This info is so needed! I recently retired as an educator of 30 years. I’m also a licensed mental health therapist who runs a practice part-time. Being retired has allowed me the opportunity to focus on my writing and publishing. Your content is SO inspirational! Thank you!
Brian - thank you so much for this post. It strongly resonates. My corporate team, and many others, were made redundant last year in a multi-year corporate restructuring that continues today. Most of us were over 40. Like myself, most have solid careers of 2 decades or more, advanced degrees, and an alphabet soup of professional certifications and credentials.
At first I thought it was isolated mostly to tech and biotech companies where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley. I suspected contributing factors included overhiring during the pandemic and too many mergers and acquisitions leading to bulging corporate bellies.
Yet over time I've encountered an unusually large number of midlife career professionals in the same position. In all kinds of industries and geographic locations. Most of us have struggled to find work, despite extensive professional networks, ATS-compliant resumes, business and career coaching, and consistent, strategic effort. For me it's been over a year now with significant costs to my livelihood. But I'm here, grounded, grateful, and embracing a new life and path of solopreneurship.
I first encountered you through AWAI, and learned about your personal business accelerator course. I'm here for that, your blueprint course, your guidance, and this community - to support me building a solo business from scratch, as quickly as I can. I've been trying to do this for some time now but am struggling with it. I don't know any other world than that of employee, and don't personally know anyone who has succeeded in building a successful online business. The mindset shift, among other things, has been a challenge. I am also here to support others in this community. We all have much to offer.
I appreciate you articulating these systemic and structural issues facing not only GenXer's but our society as a whole today. I knew something systemic was happening, and have ideas about contributing factors, but you've identified and worded some of the key issues so well. It made so much sense to me! And I appreciate your programs and efforts to help us build a new and better pathway forward. In the end, I know I will look back on this time with gratitude for a life pivot that will lead to more joy, fulfillment, independence, prosperity, and ability to give to others. Thank you.
Brillant framing of agency extraction as the core problem here. The part about conditional privilege that can be revoked anytime is exactly what makes this feel diffrent from older generational squeezes. Watched too many capable people in their 50s get restructured out while still having a decade or two of peak performance left. The structural nature of it means individual hustle alone won't fix the issue, which is what makes building that agency engine so critical now rather than later.
I see myself so much in this post. I quit the daybob 3 year ago, at 50, and am now living a busy, happy profissional life mostly on my terms. There’s a lot to do still, but I’m confident.
Great post, as always, Brian. I know some who are absolutely struggling with agency and end-of-career opportunites, and I know others who are getting out of the county but continuing to work so they do have a chance to retire. A $2k monthly living budget in Mexiso compared to a $6k minimum urban budget is pretty attrctive for creating real savings.
This info is so needed! I recently retired as an educator of 30 years. I’m also a licensed mental health therapist who runs a practice part-time. Being retired has allowed me the opportunity to focus on my writing and publishing. Your content is SO inspirational! Thank you!
Old logic: surrender your agency in exchange for stability
New logic; claim your agency if you hope to thrive.
Brian - thank you so much for this post. It strongly resonates. My corporate team, and many others, were made redundant last year in a multi-year corporate restructuring that continues today. Most of us were over 40. Like myself, most have solid careers of 2 decades or more, advanced degrees, and an alphabet soup of professional certifications and credentials.
At first I thought it was isolated mostly to tech and biotech companies where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley. I suspected contributing factors included overhiring during the pandemic and too many mergers and acquisitions leading to bulging corporate bellies.
Yet over time I've encountered an unusually large number of midlife career professionals in the same position. In all kinds of industries and geographic locations. Most of us have struggled to find work, despite extensive professional networks, ATS-compliant resumes, business and career coaching, and consistent, strategic effort. For me it's been over a year now with significant costs to my livelihood. But I'm here, grounded, grateful, and embracing a new life and path of solopreneurship.
I first encountered you through AWAI, and learned about your personal business accelerator course. I'm here for that, your blueprint course, your guidance, and this community - to support me building a solo business from scratch, as quickly as I can. I've been trying to do this for some time now but am struggling with it. I don't know any other world than that of employee, and don't personally know anyone who has succeeded in building a successful online business. The mindset shift, among other things, has been a challenge. I am also here to support others in this community. We all have much to offer.
I appreciate you articulating these systemic and structural issues facing not only GenXer's but our society as a whole today. I knew something systemic was happening, and have ideas about contributing factors, but you've identified and worded some of the key issues so well. It made so much sense to me! And I appreciate your programs and efforts to help us build a new and better pathway forward. In the end, I know I will look back on this time with gratitude for a life pivot that will lead to more joy, fulfillment, independence, prosperity, and ability to give to others. Thank you.
Great post!
Brillant framing of agency extraction as the core problem here. The part about conditional privilege that can be revoked anytime is exactly what makes this feel diffrent from older generational squeezes. Watched too many capable people in their 50s get restructured out while still having a decade or two of peak performance left. The structural nature of it means individual hustle alone won't fix the issue, which is what makes building that agency engine so critical now rather than later.
I see myself so much in this post. I quit the daybob 3 year ago, at 50, and am now living a busy, happy profissional life mostly on my terms. There’s a lot to do still, but I’m confident.
Great post, as always, Brian. I know some who are absolutely struggling with agency and end-of-career opportunites, and I know others who are getting out of the county but continuing to work so they do have a chance to retire. A $2k monthly living budget in Mexiso compared to a $6k minimum urban budget is pretty attrctive for creating real savings.
GenX can stay mad about it or do something. But they'd rather live in a fog of nostalgia instead of that so whatever.. nevermind