We were lucky to catch up with Heather Redisch recently and have shared our conversation below.

Heather, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The Story Behind Adulting101 Masterclass
I’ve always been fascinated by human behavior—how people think, what motivates them, and how they connect with others. I’ve also always been someone who learns by observing. Watching those ahead of me, I paid close attention to what worked—and what didn’t—as they navigated life.

I remember being in my 20s, stepping into the “real world” and thinking: Why is there no guide for this? College was over, but no one had prepared me for what came next. It felt like a free-for-all.

I ended up using my psychology degree in ways I never imagined—leading me into a career in recruitment, talent management, and people operations. I loved helping people find roles where they could thrive, but what I found even more fulfilling was shaping workplace cultures that allowed them to truly succeed.

Over the years, I’ve interviewed, coached, and managed employees across all generations. But something changed with entry-level candidates within the last 5 years.

Their confidence was eroding.

I was meeting incredibly bright graduates from top universities who struggled to hold conversations with hiring managers, hesitated to express themselves clearly, and sent thank-you notes riddled with grammatical errors.

They weren’t lacking intelligence—they were lacking real-world communication skills the workplace demands.

Then, in December 2022, I read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. As a mother of three, it hit me deeply. In the first chapter, he compares giving kids smartphones to sending them to Mars—without realizing the long-term consequences.

That analogy stopped me in my tracks and sparked “The Lightbulb Moment.”

The smartphone was officially launched in 2007. The first generation to experience puberty with full access to smartphones? They’re the very same young adults entering the workforce today.

It all clicked.

Between smartphones, the isolation of Covid, and over-parenting, Gen Z wasn’t just struggling with workplace expectations—they had never been given the tools to develop critical communication and executive functioning skills in the first place.

They grew up in a digital-first world, where in-person interactions, nuanced conversations, and the ability to navigate real-world professional dynamics weren’t second nature.

At the same time, I saw a glaring gap between what companies expected from entry-level employees and what these young professionals were actually prepared to deliver.

The workplace had not adapted to Gen Z.
And Gen Z had not been prepared to meet traditional workplace expectations.

This wasn’t just an observation—it was a problem that needed solving.

And so, Adulting101 Masterclass was born.
Through coaching cohorts for rising and recent grads, I cover essential life and workplace skills—job searching, financial literacy, career coaching, communicating with confidence, mental health, evolving friendships, moving to a new city, and more.

I also work directly with companies, training their Gen Z employees on workplace etiquette, executive functioning, giving and receiving feedback, and other key professional expectations.

That’s when my purpose became clear: to bridge the gap.

I’m passionate about empowering rising and recent grads to step into the workforce with confidence, skills, and clarity. At the same time, I help leaders and organizations adapt to the needs of this new generation.

Because this isn’t just about Gen Z succeeding—it’s about building workplaces where every generation can thrive together.

Looking back, it feels like every piece of my career—recruiting, talent management, culture-building—has led me here.

This isn’t just work for me.

It’s a mission to create a future workforce that is prepared, empowered, and ready to redefine success.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I turned my purpose into my business, which led me to launch the Adulting101 Masterclass.

After spending nearly 25 years in recruitment, talent management, and workplace culture-building, I noticed a significant gap: the disconnect between generations in the workplace, especially as college grads transition into adulthood.

That realization shifted my focus to helping young professionals feel equipped and confident to navigate the complexities of both life and work, while also guiding leaders to better understand and support this new generation.

Adulting101 Masterclass was built to address the real-world challenges of adulthood—things like finding and keeping a job, managing bills, saving for retirement, prioritizing physical and mental health, moving into your first “adult” apartment, making new friends, managing time effectively, and so much more. These are the practical skills they didn’t learn in school but are essential to thriving in the real world.

What I want people to know about my brand is that it’s grounded in authenticity and connection. I’ve seen how important it is to feel seen, understood, and supported.

That’s exactly what I aim to deliver—whether I’m training GenZ cohorts, talking with parents or working with companies my mission and passion is to help this generation take their first steps into adulthood with tools, resources, and confidence.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience isn’t just about pushing through hard moments—it’s about adapting, learning, and coming out stronger on the other side.

For me, one of my biggest tests of resilience came when I stepped away from the stability of a successful corporate career to build something entirely my own—not once, but twice.

First, I launched my Executive Search and Talent Management firm, The Talent Maven, in January 2020—just two months before the world shut down.

Suddenly, I found myself navigating a brand-new business in an industry that thrives on in-person relationships, all while juggling three kids at home—one in preschool, one in second grade, and one in fourth. My days were a whirlwind of Zoom calls, homeschooling, and figuring out how to keep my business alive in an uncertain market.

But I kept showing up.

I found new ways to connect with clients and candidates, helping them navigate hiring and career decisions in an environment none of us had ever seen before. At the same time, the workplace was undergoing a transformation—remote work went from a luxury to a necessity. Now, years later, we’re seeing the lasting impact: companies are desperate to bring employees back to the office, but employees are pushing back, demanding flexibility.

What I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that Covid’s impact wouldn’t just reshape work—it would reshape an entire generation.

Fast forward five years, and I noticed something troubling. The college students and young professionals entering the workforce today are the same kids who missed critical years of high school and college due to Covid—and it shows.

And so, I took another leap.

I launched Adulting101 Masterclass, a company dedicated to bridging the gap between Gen Z and the workplace—helping young professionals build confidence, workplace etiquette, communication skills, and career foundations that they never had the chance to develop.

Building one company is hard. Building two? In the midst of global and generational shifts? That takes resilience.

But here’s what I’ve learned: resilience isn’t about avoiding risk.

It’s about stepping into uncertainty and betting on yourself anyway.

One of my all-time favorite quotes: “When you bet on yourself you always win.”

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The Lesson I Had to Unlearn: Complaining Doesn’t Create Change

When I first started Adulting101 Masterclass, I approached it from a Gen X lens—pointing out all the challenges I saw with Gen Z in the workplace.

They lacked resilience.
They struggled with reliability.
They seemed entitled.
They had no sense of etiquette.

And I wasn’t alone—so many leaders from my generation were frustrated by the behaviors and expectations of young professionals entering the workforce.

But as I spent more time working directly with Gen Z, I had a wake-up call.

My generation—Gen X—was complaining about the problem, but not actually doing anything to fix it.

We were judging Gen Z through our own experiences, without taking a step back to recognize why they operate differently.

If we want Gen Z to succeed, we have to stop blaming them for their lived experience and start helping them navigate it.

This is a generation that grew up in a completely different world—one shaped by smartphones, social media, helicopter parenting, and Covid disruption. The rules we followed no longer applied, and yet, we were expecting them to play the same game.

So, I had to unlearn the finger-pointing approach and embrace the bridge-building approach.

Instead of criticizing what Gen Z lacks, I started focusing on how to equip them with the skills they were never given.

Instead of blaming them for not meeting traditional expectations, I started working with companies to help them adjust and develop this new workforce.

And that’s when everything changed.

Gen Z isn’t the problem.
They are simply the product of a world we created.

Now, my work is about solutions—helping young professionals build confidence, workplace etiquette, communication skills, and executive functioning while also helping companies understand how to lead and develop them effectively.

Because complaining is easy.

But real leadership? That’s about adapting, teaching, and creating change.

And that’s exactly what I set out to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adulting101masterclass.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adulting101_masterclass/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=adulting%20101-%20masterclass
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherredisch/