What if the American Dream your parents promised you was nothing but a myth? What if the payoff for all your hard work simply… never arrives?

In this eye-opening episode of the Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with writer, podcaster, and former writing professor Amye Archer to pull back the curtain on generational work myths, shifting values, and what’s really happening as Gen Xers raise Gen Z kids in a world that looks nothing like the one they inherited.

Key Highlights:

• Generational Real Talk: Tess and Amye dive deep into Gen X’s collective disillusionment—how growing up between two very different eras (Boomers’ trusting company loyalty and Millennials’ self-branding hustle) shaped their perspectives on work, creativity, and life.
• Gen Z’s New Playbook: Can you actually say “no” to crappy jobs and still end up ahead? Amye shares what she’s learned from parenting twin Gen Z daughters who refuse to settle for less, put work-life balance first, and are rewriting the rules the rest of us grew up with.
• Therapist Wisdom & Storytelling: How does a background in writing, teaching, AND therapy shape a successful podcasting career? Amye reveals the skills and mindset shifts that made her leap from academia to the unpredictable world of podcasting—plus how connecting with listeners has become her ultimate reward.
• Parenting Without a Playbook: From tales of “feral Gen X” childhoods to the anxiety of raising teens in an era of mass shootings and online drama, Tess and Amye compare notes on what surprises, worries, and inspires them about this new generation.
• Shaking Up the Workplace: What does managing (or parenting) Gen Z really require? Hear straight talk on how managers and parents need to let go of old rules, focus on personal connection, and embrace the flexibility, questioning, and self-respect that today’s young adults demand.

Whether you’re wondering how to deal with your Gen Z coworkers, trying to understand your kids, or facing your own career pivot, this episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to finally make sense of the generational mess—and maybe even be inspired by it.

Episode Overview:

00:00 – Introductions & Pop Culture Blindspots: Gen X vs Gen Z

01:16 – Work, Creativity & Gen X Disillusionment

04:09 – Gen Z’s Bargaining Power at Work

06:06 – Parenting Styles Then and Now

10:56 – Mental Health, Communication & Anxiety in Kids

11:20 – Building a Podcast Career Outside the Traditional Path

12:52 – How Writing, Creativity, & Therapy Fuel Podcasting

15:00 – Why Amye Started Little Miss Recap & Murder She Watched

16:13 – Leaving Academia and Lessons from Career Pivots

18:27 – Working With a Spouse in the Podcasting World

19:33 – Surprises in Raising Gen Z Daughters

23:42 – Gen Z, World Issues & Climate Anxiety

25:23 – Gen Z and Money, Work-Life Balance, and Defining Success

26:58 – Gen X, Boomers, and the Vanishing American Dream

29:14 – Advice Gaps: Why “Old” Solutions Don’t Fit New Problems

31:09 – Why Professors (and Managers) Are Burned Out

33:27 – What Gen Z Has Taught Gen X About Self-Respect and Boundaries

35:25 – Parental Concerns: Coddling vs. Independence

38:39 – The Importance of Modeling and Letting Kids Fail

40:13 – Advice for Managing Gen Z at Work

41:58 – Why Work Should Focus on Output, Not Hours

43:11 – The Need for Personal Connection in the Modern Workplace

45:14 – Wrapping Up & Amye’s Podcast Plugs

Press play to discover how to stop fixing the mess—and start living in it.

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