Wondering how to help your soon-to-be college student secure acceptances & huge scholarships to universities around the world? Listen to Amanda Rickman as she shares her advice about preparing your kids for college.

Welcome to another episode of What The Fifty Podcast with your host Niki and Mich! If you're listening to this podcast for the first time, we are so glad you’ve joined us. Each episode features mindful conversations with speakers across all industries, focusing on how to live a more fun-filled life with less fuss.

MEET AMANDA "THE CHIEF COLLEGE MATCH-MAKER"

This week’s episode is entitled “Getting College Ready” and our guest is Amanda Rickman. She is the Founder & Chief College Match-Maker at College Quo, a young & dynamic college consultancy. Amanda puts her intricate knowledge of the college admissions process, as well as her passions for writing & researching into working with students to helping them get into their desired universities. She is known for her authenticity, her effectiveness in helping students to shine in their essays, & for creating a personal connection with the students & parents who make up the College Quo family.

During her time at Bowdoin, her alma mater, Amanda worked as a Senior Interviewer in Bowdoin Admissions, & as a Peer-Advisor in Bowdoin Career Planning. She also travelled to Hanoi, Vietnam to work at Vietnam's Friendship Village & studied abroad in Barcelona where she solo-travelled around Europe.

Amanda has returned to Jamaica & uses her passions & experiences to help students secure acceptances, scholarships, & have a better understanding of their future goals.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND HER

Instagram: @college_quo | @amanda_rickman    Facebook: @Collegequo    Website: www.collegequo.com

To sign up for college or test prep programs, you may reach Amanda directly at [email protected]

MORE OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

🌸 College Quo: Overview of what they offer

🌸 When and how to start talking with your soon-to-be college student

🌸 Smart tips to balancing sports and academics

🌸 College Selection Process: How hands on-parents should be

🌸 and More!

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

3:51 Introducing Amanda Rickman

5:31 Niki & Mich talked about their struggles having a college student

7:29 How College Quo was born

9:27 Where to find Amanda Rickman

10:07 When and how to start talking to your kids about College

12:27 How to balance academics & college sports

15:07 College Selection Process: How hands on-parents should be

20:53 Amanda talked about “School Survey Questions for Parents”

22:12 Mich shared her personal experience about helping her kids with the college decision

22:51 Amanda explained how to choose a college that's right for your kids

24:49 How parents can mentally prepare kids for boarding school

31:43 Summer activities that can help prepare your kids for college

35:11 Three essential college planning tips for parents

See you again next week at 11:00 am Eastern. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast & give us a Follow and Review on Spotify.

Enjoy,

---

Niki & Mich

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: wtf-whatthefifty.com    Facebook & Instagram: @wtf.whatthefifty

Would you like to be featured in our next episode? Send us a message at [email protected]

Wondering how you can help your children learn and grow during the COVID-19 crisis? Listen to today's episode as we discuss preparing your young learners for a safe return to school.

Welcome to another episode of What The Fifty Podcast with your host Niki and Mich! If you're listening to this podcast for the first time, we are so glad you’ve joined us. Each episode features mindful conversations with speakers across all industries, focusing on how to live a more fun-filled life with less fuss.

MEET VANESSA "THE WORLD-CLASS PRINCIPAL"

This week’s episode is entitled “Back to School During COVID Uncertainty” and our guest is Vanessa Khouri-Salazar. She is the Co-founder and Principal of Reach Academy, a dynamic Prep School that continues to think outside the box. Vanessa is married to her amazing husband Javi and has a seven-year-old son that is her reason for ensuring Reach Academy is up to date and always one step ahead.

Aunty Vanny, as she is known by all of her students, advises that you start preparing your children for back to school. While we don’t know what September will bring, we hope it will be face to face.  Some tips she gave us on raising well-adjusted children.

1. Take the kids out and don’t let school be the first place they go where they need to interact with others independently

2.  Make the kids feel that they are seen and heard.

3. Equip our children with the tools to manage and face the world.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND HER

Instagram: @reachacademyja

Facebook: @ReachAcademy

Website: www.reachacademyja.com

If you are a new family interested in enrolling your children, kindly contact the school admission at [email protected]

MORE OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

🌸 Reasons why teachers are pandemic heroes

🌸 An overview of Hybrid Teaching practices and parents perspective

🌸 The what, why and how of COVID-19 protocols - Students struggle

🌸 Reach Academy’s engagement-based learning and teaching approach

🌸 The importance of parental involvement during pandemic times

🌸 and More!

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

1:06 Niki and Mich talk about their children’s classroom precautions during COVID-19

4:11 Mich explained the benefits and burdens of wearing face masks at school

5:09 Introducing Vanessa Khouri-Salazar

5:53 Reach Academy: How it all started

9:00 Vanessa explained the changing role of teachers and technologies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

12:11 An overview of Hybrid Teaching practices and parents perspective

13:40 The what, why and how of COVID-19 protocols - Students struggle

16:30 Reach Academy - the responsive classroom approach

19:00 The importance of parental involvement during pandemic times

22:00 Vanessa’s advice on preparing your children for the unknown

25:00 Back to school anxiety during COVID-19 - Parents struggle

37:10 Connecting families to schools - Building trusting relationships

38:13 Where to find Reach Academy

See you again next week at 11:00 am Eastern. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and give us a Follow and Review on Spotify.

Enjoy,

---

Niki & Mich

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: https://wtf-whatthefifty.com/

Facebook: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Instagram: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Would you like to be featured in our next episode? Send us a message at [email protected]

If you are taking steps to live a healthy lifestyle, but still struggling, listen to this episode as Wendy shares with us the key to staying physically active, feeling good.

Welcome to another episode of What The Fifty Podcast with your host Niki and Mich! If you're listening to this podcast for the first time, we are so glad you’ve joined us. Each episode features mindful conversations with speakers across all industries, focusing on how to live a more fun-filled life with less fuss.

MEET WENDY "THE CERTIFIED HEALTH ENTHUSIAST"

This week’s episode is entitled “Fitness and Fun” and our guest is Wendy Fletcher. She is the owner and operator of Just You and Me Training Limited, more popularly known as JYM.  It is a personal training gym located in New Kingston, Jamaica.

Wendy has always been a health enthusiast - a self-described avid gym-goer with a love for sports. She set her vision and took her passion and made it into a successful business. She has a committed following of people who go to JYM to get strong in a motivating and fun environment! The best part about JYM is Wendy’s belief in her clients. If you are lucky enough to be in Kingston, make sure to stop by for a Dancehall class with DJ Wendy!

She is the mother of 19-year-old twin boys who attend college in the US.  She is also the proprietor and founder of the popular Teriyaki Food Truck, Hibachi San.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND HER

Instagram: @jymtrainingja

Facebook: jymtraining

Website: www.jymtrainingja.com

If you want a personal trainer who has knowledge of general fitness, exercise, and health, you may reach Wendy directly at [email protected]

MORE OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

🌸 Quick tips on starting a gym or fitness centre business

🌸 Surprising benefits of massage therapy

🌸 Some essential facts about metabolism and weight loss

🌸 Exercising when you’re over 50: Best practices and routines

🌸 and More!

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

0:32 Introducing Wendy Fletcher

2:13 Just You and Me Personal Training & Fitness Centre: How it all started

5:50 Wendy’s advice for starting a Gym business

7:17 Where to find Wendy

10:33 JYM offers virtual fitness classes for international subscribers

12:50 Wendy explained that Fitness is a feel “GOOD-FEELING”

15:14 Wendy’s senior exercise and fitness tips

18:30 Some of the physical benefits of massage

19:43 Some essential facts about metabolism and weight loss

20:20 Best exercise tips for over 50 according to Wendy

21:50 Wendy’s Outro

26:27 Niki’s weight loss journey

28:00 Mich’s weight loss journey

31:00 Niki and Mich’s yoga tips every beginner should know

33:00 Niki and Mich’s tips for healthy eating

See you again next week at 11:00 am Eastern. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and give us a Follow and Review on Spotify.

Enjoy,

---

Niki & Mich

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: https://wtf-whatthefifty.com/

Facebook: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Instagram: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Would you like to be featured in our next episode? Send us a message at [email protected]

Wondering how safe it is to travel during the Covid 19? Here are some precautions you need to take, whether or not you’ve been immunized.

Welcome to another episode of What The Fifty Podcast with your host Niki and Mich! If you're listening to this podcast for the first time, we are so glad you’ve joined us. Each episode features mindful conversations with speakers across all industries, focusing on how to live a more fun-filled life with less fuss.

MEET SIMONE "THE PROFESSIONAL TRAVEL AGENT"

This week’s episode is entitled “Covid 19 Tips for Summer Travel” and our guest is Simone Dasilva. She is the Regional General Manager of Trafalgar Travel. She has been in the industry for 29 yrs and at Trafalgar Travel for 20 years, planning every detail of unforgettable vacations and seamless business trips to perfection.

Trafalgar Travel is 27 yrs old this year. And it is one of the leading travel agencies in the Caribbean.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND HER

Instagram: @simonedasilvajm

To get expert advice for your next vacation, you may reach her directly at [email protected]

MORE OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

🌸 Simone shared some summer travel safety tips and best practices during Covid 19

🌸 Understanding COVID-19's impact on the airline sector

🌸 How HEPA filters in aircraft help protect passengers from Covid 19

🌸 Canada, US, and UK’s Covid 19 travel restrictions

🌸 and More!

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

0:40 Mich’s first covid travel experience

1:20 Mich’s second travel with the first dose of Covid 19 vaccine

1:40 Niki’s first covid travel experience without vaccine

5:21 The impact of Covid-19 in the Airline Industry

5:50 Niki’s tips and ways to stay safe while travelling

7:26 Introducing Simone Dasilva

8:13 Simone talks about her experience during Covid 19

8:56 Here’s why you should use a travel agent during Covid 19

13:20 JAM Covid Release Form - what is it and why is it so important

14:00 Canada’s key travel requirements

15:29 Covid 19 travel guide for the United Kingdom

16:45 How HEPA filters in aircraft help protect passengers from Covid 19

20:42 Where to find Simone

25:06 Information about cruise vacations

See you again next week at 11:00 am Eastern. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and give us a Follow and Review on Spotify.

Enjoy,

---

Niki & Mich

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: https://wtf-whatthefifty.com/

Facebook: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Instagram: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Would you like to be featured in our next episode? Send us a message at [email protected]

Wondering how safe it is to travel during the Covid 19? Here are some precautions you need to take, whether or not you’ve been immunized.

Welcome to another episode of What The Fifty Podcast with your host Niki and Mich! If you're listening to this podcast for the first time, we are so glad you’ve joined us. Each episode features mindful conversations with speakers across all industries, focusing on how to live a more fun-filled life with less fuss.

MEET SIMONE "THE PROFESSIONAL TRAVEL AGENT"

This week’s episode is entitled “Covid 19 Tips for Summer Travel” and our guest is Simone Dasilva. She is the Regional General Manager of Trafalgar Travel. She has been in the industry for 29 yrs and at Trafalgar Travel for 20 years, planning every detail of unforgettable vacations and seamless business trips to perfection.

Trafalgar Travel is 27 yrs old this year. And it is one of the leading travel agencies in the Caribbean.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND HER

Instagram: @simonedasilvajm

To get expert advice for your next vacation, you may reach her directly at [email protected]

MORE OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

Do you ever dream of living in an exquisitely clean and organized home? Excited about it but you're feeling exhausted and not what you enjoy most.

Welcome to another episode of What The Fifty Podcast with your host Niki and Mich! If you're listening to this podcast for the first time, we are so glad you’ve joined us. Each episode features mindful conversations with speakers across all industries, focusing on how to live a more fun-filled life with less fuss.

MEET CARRIE "THE HOME IMPROVEMENT EXPERT"

This week’s episode is entitled “Organizing for Ease and Flow” and our guest is Carrie English, a wife, a mom of 2 beautiful kids and the cutest fur baby ever, named Copper. She is the owner and founder of The Simply Organized - a virtual organizing business that she absolutely loves. She is here to help you live an organized life that feels right for you.

Picture her as the person on the other end of an organizational hotline helping you get rid of your mess quickly and start living a clutter-free life.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND HER

Instagram: @carrielenglish | @new.leaf.co

Facebook: @carrielenglish

For home improvement consultation, you may reach her directly at [email protected]

MORE OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

🌸 How does Carrie know what she is passionate about?

🌸 What it's really like to work with Professional Organizer?

🌸 Best organizing tips that will make sure your spaces will get organized: good planning, good tools, and good maintenance

🌸 Clever ways to organize your food storage containers

🌸 and More!

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

2:08 Introducing Carrie English

4:16 Figuring out what she is passionate about in the first place

5:01 Taking home organization courses to get her client’s life and home organized

6:20 Why does an organized home aid relaxation?

6:40 What professional organizers really do, and how can they help?

7:00 Carrie explained that each home should create an organizational system that works for the family’s lifestyle.

8:40 Niki’s question to Carrie: If someone needs your services, how can you help them from where you are?

10:00 Carrie’s home organization services include: floor & space planning

12:40 Carrie quoted, “Kitchen is the hub or heartbeat of the home”

14:16 How does Carrie work with a client?

16:20 The best organizing tips that will make sure your spaces will get organized are good planning, good tools, and good maintenance

16:30 Basic kitchen tools

17:30 Decanting - the organizing step you don’t want to skip

22:00 Important tips on how to organize your food storage containers

31:50 Where to find Carrie

See you again next week at 11:00 am Eastern. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and give us a Follow and Review on Spotify.

Enjoy,

---

Niki & Mich

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: https://wtf-whatthefifty.com/

Facebook: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Instagram: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Would you like to be featured in our next episode? Send us a message at [email protected]

Welcome to What The Fifty Podcast with your host Niki and Mich! Join us every Thursday around 11:00 am Eastern, where we feature mindful conversations with speakers across all industries, focusing on how to live a more fun-filled life with less fuss.

WHAT THE FIFTY MISSION

What The Fifty is a community where women can gather tips, tools and techniques to live life at the moment, with simplicity, joy and confidence.

We wish we had known more along the way, but here we are now! What the Fifty!

ABOUT THE TWO REMARKABLE LADIES BEHIND THE MICROPHONE

Nicola Chang Murphy

Wow, 50 came fast and the '50s are going even faster. So, now I am trying to slow it all down and enjoy more joy, more light, and more ease every day.  I can't turn back the clock, but I can move into this next chapter with purpose, confidence and feeling worthy of it all!

Michelle Williams

I am (over 50) already and I almost did not see it coming. And here I am accepting and appreciating this amazing second half of my life's journey. Like a butterfly, I am spreading my wings and I continue to evolve and embrace the patterns, colours and shapes of my wings that make me uniquely, utterly special.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

🌸 1:14 How “What The Fifty” was born

🌸 2:30 Our Mission and Values

🌸 3:15 Guest Speaker Overview & Highlight: Areas of Expertise and Topics

🌸 4:30 Pandemic-Inspired Lessons: What Hard Times Teach Us

🌸 6:00 We feature mindful conversation topics about dreams and aspirations, career goals, fears, accomplishments, challenges, and more

🌸 7:30 Meet the Entrepreneur & Mother of Boys: Nicola Chang Murphy

🌸 9:38 Meet the Educator & Mother of Boys: Michelle Williams

🌸 10:50 What do we have in common?

🌸 11:50 What other people don’t know about Niki?

🌸 17:12 Mich explained what passionate women do differently

As we grow our podcast, we're interested in your feedback on what topics you'd like us to cover in future episodes. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Enjoy,

---

Niki & Mich

CONNECT WITH US

Website: https://wtf-whatthefifty.com/

Facebook: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Instagram: https://wtf.whatthefifty/

Would you like to be featured in our next episode? Send us a message at [email protected]