The Money JAR

What workplace skills do you think should be taught in school? What are the pros and cons of traits like assertiveness and humility in the workplace? In this episode, we focus on our central theme of work readiness and hear from a variety of people about what they wish they had learned in school.

From "Once Upon a Time" storybooks to a chat at the water cooler, storytelling is an effective way to get your point across at any age and in many situations. Communication skills are essential for success in the world of work. In this episode, professional storyteller Alton Takiyama-Chung discusses the importance of storytelling and shares how you can get better at it.

Teen entrepreneur Jakayla Dixon helped visually impaired people in her community through her project with the Junior Achievement Company Program. Jakayla shares how she recognized and filled a need in her community and overcame obstacles to become an award-winning entrepreneur.

In this episode, gratitude takes center stage as we interview Cornell University psychology professor and pioneer in behavioral economics, Thomas Gilovich. Thomas discusses the headwinds/tailwinds asymmetry and his important research. He tells why gratitude is so important and what that means for young people.

While preparing for their futures, teenagers face many obstacles. One of the most common and often most difficult battles can be depression and low self-worth. In this episode, author Steven Grosso discusses his personal struggles. His advice on managing self-esteem has a valuable message of hope for all young people.

Putting mindfulness into practice can help young people prepare for the world of work. In this episode, Carla Tantillo-Philibert, founder of Mindful Practices and author, teaches us what it means to practice mindfulness and how it can help students learn and get ready for their futures.

Social pressures can often prevent teens from branching out and becoming entrepreneurs. In this episode, Carrie Wilkerson, a best-selling author, speaker and consultant, discusses the barriers that face adolescents and provides inspiring stories and advice for becoming a young entrepreneur and getting results. Carrie shares her stories and tips on learning how to work, market yourself and build relationships.

With technology and this information age, we always hear "the world is changing faster than ever". But is it? Today's guest makes the case this is not true. Todd and Evan interview Professor Robert Gordon of Northwestern University and author of "The Rise and Fall of American Growth". Robert, an influential economist, says US growth is slowing, and this has huge implications for your future.

We want our listeners to dream big when pursuing a career. This episode's guest did just that – he grew up in a small town in Oregon and went on to become a giant in the music industry. Todd and Evan interview David Metzer, a Tony Award-nominated music composer, arranger and orchestrator who has a long track record of success. David worked with Disney as the arranger and orchestrator for "Frozen" and "Moana" as well as the orchestrator of "The Lion King" on Broadway. Hear from an expert on navigating a career and succeeding in a competitive industry.

Today's guest has a passion for scientific discovery. Todd and Evan interview Amber Yang, who was awarded the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award in 2017 for her work on a computational model for predicting the positions of space debris. Amber discusses her project, and personal stories related to pursuing science and the representation of women in STEM. From her experience on a robotics team to science classes, Amber has had to overcome challenges to find her success as a young scientist. She shares advice for girls interested in pursuing STEM fields.