Millennial in the Middle

Today marks the three year anniversary of me publishing my first episode of Millennial in the Middle. It is crazy to see how much the world has changed in that time and I have experienced more personal growth than I could have imagined. This podcast has played a huge role in my life as it has forced me to listen, to think critically, and to have empathy. After a lot of debate, I have decided it is time for this brand and show to be retired. I am already in the works of a new show with a different framework and theme. Stay tuned!

In this final episode, I share my experirence of Running with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain a couple weeks ago. I give the behind-the-scenes details for those who would like to learn about it, but have no desire to be anywhere near a 4,000 pound charging bull. This experience taught me a valuable lesson about life which I feel is the perfect ending to this show and preview of what is to come!

Thanks for the support and the hours of your life you have given me listening to this show. I hope it impacted you positively.

Today Connor interviews Amber Farooqui for a fun interview about her life hacks and the community she has built. Amber's enthusiasm is contagious. She is a great example of someone thriving in the passion economy and building a platform around uplifting others.

Amber is the founder of Evolve Your Business, The Sisterhood Community, a Business Coach, Consultant, Best Selling Author, and Speaker. Amber’s mission is to help you make an influence, impact, and income. She empowers others to recognize their full potential and realize that they truly can turn their dreams into reality in both business and life.

I recently sat down with my friend and business partner Landon Bytheway to recount our journey over the last year in starting a business together. For those of you wondering what STUDIIO is and how it all came to be, here is the full story. Opt and STUDIIO are joining forces in 2023 and have some really cool things in the works.

Landon is a world-renowned videographer and content creator. Give him a follow and check out his work @Landonbtw

Today's episode a perfect follow-up to the previous solo episode (#100). I found Déjà's poetry on her very popular instagram account @ebbandflowpoetry. I knew I needed to dig into her perspective on life for myself and my listeners. She is a great example of someone who has taken her talents and used it to be a force for good in the world. To follow her journey follow her on social media @ebbandflowpoetry and go read her newest book "Come Home to Yourself." It is a catalyst for transformation, a guide to letting go, surrendering to solitude, and discovering one's authenticity and purpose. By doing so, Déjà Rae shows that the love we are all looking for has always been inside of us, patiently waiting for us to come home.

Déjà Rae is a writer, explorer, and dreamer. Since she was young, her inquisitive mind has led her on a perpetual journey towards enlightenment and self-discovery. Both introspective and analytical, Déjà Rae’s work focuses on identifying patterns in the world, and articulating shared human emotions. With a bachelors degree in psychology, and an ongoing masters degree in international development, Déjà Rae hopes to use her education and creative skills to empower others to chase after their most authentic selves.

Hitting 100 episodes and starting a new year has me in a reflective mood. 2022 will be remembered for me as the year I looked within. Whenever people used to talk about self-love or personal development I thought it was all fluff. I have lived a lot of my life relying on external validation to feel like a success. My favorite read of the year was Michael Singer's "Living Untethered." He explains that all of us are going through life just trying to be "okay in there." In this episode I talk about my personal journey of looking with in, letting go, and living in the now. What I call the process to personal revolution. I hope this resonates and helps some of you!

Thank you so much for listening and your continued to support! 

Cooper Campbell is a Gen Z himself already working as a consultant helping members of Gen Z navigate life, relationships and their career. With a lot of experience specifically dealing with people suffering from depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. If you have ever dealt with someone in a similar situation this episode will you give you some great insight. 

Follow Cooper at Cooper__id

Connor is talking politics again in today's episode. He shares the three takeaways from the results of the midterms. Then he talks about what the next two years might look like as we enter another presidential election.

Danielle Farage is a LinkedIn top voice for Gen Z and a work futurist speaker and writer. In this episode, Danielle tells her story of how she embraced the new perspective on work and how she is helping other people do the same. This USC grad records her side of the episode from an AirBnB in Paris, along her journey of remote work and networking.

Follow along with her blog and podcast all of which can be found on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-farage/

Today Connor interviews Kiannalie Sarmiento. Kiannalie is a great example of a young Gen Z jumping into her career and chasing her passions. At 19, she went to a coding bootcamp and immediately fell in love with product development and technology. She is very passionate about community and has gone the extra mile to create spaces of inclusion and connection. She has served as the Utah Chapter Leader in the 'Latinas in Tech' organization. This interview has a lot of insight about generational differences, culture and the importance of diversity. 

Today Connor invites Eric Espinosa on the show to discuss business, life and his experience living abroad. Eric  is an avid entrepreneur and had his first exit not too long after being out of college. He most recently founded Coconut VA and serves as CEO. Last year, he and his wife set a goal to live abroad and travel most of the year. He talks about how he was traveling the world, without an itinerary and still growing his business. He also went and spent over a month experiencing the daily life of a Virtual Assistant in the Philippines to understand the needs of those he was helping to employ. He gained a great perspective by living in a 400 square foot apartment, working through the night and doing it on a typical income.

Follow along with Eric on LinkedIn and join his #VacationLaptopless movement!

Hunter Saunders has become a good friend recently after joining Connor's team at Opt. As Connor has worked with him for the last couple months it has been clear that he is the personification of Gen Z. He is 23 years old, intelligent, and is taking advantage of what the world has to offer. His insight and depth of understanding about his generation is impressive and informative. In this episode, Connor gets Hunter's perspective on the generational divide, what makes us different and what brings us together.

Last week Queen Elizabeth passed away after an unprecedented 70+ year on the throne. Connor had the news broken to him in real time on a call with a business partner who is British. This raw moment of emotion showed him a unique perspective. In this episode Connor talks about the lessons we can learn from the Queen's legacy as it relates to respecting our previous generations while making improvements and progress moving forward.

Connor has spent a lot of episodes talking about the past, today he is talking about the future. Tyler Doyle is a celebrity in the metaverse. He is the most prominent influencer in the game Upland. In fact, he just returned from a conference in Las Vegas where he was named "Broadcaster of the Year." He has made a career out of investing in the metaverse and teaching others on how to make REAL money in the VIRTUAL world. If you aren't convinced that evolution is happening and coming at us faster than ever, you need to listen to this episode.

Follow @Loyldoyl on social media, particularly his youtube channel if you are interested in learning more.

A brief description of Upland...

Built at the intersection of the real and virtual world, Upland gives you the power to buy, sell and trade properties based on real-world addresses, just like the one you live at today… but in the virtual world.

The digital properties you collect in Upland don’t have any association or rights to the correlating properties in the real world, however, the addresses do mirror real-life locations. Upland’s economy is powered by an in-game currency called UPX (pronounced “UP-EX”).

Once you own a property in Upland, you can start to collect UPX earnings on it every 3 hours. Pretty nifty, right?

Complete property collections in order to boost your UPX earnings and win a one-time UPX award.

Trade your properties with other Uplanders in the marketplace - for UPX or other properties in order to grow your property portfolio and UPX earnings!

Have you spotted a property that you want which is already owned by someone else? No problem! you can always make an offer for the property - even if it's not actively up for sale on the marketplace!

To Life, Liberty and Property!

What is Vulnerability is cool? It's a movement!

As a child, Jenna a was a victim of sexual abuse. That experience created a dark cloud over her mental health, relationships and life for years. Like most victims of abuse, she didn't share her story for a long time and internalized all the pain.  In her 20s she started openly sharing her experience and her journey of embracing counseling and self-growth. As she was vulnerable on social media, she was blown away by the response. So many individuals reached out that had been through similar experiences and didn't have a forum to talk about it. As the responses continued to pile up, Jenna went into action and started hosting events that would be a place of healing. The Vulnerability is Cool movement was born.

In this episode Jenna shares her own story and talks about the impact these events have had on the lives of so many women. To keep up with this movement follow @VulnerabilityisCool and @JennaJarvisJarvis.

Meet Jason Petersen, Connor’s primary business partner and Founder at Opt. Connor met Jason at the end of 2021 and it didn't take long for the two of them to find a rhythm of working together. Jason's ability to take a big idea and turn it into a reality has been crucial to Opt getting off the ground.

Today's episode is about Jason’s experiences in life and business prior to Opt. Jason has started up seven companies and led them to successful exits.  He has been a part of software companies, multiple real estate firms, a business services, consumer goods, wholesale distribution. He has also personally acquired six bankrupt businesses directly and got each turned around in less than six months. One, an Inc. 5000 company, is now one of the largest corporations in its market in North America (Hansen Lighting).

Along the way he has learned invaluable lessons on communication, business and leadership. He tells Connor some of his most important observations applicable to all areas of life including what he calls FLOW: The First Law of Winning.

Have you ever wondered how a digital nomad can actually be effective on the road? Do you even know what a digital nomad is? You need to hear today's conversation with Spencer Wight and Akram Nassri. 

They are the owners of an agency called Strategic Growth Partners and have seen incredible success approaching life with the "new school" mentality of working smarter not harder and living an adventurous life along the way. Listening to these two displays the shift we are seeing in the younger generations when it comes to what we value and how we choose to live our lives. 

Follow them on social media as they embark on an adventure of living abroad with no return date planned. @SpencerWight @Akram.Nassri

For the last five months, Connor has jumped head first into what started as an idea, became a company and is about to be an app that can be used by the masses. Big ideas often start around a big problem: we all value our time, but it's hard to put a value ON our time! Connor and his team are trying to help with the creation of Opt. 

Connor talks about how his personal experiences  paved the way for all of this to happen: his time as a professional speaker on the road, this podcast and the lessons he has learned by looking into societal trends a little deeper. He then takes you behind the scenes and talks through what it has been like building a startup from scratch.

There has been an evolution in what we value that has affected our culture, the way we communicate and our careers. Connor points out what he feels are the three main factors that have led to this evolution and why the timing for this app has him more passionate than ever.

Thanks to our guest Emily Engemann, today's episode is fun, spunky and full of sunshine. Emily Engemann is a world class Zumba instructor, podcast host and has become a light to millions of people through her social media presence. Her blog and podcast (which she hosts with her sister Kass Martin) is called "Little Bits of Awesome" and is all about training your brain to find the positive things that happen each day. Through small habits and uplifting self talk you can feel better about yourself and the world around you.

Find out more about all Emily is doing by following her on social media @EmilyEngemann.

Today Connor discusses his rookie attempts at meditation. He talks about one of his favorite books “The Untethered Soul” and some things he learned in the process of applying simple truths.

Notes: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

Path by J.E. Chadwick

Today’s episode features a fun, intriguing, and vulnerable interview with Bret Engemann. Bret has done a lot in his life and has had many run-ins with celebrities, professional athletes, and of course influencers! So who is Bret Engemann? Here’s a quick teaser: his father was President of Capitol Records and signed the Beatles and the Beach Boys. He was a starting quarterback at Brigham Young University, played for the Oakland Raiders, had a brief stint on the Bachelorette, and was close to dating Kim Kardashian before Kanye swooped in (not a joke!). Bret’s colorful life has given him a unique perspective on life’s priorities, what’s behind the glitz and glamor of fame, and how not to get caught up in the way people perceive you.

Rio De Janeiro has been on the bucket list for a while. I was not disappointed! In today's episode Connor talks about his experience in Brazil jumping into the culture and being welcomed by the locals with open arms. One of those Rio locals, Alcira Bernardo, was willing to join the show in a remote interview after he got back to the States. Alcira for 15+ years owned and operated two hostels in the city hosting travelers from all over the world. A conversation on the famous Copacabana Beach led Connor to want to dig into her experiences further. Alcira speaks of her experience watching people from different cultures live together for an extended period of time and ultimately building lifelong relationships.

In today’s episode Connor sits down with Bridger Pennington to talk about money. They discuss the concept of currency and how the US dollar took the top spot from a global perspective. They then dive into what the future of money might look like. They discuss cryptocurrency, blockchain and how something as simple as free WiFi could be the key to ending poverty. 

Bridger Pennington is the founder of 3 funds focused in debt and real estate which have raised and deployed millions of dollars. Bridger has done over 326+ transactions over the past 4 years. On the side, he runs Investment Fund Secrets to help others start their own funds in a world where people believe you need Ivy League credentials or Wall Street experience to break into. As a fellow millennial, Bridger has broken into the complicated world of finance and investing and has become a subject matter expert helping people all over the world to get in the game.

After a long break, we are back with new episodes! Not only new episodes but a new look, new studio, and new direction for the show. In this episode, Connor explains what's on the horizon for Millennial in the Middle as we expand to new topics outside of politics. Connor also tells the story of Christopher Columbus in a way that you probably haven't heard before. This framing of history is so applicable to life and this podcast. It's good to be back!

Today Connor interviews Cayman Cardiff in another episode in the LGBTQ+ series.

Cayman grew up in Georgia as an All-American southern kid. He played football, baseball and basketball and on the outside appeared to fit in perfectly. Inside, however, he felt he was different from his teammates. He discusses his acceptance of his sexuality, coming out and the lessons he has learned from being authentic to himself. He is now thriving and about to compete in an international male pageant  as Mr. USA. Follow his journey @caymancardiff. 

Did you know that Malleus Maleficarum was passed in book sales only by the bible in 1692? This book was used as handbook for detecting and punishing witches. 🧙🏼‍♀️

In honor of Halloween, today’s episode focuses on the history of the Salem witch trials. I walk you through three takeaways from this time period and discuss how certain negative human characteristics have a tendency to present themselves when people are afraid. Rather than draw parallels myself to today, this time I invite you to do so. Let me know what you come up with!

Today, Connor shares the first of several interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community. These interviews will be open, honest and real. Connor uses his platform to ask questions we may typically feel uncomfortable to ask, in an honest attempt to increase understanding with the hope of bringing people together.

Grant was born a girl and as early as five years old felt like a mistake. In the last six months, Grant has come out as transgender and has undergone gender change operations. Connor asks about the difference between gender identity and sexuality. Grant talks about the power of being authentic and how his life has changed in this transition.

Back from the Middle East and back to talking about the Pandemic (insert eye roll here). In today’s episode, Connor reacts to Biden’s aggressive, controversial and divisive speech laying out new mandates. The tone and content seemed off-brand for the President who promised to lower the temperature and bring us together. Connor explains how partisan politics have one again torn us apart and thwarted progress.

Connor also tells of his recent real-life Forrest Gump experience of finding himself in the middle of a rally/protest with 25,000 people through the streets of Amsterdam.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode! Doorbreek de still!

The final installment of Millennial in the Middle East!

Ancient Egyptian history happened so long ago it is hard to wrap your head around it.  In this episode, Connor draws parallels to events that occurred 3,000+ years ago and shows how they are still relevant today. Erasing history and manipulating the narrative is nothing new!

Along with some stories you'll hear a reaction to seeing the pyramids, being alone in King Tut's tomb and walking through Luxor temple.

Shukran Egypt. Shukran for the lessons learned in the Middle East. And shukran for listening!

Millennial in the Middle East Part 4!

After 2+ weeks out of the country Connor is home and in this episode reports on his experience on the archaeological dig. He shares the history of Petra and gives some tips for those who may have this spot on their bucket list. He also gives a behind-the-scenes look at what archaeology is all about. While digging in the dirt and trying to connect with an ancient people, Connor learned a lot about himself and life today. You'll enjoy this recap!

Millennial in the Middle East Part 3!

We have all heard the news of the Taliban’s hostile takeover of Afghanistan this week. We are so quick to make this about politics and what this means for America. As Connor records this episode in the Middle East while staying in a Bedouin village his perspective is much different. This isn’t about politics, this is about people! What is our responsibility as a nation to uphold the promises we made to our allies and protect the lives of innocent people in a war-torn nation?

Connor finishes this episode talking about Khaled Hosseini’s book “The Kite Runner.” After reading the book on his flight to Amman he saw young Jordanian boys out flying kites in his first night in the country. This reminder of humanity is something we should not forget as we discuss this crisis.

Millennial in the Middle East Part 2!!

Connor interviewed Aryeh Green a few weeks ago to learn more about the ongoing conflict with Israel and Palestine. Connor also wanted to understand the Jewish faith/culture/nationality more fully. Aryeh was the perfect person to interview. This listen will give you more background and understanding to complex issues that seem to have no solution. As for the futile… you’ll have to listen to the story of his ancestor “The Patriot Rabbi” in the American Revolution.

About Aryeh: he is the author of  My Israel Trail, about hiking the 600-mile Israel National Trail and the search for peace in the Middle East. He is the director emeritus of MediaCentral, a Jerusalem-based project of HonestReporting providing support services to foreign journalists based in or visiting Israel. 

Born in Washington, DC; grew up in San Francisco; made Aliya in 1984.  Policy advisor to Natan Sharansky since late 1990’s; served on executive staff of Sharansky’s Yisrael B’Aliya party; was senior member of minister Sharansky’s staff in Israel’s prime minister’s office, responsible for relations with ‘next generation’ Jewish leaders and coordination of hasbara activities, including on campus, as well as for contacts with Palestinian and other Arab democracy activists.

Yes, I know it’s corny! The next few episodes will be like a mini-series with the Millennial in the Middle East theme. As you’re listening Connor is traveling to Petra, Jordan (yep, the place where Harrison Ford and Sean Connery find the holy grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) to be a part of an archaeological dig.

As Connor prepares to go he talks about the dichotomous ways of thinking and life between Western and Eastern philosophy. The Middle East has been a center of contention for centuries and it has a lot to do with us struggling to communicate and work with those who may disagree with us. Can we find the middle in this age old debate?

Connor Dehlin

The Olympics are here! A year later than expected the world will arrive in Tokyo ready to compete. This isn’t the first time a Tokyo Olympics has been delayed or canceled. Tokyo was set to host the 1940 Olympics, which obviously didn’t happen.

In today’s episode, Connor tells a story involving the Japanese samurai culture, Hitler, POWs, and an American hero you should know. Connor points out how forgiveness might be key to our current divide.

Today’s guest has personal experience being behind the scenes on the campaign trail and understands the media. She has made headlines herself and has been victim to what she claims is “fake news.” It’s not every day Connor gets to interview a close friend of Roger Stone’s.

So who is Karyn Turk?

She is the former Mrs. Florida, is an outspoken activist, and political commentator, whose life is both provocative on and off-camera.

She is the host of the weekly show “Behind the Headlines,” airing on I-Heart Radio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to your podcasts.

She prides herself on a unique brand of authenticity and cutting-edge journalism that allows her to delve deep into the inaccuracies, conspiracies, and factual errors that otherwise seem to elude contemporary media. This is why she is known as “the truth bomber.”

While she may be a fixture at Mar-a-Lago, Karyn isn’t your typical socialite. She is extremely open about her history as an adopted child and is working tirelessly with organizations raising awareness for guardianship reform. She became a freedom fighter for reform after her rights were stripped and her mother was placed in guardianship. In a story that resembles the Netflix hit movie "I CARE A LOT," Karyn fought back against a predatory legal system, ultimately finding herself strung up in the #fakenews headlines.

We hear about China all the time in the news, but is the country as big of a threat to the US as we so often hear? Is China our enemy? Is communism as bad as it sounds? Connor interviews Jason Szeftel, who is political and economic writer focused on all things China. His podcast called "China Unraveled" has charted the history and economic growth of China, the Hong Kong protests, the origin of the pandemic, and more.

Find him on social @JasonSzeftel or listen to his podcast "China Unraveled" wherever you get your podcasts.

At 33 years old, Thomas Jefferson took the lead in drafting the Declaration of Independence. This document gave birth to a new nation comprised of united states. Connor tells the story of how Jefferson found himself in this position as the “millennial” founding father and had a little help from Ben Franklin “the boomer.”

Happy 4th of July! 

Connor recently visited Peru and was fascinated with the history of the Incas and the story of Machu Picchu's discovery. In 1911, Hiram Bingham took an expedition to Peru searching the untamed Andes for the "Lost City of the Incas." In today's episode Connor tells his story and and why it matters.

Connor also shares the his biggest takeaways from the trip and draws some important parallels from the history of the Spanish colonization of Peru.

What is Juneteenth? Today's episode answers that question and dives a little deeper into Abraham Lincoln's views on slavery. The Great Emancipator's track is messier than you might think. So do we cancel Honest Abe? Can we find the middle?

Today we welcome Jeff Kallay back to the show. Jeff first appeared on Episode 41 and established himself as our show’s Generational Theory expert.

In this conversation we dive deeper into major events that affect society (crisis, awakening, etc.). Connor asks Jeff some thought-provoking questions responded to by drawing parallels from history and some informed speculation.

How will the pandemic change the world? What can our country’s reaction to 9/11 teach us about our current issues? Who is America’s biggest enemy? Will individualism prevail or will the government become more powerful?  This episode is guaranteed to make you think!

On June 6th, we commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Allied troops storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. June also happens to be the time we celebrate Gay Pride and Diversity across the world. In today's episode Connor connects these two events by telling the story of Alan Turing.  Turing's remarkable innovations and tragic end to his life should give us motivation to be better and more accepting of all. Connor also tells an urban legend surrounding Turing's death that might change the way you look at an everyday part of your life. You don't want to miss this story!

Today we celebrate Memorial Day and the graduating class of 2021. In this special episode, Connor speaks directly to Gen Z and tells the story of a group of graduating seniors from the class of 1940. The class of 1940 had no idea what life would throw at them, but how they responded to their circumstances is what earned them the title of the "Greatest Generation."

May we always remember and honor those who sacrificed so much to pave the way for the life we all enjoy! Happy Memorial Day!

What do you do when two people you respect and trust disagree with each other on a topic? They both have  more experience and knowledge surrounding an issue, but have drawn two completely different conclusions. We are constantly finding ourselves in the middle of heated debates and we all face the pressure to pick a side. This is when we get the chance to become more informed, think critically through the issue and make an opinion independent of labels or teams.

In today's episode, Connor walks through how we went through this process forming an opinion of his own on South Africa's messy and ugly history with apartheid (which literally means "apartness" in the language of Afrikaans). He discusses the colonizing of the nation, how apartheid started, and the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. If you feel you don't know very much of that topic- good! Bring you unbiased perspective to this issue, see if you can find the middle, and learn some fascinated history along the way.  Maybe one day you'll "bless the rains down in Africa" too!