Here's The Thing...

We have been talking a lot about college recently. BUT... what if college isn't for you? What if you plan to take a gap year? Or...DON'T EVEN KNOW what you might want to do after high school?! This episode shares three questions that are a great way to start a conversation with your teen, or for then to start thinking themselves about what they want to do. BONUS FOR THE PARENTS!...stay tuned til the end for a bonus question.

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HAVE QUESTIONS or TOPIC SUGGESTIONS? Connect with me at kimlukens.com (where you can also sign up for newsletters) or on instagram: kim_lukens and TikTok: @kimlukens

Quick Episode Summary:

• Do you need help with some self-discovery?
• Free resources that could help you along your college journey
• One of Kim's favorite questions to ask
• The workforce is ever-evolving
• How to avoid the "I should" mindset
• The power of open-ended questions

Meet Becky Blades, author of Do Your Laundry or You'LL Die Alone - advice your mom would give if she thought you were listening. She chats with us about senioritis, the stress our teens place on THEMSELVES, and worrying that someone will love our children when they fly the nest.

Watch for her new book, "Start More Than You Can Finish", launching this fall!!

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You can connect with Becky (and purchase copies of her book at):

• Website: laundryordie.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaundryorDie
• Instagram: @beckyblades2

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You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or you can find all of her connections spots through https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

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QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Get to know Becky Blades
• Why Becky wrote her first book
• How senior year affects everyone in the family
• How to find the best time for feedback
• Taking the emotions as they come
• Parenting is a creative process
• One piece of advice Kim is passing along to her kids

Meet Amy McLaren! Amy is a wife, mother and charity leader who is using her passions to make an impact. Learn about how she got here, her brand new book, and what she hopes for teens at they bigin to discover what they are passionate about.

Connect with Amy after this episode at: villageimpact.com and on IG: @amydowmclaren @villageimpact

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Welcome Amy
• How Amy found her passion for teaching
• Create impact and help others today
• Follow the love of what you do
• Ask for help and learn from others
• You can do hard things
• A look into Amy's book
• Just pick a starting point and go for it

In sticking with the underlying theme of not having to have it all figured out as a teen, Jamie shares how the directions of her path changed and evolved. She shares how her work with Christian teen girls came to be. And what it felt like as an older teen to begin to see her calling in life.

Connect with Jamie after the podcast at:

• uncommonteen.com
• IG @uncommon.teen
• Dare to Be: A Devotional for Girls - available on Amazon and on the Uncommon Teen app!

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Get to know Jaime
• How Jaime get here today
• Jaime's breakthrough moment
• How this moment felt
• Overcoming self-doubt
• Tapping into self-understanding
• How to connect more with Jaime

Welcome back to Here's The Thing! Today we are continuing our series on "How they got here" by interviewing the amazing Amy Balowitz Miller.

Hear how she went from confused to confident in her career path after high school and beyond.

LINKS:

amysartpalette.com themotherdaughterartproject.com FB and IG: amysartpalette

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Welcome Amy
• Amy's journey and how she got here today
• When Amy found something she was passionate about
• You don't need to know how to do everything
• When Amy knew she could do it, but needed help.
• Finding a coach at any age
• Wisdom from an empty nester
• How to connect with Amy

If you remember Melissa from Season 1, you'll remember she is open and honest and tells it like she sees it. Since you heard her last, she is now also working with teens! Here how she got here in this episode.

To connect with Melissa after the show:

Find her on FB and IG The ReCreated podcast and Marigold Wellness Collective on IG @marigoldwellnesscollective and at marigoldsharon.com

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Welcome back, Melissa!
• When Melissa started choosing her career
• You are allowed to evolve
• How Melissa gets to do what she loves every
• Be brave and take action on your dreams
• Be the best boss you can be
• When Kim lost her job
• What Melissa has learned from her younger employees
• Your mistakes or bumper stickers don't define you

How did Shelli Varela go from a manicurist to a firefighter to a teen mentor? Much the same as many of the guests this season who didn't start out with the goal of working with teens.

Join us as Shelli shares how it "feels" when she notices the next best thing and what you can do now to tune in to yourself. She believes that not all gifts come wrapped in bows and that your body will never lie to you.

LINKS:

Connect with Shelli after the podcast on IG, FB and TikTok: @shellivarela

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Welcome, Shelli Varela!
• When Shelli had to pay for college
• The dangers of putting yourself in a box
• Why not you?
• Pay attention to what brings you alive
• Tuning in to your body
• Starting with possibilities
• Give yourself permission to fail

Dorene Olsen is back with us to share more with us!

Your professional life could have many twists and turns, you never know where your work and passions could take you.

In this episode, Dorene will share her career journey to becoming a brand expert.

Teens, this episode is exactly what you need to hear if you are starting to feel the pressure of August right around the corner.

LINKS:

Connect with her after the episode on FB Messenger @doreneolsen and by joining her FB community, BrandDelicious Trailblazers

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Welcome, Dorene Olsen!
• How Dorene journey started
• Doren's journey to finding the right college
• How that comes naturally could be a clue to your purpose
• Be sure to check your email
• Understanding how your employers communicate
• Success is not a linear path
• How to blog out the negative voices
• Asking for feedback and keeping an open mind
• You don't have to have all the pieces by August

Betsy Cadel is a college essay specialist with over 30 years of experience as a writer and marketing expert.

Her company, College Essay Helpers, works with high school juniors to write compelling essays that will impress admissions officers to increase their chances of getting into their dream school while reducing stress, family tension and feeling overwhelmed.

As a former advertising copywriter, she's sold everything from trucks to tampons and brings that marketing savvy to her role as an essay coach not just to help students tell their most authentic, deepest story, but to position them so that they stand out from thousands of other applicants.

She's written two parenting resource books and scripted over 100 how-to tech tutorials for time-strapped moms. Betsy's also an empty nester and mom to a college junior. She lives in New York City with her husband and Aussie terrier, Pixel.

Visit collegeessayhelpers.com to learn more about how she's helped so many families successfully navigate the college essay process.

LINKS:

Resources referenced in today's episode: hwww.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2021/article/mobile/field-of-degree-and-careers.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh

Social Media Links:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/collegeessayhelpers

FB: www.facebook.com/collegeessayhelpers

IG: www.instagram.com/collegeessayhelpers

Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@betsycadel

Website: collegeessayhelpers.com

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Get to know Betsy
• How detours can become on-ramps
• How parents can delay the college application process
• You don't have to have it all figured out
• Betsy's best advice for parents
• Where to start with the college process
• Your skills could be a clue to your calling
• How a school newspaper can tell you everything you need
• Create a schedule that is manageable

If you only ever share one episode with EVERYONE you know, let it be this one!!

It is Norry Ascroft's goal to get his FREE book, The Truth About Bullying into as many hands as possible! When it comes to bullying, Norry believes that we have been staring at the carpet and what we really need to do is look at the foundation. And his passion for helping youth runs deep.

And I couldn't be more honored to help him share this information that so directly aligns with my deep passion for empowering youth around this very subject.

To connect with Norry and to get your free copy, visit: The Truth About Bullying is available to download from the website, youthpotential.mykajabi.com

The paperback version is also available on Amazon.com for $6.48: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B1G8J9Q

You can also find him on Instagram @norryascroft

You can connect with Kim at:

TikTok @kimlukens or can find all of her connections spots through on https://linktr.ee/kimlukens

QUICK EPISODE SUMMARY

• Why Norry is passionate about helping teens
• Dripping feeding the truth and how it works
• The real reason why kids turn into bullies
• The poker chip theory
• Why Norry never wants to hear the story
• How the UK handles bullying compared to the US
• The importance of good self talk
• Our words have power