Talk Thirty To Me

When you start to realize life is starting to change, change with it. Can we challenge the standard educational model to pursue a different path? Tyree shares how during his graduate school days, he struggles to accept the reality that it would change his life. But, knowing how much effort it took to get there - along with striving to make his mother proud - he finished the studies and graduated. But, was it worth it? A lot of us struggle with education as a bonus. Many of us never went to graduate school in our 20s and may consider it now. So, what's the real deal with graduate school? Transitions always have a catalyst that help to illuminate the path Losing family members is never easy. Tyree shares how his struggle to accept losing his mother shaped his 30s moving forward. What choice do you have other than to accept and move on? IS there more to accepting loss than simply admitting it happened and to cope with the hole left in your life? Turg mentions that loss doesn't always necessarily translate to a bad thing. And on the opposite side of loss, there is gain. Lessons can be learned in both forms and may be equally difficult to cope with.  So with loss comes gain and with gain comes personal growth How do we measure our progress without a catalyst to help push us through to the next level? What changes inside of us bleeds into our lives in more ways than we can measure. Tyree shares a bit of his perspective on the totality of death and the weight personal loss may carry on someone's soul. Nothing is final - but it may feel that way. Rise above and take yourself out of the moment in order to see what the future may hold. 

The guys are joined by Brandie Freely - author,writing coach - as they dive into the essence of adult-level procrastination, why writing a book can teach you a lot about yourself, how love manifests itself in many different ways and... Battling long-term, adult level procrastination When trying to accomplish tasks that take a lot of focus, it can seem daunting to even think of crossing the finish line. Brandie shares her journey as she fights to complete her first book after a 10-year long process. Long distance relationships don't have to be out of reach Brandie gets personal as she and Randy compare experiences dating long-distance partners throughout their 30s and how that takes more than just a tough spirit to accomplish. The hardships of dating long-distance are well-documented, but how do these two really rate their experiences? Was it all worth the trouble? When taking a chance on someone pays off Eventually, when you find the person that's right for you it's a good time to reflect on the journey you took to get there. Brandie shares her struggles and successes with the triumphant outcome of her long-distance relationship and what it means for her today.  Learning to not to doubt the possibilities can help you learn more about yourself When Brandie had the chance to reflect on her accomplishments to-date, it became all-to-real of a realization that staying open to all of the opportunities and possible outcomes was her key to success.Closing doors leads to remorse and that's the last thing anyone needs in their lives, let alone their 30s.

This week Turg and Randy Z took a trip out to the beautiful 41st State Assembly District in Pasadena, California to connect with Assemblymember Chris Holden as he shares his journey through his 20s and 30s in the political arena as well as insights and tips for how to join the noble fight as an activist in your community. So, you're in your 20s and you're thinking about politics?! Chris shares his exposure to politics at an early age and how he was able to reflect on his role to make and impact changes in the community in which he grew up. So what does a 23-year-old know about politics? Well, really not a whole lot - but that doesn't mean you can't try to shake things up a bit. But, the decision wasn't easy. Chris talks about the choice between his love for basketball and the commitment he made to his community to pursue his purpose.  Find out more about Assemblymember Chris Holden on his district website and on Twitter

Another one for the road – Turg and Randy Z sit down for yet another 1-on-1 conversation that touches on the depth of our human emotion, experiencing traumatic situations and how we can use (our) children as a conduit to better understand our own emotion and how all of this relates to what helps push us through our 30s. Kids are a tough nut to crack – but what if we had stronger tools with which to ‘crack’ them? When we think of survival mode, we don’t really understand what activates within us that triggers our survivalist mentality. Randy shares his recent experience with bedtime at the Turgman residence and how he equates his experience to when Tom Hanks’ character in Castaway lost Wilson. Turg walks us through his experiences with parenting and the conversations that couple must have to divide and conquer the “kiddie chaos”. The most important thing to remember is to not let the chaos transcend reason and destroy the relationship. The next most important thing is to remember not to lose your cool – they’re just kids (easier said than done. Trust me, I know! – Turg) But going back to survival mode Survival mode is something we are all born with. It’s also something we aren’t always too sure on how to control. It can lead to undue stress and anxiety and if we let it – it can destroy our interpersonal relationships. Not to mention it can harm how we view ourselves. It’s important to understand our approach to our own emotions as well as our approach to parenting so that we are ensure the development of successful, confident and strong children. When taking risks, we don’t always understand what they are and how to approach them How we view the risks we take depends on how we perceive the situation and how well we take hold and work our way past the adversity. In its most simple form, we can learn a lot from our children and how they handle the ever-changing environment around them. Rationalizing a child’s behavior to help us better understand our own emotions Understanding the situation and understanding how to handle it – and most importantly not beating the crap out of your kid is the most important part of being a parent.

 This week, Turg and Randy Z take a moment out of the interview schedule to go back to basics and discuss careers and pathways in more depth than ever before. Is spending too much time at one career stop a bad thing? Randy mulls over the past 10 years of his career at the same place. It's a bit of knowing you are in the right place and a little bit of complacency. But, with the comfort comes benefit and sacrifice. It's up to you to determine what is worth more at this point in your life. Is it worth starting over, or is it worth staying and growing in one place? Turg contrasts the last 4 years of career growth and challenges. There is a lot of change that comes with starting over so frequently, so when do you stop and 'smell the roses'? Does it ever end? When we take time to reflect - what do we find as the result of our thoughts and ambitions? Turg shares his experiences in speaking with other people on LinkedIn as he has found a new 'calling' as a self-proclaimed career coach of sorts. And within the recent dialogue, Turg shares a story about one of his LinkedIn interactions that stood out and serves as inspiration for him to reconsider the career path he's chosen. Seeking out others online - especially people you don't know - is sometimes a good strategy to get some real-time feedback without judgement. Have you ever considered going out of your 'local' network to find advice about your job or entrepreneurial aspirations?  Why is it so hard to take your own advice? New conversations always bring about this revelation. So, why is it that we can never seem to find the answer? Why is it that it's so much easier to watch others succeed rather than to try and succeed within our own world? Of course, every circumstance is different and offers its own set of challenges. Some people are just more risk averse than others and some people plain don't care about the risk or even considering it and just take a leap of faith simply based on confidence.  So in the end, how do I figure out what I really want to do? This is a challenging question that we can never really answer for you. But, here are some things you have to consider when contemplating your current situation (if you're not already self-employed): Do you want to feel fulfilled as part of an established enterprise?Do you want to feel that sense of collaborative validation?Do you feel like you've learned enough throughout your career to do it "on your own" as an entrepreneur? Do you know the risks associated with your decisions to stay or "go" and have you realistically evaluated them from every angle? Can you really account for every factor in your life that may impact your success? (The real answer here is NO, but it doesn't hurt to ask...) And of course, while we are always advocating finding your self and doing something you love - pursue the most realistic approach; something that works for you. In the end, if you're not happy - reach out and find a support system that will help you see, learn and grow more.

This week Turg and Randy Z are joined by LaKitia Woodard - Founder of A Sister's Truth, a company focused on helping women cope with the hardships that arise throughout their journey - as they discuss the reality behind the story of a sexual abuse survivor who set out on a mission to discover her purpose in life while working to inspire others to find courage behind their own voice.  Sharing your story not only helps inspire others, it helps liberate the soul LaKitia shares her story - or as she puts it - her journey to purpose and the feeling of loss she felt as she quietly suffered. It took one instance for her to break out of that feeling of perpetual hopelessness - when she began sharing her story. From then on, her journey was clear: help others in need of the same help, no matter the problem.  The truth is that everybody has common ground When we focus on exposing our truth and converting that into our purpose, we win. The benefit of sharing what pains us throughout our lives is the ability to find others who share the same experiences. Unifying a community of like-minded people, LaKitia focuses on searching out the issues and turning them into triumphs. This helps liberate others to love themselves and own their truth in order to overcome and find the courage to overcome their pain.  The 30s are amazing - so why do most people fear turning 30? Sharing a lot of what set the stage for her 30s, LaKitia talks about what made her 30s so powerful. Establishing herself and learning about herself and what drove her to success all began with her first experience in sharing her story. It all boiled down to a single interaction with a little girl who had been a consistent victim of sexual abuse. This interaction helped spur the passion behind her mission to help others fight these wrongs. The inspiration that came from that one moment helped her affirm what she sought to find. United by a singular purpose Often, when we look back at our lives and try to identify the turning point it comes down to a single moment in time. When we take the time to think about the triumphs we all experience throughout our lives, the ideal we need to maintain is that we help others along the way; it's not solely about us. How we help others throughout our journey through 30 is how we help ourselves thrive and grow as members of this global community.  To find out more about LaKitia and her mission at A Sister's Truth and join her on her mission to help others on their journey through 30.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they rap battle it out with their guest Jonathan - lawyer and once-upon-a-time rapper - as they discuss the duality of doing what you know you have to do and quenching that nagging feeling of what "could be" if you pursued your true purpose - something completely different than now. What happens when you look back and realize you missed one of life's hidden messages? Jon shares his experiences with choosing Law over an MBA and choosing school over pursuing a career in music. When we look back on our lives and the experiences we encounter, we can easily point out where things went wrong. How often have you wondered how different things could be had you pursued a different path throughout your 20s? How would that have impacted your 30s?  The choices we make don't always land us down the path we envisioned, so why don't we just start over? Shifting gears and pursuing a passion as a full-time career after investing so much time and effort into your existing career is a tough thing to imagine. Jon discusses how he is using his passion to help him supplement his current skill sets. Being a full-time lawyer doesn't allow time for much else. But, taking on his passion in a different way - from a different perspective - is something he is pursuing to help him  Why do we reach these revelations of change in our 30s? A lot of what we think boils down to that feeling of accomplishing something. A lot of us are approaching that point in our lives where we feel we have achieved a milestone. At that point, do we shift gears and change our path or do we stay the course? That nagging feeling we get - that thought of "I could be doing something more fulfilling" keeps chipping away at your patience for your current life choices. What do we do now? The guys discuss the challenges of fighting convention among those feelings of knowing we could do something much greater and on our terms. The focus of a Millennial mindset emphasizes independence and individuality. The world is stacked against us, but it is up to us to challenge the norm and take that leap to embrace the unknown. But what about everything we might potentially risk? The sacrifice that people made for us to get here is something in need of preservation. Jon mentions that there is a balance between just risking it all and taking a measured approach to pursuing a passion as a full-time gig. That's a very real fact. We are the product of several generations of sacrifice. Whether we realize it or not, we are here to preserve the hard work of those that helped shape our future. But, that doesn't always mean we shouldn't pursue what truly makes us happy. Jon shares how he is building his base to help him launch something even greater than what a 9-to-5 can provide.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they are joined by guest and friend-of-the-show Leslie Antonoff - blogger, writer, cooking star - as they discuss how daily growth and experience can help propel you to the next level in your life and... Knowing what to expect can be helpful sometimes... We can't really know what the expect when we haven't been there yet. But, throughout the journey through our 30s we are sometimes presented with the opportunity to learn at light speed. These experiences can help us generate a lot of knowledge in a short amount of time. Now - approaching our mid-30s - we can leverage the experience to help us thrive in our endeavors.  Being over-exposed to things isn't always a bad thing Though our generation has been painted as the "slash generation" in somewhat of a negative light, it isn't a bad thing. We are being exposed to so much in such a short amount of time that we are able to narrow our focus down on something we enjoy. Whether you pursue your passion or passionately pursue your endeavor, leverage what you learn to give you the edge. Millennials and kids get a bad wrap, but is it all true? If you have kids, you know it's tough. Statistically, Millennials have been acknowledged as the least likely to have kids. But why is that? Do kids get a bad wrap or is it just our personalities? Turg and Leslie discuss how kids are a lot of work, but in the end it's a joy they cannot live without. Kids do get a bad wrap among Millennials, but maybe it's because we just want to enjoy the freedoms. Or maybe it's a fear of impacting future generations. 

Join Turg and Randy Z and their special guest Janice Llamoca - multimedia freelance journalist and associate producer for NPR's Latino USA - as they discuss Janice's journey through her 20s into her 30s as she climbed the ranks in her career as a journalist and producer. Where does a journey start and end? That is the question often asked, but rarely answered. It's difficult to know where life will take you throughout your journey. But, there's one thing you can always rely on, your sense of determination to strive toward your dreams. Janice shares with the guys how she managed to navigate her way through a tumultuous period in her 20s and still tackle her goals to land her dream job. Plans don't always pan out, so what then? Janice talks about how she planned to elevate her career game by continuing on with grad school. Well, turned out that it was too expensive to justify. When plans don't work out, sometimes we need to get creative. Combining skill with education doesn't always have to cost a fortune. Janice shares how she got creative and still got the degree she sought. Cultural influence is a necessary part of embracing your heritage Janice shares how she learned to embrace her culture through the spoken word. Through this she hopes to help influence others to learn about and embrace their culture. Her role in the community can be felt in a much broader way. Janice helps give back to others by simply sharing her knowledge and her stories. To learn more about Janice or to hear her piece - With You, Peru - on NPR's Latino USA, follow the links.

This week Turg and RandyZ as they redefine one of the many 'isms' that define the Millennial generation: "Faking it until you make it" with their guest Erin Rivera - photographer, videographer and brand storyteller. There are times when life just takes a turn and just going with it is the best bet. But what happens when that takes a turn for the worst and you end up stuck at a crossroads? Mixing business and pleasure - which gives way to which? Letting a relationship define you. What changes when it all ends? Is dating at 30 contributing to the rise of the vanity in our society? Feeling the pressure to get it right now more than ever. Can that lead to getting it wrong instead? Risk = success, so what now?

Join Turg and Randy Z as they share the journey of finding your true self with their guest Rediate Tekeste - Founder of the Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship and professional social bridge-builder - as she shares her struggles with growing up African in a really American world and... Growing up confused can really mess up your 30s     Learn more about the Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship and if you're interested make sure you apply. Let us know if you do @talkthirtypod

Join Turg and Randy Z as they are joined by their lovely guest Gretchen Bonaduce - ex-wife of the Partridge Family star Danny Bonaduce and recent published author of the book titled Surviving Agent Orange: And Other Things I Learned From Being Thrown Under the Partridge Family Bus" as they discuss her new book from a new and interesting perspective. The lessons we learn while in our 30s come from those reflecting on the mistakes they've made during their 30s Gretchen has certainly published an intriguing perspective on her life - taking the readers from her mid-20s to her early 40s as she recounts stories, lessons and regrets throughout her time spent married to Danny Bonaduce. The hardships of marriage are well known in our world. Throw in a world married to a child celebrity struggling with drug addiction and a host of other problems and you learn a lot and fast. Gretchen recounts her journey through her mid-20s entering into a mixed bag of emotions throughout her 30s. She shares her perspective on how religion, society, community and self-confidence all had a role to play in making decisions throughout her life.  It's not about how the story unfolds, it's about what you learned after it ends Grab your copy of Surviving Agent Orange: And Other Things I Learned From Being Thrown Under the Partridge Family Bus out now from Rare Bird Books. For more information on Gretchen Bonaduce visit her on social media @GretchenBonaduce and don't forget to grab a copy of her book on Amazon or your favorite book retailer. 

Join Randy Z and Sankeyz as they entertain their very special guest - Anahit, the lovely wife of Turg - as they sit down and discuss everything from getting married before 30 to transitioning from wife to mother in the blink of an eye. This episode surely packs a lot of hidden gems, deleted scenes and never-before-heard history behind the scenes of the Turgman household. The Talk Thirty To Me team pulls out all the stops in this exclusive episode! Creating an identity based off of need not from want What happens when your future takes a completely unpredictable turn - right after you experience a huge life change? Well it happened to Anahit and she shares what it felt like to suddenly transition from one identity to the next with little time in between. If the hardships that come with adjusting to married life, try adding on parent. Life takes unexpected turns that just take you away from the goals set throughout your 20s and 30s. So what happens next? What happens when the choices you want to make are no longer yours to decide? Incorporating culture into everyday life - for the sake of the children Perspective on the cultural influence when raising children is starting to take new shape based on the culture. How do you raise your children in a world where culture is truly melting pot than tribal pride. Anahit shares her beliefs in regards to raising children with culture and the importance of creating that cultural identity. She also shares how even though she transitioned into more of a global mindset as she grew into her 30s, culture still plays an important part in her life; it's important to have children exposed to some kind of "different". W When new world clashes with old world and love is on the line Anahit shares her experience with dating in her 20s and how culture dictated the attitude behind dating and relationships. Sharing an anecdote from her own parents' lives, she juxtaposes her own real-world experiences in matchmaking throughout her 20s - even when she had been dating her now-husband, Turg. Culture certainly dictated this circumstance in her life, but how did it shape her views and morph her attitude toward her culture throughout her 20s and into her 30s? Dating in your 30s versus dating in your 20s We discuss the differences between the 20s mindset and the 30s mindset when it comes to dating. Anahit shares her views on why she probably would've done things differently with Turg if they were dating in their 30s. There is something about the 30s that alters the way we think. Anahit mentions how patience plays a big role into accepting someone in your 20s versus as in your 30s. Does the lack time you have to date in your 30s play into this fact?

Just in time for back-to-school Turg, Randy Z are back and joined by their super secret special co-host Sankeyz. Join the guys as they shake off the cobwebs of a month-long, unannounced hiatus and get back behind the mics for some fun podcasting adventures. Change is a part of life - so get used to it Sankeyz discusses changes over the past 5 months that have left him with more questions than answers. New job. Changing economy. All these things are affecting his ability to make decisions and execute. Randy shares his new home-buying adventures. Will Randy ever close escrow? More negotiations to come for Randy throughout the process, but this is a lesson you can't be told - something you need to learn on your own. Randy is certainly not happy with his home-buying situation, but how far is he willing to go? Taking a break from something is A-OK The guys open up about not releasing during the month of July. Summer lull? Just plain lazy? Well, it's a bit of both. Podcasting isn't easy. Breaks are certainly a part of making sure you remain engaged in your creative endeavor. This is why we have vacations at work. So why are the guys struggling with the idea of coming back to the show and releasing more episodes? A lot of this is attributed to the changes that have come about in recent months. Accelerating through your 30s might be such a challenge that it's often hard to maintain hobbies or even a set, regimented schedule. Turg offers some insight as to why stepping away might be better than just powering through just to get it done. But, are we of a societal mindset that values mediocre content over the more meaningful stuff? Unexpected change or transition can sometimes derail progress, so how do you handle it? Randy gets deep into his thoughts about the considerations going into this new phase in his life. Grad school? New home? Marriage? Kids? Why does 30 have to be so hard?! And it goes by so fast. A common theme of our 30s has been the lack of time. Now more than ever, being really shrewd with time is critical in ensuring you are maximizing your potential in your 30s. The decisions we make now will shape the rest of our 30s and maybe even beyond. It's important to think carefully about the next steps and implications they may have. Coping with 30 never ends Turg shares his mechanisms behind coping with 30. It's not easy, but there is a way to do it and he's always mentioned it. Write. Write out your feelings, your thoughts, goals, desires. Get it all out. This mechanism helps you align your thoughts with your emotions and gets everything out of your head and onto paper. It might be perceived as a way to just forget, but in most regards it helps clear the mind and allows for new thoughts and emotions. Kind of like a scab. Randy asks Turg some really difficult questions to which Turg can't really answer. In our 30s we don't really have all the answers. That's the beauty of  being 30. Just embrace the unknown and keep on pushing forward until we figure this thing out together.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they sit down to get real about the strategy behind being in your 30s including - home buying, borrowing against your future, stretching your dollar to the absolute maximum, comparing our lives to that of our parents and confronting the fact that we must now get serious about making adult decisions. Enough, enough when it comes to home buying. When do you call it quits? Randy shares his struggles with the home buying process. Three years in, and he's still facing the same issues he faced at the very beginning.  Repeating the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Is Randy insane? Turg thinks Randy is simply insane to keep trying. Randy disagrees wholeheartedly. In the end the strategy you set forth has to be the best for you financially as well as mentally. Remember, not all strategy can be based purely on the financial element alone. It's always important you consider the intangibles when making large life decisions. Strategy and finances isn't always easy, so how do we do it at 30? Turg gets into the risks of over-extending your finances during economic boom-times. He hits on how making a financial decision during economically strong times is a risky move. It's important we consider the cyclical nature of the economics at play. While Randy is no expert, he talks about the strategy his father used when purchasing a house and how that impacts his perspective. It's always important to factor in what our parents knew and learned in life to help us excel. Were our parents this bad at their 30s? There is a big generational gap - not to mention historical gap - between us and our parent.s Let's face it, often we feel that our generation got the short end of the stick. This is felt in every aspect of our lives and especially felt when making the difficult decisions that push our through our 30s. Turg and Randy are contemplating if their parents felt the same way or struggled with the same feeling of 'immaturity' Randy sometimes feels. It's one of those things we can never compare. A lot of times, it's simply because we will never know the extent of the adversity it was that they all faced. It comes down to the basic premise that we all have difficult lives filled with difficult decisions. How do we take the experiences from those around us now approaching their 40s and try not to repeat history? Of course we always tell ourselves we are different. We are unique. We won't make that mistake. But since we were children we have been predisposed to the same shortcomings of past generations. Now more than ever we are starting to feel the changes in the world and relating to have they affect us. So, how do we take the lessons our peer groups have learned and learn from them? One thing we need to do - as a lot of us older Millennials begin to hit the halfway point of our journey through 30 - is listen. Listening to our peers and our mentors. Opening our ears to the experiences and keeping our eyes open to the potential outcomes that parallel themselves in all of our lives. How can we master our 30s for the benefits of our 40s? This is the illusive question we always try to answer - in more ways than one. But Turg and Randy share how being purposeful and understanding what you are learning on a daily basis is critical to succeeding.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they trek to the virtual Pacific Northwest to link up with their guest Kyle "Hondo" Henderson - social entrepreneur and serial podcast producer - as he discusses the complete change in perspective that came with all of the self-inflicted change he has endured in his 30s and... When transitioning to a new town at 30 how do you approach forming new relationships? Hondo relocated to a new town at 30 and it was all rooted in meeting new people. This is contrary to what we usually discuss - we even did an entire episode on how to make friends at 30. So why did Hondo relocate in order to make friends? Hondo challenged himself to go beyond his comfort zone to form new bonds with a completely new set of people. New experiences at 30 come with a lot of stress and anxiety for a lot of us Millennials. In some regards, putting yourself in new situations helps you push through that anxiety and stress and opens you up to new people and experiences. Turg remarks how it is quite rare to find someone like Hondo - who - can somewhat "match make" people with friendships at 30. It's not an easy feat - especially getting people to buy-in at this age. We can't always succeed when we try, so how do we keep moving past the failures? Hondo shares his experiences with trying new things throughout his 20s. The one common denominator between a lot of his pursuits - failure. He shares how he didn't let this discourage him and how he managed to use turning 30 as an excuse to take a new perspective on life and embrace the failure as a mechanism to his eventual success. And we use success a lot here on the show and in the blog - but we have to remember success is always a relative term. When you feel that sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, those tend to serve as motivators to keep us pushing through to the next level - no matter what. Friendships are great, but what about the love interests? What happens when finding the right person suddenly becomes more difficult than expected? How do you move to a new town? What kind of prep work goes into making the change? Hondo mentions that he moved to Seattle because a lot of the research he conducted led him to believe he would have no problem finding a match in the Seattle community. As easy as it may seem on paper - relationships are anything but. The challenge is not only finding someone you want to spend time with, but factoring in similar likes, hobbies and passions. It's a change that needs time to settle in, but if you can put enough effort behind it - anything is possible. What about our 30s allows us to manipulate our approach on how we navigate through our adulthood? Turg asks Hondo about his commitment to his goal - 'No more new endeavors for the entire year'. On the Audio Weigh in Podcast Hondo mentions how you have to impart a bit of discipline and self-restraint when planning out goals and objectives for the long or short term. Fulfillment comes when you can set realistic goals and tackle them accordingly. It's a lot of work to build some kind of stability in your 30s. Learning to cut back and make the impact of what you are doing felt - either financially, socially or romantically.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they are joined by their guest, long-time friend of the show and author/designer - Kristen Lem - to discuss the truth behind the freedom of setting financial goals and planning toward your independence, relationship successes, failures, and quagmires, sexual feelings and the realities of dating in your 30s, and... Why is being honest with yourself about your life goals so challenging at 30? Kristen shares her story of career freedom that took her all the way from being content with what she was doing to becoming dissatisfied almost overnight. Putting together an action plan and financial road map as to how she would eventually accomplish her career-freedom was key to her successful execution. But, why is planning for these things always so challenging? If quitting your job overnight was easy - no one would do it. Often times we find the answer to our unhappiness, but it's always such a challenge to unlock that path. Kristen discusses how - for her - financial stability was the biggest challenge she faced. But long term, she knew she would reap the rewards almost instantly. It all started with being honest with where she was and where she wanted to be in life. It might take your whole life to find your passion, don't give it up. When you get that gut feeling telling you that you have to make a change, but you can't figure out why - what do you do? Kristen shares her obsession with creative ventures and - more specifically - design and sounds. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out how to get what you want to do out in the open. How do we prepare ourselves for the transition? A lot of us might already be preparing ourselves for a move that might come later in life. Kristen shares how she got burned out in the corporate world and sought a transition. But she recalls how she didn't realize that the entire time she had been setting herself up for a future of independence. A lot of this falls back on networking and understanding what you have to offer others in your network. Turg shares how he approaches preparing himself for a potential transition - and it all really boils down to preparing the network and understanding your self-wroth in your 30s. So we've road mapped to our independence - what about our relationships? Kristen shares her perspective on dating more than one person - a perspective she's shared before on our blog. Turg shares how time is essential in maximizing your dating approach, so dating multiple people at once makes all too much sense. Randy discusses how it's so hard to identify the true potential of an individual when dating - it's not pointless to get to know someone, but anything can change. Focusing on dating and the relationships you form is critical. Kristen shares her approach to narrow down the field - be honest and upfront about your intentions. Being true with yourself and your partners is the essential part of successfully navigating the single world in your 30s. And if you want to let someone down - maybe try "Caspering" instead of straight up ghosting.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they perform the now 'traditional' mid-year review. How has 2018 been for the guys thus far? Has the year shaped up to be as promising and full of opportunity as they had initially hoped? The discussion takes its twists and turns and gets real pretty fast. Can you keep up?  What is the Slash Generation? A topic brought up in casual conversation prior to this episode, the guys touch on what it means to be a part of the Slash Generation. To sum it up - we do a lot of things well, but we tend not to excel at anything we do. Is this a product of our efforts or are we merely a product of the times? Is it wrong to excel at something when you can't truly gain the experience needed to do so? Randy shares how his wake up call came when evaluating his journey through 2018. A hard look in and a conversation later and Randy was questioning his decision making and explaining the justification behind it all. Struggling with identity at 30 is the new normal, so how do you cope with it? When we - as a generation - were growing up, we were always asked what it was that would eventually define us. Maybe it sounded a little more like, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We were trained as children to use what we did to define ourselves and our successes. This 'career as an identity' thing has been going on long enough. Coupling this with the fact that we - as Millennials - are trying vehemently to overcome this notion of 'career as an identity' it seems like there is a huge struggle to figure out our purpose in life. Do we even need that figured out at this point? Turg struggles with the thought and can't seem to figure out what the answer might be. Maybe therein lies the problem. The answer doesn't always need a conclusion - just a discussion point is enough to start the journey toward finding the next step in the evolution of thought. Randy shares what he thinks identity is and it all boils down to circumstance and his audience. Since we are the Slash Generation is it safe to say this is commonplace among most Millennials? When the dreaded Impostor Syndrome sets in, what can we do to snap back into reality? What happens when you're the one making the decisions until you finally realize you have no clue what you're doing? Has this ever happened to you? Is it happening to you now? Turg shares how he's struggling with the role and responsibility he's been working toward over the past four years. When you don't feel like you have the necessary skills yet developed to tackle pressure cooker situations, what do you do? The one thing I have realized (speaking in the first person helps) that helps is asking the right people the right questions and knowing when to ask for help. The other thing is always heading into a confrontation or discussion prepared with the right responses and support if you want to gain the support of your peers and superiors. Of course, this comes laden with tons of inherent failure backed into the equation, but it's failure that must be embraced in order to learn, course correct and eventually excel. The term "Faking it until I make it" has become this sort of pop culture norm, but what does it really mean? Can we truly fake something and let time pass by until we finally make it? I personally don't think our generation is the type of generation to just coast into something. The patience required is uncharacteristic of our collective mindset. Not to mention that Millennials tend to over-extend themselves in whatever it is they pursue. For the most part, careers don't mean what they used to mean for Millennials - or people in general. Turg shares how he's become too focused on the pursuit of a career so much that he's let it affect his future endeavors. Will these changes come with age? Will the reformulation of what it means to excel at life Has 2018 been a complete asshole for you? Let us know! And finally...how about some succulent succulents? Then http://www.talkthirtytome.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they tackle the tough topics on social injustice, gender bias. This episode brings a very special guest, Sarah Rizkalla - founder and editor-in-chief of New York Minute Magazine and social justice entrepreneur - as she shares her story from the halls Wall Street to her constant fight against naysayers. How do you make it being a social pioneer and voice for women in a world where no one wants you to succeed? What happens when you realize that the career you chose challenged your values on every level possible? Sarah shares her experience on Wall Street, working for one of the worst banks on the Street and reflects on her hardships throughout her time  there. A very unique experiences, Sarah provides insight on how men and women alike share workplace discrimination on the Street. This social injustice is easy to overlook when you're caught in the middle of it all. But, if being a woman wasn't enough, Sarah shares how her background also greatly influenced her journey through thirty. Growing up in Egypt and emigrating to the U.S. at an early age, Sarah parallels her experiences there to the current state of gender equality in the United States. Clearing the air - empowering women is not about discrediting men It's important to realize, however, gender equality can be achieved without alienating or urging hatred toward men. Sarah shares how she makes this a very prominent message in her fight to end social injustice toward women. For equality to happen - power has to be shared, but there isn't any malice behind that mentality. Sarah emphasizes that in order to shift the balance women need to stand up and make it known they want to achieve that equal playing field. How do we condition against ignorance in the workplace when it comes to putting effort toward achieving equality? There are a number of things that men just plain do not know when it comes to treating others equally in the workplace. It takes a conscious effort to create a workplace truly dedicated toward achieving equality. We have to start chipping away at boundaries, making more of an effort to promote equality and make progress toward inclusion. It's definitely a Millennial mindset to take the progress made and apply it toward the same progressive platform. We are all collectively building toward a a more positive future in order to better serve our interests. How does culture play a role toward becoming woke in your 30s? A lot of what we see here in America isn't indicative of how it is in other countries. Sarah, shares her experience growing up as an Egyptian woman and how that impacted her perspective. It is almost common knowledge that Middle Eastern cultures are male-dominant. Sarah shares how growing up a Christian woman in a society that has clearly defined gender roles led to her awakening. She highlights how her experiences throughout life have helped her align the themes and help spark the fire that fuels her fight for the right solutions. Long term, if we cannot view social issues wit ha more global lens, the future will be any different from the present. When we face uncertainty because of the insecurities we maintain, how do we rise above to pursue our dreams? It's so easy to give in to the social norms and maintain conformity in our lives. Especially in our 30s when everyone is getting married, having kids and starting a family, it's difficult to fight on and stick true to your beliefs. Sarah shares how culture played a big role in casting doubt on her efforts to start New York Minute Magazine. When she was surrounded by the social norms, pressured by her family and culture to conform to what was labeled as the "right" thing, she had to make a decision. Her decision was to tough it out and stick to what she knew was right for her. Her passion to keep fighting to help educate men and women alike was much greater than any familial or cultural pressure. However, Sarah shares how fear and doubt kept creeping in - e...

Join Turg and Randy Z as they engage their savvy guest Natalie Torres-Haddad - award winning author, TEDx speaker and financial influencer - as they discuss the realities behind finances and most importantly financial literacy - or lack thereof - in our lives and... Why we are not set up for financial success in school? Natalie - a business major - shares her experiences with the lack of formal education in the realm of financial literacy. It's an important topic that doesn't get as much attention as it needs. The reality is that our schools do not help support financial education for children of all ages. The fundamentals of finances are always discovered the hard way. Natalie, Turg and Randy reminisce about college and how financial trouble usually brought invaluable lessons along with it. Unfortunately, even now, information on how to be financially free and successful in our lives comes at the expense of learning the hard way. What impact does culture have on financial transparency? You'd never think that culture played a role in finances, but it does. Natalie shares her real-life experiences with family and finances and not being able to pinpoint how her family was doing financially. Growing up, we might not have noticed how finances were discussed among our parents. But moving forward - and now especially in our 30s and if we have children - it's important to understand how transparency helps share lessons with all involved. When kids start asking about finances, it's important not to hide things from them that might help them discover their own path toward the subject. For many cultures it's taboo to discuss finances - how do we break that cycle in order to help future generations - especially emerging minority populations? How is property buying the key to unlocking financial freedom? Natalie and Turg share their property buying experiences and compare and contrast their successes and failures. Understanding that property can contribute to completely shifting your financial status is important. In the same breath, however, understanding that it could also cost you is equally important. Making the right moves in buying property can help liberate your finances - despite what you may think. Lots of more options are available to you once you buy. But, when you buy, be careful to measure your risks and calculate out your tolerance. When is the right time to buy property? It's always important to know when to buy. Turg shares that his first property came at close to the high point of the housing market back in the early 2000s. Natalie shares her experiences with home owners that went all-in during the peak and suffered the consequences. The lessons learned when investing are always tough. The old adage "It takes money to make money" couldn't be more true than it is today, however, knowing how much to invest and when to invest it is always important. Before you go all-in on something, make sure you've studied the markets, understand your potential financial exposure, and weigh your options carefully. Often times, surrounding yourself with knowledgeable people, books and even social groups might help you gain more of an understanding your future investments

Join Turg and Randy Z as they blow bubbles and exchange giggles with their guest Chris McMullen (aka Seth Brundle) -- television personality, expert lifestyle content creator, chef and fashion professional -- and discuss transitions, learning your lessons, establishing your worth and... Have you ever fallen out of love with a past passion that you suddenly gave up? Chris shares his journey up to 30 and how his intense love for fashion and styling actually forced him away from the profession. We can all relate to the saying "Love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life", but is this true? Millennials are always touting their ability to innovate. It doesn't just stop with tech or goods - but with mindset and social movements. Loving what you do is great, but not when it taxes you beyond what you thought possible. Setting goals and maintaining your interest level so that you don't fall out of love with your passion is important. But, what happens when the reality of 30 dawns? Is a transition always beneficial to help renew your lust for life? Transitioning into something new can only happen if you know your worth Turg asks how to someone can assess their worth after learning their talents and working to transition into something new.  Sometimes it's not easy to identify how to go about learning what to ask or how to negotiate for your knowledge. In essence, this is what we do when we market ourselves. But, how often do we understand what we are worth? Chris mentions how he seeks out others who might know more or have more specific experience for answers to this question. It's important to make inroads and network with people that can help set your expectations. Turg mentions that vocalizing ideas and concepts, with those you can trust, is an important step to harnessing true success in your 30s. Do you gravitate to mentors that can help you identify your worth or impact at 30? Success versus Happiness - which will win out at 30? When you learn how to succeed, do you win the day? Does success bring happiness? It's not easy to identify what you will be doing 3 years from now, let alone 10 years from now. So how do you measure your success relative to where you want to be? Chris shares how he quit his passion - something he mastered - to do something he had no knowledge about. When you don't have a starting point - or even a reference point for your next step in life you might start to feel lost. But, it's important to leverage your network, friends and family for insight and to help level you out. It's also important to maintain your happiness throughout your journey. What is your definition of happiness? Failures help define our future, so use them to learn and grow We all have moments in our lives that were dark. We have all been in a place that we never want to go back to. Instead of using it as a weapon against the world, use it as a motivator to help you propel yourself into your future. Chris, Turg and Randy talk how being broke, alone, and afraid helped motivate them into their future successes. Investing in yourself at 30 and maintaining your confidence levels are critical. How and when do you do it? What happens if you have no positive experiences to draw upon when you're feeling down? Bringing it full circle - surround yourself with positivity and people who care. Reach out to mentors and people who can help. Diversify your skills and talents, know your weaknesses and keep forging on and use your failures to help you understand how not to repeat the same mistakes more than once.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they get to know their guest Veronica Meza Tolentino - President and Co-founder of Dude Be Nice a socially conscious and unique designer clothing company - and discuss the basics of leveraging your passion and creativity to start completely over while going through an incredible amount of change and... What is it about 30 that brings about such radical change? Veronica shares her experience during her transition to 30 and what helped spark her transformation. It all boiled down to turning 30 and harnessing her passion. But, what is it about 30 that sparks this change? Veronica mentions how she really felt stuck and unhappy working a typical job with standard hours and amazing benefits. Moving into something she felt devoted to - even though it was a huge step back, career-wise - allowed her to reinvent herself. Purpose and passion are not enough Turg shares how he doesn't feel like he is a creative individual, however, he is more innovative or inventive than anything. Veronica shares her suggested reading material - So Good They Can't Ignore You - and emphasizes how a passion is not enough. Working hard at what you're passionate about is often overlooked and most Millennials might feel entitled to success. Randy echos this sentiment as he feels there has to be a passion behind your endeavor in order to get started. But remember, work is needed to boost success. We are often promised things throughout our lives that never manifest. Take college, for example, and how many people were told success is imminent, yet many struggle trying to start a career. Turg affirms his issues with the education system as he stresses how these lies affect our future. Taking a leap of faith on ourselves Veronica talks about her moving away from her career and navigating her way into something that she felt passionate about. Turg asks Veronica how she worked to overcome the fear and apprehension of taking that leap. She discusses how she set her sights on her dream and set goals to help her accomplish her dream. The guys often discuss how work defines us in our 30s. It's important to know that even when we take a step back in our careers or or lives - there's even a bigger step coming along the way. A sacrifice isn't always a waste of time if you remain focused on your goal and work hard to accomplish it. It's also important to know what you like. If you find that you are unhappy pursuing your dream, don't lose hope. Learn to grow yourself and putting that positive energy out there and the building blocks will form your castle. How important is it to build something in your 30s? Sometimes we settle into a thought and it remains just that - a thought. But what happens when we act on these thoughts? When we form that big picture dream into a reality? So many of our discussions center around building things in our 30s - become our best selves, build a company, grow a family. All of these things require a thought that evolves into something greater. Veronica shares how her evolution came from maintaining her integrity and creativity while remaining true to her core values was important. With our society how it is now - it's important to remain true and authentic, not only for what you build, but to help influence others to do the same.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they journey through the avant-garde and the fear of being thirty in an era of experimentation and risk taking in exploring the depth of experimentation with their guest - songwriter, producer, and engineer Lorenzo Gordon - who shares his peculiar journey en route to his present day successes and  Why creativity is no longer unique Lorenzo shares his experience with the creative process. Exploring different methods to allow his creative to grow, Lorenzo hits on why creativity lacks individuality. Lorenzo shares why he's an eccentric and it's distilled down to simple terms - eccentricity is different. Different is creative. That is why he's gravitated toward such unique pursuits. In learning why we gravitate toward certain people, Turg shares how he mimics Lorenzo's mindset by surrounding himself with creatives. Randy explains how experience lends itself to being more creative in everything we do and that's a big part of being 30. Trusting yourself is an important part of 30 Lorenzo hits a strong chord in learning to trust himself. Exploring the world of 30 can only be done if you trust who you are and what you have become. Capturing the comfort and harnessing it to grow and live the life you've always wanted to live is the essence of success. Randy shares how the simplest form of accomplishment is not trying to accomplish anything at all. The most important takeaway from this lesson is not to try for anyone or anything other than yourself. Being real is often lost among the falsities of the world around us, but it's important to capture the essence of who we are in everything that we do. How are you going to make 30 stand out? What is going to make this decade the most important building block of your entire life? It's almost like strategically throwing spaghetti at the wall. Lorenzo shares how the ideas that set us up for success are often the ones we dismiss as worthless. Sometimes it takes a leap of faith and a big chance to make big things happen at 30. Turg thinks there is a limiting factor at this point in life - when we have so much to lose when so invested in our 30s. This might not happen immediately, but it comes as we keep progressing toward success in our 30s. Embracing fear and failure is a continuing theme of our 30s  

Join Turg and Randy Z as they finally get around to discussing a topic that has been demanded by listeners near and far - making friends. When you hit 30, it's not easy making friends. So how do you do it? Tune in and find out! What happens when we are forced to start over at 30? Turg shares a recent life change that has forced him to start his work-friend journey all over - getting a new job. Starting over isn't easy, especially at 30. When you are forced to start over because you wanted a change, you must deal with the consequences. Randy thinks Turg has always been at odds with making friends in general. But, making friends and keeping them are completely different things. There are nuances with adult relationships that don't really show up in relationships early on in life. So how do we stack the odds in our favor? There is a time and place to make friends - an Uber isn't one of them Randy shares an experience he had when his Uber driver tried to befriend him. It would have been all fun and well had he not been close to missing his flight. In this case, it's important to remember there is definitely a time and place for making friends. In your 30s you have to be conscious of circumstance when making friends. Try to use the circumstance to your advantage - but be aware it might not always work out. Is it alright to make work relationships more personal? Making friends at work and seeing those people outside of work is always a tight rope walk. Until you know if you can really trust that person to understand you for you and not the "work you" it's hard to use that time just to be friends. Turg shares how he doesn't really hang out with work friends outside of work. Some due to circumstance and most due to chemistry. Randy shares how proximity to work is prohibitive of him engaging his work friends outside of work. Lots of variables play into work relationships that often prohibit personal time spent outside of work. Ranking the importance of friends of your life How do you rank the importance of friends in your life - from 1 to 10, without duplicating numbers? Randy shares that his view on friends is that they are like family. Turg explains how friends take a backseat to a lot of priorities since family and career are at the center of his world. Randy and Turg share differing priorities with friendships, but it could also be a different time in both of their lives. What's in a friend? Knowing yourself at 30 is an important step toward knowing what you'd like to get out of a friendship or causal relationship. Finding common ground is critical in identifying the right fit. Maybe for you, however, it's the exact opposite. Do you find people that like the same things as you more interesting? What about friends of the same or opposite sex? Do you struggle with making friends that have similar hobbies?

Join Turg and Randy Z as they chat with their guest Brenda Gonzalez - the co-creator of the Tamarindo Podcast and proud civil rights advocate - about growing up undocumented, caught between circumstance and the law and learning to maximize every opportunity to help adjust to a world that doesn't quite understand your situation. Wait, I'm what? Imagine you're about to go to college and you discover you're undocumented. How do you think you would handle it? Meet Brenda. In college, she discovered she was an undocumented immigrant. Thousands of students face the hardships of being undocumented. Brenda's experience was no different. When you're in this situation, the learning curve is much greater than that of a citizen. Brenda shares her hardships and triumphs as she powered through her courses and juggled a love-life revolved around a singular objective - marriage. When opportunity knocks, how do you handle it? If you can't chose your own path, you choose to make the most of it Sometimes in life we cannot choose what we want or know is right for us. In Brenda's case, not getting to choose turned out to be more of an opportunity than a hindrance. Turg asks Brenda how she was able to handle not being able to decide her own future. For her, it wasn't much of a sacrifice. We can easily overlook the fact that getting to choose is a luxury. Sometimes just having something - even a chance at a future - is enough. Facing challenges might feel limited, but in Brenda's case, this helped focus her expectations on her future success. Learning to control the things you can control rather than the things you can't control is an important step to learning from your 20s and mastering your 30s. What do you do when doubt starts creeping in during your 30s? Being comfortable in your own skin is a very important part of staving off that sense of self-doubt. Adopting hobbies and learning about what you appreciate now is all a part of identifying what makes you unique. Brenda talks about how a new world of music has opened up for her and helped change her life for the better. Things we might not have enjoyed in the past might now define us in the present. Brenda's experiences focus on keeping your mind open to new experiences and challenging yourself. Appreciating all aspects of life will help reinforce your self-esteem and grow to accept yourself. Embracing who you are is the most important stand you can make against any hate or bigotry. Have you had a tough life because of this? Has your life been challenging because you've been undocumented? Has doubt ever derailed your self-confidence? Have the challenges of being an immigrant in today's world been too hard to overcome? We'd love to hear from you. Share your story.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they identify that learning from change is an important part of the 30s - especially change that originates from the circumstances surrounding each of us throughout our journey. This week, their guest Betsy Aimee - the co-founder and Chief Content Creator of the Born in June Creative and host of The Currently podcast - gets deeply personal in sharing her life experiences from her 20s to her 30s.   The shock of realizing a major change is neccessary When we go through life sometimes things don't always pan out the way we thought they would. But often, we don't come to that realization until something sparks our desire to explore other options. Betsy shares her story of growth and self-discovery that originated in her 20s while married. She shares what her struggles were and how she worked to overcome them. Avoiding traces of your 20s from trickling into your 30s is almost impossible. So, how do we learn from them? How hard is it to just let go of something we thought we wanted and go after something we know we wanted? When we eventually learn life cannot be controlled True growth comes from the uncertain. Understanding the need to control the world around us isn’t a winning strategy might be hard for some. Betsy admits her need to control things may have restricted her from the eventual success she has found. Turg shares a complimentary view point and a need to feel in control of a situation. At many points in our lives, we really only feel complete if we exercise control over various elements that make up our lives. Whether it’s work or family and friends, some control is necessary. But in other cases, how can seeking control hold us back? Learning to grow Betsy shares her views on life and the continuous learning cycle she uses to shape her growth. Knowing you’re not defined by what you do, but how you learn from your mistakes is important. A lot of what we focus on throughout our episodes is the need to learn and value failure shares her experiences with failures – including her early divorce – that have helped her grow toward what she’s always sought out. Pursuing her passion is no longer a dream, it is a reality. The only way we can turn dreams into reality is by understanding our capabilities for overcoming obstacles. Without this mindset we must learn to endure the eventual failure when overcome by our obstacles.  

Join Turg and Randy Z as they rediscover the hardships of turning 30 all over again with their guest Jayce Baron. Jayce - an LGBT community thought leader, social entrepreneur and newly inducted member of Talk Thirty Nation - covers his wide range of experiences throughout his journey to share how his success has come about. Do we over define our lives? Jacye introduces a topic that can be taken to mean many different things. Are the goals that we set too out of reach? It's tough to understand how our 20s really resonate with us in our 30s. But there is this moment in time where you're confronted with the fear of crossing into another stage of life. Do we, then, discover the fact that our 20s weren't exactly what we wanted them to be? Do we become afraid of the consequences that may have on our lives as we journey through 30? Our defining moment as Millennials The theme behind the Millennial generation is that we all share a common set of experiences. These experiences helped cement our generation as leaders of the revolution that has changed the way the world operates. Millennials are constantly left facing the reality that an adulthood once promised will never manifest itself the way it had been taught. What happened when we were finally faced with this reality is what makes Jayce's story so unique. Instead of stalling out and trying to do his best to live the life that was once promised to him -- a cubicle or corporate office, a 9-to-5 job for a company, setting long-term career goals -- Jayce ventured down a different path. Having learned from his out-of-control 20s, Jayce managed to build his real-life social network and establish himself as an influencer. Know your worth and then add tax Your approach at 30 is all dictated by what you did during your 20s. Jayce was quick not to let the economic collapse ruin his chances of success, so instead of following the false promises, he blazed his own trail. It's important to know your worth in your 30s because of the value you helped create for yourself in your 20s. Jayce is a writer, social entrepreneur, and advocate for the LGBT millennial. Born and raised in Southern California with a degree and background in entertainment communications, he has dedicated his skills and experience to advancing the community with a touch of his own flare. With his own personal testimony as an openly gay black male raised in the first family of a Baptist church, his stories have been able to guide not only the LGBT community, but anyone who has been tried with conflict and acceptance within culture, family, and themselves. To learn more about Jayce, you can follow him on social media everywhere @jaycebaron. Bio

Join Turg and Randy Z as they sit down with their guest Justin Riley as they discuss the obstacles toward our career and personal successes. When jobs get in the way of life and you’re forced to make a decision that may not agree with societal norms, what we eventually decide will redefine our 30s. What happens when we fall off our path? Moving on now – in your 30s – is a challenge and can potentially take us down a dark path if we aren't ready. Justin talks about how Justin was recently laid off from his job – a job he had held for over 5 years. On the eve of his losing his job – he released a podcast episode where he shared his anger and frustration of feeling stuck going into the new year. Justin discusses how he coped with the initial shock of losing his job. No longer in a position of stability and control, he was forced to reset his perspective and recover quickly. He made the decision to walk in his purpose and live in his truth. Join the guys and their guest, Justin, as they continue the discussion that serves to challenge the traditional mindset of accomplishment and success. About Justin Riley... Justin Riley is an entrepreneur, speaker, and former small business executive who has a passion for serving and inspiring others to live life with purpose. He is a former collegiate athlete with more than seven years of experience in higher education, media, and sports. Justin has the unique ability to connect with a wide-range of audiences, often drawing from his own vulnerabilities and personal experiences to craft his message. Justin earned his degree in Television and Broadcast Journalism at Chapman University, where he served as a keynote speaker. He has also spoken on various panels at high schools, colleges, and universities, and has appeared on several media outlets including Huffington Post and Blavity. Justin is the founder of Purpose Over Profit and co-host of the Married Millennials podcast. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two dogs, Ollie and Hazel.   You can follow Justin @JRilez on Twitter & Instagram as well as the Love Jays Podcast @LoveJaysOfficial on Instagram and @TheLoveJays  on Twitter

So, it’s March of 2018. Turg and Randy have been on hiatus since late in 2017. This is the anti-climactic way in which we kick off the 3rd Season of Talk Thirty To Me. In this episode, they discuss how they broke into 2018 with somewhat of a new year funk. A lot has happened since our listeners last heard from their faithful hosts and a lot of those happenings have contributed to the funkiness plaguing your beloved hosts. Randy has still been struggling to find a house to buy. It's not that he can't, but it almost seems as the world is actively working to thwart his home buying efforts. Turg, on the other hand, doesn't know where his funk stems from. He tried hitting the ground running in 2018 and failed miserably to gain any sort of traction to help propel him through the first three months of the year. Have you ever hit a wall even though you had set yourself up for nothing but success? Turg discusses his 2017 goal setting approach and how he maximized his execution during one of the most challenging years of his life. So, what changed? The answer is simple, sometimes we don't know why things tend to plateau into this kind of funk consuming both Turg and Randy. It seems that no matter what was planned and supposed to happen didn't happen. Is this a product of Turg and Randy's doing or was it just coincidence? Have you ever had to augment your life for a job or creative endeavor? Maybe even just to make ends meet? How did that affect your life? Turg and Randy discuss careers and how sacrifice impacts all aspects of someone's personal life to the extent that it has far reaching effects not realized right away. When do you throw in the towel and start looking for a change? Do you ride it out or make that change happen? Some tips to make sure we are not getting stuck in a funk: Know your worth - either in the workplace or at home, make sure you have the confidence to reinforce your talents. Try to stay away from social media and environments that may weigh down on your confidence levels. Work to rebuild the trust in yourself. Challenge yourself to succeed -  the most beneficial thing to do is challenge yourself to succeed at a task or pursuit that has helped discourage you from moving on with your life. The first rule of getting defunkified is to set simple goals to accomplish, helping lead you toward you ultimate goal. Keep your mind occupied – the last thing you need when you’re in a funk is an idle mind. Keep yourself busy by trying to stay active either in the gym or at home. Find friends and family members to support with your efforts. Try to disengage from social media as it leads to less activity overall. What do you do if you're in a funk and can't seem to get yourself out of it? Turg discusses his form of therapy by way of buying his happiness or distracting himself with projects. What did Turg do? He went out and bought a bike frame and built it up from scratch to try and distract himself. Did it work? Doesn't seem like it did. And to make matters worse, it now serves as a constant reminder that he is stuck in a rut. Randy mentions a key aspect of dealing with a funk - admit you're in a funk. Being honest is the strongest tool to getting past this funk. The other thing he mentions is putting yourself to work. Again, another form of distraction therapy. When that didn't work, he shut everything down and let himself heal. Taking time away from projects and obligations often helps us forget about the burdens that are associated with taking on too much. Not only is it beneficial to take a break, it could possibly reinvigorate your passion. Therapy is a necessary part of growing older. It doesn’t always have to be looked at in a negative light. Sometimes finding a style that works for you is an important part of choosing the right therapy for you – as Randy puts it. Have you ever tried therapy, or another means of soothing over issues in your life? Is it something that you share openly with others o...

Join Turg and Randy Z as they sit down with the controversial Producer of Talk Thirty To Me - Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez and discuss the coming of age story that will bring a once unheard and arguably fresh perspective into the fray that will forever change the way that the guys discuss anything ever again on the show. The one who doesn't speak, now speaks. Hear what he has to say and... Sankeyz goes to Colombia to explore his roots Journey with us as we dive into the Sankeyz saga and his exploits in Colombia for his 30th birthday. In order to celebrate and discover what he wants to do with his life moving forward, he wanted to explore what makes him unique. The primary goal of his journey was to discover 'What do I do?' We think this is such an important question in the Journey Through Thirty and how to overcome these pitfalls that bog down most people when transitioning from their 20s to their 30s. How do we derive inspiration throughout our journey? Sankeyz and Turg get into a debate regarding how to find inspiration along the journey into 30. When you struggle to find the resources to make the necessary changes that impact the new chapter in your life. Support structures are essential in pushing through the hardships in your 30s. What if you can't leverage a support structure that actually works to help you cope with the challenges of 30? A lot of people rely on their parents for this inspiration and often times that isn't a viable solution because of their limited experience. What happens then when you can't find yourself among all the noise and distraction that approaches us during our 30s? It's not always the avenue we seek, but the challenge is to explore outside of our community - our comfort zone - in terms of networking with people we might not normally encounter in our daily lives. Getting to know the role we have with our families and friends In order to successfully navigate our lives in our 30s, we need a strong start. Sankeyz shares the experiences that have set him back in his 20s and how he plans to build his purpose and identify his role for the next chapter of his life. Sankeyz shares the familial background that has built his inquisitive nature. In a search for himself, he stumbles across the experiences that have formed what has shaped his life today. Ultimately, you choose who you want to be. Sankeyz shares his experiences with his parents and grandparents and how he has transitioned into being more of a student of life rather than trying to control his future. Rising above the rest and bringing everyone up with us - the counter-immigrant mindset As immigrants in a world that does not support the immigrant mentality, how do you break through and conquer the American Dream? Sankeyz shares his insight into how the immigrant mindset overcomes him. Often times it's difficult to carve your own path instead of traveling down a path that has already been created for you. But we all know, deep down inside, there is more to us than what meets the eye. This is the challenge our parents have when trying to guide and nurture us forward. In Turg's opinion, the time for parental guidance and support is over. However, most Millennials cannot break away from underneath the wing of their supportive parents. The problem then, becomes the fact that parents just don't understand. We've been here before and its still a question to a topic that holds so many answers, it's almost impossible to define. It's all a matter of perspective, comfort, and courage. Learning to 'experience' at thirty - is it as easy as we think? Sankeyz shares his recent developments in turning 30 and why he's been blindsided by the new number. Changes in his body have alerted him to the fact that it's not just as easy as celebrating a birthday anymore; the decisions we make to either listen or ignore something like our bodies - for example - is a choice we have to live with for life. Turg continues with a thought that ultimately,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they walk down memory lane and recap the past two years of the Talk Thirty To Me podcast - the high's and the low's, the positives and the negatives, the hidden motifs, ideas that didn't quite make the show, some behind the scenes banter, and all of the in-between moments that weren't really transparent throughout the entire run of the show and... Turg and Randy talk lessons learned from Guadalajara Randy traveled to Guadalajara and talks about the growth that came with his first trip to the mainland of Mexico. He touches on how the trip really challenged his notion of normal. Turg dropped Randy a small note about 'relating to the reality of nostalgia' and he did just that. Connecting your childhood to your roots is an underlying theme of a lot of personal growth for your beloved protagonists. While Turg has yet to travel down this path, Randy took the bull by the horns and embraced this connection between his childhood and his journey through thirty. Have you ever lived your childhood while you were traveling abroad - either to your homeland or somewhere else that felt like home? How have Turg and Randy have learned, loved, and grown from the show? Turg reflects on how he was thinking about the podcast with that aura of nostalgia. Talking thirty isn't just an idea or a show - it has become a lifestyle for your handsome hosts. The guys hone in onhow they felt the show has helped them love, learn, grown, and become accountable to the only person that matters in their life - their respective selves. They also talk a lot of shit to each other...because, why not?! Tune in to find out more of the crazy antics, behind the scenes production and thoughts, the development of the show over the past two years, and more!  One more episode left on the season, then we're on hiatus until after the New Year. See ya'll next week. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below, or go ahead and hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. Subscribe. Listen. Enjoy. Share. Like. Follow. Also Streaming on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or your favorite Podcast player I love you in the morning and in the afternoon, I love you in the evening and underneath the moon. Skidamarink a dink a dink, Skidamarink a doo, I love you. Talk Thirty to Me Episode Fifty Three: Talking Thirty, Two Years Later

Join Turg and Randy Z as they prepare for colder weather, hot cocoa, and - of course - the holiday season and discuss the significance of coping with the changing attitudes toward the holidays that comes with getting further along in their 30s and the dynamics of food, family, football and "fun" and... How has the perception of the holidays changed now that age factors into mindset? Turg discusses how the holidays are no longer just about family and good times - they're all about Star Wars. Constantly redefining how we view the holidays is a major part of getting older - especially for the Millennial generation. Learning to see things from different perspectives, might help realign the traditional mindset behind the so-called "Holiday Spirit", however it might not help identify why someone stops celebrating all together. If someone doesn't participate in the holidays, are they seen as anti-communal? The flip side of the coin is that the holidays could provide more of an impact on someone with a newfound meaning behind the holiday season. This is not the case for Randy as he talks about how things with the family dynamic around the holidays has changed. When things deviate, is that life's way of re-prioritizing or is it just waning interest. Randy discusses how gift giving and the symbolism behind the gesture of sharing gifts with friends and family changes with age. Turg feels that gift giving has dramatically changed with age and shouldn't have. However, Christmas, for example, has taken on an entirely new dynamic now with the advent of a more aggressive economy. Mass consumerism has distorted the meaning of giving gifts and what it means to give and receive. Turg talks about how Christmas is about tradition. It's important to remember how tradition should be the focal point of the holiday season. For Turg, it's important to build that tradition and instill those in his children for the future. With the change of the family dynamic, how has the holiday season taken on new meaning? Turg and Randy discuss how age changes the desire to want to celebrate or maybe even participate in the traditional experience. As children, there were different definitions that helped shape the holiday season for both Turg and Randy. As Thanksgiving nears, Turg and Randy share their childhood experiences contrasted with their adult experiences. There is a huge contrast between celebrating the holidays as kids versus as adults. Thanksgiving seems almost unnecessary now. The culture shift has almost made this holiday obsolete. But it's important to keep in mind that regardless of the meaning, the foundation of the holiday season is family and creating shared memories built around traditions. How do we maintain tradition for future generations despite the shift in beliefs and significance? Should we maintain the status quo or keep pushing to transform the holidays into something more meaningful on an individual level? How are you planning on celebrating the holidays this year? What's changed from previous years? Why has it changed? Should we revert back to the old, nostalgic ways of celebrating the holidays? Is it even possible with the changing family dynamics over the years? So many questions, so little answered. You may hear from us again about the holidays as both Turg and Randy love this time of year the most. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below, or go ahead and hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. Subscribe. Listen. Enjoy. Share. Like. Follow. Also Streaming on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or your favorite Podcast player I love you in the morning and in the afternoon,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they dissect the importance of mental health in our 30s since being 30 comes with the increased focus on career success, the shifting priorities that include new family obligations and substantial changes in schedules and overall aspirations Is taking a break from the normalcy of life necessary? Turg gets selfish and talks about his recent vacation and what it felt like to truly step away and disconnect. He feels that this helped him recharge and connect with his wife and gave him a renewed appreciation for the things in his life. Randy talks about how he still gets awesome paid vacations - just like back in college. These are the kinds of opportunities that keep us refreshed and drive our optimal performance throughout every aspect of our lives. Step back and take a breath; Turg talks about the contrast between ambitions and relaxation and how they cannot co-exist in the world in which we live. Randy identifies this reality, but doesn't observe this mindset as it is not a viable way of maintaining his lifestyle. The lack of Work-Life balance as a nation is influencing a culture shift in the way we view normal What are we doing to make the right decisions needed in order to preserve the balance as it suits our lifestyle. Turg challenges everyone to reflect on what we do to challenge the status quo. Randy emphasizes that the environment we want is an environment we must create. It's important to stay true to what you have and what you know is right. We know the challenge we have  ahead of us and it's important to preserve the sanctity of balancing our careers with our lives. How we learn from the past is an important step in how we shape our future Turg talks about his parents and how their role is to set examples for us- whether it's a negative or positive experience - throughout our lives. Randy backs this up by sharing a story about his father and how - after years of dedicating his life to his work - is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. It doesn't make sense why he waited so long to realized this was important for him to enjoy his life. It can be distilled down to being a disconnect in societal expectations; taking vacations and time away from work for whatever reason is viewed negatively - still to this day! It's almost as if we accrue vacation time as more of a novelty than a useful respite from the daily grind. Leverage the resources and benefits you have to preserve your most valuable asset We can learn a lot from the past, using it as a looking glass into our future. Repeating the same mistakes our parents and grandparents have made in their lives is certainly inexcusable. Randy mentions how living healthy is more of a privilege than a necessity. How we prioritize our health takes mental capacity and an affirmation of its importance and impact on our lives. But, there is an issue when a lot of our peers still cannot afford to live healthy because of various circumstances that prohibit this 'luxury'. Turg., Randy (and Sankeyz) put their best foot forward and make a commitment to themselves and each other to live healthy in their 30s. Living healthy is for you - do it. If you need the extra accountability, ask a friend. If you need affirmations, asks someone to review your approach. How do you stay healthy? What do you do to preserve your mental and physical health? Don't focus on the treatment, get ahead of the curve and prevent the inevitable. We're all getting old, the sooner you accept this, the healthier you will feel as a result. How will you do it? Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below, or go ahead and hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they talk about the constant need to be defined as something - or someone - by society and the lack of self-identification that comes with being 30 in a world that never seemed ready to accept things as they came; a society that helped create a problem, but offer no ways on how to fix it...and... What helps identify a good parent versus a bad parent? Turg talks about his recent trip abroad and leaving his kids behind to have some time with the wife. Turg explains how they missed their daughters first birthday to take an extended vacation and how it was difficult for his wife to accept. Randy mentions how some reasons for missing a birthday might be acceptable, Turg thinks it really wouldn't make a difference and that it's difficult for him to identify as a parent, which made the decision easier for him to make. Being a parent doesn't always have to define you. Is it OK to leave the kids behind when going on vacation? Vacations take a lot of time and planning in order to execute. When traveling abroad, so many things complicate travel that it's difficult to take the kids along. Randy challenges Turg to think about whether his parents went on vacation and left him behind when he was growing up. Growing up, a lot of our parents didn't realize the importance of alone time. Turg couldn't remember many instances, but knows they did happen - albeit, sparingly. When growing up, adults may not have had a lot of opportunity or resources to take extended vacations and leave their kids behind. Turg argues it's a lot more accessible - now - to take a trip, than before. Globalization, Turg continues, is one aspect that helped progress these issues and helped the guys pose the questions as to if it's OK to leave your kids behind on an extended vacation. Taking a break from your kids actually helps you become a better parent. Randy asks Turg if there's a difference between raising children 'now' versus 'then'. Turg poses a scenario - two parents with two different styles of parenting. One parent who knows to take breaks from their children (and families) and the other who believes in maximizing time and effort with children. The thinking behind this gives a good, general representation of modern parenting styles. Turg supports the former of the two styles, continuing the mindset that you - as a parent - are the most important part of the family. Finding time for yourself is the most important thing in preserving what makes you, you. You're an important part of your children's lives, so why not take care of yourself and What scares some people about becoming parents is the shift in their identity from individual to parent A lot of Randy's apprehension behind becoming a parent is losing his individual identity and the massive amount of time consumed by his future children. Turg asserts that a family is a composition of individual people and it's important to preserve the unique individual identities that make up the family. If family is made up of parents that spend time focusing their energy on just their children there is a lack of a creative outlet or a period of time to just decompress that might lead to frustrations, lack of individuality and diversity that bleeds into the fray. Randy thinks a lot of the fixed parental mindsets could have originated from our own experiences from parenting - a very valid point. It's up to the new generation of parents to challenge the status quo and progress the shift. What if you're not ready to become a parent, how do you prepare yourself? Whether or not we are in a spot to become parents, we identify as someone or something. We put forth that perception and it may even frustrate a lot of people - upon becoming parents - when their identity is challenged. It is up to us to define our own identity to help us set the example for our children as they grow up and learn how to self-identify. One thing is for certain, your identity will always be challenged,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they sit down with their guest – Markus Allen, life hacker extraordinaire – and crack open the secrets of how to master financial success, wage war against a credit system that is waged against us and as they dismiss some of the major myth of the antiquated credit system and... Why are the fiscal habits we develop in our 20s carry over to our 30s? Turg continues the discussion from the last episode – Millennials suck at finances. After discussing life events and how they impact finances, the time has come to discuss more long term financial setbacks. Millennials aren’t nearly as proactive with finances as other generations. Turg says that building financial goals helps bridge the gap here, but Millennials just don’t seem to care. Is a financial planner necessary to master financial freedom in our 30s? Randy mentions how he really doesn’t show much concern about his finances. Why would we trust someone else to manage our finances when we don’t even know how to manage our finances on our own? Turg thinks that making mistakes and learning is much more valuable than just having someone manage them for us. Give the episode a listen and join the guys as they get into immense detail about all things credit score during their interview with Markus. Be knowledgeable about how the system works. To learn more about Markus, the insights and products he provides, follow him on Twitter and check out his journey to achieve an excellent credit score in a few short months from absolutely nothing on his My Amazing Discoveries blog. Don’t be fooled by the credit industry and end up paying a ton of money to Uncle Sam for no reason. We’re here to try and help guide you to smarter financial decisions. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below, or go ahead and hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. Subscribe. Listen. Enjoy. Share. Like. Follow. Also Streaming on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or your favorite Podcast player I love you in the morning and in the afternoon, I love you in the evening and underneath the moon. Skidamarink a dink a dink,Skidamarink a doo, I love you. Talk Thirty to Me Episode Forty Nine: The Truth About Credit with Markus Allen

Join Turg and Randy Z as they discuss the importance of knowing how to properly manage finances at 30 and the many shortcomings of the Millennial generation in properly executing well-managed finances and... Really, why do Millennials suck at managing finances? Turg discusses how the American higher-education system has been failing generations for decades, yet nothing gets done. The biggest impact - now with more possibilities for a poor financial decision to ruin everything - is to the Millennial generation that suffers ignorance at the hands of institutional learning. Randy continues this thought by focusing on schooling doesn't present real world practicality, yet the pressure is real. No one teaches you how to balance a checkbook, build credit, get out of debt, or to plan for a successful financial future. When you hit a low, what do you do? We all hit troubled times in our lives where finances just don't seem to work out. How do we find a way out? Turg shares his experiences with going off the deep end with his finances up to his late 20s and how it had been a constant barrage of debt collectors, calls and restless nights. Turg neglected to see he was in over his head and ended up paying the price through most of his 20s. This really relates to how there is a fundamental lack of understanding for a lot of people on how credit works, why credit is important and how to build great credit that lasts. Randy shares how he was able to focus on his finances because of a sudden health issue. He was able to scale his spending back because of certain limitations and was able to save for his dreams. If motivated enough to succeed with your finances, you can dig yourself out of any hole. Does the proposition of marriage, kids, and a house motivate us to work harder to get out of financial hardship? Turg talks about how he used his relationship to help motivate him to get smart about finances. He also think that if Randy would have been in a different situation with a relationship or in his career, he may have been singing a different tune when it came to his home buying experience. In reality, finances are all impacted by our environment and help influence our future. There is a balance that must be made in order to take hold of the outcome we see for ourselves in the future. Using the past, we can master the future - we just have to understand how. Turg talks about how the financial recklessness in his 20s helped him understand how to succeed financially in his 30s. The past is a jumble if we don't dissect it and understand what we did wrong. So we have come this far, what have we learned? It's important to take what you have experienced and apply it to what your goals are. It's hard to make a big decision now - in our 30s - when there's more to risk and a shorter time in which to restart and rebuild. Turg discusses how goal setting and finances go hand-in-hand with financial success and a lot of the decisions we made in the past could have been a lot different had we tapped into our past experiences. Is it important to leverage our networks - or the people around us - to help us with our financial freedom? Turg thinks that networks are a great way of using resources to elevate your current situation in making an investment that may be out of reach. Randy shares his experiences in relation to Turgs comments and fires back with a question - 'What if you have friends and family that don't have money to loan you?' How do we leverage our network to help us make smart financial decisions we might not be able to make? Where there is a drive and a motivation to accomplish a goal, there is a way to achieve it. Don't rule out your options before you've explored them. Maybe you'd be surprised that all you had to do was ask. We don't want this to sound like a lecture, but we're here to help. There are ways to learn without having to endure a hardship. If you're ever having any difficulties,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they dive into the first in a series of shows dedicated to talking about the dynamics of finances and making the right financial decisions, how to manage your expectations for the big moments that matter, why these moments shape the rest of our 30s and... Are we too caught up with finances at 30? Turg and Randy discuss the impact of financial decisions in their lives while discussing Turgs recent Hamilton ticket purchase. How do these big buys really hurt us financially? What things must we consider before taking the hit on a milestone life purchase? Turg talks about the value of buying what we want and what makes us happy - focusing primarily on experiences. He argues that experiences last a lifetime, while a tangible buy might lose its allure after a few uses. He justifies his Hamilton ticket purchase as more of a life event and a coming of age of sorts as before he could never even dream of being able to afford something like this. Randy talks about a missed experience that parallels Turg's Hamilton story. Do experiences really mean more for us - as Millennials - in the longer term? How can we justify their impact? Truth is, the Millennial generation has single-handedly resurrected the music festival scene. This serves as proof that a resurgent mindset focused on the value of an experience matters a lot to Millennials. When do we know we are ready for the financial plunge? Big purchases and life choices sometimes lead us down the path of spending more than we are normally used to - or comfortable - spending. So how can we better prepare for these life moments so that we aren't caught off-guard? Randy talks about how some people find it incredibly difficult to get to that level of being ready - even if they make a decent amount of money and could potentially afford the plunge. Turg talks about how financial irresponsibility is a characteristic of our generation and how he - too - was once in that category. Sometimes taking that leap of faith helps us realize who we are and what we have. This often helps us prioritize our spending based on what is more important to us in our lives at a particular point in time. So you're married, how do you and your significant other manage your money? Turg talks about how getting after what you want in life is equally important as saving for the future. The important part is to know what you can or can't afford and live within those guidelines. As far as engagement and marriage goes, finances are important to get out in the open and hash out. Don't hide what you have - talk about it early on and understand the situation. Couples often find it tough to discuss finances, but it is the root of all happiness (and equally unhappiness). Learn the fundamentals of joint finance by engaging in conversation, speaking with experienced couples or even speaking with financial professionals. Social norms - are they important to acknowledge or simply distractions? Turg reinforces how it's important to remember to not over-extend yourself in a relationship - either emotionally, mentally or monetarily. Randy talks about how social norms play a huge role in determining how finances are approached in a relationship. Do you go after the expensive engagement ring, wedding venue, clothes, house? It's important to realize social norms are constructs that we don't need to follow. Know what you want and go for it. Do you find it hard to establish savings in your 30s? Sometimes it's difficult to find your way into a financial routine because of social norms? We know the feeling. Join us throughout the next series of episodes as we share the experiences that have helped us shape who we are today. And while it may not be a huge success, progress is everything in life. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they share stories about the experiences in our lives that are often unexpected and can sometimes catch us off guard, focusing on the experiences we set out to explore and how sometimes they fail to materialize into anything close to what we anticipated and... Did you catch that moment? If you didn't catch the moment full of laughter at around the 6 minute mark of this episode, it gave us a little glimpse into the true nature of why the guys decided to premier this episode. Life is sometimes unpredictable. What sometimes feels natural to say or do might not always fall in line with what was originally intended. The beginning of the episode - as Randy alluded to - was supposed to start off with a completely different anecdote and yet the more natural progression threw Randy for a loop. When is it a good time to start planning what you'd want to do for the rest of your life? Randy discusses how certain plans he made when in his late teens didn't really end up coming true. He goes on to discuss how the understanding of self was not yet developed. This revelation, as Turg goes on to discuss, doesn't come until much later in life. Maybe this is the secret to living life uninhibited? Do we really accomplish nothing if we set goals for ourselves as children that we might not accomplish as adults? Randy mentions - looking back - he could not have really established a passion for what it was he may have ended up choosing had he committed the goals he set for himself years before. This really brings the efficacy of planing for your adulthood during your childhood almost pointless. In some regards, it only really made a good chunk of the millennial generation shy away from direct planning and more of a "deal with it" attitude. Were we set up to fail by the people installed to help us thrive? Turg brings up one result of the 'First Gen' experience -  the lack of experienced insight. He goes on to discuss how most experiences encountered by the Millennial generation during the early stages of adult development were actually half baked in nature. A lot of the support received may not have been properly channeled to help Millennials gain insight or an advantage. At least from Turg's experiences, most counseling and guidance in high school and college were lackluster and ineffective. When reflecting on your journey to now, what helped you gain insight into yourself and your future plan? Randy continues to discuss how education and pathways are very misleading because of the life experiences of those advising them. Were the Millennials left behind? Will Millennials take that as a negative or turn it into a positive in order to help future generations succeed? Does society force us to figure it out because of prevailing traditionalist attitudes? As progressive as our society has become, it still fails to progress in all aspects of social change. Turg remarks how the workplace is still primarily structured to focus on the individual contributor - even in team environments. Turg has faith in the ability of others to change and leverage their potential with the proper leadership to help guide and stimulate that change. Randy thinks it takes a little bit more structure and goal-setting ideology in order to generate trust in yourself. This helps generate opportunities that manifest themselves from this mindset and create success. Are we doing ourselves justice by realigning our goals to someone (or something) else's agenda? Randy thinks that we - as mentors - should be carrying a more communal mentality - however, he practices the opposite. Often, we rely on others to help us identify our purpose in the workplace or community. Do we give ourselves the opportunity to understand what it truly is we want to do? If this is the case, what are mentors really for? Turg thinks mentors are there to help us learn the pitfalls - in failures - that we experience so that we do not make them ourselves.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they recap and rundown their year talking about what they have (and haven't done) almost three-quarters through the year while trying to set themselves up to have a successful year-end and killer 2018 for the podcast and their personal goals. What has 2017 looked like this far? Randy talks about the huge successes he has had for the year despite his falling short on certain personal goals. When expectations are met with success, it serves to motivate and drive progress in other aspects of our lives. Turg talks about how he thought 2017 was going to be a shit year with all that was going on in the world around us. Fortunately for him, he was wrong. For both Turg and Randy, getting a lot accomplished came down to being organized and holding themselves accountable. So how do you hold yourself accountable at 30? Making lists and doing nothing with them is absolutely useless. If you find that holding yourself accountable at this point in your life is tough, it's time for some TRL (Turg and Randy Love). Set expectations as to what needs to get done and what could wait. Assigning tasks and then ensuring you actually arrange your priorities by - wait for it - the actual importance of each priority Assume failure, learn from it and grow Accept your bad habits and learn to transform them one at a time Learn patience in order to help pace your progress and reduce frustrations Is consistency key when trying to advance your goals? Randy addresses the issue of being consistent with goal setting. His advice - don't let things linger, get them done; follow through is definitely the key to success. Turg throws in an additional nugget of wisdom in saying success comes with overcoming obstacles and removing the discouraging effects of not missing your mark. Set yourself up for success daily - don't set lofty goals. Short term goal planning helps us focus on the near-term while building positive foundations for future growth and success. Long term timelines and lofty goals often go unmet. These tend to discourage us from moving forward with certain accomplishments in our lives instead of helping build  the positive reinforcement needed to progress our plans. For both Turg and Randy, goal setting is critical to ensure continued progress toward the 'big picture' dreams. I before me, except after we? Turg and Randy discuss priorities and life. Turg argues that prioritizing yourself before anything and anyone else. In most cases, if you don't prioritize yourself no one will. Turg thinks trusting others starts with trusting yourself; if you can't hold that promise or priority true, then you chip away at your own integrity. Randy argues that priorities shift based on the nature of the goal. Lots of goals can change based on the dynamic climate of industry. You can't always predict what you think will happen, but you can keep options open and explore other opportunities without shaking the foundation of what you've been building. It's helpful to remember that opportunities come in different forms and may not carry you down the traditional path to eventual success. Randy and Turg learn - by hashing out their differences - that success looks different for everybody because of the objectives that drive that success. So how do we set ourselves up for 2018? What are you doing to prepare yourself for the year-end as well as setting up next year's goals? How can we sustain the momentum to keep driving positive progress in 2018? Let us know your plans for the end of 2017 and the new year that is on the horizon. Hit us up! Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they take the discussion in a different direction and discuss probably the most mysterious aspect of living - dying - and how they view death through the lens of members of the Millennial generation and...  Would you rather be burred or cremated? Randy shares some staggering statistics about the US viewpoint on how death is processed. Have you considered what is going to happen to you after you die? Do you care? According to Randy's research, burials are the most popular form of processing death in the US in comparison with other nations that believe in cremation. Turg thinks as a society, we have this obsession with latching onto the past. It's something we don't always think about, but it's very important because this decision - a decision we make while living - can affect those we love in many different ways. Getting a grip on death that happens around us Tragedy can strike at any time throughout our lives. The guys spend some time discussing the loss they have encountered in their 30s - often of people they have known that were also in their 30s. Death does not choose who, why, when, or how - we do. Our actions - from past and present - dictate these factors. It is difficult enough trying to accept death on a daily basis without having to face it in our lives, with the people that we love or have grown to love. Does death creep in every time we reflect on these circumstances? How did we get here (alive)? Turg and Randy discuss how their reality has completely changed ever since turning 30. Turg mentions how - in his 20s - he could not fathom living beyond a certain point. He was not able to see himself make it because of all of the unnecessary risk he took throughout his early life. Randy breaths a sigh of relief knowing he's not alone in the sense that he is struggling finding completion in his 30s. Now that Turg has children, however, he may not live long at all with all the stress and anxiety that accompanies those responsibilities. Is death trending for the Millennial generation? Death is seen as a fad in many cultures. Does this hold true for Millennials? With all of these trends on social media or mainstream media - it almost seems like death is always on the mind of Millennials. The popularity of the anti-death movement, does that mean our generation will live longer? Does healthy living correlate to longer life? Do gym selfies help put the long-life energy out in the world to help stave off death? Is Instagram the secret to unlocking the fountain of youth (Turg thinks, yes). As a generation, there is a lot of positive momentum going in our favor with food, healthy options, and just all around good living that will perpetuate the aura of long-life. But are we a generations of talkers and not do-ers? Does technology undo all the healthy living we attempt? Turg mentions how technology holds him back from being his healthy self. Being too connected builds distractions that take use away from our goals. Are accountability partners necessary in order for our success? Randy talks about how he once had an accountability partner that allowed him to maintain a routine. When that accountability partner moved away, Randy fell through on his personal commitment to himself. How do we just unplug and maintain that personal integrity? Turg and Randy definitely have trouble holding themselves accountable to themselves. With all that is going on in life, it's difficult to turn a blind eye to our commitments. But isn't the commitment to ourselves even greater? So what do you do to ward off death in your 30s? How are you delaying the inevitable? Have you ever thought about how you wanted to die? And who's Craig, anyway? Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think!

Join Turg and Randy Z as they wrap up their discussion around the Netflix Original Series Master of None - with ideas surrounding balance and other themes from the season finale of the second season of the show titled "Buona Notte" such as losing control in life, never looking back, and... How important is it for us, in our 30s, to maintain a sense of control? Often times we fail to acknowledge how important it is to not lose control of your life in your adulthood. Randy thinks it's almost impossible to have some sort of control over your life in general. It's so hard to control elements in the world that you cannot  control. However, Turg comes back with a different perspective thinking you have control over mostly everything - other than the weather - in your life. There are so many variables that you can control, we sometimes overlook those that we can control by taking them for granted . What is it that makes us so blind to the truth? It's so easy to succumb to the urges that tempt us; the urges that also threaten to derail us. In our 20s we can't always see the value in thinking things through and maybe view spiraling out of control, for whatever reason, as part of a 'coming of age'. Do we sometimes regress in our decision making? Turg thinks it may come from either being too naive or maybe even too prideful. That shed some light onto something Randy had never considered before - pride. Pride is seen as the Achilles heal of most men, but is this something that concerns our hosts? Confidence, how important is it and when will it save us from ourselves? Turg shares how when he entered the real world (post-college graduation) he entered a real bad spot in his life. There are so many points in our lives where our confidence is challenged. Often, we don't realize it's being challenged until it's too late and may not get the time (or want to invest the time) to address it. Turg shares how this impacted him up until very recently. He thought getting a job and proving his worth would help fix his issues and he thought wrong. Now he's trying to figure out what next steps are needed in order to pull himself back to a place where he can feel comfortable. Have you ever considered seeking help outside of your circle? Maybe even professional help? Randy has used therapy in the past to help prevent recurring issues within his life. Although it didn't help, it gave him insight he may not have gained on his own. Sometimes these things help us in ways that may not become apparent until much later. Randy knows it's all about the balance with the hope of unlocking the answers to things that might not be easily achieved on his own. So, how do we find the balance and readjust? Randy thinks it really just starts with being honest with ourselves and the people in our lives. If we get caught up with perfection and the detail, we may get lost in the task achieve failure instead of success. Turg follows up with the insight that perfection is relative. Is it really worth going after perfection? Can humans even achieve perfection? Randy thinks coping is more likely to occur than actual balance. Sacrifice is key in order to achieve peace - to an extent. Would you be happy with sacrificing something in your life in order to find the balance? Turg thinks you might not need to sacrifice long term, but instead maybe find a way to put things off until a future point in time where you can finally find time to incorporate those neglected things in your life. Have you considered your current state? What is your goal in life? What does your balance look like? Can you picture it or does it evade you at this point in time? If you ever feel like you need help, reach out and let someone know. If you feel like you're continually spiraling out of control - find help and find it fast. We care. Get at us. Also, don't forget to connect with us and share your thoughts! That is the end of our Master of None themed discussions.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they interrupt their regularly scheduled programming to bring you a dose of reality and start this episode off in a somber fashion... So, we all know what's been going on lately. It's been a period of immense turmoil across the Nation - across the world, for that matter. But, here at home especially it's been dire. Things have changed, attitudes have changed, people have changed - or maybe people are just more willing to show their true colors. There is a huge dark cloud that looms over this nation and with it comes a responsibility of people like us people that actually give a fuck - but may not always show it - to speak up and have our voice heard because without that chaos will reign and there will be no end in sight. And then who knows what will happen. We have to protect her children, our family, loved ones.We have to keep them safe from what's out there from what's out there: the ignorance, the violence, the bloodshed and the hatred. You know, in California we don't really see a whole lot of that and maybe that's our privilege. And maybe that's where taxes are so damn high. But, all joking aside we have to reflect because it's just a matter of time before this comes knocking on our door step. Not to say it hasn't already. We've had bloodshed in Anaheim. We've had recent turmoil in San Francisco.  As we record [tomorrow] in Berkeley, which we know is not going to end well. It's something that we need to get smart about. It's something that we need to unite - a purpose. Being here is a here is a privilege, amongst other things, and it's something that we often take for granted. And that's being challenged right now. W can't let it get to the point where it forces us either down or out. So, it's up to us - as ‘under-represented minorities’ part of a larger majority that seems to overlook us every day - to make sure that we are present because the moment we step away from that mindset is the moment our entire livelihood will be challenged. So, what will you do? Will you rise to the occasion? Or will you just stand there idly by watching your nation, your community, everything that you believe in - be ripped out right from underneath you? What will you do? Growing up, what was life like? Turg and Randy discuss growing up in America, perceptions of their youth, the ever-changing definitions they faced, and a world that outgrew the standards it once created. Turg describes his struggles to identify differences between people - friend or foe - in his life. Coming of age helps us gain better insights. As kids, we don't have this opportunity, so we end up trying to figure it out on own own. Confused. Cultural identity gets lost as time rolls on and Americana is developed as assimilation occurs. Randy discusses how he distances himself from the Mexican-American community in his youth. Many cultural boundaries tend to keep us away from our own culture because of this "Melting Pot" effect - or Americana. Are you American or hyphenated-American? What is your true identity? What is our heritage? Randy talks about how his grandmother. Aren't we all fucking American? Turg argues that we can't move forward until we remove the boundaries that divide us as a country, including Race. Are racial constructs deliberately fabricated in order to divide and conquer? By 2026 or so, Randy mentions that the US will be represented by the minority majority rather than what we have now. How will things change? Classification is our identification The guys continue to discuss the present state of affairs and how things have change - maybe for the worse. Is our nation falling apart? How are these people still around? Are we mis-classifying them and exhausting our very own resources that help perpetuate the hatred in our world. Our freedoms are inalienable,. Our rights are universal. Randy thinks that tensions might be getting purposefully exaggerated in order to fuel tensions.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they get down to business talking about the perceptions that surround love and relationships, ideas featured in the Netflix Original Series Master of None - Season Two Episode Eight– Old People and... Have you ever thought you have been in love with someone for the wrong reasons? Wasting no time, Turg fires this question over to Randy, challenging him to recall all of his past relationships and reflect on if he has falsely fallen in love. Randy quickly answers. While he has always found the time to reflect on his past relationships, he knows there were some issues, but never love for the wrong reasons. He brings up something the guys have touched on before - finding someone that challenges you to be the best you. Randy mentions how he's never been in a relationship where he's felt the need to be his best self. It may be hard to believe, but sometimes relationships are formed around lifestyle choices and convenience rather than growth and mature love. Are you willing to work for your love at thirty? We don't have to be the exact same to be traveling in the same direction in life. Randy sees a relationship as an investment in the other person. In referencing an article the guys have spoken about previously - Choose Her Every Day (Or Leave Her) written by Bryan Reeves - Randy thinks following this mentality yields the best results. Why does coming to this realization often take too long? Are your thirties the right time to have these kinds of experiences? Turg thinks that you need the proper amount of experience - in your thirties - in order to know what a successful relationship can look like. It doesn't have to be relationship experience, just experience to know how to maintain a social partnership. Unless you find someone who is willing to watch you grow your love and experience, there is little room for error. Being fearful of settling in a relationship is a real problem for our Millennial generation When we don't know anything other than what we have, how do we know we have the best? Turg uses examples from this episode to relate to something that plagues the Millennial culture. Randy can level with this experience because it's hard for him to know when not to and when to settle in a relationship. How do you know you're content with what you have? Turg draws a link between marriage and settling. Marriage is essentially settling for someone in your life that you know you want to always be there for you; you know you've found the right person. Maybe you think you know. Randy thinks they're not the same, arguing that it's a bit of a difference - or a moment - when you contemplate marriage that ends up resulting in separation rather than a union. For Turg, it was very well thought out and the decision was made in confidence. If any decision is made with this much risk involved, these decisions need to be measured carefully. Convenience should not play into the decision just for the sake of comfort and familiarity. Try to accept your partner for who they are, not what they can be Randy maintains the mentality that in a relationship, you need to accept your partner for who they really are. Looking at their potential only leads to eventual disappointment and that's how relationships end. While Turg thinks this has some validity, he feels that it's not the correct approach. In order to grow and build on your relationship, Turg feels both participants must demonstrate the potential for grow and change. He also notes, it's not easy to challenge your partner to do this. Some people might take it as a negative, so it's important to keep it positive. Randy fires back with the equation: EXPECTATION - OBSERVATION = FRUSTRATION The equation referenced ties in to an article written by Derek Harvey titled The Silent Killer of Relationships and Randy argues it challenges us to live in the moment rather than to take what we expect and project it onto our relationship.

Join Turg and Randy Z as they walk down memory lane in discussing the WAY back childhood memories and the friends made that may or may not have influenced their adult lives now and how they somehow paralleled to the very subtle, underlying themes in the Netflix Original Series Master of None - Season Two Episode Eight – Thanksgiving and... Why are experiences with friends in our youth so important throughout our adulthood? Turg shares memories from when he was a little Turg and explains his recent insights into his experiences as a child and why he thinks he was stuck in a cultural dilemma growing up. He tries to draw parallels or conclusions to what he remembers, but finds it difficult to understand why things were the way they were. He comes to the conclusion that when we are younger we don't really have the capacity to explain or even understand the way things are. But after we grow up, we have the ability to analyze a lot of what was experienced in our early lives. Do we think about these things objectively or subjectively? That may lead us to think that these memories may influence the way we perceive our childhood as adults. Maybe these scenarios change to accommodate our inability to cope with certain things as adults. It's something that everyone ponders. Will we ever really know the answer? Randy mentions that he judges how well-off someone is by the lighting quality and how loud their appliances are. We all have our ways of analyzing our environment. How do you do it? If culture is heritage and heritage is not culture, what are we talking about? The guys discuss the differences between heritage and culture. Randy argues Turg is using culture interchangeably with heritage. Randy says culture is what we choose to accept as our background and heritage is determined by our lineage. Turg understands these differences, but feels that they are so closely tied together, they're almost one in the same now. Can we grow up without knowing what normal is? Turg talks about how his cultural identity was obscured or held beyond his grasp. There wasn't a whole lot of culture growing up, so normal for him was this sense of Americana and the blend between what he accepted as normal and what he saw around him. Struggles with what we identify with or what it is that we identify may dampen the power of culture. How does this translate to the next generation of young Americans? Turg discusses how normal kept changing for him. In the episode, it can be seen how the two cultural backgrounds - Dev and Denise - unite to form a new culture strengthened by a relationship build on tradition becoming the new normal. This is Americana; the blending of heritage, culture, and the societal constructs that help shape these ideals. Home is where your family is. Can friends really be family? Bonds are formed that transcend culture, those bonds become stronger than anything. Randy discuses how time really plays a huge role into building strong friendships because so much can be endured and experienced. He mentioned how friends keep you honest and they hold you accountable to yourself. It's an unspoken bond between friends that really empowers people to try new and different things. Randy hits on how male-female relationships are so much more unique of a dynamic than same-sex friendships. Another side of the story, Randy says, is that these types of relationships are often viewed as taboo or futile, by society. Turg mentions he's never had that experience mainly because it was beyond his ability to understand the dynamics. What can we determine from the Nipples and Toes 23 and how it changes the dynamic of life as we know it? When stuck in the "I Love You Man" loop and how do we form and maintain real friendships? Randy wants to know is it too late to find friends that can really help you throughout your 30s? Turg thinks it can go both ways: If you've been exposed to and have good interpersonal skills, you're OK. But, he continues,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they try and figure out why Randy's car is infested and talk about why making a conscious decision to walk away from something - either an opportunity or a person, place or thing - coupled with chance circumstances really resonated with them in the Netflix Original Series Master of None - Season Two Episode Seven– Door #3 and... When you're presented with several opportunities in life, how do you decide? Randy gives us a single strand of wisdom in saying the grass is always greener. Then he comes back with "The grass is greener where you water it." Turg doesn't really understand, so Randy elaborates a bit more to help his buddy out. There are situations that are surrounded by so much circumstance, they don't always have the opportunity to manifest themselves. In some cases, we can see this and decide to just walk away because it's not right for us. Turg and Randy parallel this to the proposition presented to Dev in this episode. Turg doesn't understand why Dev would walk away from something he's always viewed as the ultimate dream. Dev may, in fact, struggle with having enough foresight or commitment to actually endure the difficult situation. Randy thinks - career wise - it was a good decision. So how do the guys relate to this move? It's not just about understanding what's going on, it's about relating it's impact to your future Sometimes we are in a good spot and we know it. Other times, we know that it's something we might be able to pass up. Turg argues that the decision was premature, even though he relates to the thought process behind what made Dev walk away. How many times do we just overlook the long term opportunity for short term - or immediate - success? Is this a characteristic of the Millennial generation? Turg knows the feeling of being impatient with his career potential and the mentors in his life. It's much of the same theme that echos in his life so often to the point where it frustrates him to no end. Randy jokes how it's because Turg is not vulnerable enough to accept relationships with mentors or co-workers for what they are. So how do we navigate the frustrations that bog us down, whether it's in career, love, or life in general? In those moments of deep frustration and lacking fulfillment, Randy says he made his own path and did - in his mind - was the only thing that would give him peace of mind. Starting our own career ventures is often the easiest thing for us to accept because we are in control. No longer are we at the mercy of other people or entities. Are we selling ourselves out for money? Do we stretch ourselves too thin because we are too worried about the financial aspect of our world that we do things we really don't want to do? The Millennial generation is very good about reinventing themselves and doing things on their own, rather than working for a company or enterprise that they can't relate with. Turg contests that it's often difficult for people to create on their own without any foundation or being able to relate to what a company needs to achieve success. Randy challenges Turg with why this is necessary. He views Turg as counter-culture and more of a rebel with a cause than a company man. Why does Turg feel so compelled to become a company man? Turg maintains the perspective that he needs to learn how to become a company man if that is what he will eventually expect from others who may end up working with him in his own enterprises. Turg continues to assert that it is a matter of loyalty to the company that is missing in American culture and this is what he is learning. Why do we need to sacrifice our time and a chunk of our journey through thirty to endure through something we might not agree with? This is the thing, it's easy to overlook that experience is needed to help ease the journey through thirty. In attaining the right experience - or any experience in general, we make it easier on ourselves to cope with the hardships within our lov...

Join Turg and Randy Z as they catch up from a brief recording hiatus (that you would have never known about had we not mentioned it here) and discuss the next episode in the Netflix Original Series "Master of None" - Season Two Episode Six – New York, I Love You and hone in on not only what this episode meant in the actual scheme of things – but on a deeper level – why this episode meant so much to the guys and… If you whack someone on the head with a metal water bottle, do they make a sound? Randy shares a story about his travels and one instance in particular that sounds quite intriguing. The guys talk more in depth about how travel really forces humanity to disconnect. Often times we overlook the circumstances that surround us in that point in time and walk through life with blinders on. But what this episode of Master of None really helped us appreciate was the way the story was told. Turg shares his experiences when feeling the lack of humanity at an airport made him introspect at how impersonal everything really is. Where is the human element? Why do we think our problems matters more than the problems of other people? Are we really that self absorbed of a society and just disconnect when we see something that doesn't suit our personal preference? Sometimes we just need to stand back in awe of where we are and the journey to now. Why do people genuinely not care about each other beyond their inner circle of friends and family? Turg mentions how people tend to avoid getting involved in other people's lives because their plate may be full. Randy brings a nice contrast into the fray by bringing up that people might already have enough on their plate. While that may be true, Turg argues that people are less likely to take risks on others because the struggle within their own life is much more of a priority. Do other people help progress our own narrative? Do we shut people down on purpose? Does that hurt our chances of moving forward in life as a well rounded individual? Randy thinks that this is essential to the way life progress. Turg thinks otherwise - stating he doesn't let a problem that's not his get in the way of his own narrative. Friendships tend to get left behind in many conversations and their importance is often undervalued in society. Randy mentioned how essential a friendship was to him during a dark time in his life. Nostalgia is one of the driving forces behind this realization. But do we forget those that were once there for us when they need us most? Turg thinks that the independence people build around solving their own problems is essential. However, what about the communal aspect of the human condition that helps coping in the near term. Random strangers are the modern-day psychologists; throw familiarity out of the door completely. Chance encounters are have become the social norm for most people. It's those who we meet on a daily basis that may assist in propelling our narrative further. But, why are we more readily accepting of a strangers opinion over those in our inner circle, at times? Turg argues it's the lack of familiarity that gets the win here. Someone bringing in a more unbiased opinion without any skin in the game is seen as a lot more valuable - or maybe even that much more honest. One can also be manipulated by those they think are friends or family if they are lacking trust or integrity. Do we struggle with our depth of soul as a generation? Does it make us collectively weaker as a society? Why can't we trust someone else's version of success? When life lessons are at stake, why do we shy away from knowledge that may help us avoid a pitfall in the end? Do we gravitate toward learning the hard way versus taking shortcuts from others' past experiences? Vulnerability is a topic not easily discussed when reflecting on our own issues Why do we shy away from opening up? Turg shares that his lack of trust sometimes stems from his own internal struggles with trusting thos...

Join Turg and Randy Z as they revisit the next episode in the Netflix Original Series "Master of None" - Season Two Episode Five - The Dinner Party and discuss if relationships that form under curious circumstances are legitimately worth pursuing or if those feelings should be left undisturbed or... Do you disturb the balance of love and tip the scales in your favor if you really feel a connection to that person? Turg and Randy discuss their encounters with the balance of love. Looking at relationships from the perspective of a time commitment, is it right to let everything you've invested - time, emotion, life experiences - go to waste for something new? If you're in a committed relationship and encounter a new love, do you pursue it? When others rely on the other person - in a friendship - to be true to their emotions without having it interfere with the outcome of a current relationship, it doesn't always go as planned. Whether or not this has happened to us on our journey through life, it's often difficult to predict how things will play out. There are too many variables unaccounted for in these types of situations to know what you would do in that circumstance. Should dating be exclusive? Randy asks Turg if dating- and relationships pre-marriage - should be exclusive from the standpoint of attraction and pursuing other people. Turg gives an idea of how he was approaching his relationship prior to marrying his love - nothing is ever exclusive until its final. It's not uncommon to see married people thinking outside of their relationship as well - is that right? Randy discusses the time commitment behind balancing a relationship alongside a friendship with the potential of developing into something more. Sometimes it's just not worth it and creates more stress than a person can handle. Is this something that changes in your 30s with respect to the mentality behind this thinking? When pursuing someone that's in a relationship, when do you just call it quits? If you're on the inside of a failing relationship and something more favorable appears, when do you decide to move on? Turg argues that you should always give love a chance and make the determination when all efforts are exhausted. But what if the relationship is beyond saving, how is that determination made? Who decides? What if one person sabotages the relationship before it is given a chance at repair, is that fair to the other person? If you don't give love a chance, you're not affording it the opportunity to grow and develop into something real. On the other hand, if you have a friend going through relationship troubles, do you act on it? Being in a similar situation, Randy can relate. Unhealthy relationships end up finding a way to either fix themselves or fall apart, the guys argue sometimes this is a way to expedite the process or stagnating relationships. We're back next week with more Master of None discussions next week. Make sure you tune in for the climax of all things Master of None! Watch Master of None on Netflix Now! Don't forget to follow Aziz Ansari and the Official Master of None account on Twitter. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below, or go ahead and hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. Subscribe. Listen. Enjoy. Share. Like. Follow. Also Streaming on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or your favorite Podcast player Talk Thirty to Me Episode Thirty Seven: Troubled Love and Relationship Decisions

Join Turg and Randy Z as they discuss more dating culture from a new perspective, fueled by the Netflix Original Series "Master of None" Season Two Episode Four titled First Date relationship in the world of love and... Social media then versus now – what are your desires? Turg asks Randy how he uses social media now as opposed to back in the day when it first came out. What are we doing differently now that the social media climate has completely changed? Randy gives some insight into how he used social media to try to form connections and turn something hopeful into something real. Unfortunately, it took a while for it to really work out. Turg makes the statement – somethings some things can be presumed or even misunderstood when conducting electronic interactions. Randy and Turg share experiences where sometimes texts or messages were misinterpreted and ended up leading to in-person meetups that because huge let downs. Is online dating a bait-and-switch type enterprise? Are online dating relationships going to last? Are they real? Randy thinks that those that use online dating services find them appealing because of the convenience factor and aren’t always approaching that platform due to desperation. Turg asks why in-person interactions and searches are fading fast and losing ground to electronic interactions. Randy gets Turg to share the story of how he met his wife in college. Turg shares that he and his wife never really had a formal, stereotypical ‘first date’ of sorts. The relationship was formed kind of backwards. How are relationships formed to ensure they last? Did you have a first date? How did your first date shape your relationships in the past (or present)? Randy shares his experiences with college dating that contrast what Turg thinks is the standard for college relationships – a meet first ask questions later type scenario. Randy gives insight into what he used to do on first dates – just be real. It’s a different approach that Turg compliments is rather hard to do these days when you factor in the vulnerability people need to display when being real. Why do people put up fronts on the first few dates? How does this fade and the true person come to light? Turg argues why do we hide the “crazy”? Randy says that it’s almost an alignment of crazies – ‘I want to make sure their crazy aligns with my crazy’. When are you fully committed to seeing a relationship through? Randy gives an example of his cousin that didn't see an engagement as a given and more transactional. Turg thinks that is bizarre and that marriages aren't essentially transactional in nature, however, comes to realize this might not be true. Randy thinks marriage is more of a milestone or step in life that is expected. Turg agrees - it is more an expectation based off a perception people project onto their own lives. It might not be the next step for a lot of people, but maybe they feel obligated to just get married. Turg says you can't just do something to do it, you need to face facts and come to a mutual understanding before frustrations boil over and things turn sour. Randy think personal preference and endurance (willingness to endure) has a lot to do with it. Relationships are not a race, they are a marathon. Take it one step at a time. Put one foot in front of the other. Don't lose sight of the ultimate goal and make sure you always understand the depth of your emotions. Make the decision and stick with it. Be committed to the true nature of what the relationship can become - giving each other the right environment for relationship success. Watch Master of None on Netflix Now! Don't forget to follow Aziz Ansari and the Official Master of None account on Twitter. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think!

Join Turg and Randy Z as they discuss the core topics portrayed in one of the more controversial episodes featured in the new season of the Netflix Original Series "Master of None" Season Two Episode Three about Religion and... Turg shares a moment in his life where reflection and religion meet and allow him to dive deep into his inner-most thoughts and emotions. When we actively disrupt life around us, do we acknowledge how it affects those sharing in those moments; when we judge others, do we know we are doing it? Turg asks the question, “Why do we judge others?”. The guys discuss how judging is more societal and gets into the deeper issues we might have within our inner struggle rather than serve as a reflection of our character. Randy discusses how judging might not be a negative in some regards and in a low minority of instances can serve different purposes. Your thirties serve to be the core foundational years of who you will be for the remainder of your life. Turg and Randy discuss how the thirties are more structurally important times that help build foundations and support that carry everyone through to the next level. These foundations serve to shape the future and our mindset going into the later years. The guys talk ‘old balls’ and what they really mean in the grand scheme of things. Religion is a large part of foundations as – regardless of where we are in life now – religion has had a hand in shaping our mindset and worldview. Why does religion push most away while keeping others at bay? Randy talks about his youth and how religion helped steer him into more of an open mind – not because of the guiding principles, but because of the way religion was administered among the people. Where religion goes wrong is when the people who follow that religion start to interpret it in a way that was not intended. Turg and Randy both grew up in a Catholic school environment, so what happened? Sharing stories from our past is the best way to uncover why we turned out the way we did Turg shares stories from his childhood – about his grandfather and their trips to church. He focuses in on how they helped shape his early faith and later his falling out with religion. Randy shares a story about his aunt and uncle that helped shape his family life that never really made sense to him until he reflects on what it meant. For Randy, family life is about being close and respecting everyone’s choice. He realized that it wasn’t so much his choosing something other than what his parents believed – it was respecting what they believed that mattered most. Exploiting religion and why this doesn’t really make us want to believe Randy talks about why he can’t bring himself to exploit religion to better his own situation – financially or spiritually. Turg thinks faith is convoluted if you’re told how to act and then exposed to a living contradiction that challenges these beliefs. We must accept that religion is imperfect because it was created by man. We were given the opportunity to right the wrongs and correct the past indiscretions of our collective beliefs, we have yet to atone and do right fully of our abilities. Turg explains why the contradictions of those who served the community as a religious devotee were hard to accept – so he rejected the faith based on the people in it and failed to see the religion in its purest form. So where are we now? Turg shares that he is unsure of where he stands with his foundational religious views. Adding on to his current ideals with more Buddhist viewpoints and adapting his ways around these learning is the way he approaches religion now. Finding a center and a harmonic balance between the now and future would represent the overall viewpoint. Aside from being constricting to his lifestyle, Randy now thinks the progressiveness demonstrated by the Catholic church has turned him onto more of a general following of the Catholic faith. Randy really emphasizes the use of religious-based-faith ...

Join Turg and Randy Z as they rehash loves lost and discover more about their past as they dive into another relationship filled discussion that touches on themes touched on in the Netflix Original Series "Master of None" Season Two Episode Two and kick it off with... How long was your longest relationship? Randy thinks back to his longest lasting relationship and reflects upon why it lasted as long as it did. Turg thinks relationships that consume over a decade and go no where are more a waste of time than a benefit. Plus, they probably destroy a lot of your confidence more than help build experience. Randy wants to travel to Italy and ride Vespas in white linen suits for his dream bachelor party. Why? Because Master of None is pure inspiration and provides him with a soundtrack to his life. Old memories always make for great lessons, if you're not bitter Turg asks Randy to dust off old memories of his past when he attended a wedding of one of his closer ex-girlfriends. Randy doesn't think it's always a bad thing to attend an ex's wedding, but also thinks it's best if you knew why the relationship ended and were able to heal the wounds. Obviously this always doesn't happen, so it's tough to be precise with this experience, but it's always best to have the wounds healed by that time and not pull an Arnold. Breaking up isn't all sunshine and butterflies Turg identifies with breakups and their benefit to an individual for future relationships. Not only does one learn from the mistakes made - if they're able to reflect and internalize - they grow more resilient and start forming more developed ideas about wheat they're looking for in a significant other. It takes time to develop the concept of who you're actually looking for or what you're looking for in a relationship. The future needs time to develop formidable lessons from the past. Randy thinks Turg used a convoluted philosophy to justify his romantic involvements in the past. Turg hunts for relationships by trying to find himself in someone else. Turg looks for defining traits and compliments. Randy views relationship perfection as finding someone that compliments you for what you're lacking. Has heartbreak helped you find the answer? Turg and Randy go through past encounters and talk about how they helped form more of an answer behind who they really were. This can also serve to define you as a person and give you more insight into what you're looking for in love. But once these encounters are over, what happens next? Humans are not 24/7 creatures - sometimes they just have to turn off in order to make the necessary improvements. Randy talks about how this one moment helped shape the rest of his romantic life and really set future expectations straight. Growth only comes when you're being honest about what happened, rather than lie to yourself. Pain is normal; accept the temporary nature of the hurt and learn to accept the lows that help bring the future highs into a greater perspective. Look outside of your window - the limited scope - and grab onto the hope that would help propel you further. Sometimes all people need is to be reminded that there is hope out there - or maybe the feeling that they are wanted/needed in other people's lives. There are people out there that care for you. Seek them out and find their love. Keep the love train going. Turg sings you away and reminds you that if no one else loves you - Turg & Randy love you. Watch Master of None on Netflix Now! Don't forget to follow Aziz Ansari and the Official Master of None account on Twitter. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below, or go ahead and hit us up on Twitter, Facebook,

Join Turg and Randy Z as they explore another topic featured in the Netflix Original Series "Master of None" as they go back to Season One Episode Two and talk about the one thing that most 30-somethings can't seem to wrap their heads around - parenting - and... Why is the idea of kids so scary? Randy talks about his trip to San Diego and why it was so significant for him. This sets the stage for what comes about as a random conversation into parenting and Turg and Randy get to talking about kids. That’s where Randy’s true, deep-rooted fears surface; Randy doesn’t think he can face the fact of whether he can hack it as a parent. In Master of None Season 1 Episode 2 there is a strong underlying theme of trying to figure out the next step to take in one’s 30s. The biggest dilemma is always around starting a family and having kids. Does this need to be a thing? Turg relates to this episode as he talks through the early years (still on-going) of parenting and how he struggled to come to terms with his new role in life. A lot of what is shown in this episode of Master of None can be mirrored in thought by millions of people out there – so why is this concept still so foreign? Turg argues that it is because you won’t know it until you’ve lived it. Turg also thinks that it changes the way people perceive their own self and self-worth, but cautions it really has a lot to do with preconceptions and pre-existing disposition. As a parent, you are the wind and the child is the sailboat Randy’s concern with parenting branches off into many derivative thoughts about his ability to parent. He feels that finding the balance between guidance and force is a fine line to walk without potentially misdirecting one’s children. How do you influence your child? What’s your style? Turg says that the decision is ultimately the children who control the outcome of their lives based on the experiences they have and use the guidance as a measuring stick for life. The bachelor’s mentality is strong with this one Randy knows having kids will change everything, but does he want to give it all up? Turg thinks so. Being selfish is not a negative thing – sometimes we need that time to decompress. Randy thinks sacrifice is an inherent part of becoming a parent, but Turg disagrees. You can have more if you work smarter, earn harder, just buckle down and do more. Turg says just change that shit. You can do it, you’re in control. Where are you at in life? How have kids either played a role in your life now or how do you think they would impact you in your 30s? And if you haven’t watched Master of None, check it out on Netflix. Watch Master of None on Netflix Now! Don't forget to follow Aziz Ansari and the Official Master of None account on Twitter. Intro Music & Outro Music: Saturday Jam by Clifton "Notes" Ellens, Captain Noah, and Jonathan "Sankeyz" Sanchez Please make sure you subscribe to our blog, podcast, and find us on social media! And, as always, we love to hear what you think! Leave your feedback and help up grow to understand our listeners more. Either give us a shout out below, or go ahead and hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. Subscribe. Listen. Enjoy. Share. Like. Follow. Also Streaming on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or your favorite Podcast player Talk Thirty to Me Episode Thirty Three: The Fear of Parenting is Real