GenX Journeys: 1980s Now & GenX Always ā A Conversation with Will Padilla
GenX Journeys
This week on GenX Journeys, Iām joined by the multi-talented and endlessly creative Will Padilla ā host of the hit podcast 1980s Now, composer, writer, actor, and author of Totally Bogus But True: Tales of the 1980s. If you grew up loving breakdancing battles, MTV, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Beastie Boys, or the neon-soaked energy of the 80sā¦ this conversation will feel like coming home. But this episode isnāt just nostalgia. Itās creative reinvention, GenX resilience, and the reminder that itās never too late to return to the passions you thought you left behind. āØ In This...
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GenX Journeys: Reinvention at Any Age with Terry Yoffe
GenX Journeys
In this weekās episode of GenX Journeys, Iām joined by the extraordinary Terry Yoffe ā an 83-year-young business and communications coach, speaker, and podcaster who proves that itās never too late to grow, evolve, and reinvent yourself. Terryās story is a masterclass in resilience: from overcoming childhood challenges, to building a thriving career in sales without experience, to launching a coaching practice at 60, to starting her own podcast at 78, and now stepping onto stages as a speaker. She brings the wisdom of someone who has lived reinvention again and again ā and has the...
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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 ā a touching, funny, and deeply relatable novel about lifelong friendship, midlife rediscovery, and the pact to celebrate each other before itās too late. In this episode, the crew dives into the bookās themes of connection, mortality, and resilience ā and why it feels especially relevant to Generation X. Along the way, they share laughs, personal stories, and a few tangents (including Paulās triumphant Marine Corps Marathon finish š ). š About the Book: After the sudden death of a college...
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GenX Journeys: Caregiving, Resilience & Finding Yourself Again with Shellie Stark
GenX Journeys
On this episode of GenX Journeys, Paul welcomes Shellie Starkācreative 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 nowāespecially those caring for aging parents while juggling everything else. What we cover How caregiving can slowly make you disappearāand how to notice it Shellieās 3 core tips to...
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Throwback Thursday: The Pirate Movie
GenX Journeys
Ahoy, GenXers! This week weāre revisiting one of the cheesiest, campiest, and most gloriously over-the-top cult classics of the ā80s ā 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 ā80s episodes. With Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins leading the charge, The Pirate Movie is part musical,...
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GenX Journeys: Fitness, Mindset & Midlife Confidence with Lydia Magnoli
GenX Journeys
Midlife isnāt the beginning of the end ā itās the beginning of your encore. š„ 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 āsafeā 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. Youāll hear about: š Reinvention after 40: trusting the inner voice when others doubt you šŖ Why fitness after 40 is about energy...
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Throwback Thursday: Dare to Dream with Stan Bush
GenX Journeys
Weāre cranking up the anthems for this weekās Throwback Thursday with a very special guestāStan Bush! Best known for āThe Touchā (The Transformers: The Movie) and āNever Surrenderā (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: āØ The story behind āThe Touchā (and how it...
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Throwback Thursday: Aliens
GenX Journeys
This week weāre flashing back to June 25, 2020, when Del Roehling and I revisited one of the greatest sequels of all time ā Aliens (1986). Back then, I had just wrapped up a tough semester in my masterās 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 Cameronās explosive follow-up to Ridley Scottās Alien, and we had a blast breaking it all down. We cover: š½ How Aliens shifted from horror to all-out action š„ Sigourney Weaver cementing her place as a true action hero š¬ The...
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Throwback Thursday: St. Elmo's Fire
GenX Journeys
Weāre rewinding to April 2020 for a fun and fiery discussion with the Return to the ā80s Brat PackāLizzie Newton, Del Roehling, and meāas we take on the 1985 Brat Pack classic St. Elmoās Fire. Recorded in the middle of lockdown, this episode is full of laughs, unexpected takes, and a whole lot of side tangentsāfrom Rob Loweās dangly earring and Demi Mooreās 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...
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Throwback Thursday: The Dirt
GenX Journeys
š Originally aired: April 12, 2019 š§ Guest: Lizzie Newton (from Liz Laugh Cry) This week on Return to the ā80s, weāre throwing it back to one of our most fun and unfiltered episodes ā the wild ride that is Netflixās The Dirt, the biopic based on the notorious rise (and mayhem) of Mƶtley CrĆ¼e. This episode marks the very first appearance of Lizzie Newton, and as listeners know, every episode sheās been on since has become one of our most downloaded. We recorded this one together, in person, and the chemistry is off the charts. šø In this episode, we dive into: Lizzieās...
info_outlinešø Bon Jovi, Big Hair, and Our First Guest Ever!
Originally aired: December 1, 2016 on Return to the '80s
This Return to the ā80s classic is one for the time capsule! Join Paul and Robert as they welcome their very first guestāScott Compton, host of the now-retired but still legendary podcasts 80s Mixtape Autoreverse and 80s Reboot Overdrive.
We kick things off with some 2016-era Rock and Roll Hall of Fame talk (Scott was literally casting his ballot for Journey mid-show!), reflect on the recent passing of TV icon Florence Henderson, and then crank up the volume for a full track-by-track breakdown of Bon Joviās breakout album Slippery When Wet. We also share personal stories, memories tied to the music, and plenty of laughs along the way.
āØ Highlights include:
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A nostalgic tribute to Florence Henderson
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Hall of Fame debates: Journey, ELO, Yes, and yes... Pearl Jam š
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Track-by-track breakdown of Slippery When Wet
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Stories behind the songsāincluding one that came full circle in the wildest way
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š© Email: paul@genxjourneys.net
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š” If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review or share it with a fellow GenXerāletās keep this community growing!
š¤ Until next timeāembrace the past, own the present, and build an epic future!