GenX Journeys

The GenX Book Club is back! Paul, Del, and Suzanne reunite to discuss The Celebrants — a touching, funny, and deeply relatable novel about lifelong friendship, midlife rediscovery, and the pact to celebrate each other before it's too late. In this episode, the crew dives into the book's themes of connection, mortality, and resilience — and why it feels especially relevant to Generation X. Along th...

On this episode of GenX Journeys, Paul welcomes Shellie Stark—creative entrepreneur, guided meditation instructor, and host of the brand-new Seen & Supported podcast. Shellie opens up about becoming a caregiver for her mom during and after the pandemic, how she gradually lost pieces of herself, and the exact steps she used to find her way back. We dig into practical tools Gen Xers can use right no...

Ahoy, GenXers! This week we're revisiting one of the cheesiest, campiest, and most gloriously over-the-top cult classics of the '80s — The Pirate Movie ! Originally released on August 6, 1982, this wild ride mashes up The Pirates of Penzance with slapstick humor, ridiculous musical numbers, and more innuendos than we realized as kids. Del Roehling and I (Paul Stroessner) first covered this back on...

Midlife isn't the beginning of the end — it's the beginning of your encore. 💥 In this episode of GenX Journeys , Paul sits down with Lydia Magnoli , online fitness coach, content creator, and founder of The Magnoli Method app. Lydia opens up about leaving a "safe" tenured job as a school psychologist to follow her true calling, losing 65+ pounds naturally, and helping women over 40 build strength...

We're cranking up the anthems for this week's Throwback Thursday with a very special guest— Stan Bush ! Best known for "The Touch" ( The Transformers: The Movie ) and "Never Surrender" ( Kickboxer ), Stan has built a career around motivational rock anthems that have inspired fans across generations. In this episode (originally released on December 22, 2020 ), Paul and Del chat with Stan about his...

This week we're flashing back to June 25, 2020, when Del Roehling and I revisited one of the greatest sequels of all time — Aliens (1986). Back then, I had just wrapped up a tough semester in my master's program for Creative Writing, and like so many of us, I was stuck at home during lockdown. Del and I took the opportunity to dive into James Cameron's explosive follow-up to Ridley Scott's Alien ,...

We're rewinding to April 2020 for a fun and fiery discussion with the Return to the '80s Brat Pack —Lizzie Newton, Del Roehling, and me—as we take on the 1985 Brat Pack classic St. Elmo's Fire . Recorded in the middle of lockdown, this episode is full of laughs, unexpected takes, and a whole lot of side tangents—from Rob Lowe's dangly earring and Demi Moore's pink apartment, to the characters we l...

📅 Originally aired: April 12, 2019 🎧 Guest: Lizzie Newton (from Liz Laugh Cry ) This week on Return to the '80s , we're throwing it back to one of our most fun and unfiltered episodes — the wild ride that is Netflix's The Dirt , the biopic based on the notorious rise (and mayhem) of Mötley Crüe. This episode marks the very first appearance of Lizzie Newton, and as listeners know, every episode s...

In this month's GenX Book Club, Paul Stroessner, Suzanne Mattaboni, and Del Roehling dive into Michael Koresky's heartfelt memoir-meets-film-critique, Films of Endearment: A Mother, a Son, and the '80s Films That Defined Us . Koresky revisits ten female-driven films of the 1980s with his mother, using them as a lens to explore family, loss, identity, and how movies shape the way we see the world....

Originally released: April 13, 2017 In this special Throwback Thursday episode, Paul and Robert are joined by the legendary Doug McCoy—host of the now-retired McCoyCast podcast network, which included shows like Never Seen It , Crazy Creepy Cool Movies , and In the Theater . Doug also wrote the eBook TV in My Time . While none of Doug's past content is currently available online, we're thrilled to...

In this deeply inspiring episode, Paul is joined by spiritual guide, author, and former Goldman Sachs VP Neal Bakshi , whose bold journey from Wall Street to worldwide healing retreats embodies everything GenX Journeys stands for: reinvention, purpose, and soul alignment. 💻 After narrowly recovering from a laptop disaster (kombucha meets keyboard!), Paul reflects on synchronicity and gratitude—an...

Get ready to crank up the volume and rewind the tape as GenX Journeys joins forces with The Long Rewind for an epic crossover episode all about '80s Movie Soundtracks ! This is Paul's first official crossover episode , released both on GenX Journeys and The Long Rewind feeds—so no matter where you're tuning in, you're in for a rad ride through one of the best parts of '80s pop culture. In this epi...

In this episode, we're joined by the wonderfully multi-talented Laura Lee , author of Saturn's Favorite Music . Laura's creative path has been as eclectic as her writing: she's the author of 21 books across biography, humorous reference, fiction, and children's literature, and has worked as a professional mime, improvisational comic, and radio announcer. These days, she splits her time between wri...

Originally Released: March 22, 2017 It's time to root for the bad guys—just this once. This week's Throwback Thursday is part of a special crossover event put together by The 80s League , a collaborative effort started by Dave from 80s Reboot Overdrive . The League brought together several blogs and podcasts (including Return to the '80s ) to celebrate all things retro—and this month's theme is '8...

📅 Originally aired: February 23, 2017 🎧 Episode (Turn It Up to) 11 of  Return to the '80s Today we're cranking the volume all the way up to eleven as we revisit one of the most iconic and hilarious cult classics of the '80s— This Is Spinal Tap ! In this re-release from 2017, Robert and I are joined once again by our good friend Scott Compton to break down the mockumentary that defined a genre an...

We're breaking all the rules—and talking about Fight Club . Paul is joined by author and returning guest Suzanne Mattaboni for a deep dive into Chuck Palahniuk's cult classic novel ( and the iconic 1999 film adaptation by David Fincher). 💥 In This Episode: The book vs. the movie: Why both versions hit hard in different ways Breaking down the twist (and how it still lands decades later) Themes of...

🎸 Bon Jovi, Big Hair, and Our First Guest Ever! Originally aired: December 1, 2016 on Return to the '80s This Return to the '80s classic is one for the time capsule! Join Paul and Robert as they welcome their very first guest—Scott Compton, host of the now-retired but still legendary podcasts 80s Mixtape Autoreverse and 80s Reboot Overdrive . We kick things off with some 2016-era Rock and Roll Ha...

In this soul-stirring episode of GenX Journeys , Paul sits down with singer-songwriter and worship leader Cynthia Lok to talk about the power of music, faith, and rediscovery. 💫 Cynthia opens up about the defining moment that reignited her spiritual journey—and how that path led her into the world of music and songwriting. With raw honesty and contagious energy, she shares how her faith took cent...

Originally aired: March 15, 2019 on Return to the '80s This week on GenX Journeys Throwback Thursday, we're revisiting a gem from the Return to the '80s archives—my incredible conversation with film critic and author Helen O'Hara! Helen writes for Empire Magazine and The Telegraph , and she had just released her brilliant book Best Movies of the 80s when we recorded this episode. We kicked things...

Hosts: Paul Stroessner & Suzanne Mattaboni In this episode of the GenX Book Club, Paul is joined by fellow GenX writer Suzanne Mattaboni ( Once in a Lifetime ) for a heartfelt, honest, and occasionally hilarious discussion about  The Perks of Being a Wallflower —Stephen Chbosky's raw and unforgettable coming-of-age story. We unpack the novel's unique letter-based format and how it allows us to exp...

📆 Originally aired: December 13, 2016 🎙️ Hosted by Paul Stroessner | Co-host: Robert Mishou | Special Guest: Jim Vilk We're revving up the nostalgia machine and heading full throttle into the golden age of TV intros—the action-packed, high-octane theme songs of 1980s television! In this retro gem from the vault, I'm joined by our original co-host Robert Mishou and long-time Return to the '80s con...

Episode Title: '80s Sitcom Theme Songs (Originally aired: Oct 13, 2016) Cohost: Paul Stroessner & Robert Mishou Description: We're cranking the dial back to 2016—and even further back into our childhoods—for a look at some of the most iconic sitcom theme songs of the '80s! In this special Throwback Thursday re-release, I'm joined by my original cohost Robert Mishou as we each share our top 5 sitco...

This week on GenX Journeys , I'm officially hitting the pavement—again. After months of knowing it was coming, I finally pulled the trigger and signed up for the 50th Marine Corps Marathon . But here's the thing: even though I knew I was going to do it, something shifted the moment I actually signed up. That one action sparked a wave of motivation, momentum, and commitment I hadn't felt in a while...

🎙️ Throwback Thursday – My Backstage Interview with Rubix Kube + Steve Brown & PJ Farley of Trixter! 📅 Originally recorded: April 21, 2018 | 🎧 First aired: April 28, 2018 This may just be my favorite interview ever. Why? Because I got to go backstage with my all-time favorite '80s tribute band Rubix Kube — and interview two absolute legends from the rock world: Steve Brown and PJ Farley of Trixt...

🎙️ Throwback Thursday – The Breakfast Club (with Lizzie Newton) 📅 Originally aired: May 10, 2019 🎧 Re-released: April 11, 2025 Description: It's Throwback Thursday time! This week, we're rewinding to a special in-person crossover episode recorded with my good friend Lizzie Newton, originally released in 2019. Lizzie and I teamed up for a nostalgic deep dive into one of the most iconic Gen X film...