Meet Aaron Brown | Gen Z and Intergenerational Workplace Consultant/Professor of Finance

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aaron Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aaron, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I’m an old Millennial. 39 to be exact. I grew up with all the hub-bub that sounds like this: “You gotta grind. Grind. Grind. Grind. Get up at 3am. Sacrifice everything for success. Push. Push. and Push some more.”

Those admonitions are not necessarily untrue. However, not having a work/life/wellness balance will be your undoing. Too much research is coming out about the dangers of not taking care of yourself. I do not mean the silly idea of “self-care,” which seems to just be an excuse to avoid the kind of stress that leads to personal and professional growth.

If you want to develop a good work-life balance, I want to share with you what I do. This may not work for everyone, but it works for me.

First, I use James Clear’s Atomic Habits journal to write down the most important activities that need to get done in my day. I divide these activities into two categories: 1) Personal, and 2) Professional. I do my best to tackle my personal goals early in the morning, which leaves me feeling fulfilled and energized to take on the professional goals.

I typically budget about 50 minutes per activity, too. Some folks say not to do this as it creates an unnecessary pressure to get everything done in an hour. I do not feel an unnecessary rush – I have learned that being patient, thoughtful, and focused on a task is far more beneficial than rushing through a task. If I do not complete all the task in the slotted time, I simply leave notes for myself of what and where to pick up on the task at a later time.

We’re also entertaining ourselves to death – we almost think we have to have our entertainment while we work. You entertaining yourself while you work is slowing down your ability to focus on your task, which means it takes longer to complete. We need to learn how to be focused on our work when it is time to work. We need to focus on our fun when it is time to have fun.

We believe in the myth of multi-tasking. Do not multi-task. Just like a computer does not multi-task, multi-tasking breaks our concentration and requires our brains a couple or more seconds to refocus from one task to another. When I work, I also do not run youtube videos or podcasts. Those things simply serve as distractors.

I also recommend getting painfully organized. We think detailed organization serves as a prison. However, the more clear you are on a task, the better and more proficient you are able to tackle the task.

So, where does the work/life balance come in? Just like a computer needs to be rebooted or a piece of equipment maintained, your mind, body, and spirit needs maintenance. If you’ve been “grinding” for four hours, take a break and walk the dog. Do not listen to a podcast. Just walk. I know – not consuming some type of information for 30 minutes?? Crazy!!!

Let your mind wander. Studies easily demonstrate that exercise helps a number of things happen: 1) allows information to solidify in your mind while you’re exercising, and 2) reduces stress and depression. I also recommend not consuming tons of coffee throughout the day. Take a quick 20 minute nap. Whatever refreshes you. I also recommend practicing mindfulness. Practice the steps, then when it is time to let your mind wander, notice what your mind wanders to. Ah-ha! You just found the source of what consumes your life in those thoughts!

I am a huge proponent of what I call “mountain therapy,” since I live in Colorado Springs. Schedule time away in an early afternoon to hike around, listen to the forest, and let your mind relax. I believe you will find yourself coming back to your checklists refreshed and energized in a way that grinding can never help you achieve.

Finally, what is the state of your spirituality? I am a spiritual person. I also recognize that spirituality takes on many different dimensions to our existence. What brings you peace? What centers you? I practice meditation and prayer. I also connect my work to a greater meaning of my spirituality and benefitting my community.

At the end of the day, you pursue what you pursue in your work because it brings you some level of satisfaction and fulfillment. Not all of it. There’s no such work that brings 100% fulfillment. However, remember that your ability to be satisfied in your work comes your willingness to organize your life and place a focus on your body, mind, and spirit’s wellbeing.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a consultant on the topic of Gen Z (ages 7 through 27), I get the opportunity to speak and work with organizations on how to improve intergenerational communication and working.

I got here a little by accident. I completed my doctoral dissertation on Gen Z and the mental and cultural health crisis. I thought I was done. However, folks started asking me to come speak at their organizations about this important demographic. It was a shock to me that folks want to know about Gen Z! I simply relied on word-of-mouth to expand my reach.

I’ve learned that word-of-mouth is good, but it is not enough. I’m currently in the stages of increasing my content. I also have realized that I am not talented enough to do everything. Thus, I brought on board a marketing director to take care of the things, like marketing, that I do not enjoy. I just had a meeting last night where I said, “Hey, make a list of tasks for me to do with deadlines. I’ll get the tasks done.” That works for me, but also challenges me.

I want folks to know that generational differences are real and those differences create friction between other generations. However, generational differences are endearing and create connectivity across generations. Learning how to work with multiple generations in the workplace is important!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Everybody needs to see Garden of the Gods! That is a must!

Then, I would take them to dinner at the Golden Bee at the Broadmoor!

I would close out with a drink at The Archives where my wife and I had our first date. I would even show them which table we sat at. LOL

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Recently, I wrote a thank you letter to my small-town school of Kiowa, Oklahoma (not Colorado) that I went Kindergarten through Senior year at. It has been 21 years since I graduated. I wrote a letter to say “thank you” for the great education I received there. It propelled me through college by laying a foundation of learning that I was lucky enough to receive! Such great educators!

I would also recognize my parents, which neither got to go to college. My parents never said, “If you go to college…” They always said, “When you go to college…” Because of their investment in me, I was the first in my family to complete undergraduate, MBA, and earn a doctorate! The power of parents helping their child lay a trajectory for their life is powerful! It’s not “If!” It is “When!”

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