Guest: Alison Hernandez, Longevity specialist, Future of Work Advisor, founder of Recreate 100, HSM Advisory.

• Longevity isn’t just about living longer—it’s about maintaining health, mobility, and cognitive function for a fulfilling life
• As we all live healthier longer work will play an important part in healthy aging
• People with more autonomy in their work are 55% happier and 30% more productive

Our Verbal introduction

In today’s episode we explore how portfolio work can create a healthier work-life balance and rediscover purpose. Who doesn’t want to build a career that truly aligns with your values?

Portfolio careers offer a new chapter to those transitioning from traditional executive roles. They allow a way forward where you define your own schedule, choose projects that excite you and create a career that supports your well-being over a longer period. It’s about creating a career that works for you and not the other way around.

Importantly a portfolio career is NOT a replacement for a permanent role, it is a shifting to a whole new way of working. The shift is profound and the coaching needed for individuals to decide if it is right for them cannot be underestimated or undervalued. You need to be clear that you are running towards a portfolio career rather than running away from something be that politics, burnout, disappointment a redundancy or not getting a promotion. A portfolio career isn’t for everyone, we often say, “it’s a stage, not an age” and so today we thought we would talk to one of the best in the business for coaching people through transition.

Our intro to Alison

This podcast is where you come to hear about the future of work and we can’t talk about future of work without overlaying the themes of longevity, transition and career mobility. Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Alison Hernandez, a Longevity Specialist, Future of Work Advisor, and Career Mobility & Transition Expert.

Alison has spent over 25 years helping individuals and organisations navigate career transitions, workforce transformations, and the evolving landscape of work. As an advocate for family-friendly workplaces, she’s passionate about designing environments that support employees at every stage of life. Alison is the APAC leader for HSM Advisory which is Professor Lynda Gratton’s consulting business and also has her own podcast: Longevity Listen. She has her very own portfolio career so we are looking forward to this discussion.

In this episode, we’ll dive into Alison’s insights on the longevity economy, the 100-year life, and discuss sustainable productivity. We’ll also discuss her work with ReCreate100, a movement focused on reshaping how we think about ageing and career transitions. Let’s get started!

Questions:

• Alison as a coach of many years can you share with our audience the most common questions, concerns and surprises people have who are transitioning from an executive career to a portfolio way of working?
• Can you tell us about ReCreate 100?
• What can people do to prepare themselves for engaging with work longer?
• What does work have to do with longevity?
• How is working longer good for us?
• Can you explain the concept of sustainable productivity & how it is the antidote to burnout?
• What advice would you give to someone trying to structure a portfolio career that truly reflects their values and strengths?
• How do you balance variety, income, and personal fulfillment?

Episode 2 - Reference and Source Material

• A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that employees with high levels of workplace autonomy had a 47% higher job satisfaction compared to those with less autonomy. 
• Research indicates that increased perceived autonomy can significantly improve individual and group productivity, positively impacting mood and performance