Let's talk about how we were a huge part of change, right? We've been the implementers of a lot of the change that the generation before us pushed for. And now we have a new generation pushing for change on us. We have a generation that is, all of us went through COVID. That's not unique to anybody, but how we went through COVID was different if you were younger versus being you.

And there's a lot of studies and they're going to keep doing them. And I know we all know this and listen, if you're somebody who doesn't think COVID was real, I don't know what to tell you. Because the impact is real. So if that's who you are, you probably don't even need to listen to this podcast, respectfully.

But regardless, I mean, we're just unearthing right now that the pandemic effect is going to be a long impact on a generation of people . And if we're going to be leading these people, then we better get with the program. Gen Xers have been in the forefront, to my dismay, of the invalidation, the cruelty, the exceptionism, and the privilege that I am shocked by, given what we experienced. What am I talking about?

So remember, I talked about the pendulum, right? We have kind of gone back and forth, right? And we go one way too far and we go another way this way. And so I do think we're in a little bit of that scenario. But what we have is, as I've mentioned, we're the ones who raise the kids who now are the ones who are struggling, in mass, with mental illness, suicide, drug use, buffering with phone, social media, pornography. We are are part of this problem. But what do we want to do is we want to blame all the things that happen outside of us for the problem. But the truth is, we're in here and we have to look at that. So what have we now done?

And I'm not saying all of us, so please. Listen, I don't fall in this category. I'm watching it. But I'm watching how people are so afraid of change that they're insulating. They're 'othering'. They're 'othering' trans youth. They're 'othering' LGBTQ men, women, boys, and girls. They're demanding we prevent children from reading books.

There's a real effort from the Generation X population to prevent change. And the irony of that is we've benefited. The fact that we can even stand up and have a voice to be heard is because we benefited from others who couldn't and did. And yet now, given the opportunity to embrace a younger population of people who are also now pushing, who are stretching what we want to define being human is, in terms of relationships and compassion and love and acceptance. I'm watching my sisters, my Gen-X sisters, try and smush it down just like men did to them when they showed up at work and wanted to be as good as they were or demanded the same salary as they did.

And I'm worried about that. Is that just the rules of generational growth? Is that just what happens? Is this part of being a human? I don't know, but I really am disappointed. Because we, as a generation, have fueled so much opportunity for so many of our sisters and our children, that I don't understand the absolute outright audacious advocacy to now stunt it for others. For what? You can't stop it, and you look like a fool trying.

But you know what you can do? If you're a real true, deeply meaning leader, you can listen to it. You can understand what's happening. You can get familiar with the needs of a younger work population. You can decide if you want to be a part of that anymore or not.

But I see a huge opportunity when we listen. Because I know, listen, I get on my calls with my clients and I'm right there with you, right? Some of the things I hear that people do at work now, it is, I find initially, you know, frustrating, right? Like somebody, this was just this week, we talked about somebody came to an interview and her first question is, "What emotional support do you provide your employees?"

We're all like, "Excuse me? You can get that somewhere else. Like, you just need to come to work and do your job. I don't know what to tell you." Right? That's our innate response. But why is that happening so prevalently? Why are so many people so disinterested in, they don't care if you fire them, have you noticed? They're like, "It's fine."

They've reinstituted a work life balance conversation that, we actually had one, but we sort of lied about it. They're like dead serious. They're like, "It's fine. I'm going to live out of vans. I'm going to live in a van, I'm going to travel." It's such a different experience right now.

We have an opportunity to either harness that, because you know what isn't gone? You know what's not gone from any of this, is the creativity, is the brilliance, is the intellectualism, is the knowledge, is the passion, is the determination, is the curiosity. None of that's gone. Why? Because they're humans, just like we were. And they are innovating. I just heard somebody the other day who created a cream. He's like 16. He created some sort of cream people could put on their skin to prevent skin cancer. This is the generation that's going to save your life when you're 80.

And you care what books they read? And you care who they're married to? Get over it. Like, what are we doing? And if we have to redesign the way that we have our businesses set up, let's go. You can't be afraid of progress, and you have to be a leader who is willing to embrace it all. If you can't, you won't find the people, because you know what they're really good at sniffing out? Leaders who don't support them.

So I feel incredibly passionate about this. And I, obviously you heard me, and I have fought myself on ways to communicate this in different ways. But this was the proper artery for me. And here's why. I have a lot of clients that, we all sit on all sorts of spectrums of philosophy and belief systems and religion, no religion, culture, whatever, all of it.

I love that everybody that's in my intimate circle of clients, what we share is open mindedness and a collective aspiration to explore and understand ourselves first, before we place judgment on others. To ask and seek and pursue curiosity, instead of get immediately into judgment and fear.

And I think this generation of women is so well suited for that because we are already in terrain nobody was in before. So the need that you have, if that's you at this point in your life, if you're 55 and you're feeling like the world's falling apart, let me tell you something. Every generation before you said that. So now you just sound like your grandpa, but that progress that he thought was destroying the world, and the family, and the family unit, and his religion and all the other things that he thought was, he thought that was going to have- women working? You think- that they thought that.

And now we have people who say the same thing. Don't we learn? No. Progress pushes us forward. There's always problems with humanity. Good to know. But what we know for sure is women working and making more money has not been the demise of society, despite people wanting you to believe that.

But that's going to lead us to our very last session, which is why women, Gen X women, carry such a heavy emotional load.

I'll see you in the next one.

Hey, if you are a female founder, business owner running a company and you are, you know, you've achieved some success, right? You're running over seven figures. You grow a little bit every year. Your team is growing. I know a lot about you. And one of the things I know about you for sure, is that you don't have a lot of time. And you also might be a little tired of everybody who wants to talk at you, and not listen to you.

So, I want to encourage you to join thevisionary.ceo/lead.

We're going to be putting together a pretty powerful opportunity for you to work with me exclusively in some private coaching while also getting all of the tools and resources that you need to be better at leading your team, so your business can continue to grow. But you don't have to continue to literally expand how much you're doing all the time.

So I hope you'll check it out. Add your name. More information will be available soon.