Moving Beyond “What’s In It For Me?”: Empowering Gen Z to Become Self-Investors

How intentional self-investment, experiential learning, and supportive coaching reshape young adulthood for lasting growth.

Breaking Free from “Being Talked At”: The Crisis Facing Today’s Youth

One of the biggest takeaways I had while interviewing coach and author Sai Vasam on the Generation Youth Podcast was just how common it is for today’s youth and young adults to feel like they’ve spent their entire lives being talked at. Parents, teachers, social media influencers—even well-meaning mentors—all mean well, but the sheer volume of voices has left many young people without a clear sense of their own desires, values, and truths.

Sai captured it perfectly: “They’ve been talked at, but they haven’t spent enough time understanding, ‘Okay, this is what I actually want. This is what I actually feel.’”

This is the heart of the crisis: a generation that consumes endless information but hasn’t always been given the space or guidance to turn inward. The way forward? Helping young people move from passive consumption to intentional self-investment.

What Is a Self Investor? The Journey to Intentional Growth

Through his own story—leaving the security of a tech job, stepping into startups, pursuing coaching, and writing his book Self Investor—Sai defines self-investing as deliberately putting your time, energy, and resources into personal growth.

Unlike chasing every new podcast, online course, or productivity hack, becoming a self-investor means filtering out the noise and focusing on what truly matters. Sai pointed out that the “quarter life crisis” (often hitting between ages 20–30) is made harder by the overwhelm of too many resources.

That’s why the starting point of effective self-investment is self-awareness—taking the time to ask the deep questions about identity, values, and real goals.

Experiential Learning and Coaching: From Theory to Action

One of the most impactful things I learned from Sai is how critical experiential learning is. Growth doesn’t happen by simply absorbing advice—it happens when someone helps you put it into practice.

Sai shared how he takes coaching beyond the conversation. Sometimes that means walking with a client into a coffee shop to practice talking with strangers and break through social anxiety. Other times, it’s unpacking deeply held beliefs that quietly sabotage a person’s self-worth.

This kind of real-world, human-to-human connection matters—especially for young men, who often lack emotionally intelligent role models. By providing a safe and judgment-free space, Sai helps them rewrite the “scripts” that have shaped their choices.

Tackling the Symptoms: Who Needs Help—and How Can You Tell?

Sai’s heart for this work is aimed at recent graduates or soon-to-be graduates—those stepping out of the college bubble into a world that can feel isolating and overwhelming.

The red flags he highlighted hit close to home:

• Persistent social anxiety

• Loneliness

• Analysis paralysis around career choices

• Drowning in self-help resources but still stuck at square one

It’s not usually the lack of trying—it’s that they’ve tried everything and still don’t know what’s next.

The Power of Transformation: Real Results from Going Deep

What really struck me in our conversation was the depth of transformation Sai has seen when people commit to true self-investment.

He shared about one client who began lonely and withdrawn, weighed down by limiting beliefs. After months of journaling, coaching, and honest self-reflection, this same young man became the “life of the party,” found his people, and stepped confidently into a career he loved.

That’s the difference between surface-level advice and deep, root-level work. The goal isn’t just fixing a resume or polishing interview skills—it’s addressing mindset, self-image, relationships, and purpose so growth lasts.

Supporting the Journey: A Call to Parents, Mentors, and Youth

For parents and mentors, Sai’s challenge was powerful: stop trying to fix everything and start guiding. Young adults don’t need every answer handed to them—they need encouragement, space to fail forward, and trusted voices who empower them to own their growth.

In a world that feeds them constant content, what our youth need most isn’t more noise—it’s the courage to ask the right questions, take intentional action, and invest in themselves.

👉 Learn more about Sai Vasam’s coaching and his book at saivasam.com , or catch our full conversation on the Generation Youth Podcast .