The Rise of the Multi-Hyphenate

Ah, the plight of Gen X.

Too young to retire but too old to make TikTok dance videos (although I tried).

Many of us, without warning, are caught between the comfort of our old, obsolete careers and the precariousness of the rapidly evolving future.

Act 2.5

The In Between Days.

And while the Millennials are out there “optimizing” their careers and Gen Z is making makeup tutorials, we’re facing rejection after rejection from employers who wrongly see us as irrelevant, out of touch, and analog.

Thanks, New York Times.

But there is hope! There is a solution. The rise of the multi-hyphenate, multi-income writer-producer-teacher-consultant-podcaster-parent-caretaker-hustler-standup-fill in the blank.

This week on Write About Now, I talk with Dana DuBois of GenXy about what that actually looks like:

• Why being “one thing” is officially over

• The exhaustion of constant reinvention

• And how to stop seeing a patchwork career as failure—and start seeing it as freedom.

Enjoy my conversation with Dana and subscribe to her over at the terrific GenXy.

Also, let me know how you’ve pivoted in the comments. We all love a good success story.