...

Join Rachel Wells for a lively, practical conversation with Marc Cenedella, CEO of Ladders, about how AI is reshaping high‑paying jobs and what professionals must do now to stay relevant. You’ll learn: * The single most important career skill for 2026 and beyond. * Which industries and roles are adopting AI fastest * How employers are thinking about AI in $100K+ job postings today * Simple, action...

In this episode of Work 2.0 , Rachel Wells sits down with Casey Marks, COO of ISC2—the global certifying body behind the world’s most recognized cybersecurity credentials—to unpack the next decade of work in an AI-driven world. From the power of “soft skills” (spoiler: they’re not soft anymore) to the rise of entry-level cybersecurity pathways that don’t require a degree, Casey pulls back the curt...

What does it really take to lead in 2026 and beyond? In this energizing and deeply practical episode of Work 2.0 , I sit down with Jamie Pottinger —leadership consultant, speaker, and author of The FACE of Leadership —to unpack the traits, mindsets, and behaviors that define next-generation leadership. We explore: * Why failure is the starting point of true leadership * How AI is forcing leaders t...