On this very special episode of Gen X Amplified, I am chatting with writer, 2x creative entrepreneur, and former multi-agency brand strategist Chauncey Zalkin.

As a podcaster, Chauncey is also the host of the groundbreaking podcast Actual People, which is an unfiltered exploration of individual and societal shifts in a world undergoing tremendous change.

During our conversation, Chauncey and I discuss her overall Gen X journey as storyteller, creator, brand strategist, and entrepreneur. And also Chauncey shares personal and professional insights on navigating today’s world as a Gen X woman, particularly during midlife and mid-career.

• Chauncey’s inspirations and motivations for her writing and creativity
• Why Chauncey decided to launch the Actual People podcast
• Chauncey’s experiences living in New York during the early 2000s and the golden age of hip-hop
• Why publishing a novel (or two) is her ultimate dream
• Chauncey’s very candid and powerful “Suddenly 50: Where We Are & What’s Next As Gen X“ episode of her podcast
• Chauncey’s passions for observing culture through a Gen X lens
• Why Chauncey prefers to work with startups as opposed to larger companies and career pursuits of becoming a CMO
• And more!

“Clean Slate” by M Ward

“The Final Countdown” by Europe (Honorable Mention)

Chauncey Zalkin is a writer, 2x creative entrepreneur, former multi-agency brand strategist, and most recently VP then SVP of Marketing at tech startups establishing brand architecture, cross-channel, cross-funnel messaging and operationalizing marketing and building processes for success.

She is also the host of the groundbreaking podcast “Actual People”, which is an unfiltered exploration of individual and societal shifts in a world undergoing tremendous change.

In this podcast, Chauncey opens up about her own experiences in order to dive into social and cultural phenomena, positive developments, and collective pain. Each episode is dedicated to meaningful conversations about the evolving landscape of our lives and the power of our own creativity and imagination to make magic.

Chauncey got her start observing culture as founder of a pre-blog era blog called Girl on the street, was nominated for a webby and got some press in places like Teen People, Trace magazine, NY Post, Daily News and then went on to join the ad world at the height of cripsin porter + bogusky’s success, and went on to work at 2 other agencies over her career. going into advertising, she’s not sure that was the right choice.

She is a writer first and foremost, former multi-agency brand strategist, owned a brand documentary agency which she loved and did for companies like beyond meat and timex, and then went on to be a senior executive marketer for startups. she’s since leaned back into pure content and story for herself and select clients that she feels are meaningful in the context of today’s culture and building the future.

Her substack is https://chaunceyzalkin.substack.com/ and her website is www.chaunceyzalkin.com.

Actual People can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening!

Thank you so very much for listening to the podcast. There are so many other shows out there, so the fact that you took the time to listen in really means a lot!

For this very special episode of Gen X Amplified, I have the pleasure of being joined by Ebony Flake, Business Journalist for ESSENCE. What makes this conversation extra amazing is that Ebony graciously featured me in a story she wrote last year as a full-page profile for their annual Men’s print Issue.

The story was titled “Gen X Leaders Are Dominating the C-Suite” and it featured insights on how the middle generation is now holding the keys to the boardrooms and shaping the future of work for everyone.

Well, this episode is all about EBONY FLAKE, and her inspirational and intentional career journey. And I couldn’t wait to feature her on the podcast, and spotlight her journey as a perfect example of true mid-career mastery.

• Ebony’s discovery of her passion for writing that became the spark for her career path
• Some of the early inflection points and external advocates that helped propel Ebony for a successful career in journalism and writing for ESSENCE
• The various lessons from Ebony’s corporate and leadership experience that became valuable throughout her journey
• Why she is a passionate advocate for the experiences and opportunities of the underrepresented, particularly black women in corporate and entrepreneurship
• Why Gen X is the generation that is well suited for meaningful leadership in today’s ever-changing world of work
• And more!

“Sweet Life” by Frank Ocean

Ebony Flake is a highly acclaimed writer and business reporter covering leadership, careers, and entrepreneurship for ESSENCE. She has been on a passionate mission to also amplify the voices, experiences, triumphs, and challenges faced by Black women in the workplace and beyond.

Previously, as a C-suite reporter for Business Insider, Ebony explored the strategies and successes of high-level executives across various industries.

Before transitioning to journalism, Ebony gained over a decade of HR leadership experience, spanning the food and beverage sector with industry giants including PepsiCo and Tyson Foods to the innovative and agile startup world as HR Director at an Austin-based boutique firm.

Ebony’s writings and perspective are grounded in insights gained into corporate culture, talent management, lean startups, and careers.

Additionally, as Entrepreneur-in-Residence with the Ford Foundation, Ebony co-founded and led Urban Content Studios, a content collective offering full-service media for nonprofit clients, including contracts with the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, the Sean Anderson Foundation, and Gleaners Community Food Bank.

Thank you for listening!

Thank you so very much for listening to the podcast. There are so many other shows out there, so the fact that you took the time to listen in really means a lot!

On this episode of Gen X Amplified, I am joined by Stephen Bailey, Stephen is the CEO and co-founder of ExecOnline, a corporate training company that partners with the world’s top business schools to offer leadership development on demand to enterprise organizations.

ExecOnline is on a mission to connect all leaders to their future potential by disrupting and democratizing corporate learning.

Some of ExecOnline’s Partner schools include Stanford, Wharton, Berkeley Haas, Chicago Booth, UVA Darden School of Business, Columbia, Duke, MIT-Sloan, Yale, and others.

• Stephen’s career journey from “recovered lawyer” to startup founder and eventually becoming the co-founder and CEO of ExecOnline
• The “aha moment” from Stephen’s experience as the CEO of a previous startup that led to launching ExecOnline
• Many of the high-impact initiatives the ExecOnline team are currently focusing on
• Why there is a meaningful difference between mentoring and learning
• The impact of large language models and generative AI on the learning economy
• And more!

“Right Above It” (feat. Drake) by Lil Wayne

Stephen is the co-founder and CEO of ExecOnline, a B2B corporate training company that partners with the world’s top business schools to offer leadership development on demand to enterprise organizations.

Its mission is to connect all leaders to their future potential by disprupting and democratizing corporate learning.

When Stephen launched ExecOnline, his vision was to combine the engagement of traditional on-campus and role-based applied learning — with the convenience and scale of an online experience—for all levels of leadership.

Therefore, creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive leadership pipeline within the world of work.

ExecOnline has been named to the Global Silicon Valley EdTech 150, and also recognized as a “Technology Company to Watch” by Forbes.

Prior to ExecOnline, Stephen served as the CEO of Frontier Strategy Group (FSG), a software and information services business.

He grew FSG from an early-stage start-up to a company that served nearly half the Fortune 500 across a range of international markets and business functions. Prior to his role as CEO, he was FSG’s first Chief Product Officer.

Before joining FSG, Stephen was an associate in the venture capital and private equity group of WilmerHale.

Stephen is also the Board Chair of the Truman Center for National Policy and member of the Board of Prospect Schools, a charter school network in NYC.

He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Emory University and holds a JD from the Yale Law School.

Stephen has been an EdTech pioneer and champion of the “learning economy” ever since he recognized the vast leadership gap many years ago.

Thank you for listening!

Thank you so very much for listening to the podcast. There are so many other shows out there, so the fact that you took the time to listen in really means a lot!