The Gen X/Z Exchange: Navigating Career, Purpose & Modern Life Across Generations
Ever find yourself wondering why you aren’t happier, where your career is going, or why life suddenly feels uncertain — even when everything looks fine on paper?
If you’ve ever felt stuck, off-track, or unsure what comes next, you’re not alone.
The Gen X/Z Exchange is a life navigation podcast where a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter explore the biggest challenges facing modern life - from career direction and purpose to relationships, wellbeing, identity and the changing world of work.
Across generations but facing many of the same questions, Chris and Lily bring honest conversations and real-world perspective to the uncertainty so many people feel today. Chris has navigated layoffs, career pivots and the realities of midlife change, while Lily is figuring out early career decisions, identity and adulthood in a fast-changing world.
Together, they bridge generational perspectives to help you:
- make sense of career and life transitions
- navigate work and purpose in a changing economy
- improve relationships and wellbeing
- feel less alone in the challenges of modern life
These aren’t expert lectures or quick fixes. They’re candid conversations about figuring life out - together.
If you’re navigating a career change, questioning direction, dealing with midlife or quarterlife uncertainty, or simply trying to understand how life looks different across generations, this podcast is for you.
Follow us now and join a growing community learning how to navigate modern life - one honest conversation at a time.
Episodes
35 episodes
Sabbatical Announcement
We were so taken with the idea of a sabbatical from the last episode that we decided the podcast needed to take one.We will back in mid-December with a Gen X/Z Christmas Quiz!For the last few episodes, we'd been chasing our tails ...
What If We Borrowed Time From Retirement? How to Take a Sabbatical Every Decade
What if, instead of saving all our freedom for retirement, we borrowed some of those years and sprinkled them throughout our working lives?Designer Stefan Sagmeister shuts down his entire business for a year every seven years. And resear...
Why Does Gen Z Love Love Island? How Our Media Habits Are Changing
Why does Gen Z still tune in every night for Love Island when they barely watch broadcast TV at all?And why do shows like 'Love Island' and 'The Traitors' still manage to get different generations sitting on the same so...
How to Find Meaning in Life (It's Not About Finding Your Purpose)
What if the biggest mistake we've all made about meaning is thinking we have to find it?If you've ever wondered "What am I supposed to do with my life?", felt pressure to discover your purpose, or questioned why your achievements haven't...
The Gen X/Z Quiz Returns! Who Knows More About the Other Generation? (Anniversary Special)
It's back... and this time we've brought reinforcements.One year after launching The Gen X/Z Exchange, we're celebrating our first birthday with a rematch of one of our most popular episodes: The Gen X/Z Quiz.When we star...
How to Stay Healthy as You Age: What Gen X and Gen Z Need to Know About Longevity
Will you live to 100?Medical science has added around 30 years to the average lifespan over the last century. But have we added 30 healthy years?In this episode, Chris and Lily explore the difference between lifespan...
Has Wellness gone too far? The good, the bad and the toxic
Have we become a little too obsessed with wellness?From green powders and cold plunges to therapy talk, mindfulness apps and self-care routines, wellness has gone from a niche interest to a multi-trillion-dollar industry. But is it actua...
Starting a new job? How to succeed in your first 90 days
How do you make a great first impression in a new job? And what separates the people who thrive in their first 90 days from those who struggle?Starting a new role can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Whether you're beginning...
Preview of upcoming episodes summer 2026
We don't have a full episode this week - there are two reasons for that you'll hear about in this preview.Instead, here's a sneak peek of some of the topics we have planned. If there are any others you'd like us to discuss, let us know!
Why am I always tired? — and what’s really draining your energy
“Why am I always tired?” — even when you’ve had a full night’s sleep?If you’re constantly exhausted, struggling with low energy, or feeling “tired and wired”, you’re not alone. And it might not be a sleep problem at all.In this ep...
What should I do with my life? Charlie Rogers on a smarter way to build a career at any age
What should you do with your life - when there’s no clear path to follow?Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your direction later in life, figuring out what comes next can feel overwhelming - especially when traditional career...
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How to stop people pleasing - and say no without feeling guilty
Do you ever say yes when you mean no — just to avoid awkwardness, conflict, or disappointing someone?If so, you’re not alone. People pleasing is far more common than we think — and it can shape our work, relationships and sense of self.<...
How to talk to teenagers about drinking and drugs - without pushing them away with Diana Hu McDowell
Why do teenagers take risks with alcohol and drugs - even when they know the dangers? And how do you talk to them about it without shutting them down or pushing them away?In this episode we're joined by Diana Hu McDowell, founder of East...
Why we’re losing the places that bring us together — The UK’s 'Third Place' problem
Why does it feel like there are fewer places to meet people, spend time together, or just belong in your community? And what happens to society when those spaces disappear?In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, we explore the idea of '...
Is AI taking our jobs? Gen Z starting out, Gen X being pushed out with Maureen Wiley Clough
Is AI replacing jobs before young people even get started - and pushing experienced workers out before they’re ready to finish? And if the old advice to “work harder” no longer works, what does a secure career actually look like now?In t...
Should social media be banned for under-16s? Phones, schools & the trust gap with Amit Singh Kalley
Should social media be banned for under-16s in the UK - and what can we learn from Australia? Do phone-free schools actually work, or do they just push problems underground? In this episode, we’re joined by Amit Singh Kalley - leadi...
How to write a CV that actually gets read – For Gen Z, Gen X & career changers with Carl Scutt
Ever wondered why your CV isn’t getting responses - or how you’re supposed to stand out when everyone’s following completely different advice? Should you write for AI screening, recruiters, or hiring managers… and can you do all three at once?<...
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Why Do I Like This Song So Much? The Psychology of Catchy Music
Why do you like a song so much… and why does it become your song? Why can't you recite the lyrics to an old favourite on demand - but the second the track starts, you’re singing every word?In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange...
2026 trailer and thank you message
We're taking a short break over Christmas and New Year....but we have lots planned for 2026!Have a listen to this short trailer to hear some of the topics we have coming up and a thank you message from us for all your support over the la...
Gen X, Gen Z, Boomers & Millennials: Gabby Rosely decodes how the generations can all get along at work
Ever wondered why your boss, your mentor, or your Gen Z colleague just doesn’t seem to “get” how you work? Or why feedback that fires up one generation can shut down another?Chris and Lily sit down with Gabby Rosely - former competitive ...
Sober Curious and wondering “Am I drinking too much?” – How to go alcohol free with Steve Kirchell
Ever caught yourself thinking, “Maybe I should cut back” or “Am I drinking too much?” If so, this episode is for you.We sit down with Steve Kirchell, Alcohol-Free Performance Coach, to talk about what it really means to be Sober...
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Overcoming procrastination at work or study - how to actually get started with Wilson Obeneme
“Why can’t I just get on with the things I keep putting off?” If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.Gen X dad and Gen Z daughter Chris and Lily team up with productivity coach Wilson Obeneme to break down why we procrastinate,...
The workplace: as seen on TV!
We spend time at work, think about work, talk about work and then come home and watch TV shows about work!Would you love to message ‘Urgent exit required’ to get out of boring meetings?Would you sever your work self from your self...
Our Ultimate Guide to Friendship: from childhood BFFs to adult social circles
Is your social circle shrinking? Learn the rules of making and keeping friends, no matter your age.Why is it so much harder to make new friends after school? From the playground to the workplace, the rules of friendship change drasticall...
How to transition to a new chapter in life without feeling overwhelmed
Did you know you experience some kind of transition in life about every 18 months? Every now and then, we experience a major change that threatens to totally derail us. It can seem overwhelming, but there’s a practical toolkit you can use to he...