One thing you learn in business is that the future comes at you fast.  As much as you try to stay ahead of the curve, the next big thing could already be around the corner.

And if you’re not aware of what’s coming, it could spell the end. Just ask Blockbuster Video.

Keeping up with trends can be a full-time gig. Smart companies who don’t have an employee focused on the competition and the future, out-source. In Acadiana – and actually, beyond – one of the people companies turn to is Angela Cring.

Futurist Angela Cring - tomorrow is actually today

Futurist Angela Cring – tomorrow is actually today

Angela Cring is a futurist. Her company, Joy Forward Strategy, helps companies identify and plan for emerging trends. They hire Angela to put together strategic plans and open up possibilities.

Angela founded Joy Forward Strategy in May 2020 and today she handles a range of clients including some of the Acadiana area’s largest employers.

A key value here is that the future is not linear. And we have agency over what’s to come — if we keep our eyes on the horizon. That’s all very well in business – using hard facts and pulling together seemingly unrelated strands of information to extrapolate the present into the future, but what about looking into the future of your personal life?

Yes, that’s a business too. Predicting the future is a time-honored occupation. Even the Oracle of Delphi had to make a buck. And today, psychic services is a pretty big industry, accounting for about $2 billion in output in 2021, according to national industry estimates.

Locally, folks in Acadiana turn to April the Cajun Medium as kind of a life advisor. She says her work helps to reaffirm what people already know about themselves.

April The Cajun Medium reads you, not your Tarot cards

April The Cajun Medium reads you, not your Tarot cards

April didn’t embrace her talents until her 30s, working until then as an accountant. Today she runs a business as a forensic psychic medium and performs tarot card readings and helps with missing persons cases.

April is originally from Lafayette and performed hundreds of readings for free until opening her business in 2014.

Audio Engineer Dylan Babineaux, April the Cajun Medium, Christiaan Mader and Futurist Angela Cring, Out to Lunch at Tula Tacos

Audio Engineer Dylan Babineaux, April the Cajun Medium, Christiaan Mader and Futurist Angela Cring, Out to Lunch at Tula Tacos

Out to Lunch Acadiana is recorded live over lunch at Tula Tacos and Amigos in downtown Lafayette. Photos by Astor Morgan.

And while you’re rooted in the present you might want to escape into another dimension that’s not as distant as the future. Check out lunchtime conversation about how you can learn to fly and swim in Acadiana.