YOUNIVERSITY - Pursue Life Fearlessly: Recent Episodes
Annmarie Chereso
On this podcast we have honest conversations with people from all walks of life. Young people launching, leaders leading, entrepreneurs exploring, activists activating, experts and everyday people join me in exploring how self awareness supports you on your path to authentic success and life filled with purpose and meaning.
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
I am so excited to kickoff our “Follow the Leader” series with my 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 Annmarie “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
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.
Do you ever just feel completely STUCK? This week, Annmarie hits a wall. On this episode, listen in as she shares what happens to her and how she deals with her lack of motivation and resistance to getting things done, including this week's episode.
If you haven’t yet listened to Episode 20 with Lilia Wilson, you might want to before tuning in today! On this episode, we follow up with Skidmore sophomore, Lilia, a semester later. Lilia reflects on her decision to switch her major and how she now feels about it. We explore how she is increasingly learning to take responsibility for her happiness by making decisions that are best for her while remaining open and curious and trying new things. Lilia also shares how she is embracing her new environment, how her circle of friends continues to evolve, and why she thinks it’s important to seek positivity. Lastly, Lilia recalls how she navigated the dreaded college decision process.
Last week, we got to know Nic Chae, a Princeton sophomore with a wildly popular YouTube channel with over 50K subscribers created in large part because of Nic's willingness to be honest and vulnerable. This week we talked with Nic about balance and how he manages his his time and energy, between his passions and what he knows to be practical in his life. We talk about acceptance and rejection. It's March and admissions letters from your colleges are arriving. Nic Chae was there just a short time ago. He share how he dealt with rejection himself and tell us how it felt to be rejected from his dream school Nic also talks about a visit to a school that didn't sit well with him and how he listened to his inner voice on that visit and what did he do to take leadership of his own life. Enjoy part two of this two part interview with Nic Chae.
Nothing is going to get in the way of Nic Chae and his success. On this week’s episode, I talk to 19 year old sophomore Nic Chae.
Nic Chae originally planned to pursue his passions and study film and visual arts at Stanford University, his dream school. Much to his surprise, today despite his passions and talent for photography and film, Nic finds himself instead across the country studying economics at Princeton University.
Tune in as Nic shares his struggles between choosing what’s practical and what he is passionate and tells us how he is making that choice and why - and about and how he finds the time to fit it all in what he’s learned about trying to do it all, burn out, his fears of feeling judged and what’s it like to being vulnerable on campus and in life.
To learn more about Annmarie's weekly coaching calls, please e-mail annmarie.youniversity@bringithome.me
Today, I would like you to meet Lilia Wilson, a sophomore at Skidmore University, her dream school. I spoke to Lilia at the start of her sophomore year. Lilia is a great example of an empowered and courageous leader. For years as she prepared for college she believed she had a clear understanding of what she wanted to study and eventually do with her life however early on first semester of her freshman year she began to realize things were just not working out the way she thought and she decided to switch majors and shift directions.
Listen in and learn how Lilia got the courage and clarity she needed to make this difficult decision and then cultivate the confidence to make the change that felt best for her.
What's up with all this vulnerability talk these days? Tune is as Adam and Annmarie talk about why vulnerability is the key to freedom in relationships, college, and life.
You are about to meet an incredibly inspiring young woman I spoke with recently: Shannon Flynn. Shannon shared some pretty powerful stuff, starting with how the loss of her father sophomore year shaped who she is today, how she discovered one of her genius qualities, how she learned what authenticity really was, why she decided to delete her IG account and what she has learned from her year long break from social media.
Read more from Shannon Flynn on her blog: beingshannon.org
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On this episode Annmarie teaches podcast editor, Adam Harris what it means to have a full body yes, and how to trust yourself to make good decisions. One way we can reliably trust ourselves to make good decisions -decisions that are most aligned with our well being - is to listen for our full body yes. Listen in to learn more about your full body yes and your no, and how to tell the difference between the two.
Lola and I talk about how her daughter Olivia made the decision to forgo a full ride scholarship and why. We explore what it means to listen to your gut, how to trust and follow your heart when it might not always “make sense” on paper and being a creator in your life, rather than a victim of your circumstances. Check out the last of the Royal Family interviews as Lola talks about her daughter, who’s pursuing her dreams at all costs. Literally.
Lola Wright shares her perspective on her son's decision to switch schools mid year, her thoughts on trusting your gut, how to find your passion and how she taught her kids to be financially prudent when taking on student loan debt.
After only 2 weeks at ASU, Trey realizes he is not in the right place. Listen in as he shares his journey to decide to leave after his first semester and why he chose University of Illinois. Trey also shares how he became friends with a roommate who he had nothing in common with by being open, curious and non judgmental.
Admittedly Sydney Decaro was afraid to travel abroad her junior year. Despite her reluctance she pushed herself to take the risk and along the way she learned some unexpected and valuable life lessons about stress. On this episode of Youniveristy, listen in as Annmarie and Sydney discuss the cultural differences she discovered on her semester abroad, what she learned about the impact stress has on her success and what she is hoping to bring back with her when she returns to study in the US.
We all struggle to find balance and in college it can be even harder to feel in control of your time. Feeling out of control of your time causes decreased energy and increased stress. This week, Tufts Sophomore Sarah Weiner shares her secret to managing her schedule successfully by making sure she is saying yes to doing things that she really loves.
While we have things on our to do list that must be done like homework and attending class, when we commit to using our free time doing the things we are passionate about we refuel our tanks and get more energy.
Pay attention to what you choose to say yes to this week and listen for opportunities to say no.
Ever hear yourself saying “I have no choice.” I have to! I’m overwhelmed. There’s no enough time.” College can feel overwhelming and we can feel at the effect of our lives from time to time. When we do, we feel stress, anxiety and disempowered. On this weeks episode learn how to feel more in control of your life and less stressed.
For the more information and to get your copy of the Creator card, email annmarie@bringithome.me.
On this week’s episode of YOUniversity Annmarie interviews Olivia Royal. Olivia shares why she chose to forgo a full ride to Howard to go for her dream school and take on big debt to follow her passion and go to her dream school. Together they talk about predominately white institutions, trusting your gut, believing in yourself, following your dreams, and trusting the money will follow and more.
Today we talk about the importance of knowing HOW to think versus what to think with Dr. Joe Krupnick of The Krupnick Approach. This big idea reminds you to master your ability to learn to THINK and open your mind as an important and valuable skill in today’s world. Finally, lets not forget to understand what sets you uniquely apart, not just on your college application but in your life. Are you pursuing your authentic passion? These are all questions I am excited to continue to explore with you this week.
Annmarie and Teri talk about parenting, the power of surrender and how to let go and trust your kids to find their own way, even when it goes against your dreams and desires for them. She shares her heartbreak at the realization that Lucy is ready to quit college to pursue her dreams and reminds us how challenging it can be to balance both strength and vulnerability as a parent. And Teri shares her belief that with passion, practice and hard work we are all bound to succeed. Teri pursues her passion very successfully at No Crumbs left https://www.instagram.com/nocrumbsleft/ Check her out. You will fall in love.
Lucy Hartman shares vulnerabily about her 2 year struggle at school. After applying early decision and getting into her dream school Lucy quickly relaizes she is only in school to fullfill her moms dream for her to get a college degree. After two years, and at the harsh realization that she was loosing the thing that made her special, unique and alive and beginning to make herself sick and depressed, Lucy musters up the courage to face the truth and her mom. Lucy takes us on the journey and into her life as she describes her path and reminds us all that the path to success is paved differently for everyone and the key to your success lies within you and only you.
This week, Annmarie tackles judgment, fear, stress and personal growth in college. Life does not have to be stressful on campus! We learned on last weeks podcast with Robert how his fear of being judged could’ve caused him to miss a huge life opportunity. What does your fear of being judged hold you back from doing? Listen in for the difference between rational and irrational fears and how they drive behaviors. And learn four steps, starting with self awareness, that help you shift from fear to self empowerment.
Mindset, Self-awareness, Courage, Vulnerabilty. These are all the hallmarks of great leaders. How is your life giving you opportunities to build these important life skills? Today I talk with my son Robert Hannah. We discuss how he naviagted his fear in the airport in South Africa as he is about to miss his one and only flight out and what he learned about himself and his fear of being judged by others. We learn how powerful midset is and when you change your mind, you change your outcome. Robert talks intimately about what it means to be self aware and his thoughts on creating a happy life no matter how young or old you are.
Today, Annmarie helps you identify your strategies for avoiding your uncomfortable feelings that often come up in college like loneliness, sadness, fear and anxiety. Are you aware of how you distract yourself? Annmarie offers a quick 4 step inquiry to help you identify your drift moves and shift to a more empowered way of being with your difficult emotions. Don't miss this episode!
Today, Annmarie and Emery chat about finding your people, dealing with lonliness and being vulnerable in college. As Emery says, "Finding your 'people' is an active process, not something immediate, as I expected it to be." Check out Emery's amazing "My College Transition" homework created for her fine arts class that went viral thanks to her mom's facebook share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=oAUcoadqRlE
Listen in and meet some of the students Annmarie speaks to this semester. Tidbits from Mathew a Yale freshman discussing the trick of balancing college life and a long distance relationship, and Olivia an NYU junior talks about not worrying about what others think, to Lilia a sophomore at Skidmore sharing what it was like that first day, Lucy shares the importance in finding your people and Annmarie chats with her son Robert a University of Colorado Boulder freshman about all he learned on his gap year abroad.
The Youniversity podcast offers refreshingly honest conversations with students who share their stories, struggles, and successes, and educational experts provide valuable information on all things college. Join Annmarie Chereso for a conversation about what to expect each week on the Youniversity podcast.