An encounter with an article calling Gen Xers the "Silver Squatters" really flicked my Bic this week. If I were the Beatles, I'd be writing about a Revolution. Instead, I did what I do best and put pen to paper. Also, read on for a new venture, created just for Gen X entrepreneurs. |
Welcome to Let's Make Some Noise, with weekly tips, trends, and insights written just for π₯ Gen X Entrepreneurs π₯. |
Hey there Reader:
Have you ever had a moment of blinding clarity. I tend to have many of them. Sometimes too many, which makes it hard for a working girl like me to prioritize.
But a week ago I caught an article about How Gen X isn't ready for retirement. That alone made me cringe. But it was the title, labeling us Silver Squatters, that really flicked my Bic.
My beloved generation, the same who gave the world the Police, Boy George, the Clash, ELO (that one was for you JB), and Dead or Alive, is now relegated to sad-sack stories of retirement failure. And squatting.
Media Fail
Look, I know how the media works. I was the media. Stories get written quickly. Titles even faster. So some junior copywriter was probably told to come up with a few possible alliterations, maybe even turned to AI, and presto the editorial team said that one sounds funny.
But squatting. Yes, it *can* mean unlawfully inhabiting...but really it just engenders visions of a big metal chamber pot. So I spent way too much time writing a response, called Meet the Gen X Rebels. What started out as a bit of flight of fancy, became a new direction.
Learning JUST how much the media has ignored Gen X over the past years has been a painful process. Including, if you don't know this one, the time CBS omitted Gen X altogether from a generation-by-generation break down.
Am I Too Old?
So many of my clients these days are Gen Xers. Some started businesses decades ago. Others are starting up now, with all the angst that entails. The questions they ask are largely the same...
- Am I too old?
- Can I really reinvent my career at this stage of my life?
- Can I keep up with technology?
Entrepreneurship is a scary place. But it shouldn't be harder just because a person has reach a certain age marker.
As a business planner - as in a writer of business plans - I see too many limiting beliefs, but it seems like the older we get, the more limiting beliefs we have. Maybe all the new knowledge we've accumulated is weighing down on us?
Gen X Junction
At any rate, last week I hinted at a new direction for my business. This week I'm sharing a few more details. The pre-launch of Gen X Junction, a new community built just for Gen X entrepreneurs.
It's the place I wish I had when I first started my business. A place to connect. A place to test ideas. A place to build real relationships with other business owners who LOOK like us and who understand our references. Even when we make the occasional eight track joke.
The launch date is set for October 15, but you can learn more by clicking the button. There is even a full (preliminary) schedule of our Bold Ideas & Breakthroughs speaker series.
Hope this weekend if full of big promises and even greater joy.
Monica
From the Blog
Meet the Gen X Rebel
Meet the Gen X Rebel. Weβre stepping out of the shadows and challenging the idea that weβre less ambitious or less interesting than our generational siblings.
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About Me
Hey there, I'm Monica Poling and I help Gen X entrepreneurs build businesses they love. π₯ Keep making noise. π₯
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