Shows
Gen X at 60Not So Great ExpectationsThis episode, Jim and Ken walk the tightrope of expectations. When Jim’s birthday plans fell through, the disappointment surfaced an old question: Is having expectations a setup for heartbreak — or are they necessary to feel alive and hopeful?The research backs it up — the happiest people as they age aren’t the ones whose plans always worked. They’re the ones who learned how to hold the plan lightly — and themselves tenderly — when it didn’t.From broad, open dreams to rigid requirements, let's unpack what it means to trust life enough to loosen your g...2025-07-1656 minGen X at 60Living Real: Far from the Shallow NOWPsychologist and author Dr. Camille Preston joins Ken and Jim for a deeply personal and timely conversation inspired by her new book, Living Real. Together, they explore what it means to live with emotional depth in a world that pushes us to stay busy, be upbeat, and get distracted.Camille introduces the concept of shallowing—the habit of avoiding life’s hard feelings in a misguided attempt to stay afloat. But as she explains, when we numb the lows, we also miss the highs.This episode is about burnout, grief, identity, and...2025-07-0252 minGen X at 60Reel Life LessonsWhile parents weren't always there to teach Gen Xers life lessons—the movies were, for better or worse. In this episode, Ken and Jim revisit seven films from the 80s and early 90s that shaped how they saw themselves, the world, and who they were supposed to become.From unexpected alien friendships to having a head for business and a bod for sin, these stories carried lessons about love, loss, identity, and possibility. Decades later, they’re asking: What stuck? What fell flat? And what might leave other generations scratching their heads...2025-06-1848 minGen X at 60Old Dogs...New TripsWhen Jim returns from a month-long facilitation tour of Japan, what starts as a virtual travelogue turns into something deeper. Ken and Jim explore how our appetite for risk, adventure, and newness shifts with age—and why learning still matters, maybe more than ever, after 60.They talk about homesickness, self-judgment, and the tension between comfort and adventure. Is it possible to keep evolving without blowing up the lives we've worked so hard to build?Old Dogs...New Trips is a candid conversation about the courage it takes to keep stretching—just enough to stay...2025-06-0448 minGen X at 60Eldership: Crown or Cane?What started as a thoughtful nod to Ken turning 60 quickly turned into a surprisingly loaded conversation—because it turns out, “eldership” means very different things to each of us.For one of us, it's the recognition of our accumulated wisdom, and a sacred passage to becoming a respected guide. And for the other? It feels more like a lifetime achievement award with no cash value and zero sex appeal.In this episode, we talk candidly about what the word “eldership” evokes for each of us, why we didn’t quite see eye to eye...2025-05-2138 minGen X at 60No Gold Watch, No Roadmap: Gen X at the Edge of What’s NextWe’re the first generation arriving at 60 without a clear script for retirement. For our parents and grandparents, retirement was the endpoint. A gold watch. A pension. A La-Z-Boy recliner with a view. But for us? The lines are blurrier.In this episode, we talk with fellow 60-year old Paul Scott, the mind behind LifeDesign, a venture focused on helping people consciously design the next phase of life after full-time work.Together, we explore what happens when your job stops defining you… and you finally get to decide what comes next.2025-05-0749 minGen X at 60Dressed for Success: From Fitting In to Showing UpIn the ’80s and ’90s, “Dress for Success” was more than a look—it was a message. Shoulder pads, power ties, pantyhose… we suited up to be taken seriously in a world built on someone else’s rules.But did fitting in come at a cost?In this episode, we sit down with our friend, colleague, and fellow Gen Xer Tara Hanlon to reflect on what success was supposed to look like back then, and how gendered expectations shaped both women and men in ways we’re only now startin...2025-04-2352 minGen X at 60The Bank of YOU: Are You Making Deposits or Just Withdrawals?We've spent years saving, investing, and planning for the future—but have we been making deposits into the most important account of all?As Gen Xers, we grew up in a world that rarely talked about self-awareness, self-acceptance, or emotional well-being. We were raised to be independent, to figure things out on our own, and to push through without asking for help. Yet the Harvard Study of Adult Development suggests that strong relationships—not just resilience—are what keep us happier and healthier as we age. And that includes the one relationship we carry for li...2025-04-0943 minGen X at 60Relationships: The Hidden Part of Retirement PlanningIf the Harvard Study of Adult Development is right, and relationships are the single biggest predictor of happiness and health as we age—are we Gen Xers completely screwed?We were raised to be independent, skeptical, and self-reliant. We’re the generation that made ‘whatever’ a lifestyle. But research says deep, lasting relationships—not just self-sufficiency—are what keep us thriving, both emotionally and physically. Have we been doing it all wrong? And if so, what do we do about it?"Learn more about The Harvard Study of Adult DevelopmentListen to Hidden Br...2025-03-2646 minGen X at 60From Latchkey to Leadership: Gen X and the Nonlinear CareerGet into to the right school. Pick the right major. Find the right job in the right company to take you all the way to retirement. Did it work out that way for our generation? Was the typical career path for us linear as for many in previous generations or more like Chutes and Ladders? Join us as we take a look in the rear view mirror at our career paths to uncover the roads that got us from there to here, including a cameo by Judd Nelson.Leave your thoughts via Fan Mail 2025-03-1244 minGen X at 60Is Wellness Hokey or Not?In this episode, we attempt to unpack our beliefs, generational conditioning, and hopeful appreciation of this thing called Wellness. Join us!Leave your thoughts via Fan Mail 2025-02-2639 min
Gen X at 60Our StereotypesCome explore some of the classic stereotypes about Generation X as Jim and Ken weigh in on which are totally bitchin' and which are grody to the max.Leave your thoughts via Fan Mail 2025-02-2146 minGen X at 60Welcome to Gen X at 60: We're Still Running Up That HillGen X turning 60? No freakin' way! We are Jim and Ken, two colleagues and friends who are a part of the first Gen Xers turning 60. In our first episode, we will lay the groundwork for our exploration of what it means to have the forgotten, latch key kid generation entering their sixth decade around the sun. Come with us for the ride. SHOTGUN!Leave your thoughts via Fan Mail 2025-02-2045 min