Youth Career Readiness: The One Question Podcast

Acclaimed television writer and producer Yahlin Chang, known for her work on “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Shades of Blue,” and “Supergirl,” joined us on the One Question Podcast. Yahlin shared her personal journey of pivoting from journalism to television writing and highlighted the importance of persistence, doing the research and breaking down the steps so you understand what it’ll take to do what you love, and being ready to take advantage of a lucky break in building a meaningful career.Michael HornToday, we’re excited to welcome television writer and producer Yahlin Chang. Yahlin has written and produced film for acclaimed shows, most notably the Handmaid’s Tale, Shades of Blue, and Supergirl. Before working in television, she also built a career as a journalist, and we’re thrilled to have her on the podcast today.Julie LammersYahlin, as Michael mentioned, your career path shows how someone can successfully pivot from one field to another, moving from journalism into television writing and production. Some middle and high school students might worry that choosing one path might limit their future options. What lessons from your career change could help young people understand how to successfully shift directions while still building a meaningful career?Yahlin ChangWhat the keys were to making that change successfully, I can really only answer it by telling you specifically my specific story, which is very different. Everyone who works in TV writing has a different story about how they got in. The general thing was just dogged persistence and doing a ton of research, talking to everyone I knew about how to become a TV writer. When I was in college, I took a book out of the library that said How to Become a TV Writer. It was written by someone who had done like a single freelance episode for Dukes of Hazzard way back when. This is in 1992. And, you know, I read a book about it. But for me, I just always wanted to write for television.I didn’t really know how, but I loved that form of art. I used to watch Dallas and Dynasty and Falcon Crest with my family every Friday and Saturday night. And we’d sit there together and learn what America is by watching these crazy shows. And then as I got older, I watched better shows like LA Law and China Beach and ThirtySomething. And I just loved that specific form. So I knew that I wanted to be involved in some way. And then when I learned about the writers room, which is how episodic TV gets written, you’re working with a group of writers, you’re breaking stories together. I loved the collaborative nature of that.I was a nerd. So I loved classes, and I loved the idea that it was like a class. Now I’ve learned it’s nothing like a class at all. And if you treat it like a college seminar, you’re probably not doing the right thing, that’s a subject for something else, you have to pitch actual ideas. You can’t just sort of have fuzzy, abstract thoughts. But I was working as a journalist at Newsweek.I worked Tuesday through Saturday, so I had Mondays off. So I spent my Mondays writing spec scripts and then sending my resume and scripts out to every agency I could find. And I finally found an agent who agreed to represent me. And so I broke in in 2000. You know, many other people wanted to make the change from journalism to TV writing because journalism was dying. When I did it journalism wasn’t dying. It was the late 90s, journalism was still pretty lush.But I would say that the key is to decide what you love the most, what your passion is, and then you break down the steps. For me, it was writing spec scripts and then finding someone to read the scripts and then getting representation. Now, a lot of people break in by becoming an assistant. That’s one path. I bought scripts, I studied them, I studied the form. And ultimately also you really need to understand the role of luck, especially in Hollywood. You know, you have to be ready when the door opens.A lot of very talented people don’t ever have that door open. But I was lucky, and I did, you know, entertainment is incredibly subjective. Successful writing is specific and it’s very personal. So the other thing is, don’t count the role of luck. And because of that, don’t take anything too personally. Just know that, you know, someone might not like what you’re selling. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer.A thousand people might not like it. And it doesn’t mean that you’re bad. You just need to find the thousand and first person to say yes. And thousands of people can be wrong. When it comes to writing. It’s good if it’s specific. If you’re honest and truthful, it’s from your heart, then someone will probably connect to it. So good luck, everybody.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Baseball legend David Ortiz—Big Papi!—joined us on the One Question Podcast to discuss how students can thrive in high-pressure environments. Ortiz emphasized the importance of discipline, strong work ethic, and preparation, as well as listening to advice from trusted mentors like parents. Big Papi was known as a clutch performer—so we wanted to know his advice for students to perform at their best in whichever field they ultimately pursue.Julie LammersToday, we’re excited to welcome David Ortiz. David is a three-time World Series champion and one of the most iconic players in baseball history. Known for delivering big hits in the biggest moments over his career with the Boston Red Sox, he earned a reputation as one of the most clutch performers the game has ever seen. And we are thrilled to have him on our podcast today.Michael HornYes, indeed. Excited to have Big Papi join us. David, you’re known for staying calm and coming through when the pressure was at its highest. Of course, pressure isn’t just limited to sports, right? It shows up in all kinds of workplaces and careers. So I’m curious, what advice would you give to middle and high school students about how to perform well and stay confident in high-pressure environments on the job?David OrtizMy biggest advice to all you young people over there, teenagers in general, is to be able to perform at the highest level under pressure. The main key is, number one, to be disciplined. Number two, you need to have a really good work ethic so your body and mind is prepared to react whenever the opportunity comes. And I’m talking about performance on the field or at work or whatever you do. You need to have the discipline and the dedication to get prepared for because that’s the only advantage you have. And when it comes to performing off the field, listen, nobody gonna give you better advice than the one that you can give yourself.I always use as a tool my mom and dad, who were my best friends of all time. I was a good listener. I listened to what they had to say because life experience is all about who got here first, who has the most experience. And I always give credit to my mom and dad because they were my parents. They want the best for me. They want all the good things for me. My dad was a baseball player and all he preached about was me. It was him wanting me to be a better player than what he was.So you don’t get that from many people. You don’t get that from many people. And the one person that wants you to be good, that wants everything to be good for you, that wants to take care of you, that’s the one. So be a good listener, pay attention and they’re going to take you to the promised land. Take care. God bless you and see you when I see you.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

On our latest episode, we welcomed entrepreneur and leadership coach George Appling, who challenged the common advice to “follow your passion” when planning a career. George outlined five different ways young people can intentionally connect passion and work and concluded with advice for students to take a holistic, structured approach to career planning.Julie LammersToday, we’re welcoming entrepreneur, author and leadership coach, George Appling. George describes himself as a “passionpreneur,” someone who builds businesses around the things that he loves. His career has spanned industries and continents, from leading teams at Fortune 500 companies to creating his own mead making business, a medieval festival and a summer camp. We’re thrilled to have him on.Michael HornAnd a mead making business sounds pretty good to me. So, Julie, I agree. I’m incredibly excited for this conversation given his research. And George first, welcome. You’ve built an incredible career by developing passions that you could build real businesses around and then helping other leaders do the same through your work as a Vistage chair. And of course your book, Don’t Settle: A Pick-Your-Path Guide to Intentional Work. So what’s your advice for middle and high schoolers on how they can do the same? Is it as simple as just follow your passions?George ApplingMy number one piece of advice for young people as they think about their career is this: You’re probably being told over and over again by lots of different people to follow your passion or follow your heart or follow your bliss. And I think that’s terrible advice. And I think at some level you probably know that that’s terrible advice because you may not know what your passion is. You may not be able to make money at your passion. You may not be able to make enough money at your passion. If you make money at your passion, your passion may go away.And so I think there’s… you need to think about this in a much more sophisticated way. And that’s what my book is about. It’s about choosing the relationship between your passion and your work intentionally. And I lay out five different ways that your passion and your work can relate to each other, particularly targeted at young people. So those five ways are passion. now which is under certain circumstances, it does make sense to follow your heart immediately as a young person. But those are pretty specific circumstances, mostly that you know what your passion is, you know you can make money at it, you know you want to, and you can make enough, which probably means your need for financial security is low.This is how the framework gets built in the book. Two is independence, which means your passion and your work don’t have anything to do with each other. That’s kind of the default path, meaning the economy will force you into that if you don’t choose. But my belief is that if you make the choice yourself, you’ll be much happier with it because it’s your choice. Three is experiment. That tends to be for people who don’t know what their passion is. And so the experiment path, and there’s a whole set of guidelines on this, is about opening yourself up to different opportunities and ideas and locations and functions and sectors, looking for that spark of something that you might be able to fall in love with. Four is the money path.I think there’s a lot of people who just aren’t going to be at peace until they have financial security. So this tends to be for people whose need for financial security is high, they might fall to the money path. And the money path is you’re going after the dollar. That might mean investment banking or venture capital or strategy consulting or all sorts of things where you’re chasing money. And the last one, which is the one that I did, is the balance path. The balance path is, you know, that you want to monetize a passion or marry your work and your passion. Make that the same thing, but not yet. You’re going to do it later.And so what you’re going to do is spend the 5, 10, 15 years preparing for that day. And by preparing, I mean working in a regular career, ideally, that you really enjoy. But what you’re doing is you’re increasing the probability of success of monetizing a passion later in life. And that may mean having financial security. It may mean building certain capabilities or certain brands or certain networks or just certain understanding of things. And so the idea of the balance path is you’re very intentionally building out what you need to succeed when you switch over to the passion path later in life. So those are the five ways that passion and work can relate. They each have their audience.I’ve got a huge data set that says there’s a significant audience of young people that choose, you know, one of these five paths. And so the next time someone says, follow your heart, follow your passion, you should think, you know what? That’s terrible advice. I may not even know what my passion is. I may know what my passion is and understand that if I try to make money out of it, it’s not going to be my passion anymore. So my advice to you is to think holistically and in a structured way about how your passion and your work can relate to each other, and make that choice yourself. You can learn more about that in my book, Don’t Settle, A Pick Your Path Guide to Intentional Work. All right, thanks, everybody.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

After a brief hiatus, we’re back with another episode of the Youth Career Readiness: The One Question Podcast! Legendary musician Kenny G. joined us to to share his advice for middle and high school students on the importance of compartmentalizing their time and dedicating consistent effort to multiple interests. You may be surprised to learn that he has an accounting degree! Kenny G encouraged students to keep multiple doors open and develop diverse skills. You can become excellent in different fields with focused dedication.Michael HornToday, we’re excited to welcome musician and recording artist Kenny G. Kenny is one of the best-selling instrumental artists of all time, known for building a decades-long career in music while, get this, also earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting, of all things, early in his journey. I suspect that a lot of my fellow jazz band members from back in high school will be a bit surprised to see him popping up on our podcast today.Julie LammersKenny, a lot of middle and high school students are feeling pressure to choose one path early, either something practical or something they’re passionate about. You earned your degree in accounting while steadily building your music career. How did you balance these two pursuits? And what advice would you give students who are trying to keep multiple doors open and navigate their own path to future success?Kenny GHere’s how I like to look at it, and I still look at life like this. I compartmentalize my time. So, here I am with my saxophone. I’ve already practiced 3 hours this morning. So I take some hours and I do something consistently. So practice your saxophone for hours a day for years. Study a few hours a day for those years. And you know what? You can just get good at lots of things and you can do lots of things to a top level.Maybe only one thing to the very top level, but you can get really good at a lot of things. If you just take those hours and dedicate it to whatever it is that you want to dedicate it to consistently over time. That’s what works. So with that in mind, let me play a melody for you. [MUSIC]All right, guys, sending you all my very best.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Former NFL-quarterback-turned-analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick joined us to discuss his experiences adapting to new environments throughout his football and media careers. Ryan shared practical advice for middle and high school students on how to succeed when entering unfamiliar situations—with an emphasis on being authentic, preparing diligently, and building strong relationships.Michael HornToday we’re welcoming NFL quarterback turned analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick. And you may recognize Ryan from his 17-year career across nine NFL teams or, more recently, from Thursday Night Football where he’s brought his trademark energy and insight to the broadcast booth. And we are thrilled to have him on our podcast today.Julie LammersWe definitely are Michael. Ryan, you’ve had a remarkable career, one where you often had to step into brand new environments, sometimes on very short notice. And now you’ve launched a new career in media. For this question, I want to go back to those moments when you were starting fresh. Whether it was walking into a new locker room or now stepping into the broadcast studio. What advice would you give to middle school and high school students about how to succeed when they find themselves in a brand new environment or taking on a new pursuit?Ryan FitzpatrickHere’s what I can tell you. Number one, be yourself. When you’re the new person, there’s a temptation to change who you are to fit in. But the most respect I ever got in a locker room came when I was authentic, letting teammates see the real me. Number two, prepare like crazy. You can’t control how talented everyone else is, but you can control your effort and how ready you are. Showing up prepared is going to build your confidence in yourself and it’s going to earn respect from others very fast. And number three, and the most important, build relationships. Whether it’s football, media, or any other workplace, people want to work with someone they trust. Ask questions, listen more than you talk, and don’t be afraid to show a little humility. So there’s my advice. Be yourself, put in the work, and connect with the people around you. Those are the three things that will help you succeed no matter what your environment is. Thank you for letting me join and good luck to all of you on chasing your own careers. Fitzmagic out.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Reed Hastings, the co-founder and former CEO of Netflix, joined us to share advice for middle and high school students navigating a rapidly changing world influenced by AI. Reed encouraged students to move beyond traditional academic achievements to use AI to build, design, and solve real-world problems. He highlighted how engaging with AI in meaningful ways—whether for developing business plans, designing spaces, or even crafting recipes—builds the adaptable skills necessary for future success.Julie LammersToday, we’re welcoming entrepreneur and education innovator Reed Hastings. Reed is the co-founder and longtime CEO of Netflix, the company that transformed how the world watches television and movies. He’s also been a major force in expanding access to education and supporting innovative schools and learning organizations all over the world. Michael had the chance to sit down with Reed recently and get his advice for teens as they explore their careers.Michael HornWhat advice, given all the change in the world right now around AI, how it could change the world, et cetera, what advice would you give middle and high school students right now as they’re coming up through the system and thinking about the choices that they’ll have and the choices that they get to make right now?Reed HastingsI think they’re pretty aware of what’s going on. But I would certainly add to the fact that doing well in the classic biology class in 9th grade is of modest use and continuing to use AI to build things and like design a house or a sewer system or, or a tree garden, you know, or a business. And sort of the more they can be involved back and forth with AI for developing their brain as opposed to, you know, what some teachers call “CheatGPT,” which is, you know, when you’re in the classic high school, it’s very tempting to just use AI to write the essay because it’s just too easy and too boring and you’re going to take the easiest route. So then it’s, you know, the challenge is using AI to do interesting things in the world. Like what’s a recipe that combines, you know, now I’ve got eggs and cardamom. And like, what would be an interesting way to combine eggs and cardamom to make something that’s tasty? So, you know, it’s sort of setting yourself challenges doing things with AI both in the virtual world, like creating a business plan or in the real world, like creating some breakfast. Because those skills of probing and learning and using AI, you know, to make a cool TikTok, it’s whatever they’re passionate about, I think will be, it’s the best way to prepare themselves for the future world.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk joins the One Question Podcast to discuss the importance of embracing failure and perseverance in both sports and professional life. Tony shares personal stories of overcoming obstacles, including setbacks in his skateboarding career and business ventures. He argues that failure is often the best teacher. He encourages middle and high school students to learn from their mistakes, pursue their passions with dedication, and see challenges as opportunities for growth.Michael HornToday’s guest is a true pioneer in the world of sports, sports and youth culture. None other than Tony Hawk. Known as one of the most influential skateboarders of all time, Tony turned a passion that many dismissed as a fringe hobby into a global phenomenon. He was the first to land the iconic 900 spin and helped bring skateboarding into the mainstream through the X Games, through video Games, and through his own foundation that builds skate parks for kids across the country. Whether you know him from his tricks, his brand, or his relentless drive, Tony’s story is one of turning obstacles into opportunity. And before we bring him on, I’m delighted to have Julie Lammers join me as my new co host of this podcast. Julie was recently named as President and CEO of ASA.So, Julie, first, congrats. I’m thrilled to do this with you on your own career journey. And second, I’ll let you welcome our guest and ask him our question for today.Julie LammersThanks so much, Michael. I’m so excited to be doing this with you and excited to have Tony on our podcast. So, Tony, first off, thanks so much for joining us. We’re so excited to learn from you. As Michael was saying, so much of your story and the sport of skateboarding more generally is about overcoming obstacles and persevering through failure. What advice do you have for middle and high schoolers and how they can do the same in their professional journeys?Tony HawkWow. Well, skateboarding is mostly about failure. And I think the best, well, the best thing we can do with that failure is to learn from it, is to embrace it. I think that’s the key. Yes, you can resent your mistakes, you can regret them, but ultimately you have to embrace them because that’s the only way you’re going to grow and get better. And I mean, I’ve had some catastrophic failures. I’ve had crazy injuries, but in some way, I’m thankful for all of them because they each taught me a lesson along the way. I’ve had failures in business too, and learned a lot from those.Take for example, sometime in the late 90s, early 2000s, my partner at Birdhouse Skateboards and I decided we were going to do high end denim jeans. We didn’t know anything about the fashion world, the apparel business. We just knew that this designer that we were friends with made really cool jeans and suddenly realized after putting a lot of money into production and spending a lot of our resources and a lot of time, that people don’t really want to buy $200 jeans. And we didn’t have a lot of outlets, retail places for them, and we ended up having to sell the whole company in order to pay the banks back for the money we loaned from them. So that was a lesson in kind of staying in my lane. But when I say stay in my lane, you mean if you’re into something, your passion, whatever it is, your hobby, learn everything about it, even the stuff that seems boring and that you might not need because it’s going to benefit you in the end. That’s what I learned about the secret of business, about being in business in general.And so it’s my passion. And I, like I said, I really am thankful for the failures along the way because it taught me so much to appreciate the success even more. So I hope that helps. And like I said, don’t try to fail. But if you do fail, treat it as a lesson, and at some point, you look back and you go, man.I’m so thankful that I got through that, that I had the resources to get through that, and that I also had the capacity to change and learn. All right, that’s my pitch. I wish you guys all the best. Keep the hustle, stay motivated, and keep challenging yourself. See ya. Oh, and do a kickflip.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

How should today’s teens think about their futures in an AI-driven world? Kathleen deLaski, founder of the Education Design Lab, former ABC News White House correspondent, and author of Who Needs College Anymore?, joined us to share why she’s optimistic about the opportunities ahead. Kathleen spoke about how young people can experiment with new tools, stay curious, and prepare for careers that will thrive even as technology reshapes the job market.Michael Horn:On this episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Kathleen deLaski. Kathleen spent the first part of her career as a TV and then digital journalist, including time as the ABC News White House correspondent before she was appointed as the Pentagon's first female spokesperson. More recently, Kathleen founded the Education Design Lab and served as its CEO for a decade before moving on. And she's also the author of the book Who Needs College Anymore? So, Jean, I think it's fair to say she'll have a lot to say on the question that you have for her.Jean Eddy:Yes. Michael. And Kathleen, welcome to the podcast! It's great to see you and have you here. The question we have for you is this: Given the debate on a college ROI, the volatile job market and the impact of AI, et cetera, what advice would you give a middle or high schooler who is thinking about their futures and the different careers they might want to pursue?Kathleen deLaski:When I think about what it will be like in five or 10 years when today’s teenagers are finishing either high school and going directly to work or college and starting their careers, I get very excited for you all because I feel like AI, rather than taking a lot of jobs away, there'll be some shifting around, sure, but mostly you'll have such a personal set of tools in your pocket to, to accelerate your learning curve and to get more interesting things done and to ask better questions. I think it will be very energizing and powerful as a set of tools for, you know, any, particularly a younger person, who’s coming into the workforce.So how do you get those jobs though, when perhaps some might argue—as they are arguing—that that robots will take some jobs away?I think the way about it is that no matter what you want to do, if you want to do a more human-focused job like a doctor, a nurse, something with your hands where you're physically building stuff, you know, those jobs sound today to us, particularly robot proof. But even for those jobs, you're going to need to know how to bring all of the massive information that's going to be, that we'll be able to manage at our fingertips, you need to be able to bring that to bear to, you know, get, get your work done or to excel in field.And if you're in one of those jobs or in one of those fields where we're quite worried about some jobs going away, what we call the knowledge jobs. I think in those cases, it's just even more important that you think about, you know, not necessarily today, but as you're moving along and as you see technology advancing even in your own daily life, like, how do you experiment with some of the, some of the tools and some of the applications that might make your life today easier? How do you kind of stay on your own cutting edge? Whether it's, you know, using social media or doing your schoolwork or, you know, organizing your, you know, your basketball team, whatever your, whatever your, whatever opportunities your life brings you, to be curious and to ask a lot of questions, to challenge facts, I think, you know, the more you can keep up with that and stay, you know, kind of ahead of it, you'll, you'll, you'll do very well in a world, no matter how fast changing it is.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Judy Goldstein of American Student Assistance and I welcome Ice-T to discuss career advice for middle and high schoolers. Ice-T emphasized the importance of hard work and authentic self-reflection, and he encouraged students to consider the lifestyle they truly want and choose a career path that aligns with their values and aspirations.Judy GoldsteinHi, everyone. I'm Judy Goldstein, the senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for American Student Assistance. And I am delighted to be with you today to fill in for ASA's president and CEO, Jean Eddy for this latest episode of the Youth Career Readiness, the One Question Podcast.Michael HornJoining us today is Ice-T, the rapper, actor, producer, cultural icon with a career spanning four decades. Ice-T first made waves as a pioneer of West Coast hip hop, of course, but then he didn't stop at music. He's become a household name for his role as Detective Finn Tutuola on Law and Order SVU, a part that he has played for over two decades. From music to TV, from activism to storytelling, Ice-T has continually reinvented himself while staying true to his roots.Judy GoldsteinPerfect introduction, Michael, thank you. And, Ice-T, we can't thank you enough for joining us today. Our question for you is, what advice would you give middle and high schoolers who are looking to identify their career paths?Ice-TI know you guys are in high school, junior high, and I mean, the best advice I can give you is to only take advice from people you admire. In life, you run into so many people that'll downplay your dreams and tell you this and tell you that. If you don't admire that person, and admiration is a big thing. It's not somebody that got a cool car, not somebody that got cool clothes. It's somebody who you really dig the way they're living, digging the way they, everything about them, all right? Don't take advice from them. You know, don't. Don't pay attention to what they're saying.Now that you guys are in school, it's this generation that you guys live in, everybody wants to get things instantaneous, but sometimes, you know, you take the shortcut, and it ends up taking you longer than just taking the correct route, you know, so you guys got plenty of time, plenty of time to get it right and just be willing to put in the work that's necessary. You guys could be absolutely anything you're willing to be, but there's just no shortcuts. Just put in the work. And lastly, pick the lifestyle you want to live and then find an occupation that will provide you that lifestyle. You know, some people don't want to be flamboyant. Some people just want a simple lifestyle. Well, then there's a lot of occupations that will provide you that. But if you want a flamboyant lifestyle, if you want a lot of things, you're gonna have to put in a lot of work. Nothing comes easy, so just be prepared for the journey. But all you guys can do it. Anybody can do it. I did it. Okay. God bless you. Good luck.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

NFL defensive end and Super Bowl champion Trey Flowers joins us on our latest episode. The conversation centers on Trey’s insights from his journey to the NFL and beyond. He encourages young people to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process, not to fear failure, and to take bold steps toward their dreams.Michael HornOur guest today is NFL defensive end Trey Flowers, a Super Bowl champion and one of the league's most consistent performers. After a standout college career at Arkansas, Trey was drafted by the New England Patriots, where he played a key role in two Super Bowl victories. He's known for his leadership, relentless work ethic, and ability to show up in big moments. Off the field, Trey is committed to building opportunities in his hometown community and supporting youth through scholarships and mentorship. Here's Brent Peus from GSV to pick Trey's brain on career advice.Brent PeusWhat would you tell a middle schooler or a high schooler if they asked how they should approach thinking about their careers down the line?Trey FlowersI would definitely tell them to not be afraid to make a mistake. I think a lot of times kids get caught up in what if I do it wrong? And in reality, we aren’t supposed to get it right all the time. So I think it's very important for when we are chasing different careers or chasing our dreams or doing what we think we want to do. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. Step out there, take a leap of faith, trust God and trust the process and know that, you know, even if this is not what I would do, what I need to do, you know, at least I learned throughout the process. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Legendary NFL Coach Jim Mora joined us to share advice for middle and high school students on building successful careers. Coach Mora emphasized the importance of being a good person, maintaining a positive attitude, showing up on time, and working well with others—traits he valued in his players. He encouraged students to get involved in activities beyond the classroom and to practice good teamwork both at school and at home.Michael HornToday we're joined by legendary NFL coach Jim Mora, a man whose fiery passion and strategic mind have left a lasting mark on football history. And of course, who could forget his iconic “playoffs” press conference, one of the most quoted moments even today in sports media. Over his nearly two-decade career head coaching in the NFL, Mora led both the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, and he earned a reputation for building tough, disciplined teams. Off the field, Coach Mora has also been a respected analyst and mentor. And with that long track record of supporting young people towards success, we're really excited to have him on the show to help coach our listeners toward career success. So, Jim, question for you is, first, thanks for being with us. The question we'd love to hear you on is what advice do you have for middle and high schoolers on how to thrive in their careers?Jim MoraI can't emphasize enough as to be whatever you do, you guys, okay, you guys and girls in school is - be a good person, okay? Come to work every day, come to school every day and have a good attitude, get along with people, be on time, do your work, your homework, do your stuff. Get into some other things you can do at school besides just go to class. And then when you go home, be a good son, be a good daughter to your parents, on time, good behavior, these are the kind of things that you want, I know that I want on a team. I want a team. I want good people on my team. I want good people that are, that are, talented and then you're going to be successful. They'll work hard, they'll be easy to coach, they'll give it their best.They won't be all worried about themselves. They're going to be team-oriented. They want to do what's best for the team. What can I do, coach, to make this team better? That's the kind of player I wanted and I think that's what you want to do and the right kind of person you want to be and as you go throughout your life.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Jean and Michael welcome world-renowned pianist Lang Lang to the podcast to discuss how teens can balance demanding schoolwork with their passions, particularly in music. Lang Lang shares his advice for young people facing time constraints by encouraging them to be intentional and passionate. Check it out.Michael HornWe are thrilled today to welcome Lang Lang to our podcast. Lang Lang is a globally acclaimed Chinese pianist known for his virtuosity, charisma, and innovative approach to classical music. For my money, he's the best pianist out there at the moment and he's performed with major orchestras, of course, and in leading concert halls worldwide. He's also a philanthropist through the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. And Lang Lang 's impact extends far beyond the concert stage as he actively uses his platform to promote music education and to connect with audiences through technology and new forms of performance. Lang Lang welcome to our podcast and my question for you is this. We hear all the time how super stressed, you know, teens are with schoolwork.So what advice do you have for those who have outside interests like music that might be related to their ultimate career interests, but they constantly struggle to find the time to pursue them?Lang LangI know you're now probably preparing for a big exam soon, you know, in your school, and I know that you don't have enough time to practice. So my advice is no matter how long you practice, please, with your great heart and soul, make every minute count and I'm sure you will get some incredible level of musical feelings in your play.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of Youth Career Readiness, Alec Ingold, fullback for the Miami Dolphins and advocate for youth development, joined us from the ASU + GSV Summit to share his advice for middle and high school students exploring future careers. He encouraged young people to be bold about their dreams, to write down their goals and fears, and to create a daily, actionable plan focused on things within their control.Michael HornToday, we're highlighting someone who's not only a powerhouse on the football field, but also a leader off of it: fullback Alec Ingold. Known for his grit and heart, Alec went from being an undrafted free agent to a respected starter in the NFL, currently playing for the Miami Dolphins. But his impact goes far beyond touchdowns. Alec is a passionate advocate for financial literacy, adoption awareness, and youth development. He's even authored a book aimed at helping young people lead with intention. I'm pleased now to kick it off to GSV's Brent Peus, who has our question lined up for Alec.Brent PeusThe question we have for you today is how, if you were to give advice or mentor middle school or high school students, how would you advise them on how to approach thinking about careers in the future?Alec IngoldCareers in the future. That's a good question. Feel like I want to talk to the kids, right? Like, so if we're talking, I'm giving you a piece of advice on careers. Whatever you're thinking about, dreaming about. The first piece of advice, that one piece would be be bold. Be bold. Be courageous. That little voice inside your head, that dream that you've been thinking about for a long time, you're a little embarrassed maybe to say it out loud.Somebody asks, you want to be in the NFL? And like, you kind of put that hand halfway up. If you have that urge, if you have that gut feeling, chase it. Understand everything that might have to come with that work, that dream. Write it down, write down that goal, write down that dream, write down that dream job that's going to do everything for you, the thing that brings you passion and purpose. Then underneath that goal, you write down your biggest fear. What's holding you back, what's hindering you from being the best version of yourself, of going all in, of chasing this dream. Understanding and articulating that fear on a piece of paper puts a face to the name.And it's not so scary anymore. It's not that voice in the back of your head telling you to stop to second guess yourself. And anything that's holding you back. Being able to write it down is going to be great for you. And then make an action plan. Three things that you can control every single day. I feel like that's giving you tangible goals to be able to do. Not things that you can't control.Not that job interview, not accomplishing something outside of your control. What can you do every single day? No snooze, getting a good breakfast, going to every class. Like whatever those things you can do that you can control every single day. You have a goal. You articulate your fear and now you have an action plan to trust yourself that you're making marginal gains. 1% gains every single day.Brent PeusI couldn't have said any better than that. Well said.Alec IngoldI love it.Brent PeusThanks, Alec.Alec IngoldGo get it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, actress and singer Kensington Tallman, well known for roles such as Riley Anderson in the animated blockbuster Inside Out 2, shares the most impactful advice she received early in her acting career: to confidently "take up space" and fully embrace her unique voice. She emphasizes the importance of having no fear, owning one's presence, and celebrating vulnerability in creative pursuits.Michael HornOn today's episode, we are joined by Kensington Tallman, an actress, singer, and performer who's quickly making her mark in Hollywood. Kensington has starred in TV series on Nickelodeon and HBO and on the silver screen as the voice of Riley Anderson, the main character in Disney Pixar's Inside Out 2. In that film, which by the way, was one of the top 10 highest grossing movies ever, Kensington's character is navigating the many difficult decisions of adolescence, very in theme with the goals of this podcast. Now, I'll say my kids were big Inside Out fans. As am I. So I am tremendously excited for this episode. And Kensington, huge thanks for joining us. Our question for you is this: You're still young in your career, of course, but when you were deciding whether to pursue acting, what was the best advice you received?Kensington TallmanOh, I love this. Thank you so much. I would say the best, I mean, I've received so many wonderful pieces of advice throughout the years, but I would say the best piece of advice that I could share is to take up space. You know, I think especially as a young woman, there's this kind of feeling of, oh, let me just be small and let me just kind of stay in the corner and not make a big deal. But I think it's so important, especially as actors, to take up space and to own that and to say, hey, I work really hard. I have something special to offer to the table, and my ideas are important and they matter, and I'm excited to share them. I think that's something that just really changed my perspective and just to have no fear, you know, when you do that, I think, you know, in acting, you do a lot of vulnerable things. You know, you're crying, you're going to do some really silly and goofy things on camera, and to just have no fear and embody that and fully love every part of that. So take up space and have no fear.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, social activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick joins the podcast live from the ASU+GSV Summit. Colin’s advice for middle and high school students is to dream bigger, aim further, and take steady steps toward their goals. He urges young listeners not to limit their aspirations and to pursue their ambitions with dedication.Michael HornToday's guest is former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick. Colin rose to national attention as a dynamic leader on the field, as he led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl early in his career. But his influence extends far beyond football. Colin, of course, made international headlines for kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. And since leaving the NFL, he's remained a voice and philanthropist for social change and has launched several ventures, including Lumi Story AI, an AI driven storytelling platform that democratizes content creation by providing creators with tools to produce, publish and merchandise their stories independently. It's now my pleasure to kick it over to GSV's Brent Peus, who is with Colin.Brent PeusAll right, we are here with Colin Kaepernick at the 2025 ASU + GSV Summit. Thanks for taking a second to chat.Colin KaepernickOh, thanks for having me.Brent PeusWell, this is the One Question Podcast, so it'll be very quick, very straightforward, so you need no introduction. NFL, Big NFL career. Author, now entrepreneur. You've had a very multifaceted career thus far. The question for you today is if you're speaking to high schoolers or middle schoolers, what is the career advice that you would give them? How would you approach, how would you suggest that they approach thinking about their careers down the line?Colin KaepernickThe biggest thing that I would think about for them is whatever your aspirations are, aim further. I think oftentimes we see young people limit their expectations or what they think is possible. How do we get them to think about that and go further? So dream bigger, go further, and then put in the work and take the steps to start getting there. You don't have to do it all at once. Just put one foot in front of the other and start walking towards that dream.Brent PeusThere you have it. Couldn't have said it better.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Michael sits down with musician Stevie Van Zandt, best known as a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, live at the ASU+GSV Summit. Stevie offers one piece of advice on how young people can develop skills that will serve them over a lifetime, even amidst ever-evolving technological change: develop a craft.Michael HornOur guest on today's episode is Stevie Van Zandt. Stevie's an American musician and actor and best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. I got to catch up with Stevie at the ASU+GSV Summit and ask him our one question for middle and high schoolers.Stevie, thanks so much for joining us on the One Question Podcast.Stevie Van ZandtMy pleasure.Michael HornYou've had a long, distinguished career in music. Looking back on it, for the middle and high schoolers out there, what's one piece of career advice you'd offer to them?Stevie Van ZandtWow. What comes to mind is craft. You know, the delivery system of information is going to keep changing, you know, this year it's AI and next year, who knows what? So it was important that, you know, we kind of do what we can control, you know, in life, right, because you get all this input coming at you from all different directions, and it can get confusing, man, you know? So what I suggest is craft, man. Develop a craft, because that you're going to have with you your whole life, and nobody can take that away and nobody can mess with it. And if you can develop greatness in one craft, the whole world will open up for you. There it is.Michael HornThere you have it. Thanks so much for joining us.Stevie Van ZandtMy pleasure, man.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Michael: Welcome to Youth Career Readiness, the One Question Podcast where we talk to people across careers about their professional journeys and what advice they would offer us to help all middle and high schoolers explore, experiment with, and discover careers.Jean, if you were a Notre Dame football fan, as I was in the 1980s, then Lou Holtz was your guy.He was the head coach, charismatic, and good.His 12-0 1988 Notre Dame team was the consensus national champion.And he’s the only coach that I’m aware of to lead six different schools to bowl games, with four of them finishing in the top 15 nationwide.For our younger listeners, they may also recognize Lou Holtz because he was a mainstay on ESPN for a decade.But Holtz has also set himself apart as someone who is really interested in helping young people develop themselves as leaders in life.Jean: Lou, we can’t thank you enough for joining the podcast.And the big question we have for you is this.What career and life advice would you share with middle or high schoolers?Lou Holtz:For 11 years, I’ve had football coach at the University of Notre Dame and had an awful lot of difficult questions answered.But this one might be the most difficult.I know you’re young, and you wonder, where in the world am I going to go? It’s going to be dependent upon the choices you made. Choose your drug, drop out of school, join a gang, get tattoos from head to bottom, get arrested, you’re choosing to have difficulty in life.And don’t blame other people. Whatever happens to us, it’s because of choices we make.And if you follow three simple rules, you’ll always make good choices.Number one. Do the right thing.It’s important to always do the right thing, not because somebody’s looking, but because that’s the only way you can build trust with other people.You cannot be married, you cannot work for a coach or anything else if it’s not based on trust.And the only way you get trust is by doing the right thing.Rule number two. Do everything the very best of your ability.Not everybody can be All American. Not everybody can be All Conference. But everybody can be the best they’re capable of being.But rule number three might be the most important.Always show people you care.And remember this. Most of the time when we understand that when people need love and understanding the most is usually when they deserve it the least.So your future will be entirely up to you.Decide what you want to do.Make that choice.Make that decision.If it’s to go to the University of Notre Dame, then ask yourself 20 times a day what’s important now. If you want to go to Notre Dame, you better be a good student. You better be involved in other activities. And you better be an awfully good person that cares about other people.I could go on and on, but space doesn’t allow me.But I will say this. There’s so many people that really believe in you and in your future.So good luck to you. Remember, you can do anything in this world you want if you make good choices.Follow those three rules.Always make good choices.Good luck to you. God bless. Go Irish.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Youth Career Readiness: The One Question Podcast, Jean Eddy and I sit down with actress Kristine Sutherland, known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Kristine shares her advice on career exploration for young people and emphasizes the power of curiosity, asking questions, and staying true to one’s natural interests.Michael HornWelcome to Youth Career Readiness: The One Question Podcast.Jean EddyI'm Jean Eddy.Michael HornAnd I'm Michael Horn.Jean EddyAnd this is the podcast where we talk to people across careers about their professional journeys and what advice they would offer.Michael HornTo help all middle and high schoolers explore, experiment with, and discover careers. Jean, for anyone who grew up watching the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series or remembers the classic movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids with fondness, we have a fun episode for you today. And that's because we have the actress Kristine Sutherland, who played the role of the mom in both.Jean EddyYes, Michael, this will be a super fun episode. Kristine, we can't thank you enough for joining the podcast. And the question we have for you is this. What guidance would you give someone mentoring a middle or high school student on providing career advice?Kristine SutherlandBeing at the beginning of your life and wondering what you want to do with it. It can be a pretty scary and overwhelming time because there's so many options, so many possibilities. If I could go back, I would have made it my mission to ask more adults about what do you do for a living? What do you like best about what you do and what do you like least? I would have kind of liked to have made a catalog.And then I think one of the most important things is to stay true to your nature. Do you like to work outside? Do you like to work inside? Do you like to work at a computer? Do you like to work [with] your hands? There's just so many possibilities and sometimes even within one area of interest, there are all those different avenues for work that's meaningful for you.So, don't be led by what looks fancy, what sounds fancy. Stay true to what interests you.So I wish you all the luck and a great, wonderful life and career. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, Jean Eddy and I sit down with actor John Pankow, who starred in the hit TV series Mad About You. John shares about the power of gratitude in fueling his own career success and encourages middle and high schoolers to adopt a similar mindset regardless of their interests.Thanks for reading The Future of Education! This post is public so feel free to share it.Michael Horn: Welcome to Youth Career Readiness, the One Question Podcast. Jean Eddy: I'm Jean Eddy.Michael: And I'm Michael Horn.Jean: And this is the podcast where we talk to people across careers about their professional journeys and what advice they would offer.Michael: To help all middle and high schoolers explore, experiment with, and discover careers. Jean: Michael, the world of acting obviously is a hard one to get into, but our guest today has some advice that doesn't just pertain to starring in TV shows and movies. It's also just general good life advice. Our guest today is John Pankow. You may know John from his starring role in the sitcom Mad About You, as well as his roles in Amadeus and The Aristocrats. Michael: And John, our question for you is this. What would you tell someone who's mentoring a middle or high school student about what career advice they should be giving them?John Pankow: One of the things I learned early in life that really, really helped me—and this goes for whether you're pursuing academic interests or whether you're out in the, you know, once you finish school—once you've chosen something that you want to chase—a dream, whether it's the arts, whether it's medicine, whether it's business—don't wait for success to be grateful.If you're grateful for the success that you know is coming, that you know, just own it in your heart, just trust it, it draws the success to you.I didn't have two nickels to work together when I was a kid, and yet I was profoundly grateful for the success I knew that I was going to have, and I'm convinced that that gratitude and the knowingness that comes with that gratitude was what brought me the success that I was looking for. And that was in the field that obviously was very, very competitive.So that's my two cents. Hope it helps.This is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In our latest Youth Career Readiness: One Question Podcast, Roy Spence shares why we shouldn’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. Instead we should ask them what do you love to do?Michael HornJean, I got to be on a panel recently with Roy Spence. Roy is a marketing professional. Guru might actually be the better word. He's actually in the Advertising Hall of Fame. And among his many other accomplishments and experiences, he co-founded the advertising firm GSD&M, and, from that perch, coined the phrase, “Don't mess with Texas,” as well as led some big and notable campaigns for companies like Southwest Airlines, Walmart, and the United States Air Force. And he also has served as a longtime friend and advisor to President Bill Clinton.Jean EddyAnd Michael, more recently, Roy's focused on making sure young people understand the importance of purpose. He's the co-founder of the Purpose Institute, and most recently he founded the Make It Movement. The Make It Movement's goal is to use marketing as a force for good, to support school counselors, teachers, and parents by visually and emotionally connecting all students while in high school with hope and clarity about their purpose and their passion, and to help them discover career pathways that play to their strengths, because makers are needed in this country right now.Michael HornThat's exactly right, Jean. And Roy, my question for you is this, what's your advice for those who are coaching and mentoring middle and high school students when it comes to careers and their futures?Roy SpenceIf you're out there and you're coaching or mentoring middle school or high school kids, and they're different middle versus high. But here's what they all want. Everyone we talk to, every young person wants to have meaning in their life and purpose. They don't know what that means necessarily, but they want to figure out, just like we did. What's your calling in life? So part of what I love to do, first of all, don't ask them, what do you want to be when you grow up, what do you want to do, ask them, what do you love to do? And sometimes when a kid says, I want to be a singer and the kid sucks at it, that kid might be saying, I want to be a performer, you know? Who are performers? Teachers. We got to redirect some of that. So number one, talk about purpose and ask them what they love to do. The third thing I would say is show them videos. Show them so when they see an electrician or they see a welder or they see a construction [worker]….Kids aren't gonna, they don't remember anything you tell them. They barely remember anything you teach them. But if you involve them and get them engaged, they will learn it. So I would say, listen, ask them what they love to do, and then show them these exciting careers visually. And then that's what I would do.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Aaron Rasmussen, founder of MasterClass, joined me and Jean to share thoughts on how middle and high schoolers can find their career path. His advice? Students should ask questions, create things, and look for the themes in what interest them.Thanks for reading The Future of Education! This post is public so feel free to share it.Michael Horn: If you’ve ever taken a course or even watched a video on MasterClass, then you know it's super engaging and features incredible individuals at the top of their fields in so many varied careers. And that's why I'm so excited that we're going to the source behind the creation of MasterClass itself for this episode. And that's to one of the founders, Aaron Rasmussen. Aaron's a serial entrepreneur and also founded Outlier.org.Jean Eddy: We're thrilled to have you, Aaron. And we have this question for you. What career advice would you share with middle or high schoolers?Aaron Rasmussen: My career advice, if I were in middle school, is to keep doing interesting things, even if you don't know what it is you want to do. I think I still don't know what I want to do in life, but I found that if I keep going towards what I'm interested in and actually do them, produce things. You don't have to show anyone. You can show your friends if you want. You'll find out that when you look backwards, they all kind of revolve around the same thing. And maybe that's the career you should be in.Secondly, stay flexible and stay curious. If somebody offers to tell you a little bit about what they do, listen to them. Now go pay attention to if somebody cuts your hair at the hairdresser, ask them about it. It's going to be fascinating because you're going to figure out what do you like? What do you not like? What do you go towards? And don't question it. Just go towards it.The Future of Education is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins us to share his advice to young people finding their career paths and the adults supporting them. Yo-Yo considers how investing in your interests at a young age—before you're too old!—pays dividends down the line.Thanks for tuning in! This post is public so feel free to share it.Jean Eddy: Welcome to Youth Career Readiness, the one-question podcast.I'm Jean Eddy.Michael Horn: And I'm Michael Horn.Jean: And this is the podcast where we talk to people across careers about their professional journeys and what advice they would offer.Michael: To help all middle and high schoolers explore, experiment with, and discover careers.Jean: Michael, today's guest is one I know we're both pinching ourselves about. He's none other than the world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo is best known for his mastery of classical music, but he's also recorded everything from bluegrass to traditional Chinese melodies. He's even recorded hits with Miley Cyrus and Sting. Not surprisingly, he was named as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. We're in for a good one today.Michael: Indeed, Jean, as a once aspiring musician myself, this is certainly a pinch me moment on my end. And Yo-Yo, first, thank you so much for joining us. The question we'd love to ask is what lessons did you learn early on in your life that middle and high schoolers should carry forward in their lives and careers?Yo-Yo Ma: So I'm 69 years old, so I don't know why you want to listen to me about anything, but I can share with you what I've learned before I was 21.So I can tell you one thing before you're 21, anything that you learn, you probably remember for the rest of your life. If you memorize something, you will remember it when you're 50.After you're 21, it gets harder. Now, you tell me something and say, like, what did someone say?So my advice is this. Think of anything that you put in your brain now as a bank account that you withdraw for the rest of your life because it's there forever. It doesn't get depleted. So if you put a lot of great stuff in your brain now, and if you are interested in something, go toward it.And if you don't know how to do it, find someone who does. And that person is your guide into that thing that you're interested in. And do that.I promise you, you'll lead a really interesting life.This is a reader-supported publication and podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In the latest episode of our one question podcast, Jon Fortt, journalist and CNBC news anchor, joined me and Jean Eddy to discuss the importance of building skills that will prepare students no matter how technology changes the future of work. He described the experiences he pursued that prepared him to communicate effectively and work well in a team.Michael Horn:Today, we're welcoming journalist and news anchor Jon Fortt. You may recognize Jon from Closing Bell Overtime, the business news show that he co anchors on CNBC. Or perhaps you know him from Fortt Knox, the podcast and streaming channel that's all about tech leadership and innovation, that he created. We’re so excited to have him on our podcast here today.Jean Eddy:We certainly are, Michael. Jon, as Michael mentioned, you are now well on your way in your journalism career. But for this question, I want to go back to when you were still identifying your career path. How did you find your path to being a journalist and business news anchor? And what are the lessons you'd share for adults guiding middle and high school kids with career advice?Jon Fortt:My path to being a journalist started really in high school. And when I was in high school, I really wasn't known for journalism. I did participate in the student paper. I was Opinion Editor for a little bit, but mostly I was known for being in fall plays and doing student government, Junior Class President, Student Government President. So I think in a way, people would be surprised that I ended up doing journalism and TV journalism. Actually, before I started taking newspaper classes, I studied architecture as an elective. So my main piece of advice for educators in middle school and high school, preparing kids for careers would be don't!Don't prepare them for careers because the careers that we think are going to exist tomorrow probably won't. And really what they should be doing, if they're interested in media, if they're interested in journalism, the writing, the speaking, the explaining, is working on projects that involve that, but more collaborating with each other on written projects, spoken projects, podcasts, broadcasts, understanding how to communicate both with an audience and with a team to create a piece of content for an audience. Because I don't think that's going to change. Wherever this AI era takes us, it's going to have a lot to do with that—figuring out how to use technology, work together, collaborate, and get something done. But the careers that exist today won't exist tomorrow.I mean, when I was graduating from high school in 1994, the web browser had just been born. We certainly didn't have smartphones, no podcasts, no YouTube, no any of that, no social media. And all of that has dramatically affected how I work.But the reason why I've been able to prepare for all of this is the portions of education that I had really had me working with other people, figuring things out and making sure a team worked in a way that everybody could push forward to the next goal.To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Emily Oster, professor, author, and CEO of ParentData, joins Michael and Jean to share which information she thinks is most valuable in selecting a career. She advises career explorers to get a good understanding of what a person in a particular job does from day to day and offers a range of ways to gather this crucial data.Jean Eddy:Today, we're delighted to have Emily Oster join us. Emily is an economist who is a professor at Brown University. She's the founder of Parent Data, which is a data-driven guide from pregnancy to parenthood and beyond with hundreds of helpful articles. Emily hosts podcasts, including her latest, Raising Parents with Emily Oster. And she’s a best selling author with four books to her name. Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm and The Unexpected. This is going to be a fun one, Michael.Michael Horn:No doubt, Jean. And whenever I get to talk to Emily, I feel like I learn something new. It helps me reframe things. And so, Emily, welcome. It is so good to see you, and I am dying to ask you this question: We can find data in lots of different places and lots of different forms. Data obviously is your specialty and passion. So for those advising kids on learning about, exploring and ultimately pursuing careers, what are the data or the signals that you recommend they pay attention to? Is there a process you recommend to help them learn about the fast changing world of careers?Emily Oster:Hi, Jean and Michael, thank you so much for having me. I think the most important piece of data or information that our kids need to collect to think about what kind of jobs they might want are, what do you do every day at that job? When we give advice to kids, we tend to talk in generalities. What kind of education do you need for that job? What kind of income does that job make? What kind of people do this job? What does it look like in a sort of general sense?But when you experience a job, what you’re experiencing is the job, doing the things that you do every single day. And without knowing what that's like, it's actually really difficult to consider what kind of job you want to have. So when I talk to kids or when you talk to kids about how they think about their job options, I'd really encourage them to try the job. And I encourage this for little kids, for medium-sized kids, for older kids. When I talk to my graduate students about what kind of job they want, I say, hey, you should try doing that job. Do that job for the summer, do that job for a year. Think about, do you actually like being there?Because ultimately what you want to have in your career is a job where you look forward to going to it most days. Nobody looks forward to going every day. But you want to have a job where most of the days you enjoy what you're doing day to day.From the standpoint of advice to middle school and high school kids, there's a lot of ways they can actually learn about jobs. One is internships. Another is even spending a day or two at an office or at a work site, or in some way engaging with what do people who do this job every day do? And if all they can do is talk to people, at least try talking to people. Not about how did you get to where you are. Not about what kind of money do you make, but really about what do you do every day, because that's the piece of data you need to know to figure out if this job is right for you.Jean Eddy:And that's all we've got on the Youth Career Readiness, the One Question podcast.Michael Horn:Thank you for tuning in, and we'll see you next time for more tips and and insights. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Julie Foucher, medical doctor, former professional Crossfit athlete, and podcast host, joins me and Jean Eddy to share lessons she has learned over her wide-ranging career. Julie explains how the example her parents set helped her balance her passions with pragmatism across her varied pursuits. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Tanya Wright, award-winning actor for her work in “Orange is the New Black” and founder of the children’s educational franchise, Hairiette of Harlem, joins us to share about how following curiosities and connecting with communities can lead to energizing and fulfilling work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

I’m excited to release the first full episode of “Youth Career Readiness: The One Question Podcast.” It’s a show where Jean Eddy, CEO of American Student Assistance and I pick the brains of professionals thriving in their fields with the purpose of helping adults in the lives of middle and high schoolers support their students to explore, experiment with, and discover careers.  On this episode, Common, the rapper, actor, and founder of the nonprofit Free to Dream, joins us. Common shares about the power of dreams to build perseverance and find one’s purpose by drawing from his own story.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Introducing “Youth Career Readiness: The One Question Podcast,” a show designed to help adults in the lives of middle and high schoolers support their students to explore, experiment with, and discover careers. Each episode, Jean Eddy, President & CEO of American Student Assistance, and I talk to people excelling in their careers about their professional journeys and what advice they have to offer. In our first episode, to be released on September 24th, we’ll welcome the artist Common to the podcast to discuss finding purpose. We’ll release a new episode every other week with advice from familiar faces across industries, so subscribe to “Youth Career Readiness: The One Question Podcast” wherever you listen to your podcasts. That way you won't miss an episode! Sign up to catch all the episodes and more! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelbhorn.substack.com/subscribe