The Gen Mess with Tess

In this solo episode of The Gen Mess with Tess , Tess Brigham unpacks one of the most emotionally charged conversations happening right now: adult children going no contact with a parent. Drawing from her work as a therapist and her own lived experience, Tess challenges the oversimplified narratives dominating social media and reframes "no contact" not as a trend, punishment, or failure, but as a...

What if the person giving you life advice is, behind the scenes, completely falling apart? In this deeply moving solo episode of Gen Mess with Tess, Tess Brigham pulls back the curtain, sharing the raw, unfiltered story of a year that shook the very foundations of her life. From the staggering loss of her father to the painful journey of caring for her mother as dementia set in, Tess Brigham—the c...

What if finding your dream job actually takes a year—or even longer? In this eye-opening episode of "Gen Mess with Tess," host Tess Brigham sits down with career strategist Liz Helton to pull back the curtain on the realities of job searching and career transformation in today's ever-evolving workforce. If you've ever wondered why sending off hundreds of applications can feel like shouting into a...

What if the brutal truth is that your corporate job is more likely to slowly kill you with stress than set you up for a dream retirement? In this episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with powerhouse business mentor, international speaker, and award-winning author Katrena Friel for a candid and eye-opening conversation about breaking free from the golden handcuffs—and finding...

What if the secret to building a thriving law firm wasn’t about grinding out endless billable hours—but about rethinking the entire way attorneys work and lead? In this eye-opening episode of Gen Mess With Tess , host Tess Brigham welcomes law firm growth expert Alay Yajnik for a candid conversation that shakes up everything you thought you knew about legal hustle and business success. Discover ho...

What if the only way you could escape your toxic work environment was being hit by a bus—not to die, but just to get a break? Shocking as it sounds, that’s the level of desperation bestselling author and executive coach Diana Lowe once felt, and she’s not alone. In this riveting episode of "Gen Mess with Tess," Tess Brigham pulls back the curtain on the hidden emotional toll of modern workplaces a...

What if everything we thought was “wrong” with Gen Z was actually the outcome of generations striving to do better for their children? In this solo episode of Gen Mess with Tess , host Tess Brigham turns the tables on common complaints about today’s youth and boldly reveals how every “mess” in the workplace and at home is really generational evolution in real time—and a sign of remarkable progress...

What if you could overcome a lifelong fear—like a spider phobia—in under ten minutes? In this episode of "Gen Mess with Tess," host Tess Brigham sits down with Viki Johnston, founder of Accelerate and master practitioner of NLP (neuro linguistic programming), for a fascinating deep-dive into the secrets of learning, growth mindset, and generational shifts in the workplace. Viki reveals how she con...

What if every time you judged a younger generation for having it "easy," you were really just grieving your own unmet dreams? In this revealing solo episode of Gen Mess with Tess , host Tess Brigham turns the generational blame game upside down, making a powerful case that beneath every eye-roll and stereotype—Boomers are out of touch, Gen Z is fragile, Millennials are entitled—there’s a shared ex...

What if the secret to surviving career chaos isn’t more hustle—but smarter engineering? In this eye-opening episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with systems architect and organizational consultant Belle Walker, who reveals why most companies—and leaders—are fighting the wrong fires, and how “engineering thinking” can fundamentally change how we navigate the messiest parts of...

What if the real badge of honor isn’t how hard you work, but how well you rest? In this eye-opening solo episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham pulls back the curtain on the cultural obsession with burnout—and exposes how every generation has unwittingly contributed to making exhaustion seem like a symbol of strength. Tess traces the roots of hustle culture from Gen X’s independent “latc...

What if your quest for love is actually a quest for safety? In this eye-opening solo episode of "Gen Mess with Tess," host Tess Brigham dives deep into the messy reality behind the hit TV show Love is Blind —and reveals the uncomfortable truth: the show isn’t just a high-drama dating experiment, it's a mirror reflecting how we all perform, protect, and hide in our own relationships. Tess explores...

What if the secret to unlocking true leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers, but about learning to ask the right questions—especially across generations? In this eye-opening episode of the “Gen Mess with Tess,” host Tess Brigham sits down with powerhouse executive coach Kristi Royse, founder of KLR Consulting, to uncover the real challenges—and unexpected opportunities—leaders face in toda...

What if the greatest barrier to your success isn’t the world outside—but the silent story you keep telling yourself inside your own head? In this compelling episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with Dr. Ashok Bhattacharya, psychiatrist and founder of The Empathy Clinic, to explore why empathy isn’t just a “soft skill”—it’s the invisible glue shaping our relationships, workpla...

What if the American Dream your parents promised you was nothing but a myth? What if the payoff for all your hard work simply… never arrives? In this eye-opening episode of the Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with writer, podcaster, and former writing professor Amye Archer to pull back the curtain on generational work myths, shifting values, and what’s really happening as Gen Xers...

What if the secret to skyrocketing your company’s profits isn’t better tech, but happier employees? In this episode of Gen Mess With Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with powerhouse people & culture leader Jessica Holst (SpaceX, CAA, Mattel, Verve) to pull back the curtain on why traditional HR practices—and even today’s obsession with AI—are missing the real leverage point for business succe...

What if the biggest problem with your writing isn’t your grammar or structure—but the way you think? In this eye-opening episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with her personal writing coach, Brian Morgan, founder of Think Deeply, Write Clearly, to reveal the transformative link between writing, thinking, and the human condition. Get ready to reconsider everything you thought...

What if the American Dream was never really meant for everyone? And what if today’s younger generations are reinventing it into something healthier and more meaningful? In this thought-provoking solo episode, Tess Brigham dives headfirst into the messy legacy of the American Dream—exposing who it really served, how it shaped generations, and why Gen Z and Millennials are outgrowing the old rules....

What if the secret to true influence is saying “no” more often than saying “yes”? In this eye-opening episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with Brad Hoos—CEO of The Outloud Group and founder of Musk Ox—to unravel the myths and realities behind the influencer industry, generational shifts at work, and what it really takes to lead with authenticity. Brad didn’t set out to becom...

What if your favorite ‘90s sitcom is actually an aspirational fantasy—and today’s TV is a brutally honest mirror? In this unexpected solo episode, Tess Brigham dives into the wild evolution of 20-something life on TV, revealing what Friends got right (and wrong) about young adulthood, and why the new FX series Adults hits closer to home for Gen Z. Tess shares her own Hollywood background before sh...

What if the secret to manifesting the life you want isn’t just about thinking positive thoughts—what if it’s about understanding how your mind, heart, and healing all work together? In this episode of Gen Mess with Tess , host Tess Brigham sits down with transformational speaker and life coach Billy Giannouloudis (aka Billy G), and the conversation is full of surprising wisdom, down-to-earth insig...

<aside> Show Notes What if your job was just a hobby—and not your entire reason for existence? On this episode of “Gen Mess with Tess,” host Tess Brigham sits down with Katie O’Brien, a Gen Z professional working abroad at a multinational company, who’s redefining what it means to build a career in a world overflowing with choices, expectations, and the ever-present pressure of comparison. T...

What if everything you thought you knew about yourself—and the world around you—was just one small piece of a much bigger, messier puzzle? In this deeply personal solo episode, host Tess Brigham pulls back the curtain on "The Gen Mess with Tess," revealing major changes to the direction of the show. Tess opens up about her journey from focusing solely on generational differences to confronting the...

Ever wondered why your business feels stuck in chaos—no matter how innovative your big idea is? Here’s the shocker: The real bottleneck might be you. In this eye-opening episode of Gen Mess with Tess, host Tess Brigham sits down with Jhana Li, operations expert and founder of Spyglass Ops, who shares how even the most visionary entrepreneurs can unintentionally hold their businesses back. Jhana re...

What if everything you thought you knew about “American culture” was invisible—to you, but glaringly obvious to everyone else? In this revealing episode of Gen Mess with Tess , host Tess Brigham sits down with Lanie Denslow, renowned cultural translator and author, to break down the unspoken rules and quiet revolutions shaping generational and cross-cultural dynamics in the modern workplace. Toget...