0:18
Alright, hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the YouSchool Podcast. I'm the host, Scott Schimmel. And every week we are trying to tackle these different questions, big questions, critical questions about life. And I've been daring people, as I've been speaking a lot lately. Look at these 30 questions and see if you can take one off and see if there's one of these questions that you would say, No, you don't really need that in your life, you don't really need to be grateful to live a life well, or you don't really know when you need to know what you believe in. Or you don't need to know how to have a healthy friendship. There's questions that that you just have to answer. And I think the best time to do that is when you're a teenager. So that's why we focus on teens so much, I now have two of them in my house. And they're a mixture of awful and wonderful all at the same time. And a big challenge for parents and teachers is how do we engage kids in the most important conversations, so they have what they need. So today, we have a guest on and I think you're going to be fascinated to get to know I am we don't know each other that well, we've known about each other for probably 10 or 12 years. And so this is my chance to get to know Megan, but Megan, maybe you can introduce yourself and kind of start backwards, maybe like what are you doing now? And then how did you get to where you are? And I know it's been a little bit circuitous. It's it's not been the complete linear line. So anyways, welcome to show Introduce yourself.
1:46
Yeah, absolutely. Hello, I'm Megan. And I am now a copywriter, which means I write marketing materials for different businesses. So like the emails, the websites, the sales pages, all those things, but it hasn't always been this way. I've been a copywriter for the past four years. Prior to that I was a high school physics teacher for 10 years. Yeah, right, naturally. And yeah, I did. I started teaching high school right out of college. So I was very close in age to my students. Yeah, off the bat, which was actually really cool, because I felt very connected to them, and really, like honored that they just trusted me with sharing their real life. And just to have that relationship with them.
2:37
Yeah. And what did you study in college? Because maybe it was physics? I don't know. Yeah, I
2:43
double majored in physics and philosophy. So I was normal. I'm sure you've heard a lot of people who've done that right now. But I just did not know, I had no idea what I want to do. I couldn't even choose arts or sciences because I really enjoyed both I love the, the truth in the data and like the methodical, you know, scientific method that physics could provide. And then I liked more of the deep thinking and the writing of philosophy. And I found that copywriting eventually found that copywriting is actually the best of both worlds because it's data driven. But it's still writing, but it's not like, I don't know, pie in the sky, kind of creative writing.
3:31
Okay, so the topic, the question that we're working through this week, is a really simple question. But it's, and you can phrase it in a variety of ways, the way I phrase it is what have you pushed through and what we're trying to get at is an idea of resilience that there's resistance to in anybody's life. And sometimes it's, it's a very practical, tangible thing. It's, I don't have the resources to get to college, for example, like that's resistance. For others, it's more, it's it can be relational. It can be internal, it can be philosophical. So there's a bunch of it. I'm curious if you can go back, you as high school, going to college, and you're having conversations like everybody does with the adults in your life, parents, probably some teachers or mentors, and you're saying, Okay, I'm gonna go to college and study. One, I don't know, or to physics and philosophy. And I'm sure most adults in your life or public what? Talk about that? How'd that go?
4:30
Yeah, it was wild. Because when I said I think I want to major in physics, everyone was just like, what, but you were not like, I was never a science person. I was always a writer. Like, and so it was, yeah, it was like, Are you sure? And I wasn't sure but it was hard to be like, Well, yes. I think my inner knowing like knows that but also Yeah, so there were outer voices of resistance that were inner voices of resistance and then just trying to like really dig deep inside and be like, what is going to actually make me happy. And so it was a lot of like, in college, it was a lot of like, Oh, you want to be a writer, like maybe you should just get a steady job, or you're like, you can't really make a living that way. Or like, oh, like, oh, it's cute, like you can pursue your passion, but like, it's not realistic to pay the bills, things like that. And then when I circled back to like, Well, no, I still want to be a writer, like 10 years after college. I'm so married now. Like, oh, well, at least you have your husband's income to fall back on. And yeah, excuse me. I'm very proud of that, like, I can bring in a significant income to our family in our household and, and do that now, as a mom staying at home, as a copywriter is really significant that I found a way to make it work, pursue my dream be present as a parent, which is a huge family's huge value for me. Yeah, and then just balance those two things. And that was another form of resistance was like, Well, you have to choose being a mom, or being you know, you know, a corporate working person. And it was like, you couldn't have both. And I was like, Well, I, I mean, everyone's different. But I could not see myself being happy as just a stay at home mom, I mean, just using air quotes there. And I couldn't see myself happy working all day being away from my kids for so long. I really needed the balance of both because I love being present with them. But I also love what I do. And I love feeling like I'm contributing, making an impact, both inside my home and outside my home. And so copywriting has just been really the best of both worlds for me. But I really had to fight for that vision. And like, first of all, define what that vision even is, which is difficult when everyone else is telling you. It's not possible. And culture says no, that just doesn't work that way. Right? Yeah,
7:19
that's, that's so good. And as you're saying that I was coming up with the phrase, in my mind that's familiar to everybody taking the path of least resistance. And I know, as I work with high school kids, and you did too, a lot of times what kids decide to do with their lives is really oriented around that the path of least resistance, which typically means, what do the parents think? And where are the jobs? And yeah, that's not necessarily bad, unless you have what you're talking about a vision for a different kind of life. And I know, maybe there is out there a college major and copywriting, I doubt it. But when you think of a writer, when you're a teenager, I think most people would think a fiction writer and novelist, or maybe a journalist for newspaper, that sort of thing. And you're you're in this niche that actually it's not a niche at all. It's every single organization, every single business, every single school needs writers. And there isn't so bad back to you seem to take the path of more resistance than others.
8:27
Yeah, that is interesting. Because like, major takes the path of path of least resistance. But I think the big one of the big lessons I've been learning is that where you feel the most pushback and the most resistance, that's actually where you're going to have the most impact. Yeah, and it's because because there is so much resistance, which builds so much doubt, and even the inner voice of doubt of like, well, are they right? Like, is this not going to work? Am I good enough? Are people even gonna care what I have to write about? We all experience those doubts. And it's just a matter of seeing that your vision and your the impact and potential that you have to make is more important than those fears that are always going to be there.
9:22
Yeah, and I'm not sure what your parents said to you when you're growing up. But I know a lot of parents either push a very practical vision for life to their kids, like get a job, make sure it's pay, it pays well. Or the other half would say, it doesn't matter what you do as long as it makes you happy. And the problem with that is most parents haven't defined for their kids what happiness means or looks like because they you know, they're still working on it. And then you go to the roles that you see and as you talk about now, being a mom, that's not necessarily one model or the other. It's a blend of have to blend the two worlds. That takes, as you said, vision, it also takes courage it takes you sitting in the discomfort of knowing that your parents maybe don't fully support or believe that this is gonna work out. Like, maybe you can talk to it and speak to that. And I'm sure you still deal with that, too. Is this really going to work? Is it working?
10:24
Yeah, there's definitely periods of doubt of like, okay, this has been cool for a season. But like, is the season over? I hope not. But I have the power to change that. And I'm like, Yes, I do. But also like, but it's so hard. Yeah. And I think I just wanted a roadmap. I just even wanted a vision of like someone else, like who else is doing this? Right. And I would have given so much for someone just to say like, here's the roadmap, follow this, ticked off this list, I can do that. Boom, boom, boom, like I can get it done, very, very disciplined, all the things, but the roadmap doesn't always exist. And so my, one of my big realizations a couple of years ago was that, oh, I am the roadmap. My wife is the roadmap, and it's hard to get by in here. But how cool is it that my wife is an inspiration to the people who like there are other people who feel the same way that I do. And now I get to be a little bit of, you know, a vision for like, oh, wait, this is possible, even though it's not the common story that society tells us. And it's cool to be able to tell this alternative story with my life.
11:45
I think that's awesome. And that's, I mean, you're just, you're speaking the gospel back to me. What I desperately want to do and see happen, for my kids, even as a as a data, I think that's what parents mean, when they say, Just be happy and find your happiness, I think, I don't think they mean, find something that's really easy. So you can take nice vacations, I don't think that's what they mean, I think most parents would say, what you're talking about, I want you to find your path, and have the courage and the wherewithal to make your path work to blaze your own trail. And I guess maybe to wrap up, I'm curious for you now, as a mom, how do you how are you mindful of teaching that so that we don't fall in his parents the same thing maybe that our parents missed out on?
12:32
Yeah, so for me, it's an I'm in a different place with a toddler and another one on the way. So he doesn't fully understand everything yet. But I love that he can sit on my lap as I'm typing. And he's, you know, scribbling on the paper next to me, and just see that like mom is working to, and mom is following her dreams. And I think it's so easy to just, especially as mothers sacrifice ourselves for our kids. And like, that's the noble thing to do. And to to an extent there is definitely feels like some of that. But to another extent, like when I am pursuing, like my highest goal, and when I am investing in myself, in the power that, like the inner power that I feel that comes from like doing what is best for me, and when my family sees that, like, I think that's empowering to them, to see it being modeled. And it doesn't necessarily have to be sacrificed. And yeah, it can feel like a hard road. But at the same time, I think it'd be harder to like, ignore my dreams or ignore what I really strongly feel that I am called to do. Even if not every necessarily everyone agrees with it. But there's a peace and an ease that comes with knowing it's the right path for me, and for this stage. Yeah.
14:08
I love it. I mean, I don't really want to, I wouldn't want to butcher what you just shared. That's this week's episode. And Thank you Megan, for modeling that and fighting against the currents that are against you and continuing to as you grow a business as you grow a family. It's a beautiful thing, and it's a life well lived. So thanks for being on the show. We'll be back next week with another episode
we're taking the mystery out of building a meaningful life with a step by step roadmap. In school, you're taught everything under the sun, from algebra to art history, to aerodynamics, but you're not taught how to understand yourself, or given the tools to make sense of all the questions life throws your way. Without it most people will take the path of least resistance hoping It all just works out Sunday. That's why the YouSchool is here. for over 10 years, we've been specializing in designing transformative curriculum and learning environments to guide people through life's transitions to find, define and unleash great stories with their lives. You only get one life. You only get one story. Make sure it's the right one.
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