The Independence Economy — the Other Side of the Gig Economy
There’s an important conversation happening today about the income gap in America. The growing “gig economy” is being pulled into that conversation, and with good reason. As the gap grows, more and more Americans are forced to find additional sources of income and the gig economy offers ample opportunity, whether it’s renting your spare room through Airbnb, driving for Uber, or moonlighting for Fiverr. The conversation about what those workers gain versus what they give up is a worthwhile one.
But there’s another side of the gig economy, one that is growing arguably as fast but gaining less public attention. Let’s call it the Independence Economy.
For many people, over many generations, the American dream meant going to school, working hard to graduate, and pulling in a good job with a big company — one that would take care of you and your family for 30-plus years with a steady paycheck and great benefits; and at the end of your tenure, a pension and a gold watch.
For better or worse, those days are over. As corporate profits get squeezed and pressure on quarterly earnings trumps long-term planning, the expectations of reciprocal loyalty between knowledge workers and their Fortune 500 employers are long gone. More and more workers — talented, experienced, productive — are either being let go or opting out of corporate America.
And once they leave, they decide to never go back.
Why? Because they got a taste of independence and they like it — a lot. They like the ability to choose their own assignments and the fulfillment of working with people who share their values. The autonomy of making their own strategic decisions, without needing approval from four layers of management. The responsibility for their own success, unimpeded by the lagging performance of some corporate subsidiary halfway across the world.
If you work in a corporate marketing department or an agency, you see it everyday in the growing number of amazingly talented freelancers available to you. If you’re smart — and I know you are —you’re making good use of them.
As the Independence Economy grows, so does the infrastructure designed to support the independents who make it up. At Brand Federation, we’re proud to be a part of it.
If you’re an independent, we can support you with connections, community, technology and resources that help you make the most of your newfound freedom. If you’re a company in search of independent marketing talent, we can connect you.
Together, we can make this new Independence Economy work for all of us.
