Dave Hey everyone, Dave here with another episode of the Philly TechConnect podcast. Today I’m speaking with Whitney Akinola, a dedicated professional and the founder of FutureProof, a consulting firm focused on empowering individuals and organizations to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. Whitney’s background is in software automation and integration, and she helps teach businesses how to utilize those concepts.
There are obviously unique challenges with all those industries. So I’m excited to hear more from Whitney about what she’s been up to and how this got started. Whitney, how are you doing?
Whitney I’m doing fine. Thank you so much. Thank you for having us on the show.
Dave Always love to chat with a new Philadelphia entrepreneur. Tell us a little bit about your background in software automation and integration. How’d you get started?
Whitney Yeah. Okay. So a little bit about me.
I went to University of Maryland, College Park. I studied computer science. And from there, I moved to California, and I was a Java developer.
So I’ve always kind of been in software engineering. In fact, even before that, since I was 15, I studied Cisco networking. But the majority of my career, or at least the good parts of my career, have been in building enterprise-level integrations for public and private sector companies.
How FutureProof started is kind of interesting. I actually got laid off from my employer at the time, and I decided I wanted to do something different.
I wanted to chart my own path. I’m a very spiritual person as well, and I wanted to be out and preach the good news.
So I wanted to balance that time of doing my own thing, preaching, and just charting my own path. The name FutureProof came because when ChatGPT—specifically GPT 3.5—hit the scenes and became public, there was a little fear there for me as an engineer. It was like, “Oh, this thing is really cool,” but at the same time, “I’m fearful.”
And I realized that people felt the same way: AI is cool, but there’s also some apprehension. So I thought, how about we actually embrace tech and conquer our fears? That’s where the name FutureProof comes from.
Dave Interesting. I actually spoke with someone in an earlier podcast who also got laid off and started a software consulting development agency. His journey started around 15 years ago or so, and now he’s running a successful business.
It’s interesting to kind of talk with two people that maybe are on similar paths but perhaps at different stages in the journey. When you got laid off, did you consider looking for more work, or did you feel that entrepreneurship was going to be the right journey for you?
Whitney Yeah. Okay. So I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, even as a little girl. I never thought about how it would happen or how I’d do it, things like that.
So when it happened, well, as I started working for these other employers, I thought to myself, “I can do this for my own business.” And when I got laid off, I had the opportunity to explore that realm and that possibility.
Dave You mentioned the seed of entrepreneurship being planted relatively early, when you were a little girl. Do you remember what sparked your interest in entrepreneurship? As someone who has two daughters and is an entrepreneur, I think it would be great if they also developed that interest and passion. How do we make them aware of the possibility?
So I’m curious, as someone who seemed interested in entrepreneurship at an early age, how you got started?
Whitney Well, I think it started with my parents. They both went to college; they’re both first-generation college graduates.
And they instilled in me from an early age that getting an education is important for supporting yourself. But as a little girl, I was very ambitious. I wanted to be a CEO.
I mean, I had lofty goals as a child. So sometimes I have to dial back my goals, but yeah, that’s how it started.
Dave Maybe don’t dial it back too much! You are a CEO now. Obviously, maybe you have bigger plans for FutureProof and more things you want to accomplish.
Let’s take a moment and appreciate that you had this goal, and here you are. That’s super cool. FutureProof—I like the name because technology is always evolving and changing.
Like you mentioned, the default reaction often is a little fear, wondering, “Is this going to replace my business? Make me obsolete?” Instead, the question should be, “How can I take advantage of this?”
So, GPT being a perfect example, is that where you were coming from with this? And in what ways are you thinking of trying to future-proof your clients?
Whitney One of the ways is by educating them on new technologies. One of the simplest things is automation. I believe that everyone, including myself and my company, should be automating their business processes.
Some people worry that automation will cost jobs, but that doesn’t always need to be the case. We should be upskilling people in technologies so they can get jobs in different areas.
So that’s one of the things I want to do. And I believe small business owners, who may be short-staffed, can benefit from this.
Dave Yeah, I love that. Automating early allows you to free up people’s time to upskill or take on new responsibilities, ideally enabling the company to accomplish more with less.
There’s so much GPT can contribute—just as one example—like prompt engineering, allowing people to focus more strategically and think at a higher level.
With FutureProof, are you focusing on a specific industry, or is it relatively agnostic right now?
Whitney Right now, it’s agnostic. I know some people say you should pick a niche, but for me, I’m still figuring that out. Coming from an enterprise integration background, you can apply it to any industry because everyone needs it.
Now, as a small business, having a niche could be beneficial. I’m interested in the sales and marketing industry, but I’m still exploring other industries that might be easier for my organization to tap into.
Dave Yeah, that makes sense. I’ve struggled with the niche question as well. Niching down can make us more competitive, but it might deter businesses that we could otherwise serve.
We haven’t really niched down much, and it’s been fine.
Whitney Yeah. Here’s an example: I was at a networking event this week, and someone told me, “I’m too small for you.” And I said, “Well, no, I’m just starting out, so I’d be happy to work with you.”
This was a real estate agency that could likely automate some of their business processes.
Dave That’s true. Sometimes, without realizing it, we might be turning away potential clients with our positioning. Casting a wider net initially helps, especially when we’re just getting started.
So, what’s next for FutureProof? And if people want to get in touch with you, Whitney, where should they go?
Whitney Next, I want to determine which of our services are the core ones that are really selling well, then focus on those. Right now, I have several services, but I want to concentrate on the core ones.
If you want to reach out to my business, go to futureproofconsult.com, and you can book a discovery call with me.
Dave Awesome. I love the idea of niching down on services, not on industries—that’s the approach we’ve taken at Shortlist as well. There are many ways to niche, so it was cool to explore this with you.
I appreciate you being on the show, and I wish you the best for FutureProof.
Whitney Thank you so much, Dave. I really appreciate you reaching out.
Dave Cheers. Thanks, Whitney.