Happy Tuesday, Reader!

My husband, Craig, used to tell our sons that if you're good at sales and have a trade, you'll always be able to make a living, no matter where you are. That was good advice. I've watched it hold true for him, and for others in my life, over the years. It's also shaped how I think about the future of work for women-owned businesses and their teams.

Last week, I talked about Placebinding™: the intentional art of rooting your business in a real place and real relationships, instead of trying to out-compete the entire internet for attention. Today, I want to take that idea one step further: I think Placebinding isn't just an easier path to $250K. I think it's a more resilient one, especially as AI reshapes the future of work.

Here’s what I mean.

Placebinding™ Cultivates the Relationship Skills AI Can't Replace.

The old way of working has always valued salesmanship as a premium skill set. Don't get me wrong, knowing how to sell is still important. But in a world where fewer and fewer people have cultivated the practice of detaching from reels and texts to engage in the present with another person, relationship skills (the ability to make people feel seen, heard, and validated) are the premium skill set.

These are the difference-makers of the modern world. Gone are the days when deep expertise alone could make up for a lack of relational skills.

And, those skills don't grow in a feed. They grow in a room, in a community, in a place. That's Placebinding™ at work.

Placebinding™ Protects the Work That Requires Human Hands.

Craig is a baker by trade. I grew up in a family of carpenters and contractors. I am, for better or worse, a writer first.

These are all acts of making, of building from nothing into something tangible. (And yes, I see writing as a trade. It’s not some mystical art that comes when the muses feel like it, but a practice of showing up and putting in the work until the thing is built.)

For at least 50 years, American culture has systematically devalued the work of tradespeople in favor of what we call white-collar jobs. Most of those are services or digital-building types of work, and they're the most vulnerable to the AI Revolution, likely for at least a generation. I'm not sure what's going to happen to us writers, but I'd bet my last dollar the tradespeople will be just fine.

Those who know how to make things, especially work that requires dexterous fingers and opposable thumbs, are the most resilient workers in the economy of the next few decades.

The Place-Based Advantage

All of this means that those of us tied to place are likely to have an easier go of it. AI is eating the internet, and probably long-haul trucking. But it's going to be a while before robots show up to build my new deck, and no one but Elon wants a robot taking care of their children.

Placebinding ™ Is the Future of Work.

Relationships you can't fake, and work you can't outsource to an algorithm—that's not just the future of work. It's Placebinding™ in practice. And, it's exactly the kind of pattern I want The 6% Project to test at scale, not just observe anecdotally.

We're looking for women-owned businesses that have sustained $250K or more in revenue for at least three consecutive years.

The ones who've built something real, in a real place, with real relationships. If that's you, I want your story in the data. Access the form here.​

Next week, I'm closing out this series by looking at the bigger picture: What happens to women-owned businesses as the American economy keeps consolidating, and why choosing to stay small might be the smartest move of all.

Until next time,

Renia C.

P.S. - The more businesses we hear from, the stronger this research gets. If you know someone who fits The 6% Project, please forward this their way.

​
​

​​​​​