We like to think that we have come so far as a global society, but there is still so much injustice, hate, and racism out there. In the last few years, hate crimes have been on the rise. White supremacists have been emboldened. Anti-immigrant rhetoric has intensified. We condemn these awful examples of prejudice and bias and hate, but systemic racism is something different. It is less about violence or burning crosses than it is about everyday decisions made by people who may not even think of themselves as racist. As sociologist Eduardo Bonilla-Silva has said, "The main problem nowadays is not the folks with the hoods, but the folks dressed in suits." Systemic racism persists in our schools, offices, court system, police departments, and elsewhere. Why? Think about it: when white people occupy most positions of decision-making power, people of color have a difficult time getting a fair shake, let alone getting ahead.

As a white European straight male, I have never had to experience any of the prejudice many of my Black, Asian, and Hispanic friends face daily. For me and everyone else like me, it has taken the death of another innocent man and global protests for us to really reflect on these issues. To better understand the racism, prejudice, and hate millions of people in the U.S. and around the world face every day, I invited my friend Kevin Taylor to come on the podcast to talk about his personal experiences. We discuss Black Lives Matter, how you can show support for the movement, and our thoughts on people protesting for “Blue Lives Matter.” Kevin also shares some personal stories and examples of times he has been affected by systemic racism, his deeply rooted fear of being pulled over by the police, and what it is like growing up knowing that the cards are stacked against you.

Links

Kevin Taylor

Instagram @kev_taylor1

Please Watch: Dave Chappelle’s 8:46

www.blacklivesmatter.com

Donate

Millennialism

Apple Podcasts ｜Spotify ｜ Google Podcasts｜ Download

6-bullet-Friday

What I am watching: When They See Us

Song I am listening to: Moon River by Frank Ocean

What I am reading: Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

YouTube account I cannot get enough of: Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Quote I am pondering: “Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness.” – Yousuf Karsh

Every week, I sit down to chat with a guest about a topic that interests me. I have had entrepreneurs, award-winning authors, esteemed academics, pioneering filmmakers, TED speakers, philosophers, and friends come on the show to discuss everything from social media to health, business to culture, self-development to global travel. Millennialism is the podcast for anyone who wants to learn more about maneuvering life as a millennial in the 2020s.

Links

Adam Gavin

www.adamgavin.com

Instagram @adamgavin

[email protected]

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts:

In this episode, I am joined by author, speaker, mountain climber, college professor, and women’s rights advocate, Sara Safari. In 2015, she received The Global Citizen award from the United Nations Association and is currently on track to become the first Iranian woman in history to climb the Seven Summits, the highest peak in each continent. Growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, Sara enjoyed little personal freedom and few rights under the law, living an existence marked by oppression and limitations. In response to her childhood experiences, Sara was motivated to empower marginalized women everywhere—and what better way to show young girls that they can do anything than to stand on top of the world? Literally. She recounts her experiences of overcoming these great challenges and adversities in her books Follow my Footsteps, Above the Mountain Shadow, and Making a Difference.

We talk about Sara’s climbing experiences, setting big goals, overcoming challenges, and how a near-death experience can change your perspective on life and what is important. I also ask Sara what it means to her to have come from such adversity to become an inspiration for young girls and women all over the world. It was a privilege having her on my show, so please enjoy this conversation with the admirable Sara Safari.

Links

Sara Safari

www.climbyoureverest.org

www.sarasafari.com

Instagram @sara.safari.everest

Facebook /empoweringallgirls

Millennialism

Apple Podcasts ｜Spotify ｜ Google Podcasts｜ Download

The tourism industry has been massively affected by the spread of coronavirus, as many countries have introduced travel restrictions in an attempt to contain its spread. The United Nations World Tourism Organization estimated that global international tourist arrivals might decrease by 20–30% in 2020, leading to a potential loss of US$30–50 billion. In many of the world's cities, planned travel went down by 80–90%. Since none of us can physically travel anywhere right now, I wanted to talk to someone who could take me on a virtual adventure around the world.

In this episode, I am joined by my good friend Caroline Sandström, a 22-year-old modern-day traveler and adventurer from Sweden. Looking at her Instagram pictures and hearing her stories about the vibrant Holi festival in India, island hopping in Fiji, scooter rides through the Vietnamese wilderness, late-night dance parties in the Philippines, and emotional sightseeing’s in Laos made me feel both jealous and incredibly alive. We talk about how she funded all her trips over the last few years, some of the people she met along the way, falling in love on the road, travelling with friends versus traveling solo, and what makes her feel most alive. If you are longing to travel, feel stuck at home, or just want a nice break from reality, just push your headphones in, turn the volume up, and enjoy this conversation with Caroline Sandström.

Links

Caroline Sandström

Instagram @carolinesandstrom

Choosing to go to college is probably one of the biggest decisions you will ever make, but some people do it for all the wrong reasons. We are pressured into paying thousands of dollars, take loans, and fully commit 3-5 years of our life into a degree we are told is necessary to have a good life. I loved going to school, but I do not think it is for everyone and no one should feel pressured into going just because our friends, parents, or academic advisor tells us to. Everyone is, thankfully, not meant to be an academic.

Some perhaps helpful questions to ponder if you are thinking about going to college.

1. Do You Know What You Want to Do?

2. Are You Going Just Because Others Expect You To?

3. Do You Like School Enough to Go Through Four More Years of It?

4. Are You Willing to Put Your Life on Hold?

Links

Adam Gavin

www.adamgavin.com

Instagram @adamgavin

[email protected]

Have you ever stopped to think about how much control social media has over your life? Measuring the self against others is normal, and in some ways, it can be helpful. The inspiration you feel about someone else's achievements can rev up the motivation to improve your own life. The recognition that your abilities are a notch above someone else's can deliver a boost to your self-esteem. But comparisons can be harmful when they leave you feeling chronically inferior or depressed. Social media is like a canvas. You can choose to portray your life however you want to. So, what will people naturally do with their social media accounts? They will put up only the best pictures of themselves and always make it look like they are having THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES. I think it is obvious to most people that social media is not an accurate representation of life, but it is important to have open conversations about it.

In this episode, I am joined by influencer, YouTuber, and blogger, Anna Reid, to discuss how we can develop a healthier relationship with social media and our current media landscape. We also talk about social media and its relation to mental health issues, anxiety, and false or unrealistic expectation on what a good life looks like. Over the last few years, Anna has amassed over 178.000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, Anna’s Analysis, where she uploads video essays and analyses on social media culture and many other interesting topics. Her most viewed video, “how social media is ruining your life… and you don’t even know it,” has over 2.5 million views and 176.000 likes. Check out her van life conversion series if you want some realistic travel inspiration.

Links

Anna Reid

YouTube: Anna’s Analysis

www.annasanalysis.com

Instagram @annas_analysis

Video: how social media is ruining your life.. and you don't even know it

Video: 4 Ways Influencers Manipulate You

Do you feel confused about the dating game? You are not alone. Even though it seems like everyone is on some kind of dating app, teenagers and young adults are feeling lonelier than any previous generation and are having way less sex. There are many reasons behind this, but it just seems like many of us are dating for all the wrong reasons and can’t make up our minds about what we want. Dating apps and social media present us with an abundance of possible partners. How many of your matches on Tinder do you actually go on dates with? Do you ever think, “maybe I can find someone better if I just keep swiping?” It seems like the challenge in modern times, for many people, is not dishonesty, but decision-making.

Call me old fashioned or naive, but for me, nothing will ever beat meeting someone in real life without knowing anything about them only to unravel the mystery. I have never had to go on a Tinder date to know it is not for me, but I know that not everyone shares my opinion. I have made a few episodes about relationships before, but not one quite like this. I was lucky enough to get Sean Kernan, a top writer on Medium in Humor, Life, Business, Self-Improvement, Love, and Relationships to join me for a discussion on the state of online dating, common dating mistakes, toxic couple behaviors, and the ultimate first date question. He also shares some advice on what makes a good dating profile and how to recover from both breakups as well as bad dates.

Sean’s articles on love and relationships have been featured in Inc, HuffPost, and Apple News just to name a few. Over the last couple of years, he has amassed over 260k followers on Quora and at the time of writing 374 million content views. Sean is a witty, honest, relatable, and personal writer sharing his own trials and tribulations, life lessons, and advice for our enjoyment, inspiration, and learning.

Links

Sean Kernan

7 Surefire Ways to Die Single

Dating Profiles are a Highlight Reel of Bad Marketing

The Ultimate First Date Question — And How to Answer It

Quora @sean-kernan

Medium @seanjkernan

Instagram @sean_kernan

Twitter @seanjkernan

Do you ever wish you were someone else, perhaps someone not afraid to do all the things you dream of doing?

“Somebody once told me the definition of hell: On my last day on this earth, the person who I became will meet the person I could have become, and those two people are total strangers.

“But somebody also once told me the definition of heaven: On my last day on this earth, the person who I became will meet the person I could have become, and those two people are identical twins.” — Ed Mylett

I have heard so many stories of older people full of regret for not giving their dreams a real shot. This is something I fear myself. In this episode of Millennialism, Jordan Gross and I talk about realizing one’s full potential, living a life with no regrets, forging your own path, society’s definition of success vs our own, and much more. Jordan’s wise yet simple approach to many of the big, existential questions is truly inspiring, and hearing his thoughtful anecdotes made me think about what is actually important in life.

Jordan Gross is a 2x startup founder, writer, leadership coach, speaker, and corporate refugee turned trailblazer for positive change, optimism, and the belief that our daily actions can help us all overcome stress and anxiety. He has worked with corporate executives and employees at Google, Amazon, and various startup companies on behavioral leadership change. He has spoken on hundreds of podcasts, in libraries, at conferences, and in high schools around the US. He is also a top contributing writer on LinkedIn and Medium in the areas of Leadership, Self-Improvement, Inspiration, and Personal Development. His latest book, The Journey to Cloud Nine, (which you can now buy), has been hailed "as meaningful as The Alchemist; as brilliantly told as The Life of Pi, and as inspirational as Eat, Pray, Love.”

Links

Jordan Gross

www.journeytocloudnine.com

The Journey to Cloud Nine

The Journey to Cloud Nine Podcast

TED Talk

LinkedIn

Medium

In China and Italy, the air is now strikingly clean. Venice’s Grand Canal, normally fouled by boat traffic, is running clear. In Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta, the fog of pollution has lifted. Even global carbon emissions have fallen. To be clear, the coronavirus pandemic is a tragedy, but this global crisis is also an inflection point for that other global crisis, the slower one with even higher stakes: climate change. It may seem odd, insensitive, or even irrelevant to some people to talk about climate change right now, but as the United Nations’ secretary-general recently noted, the threat from coronavirus is temporary whereas the threat from heatwaves, floods, and extreme storms resulting in the loss of human life will remain with us for years.

Today I am joined by Environmental Communication student and sustainability advocate, Clara Wessel, to discuss eco-anxiety, a term defined by the American Psychological Association as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.” Worry about climate change is affecting people all around the world, but there are solutions that can help improve this anxiety and slow climate breakdown at the same time. We talk a lot about this as well as our own double standards and how we can live more sustainably without compromising the quality of our lives.

I know there are a lot of weird things going on in the world right now, but I actually think this global pandemic is a great opportunity for us to learn more about these issues, make some changes, and reflect on how we want to live our lives, what responsibilities we have towards the planet, and what’s actually important.

Links

Clara Wessel

Instagram @clara.sw

www.clarasophiewessel.com

Recommended Instagram Accounts and other resources:

@atmos

@itsfreezinginla

@theslowfactory

@storiesbehindthings

@ecoage

@futerra

@jackharries

@finnharries

@aliceaedy

@theearthissue

@earthpartner

@sustainablebk

@2040film

Websites

Ellen McArthur Foundation

IPCC

The Ecologist

The Guardian

Creative Climate Cities