Futurist(Mom)

Nancy Giordano
  • 5.0 (14)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Parenting for the future shouldn't feel like guessing in the dark. Weaving her experience as a global futurist, TEDx pioneer and mother of three thriving young adults, Nancy Giordano shares tangible perspectives, real-life stories, and the people you need to know in a quest to explore how kids and families can step confidently into life, work and the world ahead. From developing critical thinking and problem-solving in infancy to confidently facing emerging digital and cultural challenges as they grow, the Futurist(Mom) is your insightful companion for preparing your child for a dynamic and unpredictable world. Tune in and join the conversation on how we can best equip our kids for the future, one episode at a time.

  1. 5D AGO

    Why Creativity Is the Job of the Future (And How to Raise Kids Who Have It) | Doreen Lorenzo

    We tell our kids to be creative, but do we really know what that means—or how to cultivate it? Doreen Lorenzo, former President of frog design and now Assistant Dean at UT Austin's School of Design and Creative Technologies, has spent decades helping Fortune 100 companies innovate and is now transforming how we educate the next generation. Through her podcast "Creativity is the Job of the Future," she's exploring a crucial thesis: in an uncertain, AI-driven world, creative thinking isn't just nice to have—it's the essential skill. Today, Doreen shares what she's learned from design legends, ultramarathon runners, and unconventional creatives about how creativity actually works, why schools often kill it, and most importantly, how parents can nurture it at home. Why This Matters → Creativity isn't what we think it is—and that's the problem. Most parents equate creativity with arts and crafts,  rather than with the ability to tackle challenges, find unexpected solutions, and adapt to rapid change. If we're nurturing the wrong thing, we're not preparing our kids for the future they'll actually face. → Traditional education is systematically killing creativity—even as it becomes more essential. Schools reward conformity, right answers, and standardized thinking precisely when the world needs divergent thinking, experimentation, and the courage to fail. Unless parents actively counterbalance this, kids lose their natural creative capacity by the time they hit middle school. → AI makes creativity more valuable, not less. As AI handles more routine cognitive work, the uniquely human ability to ask new questions, make unexpected connections, and imagine possibilities becomes the differentiator. Kids who can't think creatively won't just struggle to find jobs—they'll struggle to find meaning and agency in a rapidly changing world.

    57 min

  2. FEB 4

    Letting Go of the Future You Imagined: Feeling the Grief, Finding the Joy | Juli Rush

    Every parent holds a vision of the future their children will inherit—but what happens when that future is no longer possible? Juli Rush is both a futurist and a death doula, uniquely positioned to help us navigate what she calls "futures' death"—the grief that comes when the world we expected for our kids fundamentally changes.  Juli teaches foresight thinking to both graduate students and middle schoolers, helping them learn to think—and feel—about multiple possible futures. Today, she guides us through the emotional work of letting go, the importance of honoring our grief, and how to help our children build hope and agency even as they inherit unprecedented uncertainty. Why This Matters: → Parents are grieving a future that will never exist—and we're not talking about it. We imagined a certain world for our children: stable careers, predictable milestones, maybe a better version of what we had. That future is dying or already dead. Until we acknowledge and process this loss, we can't help our kids navigate what's actually ahead. → Our kids can feel our unprocessed grief—and it shapes how they see their own future. When parents carry unexpressed disappointment, anxiety, or sadness about the future, children absorb it. If we don't do our own emotional work around letting go, we risk projecting our fears onto them or clinging to expectations that no longer serve them. → Foresight isn't just about thinking—it's about feeling. Teaching kids (and ourselves) to engage with the future means holding both grief and joy, loss and possibility. Juli's work shows that we can honor what's ending while building the capacity to imagine and create what comes next. This isn't toxic positivity—it's the necessary emotional literacy for navigating uncertainty.

    49 min
  3. Pausing the Race to College for a "Launch Year" of Deeper Wisdoms | Abby Falik

    JAN 27

    Pausing the Race to College for a "Launch Year" of Deeper Wisdoms | Abby Falik

    What if the straight path from high school to college isn't the best way to prepare our kids for life? Abby Falik graduated from Stanford exhausted and burnt out—despite playing the academic game perfectly. That experience led her to spend two decades creating alternatives, founding Global Citizen Year and raising over $65 million to help thousands of young people take transformative bridge years. Now, with The Flight School, Abby is challenging the entire paradigm. She believes our kids are missing something essential: wisdom, a sense of what it means to be human, and the capacity to navigate uncertainty. Through immersive experiences and "the power of the pause," she's reimagining the transition from high school into a rebellious rite of passage that builds a compass, not just credentials. And she also regularly shares her emerging observations and wisdoms via substack.  Why This Matters → The race to college can create hollow achievers rather than wise humans. Many kids work hard to be accepted to college only to arrive exhausted, directionless, and disconnected from any deeper sense of purpose or meaning. Achievement isn't the same as wisdom, and credentials don't teach you what it means to be human. → The world our kids face requires a different kind of preparation. In an era of unprecedented uncertainty and rapid change, following a predetermined path won't serve them. They need to develop their own internal compass, learn to navigate ambiguity, and discover what they actually care about; that requires a new approach.  → The pause isn't a detour—it's the point. Taking time between high school and college isn't falling behind; it's an intentional rite of passage that can fundamentally change a young person's trajectory. When we give kids permission to step off the treadmill and into the unknown, they discover who they are and what matters—which changes everything that comes after.

    43 min
  4. How to Talk to Your Kids About Everything—Including the Future | Jen Davidson Shoemaker

    JAN 20

    How to Talk to Your Kids About Everything—Including the Future | Jen Davidson Shoemaker

    When your kids hit the teenage years, the conversations get harder—and more important. How do you talk about sex, failure, relationships, money, and yes, the uncertain future they're inheriting? Jen Shoemaker Davidson, author of Keep Talking: Conversations with Our Kids When They Want Us Least but Need Us Most, isn't a clinician or parenting expert—she's a mom who figured out how to stay connected to her teens even when they pushed back. Through her "life lesson lunches" and commitment to showing up for the awkward conversations, Jen developed a practical approach to building trust and maintaining open communication. Today, she shares strategies for tackling the topics that matter most—including how to help kids process their hopes, fears, and expectations for a future that looks nothing like ours. Why This Matters → The hardest conversations are the most important—and most parents are avoiding them. When kids enter their teens, many parents retreat just when kids need them most. Without open dialogue, kids fill the void with peers, social media, AI chatbots, or silence—none of which prepare them for what's ahead or keep them safe from emerging threats like online exploitation, gambling debts, or worse. → The threats our kids face have evolved far beyond "the talk." While we're still focused on condom conversations, our kids are navigating AI companions, online predators, sexploitation, gaming and gambling debts, cyberbullying, and levels of anxiety and dread that can lead to suicidal ideation. Surveillance isn't the answer—real communication is. → Kids today are inheriting unprecedented uncertainty—and they need us to talk about it. Climate change, economic shifts, AI disrupting careers, rapidly changing social norms—our kids face a future we can't fully predict. If we can't create space to discuss both the everyday challenges and their fears about tomorrow, we're leaving them to process it alone—or with AI companions that can't provide what a trusted parent can.

    50 min
  5. How to Raise (and Support) a Real Life Superhero | Yarrow Kraner

    JAN 13

    How to Raise (and Support) a Real Life Superhero | Yarrow Kraner

    How to Raise (and Support) a Real Life Superhero | Yarrow Kraner As the world changes faster each day, how can we raise and support superheroes ready for the task? Said another way, what if a child’s challenging traits isn't a problem to fix but a superpower waiting to emerge?  In 1999, Yarrow Kraner launched one of the world's earliest social networks built on a radical belief: everyone has unique gifts that can change the world—especially in children—galvanizing 1.5 million youth into action. In 2004 In 2004, he founded HATCH, connecting and cross-pollinating diverse global influencers and NextGen youth leaders to accelerate collaborations and solutions for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. By bringing together today's real-life superheroes—from astronauts to composers, inventors to software engineers—HATCH has led to thousands of collaborations, companies formed, and systems change at the policy level. The results have impacted the lives of 100 million people.  Yarrow shares how he sees human potential and how we can all recognize the visionary traits in children before the world carves away their gifts. As well as ways we can create the conditions where superpowers such as empathy and creativity can flourish.  Why This Matters: → Your child’s misunderstood traits might be their greatest strength. What looks like defiance, distraction, or impracticality could be visionary thinking in disguise—but only if we learn to recognize and nurture it. → We're accidentally crushing curiosity. Preschoolers ask over 100 questions a day; by middle school, that curiosity has nearly vanished. This dramatic drop is what happens when wonder meets a world that doesn't know how to hold it. → Society desperately needs more visionaries—but many never bloom. The environments we can create (or not) can be the difference between those superpowers emerging or being shut down forever.

    53 min
  6. The Wellbeing Economy: Why Our Kids' Future Could Be Better Than Ours | Gaya Herrington

    JAN 6

    The Wellbeing Economy: Why Our Kids' Future Could Be Better Than Ours | Gaya Herrington

    What if the economy our children inherit looks nothing like the one we grew up in—not because of disaster, but by design? Gaya Herrington, the econometrician whose viral research confirmed we're tracking toward the collapse scenarios predicted 50 years ago, believes we're at a pivotal moment. We can either let limits to growth force themselves upon us, or we can deliberately redesign our economy around wellbeing instead of endless expansion. Drawing from her work with the Club of Rome and her book Five Insights for Avoiding Global Collapse, Gaya reveals what a post-growth economy actually looks like—and why it might be exactly the world we'd want our children to inhabit anyway. Why This Matters → The economic system our kids will inherit is fundamentally breaking down—whether we acknowledge it or not. Gaya's research shows we're tracking the "business as usual" scenario that predicted global industrial decline beginning around now. This isn't pessimism; it's data. The question isn't if the growth-obsessed economy ends, but whether it ends by design or disaster. → Post-growth doesn't mean post-prosperity—it means redefining what prosperity is. A wellbeing economy isn't about sacrifice or deprivation. It's about working less, connecting more, meeting everyone's needs by design rather than hoping growth will trickle down, and building resilience in a world where "business as usual" is no longer viable. → We're teaching our kids to succeed in an economy that won't exist. If parents don't understand what a post-growth world looks like, we're preparing our children for a game whose rules are already changing. Understanding this shift isn't just about their economic future—it's about their values, their wellbeing, and their ability to thrive in the world they'll actually inhabit. links: https://gayaherrington.com/https://www.ted.com/talks/gaya_herrington_will_the_end_of_economic_growth_come_by_design_or_disaster

    1h 1m
  7. Understanding Fear and Proven Neurohacks to Help Kids (and Parents) Override Overwhelm | Dr. Mary Poffenroth

    12/17/2025

    Understanding Fear and Proven Neurohacks to Help Kids (and Parents) Override Overwhelm | Dr. Mary Poffenroth

    Understanding Fear and Proven Neurohacks to Help Kids (and Parents) Override Overwhelm | Guest, Dr. Mary Poffenroth, Biopsychologist and Fear Researcher  Our kids are growing up in a world moving faster than any generation before—constant change, information overload, and pressures that can overwhelm even the most resilient young minds. Dr. Mary Poffenroth, a biopsychologist and fear researcher, believes the answer isn't to shield our children from stress, but to give them the neurohacks to navigate it. Drawing from her award-winning book Brave New You and her work with organizations from NASA to Google X, Mary reveals science-backed strategies to help kids of all ages regulate their nervous systems, transform fear into fuel, and build everyday courage. These aren't just coping mechanisms—they're tools that rewire how our children respond to an uncertain world.   Why This Matters: We're raising the most overstimulated generation in history—and traditional parenting advice isn't enough.   • Kids today face neurological challenges previous generations never encountered. Without neurohacks grounded in science, we're asking them to navigate a Ferrari-paced world with horse-and-buggy tools.  •  Fear isn't the enemy—suppressing it is. Teaching kids to "be brave" or "push through" actually amplifies anxiety and leads to burnout. Dr. Poffenroth's research and easy-to-follow RAIN Method shows that transforming our relationship with fear—not avoiding it—unlocks courage, creativity, and resilience.  •  Small neurohacks create massive shifts. Simple, science-backed techniques can help kids regulate their nervous systems in real-time, turning everyday fears from roadblocks into stepping stones. These aren't just survival skills—they're the foundation for thriving in uncertainty.  HelloBraveNewYou.comwww.marypoffenroth.com Brave New You book:  https://a.co/d/5jkLDR4

    57 min
  8. Staying Focused in an Age of Distraction | Erik Qualman

    12/09/2025

    Staying Focused in an Age of Distraction | Erik Qualman

    Staying Focused in an Age of Distraction  | Guest: Erik Qualman, Digital Leadership Expert and Best-Selling Author What if the greatest superpower in a distracted world isn’t speed, but focus? In an era defined by endless notifications, constant multitasking, and digital overload, the ability to direct our attention has become one of the most valuable skills we can cultivate. In this conversation with Erik Qualman, we explore how focus fuels productivity, creativity, and resilience—and how teaching kids (and ourselves) to harness it can change the trajectory of our lives and work. Why this matters: Because the quality of our future will be determined not by how much information we consume, but by what we choose to give our attention to. Focus is the foundation of digital leadership and intentional living.By curating what matters most, we unlock clarity, energy, and impact.Kids who learn to master focus early will be better equipped to thrive in a noisy, fast-changing world.Attention is our most precious resource—and our ability to align it with purpose is what allows us to create meaningful change.

    39 min
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About

Parenting for the future shouldn't feel like guessing in the dark. Weaving her experience as a global futurist, TEDx pioneer and mother of three thriving young adults, Nancy Giordano shares tangible perspectives, real-life stories, and the people you need to know in a quest to explore how kids and families can step confidently into life, work and the world ahead. From developing critical thinking and problem-solving in infancy to confidently facing emerging digital and cultural challenges as they grow, the Futurist(Mom) is your insightful companion for preparing your child for a dynamic and unpredictable world. Tune in and join the conversation on how we can best equip our kids for the future, one episode at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Nancy Giordano
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025