Question: What inspired you to start a mentorship program?
Answer: I remember when I was younger, I used to participate in pitch competitions. I would stand up on stage and promote my business at the time. This was only after watching other kids my age pitch themselves. I would learn from their shortcomings, and the more I watched them stutter and shake with nervousness, the more I felt sad. Sad that they didn’t have someone to hold their hand and walk them through pitching properly and with confidence.
I felt sad that they didn’t have anything close to what my mother had been doing for me. I was always very competitive, so at the end of the day, I would win some of those competitions and forget about them—until I went to sleep and dreamed about their next pitch competition. I wanted to help them get their things in place, believe in themselves, and believe that they are the best at what they do and can offer.
So, creating this mentorship program brought me back to that, to no longer just helping but partnering with others so they can have the confidence I do. I want kids to proudly say, “Yes, I have an SOP, a Strategic Plan, a Marketing Plan, and yes, I am the best at what I do!” I admire young entrepreneurs, but I still see them as the same ones I did back then—shaking and stuttering. No more of that with my mentorship program. I refuse it!
Question: How has creating this program helped you with your own challenges as a teenager in today's society?
Answer: I used to have the challenge of being a helper, but now I don’t. I only extend my partnership to those who ask for it and give me a good reason why I should partner with them. Still, as a teenager figuring out my emotions and the right way to communicate with others, it’s good for me to interact with other teenagers who understand me for me.
While I get to partner with them and learn how to be around other kids, this is a vital skill because I don’t interact with other kids most of the time. I find that they don’t have good communication skills, don’t want to ask deep questions about life with me or let relationships go so easily without so much as a fight. This is why I interact with adults most of the time—they understand me, even if just a little better than other kids.
With my mentorship program, I will be able to interact with kids and have a reason to be around them without getting irritated. As a teenager, I knew I needed to have other teenage friends, but while I used to pursue them, now it seems meaningless. If I can partner with them, even if it seems meaningless to me, I know it won’t to them, and that brings me joy—being able to give them everything they need to run a successful business.
Question: What are some things you believe are missing pertaining to teenager and parent relationships?
Answer: There are multiple things, but I want to focus on issues that can’t be solved easily with one simple answer. The main one I address is the lack of communication. It can be hard to have healthy communication between a kid and a parent. I know this because even though my mother and I have engaged conversations as friends, mother-daughter, and client-therapist, we still have communication issues.
It’s not a bad thing to have communication issues. It just means there needs to be more communication to get on the same page. However, that can be hard for teenagers to do with their parents due to the lack of desire for small talk, fear of rejection regarding opinions, fear of disrespecting or irritating the parent, etc.
I’m not in the parents' shoes, but if I were a mother, I would want my child to communicate with me without fear of sharing their thoughts. Still, as a mother, I would have to correct them when they have a misunderstanding. What I mean is, that both family members play a role in each other’s lives, and those roles can sometimes clash. That’s why I think it can be hard for families to maintain healthy communication.
Question: How has journaling helped?
Answer: I don’t particularly enjoy journaling, which might seem strange since I wrote a journal. What I mean is, that I don’t like journaling by writing. My mother has always taught me that journaling is simply a way to express oneself, so you don’t necessarily have to sit down and write to journal.
You can dance, sing, color, write poetry, play, laugh, etc., to express yourself. I would say I’m most fond of journaling by talking to myself and my different parts.
I must admit, though, that one reason I might not like journaling through writing is that I’ve had my journals read by others, and it made me feel angry. When I express myself in a non-writing way, no one but me can understand what I’m trying to express, and I can’t be violated like before!
Question: What would you say to another teen who has challenges with journaling?
Answer: Being me, I don’t think I would say anything with words. Instead, I’d use my actions. I’d start to dance, then sing, then do crazy antics. Only when I could tell they were interested in my antics would I say, “This is how I journal.” Then, I’d let the conversation flow from there.
I’d do this because some teenagers aren’t interested in talking with others, and even I often need a reason to be interested. This approach sparks entertainment, fun, and interest while helping them see that journaling doesn’t have to be this boring notebook and pen activity.
Question: How can readers get involved and support?
Answer: I’d like to offer two things, one paid and one free. First, my mother and I have a YouTube podcast where we talk about things people don’t usually want to discuss. It’s called Incubate to Thrive, and it helps families get more connected while showing the importance of incubation in order to thrive in life.
I’d love it if families could watch some of the videos from the first season and maybe even our funny YouTube shorts! It’s free, of course, because my mother and I believe that tools for thriving should always be at one’s disposal.
Next, I have a book coming out called If You Give a Kid a Plan. It’s kind of like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie if you’ve heard of that. It’s about a boy who receives a plan from his mother, and after she explains how a plan works, he starts to follow it. He finds that he enjoys having a plan, and because of that, he wants to learn more so he can have unlimited plans! It’s not out yet, but I hope you all can support it when it is.
Question: Do you have a website where people can connect?
Answer: I do! Just go to bit.ly/fromatc and you’ll find my website.
Question: What are your goals for your mentorship program 5 years from now?
Answer: I have a lot of plans and a lot of things in the works, and in the next five years, many of those will probably be accomplished. For my mentorship program, I plan to incorporate it into my F.U.S.I.O.N. Community on Facebook and LinkedIn, which will also be expanding as the years pass.
By incorporating, I mean that all mentees will be placed in the F.U.S.I.O.N. Community under a membership section. There, they will be able to do group business coaching with me every two weeks, as well as have access to workshops and events within the Community because of the membership they’re in.