Empowering Our Youth Starts in the Morning with Katie Wood: An EOFire Classic from 2022

0:01Boom! Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire. are brought to you by High Level, the all-in-one sales and marketing platform. On today's classic episode, we'll be breaking down empowering our youth and how it starts in the morning. To draw these value bombs, I am brought to Katie Wood into EO Fire Studios. Katie is an author, entrepreneur, mom of four, and fire wife who believes there's nothing more powerful than investing in the next generation to prepare them for an unknown future. In today's Fire Nation, we'll talk about how simple, powerful lessons done over breakfast teaches kids how to become their best selves and learn how to overcome obstacles, take responsibility, persevere, and love themselves for who they are and owe so much more.

0:42And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Katie and our sponsors. Are you ready for the ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies? Build funnels, automate follow-ups, manage clients, and even white label your own software. Say hello to our featured partner, high level and visit highlevelfire.com to start your free trial today. Katie, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. Hello, JLD. This is such an honor to be on here. That is a deep question. I absolutely love it for so many reasons.

1:29And I'd have to say that I believe it's more about doing than having. You know, I think we live in a society that success, you know, the term success can be defined in so many ways. But so many of us look at it as what we have, the size of your house, the car you drive, the clothes you wear. When in reality, you know, we all know those, the burst of the wow, when you get something big and fancy, it always fades. And real success is the difference you make. It's the mark you leave on this world and it's the seeds that you plant. And I know that making a difference in someone's life is really the only thing that we will remember.

2:08I love that answer. And I actually love that phrase that I've never heard before, which is the burst of wow. And you're so right on that, though, is that burst of wow, it fades like almost immediately. And sometimes you're even kind of left with that thing that so many people have experienced, buyer's remorse. And you're like, oh, like now I almost feel worse than when I bought it in the first place. And it's like, no, that's not what it's about. It's about stacking experiences. And Fire Nation, as you heard in the introduction, we're talking today about empowering our youth starts in the morning.

2:38And I'm excited about this conversation because I've been a big morning person for a long time. And, you know, myself recently getting married and myself and my wife, Kate, not to be confused with KT, the guest here. we're potentially going to be going down the parental route sometime soon. And so I'm really hoping to empower my youth, like I've empowered myself by doing things right in the morning, because let's dive into what is a really difficult topic, but something that you're really qualified to talk about, which is the fact that both kids and parents, they're just struggling more than ever now.

3:13So why is this the case? So, you know, I think a big thing is the obvious of the pandemic. You know, stress levels have never been higher for families at a whole. And kids are anxious, you know, depression levels are rising. You know, I've talked to so many teachers, coaches, parents, and the bottom line is every kid was affected in some form or another from what we've all experienced these last two years. And we need to help them to build back that mindset, that confidence, that inner peace. And that really starts with us as parents. And I believe that kids not only need this empowerment, the ability to start your morning on the right foot with a positive mindset.

3:59And I'll talk a little bit about how this book was created to do just that. Not only do they need it, they deserve it because of everything that they have been through. But this morning journal, you know, I created that so much of how we start our day affects, you know, the rest of the day where you're more productive, more in control, you set the tone, you know, you're developing these healthy habits. And in my eyes, when you teach this to kids at a young age, you're giving them a major, major advantage. And the reason I worked so hard to do this book. And, you know, I know anyone who writes a book really, you needed it first.

4:39So our family, I could feel it. I could feel the effects of COVID and the anxiety and the stress. And once I really implemented a strong morning routine, which I have been doing for several years now, and I know what a gift and impact and advantage it is to do one, giving that to your kid, you know, I wish I knew that. I wish I had that growing up. I wish all of us did. And, And when you give that gift, it just can help build that confidence, that self-esteem, make deeper connection and really a foundation for good mental and emotional health. And I think that's the greatest gift we can give our kids.

5:14So the journal that Katie's referring to is A Simple Seed. And we will be talking more about this as the interview unfolds. And I got my hand on one of these copies. And I will say Fire Nation, incredibly well done. So one thing I really want to stress as Katie's talking through this entire process is really put yourself in the situation of what is it going to look like for you when you're doing the things early in the morning for yourself, for your kids, if you have them, opposed to just kind of letting life take its own course. And one thing that I love that you have as a quote is how you start your day sets the entire tone for the day, which I've lived for a decade plus now.

5:55So talk through this belief. What does it mean for you and for people that are going to read your book? From the moment we wake up, our minds are flooded with things we need to do. Most people wake up and it's an instant burst of stress and anxiety and a to-do list. And without even knowing, that is how the rest of your day flows. Because the statement, the early bird gets the worm, you know, we've heard it for so long now, but there's so much truth behind that, that it truly is scientifically proven that how you start your day, whether it's meditation or prayer or reading something positive or exercise or something to just fill your heart, your soul, your brain, everything flows from that.

6:39And, you know, it's interesting. So Mel Robbins has been, she's amazing. And I've really studied her a lot. And she talks about the brain a lot and how powerful it is. And once you understand the brain and how it works, you can get, you can use it in your power. Because I think for most people, you know, the brain is just, it's taking control of you, you know, and once you understand neuroplasticity, that ability to change and adapt, the human brain is constantly processing millions bits of information per second. And our conscious mind can only handle, you know, a little bit of that. And when you tell your mind what is most important, your mind will, it will let that in.

7:25And it'll let all that goodness in. And that's the RAS, the reticular activating system. It's that filter in your brain that it really, whatever you put to the front of your brain, your mind will take that and attract that throughout the day. And there's a great example, you know, if your kid is, you know I want that I want a red bike I want a red bike it's all they keep thinking about and all of a sudden you're in the car and a kid sees a kid on a red bike and then another red bike shows up and it's not that a red bike never existed it's just that your mind finally let it in and a morning routine does the same exact thing when you have those meaningful thoughts those affirmations you move them to the front of your brain first thing in the morning you attract them throughout the day because whatever you focus on grows.

8:14And it's a beautiful way to start your day, your kids' day, the teachers. It has a really powerful ripple effect and it's really helping kids, teaching them how to think, not necessarily what to think. What you focus on grows. I love that one mindset and that one big takeaway, Fire Nation. And if you just keep thinking about that, what you focus on grows. And there's a great Mark Twain quote, I'll butcher it a little bit, but it's essentially, I've had a lot of troubles in my life, but only a small fraction have ever come true. Meaning that so many people just sit there worrying about all these things.

8:52They focus on all these negative, negative things that might come true and they never come true. So it's like, why are you spending all your time focusing on the negative when you can focus on the positive or the things that you have right now control over? And something you just mentioned at the very end there was that you're a big believer in the mindset of teaching kids how, as opposed to teaching kids what to think. So you teach them how to think, not what to think. Give us some examples of this. Kids are a blank slate. You know, when kids come to us as parents, we have this incredible opportunity to really help mold them into being the best version of themselves.

9:30And, you know, kids are not here to be us. I'm such a believer in that. I think as parents, the best gift we can give them is helping them find their gifts. You know, they're not supposed to be us. They're not supposed to do what we did. They are their own soul, their own spirit. We need to help them find their gifts, help them use those gifts to help serve the world and make the world a better place. And then most importantly, never forget those gifts. And how we do that is by guiding them through life and helping them pinpoint, wow, you know, you are really good at that. How, you know, how can you do more with that?

10:07And when I created this journal, I give these life lessons. And then I have a certain box or a box underneath that helps them focus on gratitude. And gratitude, in my eyes, and I'm sure you would agree, is the most important thing. It's everything. It's everything. It's the key to life. It helps you feel more positive emotions and improves your health, deal with adversity. You know, the more you practice gratitude, the more things you have to be grateful for. and teaching kids that is so, it's so, it's such an empowering gift because the hard times now become lessons. You can always try to see the good.

10:46And then there's another section for I am statements and really, you know, those affirmations, because whatever follows your I am's will come back and follow you. And there's a lot of science behind how you speak to yourself. And I think if we can make kids more self-aware of the voice that is in their head, I mean, it's a brain booster when you can do those positive affirmations. And if you do it over and over again, it'll have that long-term lasting change to the way they think and feel about themselves and the way they think and feel about the world. And then I also have a spot in there for who can I make smile today?

11:21And that's teaching kids to be intentional, you know, and don't let the day run you. You take control. You run the day. You go out and make someone smile. You go make someone feel better because we all know that if you want a good friend in life, you gotta be a good friend. And when you do those good things, it has a ripple effect and it will come back to you. And teaching all these kids that at a young age, I really think it can set them up to an unknown future to have that grit and that growth mindset. So there's a number of value bombs in there, Fire Nation. But two things I wanna pull out is, number one is that gratitude portion.

12:02there's a reason why all of my journals start the first line on every day. It says share something unique that I am grateful for. And I think that word unique is pretty important because we can so easily fall into this trap of just like, I'm grateful for my kids. I'm grateful for my kids. I'm grateful for my kids. And it's like, we don't think you're not grateful for your kids, but if you keep saying the exact same thing over and over again, it's almost like it fades into the background. It's like, what is something unique? Like think about it, be intentional about something you're grateful for.

12:30Like, look around, Like I'm looking around right now and I'm looking to my left and I'm like, I'm actually really grateful for this Keurig, this to my left right now, because I was able to, right before I got on this call with Katie, make a nice cup of chamomile tea that I'm sipping on right now. And it was right here. And I'm grateful for that thing. And that was just a random thing that I just looked at right now. Then that other thing I wanted to mention is the gift of a smile. I mean, what better gift can you give somebody than the gift of a smile? I mean, a smile, laughter, it's such a feel-good feeling for that person.

13:02But I mean, as humans, we're wired as well. It makes us feel good when we make somebody smile. It makes us feel good when we make somebody laugh. That's special too. And if you think we're even close to done talking about things that are so important in life such as all we've been talking about so far. You've got another Think Common Fire Nation as soon as we get back from thanking our sponsors. You've got AI helping you write emails and name your dog. Shouldn't you be using AI to help you invest too? Seriously, I know investing can seem a bit overwhelming. I've been studying it since a young age and I still have questions 30 years later, but it's an incredibly important part of my overall long-term wealth strategy.

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15:30So visit highlevelfire.com to start your free trial and see why thousands of businesses are switching. That's highlevelfire.com where marketing, sales, and automation finally come together. High level, join the revolution. Katie, we're back and we've gone over this a little bit, But I want to really dive into planting the right seeds to give our kids a strong foundation so that they can handle the challenges that they have in life coming up. So let's really dive deeper into this topic and how you have really built concepts around planting these right seeds for our kids, for their foundation, for all the stuff that's going to be coming up ahead.

16:12What is your process there? The simple seed in general, it's, you know, like we said, that morning journal that helps parents start the day with their kids strong. It's helping teach those important character values and the benefits of practicing gratitude and positive self-talk. They're simple, powerful lessons done over breakfast, and they're really teaching kids how to be their best selves. And they'll learn to overcome obstacles, take responsibility, persevere, and love themselves for who they are. And, you know, we're so busy. And I know so many parents are like, my mornings are so chaotic.

16:50And that's even more reason to do this. It's to just stop, you know, pause, reflect on what's most important in life and simply plant this seed. You know, I call it a simple seed because it's simple to do, but unfortunately it's also simple to not do. And that's a choice. And the simple seed is here to bring families from chaos to connection, have deeper conversations and really plant that seed to give them strong roots for life. And, and you know, the, the quote, the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. So this is something that has to be done over and over and over again.

17:25But when we do those little things every single day, that's, that leads to massive results one day. And it's, you know, I love the example of the bamboo tree, you know, a bamboo grows beneath the surface and it takes five years to establish its roots. So for five years, it is being established under the ground. And then when it's ready around the fifth year, it grows about 80 feet in just six weeks. Wow. And if you just keep planting those seeds and knowing as a parent, we're giving them all we got, one day they will bloom, they will flourish, and they will really know themselves for who they are and at that highest expression.

18:07And I really believe that is truly the best gift we can give them and ourselves that knowing, you know, we gave it all, we gave them those roots. And then it's time to fly. I love all those analogies. And the one phrase I wanna repeat that Katie just shared is what's simple to do is also simple not to do. And a great example is, hey, right behind me over my closet, I've got a pull-up bar. You know, after I get done with this interview, it's going to be really easy for me to go and just whip off 10 pull-ups real quick. But guess what? It'd be really easy for me not to do that too. And over the course of time, if I just do that easy thing every day, just even just 10 pull-ups once a day, every day, then over time that's going to have definite, definite advantage to me, muscle-wise, physical, all the things.

18:52And it's simple for me not to do it too. And I've got caught in that rut as well. So I love that phrase. I want you to think about that. Now there's a lot of gifts that we can give our kids. what's one of the best, Katie? I think the best gift we can give them is helping them know their gifts. I really believe in my heart. You know, I have four small kids, 10 and under, and each one of them is totally different. So I think the worst thing I can do is parent them all the same. And it's really knowing the kid for who they are and taking the time to understand who they are and their love language and what they love, what they don't love and accepting that.

19:31and then helping them be the best version of themselves. I truly think that is the best gift because you know, I know there's gonna come a point in their life where society is gonna try to pull them a certain way or an influence is gonna try to, but if they are grounded and stand strong in their roots and know who they are, they're gonna be able to follow their bliss and follow their heart and what they think their purpose and calling on this earth is. They'll be able to stand strong in that. So I've had a lot of success over the years with journals. I mean, Fire Nation, my audience has loved the Freedom Journal, the Mastery Journal, the Podcast Journal.

20:10And you did take this leap of faith and you created a simple seed journal. And I know probably more than most people how hard it is to create something like that. Like a lot of people are like, oh, it's a journal. Like you just tell people to write things down. It's like, it's actually so hard to create something that's really special and really lasting. I mean, I've written a traditionally published book and I've done journals and I can tell you, my journals took more mental bandwidth than my book did. And it's just a labor of love. So talk to Fire Nation in more detail about what a Simple Seed journal is, what's it all about, and how they can get their hands on one of these amazing journals.

20:49A Simple Seed, it gives busy parents a chance to empower and make deeper connections with their kids. It's helping kids start the day firmly planted. It's helping set the tone of the day, get their brain in the right place. And then it's helping all the people that are around them. It's helping teachers by sending your kid to school with the right mindset. And it's helping other kids when your kid intentionally makes somebody else smile. It has such a ripple effect. And it's a foundation for good mental and emotional health. And I really believe now more than ever, children need to learn the essential life skills that will help them manage their emotion, develop resiliency, and flourish.

21:28So you can get this book. It is on Amazon now. And yes, it was such a process to write and even get on Amazon and create a website. There's just so much that goes on behind the scenes. But once that book is in your hands and done, there's just no feeling like it. and the thought of it going from my kitchen to others and planting seeds in kids' lives around the world, there's just nothing that gives me more joy. Fire Nation, take action. If this book isn't for you because maybe you're not in the situation right now where you have kids at home or yada, yada, yada, you know somebody who needs this.

22:06So get on Amazon, get this book. Where is the URL or what is the URL? Simpleseedjournal.com is the website. and under Amazon, it's a simple seed of growth, gratitude, and giggles. Boom, growth, gratitude, and giggles. The three Gs, I love that. That's fantastic. And if you do love this journal, which I think you will, Fire Nation, leave a review. Reviews are so important. I mean, they show other people the hard work and energy that Katie put into this. And we're just asking for an honest review, but I know the work she put into this is gonna be an awesome, honest review. So make that happen for sure.

22:43and I just want to have Katie, you give one final takeaway for our listeners, for Fire Nation about something that you think from this theme that we've talked about here today that they can really take away, walk away. If there was just one thing, what would it be? You become what you believe. At the end of the day, whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're correct. And if we really believe in ourselves to the fullest, like authentically, truly deep down in the soul. If you believe in yourself, it is hands down the truth that anything is possible. And that doesn't mean it's gonna be easy, but it's possible.

23:23And if you believe in yourself, you're gonna get past those hardships, past those challenges, past the difficult moments that are supposed to be in your way to get where you wanna go. But at the end of the day, it all starts with your belief and your belief starts with that little seed planted in you that grows over time. I love that. And Fire Nation, on a final note, Katie not only is part of Fire Nation, but she is part of Friar Nation. And that's actually how we first connected quite some time ago, just on our bond of Providence College, which we're both alumni of. and we've gone back and forth about the awesome basketball Sweet 16 trip that we made this past year and just our love for the school and the college and just how these kind of things can bring you together.

24:10So I just want to say to you, Katie, thank you for representing Providence College and for representing mothers and for representing entrepreneurs around the world for what you're doing. And you know this Fire Nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. And you've been hanging out with K-Dubs and JLD today. so keep up the heat and head over to eofire.com. Type Katie in the search bar. The show notes page will pop up with everything that we've talked about here today. Best show notes in the biz. A simple seed journal is where you can go to on Amazon or of course a URL that she gave earlier.

24:45That's where you can go. Check this out. Make sure that you ingest it. You apply it to your life and those that you love. And Katie, I want to say thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Hey, Fire Nation. Today's value bomb content was brought to you by Katie and Fire Nation. Over the last decade, I've interviewed more than 3 ,000 of the world's most successful entrepreneurs and I've created a revolutionary 17-step roadmap to your financial freedom and fulfillment.

25:18I put it all into my first traditionally published book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, personally endorsed by Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk. The common path to uncommon success is the step-by-step guidance that you need, Fire Nation, to achieve the lifestyle of your dreams. Visit UncommonSuccessBook.com and order your copy today. I'll catch you there or on the flippity-flip side. Are you ready for the ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies? Build funnels, automate follow-ups, manage clients, and even white label your own software, say hello to our featured partner, High Level, and visit highlevelfire.com to start your free trial today.