It's a Living

Having been invited to speak at the Beth Chaim Men’s Club Breakfast on the subject of Israeli Street Art, I knew this group of suburban guys and their interim Rabbi would have more than a couple questions about how I, as a supposed peer of theirs, would know anything about this subject. But I started with a question to them, “How many people do what you do?” Your profession, not necessarily your job per se. The lawyer, the accountant, the chiropractor, the dentist, and even the Rabbi, all replied ‘Thousands.’ A couple guys could claim hundreds, but my answer was ‘One.’ I’m the only one that does what I do, and I’ve made a career of it for over twenty-years for the same company. Truth of the matter, is - the job that I have is one that I created for myself. I am an itinerant semiotician who also happens to be a self-proclaimed peripatetic prognosticator, and herein lies my dilemma. As a foresight practitioner I’ve been introduced as a Futurist or even a Trend Guru at customers and conferences where my presentations provide glimpses, not of the future, but of the present that my audience is not necessarily paying attention to that they might want to be. My role is to provide inspiration for innovation and I do that through awareness.

2 comments


  • dick wilson

    Mikel – you bring back some very fond memories of our brief but very inspiring time together.


  • Michael Katz

    Great way to start the series with your unique way of making a living and how you see yourself professionally 👍


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