👋 Hey friends,

Right now, I’m sitting by the window at a quiet café, watching cars crawl through the winter haze, the city moving at its own calm rhythm. My laptop’s open, coffee beside me, and I can’t help reflecting on how different 2025 turned out to be.

It’s wild how quickly “the future of work” stopped being a buzzword and became our daily reality. AI isn’t a faraway concept anymore. It’s woven into our tools, our routines, even our coffee shop conversations.

And honestly, I’m amazed by how many times it’s become the topic of discussion over cappuccinos and laptops — friends debating prompts, founders sketching AI workflows on napkins, and strangers swapping productivity hacks like trade secrets.

This year didn’t just change workflows. It changed how we think, plan, and create. Some days it felt like running a race beside a machine; other days, like learning to dance with one.

And nowhere was that shift clearer than this holiday season.
The world’s biggest shopping event — Christmas 2025 — ran smoother than ever. Record orders. Near-zero delays. Personalized offers that felt almost too perfect.

Beneath all that glitter, one quiet truth stood out:
This was the first Christmas powered more by algorithms than people.

AI didn’t just help brands sell — it redefined the very jobs that made the season work.
Marketers became AI campaign conductors.
Customer service reps turned into workflow designers.
Product managers managed copilots, not interns.

So as we wrap up the year and step into 2026, I wanted to pause and unpack what this transformation means — not just for businesses, but for each of us navigating this new world of work.

Here’s what we’ll explore:
🎄 The automation surge: how Christmas became the testbed for the future of work
📊 The jobs AI quietly replaced — and the ones it quietly created
🧠 The 4P Framework: Prevent, Pivot, Partner, Productize
📘 The Playbook: turning disruption into a career advantage

Let’s unwrap what the most automated Christmas in history taught us — about work, creativity, and what it truly means to stay human in an intelligent world.

— Naseema Perveen

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GLADLY

Your competitors are already automating. Here's the data.

Retail and ecommerce teams using AI for customer service are resolving 40-60% more tickets without more staff, cutting cost-per-ticket by 30%+, and handling seasonal spikes 3x faster.

But here's what separates winners from everyone else: they started with the data, not the hype.

Gladly handles the predictable volume, FAQs, routing, returns, order status, while your team focuses on customers who need a human touch. The result? Better experiences. Lower costs. Real competitive advantage. Ready to see what's possible for your business?

See it in action