Meet our Guest, Britteney Ofodile! 
I'm so excited to be joined by Britteney Ofodile on the podcast! Britteney is a Business Coach and Consultant and she helps women level-up their business, show up as their authentic selves, and align their work to their driven purposes. Britteney has two decades of experience in corporate America, and she has built and led teams, coached, and mentored others and improved their performance efficiency. Now she takes all of her energy, drive, passion, and experience to move her clients forward - but that’s not all! Join us in this discussion on personal branding and reputation!

3 C’s of Personal Branding and Reputation
Personal branding matters to everyone and the way we present ourselves is so important, whether it be our physical appearance, on paper in our applications, or online on social media! Listen to this episode to learn more about: 

• Britteney’s professional journey as a leader in corporate America and now as a Business Coach and Consultant;  
• The importance of building a community of like-minded, supportive people in order to elevate yourself and your skills to the next level; 
• Why we think “imposter syndrome” and “fake it ‘till you make it” are total BS; and
• The 3 C’s to personal branding and reputation! Here’s a quick overview: 

1. Communication is the way you show up for yourself and others. It’s the way you address situations, the consistency in your messaging, what you’re putting out there in the world, and what you’re affiliating with; 
2. Competency refers to your skills and abilities in whatever industry, field or position you’re in.
3. Character refers to the ways you show up for yourself and others. Are you reliable? Punctual? Do you add value in your work? Can you collaborate and be trusted in a team environment?

Ask the Expert 
Have any questions on applications, advancement, studying for law school exams, and more? Send your questions to our above contacts, or you can submit an audio file via DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Links:
Episode 5: Overcoming “Imposter Syndrome”

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Are Law School and Other Chat Forums Useful?
We're doing something different this episode - I share a segment from one of our group coaching calls in The Success Society, our higher-level coaching community where we discuss all things outside of the application. This is my response to a discussion about law school forums and how this brought up feelings of insecurity for one of our members about their applications.  We have to be mindful when engaging with public, anonymous forums - they often promote a competition-based, scarcity mindset and falling down the rabbit hole can hinder our advancement and success. 

The Importance of Focusing On You, Not "the Competition"
I unpack law school forums and the ways they actually hinder our advancement based on my experience as a student who has gone through these processes, a professor for over a decade, and an admissions committee member at all levels. Here are some key takeaways: 

• There's more to life than the application - it's about what we do to manage stress and pressure that lead us to advancement.
• These forums are not legitimate sources of information for admissions committees for three reasons: 1- People on forums are anonymous and don't always tell the truth; they may be spreading misinformation to make others feel insecure. 2 - There's no fact checking on these forums and no way to ensure the accuracy of information. 3 - Forums are part of a much bigger issue - they promote competition, substance use, and insecurity among students and professionals.
• Don't feed into the trap of online forums to seek external validation or support. Instead, focus on you, and spend your time and energy on the things and people that matter to you. 

Ask the Expert
Have any questions on applications, advancement, studying for law school exams, and more? Send your questions to our above contacts, or you can DM us an audio file and we can feature you on the podcast!

Links
Episode 2: Adrienne’s Professional Path
Episode 6: Advancement And Your Growth Vs. Scarcity Mindset 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Meet Our Guest and Apply Yourself Community Member, Jaylene!
I am so excited to be joined by this week's guest, Jaylene! Jaylene completed her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in criminology and psychology, and double minor in gerontology and human rights from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick. Jaylene and I first met during one of our Masterclasses, Showcasing Yourself in Your Graduate and Professional School Applications, with St. Thomas University. She currently attends court as a Shadow Student with a Crown Attorney lawyer, and is also applying to law schools in the Maritimes where she will continue to make an impact supporting survivors of sexual and physical violence. 

Showing Up for Yourself in Your Applications and Beyond
In this episode, we explore the process of creating law school application materials and the ways you can show up for yourself during and beyond the application. Jaylene also shares her experience working with us in our various programs, including Mastering Academic Applications and our higher-level coaching community, The Success Society. Jaylene has made amazing strides in our 5 months of working together and we can't wait to share more with you! 

Listen to learn more about: 

• Jaylene’s academic, professional, and volunteer background and the ways in which her experiences inform one another.
• Jaylene’s experience working together in our Masterclass and signature course Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission. Here, Jaylene developed her CV, resume, personal statement, and other written materials that she’s proud of and which showcase her narrative and experiences in a compelling, professional, and polished manner.
• The social, academic, professional, and mindset support our Apply Yourself community members receive and the transformative growth they experience, where they are able to show up for themselves and showcase their personal, unique experiences.

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

The Way We Define Success
The way we define success affects the ways we get there. We can define and talk about success in so many different contexts - academically, professionally, socially, economically, and more. As you go through your advancement journey, ask yourself: How do I define success? 

Success Is the Freedom to Choose
I believe that success is defined by the freedom to choose - the freedom to make choices that take you closer to your goals now and in the future, whether it be five or ten years from now. Here are some key takeaways from this episode: 

• Success is a moving target; when you're at the top of one mountain, you're at the bottom of another one.
• Success is not about the numbers, but what achieving success affords you - the time, choices, opportunities, growth, and freedom to make decisions in alignment with you.
• We need to recalibrate our idea of success away from the numbers, and instead define success as the freedom to choose. What choices are you making to achieve and be the highest version of yourself in five years?
• Success is a continuum; it is not fixed or finite. What choices are you making today that will bring you closer to achieving what you want in five or ten years, and living a life beyond your wildest dreams?
• Making good choices often requires visualization and intention, and you don’t need to have all the answers.
• Ask yourself: How do you feel about what you're doing? Is it in alignment with you?
• Success may also involve regret. Regret is an important indicator that there are lessons to be learned, and can be used to your advantage to propel you forward.

Ask the Expert - Send in Your Questions!
We’re launching a brand new series on the podcast called Ask the Expert! Have any questions on applications, advancement, studying for law school exams, and more? Send your questions to our above contacts, or you can submit an audio file via DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Links:

Episode 17: Reframing Failure (I’m Calling BS)

Episode 45: This Is 99% Of Your Journey

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

The Benefits of Asking Questions
Today, we get real about asking questions and why it’s so beneficial for our long-term success, growth, and advancement. As I work with my clients and as we onboard more team members at both Apply Yourself and our law firm, Shnier Mackenzie Law & Policy Consulting, PC, asking questions continues to be a significant part of our mutual success, understanding, and collaboration. 

7 Reasons Why Asking Questions Benefits our Advancement
Asking questions is so beneficial to our own advancement, so we shouldn’t be afraid to ask them! Here are some key takeaways from this episode: 

• Questions are relative to your own experiences and perspective, and you may feel comfortable framing questions in topics or areas that you have experience in. Still, ask questions outside of your comfort zone!
• Welcome questions from colleagues, students, and clients because the more questions asked, the more understanding and growth a person has, and we excel faster. 
• The only "dumb question" is the one that is not asked, because a question not asked is one that’s holding you back from efficiency, growth, and advancement.
• It's not up to another person to determine what a valid question is, especially if you need the answer to move forward for a joint or individual goal.

Ask the Expert 
We’re launching a brand new series on the podcast called Ask the Expert! Have any questions on applications, advancement, studying for law school exams, and more? Send your questions to our above contacts, or you can submit an audio file via DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 2: Adrienne’s Professional Path
Episode 35: Navigating Your Master’s With Eberechukwu Peace Akadinma

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

What’s Missing from Your Schedule? Time to Think.
I often hear from students and clients that there’s not enough time in the day to do everything. In today’s episode, I take you through a time management exercise and explore strategies around time, time management, and prioritizing.

Many of my clients feel all consumed with their studying and other responsibilities. But rather than more hours in the day, what's actually missing from their schedules is time to think and plan. We have to give ourselves time to think and plan out our work, studying, goals, and wants in order to advance. 

6 Strategies for Time Management and Planning
Planning your time is so important because if we don’t think about what we want to do in the time that we have, how can we go get it? Here are some key takeaways: 

1. Determine what you actually have to do during the time that you have - tune in for a time management and planning exercise! 
2. Ask yourself: What's preventing me from doing the things I have to do? Are these challenges internal, external, socially constructed, procrastinating, or excuses we tell ourselves? 
3. Determine what you're actually doing in your time. Are you giving yourself enough time for each task? 
4. Allow yourself to hope and think about what you want to accomplish. Then ask yourself how you'll get there - this involves visualizing your next best steps. 
5. Having a plan and taking the time to write down your priorities, due dates, and wants on your calendars early on will set you up for long-term success. 
6. Don’t let others dictate the hope you have for yourself and your ability to think, plan, strategize, and carry out actions that will take you closer to your goals. Find a positive community of people you can rely on for mutual support and strategy. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 2: Adrienne’s Professional Path
Episode 7: 3 Strategies To Boost Your Advancement Today
Episode 22: How To Achieve A Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Meet our guest, Anita Rombough
We are so happy to have Anita Rombough on the podcast this week! Anita is a Soul Strategist & Success Coach who helps high-achievers balance multiple priorities and amplify their fulfilment, time, and success so they can break through to their next level. She shares with us her winding journey and the ways she committed to herself - she knew there was more out there for her. So much of Anita’s work aligns with us at Apply Yourself - tune in to learn more!

The Importance of Committing To Yourself
In this episode, we unpack this concept of the “traditional route” and the ways in which our journeys often go in unplanned directions, often for the better! We also discuss the importance of navigating challenging transition periods, listening to our inner voice and intuition to advance, and committing to ourselves to reach our full potential and make positive impacts.  

Key takeaways:

• For many people, the “traditional route” doesn’t work for them and may not offer the kind of growth that they want. Life can often go in different directions and it can look so much better than you can ever imagine. 
• Times of transition and change are often nerve-wracking - whether it be starting a new position, going back to school later in life, or managing your own business - but it’s important to work through these challenges in order to advance. 
• Knowing there’s “more out there” for you takes reflection and critical analysis of your own wants, goals, choices, next best steps, and the kind of life you want for yourself. 
• Feeling discomfort actually benefits us - it helps us to identify when things are not in alignment with ourselves and strategize our next best steps. 
• Listen to the whispers and signs the universe is giving you to identify if things are working for you, or if you need to make incremental changes that are more in alignment with yourself. 
• We shouldn’t fear failure or success. We need to ask ourselves “What if it does work out?” and be open to opportunities that resonate with us. 

Links:
Ep 23: The Simple Question That Will Change Your Life

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

No Shame in Rewriting Your Standardized Tests 
In this episode, I unpack the perceptions around re-writing standardized tests and why it’s totally not a shameful thing. Students and applicants are often hesitant to talk about this, maybe out of disappointment, embarrassment, or fear of failure, but I’m here to tell you that this happens all the time. In fact, many of our guests on the podcast and I have re-written standardized tests. Re-writing doesn’t stop you from advancing and achieving your goals. In fact, it propels you toward them.

4 Things to Consider for Rewriting Standardized Tests
Standardized tests are not intuitive - they are skill-based and we have to learn the appropriate strategies to succeed in them over time. Here are some key takeaways: 

1. This process is part of a larger learning experience and it’s okay if you have to write again. It shows that you want what you’re working towards and you’re willing to improve.  
2. Know when you should cancel or keep your score. Ask yourself whether it’s actually necessary to cancel your score. Did you finish the test, but miss a few questions? Did you get sick during the test, causing you to be unable to finish? These are important considerations. Remember that people are getting in even if they answered the last few questions in a rush. 
3. You need strategy to help you improve from one practice test or test attempt to the next. At Apply Yourself, we support you with strategy to improve on your timed or untimed tests, question stem review, and evolving your strategy in a way that works for you. 
4. Remember that you’re writing the test for you, not for anyone else. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 40: How To Showcase Yourself: Self-Actualization, Identity, And Your Voice With Jessica (Lane) Bassmahon
Episode 48: Why You DON’T Need To Obsess Over Your Standardized Tests

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Obsessing Over the Test - Why I Fundamentally Disagree
Today, I unpack a trend that I’m seeing more and more on social media - that is, the concept of students and applicants needing to obsess over standardized tests in order to do well. 

I fundamentally disagree with this concept and fear-based marketing because I know it’s not true and I've been there, too. I’ve been an applicant for graduate and professional school cycles, I’ve been on admissions committees at every single level, and I work with students and clients who thrive and succeed in our non-competition-based community. As we know here at Apply Yourself: It’s not just about the score - it’s about you as a person and what you bring to the table. 

3 Things We Need to Avoid Obsession Over the Test
We need to focus on healthy, sustainable ways to advance and achieve - commitment, consistency, accountability, strategy, and focusing on you. You don’t have to obsess over the test to be successful. Obsession can lead to unhealthy habits and loss of reason, self, and intentionality, so we need to think critically about any marketing or social media posts that say otherwise. 

Here are 3 things we need to avoid obsessing over the test and keep us rational, intentional, and strategic about our next best steps: 

1. We need support
2. We need experience-informed strategy 
3. We need to do the right strategy that aligns with us, not “whatever it takes” 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 2: Adrienne’s Professional Path
Episode 6: Advancement And Your Growth Vs. Scarcity Mindset

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

This week’s episode is a replay! Our guest, Gabe Fezza, is a member of the Apply Yourself community and is doing amazing and meaningful work. Gabe shared his insights on the medical school application process and his experience working together in our various programs. Tune in to learn more! 

Meet Our Guest and Apply Yourself Community Member, Gabe Fezza
This week, we’re joined by our guest and Apply Yourself Community Member, Gabe Fezza! Gabe is completing his second undergraduate degree, his Honours BSc in Global Health with a specialization in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. He is also a research assistant at the Cardiac E-Health Unit at the Toronto General Hospital and at the Global Strategy Lab at York University. Gabe is making amazing strides in his own work and as a member of our community. 

Showcasing Yourself in Your Applications
Gabe shares his experience working together on his applications in our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission, and our VIP 1:1 program. Through our work together, Gabe learned to showcase himself in his professional, medical, and graduate school applications, and received the structure and answers he was seeking for each of the programs he was applying to. 

Listen to learn:

• Our 5-Year Vision exercise and the ways it helped Gabe to solidify his narrative and showcase his repertoire of research, volunteer, and professional experience, 
• What it’s like to work on your CV and Resume and other written materials in Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission. These documents are tools to help you understand the significance of your experiences and in filling out other application components, such as the Autobiographical Sketch and Personal Statement,
• The importance of your written application materials. It’s not just about the score - real people are reading your work, and your materials have to showcase you and what you can bring to the table,  
• Our non-competition policy and the strategies that helped Gabe to focus on himself and produce written materials he’s proud of, 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫