Creating Connecting With Your Teen with Robin Savidge

Robin Savidge - Let's Rise Academy 
https://letsriseacademy.com/

Email - Connection to info@letsriseacademy.com 

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Denise is a Clinical Psychologist turned Dream Life Coach and knows that she is making more of an impact now, as an online life and business coach than she did in the corporate world.

She has a 12 week overcoming self-sabotage course that helps clients align their Dream Life Pathway - gain clarity for what they want next, clear the cobwebs of the heart, and create the daily habits that will lead them to success. 

As we retrain your subconscious brain and reprogram limiting beliefs, the changes you experience in 90 day u turn will support you (and your family) for years to come. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to Coaching for Coaches. My name is Denise Walsh, and in this podcast, we help you elevate your coaching practice so you can actually see client results and build a thriving business. Our next guest is a speaker, a personality expert, and leadership coach with 31 years of experience helping teens, leaders, and organizations strengthen communication, build confidence, and unlock potential. As the founder of Let's Rise Academy, she empowers people and teens to live and lead with authenticity and purpose. She is a dream life coach and is focused in on the teen market because let's face it, teens need all the support they can get. So big welcome to Robin Savage.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Hi, Denise.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

Yay! All right. Well, I'm excited to chat with you. We've been working together for quite a while, uh, and you have a unique experience to working with teens. So I want to kind of come at this with a few lenses. Number one, there's going to be parents listening. And parents of teens know that they cannot be the only adult speaking life into their child, right? We need a community of people who are speaking life and love and support into our kids. And so I'm excited for parents to hear and learn a bit more on how they can foster connection and understand their child. But we're also talking to fellow coaches. So coaches who want to potentially level up their skill set in working with teens. And so I think that your topic today is going to impact both of those people. So if you're a parent, if you're a coach and you work with teens, uh, or you work with parents because you're going to want to share with them some of these skills as well, Robin is going to be speaking your language today. So before we jump into what you do now, Robin, let's hear a little bit about where you came from and why you decided that teens was where your heart lies.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Yeah, well, I actually was a teacher. I taught for over 31 years. I taught middle schoolers and high schoolers in a variety of capacities, uh, everything from uh teaching students who were in special needs programs to co-teaching in classes that were college prep. So I worked with students in all levels uh as an advisor for different clubs. I mean, teens have been a big part of my life, you know, for a long time. Uh so while I was teaching, I was very starkly aware of the fact that there were certain things that students were, they would graduate and they were still missing certain skills. And they weren't your typical academic skills. That wasn't the issue. It was more those soft skills, uh being able to interact with others, collaboration, communication, things of that nature. And they were graduating without them. However, while I was a teacher, there was no time in the school day or space in the curriculum of my content area to teach those things. So I thought, you know, maybe I could do something with about that. And uh I was thinking about retiring early, and uh, but I didn't know what life was going to look like on the other side of that. Um I took your 90-day U-turn program actually twice. And in that process is when I became reacquainted with that little seed that was in my heart to be able to create a space for teenagers to grow in ways that they might not normally in the school day, uh, to be able to tap into who they are and realize that their unique creation that they are is just so important to the world and um for them to be able to excel. So I decided I wasn't finished working with teenagers. So I retired and started Let's Rise Academy in order to continue that work just in a different way and uh in a way that can support what goes on in the school as well as in the home.

SPEAKER_02 4:15

Well, arguably, the soft skills, the people skills, the emotion regulation skills, the communication skills end up being some of the most important. I mean, those are the things that can separate you from the pack and actually help you succeed in life even more than history class.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Absolutely. Yes. I had the wonderful opportunity of connecting with a variety of people in a variety of industries in my area. And one of the key things that they said time and time again was we don't just look for people who know how to do the technical skills that they can teach on the job, frankly. It's the it is those soft skills, those people skills that a lot of students are missing. And when they go into the workforce, those are things that you know they can't teach. So yeah, trying to help them with that is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

My brother's a lawyer and he said the same thing. He was like, oftentimes the lawyering, the paperwork, the that can be the system of the you of the corporation or whatever can be taught while you're there. They're looking for someone who would gel in the community, who is fun to work with, who you know elevates the vibe of the area. Um so I love that though, that's what you focus on. You help teenagers level up who they show up as. And I think when they do that, they separate themselves from the pack. And I bet it gives them more confidence too.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think a lot of times they spend so much time either trying to be like someone else, you know, or uh not appreciating the qualities that they have. And when they do tap into that, it definitely builds their confidence. They realize that they are capable of more than they even thought was possible.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

Yeah, I love it. All right, so why do you think teenage is teenage hood? Those years can be so challenging. Uh, teens can feel disconnected, overwhelmed. It can feel like the world is on their shoulder, which is such a heavy burden, um, or the world is their oyster, they have so many options, um, or they're so short-sighted that they don't even see past the next day. So tell me a little bit more about teens in general and why it's such a challenging time in life.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

It's funny because you named so many things that actually would answer that question. The teens today are faced with challenges that we just didn't have because of the fact that they're the access to information is so great. And developmentally, they haven't actually matured to the point of knowing how to handle all of this influx of information. You also have the fact that they're dealing with a lot of comparison in ways that are different. You know, when I was in high school, it was pretty much the comparison of me and the people who are around me. Here, it's comparison through the internet, through social media uh with themselves and people from all over. Um, and also not understanding how to um dissect that and the fact that what they're seeing is a highlight reel, right? So that's a big part of it. And um there we're just a very fast-paced environment, um, our society is. So that's another challenge that I find that teens have uh that's causing a lot of stress is having to figure everything out, you know, by the time they're in eighth grade, you know, what is it you want to do with the rest of your life? You want to start high school knowing it, you know, so you can move in that direction. I mean, that's a lot of pressure on someone who's 14, you know. Uh so those things are, you know, and it comes from all angles, right? I mean, they're inundated with these messages, whether it is through social media or even through their own environments, it could be through school, even, uh, to have it all figured out and they haven't had that opportunity to be able to connect with who they really are, so it can lead them to where they want to be. So, yeah, lots of pressure for these young people.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

Lots of pressure, lots of information. Their brain isn't developed yet, their emotional skill set isn't developed yet. Right. And I love what you said. They don't even know who they really are yet to be able to say, this is my strength, this is my weakness, this is what I enjoy. They are still playing around, trying to figure it out. And so I know that you do a personality testing as a part of your program. Why and how is that important for not only the teen, but for the parents to understand their teens?

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Oh, goodness. It it's such an eye-opening experience when you come across a tool that can help people in such a way as this. Uh, what happens when teens realize that number one, their personality is not an accident. You know, it has a purpose and they can show up in the world with their being proud of who they are. Uh, that again builds confidence. It's very difficult when you're walking around through life, kind of feeling like, you know, I don't know why I do the things that I do, or everyone tells me I'm too loud or I'm too quiet, or you know, I'm too this or too that. I'm I'm too much, you know, I'm not enough. Those things resonate with kids and it sticks with them. But when they realize that those aspects of their personality are actually a gift and they can use it as an asset, you know, it's not something that has to be fixed. They can use it, it really does help them to build confidence and help them to actually explore uh different opportunities that they might not have before. If I could share a quick story, um I got to present at a Rotary Youth Leadership conference, and I had one young man who came up to me after my talk and he said, you know, I really appreciate this talk about personality because I never thought I had the personality to be a leader. He said, That I never thought that. People would sometimes put me in positions, but I didn't think I had the personality. He intended to be a little bit more reserved, you know, and not the loudest person in the room. But he realized that that part of his personality is what people need, also, you know, and so he left feeling empowered. So that was pretty exciting to see that uh realization come from him.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Right. Because I mean, I think adults need this too, because I think we do, we walk around, we compare ourselves, we think, oh, I gotta get better at this, so then I can be XYZ. When in fact, leaning into our strengths is where it's at. And so if you can identify your strengths as a 14, 15, 16-year-old and really lean into them, embrace them, and choose jobs or curriculum or you know, hobbies that that bring you joy that are a natural part of your strengths, I think that just will help people long term. Yes. So when you go through personality, you're talking about how do they handle stress? Like that's a that there may be things that help them more than others, or how they communicate that could be different. And if you have a parent who has one type of personality and then you have a child with another, they could butt head. So how and why is it important for parents and teens to understand this about each other so they don't expect the opposite from each other, if that makes any sense.

SPEAKER_01 11:59

It makes total sense because that's generally how we operate, you know, it's like we give based on our own personality and we expect the same. And when we understand that not, we're all not wired the same, then it changes what our expectation is. Um, for example, I mean, we all we always know as parents that all all of our children are different, right? We know that. However, when you understand why and what it is that makes them different, it changes everything. It really does. When you understand that maybe this child is not like just trying to come at you, you know, it's just that they're more driven, you know, and they're they look at results and maybe not so much the details, but like they're just looking at the end game, you know, and that's where they're going. That's part of their personality. And you understand that a little bit more, and then how you respond to them is different. I think that's the biggest key. It's great to know your own personality, but when you also start to see the differences in others and understand that I can respond differently, which creates a much calmer, more peaceful relationship. And that's across the board as parents, coworkers, you know, students in school with teams and clubs, all across the board. It's so beneficial.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

What would be an example of uh responding well to an emotional teen?

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Yeah, and again, even if you think of an emotional teen, that can play out differently depending on their personality, right? Some teens who are more emotional are more vocal, and others who are more emotional, they may withdraw and you know, might lock themselves in their room for a while, that type of thing. And if you have teens like that, and I'm thinking about my own, well, they're not teens now, they're much into adulthood, uh, but when they were growing up, they did react differently. And so the one, if he was more reserved, giving him that space to be able to process and not continue the conversation at that moment, sometimes giving that time for them to kind of figure out what they want to say. Uh, some teens, because of their personality, need that time and they're not going to have ready answers. They have to, they want to really process that. Uh, they're the thinkers, they're the ones who, you know, are very analytical and they want to process what they have to say, and then trying to approach them when they're not ready does usually can um cause some type of you know altercation, which we don't want. So that is one of the things that I think is very helpful. And then the one who, you know, needs to be active, you know, like they want maybe it's they work out better if you go for a walk and talk with them, you know, because you know, the focus isn't as intense, but they're doing something and now they're opening up a little bit more, you know, to having those conversations. So yeah, that's where that personality thing is really huge and helping to find a strategy when working with our darlings.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Right, right. Find a strategy and recognizing that oftentimes the explosiveness or an emotional day is not about you at all. And I think sometimes parents can take things personally. Why are you so rude? Why are you disrespecting me? You know, they can they can kind of match that emotion with their response, which then creates a volcano. When we recognize that teenagers are learning, they're growing, they are not, they do not have a developed brain. They are, they they may think they, I mean, remember us when we were teens, right? We think we know it all, uh, but really their world is still so small. So uh somebody not saying hi to them at school can put them in a bad mood and impact the rest of their day, and they come home in a huff and it has nothing to do with you, but the way you respond to them truly can open the doors to communication or shut it down. So, what would be a way to open the door to communication with a huffy teenager who you're really just not quite sure what's going on?

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Yeah, well, if you have a huffy teenager, and I I had a huffy teenager, uh, but if you have a huffy teenager, um, it's sometimes it's just giving them the opportunity to approach the topic like on their terms, if you will, giving them that that not just the space, but allowing them to um get it out in the way that they have to get it out. You know, sometimes they can huff and puff. And then if you continue with the conversation, then they start to ease up a little bit. Uh, sometimes you could see them relax a little bit more. Uh, helping them to relax is a good thing. Uh, and that depends on what that child's personality is and what their likes and dislikes are. Um, you know, like for one, a great thing for one of my um children was to play video games with him because he was in his own space at that point in his own world, and it helped him to just relieve the stress, and then we could just we could just talk while we were both playing, you know, which is something that I wouldn't have, you know, thought would have been, you know, a great thing to do. But then now looking back, it definitely fits right in with everything that I've learned over the years, and that's like meeting them where they are, and then going from there and creating that space for them to be able to calm down and then they can express.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

I often find too that teens don't even know why they're angry sometimes. You know, they just feel a certain feeling, right? Their emotions are all over the place, their hormones are all over the place. They don't know necessarily why they're being huffy at that moment. Um, so sometimes it's a physiological thing, it's a hormone thing, it's a let's take some deep breaths, let's go run, let's get it out, let's, you know, play some video games or go swing on the swings or you know, do something fun. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a deep conversation. And then sometimes you get to say, all right, so something is bugging you and it's been eaten at you. And I know it's not me because mothers are the best. So what else in your life is going on? Like we did something happen today that made you feel insecure or um or not confident, or I'm just thinking of you know, high school hallways. What happened? And I think that talking about those emotions can be really helpful for teens. I mean, heck adults too, because sometimes we can't, it's hard to name it. It's hard to talk about if we don't really even understand what's happening.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

Right. And it's such a tumultuous time, you know, for for the young people, um, with so much happening, like you said, with hormones and just social, you know, um, things they have to navigate, it's very difficult for them. And many times, like you said, they don't have the words to describe what they're feeling. And when they're given that time and given that space, uh, and whatever that looks like, right, for that child. I like how you said maybe go for a run together, because you might have that that child who who just needs that physical outlet in order to be able to now process, and that's very helpful. So, yeah, definitely finding what works for them in that respect and helping them put words to the feelings is huge.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

Often a emotional reaction is you know a trigger of something they're already insecure about. And so if you find an emotional outburst, typically there's insecurity like woven underneath. And so figuring out what um what that child has been insecure about can can at least help them talk through it so they know that it's not it's not the kids in the hallway. Um it's not, you know, most of the time it's never about you anyway, and so it's not about them either when they're feeling insecure or somebody didn't say hi or whatever the case may be. Um, so what are some ways I know what in in our in previous podcasts we've talked about in order to in order to have hard conversations with spouses, with teens, you need to be able to have regular conversations. So it's like talking in general is an important piece of the relationship. So that way when something hard comes up, they feel more connected to you, they feel like they're you know able to open up. If you can't talk in general, if you're just living in a space together, but you're not actually communicating, if there's no time to say, how was your day? What's going on in your world, then when something hard happens, you're not gonna get a good conversation because that relationship isn't there. Uh so what are some ways that parents can foster that connection overall? So that way, if and when a huffy teenager comes home, they are they have a connection that would invite a conversation.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Yeah, that is such an important part. And um, I like to preface this by saying if you have children who are in the preteen stage or even younger than that, uh, I would suggest starting some of these. Yeah, for sure. At that point, right? Because now you have built a routine, it's easy to continue. Um, it doesn't come across as, oh, wait, I did something wrong, so now we're going to do whatever this is, right? Um, so some things I like are like um creating shared rituals. And I think that's pretty cool because you establish um some type of regular activity that you can enjoy together. And that can be really anything on a weekly basis, maybe like A weekly movie night, or maybe you get to cook a meal together, or going for a walk together, just something that allows you to have that time together. That's the big thing. I think we underestimate how much our children want to spend time with us. You know, it's easy for us to say, Oh, I just want to be around my kids all the time, but we don't always recognize that they actually really do want that, even when they're a little huffy as a teenager. They do want to spend time with us, even though it doesn't feel that way. Uh, but that's a pretty important one that I think because when you provide that consistently, then that also opens up avenues for conversation, which is huge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

I think of going taking the dog for a walk. You know, we live on six acres, so we have to drive to the path. You know, we don't yeah, it's not as easy for us. But taking the dog for a walk, we have a couple paths that we do. One ends in ice cream, and it's it's something that again, it's not like they're gonna talk about hard stuff every time we hang out, but these little moments are the things that would uh create that relationship to talk about the hard stuff when it happens. So walking the dog. Um, I remember thinking, like, oh, I really want to take my boys out to eat one at a time. And then I thought, well, they're not gonna plan it. So if I want this to happen, I have to plan it. So I started planning once a month where we could just go together just out to eat, just the two of us. And so I asked Eli, I was like, what if we went and did a burger spot uh all around town to find the best like Grand Rapids burger? And he was like, How about steak? So we went to Outback and Logan's and Brands, and now we have this like in my notes app, we rated their fries and their burger and their atmosphere, and it was just a fun memory. And then I remember Owen, he was like mac and cheese was his deal. So we were like, well, we'll just go to that his favorite mac and cheese place, right? But we were I remember we played this game where we would get out the map on my phone and we would scroll and randomly stop at a place and then we'd learn about it. So we we weren't saying, How was your day during dinner? We were kind of doing a shared activity where we were brainstorming, oh my gosh, we should go to Bali. What would that look like? And dreaming together. And I remember like I remember those things. I don't know if they do or not, but I think as parents, we are in the car a lot. We are doing kind of life's normal things all the time. And so to have those specialty moments is important is important.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Absolutely. I totally agree. I love that so much. That kind of leads me into another one, uh especially since you mentioned being in the car. It's sharing a showing a genuine interest in their passions. Yeah. Um, I remember my my boys are like almost five years apart, and there was a time when they both were very, very into Screamo music. And did you think Screamo, yes, yes. It actually sounds like they're screaming. You know, it's like kind of like, I don't know, heavy metal. I don't know, heavy metal and screaming, and it was not my favorite style of music. Let's just start there. But because we were in the car a lot on our way to soccer practice, on our way to and from school, things of that nature, I had a role that they could play their music, you know, they could control, you know, what we're listening to. Yeah. And I was not really enjoying the music, but it was interesting because I would ask, oh, tell me about this artist. What do you like about them? And uh now, do you like this one better than the other? You know, we could have those conversations just in general about something that was of interest to them. And that was really a lot of fun. I remember my husband taking our um younger son, he loves football, to a Steelers versus the Browns in Pittsburgh. We live in New Jersey, okay, in Pittsburgh, and it was New Year's Eve, and it was like eight degrees. My husband does not like either team, you know. That's not he's not a fan, but Jonathan was. So he took the took him there. They had a great time, you know, and it's something that he still remembers to this day as a 25-year-old, you know. Uh, so it's like taking an interest in things that they're passionate about, whether it's music or sports or books or video games, even, you know. I mean, I know video games get a lot of bad rap because, you know, they're so time consuming. But, you know, if it is an interest, there are something, there are conversations you can have around that. You know, they won't be those deep conversations, but again, like you mentioned with the last point, it's just opening that door because if we're talking now, then they're more likely to talk to you later. And that's what you want to establish that that um influence and connection.

SPEAKER_02 27:04

Yeah, absolutely. It's like pick and choose your battles, you know. Like you could have made the car ride a fight every day, but instead you said, You're in charge of the vibe, guys. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_01 27:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

And and pick and choose what's really important. The important thing is that connection during the car. My son, who's a sixth grader now, so when he was in elementary school, it'd be like nine o'clock at night, and he'd be like, Mom, you want to go swing on the swings? And I'd think, who no, no, I do not. I do not want to swing on, it's like time for bed, you know? So I would take a deep breath and I'd say, Let me finish what I'm doing, because I'm typically like not sitting around. And so I would finish what I'm doing, and I realized that we'd go sit on the swings, we'd look at the moon, we'd look at the stars, um, we would tell stories, and it was like 15 minutes. And it was never a big deal at the end of the day for me to take that time to do it, but the connection that it brought, and I always knew too, or I started to think, I wonder if he wants to talk to me. And that's why he's saying, Let's go sit on the swings, um, because he's got something to say. And so I I remember taking a deep breath and going, totally do. Yep, let's do it. Give me a minute. And he doesn't do it now. Now he's too cool, so it doesn't last long.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

It doesn't, but I can tell you, being on the flip side, they come back, you know, and in that respect and like have conversations. And yeah, it's it's a lot of fun as they get older too.

SPEAKER_02 28:42

All right. Well, I want to hear one more, one more idea for building that connection with your with your team.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

Yeah, um, empowering them with responsibility. That is sometimes so underrated, you know, because and I think particularly, I know myself, you know, as a mom, it's one of those things where it's sometimes it's just easier for me to do things for myself. I always felt, you know, it's like I could just do it. But allowing them to be a part of like decision making. So let's say you're planning a vacation. Well, maybe just, you know, have them be a part of the planning, you know, uh, deciding what it is that they might want to do. Uh, what how much time do we need to budget while we're on vacation to do whatever those activities are? Uh, having them have a voice is so helpful. And it often also comes across as less confrontational, like we're not necessarily um just pushing things on them, but giving them some of that responsibility and helping them to kind of be in partnership with us for certain things, whether it's tasks around the home or, like I said, planning a vacation, or maybe planning even what is movie night going to be this week, and having one child just take responsibility for planning it, what the movie's going to be, what snacks we're going to have, what beverages, you know, all of that. And it gives them that again, it creates that connection, which is what we're shooting for.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

I can imagine uh some like a you know, a middle schooler being like, all right, we're gonna watch this movie and here's the popcorn. And when they see everybody enjoying it, yes, and they see everybody like excited about it, I think that would be a pretty cool experience for them too.

SPEAKER_01 30:23

Yeah, responsibility doesn't have to be a scary thing, you know. Um, you know, it could be something lighthearted like that. And like I said, yes, chores, I mean, that's part of being responsible and living in a household, you know, giving them that responsibility. Actually, it encourages them in growing in independence, frankly. You know, I mean, that's a big deal too. You know, they realize, oh, I can do these things, you know, and which is pretty cool. So yeah, I love that being able to give them that responsibility and watch them, you know, just be so proud.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Yeah. I recently saw a reel and it was like, boys need jobs, they want jobs so they can feel good afterwards. And I was like, okay. So I left the list when I was out for the day. And I was like, all right, here's some things to get done while I'm gone. And they did it, and they were proud of it, and it wasn't a big deal. It took 10 minutes, you know, for them to organize the steel chips and throw them away and you know, whatever jobs I gave them. Um, but it was cool for me to see them step up and for them to feel proud of themselves in the process.

SPEAKER_01 31:24

Right. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

All right. So you have a program where you work with teens, you help them understand their personality, you help them lean into their strengths, learn communication skills, build their EQ, as we call it, right? Their emotional quotient of handling some of these tough emotions. Tell us about your program.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Yeah, yeah. It's called Let's Rise Leadership Academy, and it is for teenagers uh from ages 14 to 19, and it's really awesome. We get to connect with teens all over through virtual, it's virtual, so that's why I get to work with teens all over. And we get to connect uh once a week during that time. We talk a bit about some of the basic things, like, you know, what are we doing the testing so they can kind of see what where their strengths are uh and their personalities lie. And then we also talk about, you know, things that get in our way sometimes, right? Like our limiting beliefs that get in our way, or maybe we have some behaviors that get in our way, or those self-sabotaging behaviors, and they get to grow and learn those communication skills. They learn how to collaborate because that is an extremely necessary skill as they're moving on into the workplace or into college or whatever platform they're going into after high school. It's so important that they can work with others, and a lot of that is based on communication and personality, actually. But they also work with time management and they do planning for a service project. And that's probably one of my favorite parts uh because I've noticed over the years that when teenagers have an opportunity to impact other people, it builds their confidence so much and they realize, oh my goodness, I actually can help. You know, I don't have to wait until I'm, you know, old to figure it out. You know, I can do these things, I can be impactful. And every teen that has that opportunity always loves that as part of what we do. Yeah. So that's a lot of what we do.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

A 12-week program, is that right?

SPEAKER_01 33:32

It is a 12-week program, yes.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

Meet weekly and other lessons that they do in between, or is it all done during your meeting time?

SPEAKER_01 33:38

Yeah, yeah. There are lessons that they do. There's a very brief video of the topic that we're going to talk about, and they have a little activity that they do as well. So when we meet together virtually, that's our time to kind of unpack things a little bit. Uh, since they've, you know, they've processed some of these things over the course of the week where they can engage with one another. And that's important too, because when they realize that they have a community of other students who are on the same type of journey as they are, that's huge. Sometimes it's easy to feel alone, you know, um, in in their own attempts to grow. And this way they're with other growth-minded, you know, people. So yeah, so it's pretty exciting uh for them. And then we, you know, it's about an hour, is our class when we meet, which is fun. And uh they interact and yeah, it's a good time.

SPEAKER_02 34:31

And would this be something they can put on their kind of college application as something they completed, an extracurricular leadership activity? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Absolutely, yes, yes. I've had the privilege of working with a woman who um is a former admissions officer at um one of the colleges in my area. And she has told me time and time again that there are two main things that admissions officers are looking for. They're looking for teens who have extensive community service and leadership. So they're going to get a certificate for completing the Let's Rise Leadership Academy, and they also get service credit hours for participating and planning and actually implementing our service project, whatever the service project might be. So, yeah, so I I thought about that because you know, coming from the education background myself, I'm like, we've got to make this something that, you know, is going to really benefit them, not just, you know, in the ways that we know this program would, you know, with the soft skills, but in a way that's going to help them really stand out among their peers.

SPEAKER_02 35:44

The the aha moments found within the program of, oh, this is not just a quirk that I have, this is part of my personality, or okay, I'm a detailed person, or I'm a not detailed person, or all of that I think is huge. Learning how to talk to yourself, learning, you know, how your thoughts impact your behaviors, all of that are stuff that sometimes adults don't even know. And so to be able to give them that 1% shift as a teen, I think is is priceless because they are going to show up in the workplace even a step ahead of some of the adults in their in their room. That's right. Yes, yes. You have any cool testimonies of people that have gone through the program?

SPEAKER_01 36:26

Yeah, yeah, actually. Um it's funny because there was one young lady when she entered the program. Uh, the main thing was she lacked confidence. That was the biggest uh thing, and her parents were concerned about that because they saw so much potential in her. But they felt she's just not pushing herself, you know, and things of that nature. And a big part of it was the confidence. Um, she didn't think she could, or she felt like there were always people in her space that were better qualified or had better skills than she did. And she did get to take a look at her personality and and you know, see what her assessment came out as and and saw that, oh, well, I actually am qualified. It's just I might need more time to actually process. She was more reserved for sure. Uh, but she did love people, you know, like she had a big heart for people. So she learned that that is a reason why she could pursue leadership. Because that big heart that she has means she's going to look out for the people that she is serving because she wants the best for them. She wants the best for whoever is around. And that's that was huge for her to realize, oh, that's actually a good thing. She didn't have to be the boisterous person, you know, the one with all the ideas thrown out, you know, she didn't have to be that person. She could show up as who she is and still make an impact. And that was so incredible when she realized that uh she went on to run for, what did she run for? I think it was vice president, I believe it was, of the Leo Club at her school, which was pretty cool. Um, so yeah, so I love that story. Um, you know, there are so many others that has just been incredible to see.

SPEAKER_02 38:17

That's uh yeah, leaders don't need to be the loudest. And when you understand that you can make an impact and improve your community by being who you are, uh, that's a great lesson to learn. So building confidence, especially in your teenage years, is is a game changer. So, how can people number one? Well, we've got two things for them. Number one, you've got a program coming up here. Yes. Uh, and you also have a freebie that they can grab that gives a ton of other ideas on how to foster that connection. Uh, so how can they, number one, grab that freebie and then number two, learn more about your program?

SPEAKER_01 38:55

Yes, yes, my freebie, it's a guide on ways to connect with your team, to keep that connection. Um one of the most important things, you know, in parenting is having developing a relationship so that when they are older and out of the house, they still want to come back and you still have influence, which is huge, right? So I think that's so cool. So it's really kind of like a little guide to keep fostering that that communication, that connection with your team. And if you want that, you can just email me at info at let's riseacademy.com and I'll shoot that right out to you.

SPEAKER_02 39:31

Awesome. And then if they want more information on your teen program, teen leadership program, let's riseacademy.com.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

Yep, let's riseacademy.com. Yes, we're going to have a session that's going to start in June because we're going to be going through the summer, doing some things that are going to be pretty cool. It'll take a little bit of time away from just playing video games all summer or sleeping all summer.

SPEAKER_00 39:55

So if you're looking for something for them to do that can be productive, so they can be productive, then this is a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

Awesome. Awesome. All right. So everybody needs to email info at let's riseacademy.com. I'll put the link in the bio here. Uh and then also check out Let's Rise Academy. You can also email Robin if you're interested in the program. Uh, you can check out all the details about the program on her website and then reach out for that June start date. As someone with a teenager who needs all the help he can get, I think it's it's lovely to have more than just me telling him these things, right? Having other adults and other teens on a growth path is priceless. So thank you, Robin, for saying yes to your heart for teens years ago, and then continuing that in your retirement years because these soft skills are probably more important than history class all along. So thank you for being a part of that.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Oh, well, thank you. And thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 40:55

All right, you guys, give Robin some love in the comments and be sure to email her if you've got a teen or know somebody who does. Uh, we would love to add value to your family and to your teen today. Have an awesome night, you guys. We'll see you same time, same place next week.