0:17
Everybody, welcome to another episode of the YouSchool podcast. I'm Scott Schimmel, the host and I'm here with she has been a friend for, I don't know, five, six years. I mean, I'd call you a friend. I don't know. Call me for that long. But this is Corrie Meyers and Corrie. I knew her as a teacher, we're gonna get into that she's no longer a teacher, but still educating. So Corrie, welcome to the school podcast. Again, you are on it. Probably. I mean, pre pandemic might have been 10 years ago, I think it was three or four. So welcome back to the show. Thanks for carving out time. As a mom of three busy entrepreneur. Your time is precious. So thank you. So would you please introduce yourself? And then I'd love to hear like the timeline of your story especially.
1:03
Yes, absolutely. Thanks for having me back on. Yeah, we are I was on a couple years ago. And you're right group pandemic, we are still learning about zoom at that point. So I'm a website copywriter for values driven businesses, which is basically companies who understand that you build relationships first, and then the sales come and so that you know, infiltrates all aspects of the assets we create and the relationships we build with their clients. Typically, it's in the education or mental wellness space, but really, you know, kind of like we talked about off the call. I'm in the business of working with people who like people who value humans, and you know, that Brene Brown. People are just people. I know, it's very simple, but like her research just says, whoever you're talking about being queen, mom, stay at home mom, entrepreneur, teacher, they're just people. So working with people who value the whole person. So yeah, I started out as a teacher, taught for 15 years. And that's how we connected here and you know, San Diego County, so they're loved it loved the work, I got to do, worked in a couple different school districts and kind of had this moment when I was teaching seniors where I thought I was teaching the book, The Alchemist, and we're talking about their journey and finding their passion. And for a long time, that was teaching my passion was being in the classroom with students. And then I realized as I was preaching this to my students, that there was something inside of me that no longer felt like that was aligned. And so felt that unsettled nature. And anytime I feel unsettled, I listen, I pay attention. And so yeah, I found out what copywriting was when I was on maternity leave with my second son and have yes, no.
3:07
It's not something to teach you in college. No, it's everything.
3:14
I've always been a writer, and it's always been a part of my identity. I just, I didn't write as much because I wasn't getting paid for it. And I wanted to get paid for it. Sure, yeah. So copy has that perfect solution to me being able to do what I've always loved to do, but also work with people in a you know, one on one capacity or with a team capacity. So I've been doing that for three years. And it'll be three years this August that I started my business. It's similar.
3:49
I'm just curious, Are there similarities that you see between the business that you run now? copywriting? Yeah. Teaching
3:57
actually taking teenagers? I mean, that's a very difficult market. And you I have to solve their problems. And I have to figure out how to move them and not spoke. Copy. It's it's moving so many Jackson and yeah, so that understanding that concept that even if you're, you know, there's an objection that a client had or the clients client has understanding how to maneuver around it, and work them through it is exactly what I did every day as a teacher. I mean, you have students who are there because they have to be there that didn't have a choice, but I still need to convince them to read a book and enjoy it. So yes, setup just being able to problem solve on my feet, or, and build the connections. I think that's the other big component is unless you treat the students like humans, they're not going to care what you have to say. And so I feel that that's especially during copy, especially right now after the pandemic, when people are people understand marketing, they understand what a company is trying to do when they hop in their email inbox. So you have to treat them like humans, right? Like, like a real human being in a relationship. So, yeah.
5:24
I'm curious your perspective that the topic that I teed up for you today is a part of this ongoing series of these big questions we want young people to be able to answer and the question for this one is what grounds you and the idea behind it is that life is stressful. And life can be disorienting. That can be it is disorienting. And now we're on the other side of the pandemic, we think, but we are waiting in, in our country through pick any number of big issues, stressful issue. And I guess my perspective that I want to get from us being a part of an education system and a high pressure, zip code, and Carlsbad, high achieving kids and a top performing school, you got to see over your 15 years, I'm sure a shift in the perspective that kids had towards stress. So that's it's a big question what grounds you I want to get to what grounds you personally. But first, I just want to hear about what you saw, as a teacher, as kids were shifting the stress at
6:39
me, I definitely saw a dramatic shift from when I started in 2006, to when I finished this last year. And I've, you know, I had a couple of key moments with students. When my first year in Carlsbad, where I saw very vividly their mental health issues. And it just changed everything, I just couldn't go back to the level of expectation that I typically had. And I didn't mean I watered down curriculum or anything, but it just meant like they are human beings first. And I have Yes, I'm trying to help prepare them for for college and for the LSAT, etc. But I need them to be there. I need them to be home when they get there. And so this was a candid conversation we had a lot in the classroom. And so in terms of what, you know, for students, I used to always harp on sleep, which is not a shocking tactic to ground you. But I think just first naming the issue, I think naming that this is what we're all experiencing, naming, there are some ways out. And, you know, for us in the classroom, the goal is to try to build meaningful connections with the students so that they could, you know, be empowered to understand how to advocate for themselves outside. So whether that was saying, you know, you know, I can't do any more homework tonight, and we're gonna go to bed with my homework unfinished. So we talked about that a lot. And it was really the, the concept of what's grounding you but I think that the concept of being aware, self aware of what you need, which is, yeah, I think they were so used to just feeling it and, and not knowing how to advocate that they need something to help them. That's
8:43
a shift that has to happen. I'm just imagining use three little ones at home. I'm sure you're aware of for each one your kids, yeah. Where their thresholds are, when they're beyond their limits when they need a nap or a snack, or snuggle like, whatever they need to go play. And you I'm sure you and your husband do that for them, you you take care of their needs. You're the ones who are managing their lives, but the shifts, especially teenage years, that's got to start coming from you. So you're shaming you're saying the first step is being aware of your own limits, which is imagine all the adults in the world don't really understand their own thresholds, their own limits. So how do you how did you help them become aware? Is it asking the question would you share personal stories
9:38
and we we got really practical and I primarily taught sophomore seniors and with the sophomores I pull up I pull up a calendar and then we map out their their homework from each class like they're kind of in the same group of classes. So we would get a representative from You know, AP Cal from their chem class, etc. And they list out their homework and then we would talk through how long it would take. And then Okay, so if this feels like to me, then we'd look at my class to, you know, you have this coming up, how do you manage this? So getting really practical, that's because that's where I didn't want to just talk about it. Like, let's get really practical into your calendar. So let's say you do need to, you do need to you have too much to do on one day. How do you go about talking to your teacher in a way that's respectful of what they're trying to accomplish their time? How do you say, we have too much going on this week? We can't do five tests on Friday. And we would navigate how to have those conversations. And sometimes I was the one who changed Well, you know, changed my due date, which I know sounds so trivial, but you know, teachers, yeah, a lot on their plate. And they're trying to manage so much. And for us, we were on a, you know, 12 week block. But this came out of a student coming to me saying they had too much. And they asked me to do my due date. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is amazing that you took the time to advocate for yourself in a respectful way. And it's hard, you have to kind of set your ego aside as a teacher, do you feel like a student is telling me I'm doing something wrong? You know, are they really practical and nitty gritty, we did to help them learn how to advocate with the goal of getting more sleep. So it's like we knew we needed more sleep? How do we reverse engineer the system, so we can do that?
11:58
The one of the parts I love about you sharing that, as a parent, I have two teenagers. The the idea of me trying to share is that as the parent, here's what I think you ought to do, or for me to get practical with them doesn't work. Or it hasn't worked often. Because they they they know everything, obviously, and they don't need my help. So for you as the teacher to be the one leading through those conversations, practically that's like, that's how this whole thing should work. I think, what do you do? What would you say to the teacher who has the perspective of kids are just you know, snowflakes these days? There's so soft, always advocating for yourself. It's just hogwash. I can back in my day, like, what do you say to that teacher? Because I and I'm sure you know them, I could think of faces and names. And I'm still struggling to figure out how to kind of prove the case for caring for people caring for kids. So what is your
13:00
I mean, sounds dramatic, but I would pull up I mean, this statistics about, like suicide rates and mental wellness or lack thereof. I mean, to me, we're at the, you know, the, was it the American Association of Pediatrics came out and said, We're, you know, in a mental mental health crisis, we probably know this. But then in the fall, they like officially put their stamp on it. And I mean, to me personally, that's, that should be everyone's driving. Force is how do we help our kids do well, so systemically, we've got issues, and it's not just on teachers who assigned too much homework, it kind of it goes, it's the SATs, it's a college admissions that needs to, I mean, this You're getting on my soapbox here, but it's like teachers are just responding to a system that we're expecting this from parents who are complaining that that the curriculum is too soft, like, you will have one parent, like you was saying, Hey, I care most that my kid is okay, and that he's seen and known and valued. Right? And learn some, like fundamental math, writing, reading science skills along the way. Yeah,
14:19
along the way. And then you have
14:20
a whole host of parents who, while they value their kid, they they are very stressed out about whether or not they're going to get into UCLA, and that is the most important thing. And so I have a lot of compassion for teachers, obviously, because they're, they're trying to please to people and they're only they can only do what's within their control. So that's why the parents have such a huge opportunity to to create a message about what is important at home. You know, like what do you value? I mean, we as a a parent of a seven year old, we're having this conversation about sports, like, yes, it's great that you're great at sports, but like, you know, we love that you give every kid a high five, on the field, when you, you know, ran up to your friend, when he scored the goal you had the assist, or whatever it is, like, changing the narrative, we value. And the other part is, and this is why we need good teachers to stay in the classroom is you and I both know how important it is to have those voices that are not parents in our kids lives. And so you're not so sure, they may have a teacher who's hard and who has high expectations, they're gonna, they're gonna have to whether in role do our best to navigate that from the sidelines. But just like helping them understand that that's a blip on the radar, they're gonna have a really hard teacher who may not understand what they're going through, but that's not forever. And then just hoping and praying that you have the other influences that help them along the way in the whole scheme of things. Right.
16:12
You mentioned a podcast, I'm curious what it's about, I don't know anything. You about education.
16:19
A lot of teachers love educators. And yeah, you know, for me, there's so for there's so long that I was like, what else can I do besides being a teacher and there's a lot of teachers and admin who have great ideas, they, you know, teachers have their their teachers pay teacher materials up there or educator, you know, principals have written books, or they've got the podcast, but the marketing side of it, it feels very daunting. And they feel like well, what I don't want to have to do a real to like, get you to buy my Teachers Pay teacher products like time for them. I mean, some people do. So like I just knocked on rails because it's hard. For me, it is for other people. So another friend of mine, who's a teacher, former teacher who became a copywriter, we are creating a podcast for teachers and educators who want to grow their impact outside the classroom, so the teacher, teachers pay teacher's side hustle, the admin principal has got a book that he wrote, but doesn't know how to sell it wants to build their personal brand and increase their impact in a different way. And Cohen alongside them with marketing tips, copywriting tips, it's called Hello educator. And we're gonna share the podcast is going to include teachers who are, you know, the side hustle and their wins selling their products on Teachers Pay Teachers, or you know, the administrator who's got a podcast growing, we want to help them create the platform that feels aligned to them. And so we're gonna come alongside with marketing and copywriting tips. In a way that doesn't feel icky, but feels like doable. Right? Yeah.
18:20
Authentic? Yeah. Dude. That's awesome. What a great niche. I'm glad you're doing that. So what what grounds you, entrepreneur, mom, wife, busy? What are you doing that helps you stay centered, engaged,
18:39
you know, you mentioned this topic. And I found this list that I made until the 19. I already hear actions that slow me down. And it's the same concept and I, I'm continually come back to this. Because I have a tendency to just like teenagers do like, they want to, you know, they are taking all the AP courses, and they're involved in all these extracurriculars. And they're doing all this stuff, I have that same tendency to just to just do and fill my time with things that are valuable that are important, but also full. So number one is always reading for me. That's what it just it slows me down. And it grounds me in who I am underneath all the doing. And I definitely I'm a big believer in therapy, and I've done a lot of work to be able to understand I think that's a huge component is understanding the need to do and accomplish so much that requires me to get grounded. Sounds like Yeah. strategies that I've learned, you know, is that like, I need to go for a walk. And my therapist taught me Hey, this is somatic practice this I think I feel walk, and I need to go on a walk can get away from the computer away from the mess in the kitchen, and figure out what I think and what I feel. And that has been really helpful in learning how to process so I, I just needed to reboot this week. And so I pulled out some books that always ground me poetry is a big one. And then went on a good walk. And then the third would just be the right people. So obviously, like getting filled up with time with family, people who, who know me and love me, even if I you know, what I depending on what is it's not dependent on what I didn't finish on my to do list. It's just, it just plugged me as reading going on wax, which is predicated by going to therapy to know this and then my people
21:10
are pissed is and then website is when you can have the last question when you think about being a mom, and you talked about the shift of values for your kids, what's, what's your word? what's your what's your advice to parents? What do you say to parents whose kids are stressed? Because I've I guess I've known quite a few kids, where the parents would say, we don't know where this comes from. We're not driving them. We're not looking at the report card or over their shoulder. What do you do you have any thoughts on that? Especially maybe from a mom perspective to
21:56
you know, since I have young kids, there's still stuff that I'm kind of implementing, you know, my oldest isn't? Is it? Anything greater now. But then phrase we've always had when we noticed that like things are just not working? Well as we need to change the narrative or it let's change the narrative. So that could just be alright, or outside. We're going here, or it's, you know, a girlfriend of mine who's a couple of years ahead of me, she's got high school students, I remember one year, after particularly hard middle school year, end of the school year activities can often be a place where drama unfolds, and kids are exhausted and drained from the school year physically, mentally, emotionally. And she packed her bags and then went to Santa Barbara, for a week, right after school. And I thought that was that is it is yes, that's a mom who knows her kids and what they need. And the kids not gonna say I need to be away from my friends. They're gonna say the opposite. But it's right. Yes. Changing the scenery, literally. And so we've always kind of tried to adopt that. And micro bits, like, Okay, we need to change the scenery, we need to change the narrative. And so you can do that by literally just for us. We're fortunate to live near the ocean. Yeah, I mean, we can't wait to go camping to get our kids away from screens, you know. So whatever you can do to change the narrative change the scene. As little as going out for ice cream or as big as taking a trip off the coast. Right? Yeah,
23:38
holding them close. That's what I'm imagining is you're sharing that like, pull them back in mother hen.
23:43
Just you know, you're not just passing each other. You're like, Okay, I see you. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
23:53
This is the center.
23:56
Fine, and that is a like a somatic practice. Practice that grounds you is saying? Yeah, okay. Where's my center? I can't find it. I'm going to look to somebody else and see it and then I can find my
24:14
triangulation.
24:16
So yeah.
24:19
Well, Corrie, thank you for being on the show. Again, everyone check out especially if you're an educator, obviously. Hello, teacher. Podcast coming.
24:27
Calm. You sign up for me. Find me on social I'll talk about I'm sure.
24:34
Perfect. Yeah. On all those reels. You're gonna do everybody else
24:38
you will see. Why don't you have to read it?
24:45
There we go. From an English teacher to you. Thanks. Thanks. Great. We'll see you soon. We're taking the mystery out of building meaningful life the step by step roadmap instead Pool, you're taught everything under the sun. Algebra, it's our 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 someday. That's why the US school 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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