The Gen X/Z Exchange
You might be wondering why you aren’t happier, where your career is going, or feeling adrift without a clear sense of direction. You’re asking, “How do I figure out what I’m even supposed to be doing?”
If you feel that familiar knot of confusion, dissatisfaction, or just plain stuckness, you've just found your kindred spirits.
This is The Gen X/Z Exchange. Where a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter bridge the generational divide to tackle modern life’s biggest headaches.
These aren't just your problems, they're the unspoken struggles of an entire generation - or two!
You're not alone in battling the quiet anxieties of a life that feels off-kilter. Happiness can be hard to find. Perhaps concerns about your mental and physical wellbeing are always bubbling away. Your most important relationships might feel strained, or the relentless demands of your career and finances are leaving you exhausted. These are the universal whispers that, surprisingly, span generations. We can help you untangle all this.
Chris has navigated layoffs, career pivots and found happiness after the infamous midlife slump, while Lily is figuring out her career after changing her degree path and reflecting on her early choices in the world of work. Our different generational viewpoints bring new ideas to tackling the big issues we’re both grappling with.
We chat about all this with honesty, realism and the openness a father-daughter relationship brings.
Our candid conversations will help you realise that you’re not alone in feeling this way too. You’ll gain fresh perspectives, practical insights, and the comforting realisation that many of your worries are universal – and solvable.
We’ll get to the heart of your frustrations, offering solutions we figure out together that you won't find anywhere else.
Hit follow and join us.
The Gen X/Z Exchange
Fear less, grow more: your guide to climbing Cringe Mountain
Whether you’ve heard of Cringe Mountain or not, this episode is for you if you’ve ever wanted to try something new or step out of your comfort zone and have been paralysed by the fear of being judged by others.
This isn’t just about posting on social media. It could be starting to network more if you’re job searching, trying to get fit if you’ve not exercised for a while, or wanting to tell your friends you’re starting something new.
If you think people are going to scoff or try and drag you back down, you’ve got to climb ‘Cringe Mountain’.
You’ll learn:
- Why it feels scary, but what’s on the other side that makes it all worthwhile
- Why not starting because of avoidance or perfectionism can cause you to stagnate and miss out on opportunities to grow
- How to develop the Climber’s Mindset and keep going when times get tough
- Advice and ideas to help you set out from Basecamp and make the climb
- Lily’s Grandma’s advice to keep in mind when something doesn’t go according to plan
So if you’ve been wanting to do something new but have been too anxious to get started, listen in and hear about others who have made the climb - and how you can too!
And listen to the very end to hear Lily’s special rendition of ‘The Climb’.
Hit play now.
1.15 Introduction to climbing Cringe Mountain
2.13 Biggest Gen X cringe
3.25 Gen X/Gen Z beef on TikTok
5.05 Why do our brains make us cringe?
6.19 The Spotlight Effect and ‘sonder’
8.04 An example of someone climbing Cringe Mountain
9.54 What is Cringe Mountain?
11.25 The Climber’s Mindset
13.55 How perfectionism can hold you back
14.40 Chris’ example of climbing Cringe Mountain
17.12 Ideas to help you climb Cringe Mountain
18.37 Grandma’s advice for climbing Cringe Mountain
20.46 An inspiring example of someone climbing Cringe Mountain
21.40 Advice for setting out on the climb
Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!
https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange
Microsoft Windows 95 launch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAkuJXGldrM
Megan Washington TedX Talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MegHiL93B0
Aqsa:
https://www.instagram.com/itsxaqsa/
Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/
