What in the world is a futurist? One answer: Jim Bottomley. Jim is as passionate about the past as he is about the future, giving him the needed context to analyze trends to help people navigate uncertain futures. His knowledge stems from blurring a graduate degree from the Ivey School of Business with his Indigenous background and the time he’s spent in nature. Jim’s applied this knowledge to help major businesses, entrepreneurs and even communities develop the tools they need to lead in a changing world. And as a sought-after speaker, Jim always reminds audiences that human needs should drive planning, not the changing technology itself – a lesson for balancing people and nature.
Having recently moved from the Robson ecosystem to Vancouver Island, Jim invited us to his home to discuss the future of work and what it might mean for the future of nature. Oh, and he tells us what exactly a futurist is.
What do you think?
- What did you learn from Jim’s story?
- Do you think the future is hopeful, despite the issues we face?
- In a changing world, can we adapt quickly enough to find new careers that allow us to combine mission and passion?
- With focus, can we unlock new ideas to solve long staled-debates?
- Do advocates need to take a business approach to their work? Or is a business or career-centric approach to advocacy not always possible?
- How can we learn from the past and the future to better balance people and nature?
More on Jim
Read an interview with Jim about his writing: Sooke author short-listed for national writing prize
Favourite Book: I read three hours a day, splitting between business/trend books and fiction. My favourite is the next book, documentary, blog or podcast that teaches me something new.
