Blog Archives

5 Secrets To Being a Happy Student

8/30/2014

I'm sure we can all agree that it is unreasonable to expect to be deliriously happy all of the time. But it is absolutely in our power to build the lives we want so that we are, at the very least, content most of the time.

College tends to be a time that breeds or brings underlying conditions of depression, anxiety, and low self-worth to the surface. For some people, this is a chronic condition that requires medical intervention. For others, their feelings of discontent are circumstantial.

Fortunately, in both cases, there are five measures you can take to start building an environment more conducive to your productivity, drive to succeed, and overall happiness.

1. Study What Interests You

I've said this a million times over to clients: stop looking at not knowing exactly what you want to do with your life as some kind of liability!

First of all, it's flippin' ridiculous that we expect an 18-year-old freshman (or a graduating 21-year-old, for that matter) to have a precise notion of what they want to do professionally for the next 20, 30, or even 40 years.

When parents protest, "But he has to declare a major!" or, "We don't want our daughter wasting her time!" - I fire back with, "How many of us end up doing the exact job we thought we wanted?"

The truth is, most of us change career paths several times, both during our tenure as students and then as we navigate our way through the professional realm.

And that is a good thing!

So students, you want to be happy during your four years in college? Then do yourself a favor and take classes in the subjects that actually interest you. The skills you acquire from any major - critical thinking, public speaking, research and data analysis, writing - can all later be applied to a variety of careers.

2. Make Time for Play

Treat college like a job and create boundaries between your work and personal lives.

Happy students do not spend every night in the library, alone in a poorly-lit corner cubicle. They get their assignments done and then they meet a friend for dinner, join an intramural volleyball league, and volunteer at an animal shelter on Monday afternoons.

Happy students go to football games, stay up late talking with their roommates, and buy tickets for the back-to-school concert.

Happy students recognize that college has to be a holistic experience - academic, professional, and social - to truly get the most out of the time, energy, and money your family has invested.

3. Get - And Stay - Organized

The secret to having time for fun is making time for fun. Nobody is going to give you the time, the same way nobody hands you a schedule when you arrive to campus telling you when you can go eat lunch or get a bathroom break. You figure these things out for yourself, based on the list of what you want to accomplish over a month, a week, and during a day.

Set yourself up for success by starting each new semester with a fresh schedule that factors in your class, work, self-care, and social obligations. If you love running, put yourself down for 30 minutes three times a week before your first class. If you would like to make a little extra money with an off-campus job, show your employer your availability and see if she can accommodate your desired hours.

The point is to stay on top of your schedule, and know when you need to make time for something that is important to you.

4. Ask For Help When You Need It

Happy students aren't martyrs, suffering in silence if they are failing Organic Chemistry or are stuck rooming with a person who is miserable to co-habitate with. Nope, a happy student asks himself, "How can I improve my situation?" and then takes steps to make that improvement happen.

And what is the very best way to effect change over an undesirable situation? To ask for help, of course, from the appropriate resource(s) at your disposal.

Sometimes this means changing what you are doing, and sometimes, it just means changing how you respond to certain challenging situation. But asking for assistance is the surest way to make sure you actually are capable of changing anything at all.

5. Have Defined Goals

There's a difference between driving around, completely and hopelessly lost, and wandering around with a vague to good idea of where you are.

So even if you don't know what you want to do with your life - heck, even if you don't know what you want to major in - it's still important to have defined goals about what you want out of your college experience.

Some examples:

To study something that lets me practice public speaking
To take classes with lots of emphasis on literature
To graduate with a working knowledge of ArcGIS software
To win a travel grant before graduating
To score an internship in journalism by my junior year
To find at least one professor who acts as a mentor

Often, discontent is a symptom of feeling aimless or drifting. Conversely, giving yourself a purpose, an objective, a defined goal helps keep you motivated, even when you aren't sure exactly where you are going to ultimately end up.

Remember, the goal isn't necessarily to walk around deliriously overjoyed every single day of your academic career. (And if you figure how to do that, please, let us all know.)

Rather, the happiest students are those who recognize the importance in honoring their interests, respecting their needs, and finding ways to take the initiative over their goals, both short and long-term.

Like what you read and know a student who could benefit from working with me? I still have a few spots open for September - contact me at [email protected] to set up an intake session today!

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How Did You Get That Job?! - Ashley Looker, Holistic Health Counselor & Coach

8/25/2014

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"How Did You Get That Job?!" is a series of interviews with professionals who have parlayed their university degrees and unique skill sets into successful careers.

Each featured guest will explain, in his or her own words, how they chose a course of study, how their professional interests evolved over time, and provide informed advice for students still trying to discern their academic and professional paths.

Ashley Looker:
Holistic HEalth Counselor & Coach

I attribute most of my success to honoring myself and listening to what I thought was best for me and my loved ones. Oh, and a lot of hard work! Being an entrepreneur in the health and wellness field is not the easiest job in the world, but it is in alignment with my values in life which are: positive influence, originality, happiness, growth, and abundance.

1. Where and what did you study in school and how did you pick your major?

When I got accepted at Pacific Lutheran University, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do: I had full intentions of doing a year of prerequisites and applying to nursing school. However, after a year of nursing 101, statistics, biology and a plethora of chemistry classes, I was already burned out and getting a gut feeling maybe nursing wasn't for me. In the meantime, it became even more clear that I was really enjoying the psychology classes I was taking (and I was getting good grades in them!). I was fascinated with human behavior and once I started thinking about a career in psychology and what exactly that would look like, I immediately knew it was the right path for me.

When you pick a major, put yourself there, mentally and physically. Get to know the field so you can get an understanding of what life in that field would look like for you.

2. Did you know what you wanted to be when you were in college / grad school? If so, did this change over time? If not, did you take any measures to discern what career you wanted to pursue?

I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I entered PLU. But the truth is, I had no experience in the health field aside from some randomly accumulated volunteer hours at the hospital children's unit. It's so important to acknowledge not only what interests you, but what you are passionate about, and interview people in that field. If you love painting or writing, interview artists or local authors; if you love building or designing, volunteer for an engineer or architect. One major may sound incredibly interesting until you get waist deep into it. And if you really aren't sure what you are passionate about, start taking some interesting classes at your local community college. I know I would have saved my parents some money by doing this initially! This is often the smartest thing you can do, especially if you are unsure what you want to do. Your major and your career is not something that should be taken lightly; enjoyment and fulfillment should be your goals.

3. How did you find your way to your current career?

When I graduated from PLU with my Bachelor's of Science in Psychology I entered the counseling realm almost immediately (after a two month stint in Europe!). I spent about 6 years working with underprivileged populations, which was an amazingly rewarding experience. However, it was also incredibly heart-wrenching. I loved it, but I was having a hard time "leaving work at work." Again, I had to listen to my gut, which was telling me it was time for a change.

I knew I wanted to be in the helping/counseling field but I didn't know what that would look like. I began doing a lot of journaling and meditation to get to the root of what my mission was in life, as well as what I was most passionate about. It didn't take long to realize it was health and wellness. The signs were there all along: I spent most of my free time exploring food and recipes, and exercised every single day. I loved it. It made me happy and I looked forward to it everyday. It took a lot of guts to leave my "reliable" career as a counselor, but money and reliability were not what I valued in a career...

4. What do you attribute to your success (can be a personal characteristic, supportive person(s), tool or skill set, etc.)?

I attribute most of my success to honoring myself and listening to what I thought was best for me and my loved ones. Oh, and a lot of hard work! Being an entrepreneur in the health and wellness field is not the easiest job in the world, but it is in alignment with my values in life which are: positive influence, originality, happiness, growth, and abundance.

Being an entrepreneur, it is also incredibly important to create a strong support system around you. I encourage you to ask yourself "what are the values I want to live out in my career?" It's also important to understand what you are innately good at. This makes choosing your major and your career so fulfilling when you are flowing in the stream of what you are naturally good at. If you are living a life in alignment with your values, your passions and what you are innately good at, you will be successful no matter what.

5. What do you suggest for students interested in pursuing a career in your field?

We need more educated, motivated and inspiring people in the health and wellness field! If this field is something you are interested in, I suggest getting out there and getting your hands dirty. Job shadow someone, volunteer, ask questions. You must understand what your experience in this field could potentially be like and if it is something you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life. Do your research. Again, explore what motivates you and makes you happy, that is the clearest path to where you want to go.

My advice to any student entering college is to do what is right for you, not what others expect of you. If you want to be a paleontologist but heard it doesn't make money, who cares? If you will be happy doing this, that is worth all the money in the world. The last advice I have is to have fun! Yes, you will work your butt off in college but your college years are also prime years to travel, explore personal growth, and challenge yourself. Be brave and be true to yourself! Good luck!

Thanks, Ashley!

You can find out more about Ashley's work and reach her at:

E: [email protected]
W: http://www.uniqueholistichappiness.com
F: https://www.facebook.com/UniqueHolisticHappiness
T: @ashley_looker

If you are a professional (or training for a specific profession) and want to share your story with students, email me at [email protected]. I am always looking for new people to feature!

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How Did You Get That Job?! - Deb Stone, Writer and Court Appointed Special Advocate

8/13/2014

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"How Did You Get That Job?!" is a series of interviews with professionals who have parlayed their university degrees and unique skill sets into successful careers.

Each featured guest will explain, in his or her own words, how they chose a course of study, how their professional interests evolved over time, and provide informed advice for students still trying to discern their academic and professional paths.

Deb Stone:
Writer And COurt Appointed Special Advocate

"Remember you are lucky to have a brain that works. Use it. Read. Write. Think. Reach out to others. Be fervently curious. Then you will have stories to tell."

1. Where and what did you study in school and how did you pick your major?

When I graduated from high school, I hoped to go to college, get my undergraduate degree, and then study veterinary medicine. The summer before my senior year of high school, I attended a weeklong conference designed to attract women and minorities so I had an opportunity to visit the Washington State University campus. They had an excellent pre-vet program and I applied there. However, my parents would not provide the required information for me to receive financial aid, so I could not attend.

I moved to Edmonds, Washington, got a job at Stevens Memorial Hospital cleaning the labs and morgue, and lived there for a couple years. My high school friends were attending West Point, Thomas Aquinas, University of Washington, Seattle University and Western Washington University, so I felt lost and untethered. I spent the next several years imbibing in various substances, learning about relationships, and moving from place to place.

When I was twenty, I moved to Vancouver, Washington and enrolled in Clark College. I was hired for a half-time student position at the Bonneville Power Administration. I qualified for financial aid and between that, student housing, and my earnings, I could support myself. I had given up my dreams of being a veterinarian—eight to ten years of school seemed impossible—and was not sure what I would study. Without a goal, the classes had less meaning, and my preoccupation with dating and fun usurped school. I dropped out, lost the student job at Bonneville and student housing, and ended up working fast food. Then I got pregnant.

About 20 years later—when my twin sons were in college themselves—I decided to start taking classes again. By then, my husband and I had a houseful of foster and adopted children that we were raising. We had begun foster parenting in 1992, had many come and go, but always had seven or eight children until 2001 when we finally said we were going to finish raising the children we had but wouldn’t be taking any more.

I hated not having my degree, especially when I went to meetings about children with special needs and everyone else around the table had what I called “little letters” after their name. I had never really forgiven my parents or myself for my lack of education. I learned to read prolifically about whatever issues my foster children had, and to write letters advocating for their needs, and these efforts helped me stay engaged in learning on a day-to-day basis.

I focused on taking one class at a time until I had enough credits to apply for an adult degree program. I had been a full time mom and community volunteer for two decades, but I started working for the school district in 2005, used their tuition assistance to help pay for school, and took out loans for the rest.

By then, two interests had become overwhelmingly clear: social justice and writing. Prescott College offered a distance program for a liberal arts degree. In summer 2007, I attended orientation on site, and began my distance classes that September.

2. Did you know what you wanted to be when you were in college / grad school? If so, did this change over time? If not, did you take any measures to discern what career you wanted to pursue?

Part of what was great about Prescott’s program was the initial coursework called Critical and Applications in Human Development. I knew I was working toward a Humanities degree but not much more than that. During that term, I was required to identify my focus areas (similar to a major and minor) and what study areas were relevant in those competency areas. In addition, I had to develop a personal vision statement, create an outline of possible coursework, identify mentors and teachers for the coursework, generate questions I would need to answer to become a practitioner in that field, identify ways the natural world related to those areas of study, and create a two-year action plan to complete coursework and graduation requirements.

By the end of that term, I had identified that my area of competence (or major) would be “Motivating Sustainable Change” and my area of breadth (minor) would be “Writing.” Over the course of the next two years, I changed the competence area slightly to reflect not only what I had studied but also what I had learned through my years as a foster parent and advocate. My capstone project was in Human Development: Engaging Disenfranchised Youth. I graduated in 2009 (at the age of 49) with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities: Motivating Social Change.

3. How did you find your way to your current career?

Although I worked for several years at a local school district and as a supervisor for child advocates, I became weary of my inability to effect systemic change while working within a bureaucracy. My head is full of stories about children and families that inform and affect my point of view. I am not always patient with a bureaucracy's systemic process when its policies adversely affect individuals.

One of my courses called “Writing to Invoke Change” involved writing a comprehensive report detailing philosophical approaches and pragmatic applications for written language to effect social change. I used my personal vision statement: “to live with intent in     the world / balance action with purpose / write with insight and humor / to motivate self and others / in creative, sustainable change” to illustrate how tension between internal and external motivation could create stories with which we could influence people’s ideas.

It was by evidencing my own experiences in writing that I came to understand that I wanted to be a writer. It took me another couple of years, but in December 2011, I quit my job and began writing full time.

4. What do you attribute to your success (can be a personal characteristic, supportive person(s), tool or skill set, etc.)?

Learning was never difficult for me, although I have not always applied myself well. As I aged, I realized how much some people struggle. I grew to appreciate and utilize my own abilities. I’m tenacious. I’m steadfast. I seem to have gotten my wiggly irresponsible tendencies out of the way in my late teens and early twenties. I’ve spent 25 years parenting children whose parents couldn’t manage their own substance use, mental health issues, or other barriers, so I feel gratitude that I didn’t get stuck there. When I had my two young sons, I made a decision to put their needs first, and it gave me a clear sense of purpose. I met a responsible, loyal man who supported my decision to be a full time mom. Each step of the way, he supported my choice to fill up our home with foster children, complete my B.A., start working, and most recently, to quit working to write full time.

5. What do you suggest for students interested in pursuing a career in your field?

If you are a young student, prepare while you’re in high school, but don’t forget to be in the world too. Many schools seek students with a range of experiences. If you have grades or experiences that could pose barriers, spend some time finding positive aspects about them so that you can demonstrate you have the capacity for reflection, growth, and perspective.

For those of any age, if you know you want to be a writer, write. There is no shortcut. Read widely: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, newspapers, magazines, anything in print. Observe the ways print language exists in the world. If you can afford college, go, even if it is one class at a time. One class at a time will earn you a degree, and in the meantime, your ideas will be challenged, your patience tested, and your maturity developed. If you can’t go to college, find classes in your community or online. Many colleges (MIT, for example) and companies (Canvas.net, for example) offer extensive free coursework online. The reading assignments, lectures, notes, videos are all there, and you are in charge of what you learn.

Engage in free learning opportunities, and engage in social media. One of the recent changes for career writers is the expectation that one has developed a large audience and ready-made market before one’s first book is published. Cultivate authentic relationships with other writers by attending readings, connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter, and engaging in dialogues about writing. Click on and read book reviews in major newspapers. Take time every day to let your mind wander. Ask other people for a little help. Not a handout or a leg up, but a piece of advice. Thank them. Not just by saying it. Tweet it. Post it. Put a stamp on it and mail it.

Thanks, Deb!

You can find out more about Deb's work and reach her at:
W: www.debstone.net
T: @iwritedeb

If you are a professional (or training for a specific profession) and want to share your story with students, email me at [email protected]. I am always looking for new people to feature!

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3 Realizations That Made Me Less Intimidated By Professors

8/9/2014

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Right now I have a low C, and I need to get an A on the next paper if I want to pass. But I don't understand what I did wrong on the last three papers!

What did the professor say?

She just wrote "Needs more support" next to my grade.

No, I mean, when you met with the professor, what did she suggest you do to improve your grade?

Oh, I haven't actually...I've been really busy and she's never available and she seems really mean and I'm worried that if I tell her I don't understand she'll just give me a bad grade because she acts like I'm supposed to just, like, KNOW EVERYTHING she does.

Stop Making Assumptions

I've had some version of the above conversation with several students. As an undergraduate, I wasn't immune to making wild assumptions about my professors' motivations, moods, and capriciousness either.

Here are just a few reasons students avoid extra interactions with their professors:

Afraid that by admitting you are struggling, you are singling yourself out as a bad student
Find the professor hard to track down
You are too busy to go meet with the professor
You've heard he is really mean to students
He told you at the beginning of the semester all grades are final, so what's the point?
She seems to prefer female / tall / funny students and you are male / short / quiet.

You're only making things harder for yourself by letting your professor remain an enigma.

If she's hard to get a hold of by email, wait for her after class and set up a meeting in person. If you're afraid to mark yourself as a struggling student, control the conversation. You're not asking for mercy or easy A's. You are requesting information about how you can improve - because you want to improve.

And so what if he seems to favor one type of student, and you don't fit the profile? You're not in a pageant; you don't need to win Best Dressed, Nicest Smile, Best Handwriting. You just need to pass. So get in there and figure out how to do it!

Keeping the following 3 things in mind will help you be significantly less intimidated by professors:

1. Professors - They're Just Like Us!

You know how tabloids love to feature celebrities doing incredibly mundane things so that we find them more accessible?

Jennifer Aniston takes out her trash!
Matt Damon shops for cereal!
Oprah ties her shoe!

It's enough to make you roll your eyes, but the psychological impact is still there. You also put your trash curbside, buy Cheerios, and deal with unruly shoelaces.

Realize the same can be said for profs. They have homework too: major deadlines for grants, publications, and research agendas. They worry about someone evaluating their work. They have to stay up late and get up early to get everything done.

They are sometimes grumpy before their first cup of coffee. They have significant others, children, and cherished pets that they want to go home to and spend time with.

They go shopping at Costco and like watching football on the weekends.

Do you see my point? You aren't approaching some mystical, mythical creature. Your professor is just another person, whose job happens to be educating students.

2. They Aren't Mind Readers

Some students get a paper back with a D on it, shrug, and cram it into their bag. Others get a D, wonder how the #$@! did I get a D??? and are devastated. How's the professor supposed to know who cares about getting better if you never approach her?

Similarly, if a student sits through class without ever participating in the class discussion, there are a few possible explanations. Maybe the student didn't do the homework and doesn't know what everyone is talking about. Or, the student is recovering from a late night and is just trying not to barf all over his textbook. Or, the student read every page, but suffers from crippling shyness and can't figure out how to insert herself into the conversation.

If you know you could be doing better in some way - participating in class, writing stronger papers, volunteering your opinions - tell the professor you know this is something you struggle with, and want their assistance with.

The key is telling them - they can't read your mind.

3. Office Hours Are Genuine

Yes, professors and TA's are required to hold a minimum amount of office hours, during which students can schedule or walk into meetings for help. The reality is, however, that while most instructors actually voluntarily exceed this minimum, and try to be excessively available, the majority of students fail to utilize this critical resource.

So you can walk around and talk about how you have "no clue" about what your Government prof is talking about these days. Or you can carve time out of your Tuesday afternoon to sit with your professor for 20 minutes and tell them where they lost you, and ask how you can get back on track.

Office hours are offered for a reason. It's a chance for students to receive extended, one-on-one counsel, explanations, and attention from their professors.

It's not an inquisition. You're not in trouble. You're just having a conversation with another human (see point 1 above).

And finally, I recommend you stop by every single one of your professors' office hours at least once a semester, preferably towards the beginning. Make up a question or reason to talk with them. By just introducing yourself, you already stand out as someone who cares about doing well. And sometimes professors hand out little tips in these meetings that they aren't sharing in class.

Go see your professor during office hours.

I'm the first to agree that some professors are really (really!) intimidating. They seem prone to yelling, or worse still, scary silent.

But the truth is, you need to dismantle whatever perception you have of the professor if you have yet to actually go in and meet with him or her one-on-one.

Realize professors are normal people. They eat sandwiches for lunch, love their dog, and want to help the students who want to be helped.

So let them help you. Stop making assumptions about why your professors should be avoided and start finding ways to relate to the person who is grading you.

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How Did You Get That Job?! - Stephanie Owens: Coach, Author, & Speaker

8/7/2014

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"How Did You Get That Job?!" is a series of interviews with professionals who have parlayed their university degrees and unique skill sets into successful careers.

Each featured guest will explain, in his or her own words, how they chose a course of study, how their professional interests evolved over time, and provide informed advice for students still trying to discern their academic and professional paths.

Stephanie Owens - Life & Business Coach

"Evolving from therapist to business owner to coach/author/speaker was a natural outpouring of putting my innate gifts in service of my desire for happiness, prosperity and satisfaction."

1. Where and what did you study in school? How did you pick your major?

I attended Western Washington University for my under graduate degree. I temporarily majored in business (ended up with a Business minor), but ended up switching to a degree in Psychology. I then moved on to Pacific Lutheran University to get a Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy.

I originally picked a business major because I wanted a degree that could land me a job where I could expect to earn a lucrative salary. This was important to me because having grown up in a low income family I was deeply motivated to break the cycle of poverty. I ended up switching because I felt called to be a counselor and do something more people/helping oriented. This is aligned with my true purpose.

2. Did you know what you wanted to be when you were in college / grad school? If so, did this change over time? If not, did you take any measures to discern what career you wanted to pursue?

I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I initially started undergrad. I did switch from business to psychology as I connected more with my true passion and purpose to become a therapist. I knew a Bachelor’s degree alone wouldn’t be enough and started to explore what specialty I wanted to pursue with a Masters. I thought hard about the type of work that I would enjoy and be inspired by for a life time. By the time I started grad school I knew I wanted to study Marriage & Family Therapy. This field spoke to me because I felt a strong pull to have a career that would leave the world a better place than when I arrived. In my view, the family is the smallest unit of society, so the idea of effecting positive change on families felt right.

3. How did you find your way to your current career?

I enjoyed much of the work as I studied and practiced as a marriage and family therapist. Watching troubled individual and families find new solutions was a fun and worthy challenge. I also had the great fortune to work at an agency after graduation that served at risk teens. These special kids taught me the strength of the human spirit and continue to be a source of inspiration for me to this day.

At the same time, I was surprised to find that my chosen field was more frustrating and less satisfying than I expected. I didn’t realize my desire to create change wasn’t always going to be enough. I began to notice that I often craved results more than my clients did. Also, early in my career I made the mistake of working harder than my clients to get results, putting me at risk for burnout and frustration.

I was fortunate early in my career to get to take on administrative and consulting roles working with and training case managers and other professionals in my field. This work was energizing, rather than depleting, and balanced direct client service work. These experiences showed me how much I enjoyed and had a talent for public speaking, as well as, working with professionals seeking support and change who arrived to the process invested in creating results.

An unexpected twist in my career occurred when my husband and I decided to start our own business. It was ironic that after shifting from a degree in business to psychology that I’d end up shifting back again from a career in psychology to business. After pursuing a career that spoke to my passion and purpose, I was surprised how much I enjoyed work that was decidedly dispassionate. The business was much more a means to an end (providing for our family with flexibility to be home and present for our kids).

Shortly, the business grew to a size that required my attention full time, so I left the social services field to manage our new business. A pleasant and unexpected surprise was the discovery that the management, communication and relationship building skills I’d learned as a therapist, trainer, consultant and administrator were extraordinarily effective in the business world. Also, work that required less of me emotionally allowed me the time and energy to pursue an important personal development journey that unlocked a fuller expression of my true self. It also afforded my husband and me the ability to make our family our highest priority.

Over the years that our business, our family and I were growing, I continued to amass a body of knowledge and systems for building a great life and business. All the while, I had a sense I’d return to a career that revolved around working closely with people to help them create change in their lives.

As our kids grew older and the time was right in the business, I decided to return to the helping professions. However, I knew that being a therapist wouldn’t be the right fit. I was looking for a career that both helped others achieve their potential through deep connection and satisfied my desire for mastery and creating results. It turns out life and business coaching was the perfect fit. Coaching, unlike therapy, is focused on guiding motivated people to achieve meaningful results they’re blocked from creating on their own.

It was amazing to see how each stone along the career path had prepared me perfectly for this ideal role. In fact, my training as a therapist was couched in philosophies and techniques perfectly suited for the results-driven coaching model. My experience in growing our own business provided the experience needed to relate to and support business owners. My own personal journey also served as a valuable set of tools and systems that became the signature program I based my book on, as well as teach private clients and present to audiences as a motivational speaker.

Evolving from therapist to business owner to coach/author/speaker was a natural outpouring of putting my innate gifts in service of my desire for happiness, prosperity and satisfaction.

4. What do you attribute to your success (can be a personal characteristic, supportive person(s), tool or skill set, etc.)?

I attribute my success to a couple key factors:

1.    Willingness to work hard

2.    Seeing obstacles as opportunities

3.    Staying cool under pressure

4. Mean what I say, say what I mean, do what I say I’m going to do

5. Mastering high quality communication skills

6. Honoring my gifts and putting them in service of myself and others.

7. Find quotes and teachers who motivate you.

8. The measure of your success and happiness is directly proportional to the number of people you serve selflessly.

9. Require balance. Never sacrifice your joy and passion on the altar of the world’s definition of success.

10. Get great coaching from people a little further down the path

11. Learn how to see vulnerability as strength not weakness

5. What do you suggest for students interested in pursuing a career in your field?

The average life coach makes $20,000/year. If you need coaching to be a way of making a living (vs. just a hobby) be sure you have a great authentic marketing plan and clear plan to monetize your message before you set out to grow your practice. It’s easy to presume that because you’re pursuing your passion it should all fall into place. In truth, you must have a way to communicate your message so others can easily see the brilliance you have to offer.

Thanks, Stephanie!

You can find out more about Stephanie's work and reach her at:

W: www.bookstephanieowens.com
W: www.pleaseaholics.com
E: [email protected]
F: https://www.facebook.com/stephanieowens333
T: @pleaseaholics
P: 253-307-5348

If you are a professional (or training for a specific profession) and want to share your story with students, email me at [email protected]. I am always looking for new people to feature!

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How To Write a Winning Funding Proposal

8/6/2014

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Whether you are a professional tasked with soliciting funds for your department, company, or small business, a nonprofit seeking sponsors, or a graduate student who needs to eat, here are a few key points to writing a winning funding proposal.
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1. Know Your Audience
Who are you writing to? A nameless, faceless committee? A specific person? An organization?

If you can find a point of contact (this might mean doing a little research online or placing a call to HR), it's nice to address your letter to a person. However, most academic funding proposals omit any kind of salutation, except if they ask for a cover letter.

Once you have an idea of who is going to be reading your proposal, tailor your voice, tone, style, format, and content accordingly. For example, if you are a nonprofit seeking business sponsors, use plenty of quantitative data to persuade the reader that you are a good investment. If you are writing a research grant proposal, adopt the field's unique language and maintain an academic voice.

2. Introduce Yourself
Remarkably, many people struggle with this simple and essential detail. When I say introduce yourself, I mean state your name, professional or institutional affiliation, position or title, and reason for writing. You don't need to tell your life story, favorite movie, or your dog's name. This should be 1-3 sentences of who you are as (and only as) relevant to the proposal.

3. Succinctly Explain What You Do
Similarly, you need establish some context for the request you are about to make by providing a brief, but specific, description of what you do, with a little history thrown in:

My name is Jennifer Hansen and I am the Executive Director of Meals for Kids, a nonprofit organization serving King County's public elementary schools' students who rely on free lunches. I founded Meals for Kids in 2010 after learning nearly 300 students were going hungry during the day, resulting in lower test scores, behavioral problems, and an overall lack of energy. In the past 4 years, we have provided 5,442 meals for the district's qualifying students at no cost to their families.

4. What Have You Already Accomplished
Numbers, numbers, numbers! How much money have you already raised? What goals have you set and attained (or better yet, exceeded)? What sponsors do you already have on board, and what does their combined investment amount to? What kinds of results have your efforts yielded? When I'm writing a letter for a business or a nonprofit to use, I want to be able to cite hard numbers.

If you're a student writing for a research grant, you will need to explain how you are prepared to put the funding to immediate and effective use. Are you learning the language of the country you will be working in (or already fluent)? What coursework and previous publications has your project evolved out of? Who has given you money in the past to complete aspects of your research? Do you have an institutional or academic sponsor somewhere? And if so, can they provide you with a letter of support?

As an undergraduate, I double-majored in French and Political Science, graduating with honors and receiving the University of X's French Language Award in 2008. From 2009-2010, I spent a year abroad in Paris, where I significantly strengthened my speaking skills. In 2012 I devoted a summer to working in Paris's archives, where I had no problem navigating either spoken or written French. I continue to practice my French with a conversational exchange with a native-speaking classmate, as well as daily reading practice. If selected for the fellowship, Professor X of the University of Paris has agreed to act as a mentor for my project (see attached letter of support).

5. State Your Need And Its Urgency
Why should they give YOU the money?

No, really. Sit down and think about it. Why does your business, organization, nonprofit, or academic project deserve the money more than anybody else's?

Situate the significance of your proposal in immediate and long-term contexts. Consider the micro and macro-levels of your project's potential impact.

6. Detail How The Money Will Be Used
Don't write the letter or proposal before you have an itemized budget or description for allocating fundsas a reference. If someone is going to give you money - especially a large sum - you need to be prepared to explain precisely how you are going to spend it.

For every sponsor's $300 donation to our event, $150 goes directly to the animal shelter, $75 is invested into our print and media campaigns to promote local awareness about the shelter, and the remaining $75 pays for two tickets to our annual fundraiser, held at the Museum of Art on March 15, 2015, for you and a guest to attend.

7. What Does The Funder Get Out Of It?
For my business clients, I ask them to reflect on what they can do for the sponsor. Are you going to serve as an ambassador for the funder's business, organization, or institutional affiliation? Will you invite them to an event as a honored guest or speaker? Can you promise to hang, publicize, or pass out promotional materials with your sponsor's logo and recognized contribution?

If you are a applying for an academic fellowship, what's the sponsoring institution's return on investment? Will you pursue a career in academia or a job with the government? Are you going to turn your research into a solid foundation to resolve an important medical, political, or socioeconomic issue?

8. Situate In a Broader Context
I can't stress this enough: in addition to explaining what you do, how you do it, and why you do it, you must explicitly ground your work in a broader context. Many times we work in niches - and sure, it's important to carve out a small slice of a big problem so that you can realistically tackle the issue in a real and practical way. However, that niche has to mean something in the broader scheme of things.

In other words, in addition to clarifying why you care about a certain topic, you have to make the reader care too.

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Putting It All Together
A sponsorship letter should rarely exceed more than a page, but an academic funding proposal might be 15 pages. There is no one right template; instead, just make sure you incorporate the points outlined above in your proposal to make it the most competitive application possible.

One of the best things you can do is look at past winning topics or proposals, or speak with other previous recipients. If you are soliciting a business sponsor, see if you can't follow up your letter with a phone call or in-person meeting.

Remember - the most persuasive proposals strike that essential balance between being extremely detailed and to the point. Show how you are a person of action and integrity, and observe how quickly your proposals are singled out as winners.

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7 Common College Complaints (And How To Fix Them!)

8/2/2014

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Whether you are a newly arrived freshman or a seasoned senior, sometimes college has some low points.

Maybe all of your friends seem to have more money than you do for socializing, while you're on a strict budget. Or you are set on being an English major, but your school is making you take at least two math classes. You thought going away to university would afford you more freedoms, but there still seem to be a lot of rules.

You're not alone with your frustrations. Here's a list of 7 of the most common college complaints - and what immediate steps you can take to resolve them:

You're not going to like everything you have to take. [Source: http://www.unr.edu/Images/student-services/mynevada-help/academicadvisingreport110(0).jpg]

1. Required Courses

Why do I have to take two Religion courses - I'm not a Theology major!

That came up a lot at Notre Dame, along with the two required Philosophy courses. Please, please, please understand - if your school has any kind of religious affiliation, you will have to take these courses. Know it, accept it, move on.

Now what about the more common, and quite annoying, requirements of taking classes completely outside of the realm of your major and general academic interests?

Well, let's start by being honest with ourselves. Take me, for example. Give me any writing-based class and I'm happy. Tell me to take a math or science class, and I'm miserable. Why? Cause I'm just not very good at numbers. If you are peeved about a required course, ask yourself if you could stand to get extra help that might make the courseload a little more tolerable.

Finally, exercise some some good choices over the aspects you do have control over. Choose a professor who is funny, or a class time that lets you sleep in. And go out of your way to make friends, so at least you have someone to commiserate with after class.

Make the dining hall work for you, or find other food options. [Source: http://food.nd.edu/assets/30166/original/home_ndhsalad.jpg]

2. The Food

Dining hall food can get redundant. It's expensive to buy food in the student center or off-campus. You don't have a feasible way of getting to a grocery store, transporting the food back, or preparing meals in your room. You never thought you'd say this, but you're So. Sick. of pizza and froyo.

Some easy fixes for this one: if you can budget a certain amount for food, organize a weekly or monthly carpool to a grocery store and buy food you enjoy. If there isn't a way to cook food in your room, plenty of dorms have kitchens available. See if your friends are up for weekly dinners, where you each cook something for the meal.

Look for any openings with your favorite food place on or around campus - free or discounted menu items are usually a perk of being an employee.

Get creative in the dining hall. Don't just grab the slice of pizza if you are tired of it. Wait in line for the prepared food (like stir fry) or create your own master sandwich or salad combo. Try breakfast for dinner. Mix it up.

3. RoommateS

Did you choose your roommate? If so, you probably chose a friend, or at least an acquaintance. You thought it would be fun to live together, until you realized she came with a barnacle of a boyfriend who seems to be a permanent fixture of your futon and she never takes the trash out. You're starting to hate her.

That's ok. Go ahead and dislike her all you want. The goal is to co-exist functionally. Ask if she can see her boyfriend at his room sometimes, or tell her you need the room to be a quiet study space for 2 hours a night on weeknights.

Divide up the chores. If she still doesn't do them, do your share and ignore her mess, lest she think the Cleaning Fairy continues to keep the room in order.

And if you're living with someone randomly assigned to you - take heart. This ends after a year.

If your roommate truly makes you uncomfortable or makes you feel unsafe, take the issue to your R.A. or the Housing Office. Transfers can be arranged in appropriate cases.

4. Feeling Isolated

Maybe your campus is in the middle of nowhere, or it's so huge you feel completely swallowed up by the student body. Or you haven't found a good group of friends yet. Or you feel like the only [insert some kind of defining religious/ethnic/professional/personal background identity here] on campus.

Feeling isolated due to a perceived lack of diversity on campus or not finding people with compatible interests and personalities is a matter of not meeting the right people. Find a club or organization (or start your own) to meet like-minded friends, or get a job on or around campus to broaden your social network.

By finding a solid group of friends to ground yourself at school, the campus's size and / or remote location won't seem so overwhelming.

5. Nothing To Do For Fun

This can be true, but first, what are you doing now for fun? Are you giving up before you even try, or, perhaps worse, adopting someone else's version of fun that doesn't actually resonate with you?

If you don't like bars, stop spending your nights there and organize a movie night or a bowling outing with your friends. If you are tired of sitting in your room in the evenings, join an intramural sports team, volunteer organization, or club.

Suggest activities for your friends if they seem unmotivated to get out. Organize a day trip to a local site on the weekend if you're feeling stifled on campus.

Get out of your room. There is, actually, plenty to do.

Check out your on-campus job options if you're bored, want to meet new people, and are strapped for cash. [Source: http://www.umt.edu/career/CareerFairs/]

6. Too Flippin' Expensive

Make an appointment with the Financial Aid office if you are struggling with tuition payments, and work your connections on campus to find a job if you need a regular income. Ask your professors if they hire research assistants or know of scholarships you are a good candidate for.

If your friends like to do expensive activities, suggest alternatives so that you can still go out together but nobody is asking you to put $60 towards one meal at the trendy new sushi bar.

And if they are really your friends, you can always be honest with them about your budgetary restrictions. I had to turn down some invitations while I was in school, and earned a little extra cash for pocket money by working one (sometimes two) extra jobs a semester.

7. Difficult Classes And Professors

Is it too hard? Or is just this one class, this one professor who is making your life miserable right now? Careful to see the forest through the trees. Maybe it isn't your university that is too hard - more likely, it's this semester's workload.

So what do you do? Start finding help and instead of silently drowning in bad grades. Talk with your TA's and professors, make appointments with the campus tutoring center, hire a private tutor or enlist a friend's assistance, and keep doing the work. Not understanding an assignment is not a valid excuse for not doing the work.

Work with an academic advisor to discuss how to lighten your workload next semester by spreading out your more challenging classes evenly over your time remaining there, or see if there are alternative classes or major options that might be a better fit for your interests and talents.

There you go : 7 complaints about college that are completely resolvable (or at least mitigated) by a little bit of effort on your part. Accept that there will be some frustrations that can't be completely fixed, but you do have some control over the variables of these inescapable situations. Figure out what you can change for the better, while waiting out the things that that you can't.

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7 Common College Complaints (And How To Fix Them!)

1. Required Courses

2. The Food

3. RoommateS

4. Feeling Isolated

5. Nothing To Do For Fun

6. Too Flippin' Expensive

7. Difficult Classes And Professors

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Ashley Looker:
Holistic HEalth Counselor & Coach

Deb Stone:
Writer And COurt Appointed Special Advocate