Refreshingly honest conversations with students who share their stories, struggles and successes, as well as educational experts who provide valuable information on all things college.
We close my “Follow the Leader” series with...bum bum bum...ME! Tyler Greene from The Story Producer interviews me on our season finale and we cover a lot of ground - leadership as influence, self-awareness, mediation and the inner voice. We also talk about how our minds are hard-wired toward fear and the purpose of anger. You don’t want to miss this one! My Website: annmariechereso.me Instagram: instagram.com/annmariechereso Twitter: twitter.com/annmariechereso Facebook: facebook.com/bringithome.me LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annmarie-chereso-a3ab2311 For more information on Tyler and The Story Producer, visit thestoryproducer.com.
On today’s bonus episode, I go deep on the Enneagram with Debbie Burditt, founder of The Enneagram Group. Debbie describes the Enneagram most simply as a “profoundly accurate personality system” that includes 9 different types that help us untangle our understanding of ourselves and become more self aware. In this episode, we go deep into each type and cover a lot of ground - underlying worldviews, focus of attention, blind spots, emotional drives and much more. Take the test at the link below and listen in to find out more about your type! Use discount Code BREATHE for $5 off. TAKE THE TEST & GET MORE INFO: enneagram.is
My “Follow the Leader” series continues with Zaniya Lewis. Zaniya is the Founder and CEO of the #YesSheCanCampaign, a non-profit that uses live events and technology to provide educational resources, programming, and professional development to girls, young women, and youth nationwide. In this conversation, we talk about obstacles as opportunities, the benefits of empowering your team and the power of continually reinventing yourself. Zaniya also tells us the incredible story about the time that she won a contest to visit First Lady Michelle Obama. Website: yesshecancampaign.org 17 Magazine Feature: bit.ly/2EBI6BJ Facebook: facebook.com/yesshecancampaign Instagram: instagram.com/zaniyaklewis Twitter: twitter.com/yscampaign LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zaniya-lewis-6ab09512b
I continue my “Follow the Leader” series with Alonzo Cee. Alonzo is a leadership educator and social justice advocate who currently coordinates Leadership Programs at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. In this conversation, we talk about systemic racism, learning from our individual and collective mistakes and feedback as an act of love. Alonzo also tells us about how his passion for numbers has made him a better storyteller. Alonzo’s “I Am Tired” IG Video: https://bit.ly/3ekEv7d Website: alonzocee.com Facebook: facebook.com/alonzocee23 Instagram: instagram.com/acee_23 Twitter: twitter.com/a_cee23 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alonzocee23
We are so excited to kickoff our “Follow the Leader” series with Annmarie’s friend and mentor, Jim Dethmer. Jim is a coach, co-founder of The Conscious Leadership Group and co-author of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. In this conversation, we talk about leadership, self awareness, influence, our fears about our white privilege and Jim shares his advice for the next generation of leaders. He also provides unique insight on Annamarie “Then” - 7 years ago! - and Annmarie “Now.” Listen in and get all the inspiring goodness that is Jim Dethmer. Website: conscious.is Facebook: facebook.com/consciousleadershipgroup Twitter: twitter.com/consciouslg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-dethmer-457a787
How many times have you wanted to give up when headed towards a goal, big or small? Are you paying attention to your thoughts when you are frustrated, disappointed, or let down? Our guest this week has a few things to teach you. Deborah Olatunji sees the problem and looks for a solution. In high school, she was frustrated with her classes and didn’t feel like she could answer the question “What does education mean to me?” so she set out to define that for herself. Unlike most high school Juniors, Deborah wrote a book about her experience called Unleashing Your Innovative Genius: High School Redesigned. She tells us that the one thing she wants to change about education is what Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls “the myth of the single story.” Our schools don’t teach World History, but instead the history of the United States through a white lens (3:40-5:45). When she had this insight, Deborah tackled the problem from multiple angles using an affirmative mindset. Instead of falling into despair and neglecting her studies, he changed the way she learned herself and found new ways into the material while also deepening her relationship with the educators in her life; in this way, she was able to overcome limiting beliefs, find new ways into the material and transform her experience. Now as she goes into her Freshman year at UPenn with uncertainties about whether she will start on campus or digitally, Deborah rests easy knowing that she is firm in her faith (21:40 to 23:31), clear on her path (32:17 to 34:05) and ready to tackle the uncertainty that life will inevitably throw her way (34:05 to 36:25). This is an episode about empowering yourself, transforming your own experience and living from a place of purpose. Website: www.deboraholatunji.com Facebook: facebook.com/deboraholatunji2020 Instagram: instagram.com/deb_olatunji Twitter: twitter.com/deb_olatunji LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deborah-olatunji
Sophie Beren never quite fit in during high-school, so she forged her own path centered around her most important value: unifying people. She broke out of the small Midwestern bubble of her youth and went to college, promptly joined every Jewish student group possible and discovered in no time that she and her fellow freshman were aligning only with people who had similar interests. In response to this discovery, she formed Table Talk which helped students connect who wouldn’t otherwise meet outside the classroom. She quickly realized that this was “a common cold” on college campuses, so then she scaled it and spread to over 80 high-school and college campuses (9:20 - 12:36). It became clear that this issue was even bigger than those 80 places, so she then created a digital content platform to learn, connect and empathize around these difficult topics: The Conversationalist was born (13:26 to 15:00). In the second part of our conversation, Sophie opens up and tells us about the challenges of being a young entrepreneur (26:30 to 30:00), her biggest fear (31:30 to 32:30) and ends by opening up to Annmarie about one of her most vulnerable personal truths (34:45 to 36:30). This is a conversation about conversations, speaking your truth without fear of judgement, getting out of our own way and being vulnerable so other people can too. Website: www.theconversationalist.com Facebook: facebook.com/theconversationalistofficial Instagram: instagram.com/theconversationalist LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sophie-beren-5287b971
Ina Bhoopalam grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, surrounded by people who didn’t look like her, which forced her early on in her life to find ways to communicate across differences. When she encountered bullying in high school, Ina transcended the standard “he said/she said” trap that bullying can so often engender and decided to address the root of the problem by helping others who were being bullied; for her, solving the problem was a coping mechanism and a way to heal her inner Little Ina (20:15 to 23:08). Ina created DREAM Equal, which is now a non-profit aimed at empowering “all people to realize their full potential regardless of gender;” at first, it was created solely to help young girls from the age of 6 and then evolved to incorporate a more inclusive and intersectional view of gender equality (30:05 to 34:15). Annmarie and Ina agree that the root of our separation is the gender stereotypes that are ingrained in our culture through everything that we see and do (36:15-39:18). When asked to give advice to those who are bullied, Ina says her advice is actually for both the bullied and the bullied: “Think about what you’re feeling. Think about why you’re feeling it. And then think about the other people who are probably feeling the same way as you. Figure out why they’re also feeling the same way as you. And then start changing the “why” and fix the problem (39:25-40:00).” Website: inabhoopalam.com Instagram: instagram.com/inabhoopalam LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/inabhoopalam Twitter: twitter.com/inabhoopalam
Laurie Archbold left her corporate job to move to Washington State to connect with nature more deeply and found something called the Compassionate Listening Project, a non profit that teaches powerful skills for peacemaking. Laurie quickly became a facilitator of this work herself, leading training sessions in the United States as well as Journeys, a conflict transformation workshop for Israelis and Palestinians. In this conversation, Laurie and Annmarie discuss what makes some listening “Compassionate” and how we can honor people by deeply listening to what they have to say. She also breaks down the 5 Practices of Compassionate Listening - 1) Cultivating Compassion, 2) Developing Fair Witness, 3) Respecting Self and Other, 4) Listening from the Heart and 5) Speaking from the Heart. Perhaps most powerful, Laurie encourages us to remember that ‘An enemy is someone’s story you haven’t heard.” Website: https://www.listeningwillow.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CompassionateListening Free Compassionate Listening Workshops: https://www.compassionatelistening.org/workshops
A few weeks ago, Annmarie co-hosted a webinar with New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims (How to Raise an Adult). 7 young adults joined an audience of over 500 parents to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on their lives. This episode compiles highlights from that webinar which provide a unique perspective from the young adults on what they most need from adults right now. Annmarie also offers three essential building blocks for being in relationship with each other during these unprecedented times - trust, mutual respect and transparency. Julie's Website: https://www.julielythcotthaims.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlythcotthaims Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowToRaiseAnAdult Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlythcotthaims LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-lythcott-haims-0541005
Alexa was an ambitious and creative 19 year old with high hopes for her future. Sitting in class one afternoon, she noticed a huge lymph node pop up on her collarbone. She had been feeling fatigued and experiencing symptoms like night-sweats and rashes. Putting all of that together, she went to the doctor and a few weeks later she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Throughout her journey to heal, Alexa learned that trusting her inner voice and being in touch with her own vulnerability were the keys to beating the illness. Alexa is now a published author and spends her days trying to inspire others to take action in their own lives. On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/alexacucch Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/alexacuc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexacucchiara Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alexacucch
This week, Annmarie talks with Rahul Kulkarni, a social entrepreneur who created and runs The Sukhi Project, a mental health advocacy and technology company that seeks to bridge the gap between mental wellness and culture understanding. Sukhi means happy in Sanskrit and that’s what they exist to promote. Rahul knows how to stay calm in the eye of a storm, trust whatever is occurring, stay focused on his goal and remain flexible and agile when conditions change. Listen in as we explore how he is calling upon his talents, skills and work ethic, combined with his meditation practice, a deep trust in himself and the world to pursue his passion and fulfill this vision to build a bridge between peoples cultural background and mental health. The Sukhi Project Website: https://www.thesukhiproject.com On Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesukhiproject Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesukhiproject LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sukhi-project Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesukhiproject
On this week’s episode, Annmarie talks with Satvik Sethi, a mental health advocate and student at Binghamton University. They discuss Satvik’s mental health advocacy work, which began when he was in junior high school. He also recently created a Covid-19 website: a place for people to get all the reliable information they need in one place. They wonder how the world might be changed by this pandemic, including for the better. As work and school transfer to online interaction rather than in-person, they imagine remote work will become more accessible for people with disabilities and other challenges. Satvik on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SatSethi14 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/satviksethi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satviksethi Runaway: https://www.runawayapp.com Project Covid: https://project-covid.lfrinternational.org
On this week’s episode, Annmarie checks-in with Ashwath Narayanan and Ethan Somers, students from George Washinton Unviversity and co-founders of Culture Media Co, on the Coronavirus pandemic and how it’s affected their lives and business. They discuss our collective lack of freedom, how uncertainty is feeding fear and the role technology has played in helping us stay connected in a time of disconnection. They also walk us through some of their daily routines amidst the disruption, discuss the importance of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and remind us that everyone else is in a similar state of disarray. Culture Media Co: https://www.culturemedia.co More Ashwath: https://www.instagram.com/ashwathhhh More Ethan: https://www.instagram.com/ethanjsomers
Carleigh Berryman grew up in a family of wildly successful entrepreneurs who valued and appreciated the older generations. In college, Carleigh resisted the tempting urge and social pressure to pursue a lucrative Marketing Consultant path and instead successfully secured seed money for a unique virtual reality company for seniors. In American culture, we spend very little time investing in our elderly populations. Her company - Viva Vita - is a tech-enabled services business that disrupts that impulse by selling virtual reality tours as an activity to retirement communities to bolster their activities calendar, appear attractive to future customers and to engage their populations in a novel way for better mental wellness. In this interview, we discuss the formation of Viva Vita, what it takes to stand up for your idea (even when it’s not popular), the challenges of entrepreneurship, the value of a strong mentor and how to take care of yourself through all of that. Carleigh is a rare breed, both a head and heart-centered leader who encourages people to be open to the world, embrace uncertainty, work hard with genuine passion and, most important of all, care deeply about your work. More Viva Vita: https://www.vivavita.org More Carleigh: https://www.carleighberryman.com
Hawat Kasat has spent each moment of his life trying to leave the world a little better than he found it. He identifies as an Artist, Author, Educator, Yoga Instructor, Community Organizer, and Non-profit Leader; in our interview, however, he reveals that he most identifies with the label of Poet. In this episode, Hawah tells us about his experiences on the front-lines of social activism early in his life, as well as the time he spent in India learning how to meditate. Both sets of experiences - the political and contemplative - created a visionary leader who now runs One Common Unity, a non-profit he co-founded over 18 years ago that supports peace education and the building of a non-violent culture through music and art. We learn that the common threads in all of Hawah’s experiences are curiosity, consciousness and joy. And while he always feels like there is more to be done, there’s no question that he’s an example to us all for how to make a positive impact on the world. More Hawah: https://hawah.us
This week, we continue our two-part conversation with Fran Roth, from the wildly popular Instagram account How Do You Adult? We start this episode by walking through Fran’s college experience and how she navigated that time with authenticity, vulnerability and, ultimately, a trusting relationship with her own feelings. Fran then opens up about her relationship with her boyfriend and gives us excellent advice about how to adult rin work and life. She closes with her definitions of success, happiness and a vision-cast for the future of her Instagram account. Follow Fran: instagram.com/howdoyouadult
Fran Roth started sketching her feelings as a hobby and her friends told her what she was making was really good. As the doodles grew in popularity online, Fran followed her impulse to buy an iPad to create more digital drawings, got an instagram account and the rest is history. Her wildly successful account How Do You Adult? now has nearly 195,000 followers and that audience grows daily. Annmarie and Fran talk about feeling your feelings, managing anxiety, the purpose of panic, how to communicate your desires with respect and creating space for our fullest and most authentic expression. Follow Fran: instagram.com/howdoyouadult
Mark your calendars - Season 2 of YOUNIVERSITY kicks off on Wednesday, March 4th with Part 1 of a two-part special episode featuring Fran Roth, the creator of the wildly popular Instagram page HOW DO YOU ADULT. In the meantime, enjoy this trailer that looks back at last season and forward to what we're cooking up next.
One anecdote to stress, anxiety and overwhelm is to bring more conscious play into your day. This week we are talking about the importance of balance between work, rest and play! So many of us forget to play and think play is not important as grown-ups. We take everything so seriously! We believe we don't have time to rest, relax, play, and chill out, so we push ourselves until we get sick, overwhelmed or exhausted. When we honor our need to rest, renew and play we re-charge and maximize our energy. We are then more available for creativity, innovation, well being and productivity. The play brings us back to a state of flow.
We are exploring appreciation and what it really means to pay attention to the things we are grateful for. What you appreciate grows or increases in value. Listen in this week as I talk about the power of appreciation. I show you HOW to cultivate gratitude and talk about why it can help reduce the stress, overwhelm and anxiety we all experience. When we feel good, we are in a far better space to do good. Join us in the challenge. Take 2 minutes a day to sit quietly and reflect on ONE thing you are feeling grateful for. Just ONE thing a day. And notice how you feel, and maybe let us know.
Annmarie and Adam talk about the importance of empowering yourself and getting friendly with your negative thoughts.
This week, we are back with Emma Seslowsky, who shares her journey from first-year to post-grad. In episode 52, Emma shared her struggle with anxiety and depression in her first year at Boston University. In this episode, we are back celebrating how she used her experience with anxiety to get to know herself better, shift and become a more honest authentic expression of her true self. Emma talks about coming out, being kind to yourself, and what it really means to be successful. Emma also shares advice for after graduation, and her formula for how to make time for your passions while working your day job.
This week, I want you to meet Emma Seslowsky, a Boston University grad living in Manhattan who is following her passions while working in the real world after dealing with pretty serious anxiety and depression in college. If you have ever had thoughts like “I’m not good enough, I’m the dumbest person here, I don't belong here. No one really likes me?” you will want to listen in this episode. On this episode, Emma openly shares how those debilitating thoughts got in the way of her ability to function in her day to day life and what she did to overcome that, and she shares some great tips with us on how to deal with your negative thought patterns and turn them around to free you to be your best self in school and in life. This is a 2-part series, so enjoy part one with Emma…
We all say we want more genuine and authentic relationships, but are we really ready to step up and take responsibility for BEING genuine in our own life. It can be scary to show up with all our parts, good, bad, positive and negative. And when we are afraid, we tend to hide. While this makes perfect sense, it does not get us the thing we are ultimately seeking. Inspired by our conversation with Meredith, this week Adam and Annmarie talk about what it really means to BE genuine, and Annmarie shares some quick tips for how to show up more authentically in your life.
Meet A Genuine girl, TSU Sophomore Meredith Mistrot, who started A Genuine Girl podcast midway through her freshman year after realizing that while she seemed to be taking all the right steps and doing all the right things, she was not actually creating what she was most seeking: authentic and genuine friendships. Meredith shares with us her path to realizing she was not really truly happy, why she left her sorority and how she put herself on a path to creating the authentic friendships that were right for her. We also talk about how following your 'shoulds' don’t always get you where you want to go and how listening to that still small voice within is a path to learning how to truly trust yourself in school and in life.
Inspired by how Emery Bergmann handled her messy roommate, Annmarie and Adam talk about the difference between context and content, and the value in knowing the difference. If you are committed to success in your life, creating the conditions for you to truly thrive is vital. Where you live and who you live with matters, but HOW you are living together is fundamental to your ability to focus and succeed. If you want to be able to put your energy on academics, career, relationships, health, and your well-being, you must protect home base. Having a place to go and feel comfortable, at ease and at peace is one key ingredient to a successful and fulfilling life. On this episode learn why how you are being with those you live with can contribute to calm or conflict.
This week, Emery and I talk about how to be drama free with your roommates. Whether you are sharing your living space with a good friend or a perfect stranger, it can be hard to live with other people. Your living situation can make or break your quality of life, and ability to focus and succeed. If you don’t have a place to go to feel comfortable and find some peace life can become very stressful. Emery shares her solution for managing a messy roommate and how she stayed sane, even with moldy yogurt hanging around.
In this mini-episode, Emery Bergmann and I discuss the pros and cons of Greek life and what she has learned about herself through the process. Emery shares why she decided to rush despite her fear that Greek life was not for her and what it was like to be rejected by her first choice sorority. Listen in to hear more about why staying open and curious about the process helped Emery land in just the right community.
Starting school or perhaps a new job? Finding your people, making friends and building community is a big task and can be scary. In this mini-episode, we revisit Emery Bergmann who shares her tips for overcoming fear and putting your best foot forward on the path to finding your people and creating a community you love in college and beyond. For more on the college transition with Emery, check out episode 3.
Do you stress about failing? What do you do when you freak out Tune is as Annmarie and Adam talk about the power of courage, patience and self-awareness in college and beyond.
Ashwath Narayanan is redefining success after recently returning to America to attend George Washington University. Ashwath discusses how necessary failure is to his growth as a young leader, defines what leadership is to him, and shares how self-awareness has had to his mindset. Ashwath chats about his experience so far, and explains how he tries, and sometimes fails, to balance all the opportunities he’s overwhelmed with. Most recently, Ashwath co-founded Culture Co, a creative agency focused on collaborating with impact-driven companies and nonprofits.
Tune is as Annmarie and Adam chat about embracing confusion, moving through fear and creating habits for success.
Have you heard of the podcast Headscratcher? It was started a few months ago by 19 year old Ben Laufer. Perhaps Ben is just like you: a young college student with the perfect resume, a great high school education, and stable upbringing. However, Ben felt like a cog in a machine and noticed early on that he was making decisions because they seemed like the right thing to do, not because it was necessarily the best thing to do for him. Ben courageously decided to buck the system and took a gap year to look for the answers to the questions we all often ask: who am I, what do I want to do and how do I get there? Ben talks with Annmarie about why he felt he needed to do this, how he designed his gap year, what he learned about himself, and what he hopes to take with him as he enters his freshman year.
Annmarie and producer Adam Harris recap what it means to trust the unknown, why it’s important to take healthy risks, and the illusion of being comfortable with a "secure" job.
Recent graduate Skye Deitelbaum discusses her decision to travel, putting her sports broadcasting career on pause. Skye shares her relationship to the freedom and the unknown, and how she is continuing to create the best version of herself. Skye also reflects on her college experience, including an unhealthy relationship and how she failed to prioritize self-care.
Annmarie and Adam once again talk FREEDOM in school, career, and life. Listen in as Adam shares his next career move, how he figured it out, how it is getting there, and how it FEELS.
It’s all about transitions! From freshman year to graduation Brandon shares his college journey and all the ups and downs he encountered along the way. This week, Annmarie talks with her nephew Brandon Harris shortly after his graduation from the University of Illinois this past June. Although Brandon is devoted to pursuing a career and life he loves and is passionate about, he talks openly about how his fears caused him to ignore what he was drawn to study freshman year and how that has impacted him today. He shares how and why he courageously rejected 3 great job offers in his field of study and what he plans to do next as he becomes a conscious creator of his life.
This week, Annmarie and producer Adam Harris explore what freedom means throughout your college experience and beyond. Adam discusses the importance of finding and following your own path, starting with involving the element of play.
Amanda Elert inspires Annmarie and producer Adam Harris to discuss what being comfortable with being uncomfortable looks like, how to begin to become aware of your discomfort, and what you do with it. Annmarie also talks about the value of revealing, not concealing, to maximize your energy, and the importance of being authentic and unapologetic in your life.
This week, Amanda Elert (@mandamandamanda_show), a University of Wisconsin-Madison junior, talks about the secret to securing summer internships, combining her interest in math/statistics and her passion for sports into a career she loves, and how to find female role models in a male-dominated field. Listen in as Amanda shares the most valuable lesson she has learned so far in college and how she uses that to lean in to her most stressful moments.
Annmarie and producer Adam Harris recap Elizabeth Langshur (episode 33), who bravely discussed how she uses her experience with anxiety, depression, and bullying to educate and empower others. Annmarie and Adam start by defining anxiety, its effects, and intensities. Annmarie explains the importance of creating space for your anxiety to move, and using anxiety as an invitation to build self-awareness. Annmarie and Adam also talk about the importance of reframing your relationship with anxiety, including beginning to transparently share those moments you feel anxious and scarred with others. You are strong enough to handle this.
After dealing with health issues from the age of 10, Elizabeth shares how she recovered from anxiety, depression and bullying in middle school, and how she is using her experience to inform and educate others. Along the way, she is opening hearts and inspiring and empowering students like herself to be open honest and real. She speaks to how she now considers her middle school “bully” a gift to her passion and purpose to spread the word, reveal not conceal, and normalize mental illness as a means to authentic connection with others. Elizabeth is planning to study psychology in college and would like to focus on therapy on children.
Knowing when to say no and how to say no is not an easy skill to learn and sometimes the universe smacks you right between the eyes with a big life lesson just when you don’t expect it. What happens when you ignore your bodies signals to slow down, take care and chill out? This week, Annmarie and producer Adam Harris talk about how Jazmin Kay learned this big life lesson after her bout with pneumonia and what she is doing now to take care of herself and how you can learn to avoid burnout. Just in time for summer, Annmarie and Adam also chat about the importance of play in opening you to productivity and Annmarie challenges listeners to take some time to recharge and play, like Jazmin did, to be in-flow, at-ease, present and ultimately more productive.
Jazmin Kay, an inspiring student activist and soon to be graduate at George Washington University discusses balance, finding joy, and the power of living in the present in such a distracting world. On this episode Jazmin shares how she learned to elevate her productivity after a tough lesson on burnout and bedrest. She talks about why it's important to follow your passions and why knowing when to say no is one of the most powerful things you can do. We also talk about how she uses social media as a tool of empowerment, not a tool you use to compare to others. Lastly, Jazmin tells us about the value of trusting your gut and ultimately yourself, something we can all use a little more of!
For the last nine months, YOUNIVERSITY has talked with students about self-awareness, finding their passion, and living fearlessly. On today’s episode, we reflect on the themes we have covered across previous episodes, including clips from Olivia Royal (Ep 10), Jazmin Kay (Ep 31), and Emery Bergman (Ep 3) who represent what this podcast is about: supporting and empowering young people to step into the life you love.
Annmarie and Adam are back for another recap. Today they discuss their thoughts about last week's episode with Penn sophomore and Chief Product Officer of Generation Z consulting firm JUV Consulting, Shaina Zafar. Annmarie and Adam discuss Shaina’s inspiring mindset and how it allows her to live an empowered and impactful life. Annmarie and Adam also talk about the power beliefs have in shaping your decisions, and what it mean to be a conscious listener, reminding us all to listen with an open mind, and open, curious, and empathetic heart.
Today, we chat with Penn sophomore, Shaina Zafar, a first-generation, low-income, minority student studying International Relations. Shaina shows us what it looks like to be a self-starter and create an empowered and impactful life no matter where you come from. She reminds us the important role empathy plays when it comes to connecting and collaborating with others to create real change in the world. And her personal experience is a powerful demonstration on why mindset plays a significant role in creating an empowered and impactful life. Her passion, enthusiasm and wisdom are inspiring. I hope you enjoy listening in this week!
This week, producer Adam Harris joins Annmarie for a conversation about last week’s episode with Marco Bacchetta about following your passion and fear of failure. Annmarie and Adam discuss the many roles fear can play, whether it be motivating, inspiring, or paralyzing, and how stepping into fear can open up a world of possibilities. Annmarie and Adam also talk about how every failure is an opportunity to get curious, and chat about the importance of stopping to reflect on success like Marco does.
This week’s guest, Marco Bacchetta, puts a whole new perspective on the study abroad experience. Marco is an Italian student, raised in Switzerland and France and now in his 2nd year studying at the UAL in London. He shares his journey from a struggling high school student not knowing what he wanted to do, to listening to that inner voice that opened him to his passion for studying film. Marco talks openly and vulnerably about his fear of failure and how he overcomes it each and every day and how much pressure he puts on himself to succeed and why. Marco offers a piece of advice for you and talks deeply about how he defines success and failure. As we begin to wrap up our interview, Marco shares vulnerably about the overwhelm he feels when he thinks about possibly failing and how his perspective has evolved over the years and opened him to stepping into his fear rather than running from it.
I am most fired up about my conversation with NYT bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims. She shares her story of her perceived failures to ultimate success and how she found her passion, and what she learned along the way. Ms. Haims encourages us to listen for and trust our inner voice because we are not here to lead anyone else’s life but our own, reminding us the importance of dreaming our dreams unapologetically.
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