Peak Millennial Birthday & A Friend Gets Another Billboard Mention
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Good evening,
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Prime Birthdays for Peak Millennials
On Saturday, I celebrated my 33rd birthday with some of my closest friends and boldly went where a Millennial can go: eating cheese-wheel pasta.
Some call 33 the “Jesus Year.” At 33, you supposedly come into your own when you reach this point in life.
New York Times says those of us born in 1990 and 1991 are “peak Millennials” who are taking center stage in the economy.
“If demographics are destiny, the demographic born in 1990 and 1991 was destined to compete for housing, jobs and other resources. Those two birth years, the people set to turn 33 and 34 in 2024, make up the peak of America’s population,” wrote the columnist, who also is 33.
She continued, “As the biggest part of the biggest generation, this hyper-specific age group — call us what you will, but I like “peak millennials” — has moved through the economy like a person squeezing into a too-small sweater. At every life stage, it has stretched a system that was often too small to accommodate it, leaving it somewhat flabby and misshapen in its wake. My cohort has an outsized amount of economic power, but that has sometimes made life harder for us.”
Look at that, we are tough. Some more good news about us peak Millennials: we’ve found our footing!
In recent years, millennials do seem to be finding their economic and financial footing.
After high initial unemployment, today’s early-30 adults now work at very high levels, with about 8.1 in 10 holding jobs. Wealth holdings for people under the age of 35 have recently begun to pick up notably, helped along by rising home values and higher stock prices.
This is true for me. I took steps in my early 20’s to be financially secure and, gasp, even get a house and manage an income property. I graduated college with little debt and paid off my student loans. I don’t disparage anyone for doing things differently, but am glad I was set earlier in my youth.
For a 33-year-old, I’ve accomplished a lot by today’s standards.
I’ve won writing awards, appeared on national TV, and been printed in dozens of major publications. I currently lead a policy center (even sans graduate degree—a rarity!) and might be one of the youngest people to do so. I’ve built a successful freelance business and visited nearly all 50 U.S. states. And I’ve been lucky for great family, good friends, and countless acquaintances.
But there are some areas I’ve neglected along the way. With my travel schedule, I hadn’t prioritized regular exercise— but changed course. I also feel like a disappointment for not being married with kids by now. Dating is tough and hard, especially in this age of apps and instant gratification. Doing too much and having your life organized is intimidating, apparently. (Whoops!) But I know marriage is the most important decision to make in life; it must be done with the right person and not account of societal pressure.
Patience is a virtue, whether in romance or your career. I don’t know what this year holds, but I’m excited for what’s to come. If it’s anything like 32, I know it’ll be a good year.
Thanks for the good tidings and birthday wishes! Know how much appreciate you reading my Substack newsletter.
Madison Hughes Gets the Billboard Treatment Again
For the second time in a calendar year, my friend and collaborator Madison Hughes received praise from Billboard Magazine for releasing original country music.
Today, the publication described her new single HATE THAT YOU LOVE ME as follows:
Her latest dips further into the blues realm than straight-forward country, and becomes a towering testament to both Hughes’ adroit guitar skills and the purring vocal. Her voice is world-weary, her guitar tones threaded with angst, as she offers up a relatable tale of falling headlong for a charismatic heart-breaker. The immensely talented Hughes is on a star-making trajectory.
Watch the accompanying music video below
We’ll do an Instagram Live tomorrow afternoon around 4/4:30pm ET. Follow along here.
Congrats, Madison!
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—Gabriella