What is futuristic? Discover what it means to be futuristic beyond just technology—learn how futurism means anticipating future customer needs, values, and desires while embracing innovation, foresight, and strategy. Explore how leaders and organizations can stay resilient, adaptive, and impactful in a fast-changing world.
After over a decade at Microsoft, Narmeen Samad knew she had more to give the world than what fit neatly inside a corporate role. With 15+ years of experience spanning global enterprises, small/medium businesses, and entrepreneurial ventures, she’s the rare blend of strategic thinker, technical problem-solver, and creative curator.
Her career arc has been anything but linear — and that’s exactly her strength. She’s built coffee stands, advised non-profits, earned her MBA, and become certified in everything from image consulting to human-centered design to earning her PMP. Fluent in Urdu and equally fluent in an array of technology platforms, Narmeen moves seamlessly between human connection and technical precision. Her approachable, endearing personality makes her not only a trusted advisor but also someone you genuinely enjoy working with.
When she joined our Futurist-in-50-Days, Strategic Thinking, and Permissionless Consultant programs, Narmeen wasn’t starting from scratch — she was refining her aim. She wanted clarity on her consulting direction, confidence in her positioning, and a toolkit to bring her vision to life.
“The training gave me a framework and walked me through it step-by-step, including figuring out what my offerings would be.”
The programs helped her crystallize the services she most wanted to deliver, articulate her value proposition, and map out the operational backbone of her consulting business.
Today, Narmeen is the founder of Samad Consulting, helping leaders build their PMO capabilities, streamline operations, embrace change, and automate workflows with precision and heart. Drawing on her deep PMO leadership experience, she knows how to navigate complex, high-stakes projects while keeping teams aligned and momentum strong.
She’s equally at home mapping a business process in Smartsheet as she is coaching an executive on personal branding. Her clients get more than deliverables — they get transformation.
For anyone considering their own leap into consulting, Narmeen’s advise? Get started. Action is better than perfection.
“When you’re starting out, you have a lot of ideas in your head and you want to go everywhere. These programs streamlined my thoughts and gave me a process. So I’d say start and things will come to you. I would recommend taking all three courses – and it didn’t matter the order”
You can watch my full interview with Narmeen above, where we unpack her leap from corporate to consulting, the unique value she brings to clients, and her advice for anyone on the edge of their own next chapter.
Goodluck in your next Chapter, Narmeen! Looking forward to continuing our work together!
Lindsay Angelo is the founder of Futurist-in-50 Days, helping individuals elevate their leadership skills by mastering strategic foresight. She's also a practicing and award-winning Strategist, Futurist, MBA and TEDx speaker. She launched her consultancy six years ago with the goal of helping purpose-driven brands drive growth and impact. Since then, she's more than tripled her prior earnings while advising entrepreneurs, think tanks, celebrities, and Fortune 500 companies while creating a nomadic lifestyle rooted in travel, family, and community. Named a Woman to Watch and Global Innovation Leader, Lindsay has delivered over 100+ keynotes and is the creator of a signature blueprint for driving brand growth and impact.
Mark Warnick knows the power of curiosity. As a seasoned engineer and innovation leader, he’s spent the last 15 years pushing the boundaries of technology and creativity at USAA—earning 26 patents in the process. But recently, Mark felt a shift: he wanted to stand up an internal foresight consulting team within USAA.
What does a Futurist do? The world is shifting at an unprecedented pace. Emerging technologies, evolving consumer behaviors, and global disruptions are reshaping industries faster than most businesses can adapt. The question is: How do you stay ahead vs. constantly playing catch-up? This is where a professional futurist comes in. But let’s be clear—futurists aren’t fortune tellers, and they don’t predict the future with a crystal ball in hand. Rather, they analyze future trends, interpret current trends, and help businesses anticipate change, with the goal of creating a better future.
The world is changing faster than ever, and businesses that thrive aren’t just reacting to change—they’re anticipating it. That’s where futurism studies come in. In this post, we'll break down what future studies actually are, how futurism applies to strategic planning, why impact-driven foresight efforts matter, how to integrate futurist thinking into your decision-making, and the role of strategy development in preparing for the future.
The new guide highlights the top names among Futurists worldwide, selected for their contributions to the futures space and to their respective fields at large. The list features various professionals, from business leaders to education professionals, all of whom are working to advance humanity in some way.
In 1982, the same year Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner hit movie theatres with its bleak depiction of a dystopian future where humans and AI are almost indistinguishable, Time magazine made a prescient choice. Instead of naming their customary Person of the Year, Time’s editors crowned “The Computer” as “Machine of the Year,” in a prophetic nod to the technological revolution that would soon reshape the world.
The role of a futurist may sound like it belongs to the realm of science fiction, but in reality, futurists play a vital role in helping organizations, governments, and individuals prepare for what lies ahead. Whether it’s forecasting market trends, anticipating technological advancements, or imagining solutions to pressing global issues, futurists are change-makers who blend creativity, data, and strategy. But what qualifies someone to call themselves a futurist? Let’s break it down.
