GenX Book Club: The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
GenX Journeys
The GenX Book Club is back! Paul, Del, and Suzanne reunite to discuss The Celebrants — a touching, funny, and deeply relatable novel about lifelong friendship, midlife rediscovery, and the pact to celebrate each other before it’s too late. In this episode, the crew dives into the book’s themes of connection, mortality, and resilience — and why it feels especially relevant to Generation X. Along the way, they share laughs, personal stories, and a few tangents (including Paul’s triumphant Marine Corps Marathon finish 🏅). 📚 About the Book: After the sudden death of a college...
info_outline
GenX Journeys: Caregiving, Resilience & Finding Yourself Again with Shellie Stark
GenX Journeys
On this episode of GenX Journeys, Paul welcomes Shellie Stark—creative entrepreneur, guided meditation instructor, and host of the brand-new Seen & Supported podcast. Shellie opens up about becoming a caregiver for her mom during and after the pandemic, how she gradually lost pieces of herself, and the exact steps she used to find her way back. We dig into practical tools Gen Xers can use right now—especially those caring for aging parents while juggling everything else. What we cover How caregiving can slowly make you disappear—and how to notice it Shellie’s 3 core tips to...
info_outline
Throwback Thursday: The Pirate Movie
GenX Journeys
Ahoy, GenXers! This week we’re revisiting one of the cheesiest, campiest, and most gloriously over-the-top cult classics of the ’80s — The Pirate Movie! Originally released on August 6, 1982, this wild ride mashes up The Pirates of Penzance with slapstick humor, ridiculous musical numbers, and more innuendos than we realized as kids. Del Roehling and I (Paul Stroessner) first covered this back on January 21, 2022, and it quickly became one of the most popular Return to the ’80s episodes. With Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins leading the charge, The Pirate Movie is part musical,...
info_outline
GenX Journeys: Fitness, Mindset & Midlife Confidence with Lydia Magnoli
GenX Journeys
Midlife isn’t the beginning of the end — it’s the beginning of your encore. 💥 In this episode of GenX Journeys, Paul sits down with Lydia Magnoli, online fitness coach, content creator, and founder of The Magnoli Method app. Lydia opens up about leaving a “safe” tenured job as a school psychologist to follow her true calling, losing 65+ pounds naturally, and helping women over 40 build strength, confidence, and healthier habits without a gym. You’ll hear about: 🎭 Reinvention after 40: trusting the inner voice when others doubt you 💪 Why fitness after 40 is about energy...
info_outline
Throwback Thursday: Dare to Dream with Stan Bush
GenX Journeys
We’re cranking up the anthems for this week’s Throwback Thursday with a very special guest—Stan Bush! Best known for “The Touch” (The Transformers: The Movie) and “Never Surrender” (Kickboxer), Stan has built a career around motivational rock anthems that have inspired fans across generations. In this episode (originally released on December 22, 2020), Paul and Del chat with Stan about his journey from Gainesville clubs to LA studios, from winning an Emmy to being inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame. We dive deep into: ✨ The story behind “The Touch” (and how it...
info_outline
Throwback Thursday: Aliens
GenX Journeys
This week we’re flashing back to June 25, 2020, when Del Roehling and I revisited one of the greatest sequels of all time — Aliens (1986). Back then, I had just wrapped up a tough semester in my master’s program for Creative Writing, and like so many of us, I was stuck at home during lockdown. Del and I took the opportunity to dive into James Cameron’s explosive follow-up to Ridley Scott’s Alien, and we had a blast breaking it all down. We cover: 👽 How Aliens shifted from horror to all-out action 🔥 Sigourney Weaver cementing her place as a true action hero 🎬 The...
info_outline
Throwback Thursday: St. Elmo's Fire
GenX Journeys
We’re rewinding to April 2020 for a fun and fiery discussion with the Return to the ’80s Brat Pack—Lizzie Newton, Del Roehling, and me—as we take on the 1985 Brat Pack classic St. Elmo’s Fire. Recorded in the middle of lockdown, this episode is full of laughs, unexpected takes, and a whole lot of side tangents—from Rob Lowe’s dangly earring and Demi Moore’s pink apartment, to the characters we loved (or loved to hate). Lizzie shares why she kept expecting the bar to literally burst into flames, Del questions why anyone liked these characters at all, and I revisit the movie with...
info_outline
Throwback Thursday: The Dirt
GenX Journeys
📅 Originally aired: April 12, 2019 🎧 Guest: Lizzie Newton (from Liz Laugh Cry) This week on Return to the ’80s, we’re throwing it back to one of our most fun and unfiltered episodes — the wild ride that is Netflix’s The Dirt, the biopic based on the notorious rise (and mayhem) of Mötley Crüe. This episode marks the very first appearance of Lizzie Newton, and as listeners know, every episode she’s been on since has become one of our most downloaded. We recorded this one together, in person, and the chemistry is off the charts. 🎸 In this episode, we dive into: Lizzie’s...
info_outline
GenX Book Club: Films of Endearment by Michael Koresky
GenX Journeys
In this month’s GenX Book Club, Paul Stroessner, Suzanne Mattaboni, and Del Roehling dive into Michael Koresky’s heartfelt memoir-meets-film-critique, Films of Endearment: A Mother, a Son, and the ‘80s Films That Defined Us. Koresky revisits ten female-driven films of the 1980s with his mother, using them as a lens to explore family, loss, identity, and how movies shape the way we see the world. The discussion covers: How films like 9 to 5, Terms of Endearment, Aliens, and Baby Boom look different when revisited decades later Reflections on workplace inequality, motherhood, identity,...
info_outline
Throwback Thursday: Never Seen It – Highlander
GenX Journeys
Originally released: April 13, 2017 In this special Throwback Thursday episode, Paul and Robert are joined by the legendary Doug McCoy—host of the now-retired McCoyCast podcast network, which included shows like Never Seen It, Crazy Creepy Cool Movies, and In the Theater. Doug also wrote the eBook TV in My Time. While none of Doug’s past content is currently available online, we’re thrilled to preserve this conversation as a tribute to his fantastic contributions to the retro podcasting world. Inspired by Doug’s podcast Never Seen It, this episode takes the same approach: at least one...
info_outlineIn this soul-stirring episode of GenX Journeys, Paul sits down with singer-songwriter and worship leader Cynthia Lok to talk about the power of music, faith, and rediscovery.
💫 Cynthia opens up about the defining moment that reignited her spiritual journey—and how that path led her into the world of music and songwriting. With raw honesty and contagious energy, she shares how her faith took center stage in her life, and how her songs are helping others find their way back to hope and healing.
🎶 We dive into the story behind her breakout single “The Breaker”—a bold, prophetic anthem that has moved hearts and turned listeners back toward God. Cynthia also offers heartfelt advice for anyone feeling distant from their spiritual roots or wondering how to reconnect with their faith.
Whether you’re on your own spiritual journey, love stories of transformation, or just want to hear how one voice can spark real change—this episode is for you.
🔊 In this episode:
-
How Cynthia dove headfirst into her faith
-
The surprising way she found her voice through music
-
Her creative process as a songwriter
-
The impact her music has had on others
-
What The Breaker means to her—and to her listeners
-
Encouragement for those seeking to reconnect with faith
🛤️ GenX Journeys is all about rediscovery, reinvention, and resilience. This episode is a perfect reminder that no matter where you are in life—it’s never too late to sing a new song.
🎧 Available now on all podcast platforms!
📲 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with someone who needs a little inspiration today.
🌟 Connect with Cynthia Lok
🎵 Website: cynthialokmusic.com
📷 Instagram: @cynthialokmusic
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/cynthialokmusic
🕊️ Join Her Community: The Wholly Devoted Ones
🎧 Listen to Cynthia's Music On:
✅ Spotify
✅ Apple Music
✅ Amazon Music
✅ YouTube
✅ SoundCloud
🎧 Listen & Subscribe to GenX Journeys
✅ Apple Podcasts
✅ Spotify
✅ iHeartRadio
✅ Podbean
✅ PlayerFM
🌎 Connect with Me
📩 Email: paul@genxjourneys.net
📺 YouTube: @GenXJourneys
📷 Instagram: @GenXJourneys
🐦 Twitter/X: @Returntothe80s
📘 Facebook: GenX Journeys
🎥 TikTok: @GenXJourneys
💡 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review or share it with a fellow GenXer—let’s keep this community growing!
🎤 Until next time—embrace the past, own the present, and build an epic future!