88. How Networking in College Leads to Career Readiness and Job Offers after College with Reena Friedman-Watts

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

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"

Transcript

0:00

Have you ever wondered how students can make the most out of their college experience to set themselves apart for a thriving career? well, you are about to find out. We'll be discussing how to build meaningful connections, explore different career paths, and prepare for life after graduation. So tune in to this great episode. Welcome to another exciting episode of the College and Career Ready podcast. I'm your host, Coach Sonia, and today we have a fantastic guest, my dear friend, Reena Freeman Watts, the dynamic host of the Better Call Daddy podcast. Reena's journey began just like many of our students, navigating college life while discovering her passions and kick starting a successful career. Rina's journey is nothing short of inspiring from her start in the radio industry during her college years, her experience working on shows like the Jerry Springer Show and Nanny 911, to her ventures in marketing and podcasting. we'll dive deep into her unique career path and trust me, this episode is packed with insights. An inspiration to help you excel. So grab your notebook, get comfortable and let's dive right in to the show.

Sonia: 1:49

Hi, Reena. Welcome to the College and Career Ready podcast.

Reena: 1:52

I am so excited to be here with you in person. I

Sonia: 1:55

know. Isn't this really exciting? So I'm glad you're here. We have so much to talk about and, you know, for our listeners, why don't you tell us about yourself other than that? You're the host of the Better Call Daddy podcast. So give us a little bit of an overview of you.

Reena: 2:10

Yes, an overview of me is I am a mom of four, four kids, 15 and under currently, and when I'm not doing the mommy thing, I am coming to do things like this, you know, interviewing people, um, Helping people with book testimonials, helping people with their LinkedIn. I'm kind of like a freelance marketer on demand. Um, I got my start in the radio industry in college, actually. Um, I went to a youth performing arts school for high school and, You know, I, my parents really wanted me to, I think, be on the stage, but I always felt more comfortable behind the scenes. And so, uh, I had a singing scholarship to college and I went to a small school that after going to a very competitive high school, this college had offered me a full ride at the University of Charleston in West Virginia. And from there, I. It was kind of like being a big, you know, a big fish in a small pond. And after being in such a competitive environment in high school, I was just like looking for more attention. And, um, anyway, I started there for two years and then I ended up transferring to Purdue because I was like looking for something more. Okay. And so when I transferred to Purdue, they had a radio station on campus. And I just decided like that is something that I wanted to do and wanted to try. And so I walked in there and was like, Hey, I want to work in radio. And luckily, actually the timing of that worked out. And there was a lady who I think was leaving at the time. And they asked me if I would work like the 5am shift and the weekend shift. And so this was before automation. And I started going in on weekends and like, Loading the features and learning how to run the board manually. And then I also took another internship at a local news station, which was great. It was WLFI in West Lafayette, Indiana. And what I learned there was how to floor direct and how to. Run the audio board during a live newscast, and I got to work on some local commercials, and I loved all of this. Like, those experiences really excited me, and so I kind of paid attention to that. And when I was getting ready to graduate, I went to the alumni office on campus, and they had a connection with somebody at WGN in Chicago, which was only a couple of hours away. And I drove from Purdue, interviewed at WGN, and did not get the job.

Sonia: 4:45

Oh, no. Yes.

Reena: 4:47

But while I was up there, I saw a flyer that Jerry Springer was looking for interns, 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 fetched from some people that I knew. And so I walked over to NBC Tower on the same trip. And got through to the intern coordinator and ended up starting there two weeks later, like right upon graduating.

Sonia: 5:13

So you walk out, right, with not getting an interview, and you went to the interview and you didn't actually get the internship,

Reena: 5:21

correct? I, yeah, I had an interview and then they didn't have an opening and it just didn't come together quick enough. Okay. And you walk down and you see the flyer. And what does the flyer say? It said, looking for interns for the Jerry Springer show. And it had like, you know, the numbers you could call. And so I called the number and was like, Hey, I'm here now and I'm getting ready to graduate. And can we talk basically?

Sonia: 5:42

Wow. And okay, let's, let's go back in time a little bit. So when you were in high school. What were you planning to do as far as career wise? So you said you wanted more behind the scenes, but what did that look like then?

Reena: 5:54

Well, the thing is, is that I used to love to sing as a little girl and I loved music and there was a school, a magnet school in my area and it was renowned throughout the state and I, again, I'm not the kind of person that reads all the fine print of like all that that entails. And so I just went in there, I sang a song off the radio and they were like, um, you need to be able to sing in a foreign language. You need to be able to read music. You need to be able to like. pluck out all of the sheet music and sing on note names. And I'm like, Oh my God, I don't know how to do any of that. And so I didn't get in. Okay. Okay. And then my dad went to the head of the music department and was like, Hey, what does she have to do to get another audition? And so they said, here's the music teacher that we work with outside of the school. A lot of kids go to her, work with her over the summer, learn a, Italian aria, learn how to sight read music, take some piano lessons and come back. And I don't even think probably most people get that opportunity, but I don't know. The head of the music department saw something in my dad, saw something in me, gave me another try. But the thing is, is like, I literally never feel felt like I got in because everyone else got in on the first try. And I was like, Um, just always trying to blend in with all of these super talented people around me. And for four years I did that. I literally wanted to quit every single day. Like there were so many times where I'm like, please don't call on me. Please don't call on me. Like I would hear these voices and I'm like, they're so much better than me. And, but, but being a part of that program, you know, we got to sing at the mayor's inauguration. We got to go to Carnegie Hall twice. We, you know, went to Muhammad Ali's house. Like it was a very renowned program. I went to school with Nicole Scherzinger, who's now worth like 300 million, you know. The, the talent in that school was tremendous and, and the biggest lesson I learned from that one is keep your commitments if somebody goes to bat for you to, um, if you surround yourself by super talented people, eventually some of that wears off on you and makes you feel more talented too. And um, You know, even in being a mom now, you know, I had a kid that started a new school his freshman year and he hadn't played basketball in years and really basketball was like the best program athletic wise in his high school. And he decided that he wanted to get on that team. And last summer he worked out so hard, like literally six days a week, I mean, for three and four hours at a time. And he made the team and he ended up starting this past season in 10th grade. It's insane. And I'm like, you know, if you have determination, really as a kid, there's so many opportunities

Sonia: 8:28

out there. Well, and I think the important thing is that you're finding what drives him. Because if it's not going to drive him, it doesn't matter what opportunity you put in front of him. He's not going to. He's not going to

Reena: 8:38

work towards it. Let me tell you, with your firstborn, 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 like two years old until he did every single level. And you're right. Like they're finally like, okay. I reached all the levels you wanted and, you know, tried chess with him and all different things to try to see what his interests are. But when they like something and they're motivated to do it on their own and then they can reach their own levels of success and, and you don't even have to push them, you have to pay attention to that. So like with the working out. It is unbelievable the shape that he has gotten in because he has the drive to do that on his own.

Sonia: 9:22

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 all in.

Reena: 9:36

I interviewed a guy, I don't even remember his name, but he was like a bench player in the NBA. And he was like, I did not start playing until he's like, I was a huge guy. And he was just like, same deal. Like he decided, like he got sick of people like saying, are you on the basketball team? You know? And he just, same thing, like just decided, like everywhere I walk, I'm going to take the ball with me, you know? And I love it. And he made it all the way to the NBA. I mean, that obviously doesn't happen 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 you only have this certain profile and I think that's the problem we're having a lot with the students having anxiety and the students like Really worried about their future is because they feel that if they don't fit this profile, they're not gonna reach their goal And, you know, you're kind of changing that narrative for a lot of students out there. It's a

Reena: 10:28

different generation. Yes. Like, I was just talking to my in laws yesterday, and, you know, my son's even, like, considering homeschool, which is crazy because then he would miss out on the basketball, except for there are leagues where you can play in homeschools and stuff like that. But yeah. You know, she's like, he started at school. He's got straight A's. And if he would do homeschool, what are colleges going to think? Oh. And I'm like, but what about, what is he learning? Like how many hours a day are wasted? Like, what if he could pursue other interests and get really good at those and knock out. and probably do better in academics. Like I am so open to how are we really spending our time? How are we really leaning into what we love and getting better? Like life is so short. Absolutely. I even think the school system is really broken. Like, is it babysitting that we're dropping off our kids for? How, how much time a day is wasted? Even the lunch hour. I mean. Yeah. Absolutely.

Sonia: 11:27

Absolutely. And you know, I interviewed someone from a college admissions, office at a university and they actually like homeschool kids because they feel they have more experiences, right? Then, Most, students who go to public ed, because that's more of an academic profile rather than an experiential one. So I think they value that. They value the experiences that homeschool kids are getting that we can provide to even in the public sector. But that means that as parents, we have to work extra hard outside of the school hours to provide those experiences and those opportunities for them to add to their resume.

Reena: 12:04

Yes. And I truthfully think that Experiences are the most important thing. They have helped me make money in lots of different ways. So, you know, I went to the Jerry Springer show. I, you know, had worked at a new station kind of though behind the scenes, trying all different positions, like I said, floor directing and chyrons and running the audio board and working on local commercials and seeing what I was good at and seeing what I wasn't good at. And then that led to me working at Springer. I interned at Springer. I was working. between 70 and probably 90 hours a week the first couple of months for free for free for free. This is when companies could get away with not paying you a cent. And I started noticing who was getting the best guests to come. What were they saying on the phone to get those people to come? Then You know, how did they behave once they were there? How are they pushing those buttons 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 I would do well? Do I want to do that? Yeah. Who's running the best teams? You know, which interns want to be on whose teams? Cause there were six teams. Who's recycling people? The quickest, who has a revolving door of associate producers. 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 your experience there was way more than the academic part of your life, you know, going to education.

Reena: 13:34

Like I didn't study film. That's crazy. You know, I didn't know how to edit at the time. And what's so crazy too, like I got a job as a post production supervisor because The guy who hired me knew that if I could handle the level of stress and management and creativity that Jerry Springer required, that I could learn. what a post production supervisor did. So some of that, my role as a post production supervisor on Nanny 911 was one, you know, getting an interview with someone who knew the complicatedness of the roles that I had had. He understood my resume and he was willing to give me a chance because he knew his role so well that he could even direct me from the field or come to my, Rescue in an emergency situation if need be, but I literally started Nanny 911 when it was still a pilot. He gave me a list of deliverables and he was pretty much like, call me if you need help. Here's what needs to be done. And I trust that from your experience, you'll be able to figure that out. And I started third shift. Like the night he interviewed me, I went in at seven at night and worked till seven in the morning and I, I didn't even know how to edit and yet I was in charge of, I don't know, like maybe 15 editors and the way that I learned that role was just going in the edit bays and being 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 in the butt. And then once I started doing that for one editor, they're all like, Oh, we hate doing our time cards too. Can you just like be in charge of the time cards? And I'm like, yeah, why not? You know, if that allows you to get more work done or make your life easier, just sign here. And so for three seasons, I literally did all the time cards of all the editors, but they loved me for it. Yeah. You know, and, and then they start saying, well, yeah, like, Hey, you know, you want to learn what I'm doing or, Hey, I've edited this 10 times. Can you have a look at it? And, and you start seeing where you'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 the production route because of your experiences from that one internship. Yeah. I love that. Yes. I love that. Yeah, that's so amazing. And so I know at what point in your life you went into life insurance That you realize this is not I'm in a field that I'm not even interested in So tell us 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 little stint in Hollywood I tried lots of things. I actually even tried to work for a non profit, um, and that environment was so drastically different and, Again, knew that that was like not a place where I could shine, but we moved from California to Chicago. And actually I think I like cold applied for this job. It was like close to my house. It was a director of marketing role and turned out the guy who ended up hiring me, his daughter was like in like a preschool class with my daughter. So he recognized my name. Okay. Okay. Um, and the role essentially was using LinkedIn to reach out to a specific, you know, avatar. And I had already learned that from working at a telecom company doing really the same thing. 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 and learn events at a telecom company where I would reach out to, like, the head of customer experience, chief financial officers, and I, my love of LinkedIn began kind of being a program manager at a telecom company, but that was downtown Chicago, and the juggle of, like, being a mom and working there became really tough, like, you know, That was the first place that I worked where I hired a nanny to like pick up my kids after school until I was able to take the train home. So I was kind of looking for something that was like closer to home where I could balance working like a full time job and still picking my kids up from school because I felt like they needed me. Yes. Yeah. So I decided to try this job. I was like, I can learn any sector. And I did that for a couple of years, but once I really wrapped my head around kind of the products that we were selling and like whether I would really sell that to friends and family, it just didn't really feel me. Yeah. But what I did love about that role was. You know, I got to put on these events where I got to market them and I got to co sponsor events 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 believe in what I'm marketing? And I think even though I was able to make my boss a lot of money and that is one degree of success and it ended up, you know, allowing me to go to Tony Robbins for being like a high achiever. So that was amazing. Yeah. Yeah. But I think to be the most successful for me, it's, you know, really being able to pick the right clients, pick the right products, believe in what I'm selling. Like there's so many pieces to be 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 weaknesses are and what you probably are not, what I call your zone of genius. 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 that financial firm, I was like, I'm able to get all of these people in the room and my phone's the one that's ringing. Maybe I should get life insurance license. So after I left that firm, like there was a guy that asked me to be a partner of his firm. And to get licensed. So I worked so hard and I got life insurance license and I read all of that stuff and I was able to do it. But did I like doing it? No. I was like, man, I can not like do 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 from that opportunity as well is, you know, in the beginning I got like 25 people to show up to the events, then it turned into 50, then it turned into 75. Then I reached out to an event producer who was used to putting on events of like 2, 500 because my boss wanted to kind of scale these. And her and I really hit it off, but she wasn't focused on the financial sector. She did like more entrepreneurial events. Okay. But when she found out I left the firm, she was like, Hey, do you want to help me book sponsors for my events? And I was like, I bet I could do that. And I like you and we work well together and you're creative. So she ended up hiring me on a Gary V event where I got to be a part of a media junket. And it was like this huge, like exciting. space of all these people like trying to make their own businesses. I was like, Oh yes, I like this space. 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 lit something in me. So then after working for her, I tried working for a couple other influencers. One made me a coach in one of her 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 her people. And then I saw the whole outline of like how to do that. And then I was like, wait, and I'm booking her huge guests for her show. So it was like, after I helped a couple influencers get sponsorships for their own events, help them market their own events, manage other people'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 these things that I had learned, like how to put on events, how to market events, how to run people's social, how to start my own Facebook group. I have been managing a Facebook group now for almost four years. I have close to 800 people in it and I maybe have lost a couple people along the way.

Sonia: 21:37

Wow. And this is all from the experiences, life experiences, and, and education. See, I think one thing that we want to highlight to parents is that education is not. It's not a, an end point. It's a journey. You have to constantly evolve yourself, learn, learn from other people. And it seems like that's what you'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 try that. The experience, if I'm able to do that, I mean, even with the tools that I use, I mean, the tools that I use have to be super user friendly. Yeah. Like there's this one tool that I use called Cast Magic. I'm gonna give them a shout out because they absolutely, it's honestly so easy. I take, you know, an MP three or an MP four, after I do a recording, I drag it into Cast Magic and it literally transcribes the whole thing. It gives me. post ideas, title ideas. It has a magic chat feature where I can say, Hey, help me create a SEO optimized blog post with 200 characters. And it literally like all of the tools that I use are that simple. Otherwise, you know, pay a VA to do 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 your Really the full scope of your story. I have you as a networking queen I don't know if anybody has ever told you that but you are the networking queen and Some parents are just networking is not their thing. It's not their jam, but it's so needed and your journey is a clear A clear example that networking can get you from point A to point Z. So tell us about your networking. How did you develop those skills and why do you, why do you think it's important for parents to really master the skill to teach onto their children?

Reena: 23:18

Great question. And even how we met was networking. So I can give a little bit of backstory there. Um, on Facebook, I saw that the OGGN network was looking for volunteers and it was for a large event in town. And, you know, I met you there, Kelby there who's recording this. And from there we all shared with each other that, you know, we're podcasters and we're into production. And I was like, Oh, awesome. I'm new to the area. I, you know, did some studio recordings in Chicago and I would love to do that in Houston. Let's put all of our creative talents together and make some magic together. And you know, it didn't happen right away, but we kept in touch. And then I found out about other. networking events in town. And I was like, Hey, there's this cup of Joey event. Do you guys want to go to that? And so we went to that and we networked together. So it deepened our relationship and we did something else fun. And then we actually put it on the calendar after only meeting two times. And so, you know, my very first cup of Joey event, I actually won rockets tickets. And then from that, lots of people at that event were like, Oh, you're the girl that won the Houston Rockets tickets. So, you know, when I connected with people on LinkedIn, I was like, in the message to connecting with them. I'm like, met you at cup of Joey. I'm the girl that won the Houston Rockets ticket. So one really great thing to do about networking is whenever you connect with someone, you need to remember the place you need to remember how many times and each time you connect, it's even really helpful just to like jog your 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 in the messaging of that, of communication between who I connect with, because then it's always a reference for that person and for you. So my son. It was watching a game last night of the Rockets and was like, Oh my God, there's a really great game coming up, mom, that I'd love to go with you. And anytime my son wants to hang out with me, I'm like, let's try to make that happen. Cause he's a teenager and they're very rare occasions. And so I reached back out to cup of Joey and I was like, Hey, I know, you know, I won the tickets. Is there anybody that you're connected with on the team that might be able to Give me a better rate. If you don't ask, you don't get, and I remember Adrian from that event was like, Oh, Dolores is our contact there. So I reached back out to Adrian and I was like, Hey, Adrian, I know you said sometimes there's extra 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 I got the promo code, which Adrian gave me. Turns out it was cheaper just to buy it through the Rocket site, but it gave me another touch point to reconnect with them. And I'll be like, Hey, here's a picture of me and my son. We went to the game. Thanks for trying to help.

Sonia: 26:14

Yes. I love that. I love how you're bringing it full circle because you're right. It can be overwhelming meeting people. It's like, wait, where did I meet 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 introduces me 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't know if, if, if people have made note of that from you, um, but you do things differently. When you meet people, you're immediately talking about how you can serve them rather than how they can serve you. Because I think there's this mis, this miscommunication. Misinformation that, Oh, it's networking. It's all about me, what people can do for me. And I, the minute I met you, you were 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 to say and to notice, you know, even when I've coached people on how they use LinkedIn, I'm like, it's all about the other person for 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 using LinkedIn, Oh my God, I was terrible because LinkedIn has evolved even in how people use it. Like there's things you don't do, which years ago was okay to do. Like. You've all seen the people that tag a hundred people just so it, Oh my gosh. Yes. Why are you tagging me just so you can get more reach or do you think that I will find your content valuable? But like, you know, I wish somebody happy birthday on Facebook the other day and I had helped her with her LinkedIn a long time ago. And then I was like, Hey, I'm actually doing an episode with. You know, somebody that I've helped with their LinkedIn, you might enjoy it. So you have to like spell out the reason why you might be tagging or you might be sending somebody something.

Sonia: 28:08

Okay. Um,

Reena: 28:10

That's one thing that I've learned. And another thing I was told in the beginning from this coach was, you know, you reach out to somebody and you're like, Hey, it looks like we have similar friends and interests. Let's connect. That will work if you're an attractive female. And you have a good

Sonia: 28:24

headshot. It's

Reena: 28:25

crazy. Actually, the percentage of people that will connect with you, if you say just something like that, but what's even better is to be like, Um, I met Adrienne at a Cup of Joey and my husband just interviewed at Axiom and, you know, he gave me your name because you're also at the same company. It's a little bit more specific in the messaging. Yes. Okay. Or, hey, I noticed we went to the same college and we were there around the same time. Got it. Got it. Got it. You know, it's like, look for common ground. Mm hmm. And, and another thing I used to say, like, after that first initial bad message of, hey, looks like we have similar friends and connections, I'd be like, tell me about you, tell me about your business. Where that isn't bad. Okay. You know, I think that's an okay follow up, but you don't also have to get like right to business. You could say, like, tell me something 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 another shout out for a cup of Joey here in Houston because I love that when they, when they have people meet each other, they're asking them, 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 a lot of networking events. Spill ones that need that. Yes. That need that. They need icebreakers. I think icebreakers really set the tone for an event and the way that people connect. Actually, I had a girl that I was friends with from Chicago. She's actually given me my biggest client. And it was simply because, um, I mean, 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 was literally, it's unbelievable natural. It's a natural how natural that happened. It was just like she ran into me at a park. I was with my husband and son and she was asking me how my podcast was going, and she was like, Hey, would you ever wanna manage someone else's podcast? I have a friend that works at a healthcare organization and they need somebody to manage the backend. Wow.

Sonia: 30:31

That's amazing. And that's been your biggest client

Reena: 30:34

for three and a half years. Three and a half

Sonia: 30:35

years. Wow. And you know, I think that I think it's important for us to realize that being who we are naturally is the best secret. Yeah, because we are unfortunately, even as parents, sometimes we feel like we have to 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 about our kids and our relationship as parents and how we are invested with our kids. And that was like, we felt like we 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 to this shoot and back to the networking question too. Like I was new to town. And I brought my daughter with me to the first pod Houston event, because I was like, look, there's going to be speakers. And, I was like, it'll be like mommy daughter time where, you know, you can see how I network with other people. And then I took her and I ended up connecting with this Alicia Ella Tassie, if I'm saying that correctly. And she had brought a book with her 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 we connected that way. And then I ended up, I've done like 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 I just listen to the speakers and sometimes I talk to people and sometimes I let people talk to me. And I think it's important. If you're good at something or if something lights you up to kind of bring your kids along that journey because they learn from that as well.

Sonia: 32:18

I like that. Let's, let's um, actually wrap it up with that. How as parents can we introduce our children to our own career life, our own personal life, our own vision, see through our own eyes, but at the same time allow them to create their own path. In their own interest in their own 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 of years ago. And I was like, Oh my God, he has a natural gift here. Like he was able to drop in the music. He was able to create his own. Fancy intros. He's really good with graphics. He is of that generation where they're able to pick it up so easily. So I, you know, sometimes I don't have time to create all these graphics and I was like, will you mind if I just send you these headshots and my background image, can you create a few for me? And he's so able to do it. And I'm like, I'll take you out to eat for that. You know what I mean? So if you, if you see talents. Give them little assignments and little payoffs and you know, look, I was willing to take him to the basketball game. He did some graphics for me last week. Um, I think encourage their talents. I think that's a really big piece. Like my dad was a huge encourager of things he saw me love. They did try to expose me to different things. And a lot of activities were more, I think, in that generation because my mom wanted me to be good at them, but it is applied to my own life in, in exposing my kids to a lot of things and, and trying to see where I see natural talent and encourage them if, if they are good to maybe give that another try. I mean, I've. I had one kid that wanted to do fencing 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 fencing, would you ever want to like retry that the summer? So. You know, it's, it's seeing what they're good at, letting them try other things and then maybe rebringing it back up if you saw some talent

Sonia: 34:18

there. Absolutely. I like that because you're right. Sometimes we see talent that maybe they don't realize, Hey, this is like true talent right here. But then you also give them the opportunity to explore at the same time. I feel like we're so, well, nowadays parents are so rushed. We all are, to define so early on, and this is the exploration journey, like this is the time to really figure yourself out and explore. You only know what you're surrounded by, so the more we open the doors to our children to explore, you know, things that are out there, the more opportunities 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 in there was like reach out to somebody and ask for a dollar and it had like a script in there. And this is like getting comfortable, like asking people for money because as an entrepreneur, you are going to have to learn how to price your services and You know, put yourself out there often. And my daughter was like, add a couple zeros to that. You know, this guy's a multi billionaire that wrote the book. And I asked for a hundred bucks and got it. And I told her, okay, since you pushed 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't just start, stop there. Who else has read the book? Who else has interviewed that author? Who else can you try to find on PayPal to get a buck from? I love that. So I reached out to 10 and out of the 10 I got two, but I could keep reaching out. Or I could try other exercises and I'm sharing that journey with my kids because they were even like, did you get a response? Did you get a dollar? Did you get a hundred? You know what I mean? And they were excited by me trying

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're just having them join on the journey with you. You know, it's funny you mentioned that because my daughter and I were in a, we're in a book club together, her and I, and we picked out a book. This is our first month. And, um, I really liked the book and I really liked the author. So we're going to have a discussion about the book. We don't have discussion questions yet. So I thought, you know what? I'm going to email the author and I'm going to be like, Hey, do you have any. questions that maybe my daughter and I could discuss. And it was so funny because within 24 hours she responded. And I was like, uh, when I told my 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 order this book off of Amazon? She was like, and I think you would like it too. I was like, read it first and then send it my way. Because it's a great way to bond with your kid over them picking the subject.

Sonia: 36:55

Yes. Yeah. And that's how we picked the book because she had been reading a series from the same author. And so she's like, Oh, this is the newest one. I was like, Oh, well let's read that 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 the author. Now the The author did not provide discussion questions, but it was funny because she was like, that's a great idea of you having a mom, daughter, book club. And so who knows, maybe that sparked an interest in her to maybe consider like, maybe I could start something here. But it was just the connection that now I already have with that author and who knows what can happen from there. It's just, we gotta be, we gotta stop being afraid of reaching 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 the main reason why people aren't starting their own businesses is because they have all of these ideas and they don't act on them. Like I am a mom of four children and I have very little time to not act. So in the small time that my kids are at school, any idea I have, I have just gotten really good at trying because you're going to learn every single time, every single time from trying.

Sonia: 38:14

I love that. Oh my goodness. I love this. And tell us a little bit about your podcast. How did that started? And, um, yeah, let's put in a little plug for a better call daddy, which I'm sure a lot of our listeners have already listened to it cause it's a top show, but tell us about the

Reena: 38:27

show. Thank you. Yeah. Better call daddy. I think. started like through my childhood. I am always calling my dad. He is always who I call my number one supporter. I knew he wouldn't back out on me and he's a total character. So I interview guests, share the stories with him, and then he weighs in with his intergenerational wit at the end of every episode. And what's so great is like people want my dad's approval. People want to ask my dad, And so it's really been like me and my dad upping our wisdom rating together because every guest I present to my dad like has been giving us so much wisdom and learning lessons along the way too.

Sonia: 39:04

That's so awesome. And my kids have listened to your show and they've even been like, mom, why don't you put on Better Call Daddy? I will, I will pre, pre listen to the episode and I'll be like, oh, this is a good one. And then we'll listen to it together because it's. It's a great way for them to realize I always talk to them about my father, you know We've had this conversation before that he's no longer here But you know that relationship is so key and this is why for me It's so important to do what I do because I don't just talk about the academics of college and career readiness I talk about building yourself your identity and that connection with parents because guess what? Parents, you're the, you're the main role model. You're the main role model. So you have to like set the bar for your child and build it 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 the first of many to come.

Reena: 39:56

Yay. Thank you so much for having me. Thank

Sonia: 39:57

you.

39:58

Thank you for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much to me if you share it with a friend, a colleague, or your own community. If you share it on social media and tag me, I'll make sure to personally thank you. My two favorite places to hang out are Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out our show notes for a direct link. I'm so thankful for each and every one of you. And as always stay well, be present and enjoy the journey. I'll talk to you next week. Adios.