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NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR GROUP COACHING: Tuesday Talk May 6th, 6:30pm-8:30pm Click here for more info and RSVP here.  *Please note if you would like to receive separate reminder emails(click here for weekly update) about this meeting and other special events, scroll to the bottom of this email, click on the Update Profile/Email Address link and be sure the "Thursdays at Three/Tuesday Talk" list is checked off. 

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"...the guidance Kristina provided has been worth over a 1000 books! I am extremely grateful for her help." Andrew L.

 

"I can honestly say that speaking to you was one of the most important events in my life. It is almost unbelievable how a 2-hour conversation can have that effect."  Bozhanka V.  

 

"Listening to you once helped empower me to completely change my life for the better!" 

 

Life Class
by Kristina Leonardi
 
blackboard

My first job out of college was teaching Spanish to grades 7-11 at a private school in New Jersey.  I started right before I turned 22.  I left way before I turned 23.

 

Fast forward many, many moons and this past month I found myself in a high school classroom again, this time in one NYC public school's 9th grade to talk about social media

 

Don't ask. Those of you who know me will find this laughable since I am a recovering technophobe who does the bare minimum online only because in my type of work I kinda have to.

 

It all happened very quickly - I was asked on a Wednesday if I would start the first of six classes the following Monday, and without much thinking said yes, I guess because I trusted the person and wanted to see if I could now handle the critters that gave me so much grief way back when.  Besides, I've been speaking/teaching for years, and I remember ninth grade being my favorite at the time, so why not? Social media? Apparently the entire curriculum would be provided, I just had to deliver it. 

 

HAH!  After the first day, with little to no preparation or training, it was like being thrown into a tank with 40 cranky sharks - what did I get myself into?!?!  I held my own, but nearly quit. Other days it was like wrangling cats. But there were a few days of pure magic.

 

After surveying the students and finding out they spend nearly 100% of their free time on social media, I realized that a., that's the first problem.  And b., beyond the general predator and online reputation issues along with their celebrity obsession, when looked at through the lens of cyberbullying and the associated psychological and physical tolls - as in murders and suicides - it quickly occurred to me that having them understand the proper and positive use of social media, texting and the internet could not be a more important and serious assignment - and that it was quite literally a matter of life and death.  In other words, I realized that since they live most of their lives on social media, I was really there to teach them about life.

 

Ah-ha! Now that made sense, since that is what I do for my day job.  Let's just say I tweaked the lesson plans I was provided.

 

It was an eye-opening experience to say the least. I could go on telling you how much I learned about kids, education, their future, our future, the culpability of adults, and the upsetting things I discovered about how they behave, what they think, what they do to each other and how they only care about being famous; how I tried in our short time together to turn some of those things upside down and instill them with completely new empowering ideas and perspectives (yes, the Golden Rule was one of the 'new' concepts introduced after you could hear crickets when asked if anyone could tell me what it was), and how I held their attention with my knowledge of Justin Bieber (yes, I saw Never Say Never and was impressed - don't laugh - relevant how he used YouTube to become famous - but he is/was extremely talented and worked hard even though he's having some trouble lately...not to mention second highest amount of followers on Twitter etc.....).

 

I know this is probably the first and only time some of these kids will hear about such things, and I'm pretty sure I reached at least a few who will now think a little differently about their lives and the consequences of their actions, both online and off.  But I know for sure there was at least one who truly got it.

 

After the third lesson, which was the first on cyberbullying and the aforementioned wrangling cats day, I was caught off-guard when after class a soft spoken but confident kid from the back of the room came up to me, shook my hand and said "Miss, I just wanna let you know I really appreciate you."  He had me at appreciate!  But then he went on to say how disgusted he was with his classmates, that they weren't taking this seriously and that he had been listening to a lot of Bob Marley lately and looking for his purpose, how he wanted to be a leader and that today he found his calling.  STOP THE PRESSES.  "Purpose" and "calling" were the exact words he used. I cannot make this up. And you can imagine to someone who does a talk called "Who Are You and What Are You Supposed to Be Doing with Your Life" it was like winning the lottery. 

 

My work was done, (or as my new friend Karim goes: Boom! While gesturing the dropping of a mic and exiting stage left.) even if no one else got it and they did not listen to the next three lessons!

 

Junior and I talked about how he might accomplish such a mission, and I asked if he would like to start by talking to the class.  Our final day together he did just that - the first time he ever spoke in front of a room - and an unlikely candidate to do so according to both him and his teachers who say he's not a great student and he admittedly wasn't even the best kid, but recently had a change of heart and my class helped to solidify and confirm his new direction.  With no coaching from anyone he spoke for almost 15 minutes about how his peers need to wake up and take life and education 'fa real' and do something that helps others. I couldn't have been more inspired and proud, as I know for anyone, especially at that age, to get up in such an environment and speak his truth was quite remarkable.  It was one of the best days of my life.

 

I tell you all this because I did not do anything special - all I did was LISTEN TO MY GUT, SHOW UP, BE MYSELF and DO MY THING, which is all you can ever do, regardless of the context.  You never know what the bigger plan is and how affecting just one person can make a huge difference. The Universe knows what it's doing - and what it had to do to get me in the same room with that 14 year old Black boy was nothing short of a miracle. 

 

Still not a Belieber? Whether you're 15 or 51 you're never too young or too old to take responsibility for your life, discover who you are and be confident enough to share it with the world.  Give me a buzz and I'll help you offer more than just a #Selfie to have a positive impact in the Twitterverse and beyond.

  

P.S. Whew! If you've gotten to the end of this post - thanks for indulging me! I know it's a little longer/different than normal but really wanted to share my story since it was a special experience for me.  Thanks again for reading! :)  

 

P.P.S. Remember my post All Roads, Same Place?  This could be an addendum to that one....

 

    *     *    *

If you like what I write, you'll love what I have to say in person!  Scroll down for info about my coaching and speaking services and contact me today.

 

This and all past posts can be found on my website www.kristinaleonardi.com
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About Kristina's Coaching
Work with her one-on-one or as part of a group

 

Kristina Leonardi is a career/life coach who has a proven record of getting "stuck" clients empowered to make changes aligned with their true passions and talents in a short time. She provides a practical framework for each individual to make the most of their personal and professional lives, allowing them to recognize, connect to, and fulfill their role in the world at large and live a life with clarity, balance and direction.   

 

Kristina's holistic, gimmick-free, and minimalist approach has earned her widely diverse and fiercely loyal following from all walks and stations of life, including savvy New Yorkers who have tried other coaches, approaches, and therapy with little or limited results.  Click here to learn more 

  

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She has a laid-back approach, but don't let that fool anyone. Her ability to read people is amazing and her assessments of how a person can enrich their lives/careers are spot-on. After she asked me lots of questions, she was somehow able to give me an assessment that was frighteningly accurate and illuminating.    

 

What's it like working with Kristina? Click here for more info 

  

For more information visit www.kristinaleonardi.com or contact her to schedule a session today.

 
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About Kristina's Speaking
Attend an event or hire her to speak at y0ur company or  organization!

Known as a dynamic, 'inspiring' and 'down-to-earth' speaker with unique yet practical perspectives on career development, work/life wellness, and employee engagement, Kristina has been a featured speaker for many corporate seminars, non-profit organizations and conferences, including: UBS, Saatchi & Saatchi, HR Association of NY, Ogilvy & Mather, American Business Women's Association, the Junior League, NYU and the New York's Science, Business & Industry Library.
Click here for more info
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UPCOMING EVENTS:

Tuesday, May 6th  12-1:30pm 

Staying Motivated Throughout the Job Search Process at SIBL
 

 Click here for video link for a clip of a recent talk

     

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Since launching Personal Growth Gab (PGG) in January 2010, Kristina has formed an avid and faithful following ("they're the only emails I read" "they really help me" "they help me start my week" "I save them until I get home and can read them with a cup of tea" "you're such a good writer!" ) of over 1500 who look forward to a 'weekly dose of thought-provoking, inspirational and entertaining helpful tidbits to keep you connected with yourself and make sense of this journey called life.


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HOT OFF THE PRESSES! 

 I've recently been featured in a few places:

 45 Pieces of Career Advice That Will Get You to The Top (The Daily Muse) 

(I'm #3 just before Marissa Mayer #4 and Jane Fonda #7, Mark Cuban #42, Steve Jobs #44)

The Ins and Outs of Casual Days at Work (CareerIntelligence.com)

Wherever You Go, There You Are (VidaVibrante.com)

A Body at Rest (Inspire Virtual Mag S.A.) 

 A More Perfect Union (Inspire Virtual Mag S.A.) 

Tiptoe Through the Tulips (Inspire Virtual Mag S.A)

 Scroll down for more articles written by or about me and be sure to tweet and share them all! :)

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Kristina in The Daily Muse 

 

Kristina's Media Mix
Articles and videos by,  about or featuring Kristina Leonardi
What I Learned Working with a Career Coach
From Passion to Profit Career Transition Support Group - Episode 1
From Passion to Profit Career Transition Support Group
Daily Muse
6 Things You Can Get from a Not-Quite Dream Job (Besides the Paycheck)

NYPL SIBL video
Pink Slips: How Losing Your Job is a Good Thing (Video)
Huffington Post article
5 Simple Steps for Finding Your Life's Purpose.

MORE ARTICLES BELOW:
InspireMag
  
Check out my articles in the July/August 2013 edition of Inspire Virtual Mag (Pages 16-17, 18-19, 32-33 and 52-53)
 
Check out three of my articles in the May/June 2013 Inspire Virtual Mag  from South Africa.  (Pages 24, 119 & 149 with contributor profile pg 16)
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You can also check out these interviews with me:

 

Contact
For more information visit www.kristinaleonardi.com

 You can also email me [email protected] or call 917-816-0834

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"Kristina gave me permission to be myself!  I can say no other person has empowered me in that way as much as she has - and I am TRULY forever grateful for that.."  - Cherise R.
"Kristina conveys really important practical ideas with such passion and in a really accessible way.  Thank you! - Andrea K.