“Launch into a life that you want to live. Not a life you're gonna have a midlife crisis from in 20 years.”

–Dr. Crystal Gifford

What if your kids didn’t go to college? Most of us grew up with the idea that college is the gold standard, but what if it isn’t right for your kids? I’m talking with Dr. Crystal Gifford and coach Summer Joy Deaton, founders of College Reimagined: LifeLaunch Core, about alternatives to college and what it really means to launch our kids.

Ideas about college are shifting. For some that means a certificate or trade training, but my guests today are looking at another option. What if we give students an opportunity to discover what it is that they really love that is also a sellable transferable skill that's going to help them have a life that's full of satisfaction.

What if young adults spent time figuring out themselves and finances? What if they figured out where what they love and how they make a living intersect—and then put time and energy there? It might mean college or entrepreneurship or many other routes, but the starting point gives them a different set of options.

We talk about: 

• Learning how to create your own economy, make money right away and avoid going so deeply into debt
• Using Human Design to understand and support your children
• What it means to launch your kids
• The importance of mentors
• Plugging into students’ inspiration
• Forging tenacity and dealing with daily challenges

ABOUT SUMMER

Meet Summer Joy Deaton, a third-generation entrepreneur with a

lifelong dedication to education and empowerment. Summer's journey

has been one of innovation, impact, and unwavering inspiration.

Impacted by her mother’s pioneering in peacemaking, at 20, Summer

initiated and implemented a restorative justice program at the Boulder

County Sheriff's Office, a legacy that continues to thrive. Her ongoing

role as CEO of ReSolutionaries, a business inherited from her mother, and

an advisory role for LCJP, another organization founded by her mother,

vividly demonstrates her commitment to meaningful impact for future

Generations.

With an affinity for charting unconventional paths, Summer has

discovered like-minded peers within the entrepreneurial community who

appreciate her alternative ways of thinking. Her knack for business

strategy and problem-solving has made her a sought-after strategists

and facilitator for entrepreneurs who are starting or scaling their

businesses. For the past 12 years, she's lent her expertise to esteemed

business masterminds, fueling her client's success with her wisdom,

business acumen and huge heart.

Today, as the co-founder of College Reimagined: LifeLaunch Core,

Summer brings her extensive business background and passion to

support the next generation of alternative thinkers to create success on

their terms.

ABOUT DR. CRYSTAL 

Students, Clients and Businesses alike are in love with Dr. Crystal!

Dr. Crystal Gifford has achieved more than twenty years of successful

experience in finance and economics serving thousands of students

and hundreds of businesses to make decisions wisely. She is an

energetic and engaging speaker who understands what it takes to

feel confident and win when making Big Life Decisions. Her unique

and fresh approach to money shifts paradigms across the globe.

Dr. Crystal earned her Doctorate of Business Administration in

International Accounting in 2008 and Master of Financial Economics 

from Ohio University in 2002. She now captivates audiences far &

wide with her fresh twist by creating joy in making decisions about

"the money. Stuff."

As the co-founder of College Reimagined: LifeLaunch Core, Dr.

Crystal's profound insight into effective learning strategies leads her

training style--to create scenarios that inspire individuals to fall in love

with learning by making it personal and putting it into action

immediately. Her passion for understanding how students learn is

fueled by the belief that our true essence can be traced back to

moments of “full expression”. Dr. Crystal's mission is centered on

helping young adults unlock their unique gifts and harness them to

prosper in the world.

LINKS

• www.collegereimagined.com

TikTok

• https://www.tiktok.com/@collegereimagined

Instagram

• https://www.instagram.com/collegereimagined/

YouTube

• https://www.youtube.com/@CollegeReimagined

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.

Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life. 

Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• JOURNAL ON LAUNCHING. There’s a difference between launching your kid and getting your kid into college. Do some journaling around your expectations for your child after high school. What do you want for them? Why? Dig into your assumptions.
• EXPLORE HUMAN DESIGN. Human design can be a really interesting tool to understand yourself and those you love. Do it for yourself, your spouse, and your kids.
• LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES. If you have kids heading into college age, look at alternatives for them, including college, trades, certificate programs, and the LifeLaunch program.