In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy welcomes generational researcher and founder of Inlay Insights, Kim Lear - a speaker, writer, and cultural translator whose work puts context behind the chaos of modern work.

Kim doesn’t do clickbait stereotypes or “Gen Z vs. Boomers” headlines. She studies shifts in trust, leadership, parenting, politics, and communication over time - then helps companies actually make sense of it. Through storytelling and hard data, she unpacks why cultural change feels disorienting and how leaders can navigate it with empathy, rigor, and intention.

Together, Christy and Kim explore what happens when generations collide in the workplace - and why that tension might be exactly what we need.

Tune in to hear:

How Kim’s research into generational identity started with one radical question: “What if my grandmother had been born in a different era?”

Why the collapse of institutional trust isn’t just a Gen Z issue - it’s a workplace wake-up call

The missed opportunity in the “authenticity movement” and why emotional regulation is leadership’s next frontier

What COVID did to our shared sense of direction - and how it rewired expectations for work, leadership, and belonging

How Gen Z sees work differently than Millennials - and why that might be a good thing for business

Kim doesn’t just study change - she maps it.

And if we want to lead people forward, we need to understand them first.

Chapters:

00:01:56 - What Changes Across Time - and Why Context Is Everything 

00:04:35 - Personal Roots of a Generational Obsession 

00:11:40 - COVID’s Long Shadow and Gen Z’s Broken Trust 

00:16:22 - Why Losing the Workplace as a Shared Space Changed Everything 

00:20:11 - Vulnerability at Work: When It Helps and When It Hurts 

00:22:25 - Whole Self vs. Best Self: The Career-Defining Distinction 

00:26:35 - Why HR Must See Itself as an Energy Conduit 

00:31:11 - Respect, Identity, and the Complexity of Modern Leadership 

00:33:39 - Gen Z’s Take: Work Isn’t Family - It’s a Contract 

00:34:45 - Kim’s Hard Lesson: Vetting Ideas Before Pitching Up 

00:40:03 - Where Are the Grown-Ups? What Young People Are Really Asking 

00:44:13 - Connection Over Perfection: What People Want from Leaders Now 

Curious about the book Christy shared?

Brand Up isn’t just a read - it’s a blueprint for showing up with purpose. Whether you're navigating college admissions, job interviews, or executive leadership, this book helps you clarify who you are and lead from it.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to step into who you are and lead with it - this is it.

| Connect with Us |

Learn more about Inlay Insights:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/inlay-insights/

Follow Kim Lear:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlylear/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kim_lear

SubStack - https://kimlear.substack.com/

(Kim breaks down the cultural shifts shaping today’s workplace - using data, storytelling, and humor to make it stick. Her work has been featured by NPR, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and more. Trusted by Fortune 500s and top universities alike, Kim doesn’t just study change - she makes it make sense.)

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