TCK SUMMIT: Future of Work with George Siosi Samuels
George Siosi Samuels is a creative entrepreneur, consultant and coach. He is also the Director of Siomedia, a Melbourne-based explainer video company. He's been featured by Adobe, Entrepreneur On Fire and ABC Radio for his work with creative entrepreneurs, growing startups and fledgling communities.
With a diverse background in front-end development, animation, sales and community management - George thrives when leading, connecting and motivating people. He is particularly passionate about culture, business and tech. One of his life-long missions is to animate indigenous wisdom for future generations.
Kicking off the fifth month of our yearlong summit, we asked George to share more about his work and his ideas on the Values Revolution…
View the full (13 minute) video here
What got me excited about this month’s topic is the fact is that it’s what my workplace (The Hub) talked about when I first joined. Co-working spaces have been all about the future of work.
In a lot of the old indigenous legends I’m working on animating, the elders talk about the importance of sharing and changing the west so that it involves more collaboration. It seems now that cultures like corporations, institutions and governments that are afraid of opening-up and collaborating aren’t going to last that long. Things like dictatorships no longer have a place in modern day society. There’s definitely been a shift in how we operate and relate to one another… I think that TCKs (Third Culture Kids) are really going to thrive in this situation because they have always had to collaborate with and learn from other cultures.
What I feel a TCK means is the next evolution in global citizenship, feeling at home anywhere in the world. I do identify as a TCK, the main reason I feel I am is my mixed upbringing and having moved around a lot. I’ve been through an identity crisis things growing up but I’m definitely proud to be a TCK.
In the future of work, everything that you need is going to go back to mini tribes. Co-working spaces are a great setup; they can provide a base for people to work amongst others without businesses having to fork out for an entire dedicated building. Everything will be closer together.
A TCK mindset can help people get out of their comfort zones. If you look at a corporation with a pre-set culture, a TCK can still keep an open mindset in that environment to go out and explore new cultures. I would say get out of your comfort zone and travel to different countries. However, without getting out of your own country, corporates can go to start-ups and vice-versa, although this hasn’t always worked, as often corporates just bring their own culture without adapting. We always have to have an open-minded outset in order to collaborate, survive and thrive.
Understanding your own strengths and talents is a key thing. Universities don’t teach you the importance of networking… Get involved with startups that integrate needs of customers from different cultures. Pay attention to the language of people you are applying for jobs with – are they speaking globally? Take a look at nina4airbnb.com, which is a viral CV posted recently and a prime example of how you should look into new ways to communicate your experiences.
Do spread the word about TCKs. Let people know there’s a bunch of TCKs out there. I think the cool thing is that we (TCKs) are subliminally working our way through society from different angles. We have the power to help change the minds of others.
