I realize you may be questioning my credentials for writing The Marketing of You. Well...I have parented 4 children, 2 born when I was in my 20s, and 2 born while in my 40s...and I learned more from them than they learned from me.
So, I began this project several years ago in an attempt to pay forward the middle class opportunities and achievements in my life and give today’s teenagers some guidance I would have welcomed when I was a kid.
As a blue collar teenager in the 1960s, my path to middle class adulthood was simpler than it is for most teens today! Coping with rampant social media and peer pressure, plus simple teen naivety requires a new grit, confidence, personal character, and strong parental support. Good mentors, including teachers, coaches, and other role models in a teenager’s community, can also significantly enhance teen outcomes.
The Marketing of You. My book is a roadmap to developing life skills and character. With the program, our mentors share wisdom, experience, and principles of good character, and they provide additional guidance and access to opportunities to help teens achieve the middle class dream for this and future generations of teenagers.
Life experiences with 4 teenagers, divorce, and family tragedy
One of my enlightenments is that parenting is a fluid endeavor with many twists and turns. My 2 oldest daughters were born in the 1970's and are children of divorce. They lived with their Mom and stepdad on a full time basis; sharing time in my care on Wednesday evenings and every other weekend. I remarried and have a younger daughter and son with my second wife – my older daughters regularly included in our family life.
At the age of 13, my youngest daughter was in a serious car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. My entire family entered “life in transition” mode for several years following the event, as my daughter slowly regained her ability to walk, talk and effectively interact with the world. Today, she has a career in healthcare and is flourishing as a human being.
Hand-me-down parenting is not suited for the 21st Century
Like many parents, much of my parenting skill was inherited, as I mimicked the “good” experience my parents provided with their parenting me. I eliminated what I considered a “bad “ experience from their parenting (think emotional/verbal abuse). Also, back in the 1970’s when I was parenting my 2 older children, Dr Spock was the preeminent “go to” resource along with “Children The Challenge,” introducing the philosophy that children need to understand that there are consequences to their behavior. The literature at this time had little space devoted to children's fears or adverse childhood experiences. Parenting skills were passed down from generation to generation, essentially maintaining cultural traditions, perhaps with a few adjustments made for unique circumstances.
But no matter what parenting skills were effective over the past 50 years, it’s important for parents of today's teenagers to be effective now – with 21st century parenting. We are approaching the quarter-century mark, and our institutions – education, religion, college, professional sports or family structure – are being marginalized while fame, fortune, celebrity selfies, TikTok and artificial intelligence have taken over the zeitgeist. Parents and teenagers need current “go to” resources.
Introduce your teens to character development
So rather than ramble on about what I learned during my 22 years of parenting teenagers before the era of smartphones, I penned The Marketing of You to introduce teens and parents to the core principles of failing well, fighting for others, thinking for yourself, living in the moment and earning everything while developing "grit" – Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, and Financial – to succeed. The book, and an accompanying discussion program, introduces teenagers (and their parents) to the soft skills of decision making, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, negotiation, conversation, financial literacy, social media discipline and leadership.
You can help make a difference in a young life!
I am donating my time and the proceeds from my book to this project. Helping teens succeed is my way of helping to secure America’s middle class. Please consider joining my mission as a mentor or donating to The Marketing of You GoFundMe campaign. Through this fund, our scholarship program rewards teenagers embracing our core principles, developing soft skills and personal character, and paying it forward to peers and community youth through their own mentoring efforts.
Please, explore the website to learn more about what we do to help teens and their families, and see why your donation is needed to achieve our mission.
I appreciate your support for better teen outcomes, a stronger middle class America, and The Marketing of You!
