Young and Profiting with Hala Taha - Gabrielle Bosche: The Misunderstood Millennial | Human Behavior | E82

Episode Date: September 28, 2020

Why are millennials so misunderstood? They’re known to be lazy, disrespectful, entitled, and the list of negative characteristics could go on and on. Today, our show features Gabrielle Bosche, a Millennial Expert, and Millennial herself. She is the founder and President of The Millennial Solution, an international training and consulting company bridging the generation gap. She has worked with Fortune 500 clients and even the U.S. Navy to help them understand how to understand and work with Millennials.  We will dive into her background and influences she had, what being the #1 Millennial Expert actually means, characteristics of Millennials, and debunking common myths about them. Whether you are a Millennial yourself or work with them on your team, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!   Social Media Links:   Follow YAP on IG: www.instagram.com/youngandprofiting Reach out to Hala directly at [e-mail] Follow Hala on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Follow Hala on Instagram: www.instagram.com/yapwithhala Check out our website to meet the team, view show notes and transcripts: www.youngandprofiting.com   Timestamps:   0:50 - How Faith Influenced Gabrielle’s Beginnings 3:31 - Pageant Learnings 4:43 - Where Gabrielle’s Drive Comes From 7:20 - How Gabrielle Landed the U.S. Navy as a Client 11:14 - Why Gabrielle is the #1 Millennial Expert 14:37 - Definition of a Millennial 16:30 - Characteristics of Millennials 17:58 - Differences between Gen Z and Millennials 20:45 - The Millennial Myths  22:45 - Advice for a Millennial to Make Good Impressions 24:57 - Advice for Other Generations to Embrace Millennials 26:57 - Is There High Job Turnover Within Millennials? 28:45 - What do Millennials Value in Their Jobs? 31:24 - Why Millennials Strive to be Entrepreneurs 34:34 - Types of Millennial Entrepreneurs 38:21 - Gabrielle’s Secret to Profiting in Life   List of links to resources mentioned in episode, suggested reading & social media handles:   Gabrielle’s Book, The Purpose Factor: https://www.purposefactorbook.com/order38253775 Gabrielle’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriellebosche/ Gabrielle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebosche/ Gabrielle’s Website: http://gabriellebosche.com/

You're listening to Yap, Young and Profiting Podcast, a place where you can listen, learn, and profit. Welcome to the show. I'm your host, Halitaha, and on Young and Profiting Podcast, we investigate a new topic each week and interview some of the brightest minds in the world. My goal is to turn their wisdom into actionable advice that you can use in your everyday life, no matter your age, profession, or industry. There's no fluff on this podcast, and that's on purpose. I'm here to understand. uncover value from my guests by doing the proper research and asking the right questions. If you're new to the show, we've chatted with the likes of ex-FBI agents, real estate moguls, self-made billionaires, CEOs, and bestselling authors. Our subject matter ranges from enhancing productivity, how to gain influence, the art of entrepreneurship, and more. If you're smart and

like to continually improve yourself, hit the subscribe button because you'll love it here at Young and Profiting Podcast. Today on the show, we're chatting with Gabrielle Bosch. Gabrielle is one of the most booked millennial motivation experts in the world. She is the founder and president of the millennial solution, an international training and consulting company bridging the generational gap, working with high-profile clients such as Microsoft, Audi's Volkswagen, and the U.S. Navy.

Gabrielle has written several books focused on millennials, including the five millennial myths, the millennial entrepreneur, and keep them longer. In this episode, we'll learn key characteristics of millennials and we'll debunk common myths about them. Whether you're a millennial yourself or work with them on your team, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Hey, Gabriella, welcome to Young and Profiting Podcast. Hey, thanks for having me on. Of course.

We're looking forward to this conversation. You are America's number one millennial expert, and most of my listeners are millennials, so I know they're going to love this conversation. You've worked with a number of high-profile clients, Microsoft, Audi's Volkswagen, the U.S. Navy. That's super impressive to me. And I'm always curious to know more about people's come-up stories, how they became so successful, especially you at such a young age. And I know that religion actually played a big role in that for you. We don't typically talk about religion on this show, but since it was such a foundational piece in terms of why you actually got. started in the work that you do. I'd love to hear more about that, hear about how faith played a role

in your come-up story and learn how you became America's number one millennial expert. Yeah, awesome. Well, very cool. I'm super excited to spend some time with you and your listeners. It's so true that my faith was a really important part of my coming up story. And a big part of that was when I was young, I recognized that a lot of leaders of older generations in the faith community were trying to reach young people, and they were scratching their heads, they were frustrated, and they were like, what's wrong with you kids? And I kind of just noticed a hole in the market. So at 17 years old is when I wrote my first book about how leaders of older generations can reach and engage with a younger generation. And it kind of took off from there. I always tell people

when they're looking at starting a new business or a podcast or a new idea is to niche early. because really niching early for me provided so many open doors that really wouldn't have been possible in any other instance. And so a lot of folks will say, well, I really just want to help everybody. Like, I want to help everyone with everything. And I call that the myth America answer. It's a terrible business model and frankly, it just doesn't work at all. So I niche really early recognizing that leaders of older generations needed to have a translator, someone who could help them better understand the next generation. And that's really where I started. started where I focused my studies and ultimately where I've written my five books and why I'm

talking with you here today. Very cool. And speaking of Miss America answer, I know that you used to be involved with pageants in high school and I think college. So that's really interesting. We actually have that in common. I was Miss Talented Teen New Jersey back in the day. Sorry? I said, whoa, yeah. Padjards are so fun, man. It is a really, it's a really. really cool experience. I've met some of my closest friends through pageants. I did my first pageant in high school as a dare. I was like total tomboy were backwards hats to school constantly. And my girlfriend at the time was really, really into pageants. And she basically just dared me

because she knew I'd kind of do anything she dared me to do. And I ended up tripping on stage, dislocating my knee, definitely didn't win. But I learned, number one, how competitive I am. So it was really good for me in that regard. But also to just what a cool. community and a cool platform it is for people. Yeah. Being in pageant was, I only was in like one pageant. I didn't, I like saying Mandy Moore for my talent and crushed it. Besides like realizing that you were competitive, like what else did you learn from your pageant days? Like anything in terms of stage presence or something along those lines? Oh my gosh. So much. So a big part of pageants obviously, at least my favorite part was the interview process where you get to chat. You have a

platform, you get to talk about kind of what's most important to you. And now as a public speaker, I speak around the world. I have a TEDx talk. I get to speak with amazing leaders in the military. And I always harking back to my pageant days because it actually really helped you understand how to answer quickly, answer effectively, and kind of look like you're having fun while doing it. Because sometimes folks will ask you questions. And I've, I mean, being an expert on millennials, I've had people say the most inappropriate things, angry things. I mean, you think of it. I've heard it on stage.

And so I think my pageant prep has probably helped me have a bit more poise than I probably would have if I had gone through it. Oh, that's awesome. So you just mentioned previously that you wrote a book when you were 17. Like, that's quite young. I know that you started your first company when you were 25. So again, very young to be an entrepreneur. How did you have so much drive-in focus at such a young age?

I think I remember reading that you saved up $2,000 working at a frozen ice cream shop or something to write your first book to get the money, the funding to write that. How did you have so much drive and kind of like responsibility? Because most people, when they're, you know, a freshman in college, 17, they're spending $2,000 on new clothes, booze, and partying, you know? And so why are you so different? Yeah. Well, I think part of it was just kind of knowing that I had a message inside of me.

I think as a generation, we are all really driven towards justice, driven with a passion inside of us. Like, no one taught us, you know, that it's wrong that, like, human trafficking exists or, like, kids in Africa need water. I mean, pick an issue, this generation is really passionate about it. And so I think as a generation, most of us kind of have that drive. From a younger age, I think that I was just really empowered to pursue it. My parents are both entrepreneurs. I didn't want to be an entrepreneur. I did the opposite of being an entrepreneur.

And I started working for the government outside of when I finished my undergrad. And it kind of just got to a point where I recognized that if I was going to be true to myself and true to my purpose, that I was going to have to dig down deep, be willing to put in the time, put in the sacrifice of, you know, not going out, not having a super fun time, even in college and after. But I was really obsessed with finding a platform to be able to help people. Do you ever look back and wonder like, oh, man, I missed my best years growing up. I grew up too fast. Do you ever think about that? I definitely don't. I think that really so much of who I am today is just because of the kind of intentionality that I had with everything. I think that a lot of young people, we give ourselves too much grace saying like, oh, I'm just in my 20s, you know, like 30s, the new 20.

And I think we really rob ourselves of impact. That doesn't mean that you do. don't have fun and you don't, you know, go out with your friends and have a good time. I mean, that's definitely a part of growing up. And I did that. I still do that. I'm only 31. But I think that when you become so obsessed and addicted to the transformation of helping other people, when you stock success and you recognize that the only way that you're going to be happy, fulfilled, ditch anxiety and depression, the only way you're going to get there is when you are obsessed with helping people. Yeah, totally. I completely agree. So let's talk about some of these high-profile clients. You had clients like the U.S. Navy. I think they were your first client right

off the bat. So tell us the story about how you snagged them as a client. Yeah, that was definitely one of my most kind of surprising clients. So at the time, I was working as a fundraiser at a nonprofit, and I was the worst fundraiser ever. I was like, if you want to give, you can, that's fine. If you don't, totally fine. Like, I was just the worst fundraiser. And I was at this networking event, and I think I just finished my second book, Five Millennial Myths. And there's a woman at the networking event and she said, well, you know, what do you do? And this is one of my most defining moments in my career because instead of saying what I did for a living, I said who I was. So I could have said I'm a terrible fundraiser.

I suck at asking people for money, which would have been true. But instead of saying that, I said who I was. And I said, I'm an expert in millennials. And just having a clear expert statement changed everything for me. because a lot of people will come to me now and they'll say, well, Gabrielle, I can't call myself an expert. I'm, you know, 20-something, or I don't have a PhD, or I'm not recognized by my industry. But all an expert is is someone who knows more about a subject than anybody else in the room. And you've accomplished yourself an expert for other people, not for you. So I didn't need to be called a millennial expert for me. I still don't, for me. I really don't care. But that's like going into a doctor and saying, it's okay. You don't need to be the expert. I just hope that you're pretty good at this. you would never want someone to cut into you who just says, oh, I'm not the expert. So we call ourselves expert so that the people that were supposed to help have confidence that we have that solution. So when she asked me what I did, I said, I'm a millennial expert. And she looked at me

and instead of doubting me, which I totally had the imposter syndrome moment where I was like, she knows I'm lying. She's totally going to call me out. She'll laugh. All of those things. She didn't do any of those things. She simply said, wow, we could really use you. And I was like, oh, okay, well, where do you work? Thinking she was going to say some consulting firm. It was D.C., who knows? And she said, I worked for the Navy. I was like, oh, my gosh, like of the United States.

Yes, of the United States. And so that was my first client. I've had the opportunity to be on over nine different naval bases, work with the U.S. Air Force, work with the 37th training wing, and just had incredible opportunities, all because of that one moment where I stopped saying what I did for a living

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I don't have the resume to back that up or I've never done this before. Because at that point, that was your first client. You've never done it before. And you have to learn as you went, go along. And I think that's a big lesson for everybody because a lot of people think that they need the previous experience before they can actually get started. And it's like, no, you can kind of just learn as you go and make it happen. A lot of entrepreneurs are making it happen as they go. They don't really know their endpoint or they didn't have the processes before they actually started. So I think that's really cool. Cool. So speaking of being an expert, you just mentioned that you weren't necessarily like you have not a loose definition of expertise, but you were

generous with yourself at that time in terms of calling yourself an expert. So since then, as of now, like, you are America's number one millennial expert. What research have you done? Like, what do you have to, like, back up that statement? Before we get into the meat of this interview where we really talk about millennials, what makes you America's number one expert on millennials? Yeah, when I first really kind of established myself as an expert in millennials, and very much to your point, I think a lot of times as young people were taught to fake it until you make it. I think that that's terrible advice because I think that it means that you're going out there and putting subpar content out there being that you're going to trick someone long enough that they pay you. That's not at all what it means to be an expert. Again, everything's about helping people. So when you know that you can help people, it's actually unjust for you to not call yourself an expert. Because if they're not going to hire you, then they're going to hire someone else who doesn't have your story, doesn't have your experience, doesn't have your brilliance, doesn't have the unique way that you would be doing things. And that that's really, I think, one of the powerful parts of knowing your purpose is that your purpose is

that permission that a lot of people, I think, are waiting for to really walk into who it is that they're supposed to be. And I think especially as a generation, we're taught to ask for permission, like permission from our parents or our partners or another degree that we're not quite ready yet. We're on this kind of like hamster wheel of trying to go to the next level and like level up. And we're really competitive, I think, is a generation, which I think is a generation, which I think is of superpower, but it's also too, kryptonite as well, where there's this like arms race of education where it's like, I need the next certificate, I need the next thing, I need the next gig to kind of keep going. For me, my expertise really developed over the 13 years that I've been

studying millennials and not only understanding who we are as employees, which is really my first niche. I teach people in our programs how to find your primary and your secondary audience. So my primary primary audience was millennials, but it did not take very long to realize millennials were not going to pay me for my expertise because they were more like me. So that's when I identified my secondary audience, which was their employers. So I still wanted to help young people, but I couldn't go directly to them because they didn't have, I didn't have the access and they didn't have the income, but their bosses did. And so I started working with these major brands, these major companies, like Audi, Expedia, Comcast, helping them understand how to reach the next generation and still

meet my audience that I really wanted to help. So over the 13 years, we've done everything from working with major brands on how to market to millennials, developing social media campaigns, working with the U.S. military on recruiting the next generation. And now we get to spend a lot of our time looking at millennials as managers and leaders because we're not just the interns anymore, which a lot of people assume, oh, you're a millennial. year 19 or 20. It's like, no, we're almost 40. So helping the leaders understand that the next generation leads differently and then helping us as the next generation understand that we lead differently. And it's really okay. So that's where a lot of our research has really been is on

generational leadership theory is helping people our age understand we lead very democratically. We want more input. We believe in flat leadership structures. And how do we communicate that to a world that doesn't see leadership the same way that we do? Well, I'm going to dig into all of that, especially millennials in the workplace. So let's just kick it off. Let's kick it off with getting some clear definitions. How do you define millennials? What's your definition there?

Yep. So the data that we use is what the U.S. Census Bureau uses and now P.U. is in alignment with it as well, which millennials are born between 1982 and 1996. Okay. So like you said, I think the higher end of millennials are probably like 37, 38. Yeah. Yeah. So one of your unique selling points is that you are a millennial who is talking about millennials, at least when you first started. Is this still the case? Are millennials still not talking about millennials? And if so, why don't millennials talk about themselves? Yeah. I think that there are

probably more people who are coming up through the ranks. We have a certification process. So we certify a lot of people to talk about millennials because we found a lot of people who are passionate about bridging the generation cap, but they didn't have the research, they didn't have the business structure, the business model, or the certification. So we really kind of have established ourselves in that niche as well. But I think the millennial moniker is something that as a generation, we don't necessarily rush to because millennials, we're not dumb. We read the news. And it seems like every other day there's an article about how millennials are ruining the diamond industry or napkins or Harley Davidson. Business Insider always seems to have some new article.

out there about how we're impacting the economy negatively. So I think a lot of young people have been pretty smart to veer away from using that term. But it's something that, you know, me and my organization, the millennial solution, we obviously embrace because we think that it's a superpower of young people that we ask questions, not to challenge, but to improve. We are obsessed with justice. We want to be a part of making the world a bigger and a better place. And we're bringing really positive changes to organizations. Yeah. So you just touched on some. some characteristics. Can you go in deeper in terms of like how do millennials act? What are our key like attributes? Tell us more about the characteristics of millennials. Yeah. I mean, the big one,

I think for this generation is that we're justice oriented, that everything that we do is really centered on core justice principles. And like I mentioned before, like no one taught us that it's, you know, not right that, you know, people don't have access to clean water in Africa or human trafficking exists in our own backyard here in the United States. No one sat us down and said, that's not right. You should do something. But there's just been this kind of voice inside of us as a generation that we rose up and we said, we want to use our collective voice. We want to use our technology, our connections, the brands we buy, the coffee we drink. Everything millennials do really is a reflection of our values. And I think that that's really, really powerful.

And brands who are embracing that are doing incredibly well because they recognize that, millennials, unlike other generations, are really brand ambassadors for everything we consume. So when I buy a cup of coffee or have a t-shirt on or, you know, go somewhere on vacation, it says something about me because I'm using my platform to share my values with the world. Yeah. Yeah, I completely agree there. I mean, just look at everything lately in terms of like social justice, Black Lives Matter, you know, everybody's really rallying around that. From my perspective, though, I feel like Gen Z really is like the justice generation. What can you say about them?

Like, how do we differ between Gen Z, Millennials and Gen Z? What can you say about that? Yeah, there's a huge differentiation. And so Gen Z's born after 1997. And so sometimes they get kind of lumped into younger versions of millennials, but they're a completely different generation. And one of the biggest differences is just the role technology plays. So us older millennials or elder millennials,

or elder millennials, remember what it was like to have dial up and play snake on our Nokia and what blockbuster was. And so we remember technology as it became ingrained in our everyday lives. Younger generations like Generation Z don't remember that transition. They just remember it being an ever-present mobility inside of how we live, work, and play. So Generation Z is, you're right, absolutely aligned with justice as well, which is a pretty strong. standard characteristic of younger generations. But what's different about Generation Z is how they're using their collective voice. So millennials are much more collaborative where it's like, hey, let's get together and work on this or, hey, what do you think about this? And we're constantly collaborating

and trying to get input. Whereas Gen Z, because they grew up in a digital age where distance was everything from schooling to gaming to relationships, they're much more likely to do things on their own. So they're not nearly as collaborative, which can be a superpower and also to, you know, kryptonite as well. So we care a lot about a lot of the same issues just because of the time and the space that we're in because of what all of these nations around the world are experiencing when it comes to social justice issues, economic impact, access to health care. I mean, all of these issues are really impacting all of us on a global scale. So we care about them, but how we handle them and that solutions that we provide are going to be different based off of our generation.

That's so interesting. I find that so interesting that we're more collaborative in terms of our working style and getting things done where they like to do things kind of internally, especially with COVID going on now. If COVID lasts a while, I feel like they'll really get even more introverted. It's so interesting how different generations kind of take different attributes and qualities. Okay. So you say that millennials are one of the most misunderstood and mislabeled generations in history. There are a number of incorrect assumptions and bad associations that people make about millennials. You mentioned a few before. And you actually wrote a book. I think it was called the five millennial myths. So tell us about these millennial myths and can you debunk them for us.

Sure. Yeah. I don't know if I'll have time to go through all of them, but the biggest one, yeah, The biggest one is that millennials are entitled. And I hear all the time from parents and grandparents, executives, recruiters, I mean, you name it. Everyone is saying our generation shows up and expects the world to be handed to us. And what I've found through all of my research is it's not that millennials are entitled. I call it ambition misdirected. So we're a generation that from a very young age, we were told, like, you can do anything that you want and you can be anything that you want. And so we have really high levels of confidence about our ability to impact others and impact the world. And so we listened and we finished high school or college or grad school.

And we're now in the marketplace. And guess what? We think we can do anything that we want and be anything that we want. And so that's really frustrating, I think, for some leaders who are used to a younger generation, who has kind of accepted as a norm, you know, wait your turn. Don't speak unless you're spoken to. And we just have a younger generation that's much more bold and much more confident in our ability to actually develop solutions that can help other people. So it's a huge misconception that is really hurting leadership at all levels, whether you've got 12 people or in your company or 12,000, when you don't recognize that the younger generation has a fresh set of eyes has a different take on things and can really provide some incredibly positive change inside of organizations.

Like, we see it all the time where young people come in. We develop programs for them of how they can effectively provide feedback to leadership on ways that they can improve. And they've saved the organization millions of dollars. So it's a really powerful platform when young people learn how to effectively and most important respectfully share their opinions about how things can positively change. Let's touch on that a little bit. So what would you say to a millennial who is getting pushback at work, where people are thinking that, you know, they're trying to change things too quickly. They're acting too entitled.

They're acting like they earned it. They're acting like they earned something before they actually put in the work. What advice would you give them in terms of making a better impression with their bosses who may be baby boomers? Yeah. If you're in that position where you've got great ideas, it doesn't seem like people are listening to them or you're getting labeled as entitled or the kid or, you know, whatever that is that older folks are doing. there's really a couple things that you could do. I mean, number one, finding out how change is adopted in the organization is really important. So why people think that we're disrespectful is because we don't take the time to learn the way of the world. So a lot of times we're coming into organizations and we're like, why is it this way? Why is it that way? And why isn't there an app for this? Like it just doesn't make any logical sense for us. And that comes across as disrespectful. So ask questions, be curious, find out kind of why the best practice is the best practice. practice, that's going to be really important. Number two, find early adopters. So people inside

of the organization who believe that change needs to happen, but maybe they've been there long enough that they're kind of tired and don't want to start something new. So find other people that you can partner with who can help support you. And, you know, third, I think being consistent and not taking it personally. I think a lot of times as young people, we can because we're excited. We're like, oh my gosh, I have this great idea. You know, we should try this. We should do this. Like, let's change the platform and it's so well-intentioned and when it doesn't get adopted, we think, well, they don't like me. Well, the truth is they either don't like change or they don't like the idea. So removing your personality from the proposal, I think, is such an incredible way to make sure

that you push through some of that negative feedback on the front end because as humans were all kind of designed to resist change. So see it as an opportunity to prove them wrong and maybe prove yourself right. Yeah. And then on the flip side, we have listeners of all ages. So for the baby boomers listening out there, how can they better accept their millennial workers when they have a new idea? So when it comes to a baby boomers, really embracing the next generation, I think part of it is not placating us. It really does drive me crazy when people of older generations are like, you know, good job kiddo or, you know, for a young person, that's really great. Like, when you attach an age to an idea, you discount it, even if it is well-intentioned. Think

about it in reverse. Like think about if we were working with older people and we're like, great job for an old guy or like, hey, dinosaur. Like we would never do that because it's disrespectful. So ageism works both ways. So if you're older and listening to this and you really want to engage with the younger generation, engage with them like adults, have conversations with them like adults. This is a generation that were raised in very democratic households where our parents asked us where we wanted to go on vacation and what we wanted for dinner and what we wanted to what color we wanted to paint our rooms. So we've had a voice and we're comfortable speaking with adults just from a younger age. So now that we're in our like 20s and 30s,

don't, you know, attach that kind of ages a moniker, even if it's well-intentioned, and just engage with them, incentivize them to come up with new ideas and set expectations about what happens if it is a crappy idea. Like sometimes, whether you're 22 or 62, to, the idea is stupid and it's not going to work. And that's totally fine. So set expectations around what failure looks like and what happens when it's a crappy idea. So that way people aren't afraid to come up with new ideas for the future. I think that's really great advice. So I think a lot of people have the assumption that millennials are disloyal. You know, we don't stay at a company for more than three years, I think it is. And we cost America billions of dollars from our high

turnover at companies. So tell us more about this trend. Like, is it true? First of all, do we ditch companies after just a few years? And what do you have to say about people calling us disloyal? Well, it's not anything new that younger generations tend to move on at faster rates. So even Generation X was moving on within five to seven years at younger rates, younger ages, I should say. But yes, millennials are a very disloyal generation when it comes to, I guess on paper. So like if you're a recruiter, you're looking at someone's job experience and you're like, oh my gosh, you've been here for 16 months or seven months or whatever. And it's a shame that most companies don't understand that it's not the millennial who's choosing to move on. It's oftentimes a lack of expectations that are being set.

So we run hiring panels for companies all over the world. And I've never met a young person who's like, you know, I really like job hunting. You know, I'm really, really good at updating my LinkedIn, or I'm really into, you know, doing interviews on the weekends. Like, no one likes doing it, but as a generation, we're willing to move on to leave the safety and security of where we're at and try something new because we either feel like our voice isn't heard. We're not paid what we're, what we should be getting paid, and we don't feel like we're having the impact that we're supposed to be having. So as an employer, if you have clarity, about those three things before you hire them, you're not going to have a retention issue with

the next generation. So yes, millennials move on, but I think it's more of a fault of companies today, not knowing how to keep them than it is a generation willing to cut ties and switch jobs at the, you know, first flight. Hey, young improfitors. As an entrepreneur, I know firsthand that getting a huge expense off your books is the best possible feeling. It gives you peace of mind and it lets you focus on the big picture and invest in other things that move your business forward. Now imagine if you got free business internet for life, you never had to pay for business internet again. How good would that feel?

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But I won't lie to you. In those early days of setting it up, I feel like I was jumping on a cliff with no parachute. I'm not really good at that kind of stuff. I'm really good at marketing, sales, growing a business, offers. But I had so many questions and zero idea where to find the answers when it came to starting an official business. I wish I had known about Northwest Registered Agent back when I was starting YAP Media. And if you're an entrepreneur, you need to know what Northwest Registered Agent is.

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I mean, working from home has been something that millennials have been begging for for so long. We're like, okay, I like meet my partner online. take classes online, all of my friends I talk to online. I do all my work online, but I have to go into an arbitrary building and that's my job. So we've been asking for this for a really long time. It's kind of funny because I think the grass is always greener because now we're like bored out of our mind and miss our friends and coworkers. So yeah, I think that as a company recognizing that your employees want choice. They want to design their own experience. They want to be trusted to get the work done how and when it needs to be done. And so that's, I think,

a really core principle that not only millennials have, but I think that the workforce overall has. When it comes to retaining millennials, it's really what it takes to retain everybody. And that's what we talk about all the time. It's the subject of our next book, The Purpose Factor, is helping your employees find purpose and apply it to what they do every day. So whether you're 22 or 62, you want to know, number one, that you matter, and number two, that the work you do matters. And that's really, I think, the new role of employers today, whereas before it used to be come and work for us, we'll give you a paycheck in a couple of weeks off a year, and come and do work for us. But I think that that relationship is really changing where employers are now being expected to really invest in the whole life, whether that's mindfulness, health and wellness, financial training.

Really, companies, I think, are really expanding their reach and having a really positive impact on the people that they're leading and serving as employees. Yeah. I think that's a really great point. I really do. I work for Disney full time, and I can tell you how many, like, mindfulness seminars they have and, like, massages at work. Like, they really try to make it comfortable for everyone and have good, like, you know, well-being. So I also know that there's a big trend. Not every millennial wants to work for someone. A lot of people want to work for themselves, right? I think the stat is 67% of millennials plan on starting their own company, and they're not just dreaming of it.

15% of all U.S. companies are run by millennials, and both me and you are young entrepreneurs. I started my own company at 25, and so did you. And what's with that? Why do millennials strive to be entrepreneurs? Why are we so into that? Yeah, no, I know we're obsessed. And I think there's a couple of reasons. I think, number one, just the awareness of it, whereas before maybe you knew a couple of people that were starting their businesses, like now, because of technology, you have friends and neighbors and partners, and everyone seems to be starting their own side hustle or their own company on the side.

And so I think the awareness of it is a lot greater. I think that the education is also too more accessible, whereas before, I literally Googled how to start a company at 24 when I was starting my business. I had no experience. I had no idea what I was doing. Even though my parents are entrepreneurs, they were in the restaurant business and roofing. So they were in completely different industries where, you know, having my laptop was the only overhead I had. So they really couldn't relate to my version of starting a business. So I think that that's part of it. But I also too think, although 67% of millennials want to start their own business, the majority of us won't or we won't be successful with it long term. And that's okay too. So I think it's important, especially as

entrepreneurs, to not put a negative label on people who try the whole entrepreneurial thing and it doesn't work out. That's totally fine. It doesn't mean that you're a failure. Either it wasn't the right time, it wasn't the right market, or it's just not for you. And that's totally fine. So it's not a better life to be an entrepreneur. It has its own challenges. I'm sure you have friends who sit down with you and they're like, oh my gosh, you live like the best life ever. And it totally depends on the day. Some days, it's like pinch me. I can't believe I get to do this. And then other days you're like in the fetal position in the corner like, you know, this could all go to go to hell and I have no idea. So there's risk and reward with everything. When I help people decide what they want to do next,

my big question is, you know, are you scared of leaving the stability of your job because you lack clarity or are you just unhappy where you're at and you're looking for any other option? So it's a really important differentiator when you want to determine whether or not you want to go out on your own. Is it to help other people with a platform because no one can do it like you? Or is it simply because you don't like your job, don't like your situation, or don't like your paycheck? I can totally relate to that. See, I am somebody who can't decide, do I want to keep working for corporate? Do I want to keep being an entrepreneur?

I'm making just as much money on both sides of the house. I'm just working like a mad woman. So I'm just like always like wondering like what do I really want to do. I'm not really ready to leave Disney. I'm not really ready to be an entrepreneur full time. It scares me like not having that stability. So I can definitely relate to both sides there. So I know in your book you have four different kinds of entrepreneurs that you outline in one of your books.

I think it's a millennial entrepreneur. It's the solutionist, the expert, the accidental and the natural entrepreneur. could you tell us about these types and why they're important? Yeah, I think one of the big ones is the solutionist, and that's really where I think the most successful entrepreneurs come from are people who recognize that there's a hole in the market and that they want to provide a solution to it. So everything in the economy is about solving problems.

The coffee place down the street is about solving problems, the iPhone, the HVAC tech. Everyone is solving a problem for someone else. So when you recognize that your role, whether you're working for a company or you're out on your own, is about solving problems, you get a lot of clarity about the role that you play kind of in the overall marketplace. So the solutionist is really focused on that is how do I create a solution that the market is going to reward? And it's not necessarily just as, you know, I'm paying money as a product, but it could also be donations. It could be support, followers, sponsorships. Value is exchanged a bunch of different ways.

but I think especially right now in this economy, the solutionist is the one who's going to win, because the natural entrepreneur is what I think everyone just assumes, like, oh, well, I was selling lemonade when I was six. I wasn't. My sister was. She was like, oh, hey, let's go, like, sell stuff door to door. And I was, like, terrified. I was like, I don't want to talk to anybody. Like, let's just go, like, play in the backyard. But I'm the entrepreneur. And it really, for me, that moment happened when I was side hustling my company while working for full time. I had a moment. I recognized, I remember I had gone out of the country, I was in Israel. I got back and I recognized if I don't believe I'm going to spend the rest of my life regretting it and wondering what could

have happened. And I had this identity, which I think a lot of people do, was like the hustler. Like I hustle harder than everybody else. But hustling does not equal output. And so for me, I had to recognize, I'm actually, it was more selfish for me to stay where I was at because it helped my identity from me to say, I work full-time and I have this business full-time and I'm writing these books versus taking the risk that I took because I jumped and I was an idiot. I didn't have a business plan. I didn't have consistent income, but I just knew something inside of me was like, you need to leave. And I remember walking into my boss's office and he knew I was planning an escape eventually. And he looked at me and he said, he said, Gabrielle, aren't you afraid to quit

this job. And I was living in D.C. at the time, not exactly cheap. And I said, yeah, but I said, I'm more afraid of what will happen if I stay. And so that's kind of been my mantra moving forward, is when I know I'm uncomfortable, that I have to ask myself that question, am I more afraid to stay or am I more afraid to move on? I love that. I think that's really key. I feel like that's exactly what I'm going through right now personally in my life. And I'm very excited to see what the future holds. Speaking of a natural entrepreneur, I just want to tell this to my listeners because I think they'll find it funny. I was such a natural entrepreneur when I was younger. I used to sell books when I was four years old. I actually used to sell slushies in the park. You have a quote

in your book that really resonated with me. It's related to the natural entrepreneur. They weren't just selling lemonade in the corner stands. They were inventing new and innovative ways to quench the thirst of the neighborhood. That actually made me laugh out loud because I used to sell slushies in the park with my friends. And I would recruit my friends every summer to sell all these slushies to my friends. So that really resonated with me. Great, great work there, Gabrielle. All right. So let's wrap this up. The last question I ask all my guests is what is your secret to profiting in life? Yeah, I think, and it sounds so cheesy, but it really is my purpose. When I got clarity about my purpose. It helped me overcome failure, setback, embarrassment, because starting

a business, just living, I guess, overall. It was just really embarrassing. And I would fall and try stuff and tell my audience, I'm going to try these new things, and it never worked out. But when I got really clear about my purpose, everything seemed to fall into place. Like, I had more clarity about what I was supposed to do. I was able to say no to ideas that sounded really good, but they weren't good. I had a completely new decision-making paradigm that before, I really struggled because I felt like I could try this and I could do this. And I think that's one of the biggest challenges with our generation is that we're extremely talented and we're ambidextrous. And so we can do multiple things and do pretty good at them, but we never know what the right thing is that we should do. So getting extreme clarity about my purpose and we detail it in our new book, The Purpose Factor, Extreme Clarity for Why You're Here and What to Do,

about it. My story, I wrote it with my, with my husband, which was a whole ton of fun, the whole process of how we discovered our purpose and how people can get extreme clarity and discover their purpose as well. Awesome. And where can our listeners go to learn more about you and everything that you do? Sure. So they can pick up our brand new book, purpose factor at purposefactorbook.com. And we're all over. So we're really active on LinkedIn where we provide insights, trainings, and tidbits kind of like this on how to find and use your purpose. Awesome. Well, thank you so much.

This is a great conversation. Thanks for having me on. Thanks for listening to Young and Profiting Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or comment on YouTube, SoundCloud, or your favorite platform. Reviews make all the hard work worth it.

They are the ultimate thank you to me and the Yap team. The other way to support us is by word of mouth. share this podcast with a friend or family member who may find it valuable. Follow Yap on Instagram at Young and Profiting and check us out at young and profiting.com. You can find me on Instagram at Yap with Hala or LinkedIn. Just search for my name, Hala Taha. Until next time, this is Hala, signing off.