Work in Progress with Remi & Bella
Chatting work, change and hope this week are Remi & Bella. Co-founders of Ponnd, the home for modern careers, and Elsewhere, a strategy, design + storytelling studio.
What are you working on right now?
We are currently in the process of building the next iteration of Ponnd which is taking up most of our time. We have our heads deep in product at the moment and honestly can’t wait for this next stage to be out in the world.
Along with that we are talking about career, identity, design and everything in between on substack & socials and working on our new studio offering Elsewhere which focuses on strategy, design & storytelling.
Our plates are pretty full at the moment, but we would both say so are our cups!
As tricky as it can be navigating building a new business it’s also one of the most fun things we’ve ever done and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you could change one thing about the world of work right now, what would it be, and why?
Remi: I would say that I wish there was more optimism in the world. I know in this current time that feels like a very big ask and maybe I’m insane. But I do believe that as humans we will always get through periods of hardship and continue to evolve. I just don’t feel there’s a lot of hope in the world at the moment, which can be an awful place to operate from.
Bella: I would have to say freedom of expression - free of criticism. The ability to try something, put it out there and be met with curiosity and kindness. The way people engage on the internet feels far too ‘familiar’ which in term I believe creates hesitation.
What’s giving you hope right now?
Remi: Possibly niche, but honestly the way people are using the current job market to take back ownership over their careers. The rise of freelance, portfolio careers, fractional and people creating careers that suit their lives and give them ownership is such an exciting thing and a light at the end of the tunnel of the current job situation.
Bella: You found me at a very internet time of my life… With work I find myself chronically online and as much as I hate to say that, it has taken me to some incredible corners I’d yet to venture. People producing weird and whacky tech, having conversations beyond the superficial, being more vulnerable exposing process, inner wiring and unique perspectives. It’s given me hope that there is more out there.
There is an abundance of creativity, beauty and people doing cool shit.
Work in progress is a celebration of the effort and mindset required to make real change exist.
The most important jobs are never done and great work happens somewhere in the messy middle, where its all too easy to give up. But optimism is a pragmatic choice we make daily, so if you’re navigating change and want a thinking partner along the way, explore how we work.