YOUNIVERSITY - Pursue Life Fearlessly

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