Maximizing Your College Experience: Career Insights with Reena Friedman Watts
In this episode of the College and Career Ready podcast, Coach Sonia welcomes Reena Friedman Watts, host of the Better Call Daddy podcast. Reena shares her inspiring journey from college radio to working on shows like the Jerry Springer Show and Nanny 911, and transitioning into marketing and podcasting. They discuss building meaningful connections, exploring career paths, and leveraging life experiences to achieve career success. Reena also provides tips for parents on how to support their children's talents and emphasizes the importance of networking for college students. Tune in for valuable advice and strategies to help college students excel.
Topic of conversation:
- Maximizing College Experience
- High School Challenges and Lessons
- Finding Your Passions
- Career Transitions and Realizations
- Exploring User-Friendly Tools for Content Creation
- The Power of Networking: From Events to Opportunities
- Mastering LinkedIn: Tips and Tricks
- Encouraging Talents and Interests
Connect with Reena:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
DiscoverU Career and Leadership Empowerment is designed for women and moms just like you—navigating the challenges of career, family, and personal growth. Whether you’re re-entering the workforce, craving more purpose in your career, stepping into leadership, or simply ready to reclaim your time and energy, DiscoverU provides the tools, coaching, and support to help you rise with confidence. Visit www.CollegeCareerReady.org
Connect with Sonia Cacique
LinkedIn
Instagram
Join our College and Career Connections Club for free at www.CollegeCareerReady.org/join
Learn about our Career Connections Course: www.CollegeCareerReady.org/COURSE
"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Have you ever wondered howstudents can make the most out
of their college experience toset themselves apart for a
thriving career?
well, you are about to find out.
We'll be discussing how to buildmeaningful connections, explore
different career paths, andprepare for life after
graduation.
So tune in to this greatepisode.
(00:54):
Welcome to another excitingepisode of the College and
Career Ready podcast.
I'm your host, Coach Sonia, andtoday we have a fantastic guest,
my dear friend, Reena FreemanWatts, the dynamic host of the
Better Call Daddy podcast.
Reena's journey began just likemany of our students, navigating
(01:14):
college life while discoveringher passions and kick starting a
successful career.
Rina's journey is nothing shortof inspiring from her start in
the radio industry during hercollege years, her experience
working on shows like the JerrySpringer Show and Nanny 911, to
her ventures in marketing andpodcasting.
(01:35):
we'll dive deep into her uniquecareer path and trust me, this
episode is packed with insights.
An inspiration to help youexcel.
So grab your notebook, getcomfortable and let's dive right
in to the show.
Sonia (01:49):
Hi, Reena.
Welcome to the College andCareer Ready podcast.
Reena (01:52):
I am so excited to be here with you in person.
I
Sonia (01:55):
know.
Isn't this really exciting?
So I'm glad you're here.
We have so much to talk aboutand, you know, for our
listeners, why don't you tell usabout yourself other than that?
You're the host of the BetterCall Daddy podcast.
So give us a little bit of anoverview of you.
Reena (02:10):
Yes, an overview of me is I am a mom of four, four kids,
15 and under currently, and whenI'm not doing the mommy thing, I
am coming to do things likethis, you know, interviewing
people, um, Helping people withbook testimonials, helping
people with their LinkedIn.
(02:30):
I'm kind of like a freelancemarketer on demand.
Um, I got my start in the radioindustry in college, actually.
Um, I went to a youth performingarts school for high school and,
You know, I, my parents reallywanted me to, I think, be on the
stage, but I always felt morecomfortable behind the scenes.
(02:53):
And so, uh, I had a singingscholarship to college and I
went to a small school thatafter going to a very
competitive high school, thiscollege had offered me a full
ride at the University ofCharleston in West Virginia.
And from there, I.
It was kind of like being a big,you know, a big fish in a small
pond.
(03:13):
And after being in such acompetitive environment in high
school, I was just like lookingfor more attention.
And, um, anyway, I started therefor two years and then I ended
up transferring to Purduebecause I was like looking for
something more.
Okay.
And so when I transferred toPurdue, they had a radio station
(03:34):
on campus.
And I just decided like that issomething that I wanted to do
and wanted to try.
And so I walked in there and waslike, Hey, I want to work in
radio.
And luckily, actually the timingof that worked out.
And there was a lady who I thinkwas leaving at the time.
And they asked me if I wouldwork like the 5am shift and the
weekend shift.
(03:55):
And so this was beforeautomation.
And I started going in onweekends and like, Loading the
features and learning how to runthe board manually.
And then I also took anotherinternship at a local news
station, which was great.
It was WLFI in West Lafayette,Indiana.
And what I learned there was howto floor direct and how to.
(04:18):
Run the audio board during alive newscast, and I got to work
on some local commercials, and Iloved all of this.
Like, those experiences reallyexcited me, and so I kind of
paid attention to that.
And when I was getting ready tograduate, I went to the alumni
office on campus, and they had aconnection with somebody at WGN
in Chicago, which was only acouple of hours away.
(04:39):
And I drove from Purdue,interviewed at WGN, and did not
get the job.
Sonia (04:45):
Oh, no.
Yes.
Reena (04:47):
But while I was up there, I saw a flyer that Jerry
Springer was looking forinterns, and I was a fan of the
show.
I grew up in Kentucky.
Those stories were, you know,always playing in the background
and didn't seem that far fetchedfrom some people that I knew.
And so I walked over to NBCTower on the same trip.
(05:07):
And got through to the interncoordinator and ended up
starting there two weeks later,like right upon graduating.
Sonia (05:13):
So you walk out, right, with not getting an interview,
and you went to the interviewand you didn't actually get the
internship,
Reena (05:21):
correct?
I, yeah, I had an interview andthen they didn't have an opening
and it just didn't come togetherquick enough.
Okay.
And you walk down and you seethe flyer.
And what does the flyer say?
It said, looking for interns forthe Jerry Springer show.
And it had like, you know, thenumbers you could call.
And so I called the number andwas like, Hey, I'm here now and
I'm getting ready to graduate.
And can we talk basically?
Sonia (05:42):
Wow.
And okay, let's, let's go backin time a little bit.
So when you were in high school.
What were you planning to do asfar as career wise?
So you said you wanted morebehind the scenes, but what did
that look like then?
Reena (05:54):
Well, the thing is, is that I used to love to sing as a
little girl and I loved musicand there was a school, a magnet
school in my area and it wasrenowned throughout the state
and I, again, I'm not the kindof person that reads all the
fine print of like all that thatentails.
And so I just went in there, Isang a song off the radio and
they were like, um, you need tobe able to sing in a foreign
language.
(06:14):
You need to be able to readmusic.
You need to be able to like.
pluck out all of the sheet musicand sing on note names.
And I'm like, Oh my God, I don'tknow how to do any of that.
And so I didn't get in.
Okay.
Okay.
And then my dad went to the headof the music department and was
like, Hey, what does she have todo to get another audition?
And so they said, here's themusic teacher that we work with
outside of the school.
A lot of kids go to her, workwith her over the summer, learn
(06:37):
a, Italian aria, learn how tosight read music, take some
piano lessons and come back.
And I don't even think probablymost people get that
opportunity, but I don't know.
The head of the music departmentsaw something in my dad, saw
something in me, gave me anothertry.
But the thing is, is like, Iliterally never feel felt like I
got in because everyone else gotin on the first try.
(06:59):
And I was like, Um, just alwaystrying to blend in with all of
these super talented peoplearound me.
And for four years I did that.
I literally wanted to quit everysingle day.
Like there were so many timeswhere I'm like, please don't
call on me.
Please don't call on me.
Like I would hear these voicesand I'm like, they're so much
better than me.
And, but, but being a part ofthat program, you know, we got
(07:21):
to sing at the mayor'sinauguration.
We got to go to Carnegie Halltwice.
We, you know, went to MuhammadAli's house.
Like it was a very renownedprogram.
I went to school with NicoleScherzinger, who's now worth
like 300 million, you know.
The, the talent in that schoolwas tremendous and, and the
biggest lesson I learned fromthat one is keep your
commitments if somebody goes tobat for you to, um, if you
(07:42):
surround yourself by supertalented people, eventually some
of that wears off on you andmakes you feel more talented
too.
And um, You know, even in beinga mom now, you know, I had a kid
that started a new school hisfreshman year and he hadn't
played basketball in years andreally basketball was like the
best program athletic wise inhis high school.
(08:05):
And he decided that he wanted toget on that team.
And last summer he worked out sohard, like literally six days a
week, I mean, for three and fourhours at a time.
And he made the team and heended up starting this past
season in 10th grade.
It's insane.
And I'm like, you know, if youhave determination, really as a
(08:26):
kid, there's so manyopportunities
Sonia (08:28):
out there.
Well, and I think the importantthing is that you're finding
what drives him.
Because if it's not going todrive him, it doesn't matter
what opportunity you put infront of him.
He's not going to.
He's not going to
Reena (08:38):
work towards it.
Let me tell you, with yourfirstborn, you try so many
things.
I put the kid in piano at four.
I, you know, tried martial arts,jujitsu, swimming.
I made him do swimming from liketwo years old until he did every
single level.
And you're right.
Like they're finally like, okay.
I reached all the levels youwanted and, you know, tried
chess with him and all differentthings to try to see what his
(09:02):
interests are.
But when they like something andthey're motivated to do it on
their own and then they canreach their own levels of
success and, and you don't evenhave to push them, you have to
pay attention to that.
So like with the working out.
It is unbelievable the shapethat he has gotten in because he
has the drive to do that on hisown.
Sonia (09:22):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I love that as a parent,you're not basing yourself on
the typical profile of like, Oh,he's been playing basketball
since he's like five years old.
You know, you're like, no, I'm,this is when he's starting and
we're going to go all that allin.
Reena (09:36):
I interviewed a guy, I don't even remember his name,
but he was like a bench playerin the NBA.
And he was like, I did not startplaying until he's like, I was a
huge guy.
And he was just like, same deal.
Like he decided, like he gotsick of people like saying, are
you on the basketball team?
You know?
And he just, same thing, likejust decided, like everywhere I
walk, I'm going to take the ballwith me, you know?
(09:58):
And I love it.
And he made it all the way tothe NBA.
I mean, that obviously doesn'thappen for most people and he
was like a bench player,
Sonia (10:06):
Yeah, it's changing that narrative that you're so born
and raised believing that if youonly have this certain profile
and I think that's the problemwe're having a lot with the
students having anxiety and thestudents like Really worried
about their future is becausethey feel that if they don't fit
this profile, they're not gonnareach their goal And, you know,
you're kind of changing thatnarrative for a lot of students
(10:27):
out there.
It's a
Reena (10:28):
different generation.
Yes.
Like, I was just talking to myin laws yesterday, and, you
know, my son's even, like,considering homeschool, which is
crazy because then he would missout on the basketball, except
for there are leagues where youcan play in homeschools and
stuff like that.
But yeah.
You know, she's like, he startedat school.
He's got straight A's.
And if he would do homeschool,what are colleges going to
(10:50):
think?
Oh.
And I'm like, but what about,what is he learning?
Like how many hours a day arewasted?
Like, what if he could pursueother interests and get really
good at those and knock out.
and probably do better inacademics.
Like I am so open to how are wereally spending our time?
How are we really leaning intowhat we love and getting better?
(11:12):
Like life is so short.
Absolutely.
I even think the school systemis really broken.
Like, is it babysitting thatwe're dropping off our kids for?
How, how much time a day iswasted?
Even the lunch hour.
I mean.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Sonia (11:27):
Absolutely.
And you know, I interviewedsomeone from a college
admissions, office at auniversity and they actually
like homeschool kids becausethey feel they have more
experiences, right?
Then, Most, students who go topublic ed, because that's more
of an academic profile ratherthan an experiential one.
So I think they value that.
(11:50):
They value the experiences thathomeschool kids are getting that
we can provide to even in thepublic sector.
But that means that as parents,we have to work extra hard
outside of the school hours toprovide those experiences and
those opportunities for them toadd to their resume.
Reena (12:04):
Yes.
And I truthfully think thatExperiences are the most
important thing.
They have helped me make moneyin lots of different ways.
So, you know, I went to theJerry Springer show.
I, you know, had worked at a newstation kind of though behind
the scenes, trying all differentpositions, like I said, floor
directing and chyrons andrunning the audio board and
(12:25):
working on local commercials andseeing what I was good at and
seeing what I wasn't good at.
And then that led to me workingat Springer.
I interned at Springer.
I was working.
between 70 and probably 90 hoursa week the first couple of
months for free for free forfree.
This is when companies could getaway with not paying you a cent.
And I started noticing who wasgetting the best guests to come.
(12:48):
What were they saying on thephone to get those people to
come?
Then You know, how did theybehave once they were there?
How are they pushing thosebuttons to make them perform
well on stage?
Sonia (13:00):
I love that.
So
Reena (13:01):
it was like, which producers do I relate to?
Who do I want to be like?
What can I take from them that Iwould do well?
Do I want to do that?
Yeah.
Who's running the best teams?
You know, which interns want tobe on whose teams?
Cause there were six teams.
Who's recycling people?
The quickest, who has arevolving door of associate
producers.
(13:22):
Wow.
Sonia (13:22):
You got to
Reena (13:23):
pay attention to so many factors.
Sonia (13:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
So it seems to me like yourexperience there was way more
than the academic part of yourlife, you know, going to
education.
Reena (13:34):
Like I didn't study film.
That's crazy.
You know, I didn't know how toedit at the time.
And what's so crazy too, like Igot a job as a post production
supervisor because The guy whohired me knew that if I could
handle the level of stress andmanagement and creativity that
Jerry Springer required, that Icould learn.
(13:57):
what a post productionsupervisor did.
So some of that, my role as apost production supervisor on
Nanny 911 was one, you know,getting an interview with
someone who knew thecomplicatedness of the roles
that I had had.
He understood my resume and hewas willing to give me a chance
because he knew his role so wellthat he could even direct me
(14:18):
from the field or come to my,Rescue in an emergency situation
if need be, but I literallystarted Nanny 911 when it was
still a pilot.
He gave me a list ofdeliverables and he was pretty
much like, call me if you needhelp.
Here's what needs to be done.
And I trust that from yourexperience, you'll be able to
figure that out.
And I started third shift.
Like the night he interviewedme, I went in at seven at night
(14:42):
and worked till seven in themorning and I, I didn't even
know how to edit and yet I wasin charge of, I don't know, like
maybe 15 editors and the waythat I learned that role was
just going in the edit bays andbeing like, Hey, do you ever
need a second?
Pair of eyes or Hey, you know,do you want me to fill out your
time card for you?
Cause I know it's a big pain inthe butt.
And then once I started doingthat for one editor, they're all
(15:02):
like, Oh, we hate doing our timecards too.
Can you just like be in chargeof the time cards?
And I'm like, yeah, why not?
You know, if that allows you toget more work done or make your
life easier, just sign here.
And so for three seasons, Iliterally did all the time cards
of all the editors, but theyloved me for it.
Yeah.
You know, and, and then theystart saying, well, yeah, like,
(15:23):
Hey, you know, you want to learnwhat I'm doing or, Hey, I've
edited this 10 times.
Can you have a look at it?
And, and you start seeing whereyou're needed and learning more
and more.
So what did you graduate with?
Sonia (15:34):
What was your degree in?
Communications.
Communications.
Okay.
Yeah.
But then you just went to theproduction route because of your
experiences from that oneinternship.
Yeah.
I love that.
Yes.
I love that.
Yeah, that's so amazing.
And so I know at what point inyour life you went into life
insurance That you realize thisis not I'm in a field that I'm
(15:56):
not even interested in So tellus about that story and how you
got out and you're like, okay,I've got to get out of here
Reena (16:01):
That is such a great question.
Yes, so After I had my littlestint in Hollywood I tried lots
of things.
I actually even tried to workfor a non profit, um, and that
environment was so drasticallydifferent and, Again, knew that
that was like not a place whereI could shine, but we moved from
California to Chicago.
(16:22):
And actually I think I like coldapplied for this job.
It was like close to my house.
It was a director of marketingrole and turned out the guy who
ended up hiring me, his daughterwas like in like a preschool
class with my daughter.
So he recognized my name.
Okay.
Okay.
Um, and the role essentially wasusing LinkedIn to reach out to a
(16:45):
specific, you know, avatar.
And I had already learned thatfrom working at a telecom
company doing really the samething.
So my skills transfer.
Sonia (16:55):
Okay.
So it didn't
Reena (16:56):
even really matter the industry.
I was doing these lunch andlearn events at a telecom
company where I would reach outto, like, the head of customer
experience, chief financialofficers, and I, my love of
LinkedIn began kind of being aprogram manager at a telecom
company, but that was downtownChicago, and the juggle of,
like, being a mom and workingthere became really tough, like,
(17:19):
you know, That was the firstplace that I worked where I
hired a nanny to like pick up mykids after school until I was
able to take the train home.
So I was kind of looking forsomething that was like closer
to home where I could balanceworking like a full time job and
still picking my kids up fromschool because I felt like they
needed me.
Yes.
Yeah.
So I decided to try this job.
I was like, I can learn anysector.
(17:40):
And I did that for a couple ofyears, but once I really wrapped
my head around kind of theproducts that we were selling
and like whether I would reallysell that to friends and family,
it just didn't really feel me.
Yeah.
But what I did love about thatrole was.
You know, I got to put on theseevents where I got to market
(18:02):
them and I got to co sponsorevents with CPAs and financial
advisors and estate attorneys.
So the connecting piece I liked,the marketing piece I liked, but
it was like, do I really believein what I'm marketing?
And I think even though I wasable to make my boss a lot of
money and that is one degree ofsuccess and it ended up, you
know, allowing me to go to TonyRobbins for being like a high
(18:24):
achiever.
So that was amazing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But I think to be the mostsuccessful for me, it's, you
know, really being able to pickthe right clients, pick the
right products, believe in whatI'm selling.
Like there's so many pieces tobe in alignment with like being
the most successful you.
Sonia (18:45):
And a big
Reena (18:46):
piece of being the most successful you is like leaning
into your strengths.
Sonia (18:50):
Yes.
Yes.
And knowing what your weaknessesare and what you probably are
not, what I call your zone ofgenius.
Whatever your zone of genius is,let's, let's give that away
Reena (19:00):
to someone else.
I have.
Oh my goodness.
And that's the thing too.
Like once I worked at thatfinancial firm, I was like, I'm
able to get all of these peoplein the room and my phone's the
one that's ringing.
Maybe I should get lifeinsurance license.
So after I left that firm, likethere was a guy that asked me to
be a partner of his firm.
And to get licensed.
So I worked so hard and I gotlife insurance license and I
(19:22):
read all of that stuff and I wasable to do it.
But did I like doing it?
No.
I was like, man, I can not likedo this every day.
Yes, sell this.
Sonia (19:34):
Yeah.
Reena (19:34):
You know, it just did not feel like.
My calling.
Yeah.
And one thing that happened fromthat opportunity as well is, you
know, in the beginning I gotlike 25 people to show up to the
events, then it turned into 50,then it turned into 75.
Then I reached out to an eventproducer who was used to putting
on events of like 2, 500 becausemy boss wanted to kind of scale
(19:58):
these.
And her and I really hit it off,but she wasn't focused on the
financial sector.
She did like moreentrepreneurial events.
Okay.
But when she found out I leftthe firm, she was like, Hey, do
you want to help me booksponsors for my events?
And I was like, I bet I could dothat.
And I like you and we work welltogether and you're creative.
So she ended up hiring me on aGary V event where I got to be a
(20:21):
part of a media junket.
And it was like this huge, likeexciting.
space of all these people liketrying to make their own
businesses.
I was like, Oh yes, I like thisspace.
So I booked two big sponsors,found my way to Toronto for the
first time.
I was pregnant at the time.
And that again, like litsomething in me.
(20:44):
So then after working for her, Itried working for a couple other
influencers.
One made me a coach in one ofher seven figure coaching
programs.
So then I was like, Whoa, Okay.
She makes a Facebook group.
I managed her Facebook group.
I coached 30 of her 40 of herpeople.
And then I saw the whole outlineof like how to do that.
And then I was like, wait, andI'm booking her huge guests for
(21:06):
her show.
So it was like, after I helped acouple influencers get
sponsorships for their ownevents, help them market their
own events, manage otherpeople's Facebook groups, manage
people's other social.
I was like, okay.
I can do this for me.
You know what I mean?
So it was like all of thesethings that I had learned, like
how to put on events, how tomarket events, how to run
(21:26):
people's social, how to start myown Facebook group.
I have been managing a Facebookgroup now for almost four years.
I have close to 800 people in itand I maybe have lost a couple
people along the way.
Sonia (21:37):
Wow.
And this is all from theexperiences, life experiences,
and, and education.
See, I think one thing that wewant to highlight to parents is
that education is not.
It's not a, an end point.
It's a journey.
You have to constantly evolveyourself, learn, learn from
other people.
And it seems like that's whatyou've been doing all along.
I, I've
Reena (21:57):
really tried because I'm not like a YouTube University
you know?
I'm just like, okay, I'll trythat.
The experience, if I'm able todo that, I mean, even with the
tools that I use, I mean, thetools that I use have to be
super user friendly.
Yeah.
Like there's this one tool thatI use called Cast Magic.
I'm gonna give them a shout outbecause they absolutely, it's
honestly so easy.
(22:18):
I take, you know, an MP three oran MP four, after I do a
recording, I drag it into CastMagic and it literally
transcribes the whole thing.
It gives me.
post ideas, title ideas.
It has a magic chat featurewhere I can say, Hey, help me
create a SEO optimized blog postwith 200 characters.
And it literally like all of thetools that I use are that
(22:40):
simple.
Otherwise, you know, pay a VA todo it.
Sonia (22:43):
Yes.
Yes.
So you're very resourceful,which I love.
And we'll get into that.
But when I go back into yourReally the full scope of your
story.
I have you as a networking queenI don't know if anybody has ever
told you that but you are thenetworking queen and Some
parents are just networking isnot their thing.
It's not their jam, but it's soneeded and your journey is a
(23:03):
clear A clear example thatnetworking can get you from
point A to point Z.
So tell us about yournetworking.
How did you develop those skillsand why do you, why do you think
it's important for parents toreally master the skill to teach
onto their children?
Reena (23:18):
Great question.
And even how we met wasnetworking.
So I can give a little bit ofbackstory there.
Um, on Facebook, I saw that theOGGN network was looking for
volunteers and it was for alarge event in town.
And, you know, I met you there,Kelby there who's recording
this.
And from there we all sharedwith each other that, you know,
(23:40):
we're podcasters and we're intoproduction.
And I was like, Oh, awesome.
I'm new to the area.
I, you know, did some studiorecordings in Chicago and I
would love to do that inHouston.
Let's put all of our creativetalents together and make some
magic together.
And you know, it didn't happenright away, but we kept in
touch.
And then I found out aboutother.
(24:02):
networking events in town.
And I was like, Hey, there'sthis cup of Joey event.
Do you guys want to go to that?
And so we went to that and wenetworked together.
So it deepened our relationshipand we did something else fun.
And then we actually put it onthe calendar after only meeting
two times.
And so, you know, my very firstcup of Joey event, I actually
(24:22):
won rockets tickets.
And then from that, lots ofpeople at that event were like,
Oh, you're the girl that won theHouston Rockets tickets.
So, you know, when I connectedwith people on LinkedIn, I was
like, in the message toconnecting with them.
I'm like, met you at cup ofJoey.
I'm the girl that won theHouston Rockets ticket.
So one really great thing to doabout networking is whenever you
(24:43):
connect with someone, you needto remember the place you need
to remember how many times andeach time you connect, it's even
really helpful just to like jogyour memory, say it was great
meeting you a cup of Joey today,or I love that, you know, you're
a podcaster too.
And so I.
Always stack those memories inthe messaging of that, of
(25:08):
communication between who Iconnect with, because then it's
always a reference for thatperson and for you.
So my son.
It was watching a game lastnight of the Rockets and was
like, Oh my God, there's areally great game coming up,
mom, that I'd love to go withyou.
And anytime my son wants to hangout with me, I'm like, let's try
to make that happen.
(25:29):
Cause he's a teenager andthey're very rare occasions.
And so I reached back out to cupof Joey and I was like, Hey, I
know, you know, I won thetickets.
Is there anybody that you'reconnected with on the team that
might be able to Give me abetter rate.
If you don't ask, you don't get,and I remember Adrian from that
event was like, Oh, Dolores isour contact there.
So I reached back out to Adrianand I was like, Hey, Adrian, I
(25:51):
know you said sometimes there'sextra tickets that aren't even
used.
Are there any extra tickets?
If not, no hard feelings.
Just thought I'd ask.
They both wrote me back and Igot the promo code, which Adrian
gave me.
Turns out it was cheaper just tobuy it through the Rocket site,
but it gave me another touchpoint to reconnect with them.
And I'll be like, Hey, here's apicture of me and my son.
(26:12):
We went to the game.
Thanks for trying to help.
Sonia (26:14):
Yes.
I love that.
I love how you're bringing itfull circle because you're
right.
It can be overwhelming meetingpeople.
It's like, wait, where did Imeet you?
Or how do I know you?
So that's a great little point.
Reena (26:24):
Yes.
Yes.
I love that.
And even if somebody introducesme to someone, I always put that
in a message too.
Ah,
Sonia (26:31):
to connect and to kind of, you know, and one thing I
noticed about you, and I don'tknow if, if, if people have made
note of that from you, um, butyou do things differently.
When you meet people, you'reimmediately talking about how
you can serve them rather thanhow they can serve you.
Because I think there's thismis, this miscommunication.
Misinformation that, Oh, it'snetworking.
(26:52):
It's all about me, what peoplecan do for me.
And I, the minute I met you, youwere immediate to be like, how
can I serve you?
And I love that.
So is that
Reena (27:01):
something you learned or?
Thank you.
That's really sweet of you tosay and to notice, you know,
even when I've coached people onhow they use LinkedIn, I'm like,
it's all about the other personfor like at least four or five
messages.
It's kind of like dating.
Yeah.
You're right.
Sonia (27:18):
It's all about you, baby.
Right?
Reena (27:20):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So when I first started usingLinkedIn, Oh my God, I was
terrible because LinkedIn hasevolved even in how people use
it.
Like there's things you don'tdo, which years ago was okay to
do.
Like.
You've all seen the people thattag a hundred people just so it,
(27:42):
Oh my gosh.
Yes.
Why are you tagging me just soyou can get more reach or do you
think that I will find yourcontent valuable?
But like, you know, I wishsomebody happy birthday on
Facebook the other day and I hadhelped her with her LinkedIn a
long time ago.
And then I was like, Hey, I'mactually doing an episode with.
You know, somebody that I'vehelped with their LinkedIn, you
(28:02):
might enjoy it.
So you have to like spell outthe reason why you might be
tagging or you might be sendingsomebody something.
Sonia (28:08):
Okay.
Um,
Reena (28:10):
That's one thing that I've learned.
And another thing I was told inthe beginning from this coach
was, you know, you reach out tosomebody and you're like, Hey,
it looks like we have similarfriends and interests.
Let's connect.
That will work if you're anattractive female.
And you have a good
Sonia (28:24):
headshot.
It's
Reena (28:25):
crazy.
Actually, the percentage ofpeople that will connect with
you, if you say just somethinglike that, but what's even
better is to be like, Um, I metAdrienne at a Cup of Joey and my
husband just interviewed atAxiom and, you know, he gave me
your name because you're also atthe same company.
It's a little bit more specificin the messaging.
(28:47):
Yes.
Okay.
Or, hey, I noticed we went tothe same college and we were
there around the same time.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
You know, it's like, look forcommon ground.
Mm hmm.
And, and another thing I used tosay, like, after that first
initial bad message of, hey,looks like we have similar
friends and connections, I'd belike, tell me about you, tell me
about your business.
Where that isn't bad.
Okay.
(29:07):
You know, I think that's an okayfollow up, but you don't also
have to get like right tobusiness.
You could say, like, tell mesomething awesome that's
happening in your life.
Or I have a podcast with my dad,like with my dad, what's your
relationship like with your dad?
Like say something different.
Yes,
Sonia (29:21):
absolutely.
And we're going to do anothershout out for a cup of Joey here
in Houston because I love thatwhen they, when they have people
meet each other, they're askingthem, you know, To introduce
yourself with your why.
Reena (29:32):
Yes.
That was powerful.
Yes.
I love that too.
And I feel like I've gone to alot of networking events.
Spill ones that need that.
Yes.
That need that.
They need icebreakers.
I think icebreakers really setthe tone for an event and the
way that people connect.
Actually, I had a girl that Iwas friends with from Chicago.
(29:54):
She's actually given me mybiggest client.
And it was simply because, um, Imean, I think because we jelled
as people.
Sonia (30:04):
And she
Reena (30:05):
knew the contact at the organization and we had similar
things in common and it wasliterally, it's unbelievable
natural.
It's a natural how natural thathappened.
It was just like she ran into meat a park.
I was with my husband and sonand she was asking me how my
podcast was going, and she waslike, Hey, would you ever wanna
manage someone else's podcast?
I have a friend that works at ahealthcare organization and they
(30:27):
need somebody to manage thebackend.
Wow.
Sonia (30:31):
That's amazing.
And that's been your biggestclient
Reena (30:34):
for three and a half years.
Three and a half
Sonia (30:35):
years.
Wow.
And you know, I think that Ithink it's important for us to
realize that being who we arenaturally is the best secret.
Yeah, because we areunfortunately, even as parents,
sometimes we feel like we haveto model this certain persona
and it, I, people can feel it
Reena (30:55):
and when
Sonia (30:56):
you're actually more authentic, I think me, you and
Kelby, we started talking aboutour kids and our relationship as
parents and how we are investedwith our kids.
And that was like, we felt likewe were family at that point.
Yes.
Yes.
Reena (31:08):
It brought on instant hugs.
Yeah.
Like I understand you.
Yeah.
And you even brought your kid tothis shoot and back to the
networking question too.
Like I was new to town.
And I brought my daughter withme to the first pod Houston
event, because I was like, look,there's going to be speakers.
And, I was like, it'll be likemommy daughter time where, you
(31:32):
know, you can see how I networkwith other people.
And then I took her and I endedup connecting with this Alicia
Ella Tassie, if I'm saying thatcorrectly.
And she had brought a book withher that she had written with
her daughter.
Dad in Spanish and English.
And I was like, Oh my God,you're a daddy's girl too.
And then my daughter saw how weconnected that way.
(31:53):
And then I ended up, I've donelike four episodes with her now
locally.
Sonia (31:56):
Wow.
Reena (31:57):
So I, I wanted to take my daughter for her to see how I
work a room and how sometimes Ijust listen to the speakers and
sometimes I talk to people andsometimes I let people talk to
me.
And I think it's important.
If you're good at something orif something lights you up to
kind of bring your kids alongthat journey because they learn
from that as well.
Sonia (32:18):
I like that.
Let's, let's um, actually wrapit up with that.
How as parents can we introduceour children to our own career
life, our own personal life, ourown vision, see through our own
eyes, but at the same time allowthem to create their own path.
In their own interest in theirown journey.
So how can you balance both?
Reena (32:37):
I mean, even with my oldest son, he, he started his
own YouTube channel a couple ofyears ago.
And I was like, Oh my God, hehas a natural gift here.
Like he was able to drop in themusic.
He was able to create his own.
Fancy intros.
He's really good with graphics.
He is of that generation wherethey're able to pick it up so
easily.
So I, you know, sometimes Idon't have time to create all
(33:01):
these graphics and I was like,will you mind if I just send you
these headshots and mybackground image, can you create
a few for me?
And he's so able to do it.
And I'm like, I'll take you outto eat for that.
You know what I mean?
So if you, if you see talents.
Give them little assignments andlittle payoffs and you know,
look, I was willing to take himto the basketball game.
He did some graphics for me lastweek.
(33:23):
Um, I think encourage theirtalents.
I think that's a really bigpiece.
Like my dad was a hugeencourager of things he saw me
love.
They did try to expose me todifferent things.
And a lot of activities weremore, I think, in that
generation because my mom wantedme to be good at them, but it is
(33:46):
applied to my own life in, inexposing my kids to a lot of
things and, and trying to seewhere I see natural talent and
encourage them if, if they aregood to maybe give that another
try.
I mean, I've.
I had one kid that wanted to dofencing and he did that for a
couple years and loved that.
And now he's doing martial arts.
And then I was like, Hey,remember when you were good at
(34:06):
fencing, would you ever want tolike retry that the summer?
So.
You know, it's, it's seeing whatthey're good at, letting them
try other things and then mayberebringing it back up if you saw
some talent
Sonia (34:18):
there.
Absolutely.
I like that because you'reright.
Sometimes we see talent thatmaybe they don't realize, Hey,
this is like true talent righthere.
But then you also give them theopportunity to explore at the
same time.
I feel like we're so, well,nowadays parents are so rushed.
We all are, to define so earlyon, and this is the exploration
journey, like this is the timeto really figure yourself out
(34:39):
and explore.
You only know what you'resurrounded by, so the more we
open the doors to our childrento explore, you know, things
that are out there, the moreopportunities we get them to
find themselves.
Reena (34:50):
I have another really quick, funny story, but I'm
reading this book called,Million dollar weekend.
Oh my gosh.
And one of the exercises inthere was like reach out to
somebody and ask for a dollarand it had like a script in
there.
And this is like gettingcomfortable, like asking people
for money because as anentrepreneur, you are going to
have to learn how to price yourservices and You know, put
(35:12):
yourself out there often.
And my daughter was like, add acouple zeros to that.
You know, this guy's a multibillionaire that wrote the book.
And I asked for a hundred bucksand got it.
And I told her, okay, since youpushed me to do that, I'm giving
you 50 bucks.
Wow.
And then my son was like,jealous and you know, once you
get that first sale too, don'tjust start, stop there.
(35:33):
Who else has read the book?
Who else has interviewed thatauthor?
Who else can you try to find onPayPal to get a buck from?
I love that.
So I reached out to 10 and outof the 10 I got two, but I could
keep reaching out.
Or I could try other exercisesand I'm sharing that journey
with my kids because they wereeven like, did you get a
response?
(35:54):
Did you get a dollar?
Did you get a hundred?
You know what I mean?
And they were excited by metrying
Sonia (35:59):
something new.
I love that.
I love that because you're,instead of saying you should do
this, you're doing it and you'rejust having them join on the
journey with you.
You know, it's funny youmentioned that because my
daughter and I were in a, we'rein a book club together, her and
I, and we picked out a book.
This is our first month.
And, um, I really liked the bookand I really liked the author.
So we're going to have adiscussion about the book.
(36:20):
We don't have discussionquestions yet.
So I thought, you know what?
I'm going to email the authorand I'm going to be like, Hey,
do you have any.
questions that maybe my daughterand I could discuss.
And it was so funny becausewithin 24 hours she responded.
And I was like, uh, when I toldmy daughter, she's like, give me
that phone.
Let me see.
Reena (36:38):
I love that.
That's a great example.
My daughter too.
Today.
She was like, Hey, Can I orderthis book off of Amazon?
She was like, and I think youwould like it too.
I was like, read it first andthen send it my way.
Because it's a great way to bondwith your kid over them picking
the subject.
Sonia (36:55):
Yes.
Yeah.
And that's how we picked thebook because she had been
reading a series from the sameauthor.
And so she's like, Oh, this isthe newest one.
I was like, Oh, well let's readthat one, which was cool because
I get to see what she's reading,but also it's actually a really
good book and a good series.
And so I reached out to theauthor.
Now the The author did notprovide discussion questions,
(37:15):
but it was funny because she waslike, that's a great idea of you
having a mom, daughter, bookclub.
And so who knows, maybe thatsparked an interest in her to
maybe consider like, maybe Icould start something here.
But it was just the connectionthat now I already have with
that author and who knows whatcan happen from there.
It's just, we gotta be, we gottastop being afraid of reaching
(37:38):
out to people.
Yeah.
You know, it's like titles,we're always like about titles,
but they're just like humans,just like us.
Reena (37:44):
You know, one of the things that it mentions in this
million dollar weekend is themain reason why people aren't
starting their own businesses isbecause they have all of these
ideas and they don't act onthem.
Like I am a mom of four childrenand I have very little time to
not act.
So in the small time that mykids are at school, any idea I
(38:05):
have, I have just gotten reallygood at trying because you're
going to learn every singletime, every single time from
trying.
Sonia (38:14):
I love that.
Oh my goodness.
I love this.
And tell us a little bit aboutyour podcast.
How did that started?
And, um, yeah, let's put in alittle plug for a better call
daddy, which I'm sure a lot ofour listeners have already
listened to it cause it's a topshow, but tell us about the
Reena (38:27):
show.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Better call daddy.
I think.
started like through mychildhood.
I am always calling my dad.
He is always who I call mynumber one supporter.
I knew he wouldn't back out onme and he's a total character.
So I interview guests, share thestories with him, and then he
weighs in with hisintergenerational wit at the end
of every episode.
And what's so great is likepeople want my dad's approval.
(38:50):
People want to ask my dad, Andso it's really been like me and
my dad upping our wisdom ratingtogether because every guest I
present to my dad like has beengiving us so much wisdom and
learning lessons along the waytoo.
Sonia (39:04):
That's so awesome.
And my kids have listened toyour show and they've even been
like, mom, why don't you put onBetter Call Daddy?
I will, I will pre, pre listento the episode and I'll be like,
oh, this is a good one.
And then we'll listen to ittogether because it's.
It's a great way for them torealize I always talk to them
about my father, you know We'vehad this conversation before
(39:24):
that he's no longer here But youknow that relationship is so key
and this is why for me It's soimportant to do what I do
because I don't just talk aboutthe academics of college and
career readiness I talk aboutbuilding yourself your identity
and that connection with parentsbecause guess what?
Parents, you're the, you're themain role model.
You're the main role model.
So you have to like set the barfor your child and build it
(39:47):
through communication.
Reena (39:49):
A hundred percent.
Yeah.
Sonia (39:50):
Oh, thank you so much, Reena, for being here in the
College Career Ready podcast.
And I know this will be thefirst of many to come.
Reena (39:56):
Yay.
Thank you so much for having me.
Thank
Sonia (39:57):
you.
Thank you for listening in.
If you enjoyed this episode, itwould mean so much to me if you
share it with a friend, acolleague, or your own
community.
If you share it on social mediaand tag me, I'll make sure to
personally thank you.
My two favorite places to hangout are Instagram and LinkedIn.
Check out our show notes for adirect link.
(40:18):
I'm so thankful for each andevery one of you.
And as always stay well, bepresent and enjoy the journey.
I'll talk to you next week.
Adios.
Have you ever wondered howstudents can make the most out
of their college experience toset themselves apart for a
thriving career?
well, you are about to find out.
We'll be discussing how to buildmeaningful connections, explore
different career paths, andprepare for life after
graduation.
So tune in to this greatepisode.
(00:54):
Welcome to another excitingepisode of the College and
Career Ready podcast.
I'm your host, Coach Sonia, andtoday we have a fantastic guest,
my dear friend, Reena FreemanWatts, the dynamic host of the
Better Call Daddy podcast.
Reena's journey began just likemany of our students, navigating
(01:14):
college life while discoveringher passions and kick starting a
successful career.
Rina's journey is nothing shortof inspiring from her start in
the radio industry during hercollege years, her experience
working on shows like the JerrySpringer Show and Nanny 911, to
her ventures in marketing andpodcasting.
(01:35):
we'll dive deep into her uniquecareer path and trust me, this
episode is packed with insights.
An inspiration to help youexcel.
So grab your notebook, getcomfortable and let's dive right
in to the show.
Sonia (01:49):
Hi, Reena.
Welcome to the College andCareer Ready podcast.
Reena (01:52):
I am so excited to be here with you in person.
I
Sonia (01:55):
know.
Isn't this really exciting?
So I'm glad you're here.
We have so much to talk aboutand, you know, for our
listeners, why don't you tell usabout yourself other than that?
You're the host of the BetterCall Daddy podcast.
So give us a little bit of anoverview of you.
Reena (02:10):
Yes, an overview of me is I am a mom of four, four kids,
15 and under currently, and whenI'm not doing the mommy thing, I
am coming to do things likethis, you know, interviewing
people, um, Helping people withbook testimonials, helping
people with their LinkedIn.
(02:30):
I'm kind of like a freelancemarketer on demand.
Um, I got my start in the radioindustry in college, actually.
Um, I went to a youth performingarts school for high school and,
You know, I, my parents reallywanted me to, I think, be on the
stage, but I always felt morecomfortable behind the scenes.
(02:53):
And so, uh, I had a singingscholarship to college and I
went to a small school thatafter going to a very
competitive high school, thiscollege had offered me a full
ride at the University ofCharleston in West Virginia.
And from there, I.
It was kind of like being a big,you know, a big fish in a small
pond.
(03:13):
And after being in such acompetitive environment in high
school, I was just like lookingfor more attention.
And, um, anyway, I started therefor two years and then I ended
up transferring to Purduebecause I was like looking for
something more.
Okay.
And so when I transferred toPurdue, they had a radio station
(03:34):
on campus.
And I just decided like that issomething that I wanted to do
and wanted to try.
And so I walked in there and waslike, Hey, I want to work in
radio.
And luckily, actually the timingof that worked out.
And there was a lady who I thinkwas leaving at the time.
And they asked me if I wouldwork like the 5am shift and the
weekend shift.
(03:55):
And so this was beforeautomation.
And I started going in onweekends and like, Loading the
features and learning how to runthe board manually.
And then I also took anotherinternship at a local news
station, which was great.
It was WLFI in West Lafayette,Indiana.
And what I learned there was howto floor direct and how to.
(04:18):
Run the audio board during alive newscast, and I got to work
on some local commercials, and Iloved all of this.
Like, those experiences reallyexcited me, and so I kind of
paid attention to that.
And when I was getting ready tograduate, I went to the alumni
office on campus, and they had aconnection with somebody at WGN
in Chicago, which was only acouple of hours away.
(04:39):
And I drove from Purdue,interviewed at WGN, and did not
get the job.
Sonia (04:45):
Oh, no.
Yes.
Reena (04:47):
But while I was up there, I saw a flyer that Jerry
Springer was looking forinterns, and I was a fan of the
show.
I grew up in Kentucky.
Those stories were, you know,always playing in the background
and didn't seem that far fetchedfrom some people that I knew.
And so I walked over to NBCTower on the same trip.
(05:07):
And got through to the interncoordinator and ended up
starting there two weeks later,like right upon graduating.
Sonia (05:13):
So you walk out, right, with not getting an interview,
and you went to the interviewand you didn't actually get the
internship,
Reena (05:21):
correct?
I, yeah, I had an interview andthen they didn't have an opening
and it just didn't come togetherquick enough.
Okay.
And you walk down and you seethe flyer.
And what does the flyer say?
It said, looking for interns forthe Jerry Springer show.
And it had like, you know, thenumbers you could call.
And so I called the number andwas like, Hey, I'm here now and
I'm getting ready to graduate.
And can we talk basically?
Sonia (05:42):
Wow.
And okay, let's, let's go backin time a little bit.
So when you were in high school.
What were you planning to do asfar as career wise?
So you said you wanted morebehind the scenes, but what did
that look like then?
Reena (05:54):
Well, the thing is, is that I used to love to sing as a
little girl and I loved musicand there was a school, a magnet
school in my area and it wasrenowned throughout the state
and I, again, I'm not the kindof person that reads all the
fine print of like all that thatentails.
And so I just went in there, Isang a song off the radio and
they were like, um, you need tobe able to sing in a foreign
language.
(06:14):
You need to be able to readmusic.
You need to be able to like.
pluck out all of the sheet musicand sing on note names.
And I'm like, Oh my God, I don'tknow how to do any of that.
And so I didn't get in.
Okay.
Okay.
And then my dad went to the headof the music department and was
like, Hey, what does she have todo to get another audition?
And so they said, here's themusic teacher that we work with
outside of the school.
A lot of kids go to her, workwith her over the summer, learn
(06:37):
a, Italian aria, learn how tosight read music, take some
piano lessons and come back.
And I don't even think probablymost people get that
opportunity, but I don't know.
The head of the music departmentsaw something in my dad, saw
something in me, gave me anothertry.
But the thing is, is like, Iliterally never feel felt like I
got in because everyone else gotin on the first try.
(06:59):
And I was like, Um, just alwaystrying to blend in with all of
these super talented peoplearound me.
And for four years I did that.
I literally wanted to quit everysingle day.
Like there were so many timeswhere I'm like, please don't
call on me.
Please don't call on me.
Like I would hear these voicesand I'm like, they're so much
better than me.
And, but, but being a part ofthat program, you know, we got
(07:21):
to sing at the mayor'sinauguration.
We got to go to Carnegie Halltwice.
We, you know, went to MuhammadAli's house.
Like it was a very renownedprogram.
I went to school with NicoleScherzinger, who's now worth
like 300 million, you know.
The, the talent in that schoolwas tremendous and, and the
biggest lesson I learned fromthat one is keep your
commitments if somebody goes tobat for you to, um, if you
(07:42):
surround yourself by supertalented people, eventually some
of that wears off on you andmakes you feel more talented
too.
And um, You know, even in beinga mom now, you know, I had a kid
that started a new school hisfreshman year and he hadn't
played basketball in years andreally basketball was like the
best program athletic wise inhis high school.
(08:05):
And he decided that he wanted toget on that team.
And last summer he worked out sohard, like literally six days a
week, I mean, for three and fourhours at a time.
And he made the team and heended up starting this past
season in 10th grade.
It's insane.
And I'm like, you know, if youhave determination, really as a
(08:26):
kid, there's so manyopportunities
Sonia (08:28):
out there.
Well, and I think the importantthing is that you're finding
what drives him.
Because if it's not going todrive him, it doesn't matter
what opportunity you put infront of him.
He's not going to.
He's not going to
Reena (08:38):
work towards it.
Let me tell you, with yourfirstborn, you try so many
things.
I put the kid in piano at four.
I, you know, tried martial arts,jujitsu, swimming.
I made him do swimming from liketwo years old until he did every
single level.
And you're right.
Like they're finally like, okay.
I reached all the levels youwanted and, you know, tried
chess with him and all differentthings to try to see what his
(09:02):
interests are.
But when they like something andthey're motivated to do it on
their own and then they canreach their own levels of
success and, and you don't evenhave to push them, you have to
pay attention to that.
So like with the working out.
It is unbelievable the shapethat he has gotten in because he
has the drive to do that on hisown.
Sonia (09:22):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I love that as a parent,you're not basing yourself on
the typical profile of like, Oh,he's been playing basketball
since he's like five years old.
You know, you're like, no, I'm,this is when he's starting and
we're going to go all that allin.
Reena (09:36):
I interviewed a guy, I don't even remember his name,
but he was like a bench playerin the NBA.
And he was like, I did not startplaying until he's like, I was a
huge guy.
And he was just like, same deal.
Like he decided, like he gotsick of people like saying, are
you on the basketball team?
You know?
And he just, same thing, likejust decided, like everywhere I
walk, I'm going to take the ballwith me, you know?
(09:58):
And I love it.
And he made it all the way tothe NBA.
I mean, that obviously doesn'thappen for most people and he
was like a bench player,
Sonia (10:06):
Yeah, it's changing that narrative that you're so born
and raised believing that if youonly have this certain profile
and I think that's the problemwe're having a lot with the
students having anxiety and thestudents like Really worried
about their future is becausethey feel that if they don't fit
this profile, they're not gonnareach their goal And, you know,
you're kind of changing thatnarrative for a lot of students
(10:27):
out there.
It's a
Reena (10:28):
different generation.
Yes.
Like, I was just talking to myin laws yesterday, and, you
know, my son's even, like,considering homeschool, which is
crazy because then he would missout on the basketball, except
for there are leagues where youcan play in homeschools and
stuff like that.
But yeah.
You know, she's like, he startedat school.
He's got straight A's.
And if he would do homeschool,what are colleges going to
(10:50):
think?
Oh.
And I'm like, but what about,what is he learning?
Like how many hours a day arewasted?
Like, what if he could pursueother interests and get really
good at those and knock out.
and probably do better inacademics.
Like I am so open to how are wereally spending our time?
How are we really leaning intowhat we love and getting better?
(11:12):
Like life is so short.
Absolutely.
I even think the school systemis really broken.
Like, is it babysitting thatwe're dropping off our kids for?
How, how much time a day iswasted?
Even the lunch hour.
I mean.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Sonia (11:27):
Absolutely.
And you know, I interviewedsomeone from a college
admissions, office at auniversity and they actually
like homeschool kids becausethey feel they have more
experiences, right?
Then, Most, students who go topublic ed, because that's more
of an academic profile ratherthan an experiential one.
So I think they value that.
(11:50):
They value the experiences thathomeschool kids are getting that
we can provide to even in thepublic sector.
But that means that as parents,we have to work extra hard
outside of the school hours toprovide those experiences and
those opportunities for them toadd to their resume.
Reena (12:04):
Yes.
And I truthfully think thatExperiences are the most
important thing.
They have helped me make moneyin lots of different ways.
So, you know, I went to theJerry Springer show.
I, you know, had worked at a newstation kind of though behind
the scenes, trying all differentpositions, like I said, floor
directing and chyrons andrunning the audio board and
(12:25):
working on local commercials andseeing what I was good at and
seeing what I wasn't good at.
And then that led to me workingat Springer.
I interned at Springer.
I was working.
between 70 and probably 90 hoursa week the first couple of
months for free for free forfree.
This is when companies could getaway with not paying you a cent.
And I started noticing who wasgetting the best guests to come.
(12:48):
What were they saying on thephone to get those people to
come?
Then You know, how did theybehave once they were there?
How are they pushing thosebuttons to make them perform
well on stage?
Sonia (13:00):
I love that.
So
Reena (13:01):
it was like, which producers do I relate to?
Who do I want to be like?
What can I take from them that Iwould do well?
Do I want to do that?
Yeah.
Who's running the best teams?
You know, which interns want tobe on whose teams?
Cause there were six teams.
Who's recycling people?
The quickest, who has arevolving door of associate
producers.
(13:22):
Wow.
Sonia (13:22):
You got to
Reena (13:23):
pay attention to so many factors.
Sonia (13:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
So it seems to me like yourexperience there was way more
than the academic part of yourlife, you know, going to
education.
Reena (13:34):
Like I didn't study film.
That's crazy.
You know, I didn't know how toedit at the time.
And what's so crazy too, like Igot a job as a post production
supervisor because The guy whohired me knew that if I could
handle the level of stress andmanagement and creativity that
Jerry Springer required, that Icould learn.
(13:57):
what a post productionsupervisor did.
So some of that, my role as apost production supervisor on
Nanny 911 was one, you know,getting an interview with
someone who knew thecomplicatedness of the roles
that I had had.
He understood my resume and hewas willing to give me a chance
because he knew his role so wellthat he could even direct me
(14:18):
from the field or come to my,Rescue in an emergency situation
if need be, but I literallystarted Nanny 911 when it was
still a pilot.
He gave me a list ofdeliverables and he was pretty
much like, call me if you needhelp.
Here's what needs to be done.
And I trust that from yourexperience, you'll be able to
figure that out.
And I started third shift.
Like the night he interviewedme, I went in at seven at night
(14:42):
and worked till seven in themorning and I, I didn't even
know how to edit and yet I wasin charge of, I don't know, like
maybe 15 editors and the waythat I learned that role was
just going in the edit bays andbeing like, Hey, do you ever
need a second?
Pair of eyes or Hey, you know,do you want me to fill out your
time card for you?
Cause I know it's a big pain inthe butt.
And then once I started doingthat for one editor, they're all
(15:02):
like, Oh, we hate doing our timecards too.
Can you just like be in chargeof the time cards?
And I'm like, yeah, why not?
You know, if that allows you toget more work done or make your
life easier, just sign here.
And so for three seasons, Iliterally did all the time cards
of all the editors, but theyloved me for it.
Yeah.
You know, and, and then theystart saying, well, yeah, like,
(15:23):
Hey, you know, you want to learnwhat I'm doing or, Hey, I've
edited this 10 times.
Can you have a look at it?
And, and you start seeing whereyou're needed and learning more
and more.
So what did you graduate with?
Sonia (15:34):
What was your degree in?
Communications.
Communications.
Okay.
Yeah.
But then you just went to theproduction route because of your
experiences from that oneinternship.
Yeah.
I love that.
Yes.
I love that.
Yeah, that's so amazing.
And so I know at what point inyour life you went into life
insurance That you realize thisis not I'm in a field that I'm
(15:56):
not even interested in So tellus about that story and how you
got out and you're like, okay,I've got to get out of here
Reena (16:01):
That is such a great question.
Yes, so After I had my littlestint in Hollywood I tried lots
of things.
I actually even tried to workfor a non profit, um, and that
environment was so drasticallydifferent and, Again, knew that
that was like not a place whereI could shine, but we moved from
California to Chicago.
(16:22):
And actually I think I like coldapplied for this job.
It was like close to my house.
It was a director of marketingrole and turned out the guy who
ended up hiring me, his daughterwas like in like a preschool
class with my daughter.
So he recognized my name.
Okay.
Okay.
Um, and the role essentially wasusing LinkedIn to reach out to a
(16:45):
specific, you know, avatar.
And I had already learned thatfrom working at a telecom
company doing really the samething.
So my skills transfer.
Sonia (16:55):
Okay.
So it didn't
Reena (16:56):
even really matter the industry.
I was doing these lunch andlearn events at a telecom
company where I would reach outto, like, the head of customer
experience, chief financialofficers, and I, my love of
LinkedIn began kind of being aprogram manager at a telecom
company, but that was downtownChicago, and the juggle of,
like, being a mom and workingthere became really tough, like,
(17:19):
you know, That was the firstplace that I worked where I
hired a nanny to like pick up mykids after school until I was
able to take the train home.
So I was kind of looking forsomething that was like closer
to home where I could balanceworking like a full time job and
still picking my kids up fromschool because I felt like they
needed me.
Yes.
Yeah.
So I decided to try this job.
I was like, I can learn anysector.
(17:40):
And I did that for a couple ofyears, but once I really wrapped
my head around kind of theproducts that we were selling
and like whether I would reallysell that to friends and family,
it just didn't really feel me.
Yeah.
But what I did love about thatrole was.
You know, I got to put on theseevents where I got to market
(18:02):
them and I got to co sponsorevents with CPAs and financial
advisors and estate attorneys.
So the connecting piece I liked,the marketing piece I liked, but
it was like, do I really believein what I'm marketing?
And I think even though I wasable to make my boss a lot of
money and that is one degree ofsuccess and it ended up, you
know, allowing me to go to TonyRobbins for being like a high
(18:24):
achiever.
So that was amazing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But I think to be the mostsuccessful for me, it's, you
know, really being able to pickthe right clients, pick the
right products, believe in whatI'm selling.
Like there's so many pieces tobe in alignment with like being
the most successful you.
Sonia (18:45):
And a big
Reena (18:46):
piece of being the most successful you is like leaning
into your strengths.
Sonia (18:50):
Yes.
Yes.
And knowing what your weaknessesare and what you probably are
not, what I call your zone ofgenius.
Whatever your zone of genius is,let's, let's give that away
Reena (19:00):
to someone else.
I have.
Oh my goodness.
And that's the thing too.
Like once I worked at thatfinancial firm, I was like, I'm
able to get all of these peoplein the room and my phone's the
one that's ringing.
Maybe I should get lifeinsurance license.
So after I left that firm, likethere was a guy that asked me to
be a partner of his firm.
And to get licensed.
So I worked so hard and I gotlife insurance license and I
(19:22):
read all of that stuff and I wasable to do it.
But did I like doing it?
No.
I was like, man, I can not likedo this every day.
Yes, sell this.
Sonia (19:34):
Yeah.
Reena (19:34):
You know, it just did not feel like.
My calling.
Yeah.
And one thing that happened fromthat opportunity as well is, you
know, in the beginning I gotlike 25 people to show up to the
events, then it turned into 50,then it turned into 75.
Then I reached out to an eventproducer who was used to putting
on events of like 2, 500 becausemy boss wanted to kind of scale
(19:58):
these.
And her and I really hit it off,but she wasn't focused on the
financial sector.
She did like moreentrepreneurial events.
Okay.
But when she found out I leftthe firm, she was like, Hey, do
you want to help me booksponsors for my events?
And I was like, I bet I could dothat.
And I like you and we work welltogether and you're creative.
So she ended up hiring me on aGary V event where I got to be a
(20:21):
part of a media junket.
And it was like this huge, likeexciting.
space of all these people liketrying to make their own
businesses.
I was like, Oh yes, I like thisspace.
So I booked two big sponsors,found my way to Toronto for the
first time.
I was pregnant at the time.
And that again, like litsomething in me.
(20:44):
So then after working for her, Itried working for a couple other
influencers.
One made me a coach in one ofher seven figure coaching
programs.
So then I was like, Whoa, Okay.
She makes a Facebook group.
I managed her Facebook group.
I coached 30 of her 40 of herpeople.
And then I saw the whole outlineof like how to do that.
And then I was like, wait, andI'm booking her huge guests for
(21:06):
her show.
So it was like, after I helped acouple influencers get
sponsorships for their ownevents, help them market their
own events, manage otherpeople's Facebook groups, manage
people's other social.
I was like, okay.
I can do this for me.
You know what I mean?
So it was like all of thesethings that I had learned, like
how to put on events, how tomarket events, how to run
(21:26):
people's social, how to start myown Facebook group.
I have been managing a Facebookgroup now for almost four years.
I have close to 800 people in itand I maybe have lost a couple
people along the way.
Sonia (21:37):
Wow.
And this is all from theexperiences, life experiences,
and, and education.
See, I think one thing that wewant to highlight to parents is
that education is not.
It's not a, an end point.
It's a journey.
You have to constantly evolveyourself, learn, learn from
other people.
And it seems like that's whatyou've been doing all along.
I, I've
Reena (21:57):
really tried because I'm not like a YouTube University
you know?
I'm just like, okay, I'll trythat.
The experience, if I'm able todo that, I mean, even with the
tools that I use, I mean, thetools that I use have to be
super user friendly.
Yeah.
Like there's this one tool thatI use called Cast Magic.
I'm gonna give them a shout outbecause they absolutely, it's
honestly so easy.
(22:18):
I take, you know, an MP three oran MP four, after I do a
recording, I drag it into CastMagic and it literally
transcribes the whole thing.
It gives me.
post ideas, title ideas.
It has a magic chat featurewhere I can say, Hey, help me
create a SEO optimized blog postwith 200 characters.
And it literally like all of thetools that I use are that
(22:40):
simple.
Otherwise, you know, pay a VA todo it.
Sonia (22:43):
Yes.
Yes.
So you're very resourceful,which I love.
And we'll get into that.
But when I go back into yourReally the full scope of your
story.
I have you as a networking queenI don't know if anybody has ever
told you that but you are thenetworking queen and Some
parents are just networking isnot their thing.
It's not their jam, but it's soneeded and your journey is a
(23:03):
clear A clear example thatnetworking can get you from
point A to point Z.
So tell us about yournetworking.
How did you develop those skillsand why do you, why do you think
it's important for parents toreally master the skill to teach
onto their children?
Reena (23:18):
Great question.
And even how we met wasnetworking.
So I can give a little bit ofbackstory there.
Um, on Facebook, I saw that theOGGN network was looking for
volunteers and it was for alarge event in town.
And, you know, I met you there,Kelby there who's recording
this.
And from there we all sharedwith each other that, you know,
(23:40):
we're podcasters and we're intoproduction.
And I was like, Oh, awesome.
I'm new to the area.
I, you know, did some studiorecordings in Chicago and I
would love to do that inHouston.
Let's put all of our creativetalents together and make some
magic together.
And you know, it didn't happenright away, but we kept in
touch.
And then I found out aboutother.
(24:02):
networking events in town.
And I was like, Hey, there'sthis cup of Joey event.
Do you guys want to go to that?
And so we went to that and wenetworked together.
So it deepened our relationshipand we did something else fun.
And then we actually put it onthe calendar after only meeting
two times.
And so, you know, my very firstcup of Joey event, I actually
(24:22):
won rockets tickets.
And then from that, lots ofpeople at that event were like,
Oh, you're the girl that won theHouston Rockets tickets.
So, you know, when I connectedwith people on LinkedIn, I was
like, in the message toconnecting with them.
I'm like, met you at cup ofJoey.
I'm the girl that won theHouston Rockets ticket.
So one really great thing to doabout networking is whenever you
(24:43):
connect with someone, you needto remember the place you need
to remember how many times andeach time you connect, it's even
really helpful just to like jogyour memory, say it was great
meeting you a cup of Joey today,or I love that, you know, you're
a podcaster too.
And so I.
Always stack those memories inthe messaging of that, of
(25:08):
communication between who Iconnect with, because then it's
always a reference for thatperson and for you.
So my son.
It was watching a game lastnight of the Rockets and was
like, Oh my God, there's areally great game coming up,
mom, that I'd love to go withyou.
And anytime my son wants to hangout with me, I'm like, let's try
to make that happen.
(25:29):
Cause he's a teenager andthey're very rare occasions.
And so I reached back out to cupof Joey and I was like, Hey, I
know, you know, I won thetickets.
Is there anybody that you'reconnected with on the team that
might be able to Give me abetter rate.
If you don't ask, you don't get,and I remember Adrian from that
event was like, Oh, Dolores isour contact there.
So I reached back out to Adrianand I was like, Hey, Adrian, I
(25:51):
know you said sometimes there'sextra tickets that aren't even
used.
Are there any extra tickets?
If not, no hard feelings.
Just thought I'd ask.
They both wrote me back and Igot the promo code, which Adrian
gave me.
Turns out it was cheaper just tobuy it through the Rocket site,
but it gave me another touchpoint to reconnect with them.
And I'll be like, Hey, here's apicture of me and my son.
(26:12):
We went to the game.
Thanks for trying to help.
Sonia (26:14):
Yes.
I love that.
I love how you're bringing itfull circle because you're
right.
It can be overwhelming meetingpeople.
It's like, wait, where did Imeet you?
Or how do I know you?
So that's a great little point.
Reena (26:24):
Yes.
Yes.
I love that.
And even if somebody introducesme to someone, I always put that
in a message too.
Ah,
Sonia (26:31):
to connect and to kind of, you know, and one thing I
noticed about you, and I don'tknow if, if, if people have made
note of that from you, um, butyou do things differently.
When you meet people, you'reimmediately talking about how
you can serve them rather thanhow they can serve you.
Because I think there's thismis, this miscommunication.
Misinformation that, Oh, it'snetworking.
(26:52):
It's all about me, what peoplecan do for me.
And I, the minute I met you, youwere immediate to be like, how
can I serve you?
And I love that.
So is that
Reena (27:01):
something you learned or?
Thank you.
That's really sweet of you tosay and to notice, you know,
even when I've coached people onhow they use LinkedIn, I'm like,
it's all about the other personfor like at least four or five
messages.
It's kind of like dating.
Yeah.
You're right.
Sonia (27:18):
It's all about you, baby.
Right?
Reena (27:20):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So when I first started usingLinkedIn, Oh my God, I was
terrible because LinkedIn hasevolved even in how people use
it.
Like there's things you don'tdo, which years ago was okay to
do.
Like.
You've all seen the people thattag a hundred people just so it,
(27:42):
Oh my gosh.
Yes.
Why are you tagging me just soyou can get more reach or do you
think that I will find yourcontent valuable?
But like, you know, I wishsomebody happy birthday on
Facebook the other day and I hadhelped her with her LinkedIn a
long time ago.
And then I was like, Hey, I'mactually doing an episode with.
You know, somebody that I'vehelped with their LinkedIn, you
(28:02):
might enjoy it.
So you have to like spell outthe reason why you might be
tagging or you might be sendingsomebody something.
Sonia (28:08):
Okay.
Um,
Reena (28:10):
That's one thing that I've learned.
And another thing I was told inthe beginning from this coach
was, you know, you reach out tosomebody and you're like, Hey,
it looks like we have similarfriends and interests.
Let's connect.
That will work if you're anattractive female.
And you have a good
Sonia (28:24):
headshot.
It's
Reena (28:25):
crazy.
Actually, the percentage ofpeople that will connect with
you, if you say just somethinglike that, but what's even
better is to be like, Um, I metAdrienne at a Cup of Joey and my
husband just interviewed atAxiom and, you know, he gave me
your name because you're also atthe same company.
It's a little bit more specificin the messaging.
(28:47):
Yes.
Okay.
Or, hey, I noticed we went tothe same college and we were
there around the same time.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
You know, it's like, look forcommon ground.
Mm hmm.
And, and another thing I used tosay, like, after that first
initial bad message of, hey,looks like we have similar
friends and connections, I'd belike, tell me about you, tell me
about your business.
Where that isn't bad.
Okay.
(29:07):
You know, I think that's an okayfollow up, but you don't also
have to get like right tobusiness.
You could say, like, tell mesomething awesome that's
happening in your life.
Or I have a podcast with my dad,like with my dad, what's your
relationship like with your dad?
Like say something different.
Yes,
Sonia (29:21):
absolutely.
And we're going to do anothershout out for a cup of Joey here
in Houston because I love thatwhen they, when they have people
meet each other, they're askingthem, you know, To introduce
yourself with your why.
Reena (29:32):
Yes.
That was powerful.
Yes.
I love that too.
And I feel like I've gone to alot of networking events.
Spill ones that need that.
Yes.
That need that.
They need icebreakers.
I think icebreakers really setthe tone for an event and the
way that people connect.
Actually, I had a girl that Iwas friends with from Chicago.
(29:54):
She's actually given me mybiggest client.
And it was simply because, um, Imean, I think because we jelled
as people.
Sonia (30:04):
And she
Reena (30:05):
knew the contact at the organization and we had similar
things in common and it wasliterally, it's unbelievable
natural.
It's a natural how natural thathappened.
It was just like she ran into meat a park.
I was with my husband and sonand she was asking me how my
podcast was going, and she waslike, Hey, would you ever wanna
manage someone else's podcast?
I have a friend that works at ahealthcare organization and they
(30:27):
need somebody to manage thebackend.
Wow.
Sonia (30:31):
That's amazing.
And that's been your biggestclient
Reena (30:34):
for three and a half years.
Three and a half
Sonia (30:35):
years.
Wow.
And you know, I think that Ithink it's important for us to
realize that being who we arenaturally is the best secret.
Yeah, because we areunfortunately, even as parents,
sometimes we feel like we haveto model this certain persona
and it, I, people can feel it
Reena (30:55):
and when
Sonia (30:56):
you're actually more authentic, I think me, you and
Kelby, we started talking aboutour kids and our relationship as
parents and how we are investedwith our kids.
And that was like, we felt likewe were family at that point.
Yes.
Yes.
Reena (31:08):
It brought on instant hugs.
Yeah.
Like I understand you.
Yeah.
And you even brought your kid tothis shoot and back to the
networking question too.
Like I was new to town.
And I brought my daughter withme to the first pod Houston
event, because I was like, look,there's going to be speakers.
And, I was like, it'll be likemommy daughter time where, you
(31:32):
know, you can see how I networkwith other people.
And then I took her and I endedup connecting with this Alicia
Ella Tassie, if I'm saying thatcorrectly.
And she had brought a book withher that she had written with
her daughter.
Dad in Spanish and English.
And I was like, Oh my God,you're a daddy's girl too.
And then my daughter saw how weconnected that way.
(31:53):
And then I ended up, I've donelike four episodes with her now
locally.
Sonia (31:56):
Wow.
Reena (31:57):
So I, I wanted to take my daughter for her to see how I
work a room and how sometimes Ijust listen to the speakers and
sometimes I talk to people andsometimes I let people talk to
me.
And I think it's important.
If you're good at something orif something lights you up to
kind of bring your kids alongthat journey because they learn
from that as well.
Sonia (32:18):
I like that.
Let's, let's um, actually wrapit up with that.
How as parents can we introduceour children to our own career
life, our own personal life, ourown vision, see through our own
eyes, but at the same time allowthem to create their own path.
In their own interest in theirown journey.
So how can you balance both?
Reena (32:37):
I mean, even with my oldest son, he, he started his
own YouTube channel a couple ofyears ago.
And I was like, Oh my God, hehas a natural gift here.
Like he was able to drop in themusic.
He was able to create his own.
Fancy intros.
He's really good with graphics.
He is of that generation wherethey're able to pick it up so
easily.
So I, you know, sometimes Idon't have time to create all
(33:01):
these graphics and I was like,will you mind if I just send you
these headshots and mybackground image, can you create
a few for me?
And he's so able to do it.
And I'm like, I'll take you outto eat for that.
You know what I mean?
So if you, if you see talents.
Give them little assignments andlittle payoffs and you know,
look, I was willing to take himto the basketball game.
He did some graphics for me lastweek.
(33:23):
Um, I think encourage theirtalents.
I think that's a really bigpiece.
Like my dad was a hugeencourager of things he saw me
love.
They did try to expose me todifferent things.
And a lot of activities weremore, I think, in that
generation because my mom wantedme to be good at them, but it is
(33:46):
applied to my own life in, inexposing my kids to a lot of
things and, and trying to seewhere I see natural talent and
encourage them if, if they aregood to maybe give that another
try.
I mean, I've.
I had one kid that wanted to dofencing and he did that for a
couple years and loved that.
And now he's doing martial arts.
And then I was like, Hey,remember when you were good at
(34:06):
fencing, would you ever want tolike retry that the summer?
So.
You know, it's, it's seeing whatthey're good at, letting them
try other things and then mayberebringing it back up if you saw
some talent
Sonia (34:18):
there.
Absolutely.
I like that because you'reright.
Sometimes we see talent thatmaybe they don't realize, Hey,
this is like true talent righthere.
But then you also give them theopportunity to explore at the
same time.
I feel like we're so, well,nowadays parents are so rushed.
We all are, to define so earlyon, and this is the exploration
journey, like this is the timeto really figure yourself out
(34:39):
and explore.
You only know what you'resurrounded by, so the more we
open the doors to our childrento explore, you know, things
that are out there, the moreopportunities we get them to
find themselves.
Reena (34:50):
I have another really quick, funny story, but I'm
reading this book called,Million dollar weekend.
Oh my gosh.
And one of the exercises inthere was like reach out to
somebody and ask for a dollarand it had like a script in
there.
And this is like gettingcomfortable, like asking people
for money because as anentrepreneur, you are going to
have to learn how to price yourservices and You know, put
(35:12):
yourself out there often.
And my daughter was like, add acouple zeros to that.
You know, this guy's a multibillionaire that wrote the book.
And I asked for a hundred bucksand got it.
And I told her, okay, since youpushed me to do that, I'm giving
you 50 bucks.
Wow.
And then my son was like,jealous and you know, once you
get that first sale too, don'tjust start, stop there.
(35:33):
Who else has read the book?
Who else has interviewed thatauthor?
Who else can you try to find onPayPal to get a buck from?
I love that.
So I reached out to 10 and outof the 10 I got two, but I could
keep reaching out.
Or I could try other exercisesand I'm sharing that journey
with my kids because they wereeven like, did you get a
response?
(35:54):
Did you get a dollar?
Did you get a hundred?
You know what I mean?
And they were excited by metrying
Sonia (35:59):
something new.
I love that.
I love that because you're,instead of saying you should do
this, you're doing it and you'rejust having them join on the
journey with you.
You know, it's funny youmentioned that because my
daughter and I were in a, we'rein a book club together, her and
I, and we picked out a book.
This is our first month.
And, um, I really liked the bookand I really liked the author.
So we're going to have adiscussion about the book.
(36:20):
We don't have discussionquestions yet.
So I thought, you know what?
I'm going to email the authorand I'm going to be like, Hey,
do you have any.
questions that maybe my daughterand I could discuss.
And it was so funny becausewithin 24 hours she responded.
And I was like, uh, when I toldmy daughter, she's like, give me
that phone.
Let me see.
Reena (36:38):
I love that.
That's a great example.
My daughter too.
Today.
She was like, Hey, Can I orderthis book off of Amazon?
She was like, and I think youwould like it too.
I was like, read it first andthen send it my way.
Because it's a great way to bondwith your kid over them picking
the subject.
Sonia (36:55):
Yes.
Yeah.
And that's how we picked thebook because she had been
reading a series from the sameauthor.
And so she's like, Oh, this isthe newest one.
I was like, Oh, well let's readthat one, which was cool because
I get to see what she's reading,but also it's actually a really
good book and a good series.
And so I reached out to theauthor.
Now the The author did notprovide discussion questions,
(37:15):
but it was funny because she waslike, that's a great idea of you
having a mom, daughter, bookclub.
And so who knows, maybe thatsparked an interest in her to
maybe consider like, maybe Icould start something here.
But it was just the connectionthat now I already have with
that author and who knows whatcan happen from there.
It's just, we gotta be, we gottastop being afraid of reaching
(37:38):
out to people.
Yeah.
You know, it's like titles,we're always like about titles,
but they're just like humans,just like us.
Reena (37:44):
You know, one of the things that it mentions in this
million dollar weekend is themain reason why people aren't
starting their own businesses isbecause they have all of these
ideas and they don't act onthem.
Like I am a mom of four childrenand I have very little time to
not act.
So in the small time that mykids are at school, any idea I
(38:05):
have, I have just gotten reallygood at trying because you're
going to learn every singletime, every single time from
trying.
Sonia (38:14):
I love that.
Oh my goodness.
I love this.
And tell us a little bit aboutyour podcast.
How did that started?
And, um, yeah, let's put in alittle plug for a better call
daddy, which I'm sure a lot ofour listeners have already
listened to it cause it's a topshow, but tell us about the
Reena (38:27):
show.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Better call daddy.
I think.
started like through mychildhood.
I am always calling my dad.
He is always who I call mynumber one supporter.
I knew he wouldn't back out onme and he's a total character.
So I interview guests, share thestories with him, and then he
weighs in with hisintergenerational wit at the end
of every episode.
And what's so great is likepeople want my dad's approval.
(38:50):
People want to ask my dad, Andso it's really been like me and
my dad upping our wisdom ratingtogether because every guest I
present to my dad like has beengiving us so much wisdom and
learning lessons along the waytoo.
Sonia (39:04):
That's so awesome.
And my kids have listened toyour show and they've even been
like, mom, why don't you put onBetter Call Daddy?
I will, I will pre, pre listento the episode and I'll be like,
oh, this is a good one.
And then we'll listen to ittogether because it's.
It's a great way for them torealize I always talk to them
about my father, you know We'vehad this conversation before
(39:24):
that he's no longer here But youknow that relationship is so key
and this is why for me It's soimportant to do what I do
because I don't just talk aboutthe academics of college and
career readiness I talk aboutbuilding yourself your identity
and that connection with parentsbecause guess what?
Parents, you're the, you're themain role model.
You're the main role model.
So you have to like set the barfor your child and build it
(39:47):
through communication.
Reena (39:49):
A hundred percent.
Yeah.
Sonia (39:50):
Oh, thank you so much, Reena, for being here in the
College Career Ready podcast.
And I know this will be thefirst of many to come.
Reena (39:56):
Yay.
Thank you so much for having me.
Thank
Sonia (39:57):
you.
Thank you for listening in.
If you enjoyed this episode, itwould mean so much to me if you
share it with a friend, acolleague, or your own
community.
If you share it on social mediaand tag me, I'll make sure to
personally thank you.
My two favorite places to hangout are Instagram and LinkedIn.
Check out our show notes for adirect link.
(40:18):
I'm so thankful for each andevery one of you.
And as always stay well, bepresent and enjoy the journey.
I'll talk to you next week.
Adios.
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