Neha Malhotra:

Hi everyone, thank you for tuning in to the finale of Throughline Thursday. What a crazy year it has been! We’ll all agree it changed the way we live and the way we work. We’ve all faced a profound and enduring impact, and through it all, it’s been my good fortune to host this series. Personally, I’ve learned so much from industry leaders.

The pandemic gave us the opportunity to come up with this concept of Throughline—to inspire and reflect. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this opportunity, especially to Rahul and Gaurav.

Today, we have a very special finale. We asked six of our Throughline guests two questions:

        1.        How do you think 2020 changed the future of work?

        2.        How are you reinventing yourself for 2021 and beyond?

Let’s dive in.

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Lisa Buchanan – Chief of Staff, eBay

Lisa:

2020 has flattened the playing field. Regardless of geography, time zone, or office location, we’re all a box on a screen now. It’s diminished the advantage of being in a main HQ and removed hurdles for those working remotely. It reminds us to make extra effort to stay connected—no one has special access anymore.

For 2021 and beyond, I’ve learned the importance of patience and kindness—towards myself and others. Our personal and professional lives have merged. Everyone sees snippets of our home lives in meetings now. It’s humanized us all. That’s the reinvention we need—the courage to expose our humanity.

Neha:

So true. 2020 reminded us that talent is everywhere—opportunity isn’t. This year showed us that kindness and empathy are essential leadership tools.

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Cecil Plummer – CEO, WRMSDC

Cecil:

Remote work is here to stay, but it’s not without challenges. Engagement is a major one—culture, connection, and loyalty are harder to build remotely. People may become more easily poached or disconnected from their companies.

Also, the assumption that everyone has a perfect home office isn’t true—especially for families with kids or singles who crave social interaction. Remote work is productive, but it lacks the collaboration spark of in-person teamwork. There’s a reason we used to have retreats—face-to-face matters.

As for reinvention: I don’t plan to reinvent myself—I plan to question everything I thought I knew. The way we’ve always done business? It might not be relevant anymore. We need to re-evaluate everything—from networking to operations.

Neha:

The office isn’t just a building—it’s an energy. But the hybrid model is probably here to stay. It’s about being flexible and human-centric in how we work now.

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Travis Killion – VP of E-commerce, VitaminWorld

Travis:

Remote work was the exception; now it’s the default. We’ve downsized offices and hired more remote staff. This is our new model. But it comes with challenges—we need systems that support productivity and culture.

Digital services also exploded. E-commerce isn’t just about websites—it’s about backend systems that create seamless customer experiences. Every part of the organization must evolve.

For me, reinvention meant recognizing my home office as part of my professional toolkit. I’ve had to consciously manage bandwidth, workspace, even meal and exercise schedules. And we’ve had to build in human connection—casual hallway chats don’t exist anymore, so we need to bring warmth and empathy into virtual meetings.

Neha:

Yes! Tech has gone mainstream. And we need space—physically and emotionally—to do deep work. The ability to show up authentically matters now more than ever.

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Gaurav Rastogi – Author and Reinvention Coach

Gaurav:

At the start of 2020, I predicted three trends:

        1.        All industries will become hyphen-tech industries.

        2.        Automation will rise.

        3.        Re-skilling will be essential.

What I didn’t foresee: the normalization of remote work. Now, geography doesn’t matter as much. Companies can hire talent from anywhere.

Personally, I’m doing four things:

        1.        Doubling down on strengths and building new ones.

        2.        Reinventing my personal brand across platforms.

        3.        Creating a support community that helps me grow.

        4.        Running lots of experiments—and learning from failures.

Neha:

Absolutely. It’s no longer just about degrees—it’s about lifelong learning. Reskilling is not optional anymore. Our kids will grow up with a whole different understanding of careers and education.

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Madhavi Bhasin – Head of DEI, Okta

Madhavi:

This year was transformative. On one hand, remote work expanded access to opportunities—geography mattered less. But at the same time, we lost that sense of community and connection.

Looking forward, we must set boundaries. Work-life integration only works when you’re intentional about it. And 2021 will hopefully be a year of justice and equity, not just diversity.

Neha:

Yes, boundaries are critical. Working from home has blurred them. It’s okay to say no. And I love that DEI is no longer a side project—it’s front and center.

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Amol Dharmadhikari – WW Content Ops Leader, Amazon Prime Video

Amol:

Remote work has taught us we can do so much more online. This accelerated digital transformation will change:

        •        How we work in virtual teams

        •        How customers experience services

        •        How jobs evolve across industries

We’re entering “Phase 2” of remote work—where we’ll meet only for critical collaboration. “Phase 3” will be asynchronous work, where people work when they’re most productive.

For 2021, I’m focusing on holistic goals—emotional, professional, physical. I’m committing to self-learning. And I’m going to prioritize mental health and focus on things that bring joy.

Neha:

So well said. We all crave connection and nature. Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential. And autonomy over our environments is one of the silver linings.

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Neha Malhotra – Closing Thoughts

Thank you to all our guests—Cecil, Lisa, Travis, Madhavi, Gaurav, and Amol. Your insights were powerful and heartfelt.

The pandemic may become endemic, but disruption is now part of life. What matters is our resilience and ability to adapt. This is our opportunity to build something better.

Happy holidays, and here’s to a hopeful and inspired 2021. Tweet us your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!