For Independent Professionals Building Practice on Their Own Terms
Wisepreneurs Podcast

Valentine Gatard

Valentine Gatard Profile Photo

Researcher, Speaker, Coach, Podcaster

As a researcher, speaker, coach, and podcaster, I develop a holistic approach to work by exploring the narratives, words, and connections that shape our lives.

My work bridges research, facilitation, storytelling, and transmission to help reinvent our relationship to work and strengthen both individual and collective agency.

Far from the individualistic notion of self-empowerment, I advocate for a relational and systemic power to act: a capacity to transform our lives and organizations, woven through narratives, relationships, and collective contexts.

My passions: the role of language, the connections between health and work, and how our imaginaries can transform organizations into more human and vibrant spaces.

94
July 2, 2026

Valentine Gatard Career Independence: Human Agency and the Future of Work

the Work Narratives podcast. Valentine Gatard argues that human agency becomes more valuable, not less, as AI takes over routine work — and that independent professionals who build community are building the single most important resource they have. A researcher, speaker, and host of the Work Narratives podcast, Valentine explains why French professionals refuse management roles (it's not about pay), why the future of work is about agency rather than automation, and why career independence is structural protection against commoditisation. Wisepreneurs explores how experienced independent professionals position accumulated expertise and build sustainable practice.
29
Feb. 2, 2024

Valentine Gatard Career Independence and Work Narratives: From Jazz to Coaching

Valentine Gatard has been an employee for only nine months in her entire life. Based in Paris, she works as a coach, speaker, and podcast host, helping companies and independent professionals rethink their relationship with work. Valentine explains how jazz improvisation shapes her approach to coaching, why freelancing and portfolio careers are reshaping professional identity, and how crafting your own work narrative matters more than following conventional career templates.