For years, I have tracked who followed me on YouTube.
The numbers were consistent: 99% were men, and the largest group was ages 55–64.
Then I checked my stats for the last 28 days. Imagine my surprise—today, 75% of my viewers are 25–34, 25% are 55–64, and 58% are women. Quite a shift!
Even more surprising?
In the past week, two new executive speech coaching clients reached out. Both are 25-year-old, ambitious young men. One said, “Three years ago, I graduated from High Point University, and Steve Spangler recommended you.” I first met HPU’s remarkable president, Nido Qubein, at my very first NSA convention in 1977. Steve Spangler, a science rock star, is also my colleague in Speakers Roundtable, as is Dr. Qubein.
The other said, “My father recommended you.”
He never forgot how helpful you were to him 20 years ago!” And just this morning, I received an email: “I am writing to you on behalf of my son. Will you help him?” Who knew a whole new market was waiting for me?
My colleague Dylan Tweney from the Professional Speechwriters Association wrote about his experience at the most recent Renaissance Weekend.
For me, his favorite takeaway came from Dana Griffin, CEO and Co-Founder, Eldera who said: “Elders are in demand: Gen Z people are craving connections to older folks, as a balance to their always-online, always-connected, social media-centric lifestyles.”
And the data proves her right.
Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey reports that 86% of Gen Z and 84% of Millennials are actively seeking mentorship and guidance in their careers. Nearly nine out of ten young professionals are looking for seasoned voices to help them succeed. Research from MentorCliq reveals that, despite over 80% of Gen Z workers believing a mentor is essential, only about half actually have one. That leaves millions of ambitious young people searching beyond their companies to find experienced guides—no wonder they’re showing up in my inbox.
What they want isn’t just technical know-how. An Adobe survey, highlighted by Fast Company, found that 83% of Gen Z consider mentorship crucial to their professional growth. They’re looking for communication skills, leadership wisdom, and perspective—qualities that can’t be downloaded or streamed. In a world where their lives are “always on,” they’re seeking balance through genuine human connection with those who have lived and learned before them.
I hear the same theme from my corporate clients.
They tell me, “We are searching to recruit the top 10% of available talent.” And those top performers—especially the younger ones—want mentors, not just managers. They want to accelerate their growth by learning directly from experienced professionals. I hope some of them are reading this post.
The lesson is clear: experience, wisdom, and perspective will always have value.
The next generation knows it, and they’re not afraid to ask for it.
If you are a leader, invest in your younger employees.
Give them a mentor, and provide an educational stipend to work with me—or someone like me—who can strengthen their communication skills and prepare them for their next promotion.
If you’re serious about accelerating your career, your communication skills are the fastest way to stand out. Book a discovery call.
I’d be delighted to help you craft messages that win attention, inspire trust, and drive results. Let’s talk about how coaching can give you the edge.
“Our investment in Patricia’s presentation coaching quickly became one of the smartest decisions we’ve made for our technical experts. What started as support for high-stakes events turned into an essential part of our preparation process. Patricia isn’t just an outside coach—she’s truly part of our team. Her ability to help our executives and engineers communicate with clarity and confidence has elevated not only our public presentations and Executive Briefing Center sessions but also internal meetings and customer conversations. The best part? The rave reviews keep coming.” Greg Smith, Vice President, Product Marketing at Nutanix
“Your presentation skills program was just what we needed. The breakout sessions were especially impactful—engaging, insightful, and energizing. Our post-event survey results were some of the best we’ve seen. Thank you for your incredible support. We’re already looking forward to our next collaboration!” Jake Power, Senior Director, Extreme Networks
“When we hired Patricia Fripp to improve our sales conversations and presentations, my expectations were high. Patricia Fripp’s customized approach before, during, and after with her FrippVT online learning has resulted in more and larger sales. Patricia’s ability to excite, inform, and coach our team was impressive.” Scott Hamilton, VP of Sales, Distech Controls
