Happy Sunday! I’m thrilled about this week on Punk Rock HR. My guest is Joey Price, founder of Jumpstart HR and host of the Business, Life and Coffee Podcast. We’re talking about COVID-19, but mostly how to be human and survive in these uncertain times. The episode airs tomorrow and you can find it on my website and wherever podcasts are broadcast: iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, etc.
There’s some good news from Devon McGrath, the operations director here at Punk Rock HR. Her family adopted two puppies. My friend, Mary Faulkner, also got a new puppy. Pandemic puppies are a new thing. (I hope people keep these dogs when they go back to work.) If you’re quarantining alone, why not foster a dog? You’re not going anywhere. You have time. And people who have animals in their lives are less stressed, less lonely, and have better life outcomes.
Have you applied for EIDL and the PPP? Signed up for unemployment benefits and wondering if you’re ever going to get paid? State websites are crashing, banks are stalling, and the government would rather bail out complicit cruise companies instead of helping you out. I’m in the same situation as many of you, and it makes no sense that I should drain my savings account dry to stay afloat while corporations who pay no taxes get a handout. What can we do? I think we can remain vigilant, stay healthy, and don’t forget who had your back when the going got tough.
Finally, I’m appearing on Recruiting Brainfood’s 24-hour marathon on 14 April to talk about the world of work post-COVID19. I’ll be chatting with Hung Lee about basic income and referring back to my podcasts with Scott Santens and Andrew Yang. Yes, I was part of the #YangGang before it was cool. But who cares about when you discover universal basic income, UBI, or the freedom dividend. We need to discuss everything about our economy — who works for whom, how money flows and profits are truly earned — before it’s too late.
I hope you are surviving and doing the best that you can. Have a great week, everybody!