Episodes

This week we’re talking about the topic of leadership. After 20 years in corporate, I had my share of leaders. Some were very good leaders and others, well, not so much. I used to sit back and watch as people who were really good at their job as an individual contributor get promoted to management or leadership simply because they were good at their job. And let’s be honest...just because you are good or even great at your job doesn’t mean you should be a leader. This week’s guest has a lot to s...

This week, I'm joined by my partner-in-crime and expert GenZ Career Guide, Jay DuSold. If you're a regular listener you probably know that Jay has been on the show multiple times in the past. There's a reason for that. Not only is Jay my co-host in our Life After 12th Facebook Group, he's also one of the most passionate and committed people I know when it comes to helping young people find their way to a career they will love. Jay always brings a ton of value to my audience and today's episode i...

In today's episode, I am welcoming back Cindy LaJoy. You might remember Cindy from episode 11 of the podcast. Cindy is the founder and administrator of the Blue Collar Homeschool Facebook group. This group supports and encourages homeschoolers who's kids are headed to work or trade school or another path after high school. Numbering almost ten-thousand members the group offers a wealth of information seldom talked about in homeschooling circles. As a member of this group, I can attest that the c...

This week, I’m delighted to welcome Ann Louden to the podcast. Ann is a New York City based consultant for nonprofit leaders. Her emphasis is teaching the skills of how to be an expert connector. Anyone who knows me is well aware that I am wired to be a connector. People to people. People to resources. It brings me so much fulfillment. Not sure what a true connector is or does? Don’t worry, Ann does a fabulous job of explaining it. Also during our conversation, Ann shares the attributes of conne...

In this episode, I am joined by Rachel Sumner. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, one of the biggest benefits of doing this podcast is that I get to cross paths with those who I call “my people” and Rachel is absolutely in that group. Her energy, enthusiasm and commitment to helping young people prepare for the future is evident in our conversation and I am thrilled for you to hear it. During this episode, we talk about why we need to change the way we think about the future of work, h...

In this episode, I am welcoming Joanna Lilley back to the show. If you are a loyal listener you might remember Joanna from episode 33, titled Transitioning from Parent to Partner. If you missed that episode, I highly recommend checking it out as it is packed full of great information to help parents to transition to a new dynamic as teens and young adults move on after high school. Today, Joanna and I talk about what to do when your college student returns home, and I’m not talking about after g...

In this week’s episode, I welcome John Geiling to the show. John is the President of his hugely successful company, JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services, Inc. Whether your teen is interested in the plumbing business or another one of the trades, this episode is packed full of useful information and resources. After years of employment in the trades working for other people, John made the decision to go out on his own. As you’ll hear in our conversation, that decision has certainly paid off. John i...

Joining me this week on the podcast is Johnny Tock. Johnny is the Director of Admissions at ReSTART, a program that specializes in technology addiction. The subject matter of this episode is a huge concern for many families, including my own. A survey from Parents Together found that of 3,000 parents surveyed, 85 percent were worried about the length of time their children spend online. If you’ve been a listener here, you know that I am a mom to two teenage boys. My boys are gamers. They enjoy g...

This week’s episode is one that I have been looking forward to sharing with you. When I first started this podcast over a year ago, I drafted a “wish list” of guests I’d like to interview. Tony Wagner was one of the names at the top of that list. When I reached out to him to invite him on the show, he accepted my invitation without hesitation. I first learned of Tony Wagner years ago when I read several of his best-selling books: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids For The Innovation Era;...

In this week’s episode, I’m delighted to welcome Tanya Meessmann back to the show. If you’re a loyal listener, you might remember Tanya from Episode 50, Developing Confidence, Courage, and Self-Belief in Teens. If you missed that one, be sure to check it out. After a successful career in corporate Australia and the UK, Tanya pivoted, and now has a company called Girl Shaped Flames. Tanya mentors young ambitious girls and she helps them develop self-confidence and self-belief. Tanya always brings...

Hosting this podcast has so many benefits, including getting to meet, interview, and learn from so many smart and interesting people. And while I enjoy every interview I do, there are some people that I meet and connect with immediately. Today’s guest is one of those people. I am beyond thrilled to welcome Dr. Kevin J. Fleming to the podcast. Dr. Fleming has an impressive bio. He’s produced multiple viral animation videos including Success in the New Economy and he is the author of the education...

In this week’s episode, I welcome GenZ Career Guide, Jay DuSold back to the podcast. Today’s episode is the 2nd in a two-part series focused on building strong relationships with our teens BEFORE they move out of the house. In part one, Jay and I talked about repairing and reconciling broken relationships. If you have been struggling to make amends with your teen, you may want to go back and listen to episode 61. In this second part, we are focusing on how to begin cultivating a long-term bond w...

I’m thrilled to start off the New Year with this episode featuring my guest, Ken Rusk. Ken has an incredible story to tell and he has decades of experience and wisdom to share with parents and their teens. Ken got his start digging ditches at the young age of 15. Decades later he’s a highly successful construction business entrepreneur who’s been called the “million dollar ditch digger”. Ken is also the author of Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life. ...

In this week’s episode, the last episode of 2020, I am grateful to welcome Jay DuSold back to the podcast. If you’ve been listening to the show, you know that Jay and I have formed a partnership, and more importantly, a friendship, based on our shared passion and commitment to helping young people find the path that’s best for them. This episode is part one in a two-part series focused on what Jay refers to as “making things right when you’ve blown it with your teen”. Before we work on strengthe...

My guest today is Dr. Catherine Pearlman. Dr. Pearlman is the author of Ignore It!: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction. She's also the founder of The Family Coach, a private practice specializing in helping families resolve everyday problems related to discipline, sleep, sibling rivalry, and other issues. I learned of Catherine when she wrote an article called It Doesn't Matter to Me Where My Kids Go To College. She is the p...

In this episode, I am thrilled to welcome Chelsea Williams back to the podcast. Chelsea is an anxiety coach for teens and parents. When she first joined me on the podcast back in episode 8, Chelsea brought a ton of value for my listeners and now she’s back again with some very timely and relevant advice for parents. During our conversation, Chelsea talks about how to create a more flexible nervous system and why showing our teens our own vulnerability will help them learn how to navigate through...

In this episode, I am excited to welcome Rich Popper to the show. Rich and I connected through a Facebook exchange that I had with his wife in a parenting group. When I learned that Rich worked in the field of cybersecurity, I knew I had to interview him. Cybersecurity is a vast and highly in-demand field, and as Rich explains is now considered a core business function. There is an enormous shortage of skilled employees in cybersecurity and there are jobs available in lots of different disciplin...

In today’s episode, I am thrilled to welcome my long-time friend Roger Holzberg to the show. Roger is one of the most innovative and creative people I have had the pleasure to work with and one of the most accomplished storytellers I know. We met while both working at Disney, where Roger spent 12 years as an award-winning Creative Director / Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering. Since then, Roger has gone on to do some truly incredible and impactful work. He is the co-founder of Reimagine ...

Communicating with our teens isn’t always easy, especially when the topic of conversation is related to their plans (or lack of a plan) after high school. In this episode, I am joined by Melanie Studer and her young adult son, Sam. Melanie is the author of “College Bound: The Ultimate List of Conversations to Help Your Teen Through High School”. During our conversation, Melanie and Sam share their experience during Sam’s high school and college years and offer suggestions for families about keep...

The timing of this episode is extremely relevant and there’s no one else I’d rather have with me than Jane and Jason Sarouhan of J2Guides. In this episode, we talk about gap year experiences during COVID-19. You might be feeling that this is not a good time to think about a gap year, when in fact, the opposite is true. The gap year is not only surviving, it’s thriving. During our conversation, we discuss the benefits of taking an intentional gap year during COVID, the key word here being intenti...

In this episode, I am joined by Allison Dillard. Allison is an author, an adjunct math professor, and the host of the Allison Loves Math podcast. On her podcast, she talks with education and parenting experts about how to empower kids to do well in math and STEM. As I reveal in the podcast, math has not always been my strong suit, which I think is true for a lot of people. In fact, I used to joke that math is a four-letter word. During our conversation, Allison shines a light on how to help our ...

I've had some parents request that I provide some help and resources for parents of teens with learning differences who are planning to attend college. I am fortunate to have crossed paths with an expert in this field and she is joining me in this episode. My guest today is Debbie Cinquemani of Guide Us Educational Services. Debbie specializes in working with students with learning differences, an area of college counseling that is vastly underserved. She is passionate about finding every studen...

In this week's episode, I am celebrating my one year anniversary as host of the High School Hamster Wheel podcast. The past year has been more fun and more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. And what better way to celebrate this milestone than with two of my new best friends, who also happen to be previous podcast guests, Dr. Anna Stumpf and Jay DuSold. Heads up, Jay and Anna spend a lot of time gushing about me and my podcast during this episode and the feeling is mutual. I have great ...

In this episode, I'm thrilled to welcome to the show. Erica Smentowski. Erica and I crossed paths online in another parenting Facebook group and when I read her post, I knew that I wanted to learn more about her family. Erica is the proud mom of two teenage boys. Her older son, Nathan is 17 years old and he's on the autism spectrum. He just began his senior year of high school and he still unsure about his path going forward. During our conversation, Erica shares all about Nathan's journey throu...