What Happens To Your Dreams When You’re Financially Supporting Your Parents?

In this episode of Dear Millennial, host Megan Tan answers a question from a listener who finds herself at a crossroads — eager to become a mom but unsure whether the timing is right, especially in a volatile career in media.  Joining Megan is Elvia Garcia, co-owner of the James Beard-nominated Evil Cooks, a dynamic culinary business that has overcome its own share of industry challenges. Elvia shares her personal journey of unexpected motherhood during a chaotic period in her career, offering real talk on making big life decisions when the timing feels less than perfect.  Dear Millennial is an independent production. To support the show, subscribe to our Patreon! Just go to: http://Patreon.com/DearMillennial. If you have a question you want to submit, email Megan at [email protected] or call +1 (442) 444-0756‬ and leave a voicemail. Instagram: @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast. Dear Millennial is a Tan Lines production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Dear Millennial, Megan responds to a letter from a listener about a longtime friendship that has been tested by loyalty, boundaries, and new relationships. Senior Producer Amor Yates shares her own experience from over a decade ago, reflecting on how she faced a similar dilemma and found a way to heal after a friendship ended. Dear Millennial is an independent production. To support the show, subscribe to our Patreon! Just go to: http://Patreon.com/DearMillennial. If you have a question you want to submit, email Megan at [email protected] or call +1 (442) 444-0756‬ and leave a voicemail. Instagram: @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast. Dear Millennial is a Tan Lines production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Dear Millennial, host Megan Tan chats with a listener who wrote her a powerful email nearly ten years ago. Elyn Kazarian, a creative director in the music industry, shares her journey from a young artist grappling with family upheaval, financial burdens, and career instability, to navigating adulthood with her mother by her side. Together, they explore the challenges of balancing personal dreams with the responsibility of supporting a financially dependent parent, reflecting on what it means to thrive while caring for the people you love. Dear Millennial is an independent production. To support the show subscribe to our Patreon! Just go to: http://Patreon.com/DearMillennial. If you have a question you want to submit, email Megan at [email protected] or call +1 (442) 444-0756‬ and leave a voicemail. Instagram: @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast. Dear Millennial is a Tan Lines production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Dear Millennial, host Megan Tan dives into the inevitable challenge of aging. From the pressures of youth-driven social media to real-life reflections on growing older, Megan explores how we navigate the complexities of age and identity. Megan takes us halfway around the world to Singapore, where traditions and cultural attitudes toward aging provide a different perspective on how we view our later years. Dear Millennial is an independent production. To support the show subscribe to our Patreon! Just go to: http://Patreon.com/DearMillennial. If you have a question you want to submit, email Megan at [email protected] or call +1 (442) 444-0756‬ and leave a voicemail. Instagram: @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast. Dear Millennial is a Tan Lines production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Dear Millennial, Megan Tan speaks with Maria, a former CBS employee who wrote to Megan ten years ago about taking a leap of faith in her career by quitting her salaried job to pursue her passion. Together, they discuss how Maria went from creating a DIY podcast on a shoestring budget to landing a full-time job, where she now leads a team. Along the way, Maria talks about the financial and emotional challenges of being a millennial, especially in a world that constantly pushes you to “do more” and “be more.” Dear Millennial is an independent production. To support the show subscribe to our Pateron! Just go to: http://Patreon.com/DearMillennial. If you have a question you want to submit, email Megan at [email protected] or call +1 (442) 444-0756‬ and leave a voicemail. Instagram: @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast Dear Millennial is a Tan Lines production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Megan is joined by her mom, Susan Tan, as they tackle a letter from a listener grappling with the emotional weight of living far from family. Amor, a millennial who moved from Los Angeles to New York City, shares her struggles with the guilt and the challenges of maintaining close family ties while pursuing her dreams. Discover insights on how to grow independently and maintain a long distance relationship with family. Dear Millennial is an independent production. To support the show subscribe to our Pateron! Just go to: http://Patreon.com/DearMillennial. If you have a question you want to submit, email Megan at [email protected] or call +1 (442) 444-0756‬ and leave a voicemail. Instagram: @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast. Dear Millennial is a Tan Lines production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In June 2023, the unexpected became a harsh reality for Megan and her fiancé, Erick, when they both received layoff notices during a virtual meeting, 10 months after buying their first house and moving Megan’s father in to live with them. Join us on this episode of Dear Millennial, where we dive deep into the emotional landscape of job loss and the journey to reclaiming your value. Listen as Megan sits down with Amber, a filmmaker, storyteller, and creative director, who encourages Megan to create value out of this moment. Millennial is an independent production. To support the show subscribe to our Pateron! Just go to: http://Patreon.com/DearMillennial. If you have a question you want to submit, email Megan at [email protected] or call +1 (442) 444-0756‬ and leave a voicemail. Instagram: @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast. Dear Millennial is a Tan Lines production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Megan explores the emotional journey of saying goodbye to her childhood home, unlocking family memories and healing along the way. Joined by Cari, whose family once owned the house Megan currently lives in, they reflect on the significance of spaces and the physical doors that connect us to our past. Dive into this rebroadcasted episode as it discuss family legacies, childhood memories, and the profound impact of parting ways with a home that shaped us. If you had to give up your childhood home and have an experience to share, email me at [email protected] or call (442) 444-0756‬‬ and leave a voicemail. ********** If you want to support the new iteration of Millennial become a member. Go to Patreon.com/DearMillennial. With your membership you'll have access to behind-the-scenes footage, extended cuts, and will be able to vote on what you want the show to talk about. Follow Megan at @meganleetan and the show @millennialpodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Megan Tan, creator of the award-winning podcast Millennial, is back with a new vision for 2024. Listen now to reconnect with the heart of Millennial, and be a part of its exciting future by supporting the show on Patreon. Go to www.patreon.com/dearmillennial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Mother’s Day! This story is dedicated to my mother and is about my mother Susan Tan. For the past nine years, I’ve recorded most of our telephone conversations. In 2019, when my mother found herself in her 70s, newly divorced after more than 40 years of marriage and looking for the next love of her life, I started to record more of our conversations. What started as daughter-to-mother exchanges of advice, has turned into an eight-part Audible Original series called “Now or Never: How to Find Love When Love Feels Impossible.”  Together, we made this series with the intention to inspire and encourage anyone who has given up on love. Throughout the series, I am my mother’s dating coach. I help her navigate making a dating profile, scammers, ghosters, going on a first date, getting heartbroken — all the ups and downs of love and dating. This is episode one. To listen to the entire series go to audible.com/nowornever. Thank you so much for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices