Your Honor, I Object… to Follower Counts Running the World

What do you want to be when you grow up? Remember that infamous question? Are you doing that career the 8-year-old you swore you’d be? Not me, because I said a lawyer.

What I’ve been noticing, well honestly, what I’ve BEEN noticing, is how much the landscape of careers has shifted. It’s no longer just about skill, talent, or years of experience. Now, in so many industries, opportunities are being handed out based on numbers. The number of followers you have can outweigh the work you’ve actually put in. Even acting jobs are being funneled toward influencers over seasoned actors. Then layer on cancel culture, and it’s a whole different game.

That’s why when we talk about careers, whether for ourselves or for the young ones we’re guiding, it’s important to think beyond the moment. Think about sustainability. Think about ethics. Think about building something that lasts, even when trends and algorithms change.

Because truth is, when I was 8 years old, blogger, influencer, or content creator wasn’t even a thing. And who knows what careers will exist 10, 15, 20 years from now? The only guarantee is that change is coming, so the best preparation we can give is flexibility, integrity, and vision.

At the end of the day, Your Honor, I Object… to Follower Counts Running the World. Talent, discipline, and heart should weigh more than algorithms and likes. Because when the dust settles, it won’t be the number of followers that defines a legacy, it’ll be the work, the impact, and the integrity behind it.