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How To Help Your Teen Earn Scholarships with Shellee Howard to Graduate Without Debt · Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson

0:05
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson.
0:09
SPEAKER_00: This is where ideas spark, connections grow, and collaborations fuse success.
0:14
SPEAKER_00: Tune in for inspiring stories, expert insights, and game-changing conversations.
0:18
SPEAKER_00: Let's build, connect, and thrive together.
0:20
SPEAKER_00: Remember, collaboration is the key to success.
0:26
SPEAKER_02: Welcome, welcome to the Ready Set Collaborate Pack podcast with Wanda Pearson, where we bring powerful conversations with change makers, thought leaders, and innovators who are impacting lives and building legacies.
0:39
SPEAKER_02: Today I'm thrilled to welcome Shelly Howard, the visionary founder of College Ready and See Our Future Now.
0:46
SPEAKER_02: Shelly is passionate about helping students and families confidentially navigate the college submissions journey, graduate debt-free, and prepare for future success.
0:56
SPEAKER_02: With years of experience, expertise, I'm sorry, expertise, and experience, right?
1:01
SPEAKER_02: Her programs have guided thousands, have guided thousands of families through the college process with incredible results.
1:07
SPEAKER_02: Get ready.
1:08
SPEAKER_02: The conversation is packed with insight for parents, students, educators, and community leaders.
1:12
SPEAKER_02: Welcome, Shelly, to the ReadySec Collaborate Podcast.
1:16
SPEAKER_02: Say hello to this audience, Shelly.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much, Wanda.
1:20
SPEAKER_01: It is a pleasure to be on your show, and I look forward to giving your listeners massive value.
1:25
SPEAKER_02: Oh, absolutely, absolutely.
1:27
SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes, definitely.
1:28
SPEAKER_02: I wish I met you a long time ago because I have two daughters that went to college and they're in debt.
1:36
SPEAKER_02: So I wish we had a known.
1:38
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
1:38
SPEAKER_02: So my the older one who is actually my she's my promotional item that she does a lot for me, she did seven years because she did the interior design programs.
1:45
SPEAKER_02: But Lisa, they're out of college.
1:47
SPEAKER_02: Now they have she has four kids, and my other daughter has two kids.
1:50
SPEAKER_02: So hopefully, by the time they get to what you're doing, they can be debt-free.
1:55
SPEAKER_02: And you can teach us some stuff.
1:57
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, definitely.
1:58
SPEAKER_02: So I'm excited.
1:59
SPEAKER_02: I'm excited about having you on the show and teaching us something about here.
2:03
SPEAKER_02: So let me tell you about, let me actually read your bio.
2:06
SPEAKER_02: Shelly Howard helps high-achieving families unlock the path to college without debt.
2:11
SPEAKER_02: As the founder of College Ready and a certified educational consultant, she blends insider admissions, knowledge with financial strategy to guide teens toward top-tier schools, including her own children who all graduated college completely debt-free.
2:27
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
2:28
SPEAKER_02: We need a lot of students.
2:31
SPEAKER_02: That's amazing.
2:32
SPEAKER_02: That is amazing.
2:34
SPEAKER_02: What sets Shelly apart is not just her expertise, but her lived experience.
2:38
SPEAKER_02: A single mother of four, she navigated the missions process herself, juggling academics, scholarships, and ambition across blended family dynamics and diverse child personalities.
2:49
SPEAKER_02: From Ivy League Dreams to international study paths, Shelly has done it all.
2:54
SPEAKER_02: She now works with families worldwide to develop a standout strategy that aligns academic goals with emotional readiness and return on investment.
3:03
SPEAKER_02: Shelly speaks to an audience of driven time-poor professionals, mothers who are doctors, lawyers, and engineers, who need practical, high-impact guidance.
3:13
SPEAKER_02: Whether on a parenting show, a finance podcast, a woman and business platform, she meets listens where they are.
3:19
SPEAKER_02: Overwhelmed, motivated, and hungry for clarity.
3:22
SPEAKER_02: She's a two-time bestseller author, international speaker, and a host of podcast parents.
3:28
SPEAKER_02: Is your team college ready?
3:30
SPEAKER_02: Her work has been featured on Fox, CBS, NBC, and the numerous national publications.
3:35
SPEAKER_02: Wow, we got us a celebrity here, y'all.
3:38
SPEAKER_02: So welcome, Shelly, to the podcast.
3:40
SPEAKER_02: This is amazing.
3:41
SPEAKER_02: So you said hi to you.
3:42
SPEAKER_02: Now you do all students, all parents that can help, you can help with the debt free.
3:47
SPEAKER_01: So the important thing to realize when it comes to debt free is if the student is willing to do the work, right?
3:54
SPEAKER_01: If a student's gonna sit on a couch and get C's and D's and worse, yeah, there's no college, there's no debt-free degree.
4:02
SPEAKER_01: It's just like anything in life.
4:04
SPEAKER_01: You work hard, you are rewarded.
4:06
SPEAKER_01: So I love to say yes, students, but I do have to also put a little tag on that, that the student has to want to go to college because they need to do the work themselves.
4:20
SPEAKER_01: And if you have a student who's motivated, oh, the sky's the limit.
4:25
SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's awesome.
4:26
SPEAKER_02: And you are it's so true because a lot of students go to college and they're not ready.
4:31
SPEAKER_02: And like you said, you gotta be you gotta want it.
4:33
SPEAKER_02: So I'm really my youngest daughter, she actually graduated with the cum lade from Georgia State, and very proud of her.
4:39
SPEAKER_02: I'm proud of my my older daughter too.
4:41
SPEAKER_02: But that makes sense because you got to want it, and that actually comes with your grades doing very good grades.
4:48
SPEAKER_02: So I know my daughter got the Hope Scholarship here in Georgia, and I was just glad that she was able to get that.
4:53
SPEAKER_02: No, for thanks, thanks for explaining this.
4:54
SPEAKER_02: So let's get into some of these questions here.
4:56
SPEAKER_02: So, Shelly, can you share a little journey about your journey?
4:59
SPEAKER_02: What inspired you to start college ready and see our future now?
5:02
SPEAKER_02: And I think you explained that a little bit, but just elaborate on it.
5:06
SPEAKER_01: I think it's an important part of my story, and it helps parents really relate to where I'm at.
5:12
SPEAKER_01: So I am a mother, I have two biological children, boy and a girl, and two stepchildren, boy and a girl.
5:19
SPEAKER_01: And it all started with my firstborn.
5:22
SPEAKER_01: He came home from middle school and he's mom, I know exactly what I want to do after college and exactly where I want to go to college.
5:30
SPEAKER_01: Will you help me?
5:31
SPEAKER_01: And that's how it all got started, because he really was asking for my help.
5:38
SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, the high school counselors were not available because they had thousands of kids to worry about, just getting them to class, getting them to graduate.
5:47
SPEAKER_01: And he was a decent student.
5:49
SPEAKER_01: So they're like, we don't need to worry about him.
5:52
SPEAKER_01: But his hope and his dream was he wanted to be a brain surgeon and go to a top Ivy League school.
5:59
SPEAKER_01: And I changed my major five times.
6:03
SPEAKER_01: I was the first to go to college and I didn't want to mess his up.
6:08
SPEAKER_01: So I went back to school, got my master's degree, then I went back to school and became an independent certified college consultant.
6:16
SPEAKER_01: Then I started touring colleges all over the world, helping to figure out what are colleges really looking for.
6:25
SPEAKER_01: And then I reverse-engineered it.
6:28
SPEAKER_01: To be fair, he did exactly what I recommended.
6:33
SPEAKER_01: And he ended up applying to 12 schools, getting into 11.
6:37
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
6:38
SPEAKER_01: Full ride to seven, full ride to USC, and Harvard matched it.
6:42
SPEAKER_01: So he went to Harvard four years pre-med for free.
6:47
SPEAKER_01: I did not have to pay anything.
6:49
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
6:49
SPEAKER_02: That's amazing.
6:51
SPEAKER_02: And really, it starts with high school graduates.
6:53
SPEAKER_02: I know my daughter, she wanted to be an architecture engineer, my older daughter.
6:57
SPEAKER_02: And when her counselor said, Oh no, Danny, you can't be that.
7:01
SPEAKER_02: You're not good at math.
7:03
SPEAKER_02: I was so upset.
7:04
unknown: Yeah.
7:05
SPEAKER_02: I had to tell her.
7:06
SPEAKER_02: I said, Don't you dare tell my child what she can't be.
7:09
SPEAKER_02: So that that made her like, oh, I can't do this.
7:11
SPEAKER_02: Oh, yes, you can.
7:13
SPEAKER_02: And you are.
7:13
SPEAKER_02: And both our daughters actually graduate from college.
7:16
SPEAKER_02: But you're right.
7:16
SPEAKER_02: You got to have the right counselor to motivate you to do it.
7:19
SPEAKER_02: And thank God you were the mother that motivated and you took the step to go back to college to make sure that your child had that's awesome.
7:27
SPEAKER_02: Congratulations.
7:28
SPEAKER_02: That is awesome.
7:29
SPEAKER_02: And now he what is he doing now?
7:31
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's the best part.
7:32
SPEAKER_01: So he went on to UC San Diego Medical School, only incurred 30,000 total debt.
7:39
SPEAKER_01: He is now chief resident orthopedic surgery at UCLA.
7:43
SPEAKER_01: Will graduate with a total of$30,000 of college loans.
7:50
SPEAKER_01: And he'll be able to pay that off within his first month or two.
7:53
SPEAKER_01: So the beauty is he had a strategy and a plan.
7:58
SPEAKER_01: And that's what I want to share with your families is with a plan, you will have every opportunity available.
8:06
SPEAKER_01: Last year, our students earned over$10.3 million in scholarships.
8:11
SPEAKER_01: One year.
8:13
SPEAKER_01: So the money is there.
8:14
SPEAKER_01: Don't listen to social media, don't listen to the news.
8:18
SPEAKER_01: I promise you, it is a much better situation than all of that leads you to believe.
8:24
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
8:25
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
8:25
SPEAKER_02: And I'm glad you said that.
8:27
SPEAKER_02: So what gap did you see in the traditional education or college prep process that motivates you to create these programs?
8:34
SPEAKER_01: The biggest gap that I saw from the very beginning is parents truly believing that their high schools are going to take care of this whole process.
8:45
SPEAKER_01: That is the biggest problem.
8:47
SPEAKER_01: It happened with me.
8:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah and it happened with each of my children.
8:52
SPEAKER_01: And people, I think, want to believe that they call them high school counselors, but they're also dealing with mental illness, truancy, bad behavior.
9:02
SPEAKER_01: They have a very, I think they're angels.
9:04
SPEAKER_01: They have their plate very full and they just can't do it all.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: So, parents, the reason I started College Ready is because when my son crossed the stage, I knew that he had every opportunity for success and there was no regret.
9:22
SPEAKER_01: And that's what College Ready is all about.
9:24
SPEAKER_01: We're about helping your child figure out who they are, what matters to them, their gifts, their talents, their advocacy, the those things that God actually made them to do, right?
9:37
SPEAKER_01: How do we bring that out in these young people so then they can have a career that's fulfilling, that they're doing purposeful, mission-driven work, and they are happy and fulfilled adults.
9:50
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, absolutely.
9:52
SPEAKER_02: I love that.
9:52
SPEAKER_02: I love what you're doing there.
9:53
SPEAKER_02: So, why is college readiness more critical now than ever before?
9:58
SPEAKER_01: I believe it comes down to social media.
10:01
SPEAKER_01: I believe that unfortunately there's good things about it connecting with people, lost family members, and so on.
10:09
SPEAKER_01: But there's a lot of rhetoric that's going on that is not helpful to the student.
10:14
SPEAKER_01: The student is seeing everybody's best day.
10:17
SPEAKER_01: So they are competing with other children, other teenagers' best day.
10:23
SPEAKER_01: That's not a very fun place to live.
10:26
SPEAKER_01: So, what I get to do is I help them to put on some blinders, stay in their own lane, and let's talk about who they are, how amazing they are, and what they can do to be great.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: And that is such a difference from what they're seeing all over the internet.
10:46
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
10:47
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
10:47
SPEAKER_02: And that really makes sense.
10:48
SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about the college ready framework.
10:50
SPEAKER_02: So walk us through the college ready approach.
10:53
SPEAKER_02: What makes it unique compared to other college prep services?
10:57
SPEAKER_01: The most important thing is we're child focused.
11:01
SPEAKER_01: Most college admissions people are you want this major, go to this school.
11:07
SPEAKER_01: Nobody's talking about what is the right academic fit.
11:10
SPEAKER_01: Should they be at school A, B, or C?
11:14
SPEAKER_01: Should they apply there?
11:15
SPEAKER_01: Then the social fit.
11:17
SPEAKER_01: Will they be with their people?
11:18
SPEAKER_01: And then financially, we help families understand how to lower their student aid index, understand how to complete the FASF and CSS profile correctly, and then open up the world of scholarships.
11:32
SPEAKER_01: So we're the only firm in the world that starts with the student and the family and then goes from A to Z to make sure that you're checking all of the boxes to get that right academic, social, and financial fit for your family.
11:48
SPEAKER_02: Oh, that makes sense.
11:50
SPEAKER_02: That really makes sense here.
11:51
SPEAKER_02: So many families worry about the cost of college, right?
11:54
SPEAKER_02: So what are some of the strategies you use to help students get to graduate debt-free?
11:59
SPEAKER_01: It's important to think of it like a business, Wanda.
12:02
SPEAKER_01: I know you own a business, I own a business.
12:05
SPEAKER_01: Listeners, you probably have known or run a business.
12:08
SPEAKER_01: So put on your business hat for a moment.
12:11
SPEAKER_01: And I come to you and I say, Wanda, I really want to work for you.
12:15
SPEAKER_01: You're amazing.
12:17
SPEAKER_01: I love what you're doing.
12:18
SPEAKER_01: Please let me work for you.
12:20
SPEAKER_01: And you say, May I see your CV or resume?
12:23
SPEAKER_01: I'd like to see your experience.
12:25
SPEAKER_01: And I say, Oh, darn, I don't have one of those.
12:29
SPEAKER_01: This is my first job.
12:31
SPEAKER_01: I haven't really done much to prepare, but I really want to work for you.
12:35
SPEAKER_01: And you say, I'll give you a try, but I'll only pay you minimum wage.
12:40
SPEAKER_01: Child two comes to you and says, Wanda, I really want to work for you.
12:43
SPEAKER_01: And this is how I'm going to make your life easier and better.
12:48
SPEAKER_01: Here's four pages of my resume to prove that I can make your business soar.
12:54
SPEAKER_01: And you're like, I will find extra money to pay you.
12:58
SPEAKER_01: College is the same way, parents.
13:01
SPEAKER_01: If your child is at home gaming or hanging out with friends, not being productive, and then they want big money, it doesn't match up.
13:12
SPEAKER_01: If your child is doing 200 of hours of community service and something that they're passionate about, leading others to create change and really being that change maker, colleges are like, yes, we need that person at our school, and we are going to pay them to come.
13:30
SPEAKER_01: And that's it.
13:32
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
13:33
SPEAKER_02: I love that because it does make sense because you have a lot of them that's playing games.
13:37
SPEAKER_02: You got to be serious about what you want.
13:39
SPEAKER_02: And I tell my grandson now have grand, have grandchildren, but one that's actually 20 that's in college.
13:45
SPEAKER_02: You got to be saying he already knew what he wants to do.
13:48
SPEAKER_02: Well, you got to work hard to be to do that and how you're going to get it.
13:51
SPEAKER_02: So I'm glad you mentioned that there.
13:53
SPEAKER_02: So, what are some of the common myths or mistakes parents and students make in the college preparedness process?
14:00
SPEAKER_01: So the biggest mistake is they wait to start the process.
14:06
SPEAKER_01: Really, the process needs to start conversations in middle school.
14:12
SPEAKER_01: What are you good at?
14:13
SPEAKER_01: What makes you unique?
14:15
SPEAKER_01: Help them to brag about their accomplishments because if they don't, colleges will never know who they are, what matters to them.
14:23
SPEAKER_01: Then you get to the point of okay, how do we help this child stand out amongst their competition?
14:31
SPEAKER_01: And then it comes down to somebody will have a higher GPA or a lower GPA, higher test score, lower test score.
14:39
SPEAKER_01: Why would I choose you over all of the other candidates?
14:43
SPEAKER_01: So it's waiting until they're a junior or a senior to start this process when really it can gently and with enjoyment start at a much younger age and make it less stressful their senior year.
14:58
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
14:59
SPEAKER_02: I know my daughter, she took college because we transferred from New Jersey here.
15:03
SPEAKER_02: I when I was working for corporate, and she was already taking college courses in her sophomore year.
15:09
SPEAKER_02: So by the time she got to her senior year, she transferred here as a junior and going into a high school that she was not familiar with, that was she was not too happy with me.
15:18
SPEAKER_02: But I said, Yeah, I have no choice because I have 25 years with my corporation, and this is what we're gonna have to do.
15:26
SPEAKER_02: So I'm so happy that she was able to do that.
15:29
SPEAKER_02: So she's already prepared.
15:30
SPEAKER_02: So she already did get her A's and B's and then A's to be able to get that scholarship, the Hope Scholarship.
15:36
SPEAKER_02: So that makes a big difference.
15:38
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, starting early makes a really big difference.
15:40
SPEAKER_02: So, what are some common myths or mistakes parents make?
15:42
SPEAKER_02: Already asked you that one here.
15:44
SPEAKER_02: So tell us about the CR Future Now.
15:46
SPEAKER_02: What does the program focus on and how does it differ from college ready?
15:50
SPEAKER_01: Oh, it's so important that you brought that up.
15:52
SPEAKER_01: And CR Future Now started actually when COVID started, because what happened is when parents basically had to become the teacher and the counselor and the tutor and the parent, they're like, who's been not doing all of this?
16:09
SPEAKER_01: Because my child is way behind.
16:12
SPEAKER_01: And they would come to me super frustrated, saying, My child doesn't know what they want to do after high school.
16:18
SPEAKER_01: My child has no idea what their gifts and their talents and their core values are.
16:22
SPEAKER_01: Can you help them?
16:24
SPEAKER_01: And so what I did is I created a program that guides them step by step to figure out who they are, who others think they are, what they want for their future.
16:36
SPEAKER_01: Then we put them through some fun teenage type assessments.
16:41
SPEAKER_01: We show them here are the best majors, the best careers for your gifts, talents, and advocacy.
16:49
SPEAKER_01: This is how much you will make, right?
16:53
SPEAKER_01: Financial literacy, because students think$20,000 a year, I'm rich.
17:00
SPEAKER_01: And what I have to help them understand is you will live at home for a very long time.
17:06
SPEAKER_01: So it's my job to bring them the gentle reality of what a career and a salary looks like.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: And then what kind of education or further degree do they need to get there?
17:19
SPEAKER_01: So it's a beautiful complement to college ready because it's really about being future ready.
17:25
SPEAKER_02: Right.
17:28
SPEAKER_02: That is so funny because then they don't think about the taxes that's got to come out of their paycheck.
17:32
SPEAKER_02: That's actually less than what the$20,000 is.
17:35
SPEAKER_02: I remember when I started, I mean, I started at 13.
17:38
SPEAKER_02: I worked at McDonald's at 13 and I graduated in my junior year.
17:42
SPEAKER_02: I didn't have to do my senior year because I had the credit.
17:44
SPEAKER_02: But I was upset.
17:46
SPEAKER_02: Well, I thought I made this much money.
17:49
SPEAKER_02: My parents said, No, why don't you taxes?
17:51
SPEAKER_02: You got to pay the government.
17:52
SPEAKER_02: So I'm glad it did because it actually went towards my social security.
17:54
SPEAKER_02: So let's put it that way.
17:56
unknown: There you go.
17:56
unknown: There you go.
17:58
SPEAKER_02: So, how are you preparing students not just for college admission, but success beyond college and careers in life?
18:04
SPEAKER_02: And I think we were talking about that a little bit.
18:05
SPEAKER_02: So tell us a little bit about that.
18:07
SPEAKER_01: It's important to really listen.
18:12
SPEAKER_01: So, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, when you get together on Thanksgiving with your friends and your family, ask students an open-ended question that they cannot say yes or no to, and then just listen.
18:29
SPEAKER_01: And then have intellectual curiosity.
18:32
SPEAKER_01: Wow, that sounds like an amazing opportunity.
18:35
SPEAKER_01: What did you enjoy the most?
18:37
SPEAKER_01: Where did you see that your skills and your gifts and your talents really showed up for you?
18:42
SPEAKER_01: So it's really leaning in without judgment, without having any opinion, without trying to solve the problem and really listening because the more we can respond with what they've said to say it back to them, they now hear it and they believe it.
19:03
SPEAKER_01: And so when you or a family member or friend affirms how amazing they are, it's that mental toughness that they're gonna need in the world.
19:17
SPEAKER_01: And so we're teaching students it's okay to fail forward.
19:22
SPEAKER_01: It is okay as long as you learn from it, we pick ourselves up and we make ourselves better.
19:29
SPEAKER_01: And that is not happening anywhere else.
19:33
SPEAKER_02: Wow, that's that is so true.
19:36
SPEAKER_02: And I'm gonna ask you this question, but you already have a success story as far as your son.
19:39
SPEAKER_02: So can you share a success story of a student or a family whose journey was transformed through your programs?
19:45
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I have one that comes to mind.
19:47
SPEAKER_01: So we've helped well over 2,500 families by this point.
19:51
SPEAKER_01: We've raised well over 28 million, or they earned it.
19:55
SPEAKER_01: We didn't raise it, they earned$28 million in scholarships plus.
19:59
SPEAKER_01: So I had a student, dad called me on the phone, really concerned.
20:04
SPEAKER_01: He says, My daughter is a high school junior, she wants to be a botanist.
20:08
SPEAKER_01: For those of you who are not familiar, she wants to plant plants.
20:12
SPEAKER_01: And he says, I'm not paying her for her college so she can go and plant plants.
20:18
SPEAKER_01: She can do that right here at home.
20:20
SPEAKER_01: And he said, I need you to change her mind.
20:23
SPEAKER_01: And I'm thinking, I don't even know this young person yet.
20:26
SPEAKER_01: How am I possibly gonna?
20:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, you know what?
20:29
SPEAKER_01: Let's just let's have an a discussion, family, myself, and we all got on.
20:34
SPEAKER_01: And I said, I'm so excited.
20:37
SPEAKER_01: Your parents told me you're looking, you want to be a botanist.
20:41
SPEAKER_01: I go, I have a green thumb or a brown thumb.
20:45
SPEAKER_01: I am so thankful there's people like you.
20:48
SPEAKER_01: Tell me what about planting or being a botanist gets you excited?
20:53
SPEAKER_01: And she goes, I just want to save the environment.
20:56
SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, so it's not that you like being in soil, you really have a vision for how you want to save the environment.
21:06
SPEAKER_01: She goes, Yes, that's exactly it.
21:10
SPEAKER_01: And I said, So have you thought about maybe environmentalism as a major or maybe business where you can open up many nurseries and have lots of plans?
21:21
SPEAKER_01: And she's that sounds amazing.
21:23
SPEAKER_01: And dad was like, Where do I sign up?
21:27
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
21:29
SPEAKER_01: It's a perfect example of what I'm able to do in just a 30-minute complimentary call.
21:35
SPEAKER_02: And just really giving them because sometimes the parents don't see the kid's vision.
21:40
SPEAKER_02: I remember my grandson, oh, I want to be a bus driver.
21:42
SPEAKER_02: I said, and he they was about five, six years old.
21:44
SPEAKER_02: I said, No, you don't want to be a bus driver.
21:47
SPEAKER_02: Of course, later on, and then my my my other grandson, I want to be an Uber driver.
21:51
SPEAKER_02: No, that's just a secondary thing that you want to do.
21:54
SPEAKER_02: You want to get something that you want to do.
21:56
SPEAKER_02: But the way you actually changed that around and made the parents understand and her understand, that is amazing.
22:02
SPEAKER_02: That is amazing.
22:03
SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about your work clearly impacts families across the nation.
22:07
SPEAKER_02: How do you collaborate with schools, organizations, or community to expand this impact?
22:12
SPEAKER_01: When I was challenged by my firstborn to write my first book, we had a little bet going on.
22:19
SPEAKER_01: And the bet was when he crossed the Harvard stage with his diploma, he would hand it to me and I would hand him my book.
22:28
SPEAKER_01: I thought he would have forgotten all about that.
22:32
SPEAKER_01: Apparently not.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: So he walks across the Harvard stage in front of everyone, says, Mom, here's my diploma.
22:39
SPEAKER_01: Where's your book?
22:40
SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Oh, he remembered.
22:43
SPEAKER_01: He said, Mom, we had a deal.
22:46
SPEAKER_01: I got through college without debt.
22:49
SPEAKER_01: And you said when I did, you would spread the word all over the world for every other student to have that opportunity.
22:57
SPEAKER_01: And he held me accountable.
22:59
SPEAKER_01: And I stopped working and I focused for three months.
23:03
SPEAKER_01: I took a hiatus and I wrote every single day.
23:07
SPEAKER_01: Published the book in 24 hours, bestseller.
23:11
SPEAKER_01: It's called How to Send Your Student to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money.
23:16
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
23:17
SPEAKER_01: That book was the first impact I saw that I could help so many more people than just my voice to their ear.
23:27
SPEAKER_01: Since then, I've written my second best-selling book.
23:30
SPEAKER_01: I've been all over the world.
23:32
SPEAKER_01: I'm an international speaker.
23:34
SPEAKER_01: I was just asked to be on next level CEO with Damon John.
23:41
SPEAKER_02: What's his name?
23:42
SPEAKER_01: Damon John.
23:43
SPEAKER_01: He's one of the parks.
23:44
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
23:45
SPEAKER_01: And he wants me to share my vision for how we can make impact with teenagers all over the world.
23:54
SPEAKER_01: And so that one book launched me into I can help so many others by just leaning in to seeing what they need.
24:04
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
24:05
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
24:06
SPEAKER_02: Congratulations.
24:07
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
24:08
SPEAKER_02: You don't know what your kids are listening to you.
24:10
SPEAKER_02: Just like you say stuff, but you don't know if they're really listening.
24:13
SPEAKER_02: And that is something that he made you accountable for.
24:16
SPEAKER_02: Look, walking across the stage at Harvard, that's an accomplishment, especially debt-free and to share with other families.
24:23
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome, Shelly.
24:24
SPEAKER_02: I'm so proud of you.
24:25
SPEAKER_02: So we're getting down to the end here, girl.
24:27
SPEAKER_02: I could talk and have to have you on my show again.
24:29
SPEAKER_02: So we can talk about exactly what's going on, especially when you went on.
24:32
SPEAKER_02: What's the name of it?
24:33
SPEAKER_01: The next level CEO.
24:35
SPEAKER_02: Next level CEO.
24:36
SPEAKER_02: Yes, definitely.
24:37
SPEAKER_02: I definitely want to hear about that.
24:38
SPEAKER_02: So, what advice do you have for parents and community leaders who want to support students in navigating this academic landscape?
24:46
SPEAKER_01: My recommendation is to create a plan as soon as possible.
24:51
SPEAKER_01: You will create the academic strategy, the financial strategy, the testing strategy, the leadership strategy, the community service strategy.
25:02
SPEAKER_01: There has to be a plan.
25:04
SPEAKER_01: You cannot count on your child who has no idea how to do any of this to create that plan.
25:12
SPEAKER_01: I am offering your listeners a free complimentary 30-minute discovery call with myself, where I will lean in and help that young person and your family put together what that strategy looks like.
25:28
SPEAKER_01: And then you can go and do it on your own.
25:30
SPEAKER_01: Or if you're like, wow, I have no idea and I don't want to do it.
25:34
SPEAKER_01: I'm happy to help you.
25:36
SPEAKER_01: The nice part is if you go to collegereadyplan.info, you schedule 30 minutes with me, I send you free resources, copy of my book.
25:46
SPEAKER_01: It's a win-win.
25:48
SPEAKER_01: You leave with confidence and knowledge, and your child hears from a complete stranger, professional, exactly what needs to happen.
25:58
SPEAKER_01: So when you mention it, it's not mom, dad, grandparent saying the exact same thing.
26:05
SPEAKER_02: Oh, I love it.
26:06
SPEAKER_02: I love it.
26:06
SPEAKER_02: So make sure you send all of that to me so I can put it in the show notes and how they can schedule a call with your link and all of that.
26:13
SPEAKER_02: So that is awesome.
26:14
SPEAKER_02: So what's next for college ready and see our future now?
26:18
SPEAKER_02: Any exciting programs or initiatives on the horizon?
26:21
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
26:22
SPEAKER_01: So we host two webinars a month.
26:26
SPEAKER_01: We are very much about speaking at high schools.
26:32
SPEAKER_01: We want families to understand that you don't need to go into debt.
26:36
SPEAKER_01: We have a financial program where we can help you understand how to win at the FAFSA and your CSS profile.
26:44
SPEAKER_01: So if you're a listener and you're like, yes, I would love to host that event, it could be in your Zoom room.
26:51
SPEAKER_01: You don't even have to clean your house.
26:54
SPEAKER_01: Please reach out and let me know how I can help you and your friends prepare to get this done.
27:01
SPEAKER_02: Wow, that is awesome, Shelly.
27:02
SPEAKER_02: I really appreciate it.
27:03
SPEAKER_02: Tell listeners how they can get in touch with you.
27:05
SPEAKER_02: I know you said that, but just jotted that.
27:07
SPEAKER_02: I'm going to put it in the show notes anyway, as far as your website.
27:10
SPEAKER_01: College Ready Plan, P-L-A-N.
27:17
SPEAKER_01: That is the best way.
27:19
SPEAKER_01: Then I can meet and we can talk about how I can support your family or your community, whatever it is that you need.
27:26
SPEAKER_01: I believe in giving first, and that is what I stand by.
27:30
SPEAKER_01: So any way I can help your church, your synagogue, whatever that is, please reach out.
27:36
SPEAKER_01: I'm here for you.
27:38
SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
27:38
SPEAKER_02: You're like a social worker, girl.
27:39
SPEAKER_02: You just want to yep.
27:41
SPEAKER_02: No, I really enjoyed this.
27:42
SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
27:43
SPEAKER_02: This is really, I wish I had you before my kids went to college.
27:48
SPEAKER_01: I hear that often.
27:50
SPEAKER_01: I if I had a penny for every time I heard that, I'd probably be I know, I know.
27:54
SPEAKER_02: But what you're doing is such inspiring and really does make sense.
27:57
SPEAKER_02: And I'm glad you reached out to me.
27:59
SPEAKER_02: But thank you.
27:59
SPEAKER_02: So, Shelly, thank you so much for joining me on ReadySet Collaborate.
28:02
SPEAKER_02: Your passion for helping families create a clear path to college and future success is truly inspiring.
28:09
SPEAKER_02: To learn more about College Ready and CR Future Now, make sure you visit their website and connect with Shelly's team.
28:16
SPEAKER_02: They are transforming the way families approach education.
28:19
SPEAKER_02: And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in.
28:22
SPEAKER_02: Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs this conversation because it's very well much needed, especially with the high schoolers here.
28:32
SPEAKER_02: Until next time, remember, collaboration is the key to success.
28:36
SPEAKER_02: Thanks again, Shelly, for being on the show.
28:38
SPEAKER_01: It has been my pleasure.
28:40
SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Wanda.
28:41
SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
28:44
SPEAKER_00: That wraps up another episode of Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson.
28:49
SPEAKER_00: I hope you found inspiration and valuable insights to help you build meaningful connections and successful collaborations.
28:56
SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, share, and stay tuned for more great discussions.
29:02
SPEAKER_00: Until next time, keep collaborating and making an impact.