In this special 100th episode of The College and Career Ready Podcast, I’m reflecting on my journey as a career coach, educator, and podcaster to provide parents with insights on how to support their teens in preparing for their future. From starting as a pharmacy technician to becoming a Career and Technology Education expert, my non-linear path taught me valuable lessons about career guidance, self-discovery, and the power of connections.
This episode is packed with actionable advice to help parents guide their teens from high school to college and beyond, including:
- Why self-awareness is key to successful career selection in today’s fast-changing job market.
- The importance of making meaningful career connections early on to gain real-world skills and opportunities.
- How my signature Career Connections online course can help your student transition from high school to college with clarity and confidence.
- Lessons I’ve learned from podcasting, including overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing new opportunities.
As I pause podcasting to focus on DiscoverU College and Career Coaching, I’m sharing tips and tools you can use to help your teen prepare for their journey with purpose and direction.
Resources Mentioned:
- Join the Career Connections newsletter: collegecareerready.org/join
- Sign up for the Career Connections online course starting in January 2025: https://collegecareerready.org/course or Email me directly at info@collegecareerready.org.
Let’s Stay Connected:
- Website: collegecareerready.org
- Newsletter: collegecareerready.org/join
This isn’t goodbye but an hasta pronto! Thank you for being part of this journey. Always remember – stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey!
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"
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sonia Intro (00:01):
Welcome to College and Career Ready, the only
podcast that helps studentstransition from high school to
college and college to theircareer.
My name is Sonia Cacique.
I'm a former educator, certifiedschool counselor, career coach,
and founder of Discover U.
Together, we will redefine whatit truly means to be college and
(00:23):
career ready.
And with our community, youdon't have to do this alone.
So come with me and let's getstarted.
Welcome to the College IncuberReady podcast.
I'm your host, Sonia Kazike, andtoday marks a very special
milestone that I want tocelebrate with all of you.
(00:46):
And that is episode number 100.
We made it my friend, our 100thepisode.
We are going to have the chanceto look back on this incredible
journey.
One that started long before Ieven knew I'd be behind a
microphone and to share theinsights, the pivots, and the
(01:08):
lessons that brought me heretoday.
This season finale is aboutreflection, about new
beginnings, and about the valueof staying connected.
Plus, I have some news to share,so stay tuned until the end.
but first, let's go back to thevery beginning.
(01:28):
I have shared this with youbefore, that my career journey
started at a small age.
As a certified pharmacytechnician.
From there, I became aneducator.
I went back to school to earn mymaster's degree and then
ventured into the world of CTE,also known as career and
technology education, as aneducation consultant.
Along the way, I learnedfirsthand that careers,
(01:51):
especially today, are rarelylinear.
They're a mix of steppingstones, pivots, and open doors
that we might not have evennoticed until they're right in
front of us.
That led me to where I am attoday as a proud founder and
owner of Discover You Collegeand Career Coaching.
(02:11):
Each of these experiences addeda unique piece to my journey,
but it was a dear friend ofmine, Sarah, who unknowingly
inspired the next chapter of mylife a little over two years
ago, and I like sharing thisstory with you because you never
know who that person can be foryou.
(02:32):
or who you can be for someoneelse.
That's why it's so important foralways to share some of the
things that we're going through,the accomplishments, the
milestones, because you neverknow who you'll be impacting,
just like I am here today onthis podcast.
So my friend, Sarah started herown podcast and I found out
through a Facebook post that sheshared that she was about to
(02:56):
launch her podcast.
We were connected or we areconnected on Facebook.
And so I saw, you know, her, hernews, her news alert, and I was
really excited about it.
And seeing her take this leap offaith made me think, Hmm, if she
can do it, I mean, so can I,right?
That's when I reached out to herasking, Sarah, how did you do
(03:18):
it?
And that was my first careerconnection.
Working on this new journey ofmy life with her guidance.
I stepped into the world ofpodcasting.
She shared with me about thecourse that she had taken with
Keisha.
Get married podcaster of theempower her podcast.
If you have not checked out herpodcasts, girls, if you're
(03:40):
listening, this is a greatpodcast to listen to.
She is an amazing, amazing humanbeing.
And I have learned so much fromher and have had the opportunity
to meet her in person as well.
But anyhow, um, she had a fullonline course back then that
also allowed me to tap into theonline course venture that you
have heard about, now with mysignature career connections,
(04:02):
online course was also a fruitof that connection that I had
with her.
Again, one of those momentswhere I felt, man, if she can do
it, so can I, right?
Okay.
So back to my story, I tookKeisha's course, which was a
course to launch your podcast.
In other words, my podcast infour weeks.
And so I joined.
(04:22):
Now, her course was veryintimidating at first because
I'm like, in four weeks, likeI'm going to launch my podcast
in four weeks, but you knowwhat?
I realized I work under pressurea little better and I need
someone to dream bigger for me,right?
I want that person in theforefront, that coach, that
mentor, that's going to say,yes, you can do it and walk me
step by step.
(04:42):
So my first podcast was actuallytitled the Momfluence podcast.
And it began with a simple Asmoms or parents, where are
children's most influentialinfluencer?
I love those conversations andit helped me realize what truly
lit a fire within me.
And that was college and careerreadiness.
So now we're bringing it backfull circle.
I realized so many of ourparents were worried and
(05:05):
concerned about our own child'sfuture.
That the word college provided alot of stress in parents and
students.
And that the finances of collegemade us concerned and had us
questioning What if our childwould halfway through college
decide, mom, dad, I want tochange majors or that they would
(05:28):
graduate to later tell us thatthey dislike or hate their
career that they chose.
I am sure that you have heard ofat least one person who pivoted
their career at least once postcollege graduation, because they
realized that they were in thewrong field.
Or I bet you have heard of thatone person who was a psychology
(05:50):
major, who later realized theiroptions were, let's say limited
post college graduation, unlessthey went towards their master's
degree or build enoughexperience and gained enough
skills, transferable skills topivot their career.
Yet no one told them this alongthe way, or like Keisha's
husband, Sina, who went todental school, finished dental
(06:13):
school, became a dentist only tograduate and later realize he
was in the wrong career.
And he was not happy.
And now he is running a verysuccessful real estate business,
along with Keisha Get Married,his wife, and who actually have
their own podcast that theyshare together called Get
Investing.
have you heard stories likethose?
(06:35):
Oh, and there is something elsethat I also saw that as a
society, we all kept talkingabout mental health and our
children, teens and youngadults, yet we were not changing
the high expectations set uponthem with academia and what
mostly believed that the onlyway is to play the highly
(06:56):
competitive college admissionsprocess and build more stress
and anxiety upon our children.
So I made a shift and launchedthe now college degree ready
podcast, diving into everythingfrom college preparation to real
world skills.
But here's the interesting part,my friend, the more I talk to
experts, the more I realized Isaw how nonlinear careers are
(07:19):
for so many of us, evenincluding myself.
The job market is evolvingfaster than ever and the
greatest tool we have forcollege and career readiness
isn't just a degree or resume,which don't get me wrong, I am a
huge advocate of collegeeducation and pursuing your
college degree.
But my focus in the process ofcollege and career readiness is
(07:39):
knowing ourselves better,whether it's in the process of
college selection, selectingmajors, or narrowing your
college career path.
Knowing who we are, ourstrengths, our passions, our
values, this self awarenessbecomes our compass.
it guides us in making careerconnections that align with who
we truly are.
And that's crucial because we'reentering a world where change is
(08:01):
constant and inevitable.
Where jobs come and go and newindustries are created
practically overnight.
We need to work towards a degreeand career path that motivates
us and brings out the bestversion of us.
College isn't just about thedegree anymore.
It's about the experience, theconnections, and the real world
(08:21):
skills that we can gain alongthe way.
Take medicine, for example.
If you're considering a careeras a doctor, you might think the
path is pretty clear cut, right?
But did you know there are overa hundred and thirty five
specialties and subspecialties?
The question becomes which pathis best for your child or
yourself?
And again, it circles back toknowing yourself.
(08:44):
This understanding became thefoundation for what is now
Discover U College and CareerCoaching.
Through Discover U, I get towork one on one with students,
guiding them to navigate thisjourney of self discovery and
career exploration.
The most fulfilling part of mywork is helping students
understand who they truly are,making meaningful connections,
and chart a course that willhelp them enter the workforce
(09:08):
with clarity and purpose.
My vision is that all collegegraduates start their first
career earning higher salariesthan their peers, while also
living meaningful and purposefullives.
this work that I do withstudents inspired me to create
my signature career connectionsonline course.
It's a four week online journeywhere students build a
(09:28):
foundation for discoveringthemselves and making career
connections early on.
My goal is for them to finishcollege, not only with a degree,
but with a network and a clearvision of the career they want
to pursue.
They'll have real world skillsand most importantly, they'll
know themselves and have aroadmap toward their goals.
So what has this journey ofpodcasting taught me?
(09:51):
I'd say three main things.
First, don't be afraid to startsomething new.
I remember feeling overwhelmedat the idea of podcasting.
It was foreign, unfamiliar, andhonestly, a little intimidating.
But by learning from someone whowas just one step ahead of me, I
was able to break it down andmake it happen.
Second, imposter syndrome willalways show up when you're
(10:15):
starting something new orstepping into something new.
And that's okay.
You can overcome it by focusingon your mission learning along
the way.
I was nervous with those firstfew episodes, but I knew that by
sharing my passion and beingauthentic, I was making a
difference.
And you know what?
I just kept taking the nextstep, just making the next
(10:36):
episode.
And third, that careers oftomorrow don't even exist today.
I realize that what matters mostis staying true to yourself and
always being open to learningand connecting with others.
We're all just one connectionaway from changing the
trajectory of our lives.
One conversation, oneintroduction, one idea can spark
(10:58):
something that you may neverhave even dreamed of.
This philosophy is at the heartof my Career Connections course,
where I guide students inbuilding their network and
gaining valuable skills thatwill serve them through college
and into their careers.
So, as we wrap up this seasonand celebrate 100 episodes, I
want to thank every single oneof you for being part of this
(11:20):
journey.
If you're interested in joiningour next cohort, which will
launch in January, you can checkout the details by going to
collegecareerready.
org forward slash course, orsend me a message directly to my
email info atcollegecareerready.
org.
You can also stay connected byjoining our Career Connections
newsletter, and you can do so bygoing to collegecareerready.
(11:42):
org forward slash join.
All of these links will beincluded in the show notes.
I really want us to stayconnected in the in between of
our next season.
This isn't a goodbye, my friend.
It's an hasta pronto.
My goal is to come back withmini season episodes focused on
specific college and careerreadiness topics, focusing on
the companies and careers oftoday and even the future.
(12:06):
time for me to take a pause andfocus fully on Discover U and my
work with high school andcollege students.
Thank you for being here, forlistening and for supporting
this podcast.
As always, stay well, my friend.
Be present and enjoy the journeyalongside with your child.
Or if you're a studentlistening, enjoy the journey
fully, my friend, it will go byquickly.
(12:28):
I'm looking forward toconnecting with you soon,
whether to discover you, mycareer connections course, or
the next chapter of thispodcasting journey.
Until then, my sweet friend,thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And enjoy every moment of thisbeautiful journey.
Hasta pronto.
Mhm.
Thank you for listening in.
(12:48):
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.
I'm so thankful for each andevery one of you.
(13:09):
And as always stay well, bepresent and enjoy the journey.
Adios.
Welcome to College and Career Ready, the only
podcast that helps studentstransition from high school to
college and college to theircareer.
My name is Sonia Cacique.
I'm a former educator, certifiedschool counselor, career coach,
and founder of Discover U.
Together, we will redefine whatit truly means to be college and
(00:23):
career ready.
And with our community, youdon't have to do this alone.
So come with me and let's getstarted.
Welcome to the College IncuberReady podcast.
I'm your host, Sonia Kazike, andtoday marks a very special
milestone that I want tocelebrate with all of you.
(00:46):
And that is episode number 100.
We made it my friend, our 100thepisode.
We are going to have the chanceto look back on this incredible
journey.
One that started long before Ieven knew I'd be behind a
microphone and to share theinsights, the pivots, and the
(01:08):
lessons that brought me heretoday.
This season finale is aboutreflection, about new
beginnings, and about the valueof staying connected.
Plus, I have some news to share,so stay tuned until the end.
but first, let's go back to thevery beginning.
(01:28):
I have shared this with youbefore, that my career journey
started at a small age.
As a certified pharmacytechnician.
From there, I became aneducator.
I went back to school to earn mymaster's degree and then
ventured into the world of CTE,also known as career and
technology education, as aneducation consultant.
Along the way, I learnedfirsthand that careers,
(01:51):
especially today, are rarelylinear.
They're a mix of steppingstones, pivots, and open doors
that we might not have evennoticed until they're right in
front of us.
That led me to where I am attoday as a proud founder and
owner of Discover You Collegeand Career Coaching.
(02:11):
Each of these experiences addeda unique piece to my journey,
but it was a dear friend ofmine, Sarah, who unknowingly
inspired the next chapter of mylife a little over two years
ago, and I like sharing thisstory with you because you never
know who that person can be foryou.
(02:32):
or who you can be for someoneelse.
That's why it's so important foralways to share some of the
things that we're going through,the accomplishments, the
milestones, because you neverknow who you'll be impacting,
just like I am here today onthis podcast.
So my friend, Sarah started herown podcast and I found out
through a Facebook post that sheshared that she was about to
(02:56):
launch her podcast.
We were connected or we areconnected on Facebook.
And so I saw, you know, her, hernews, her news alert, and I was
really excited about it.
And seeing her take this leap offaith made me think, Hmm, if she
can do it, I mean, so can I,right?
That's when I reached out to herasking, Sarah, how did you do
(03:18):
it?
And that was my first careerconnection.
Working on this new journey ofmy life with her guidance.
I stepped into the world ofpodcasting.
She shared with me about thecourse that she had taken with
Keisha.
Get married podcaster of theempower her podcast.
If you have not checked out herpodcasts, girls, if you're
(03:40):
listening, this is a greatpodcast to listen to.
She is an amazing, amazing humanbeing.
And I have learned so much fromher and have had the opportunity
to meet her in person as well.
But anyhow, um, she had a fullonline course back then that
also allowed me to tap into theonline course venture that you
have heard about, now with mysignature career connections,
(04:02):
online course was also a fruitof that connection that I had
with her.
Again, one of those momentswhere I felt, man, if she can do
it, so can I, right?
Okay.
So back to my story, I tookKeisha's course, which was a
course to launch your podcast.
In other words, my podcast infour weeks.
And so I joined.
(04:22):
Now, her course was veryintimidating at first because
I'm like, in four weeks, likeI'm going to launch my podcast
in four weeks, but you knowwhat?
I realized I work under pressurea little better and I need
someone to dream bigger for me,right?
I want that person in theforefront, that coach, that
mentor, that's going to say,yes, you can do it and walk me
step by step.
(04:42):
So my first podcast was actuallytitled the Momfluence podcast.
And it began with a simple Asmoms or parents, where are
children's most influentialinfluencer?
I love those conversations andit helped me realize what truly
lit a fire within me.
And that was college and careerreadiness.
So now we're bringing it backfull circle.
I realized so many of ourparents were worried and
(05:05):
concerned about our own child'sfuture.
That the word college provided alot of stress in parents and
students.
And that the finances of collegemade us concerned and had us
questioning What if our childwould halfway through college
decide, mom, dad, I want tochange majors or that they would
(05:28):
graduate to later tell us thatthey dislike or hate their
career that they chose.
I am sure that you have heard ofat least one person who pivoted
their career at least once postcollege graduation, because they
realized that they were in thewrong field.
Or I bet you have heard of thatone person who was a psychology
(05:50):
major, who later realized theiroptions were, let's say limited
post college graduation, unlessthey went towards their master's
degree or build enoughexperience and gained enough
skills, transferable skills topivot their career.
Yet no one told them this alongthe way, or like Keisha's
husband, Sina, who went todental school, finished dental
(06:13):
school, became a dentist only tograduate and later realize he
was in the wrong career.
And he was not happy.
And now he is running a verysuccessful real estate business,
along with Keisha Get Married,his wife, and who actually have
their own podcast that theyshare together called Get
Investing.
have you heard stories likethose?
(06:35):
Oh, and there is something elsethat I also saw that as a
society, we all kept talkingabout mental health and our
children, teens and youngadults, yet we were not changing
the high expectations set uponthem with academia and what
mostly believed that the onlyway is to play the highly
(06:56):
competitive college admissionsprocess and build more stress
and anxiety upon our children.
So I made a shift and launchedthe now college degree ready
podcast, diving into everythingfrom college preparation to real
world skills.
But here's the interesting part,my friend, the more I talk to
experts, the more I realized Isaw how nonlinear careers are
(07:19):
for so many of us, evenincluding myself.
The job market is evolvingfaster than ever and the
greatest tool we have forcollege and career readiness
isn't just a degree or resume,which don't get me wrong, I am a
huge advocate of collegeeducation and pursuing your
college degree.
But my focus in the process ofcollege and career readiness is
(07:39):
knowing ourselves better,whether it's in the process of
college selection, selectingmajors, or narrowing your
college career path.
Knowing who we are, ourstrengths, our passions, our
values, this self awarenessbecomes our compass.
it guides us in making careerconnections that align with who
we truly are.
And that's crucial because we'reentering a world where change is
(08:01):
constant and inevitable.
Where jobs come and go and newindustries are created
practically overnight.
We need to work towards a degreeand career path that motivates
us and brings out the bestversion of us.
College isn't just about thedegree anymore.
It's about the experience, theconnections, and the real world
(08:21):
skills that we can gain alongthe way.
Take medicine, for example.
If you're considering a careeras a doctor, you might think the
path is pretty clear cut, right?
But did you know there are overa hundred and thirty five
specialties and subspecialties?
The question becomes which pathis best for your child or
yourself?
And again, it circles back toknowing yourself.
(08:44):
This understanding became thefoundation for what is now
Discover U College and CareerCoaching.
Through Discover U, I get towork one on one with students,
guiding them to navigate thisjourney of self discovery and
career exploration.
The most fulfilling part of mywork is helping students
understand who they truly are,making meaningful connections,
and chart a course that willhelp them enter the workforce
(09:08):
with clarity and purpose.
My vision is that all collegegraduates start their first
career earning higher salariesthan their peers, while also
living meaningful and purposefullives.
this work that I do withstudents inspired me to create
my signature career connectionsonline course.
It's a four week online journeywhere students build a
(09:28):
foundation for discoveringthemselves and making career
connections early on.
My goal is for them to finishcollege, not only with a degree,
but with a network and a clearvision of the career they want
to pursue.
They'll have real world skillsand most importantly, they'll
know themselves and have aroadmap toward their goals.
So what has this journey ofpodcasting taught me?
(09:51):
I'd say three main things.
First, don't be afraid to startsomething new.
I remember feeling overwhelmedat the idea of podcasting.
It was foreign, unfamiliar, andhonestly, a little intimidating.
But by learning from someone whowas just one step ahead of me, I
was able to break it down andmake it happen.
Second, imposter syndrome willalways show up when you're
(10:15):
starting something new orstepping into something new.
And that's okay.
You can overcome it by focusingon your mission learning along
the way.
I was nervous with those firstfew episodes, but I knew that by
sharing my passion and beingauthentic, I was making a
difference.
And you know what?
I just kept taking the nextstep, just making the next
(10:36):
episode.
And third, that careers oftomorrow don't even exist today.
I realize that what matters mostis staying true to yourself and
always being open to learningand connecting with others.
We're all just one connectionaway from changing the
trajectory of our lives.
One conversation, oneintroduction, one idea can spark
(10:58):
something that you may neverhave even dreamed of.
This philosophy is at the heartof my Career Connections course,
where I guide students inbuilding their network and
gaining valuable skills thatwill serve them through college
and into their careers.
So, as we wrap up this seasonand celebrate 100 episodes, I
want to thank every single oneof you for being part of this
(11:20):
journey.
If you're interested in joiningour next cohort, which will
launch in January, you can checkout the details by going to
collegecareerready.
org forward slash course, orsend me a message directly to my
email info atcollegecareerready.
org.
You can also stay connected byjoining our Career Connections
newsletter, and you can do so bygoing to collegecareerready.
(11:42):
org forward slash join.
All of these links will beincluded in the show notes.
I really want us to stayconnected in the in between of
our next season.
This isn't a goodbye, my friend.
It's an hasta pronto.
My goal is to come back withmini season episodes focused on
specific college and careerreadiness topics, focusing on
the companies and careers oftoday and even the future.
(12:06):
time for me to take a pause andfocus fully on Discover U and my
work with high school andcollege students.
Thank you for being here, forlistening and for supporting
this podcast.
As always, stay well, my friend.
Be present and enjoy the journeyalongside with your child.
Or if you're a studentlistening, enjoy the journey
fully, my friend, it will go byquickly.
(12:28):
I'm looking forward toconnecting with you soon,
whether to discover you, mycareer connections course, or
the next chapter of thispodcasting journey.
Until then, my sweet friend,thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And enjoy every moment of thisbeautiful journey.
Hasta pronto.
Mhm.
Thank you for listening in.
(12:48):
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.
I'm so thankful for each andevery one of you.
(13:09):
And as always stay well, bepresent and enjoy the journey.
Adios.
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