Why Gen Z Is Redefining Work, Wealth, and What Matters with Ziad Ahmed of United Talent Agency

We sit down with Ziad Ahmed, Head of Next Gen at United Talent Agency and Founder of JUV Consulting, the Gen Z marketing consultancy he built at 16 and grew into a trusted partner for more than 20 Fortune 500 companies before its acquisition by UTA. We explore what traditional institutions get wrong about Gen Z, why real conversation, not more research, is the path past generational assumptions, and how a generation shaped by inequality, comparison, and a global pandemic is rewriting its relationship to work, money, and what a meaningful life actually looks like.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Introduction.

• 02:15 Executives rarely speak with Gen Z as equals; most conversations happen through a lens of hierarchy, not partnership.

• 03:44 Bridging the generational gap starts with unlearning outdated assumptions about status, hierarchy, and credentialing.

• 06:12 Across generations, most people share the same overwhelm; what differs is what triggers it and how often.

• 09:00 Ziad founded JUV Consulting at 16, sold it at 25, and now leads Next Gen at United Talent Agency.

• 10:00 Income inequality is at a modern high, fueling a shared, cross-generational sense that the world feels unequal.

• 11:11 Constant social comparison online is reshaping Gen Z's approach to dating, careers, and long-term commitment.

• 12:23 The pandemic forced a moment of recalibration, pushing many to question the paths they'd been given.

• 14:40 More of Gen Z is asking whether the goal is wealth, impact, alignment, or simply a joyful life.
• 15:04 Economic uncertainty is driving polarized spending habits, with the same person swinging between austerity and indulgence.
• 17:11 Ziad's hope is a less zero-sum world, with Gen Z helping model what shared, mutual progress looks like.

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“Most people of all generations are trying to get through the day without crying and are overwhelmed by the weight of the world.”

- Ziad Ahmed

Resources Mentioned:

• Planning Alternatives True Wealth Assessment

• United Talent Agency

Connect with the guests:

LinkedIn: Ziad Ahmed

Connect with Nathan Mersereau:

Phone: 248-645-1520 
Email: nathan.mersereau@planningalt.com
LinkedIn: Nathan Mersereau
Address: 255 S Old Woodward, Suite 310
Birmingham, MI 48009