Gen X: The Unexpected Winners of the AI Revolution

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I was blown away back in '97 when my work computer got the internet.

I'd stay after hours just exploring.

Having all that information at your fingertips felt like a superpower. If you remember life before the mid-90s, learning anything meant trudging to the library or knowing someone with the knowledge you needed.

That internet "superpower" changed everything for me. Guitar tablature sites got me playing music again (leading to two albums and 100+ live shows). Online learning showed this former C student that I was actually an A student when studying stuff I actually gave a shit about. Most importantly, it revealed I didn't have to settle for the "get a job, wait for retirement" story we'd been sold.

Fast forward to today: That same revolutionary feeling is hitting me with AI. But this time, we Gen Xers have a massive advantage that most people are missing.

Here's what companies are figuring out…

AI without experience is just expensive autocomplete.

The Numbers Don't Lie:

• 77% of executives say their biggest AI challenge is finding people who combine technical skills with domain expertise (McKinsey)

• Jobs that require AI specialist skills carry up to a 25% wage premium in some markets. For example, job ads for US sales managers that require AI specialist skills offer wages that are on average 43% higher than job ads for sales managers that do not require AI skills. (PWC report)

Last Thursday, I watched an AI training session where the trainer completed in-depth market research in couple hours that would've taken weeks just a year ago. But here's the kicker - the questions he asked weren't ones a newbie would even think of. They came from years of marketing experience.

Think about it: Who's more valuable?

• A 20-year veteran using AI to supercharge two decades of real-world experience

• Or a 20-year-old using AI to learn about your industry from scratch

The Internet Liberation 2.0 Just like the internet liberated us from small-town thinking and geographical constraints, AI is freeing us from the "too old to adapt" narrative. It's not replacing us - it's amplifying everything we've learned over our careers.

My path from mechanical draftsman to media buyer, freelancer, singer-songwriter, and digital entrepreneur wasn't despite technology - it was because of it. AI is offering the same opportunity, just at hyperspeed.

What used to take hours or days literally takes minutes now. Pair this with our hard-earned skills, experience, and curiosity, and we can write our own tickets.

The Critical Shift The most valuable person in the AI era isn't the one with the most technical knowledge - it's the one who can ask the better questions. And after decades in the trenches, guess who's got the best questions?

You're sitting on a goldmine.

Time to get out that digital pick and ax and start mining.

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Action Plan

Here's Your Action Plan:

1. Get a ChatGPT account (free at chat.openai.com)

2. Copy and paste this prompt: “I have [X] years of experience in [your industry]. What are 5 ways I could use AI to create value for companies in my field?"

3. Start a newsletter sharing your AI learning journey and industry expertise. This isn't just about staying relevant - it's about building your own asset outside any employer. You'll be creating your own platform while showcasing your experience to your industry. Think of it as your insurance policy against technological unemployment.

I did exactly this when I started sharing what I learned about internet marketing years ago. That newsletter turned into multiple income streams and eventually freed me from depending on a single employer. Now I'm doing the same thing with AI, and you can too.

The best part? You can start for free using platforms like Beehiiv ($). All it takes is sharing what you're learning and how it applies to your years of experience. Every post builds your authority and creates opportunities you'd never find sitting quietly in a cubicle.

The kids might know how to make AI dance on TikTok, but we know how to make it generate real business value. And that's what companies - and more importantly, clients - are desperately seeking.

Ready to turn your experience into your advantage? Tap here to get started with your own newsletter platform ($) and join thousands of others who are leveraging the AI revolution instead of fearing it. I’ll even help you get set up…

Learning To Fly

You know that Foo Fighters line in their tune “Learning To Fly?

Dave Grohl wasn't singing about tech revolutions, but damn if those lyrics don't nail what's happening right now with AI (and Gen X retirement). Just like some folks sat around laughing at the internet in the '90s (remember "it's just a fad"?), there are people doing the same with AI today.

But here's the thing - while others are laughing or freaking out about AI replacing jobs, some of us are getting that same familiar tingle we felt when we first logged onto the internet.

That feeling that something big is happening, and this time, let’s not sit around and watch this revolution pass us by.

Have a good one,

Corey