In this episode, Amanda welcomes Jen Chieco, a former teacher who transitioned into becoming a life coach who specializes in empowering teens. They discuss Jen’s teaching background, her reasons for leaving public education, and how she found her true calling through life coaching and breathwork. Jen shares insights on the challenges of teaching in public schools, the importance of supportive administration, and the impact of nurturing relationships with students. They delve into breathwork as a powerful tool for mental health and personal growth, and Jen offers actionable tips for both educators and students to find purpose and empowerment in their lives.

Today you’ll learn from Jen: 

1. How she transitioned from teaching full time in a public school to  being coach
2. Her methodology for supporting teens and adults
3. Breathwork techniques you can use in and outside of the classroom
4. How to foster positive relationships with students
5. Her inspiring views on what empowerment is and how to empower yourself as well as your students

Resources Discussed: 

jenchieco.com/services (Free 30 Minute Coaching Discovery Call)

jenchieco.com/breathwork (Breathwork Sessions)

David Elliott Breathwork Healer Spotify: David Elliot on Spotify

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:45 Journey to Becoming a Teacher

03:15 Early Teaching Experiences

05:27 Challenges and Realizations

10:47 Transitioning Out of Teaching

15:42 Discovering Breath Work and Coaching

20:16 Breath Work Techniques and Benefits

23:31 The Challenge of Meditation and Breathing

24:07 The Importance of Self-Experimentation

24:52 Discovering the Power of Breathing

25:09 Balancing Life as a Teacher and Parent

26:28 Guiding Kids to Find Their Purpose

27:07 Building Relationships Through Coaching

28:47 Empowering Students Beyond Academics

33:09 Encouraging Self-Compassion and Balance

34:30 The Role of Teachers in Student Well-being

34:51 The Impact of Meditation in the Classroom

38:53 Final Thoughts on Empowerment and Purpose

Transcript: 

Amanda: [00:00:00] Hi, Jen. I’m so excited that you are here today. You’ve, uh, volunteered your time to come and talk about empowering students, uh, and empowering them through, uh, the work that you are currently doing. Uh, and, and you, you were a teacher. Uh, how many years did you teach again? I was a teacher for six years. For six years.

So you originally chose teaching as your career path, but you left teaching to become a coach. And we’re gonna talk about the work that you do, um, coaching, uh, teens. But I, I wanna know your background a bit about like why you chose teaching as a profession. I mean, I’m always curious about, um, just.

Everyone has a different story about why they [00:01:00] chose teaching as a profession and like kind of why you chose it and, and your journey to becoming a teacher. Could we start there? Is that okay? Do you wanna tell us Yeah. About that? Okay. Awesome. Totally.

Jen: So I have two amazing aunts that both were teachers.

Um, and I just was like always around, especially my Aunt Ann, always around her nurturing energy. And she would take me into her classroom and it was so fun to see what she would do. I also have always connected with kids. Even, you know, when I was a kid I was always like. Helping younger kids. I have a brother who’s five years younger than me, so I feel like I was, you know, always the helper.

And when, you know, when you’re asked the question, you know, what do you wanna go to college for? What do you wanna do after high school? Um, it felt like a really daunting question to me. And I think, you know, looking back now, I [00:02:00] think that fuels some of what I do now because, um. I mean, what was this, 2011 to 2010.

So it was very, a very different conversation than I think a lot of kids are having today. Um, because you know, there are different like trades that kids are interested in and that’s being more welcomed. Um, but I was like, I don’t have one specific. Area of expertise. Like I have interests in the arts and I have interests in running and I have interests in all these different areas, but I didn’t feel like an expert.

Whereas like my brother’s really good with numbers and really good with computers, and I was like, I almost felt lost. But then I was like, you know, I could go to school for teaching because I’m really good with kids and I’m crafty, and so I can kinda like meld all of those together and. Be a teacher. So that’s ultimately like what led me to, um, I went to Salve Regina University here in Newport, Rhode Island.[00:03:00]

Amanda: Awesome. That’s so, yeah, the fact that you had that just nurturing quality, I can definitely sense that about you. Um, and that you, you know, you have family members who are teachers and inspired you. Um, that’s really cool. So what, what was the process like? I mean, I, you said 2010, 2011, um, of, of like just go, going into teaching and like.

Just what did you have to go through to become a teacher? Because it was a lot, right? And, and to just kind of, uh, leave. I, I’m very curious about that. Like how hard was it for you to, to go into this profession? And then also like, what was it like for you when you, when you learned what it’s like to be a public education teacher and like what did you fir, what did you teach in the beginning?

Um, yeah.

Jen: Yeah. So in the beginning [00:04:00] I, you know, it’s can be challenging to get a job, right? Yeah. Um, so I went to grad school as well, so I got my, uh, master’s in literacy birth through 12th grade. And then, um, I. One, I graduated from SUNY Albany. I applied for any positions that were available and I ended up landing a maternity leave position teaching first grade.

And that rocked my world in a sense, because all of that very high energy and, you know, they miss their parents. And, um, there’s a lot, you know, a lot of nuances to first grade and, but I had a really supportive team. Those teachers were incredible. And I actually taught first grade in the first grade classroom that I like when I was in first grade.

So I taught back at the school that I, um, went to school in. So it was like a full circle moment of like, okay, you know, I’m like meant to be here. Um, and then I finished that year in [00:05:00] a third grade maternity leave in that same district, just in a different school. Um. And after the first and third grade again, right?

Those were maternity leaves that filled the whole year, but then it was, you know, nothing like guaranteed for the next year. So I, um, applied for a fifth grade position in a city school and I taught fifth grade there for two years. And then that led me to. The pandemic. So then that was 2020 and, um, that school was a really, really toxic environment.

Um, I, it was a really hard first year. And, but I stuck with it and I wanted to go back because I was like, you know, that was challenging and those kids were, are, were dealt really challenging hands. Um, and I knew, you know, it wasn’t their fault. Um, you know, a lot of what they had been through abuse, um, homelessness, um, [00:06:00] food scarcity, um, and.

There was so much for me to learn, right? That was my own, only my second year of teaching. So I was like, I wanna go back again and I wanna try again. And then, um, you know, I had all these ideas and I was able to execute some of them. And then, you know, school shut down in March. So, you know, we go March to June online and just, you know, through that time that I was able to step back and.

Ultimately spend more time alone. Right. I, I lived, um, at home with my parents, um, and my brother, but just that time alone where I could read more and I could spend time listening to podcasts that interested me, things that were outside of the teaching realm. And, um, I really went down this like self-development rabbit hole and I had this aha moment where I was like, this space is not for me.

This teaching role is not for me. [00:07:00] And I quit that teaching job without another job lined up. And I think now, um, you know, 2025, like looking back with 2020 vision, I can, I. I think the, the leap of leaving the classroom was always really there. It just was like, how much do, how long do I need to be in the classroom for me to get the experience and the insight that I needed in order to kind of create my own thing?

So in 2020, I quit and I went back to the school district that I had been at before. And to the same school where I taught third grade. And that principal and I got along really, really well. She trusted me. And, um, I think that was a really big key because she let me have autonomy and, and trust and, um, I really thrived there and then, and, and the kids really thrived because.

Even in [00:08:00] that challenging environment with desks apart and masks, like, I made it as fun as I could for myself and for them. And so I filled another maternity leave. So that was fifth grade for until December until Christmas. And then, um, they had some, uh, money, grant money. Um, so I taught a IS first through fifth grade.

Um, actually no. I did, I taught another leave ’cause a teacher went out and she was, uh, had surgery. So I taught fifth grade at a different school in the district and then did the English and math support first through fifth grade for the rest of the school year in, throughout the district, so in three other schools.

Um, so it’s been a very like, fragmented, uh, career. And then the last two years before I quit, I was a high school reading specialist here in Rhode Island.

Amanda: Yeah, you’ve done so much. I’m amazed that you did all of [00:09:00] that in the six years that you were, you were teaching. Like, and so all of these times that you were taking over other teachers’ classrooms, it was it like mid-year?

Like not, you weren’t starting the year off that. That must have been really challenging. ’cause I’ve had that experience too, where I started teaching at a new school in October and took over for like a long term sub. Um, is that, is that kind of, because you weren’t a sub though, you were a credentialed teacher, correct?

Jen: Yeah. So, you know, I had my master’s, I just, when I left that, when I left the school in 2020, in that fifth grade job, and then I went, um, to, and I chose, I actually chose a fifth grade maternity leave position over a second grade tenured position because I wanted, I just wanted freedom in my next choice and I didn’t wanna hold.

A 10 year position from someone who really wanted that, you know, and I liked fifth grade a [00:10:00] lot, so I wanted to choose them. But, um, yeah, when I taught third grade and I took over, um, that was in January. And then, um, when I taught fifth grade again, uh, three years later, um. Again, that was a super unique situation.

The music teacher was teaching fifth grade ’cause it was covid and they need another teacher in a classroom and the whole thing. Um, but I think one of my strengths is building relationships and making kids feel seen and acknowledging that, you know, it’s hard to trust somebody new and that things take time and, um, to give, you know, all of us grace.

But yeah, it ended up working out real well.

Amanda: Yeah. And I, and I also, I I, I was struck by what you said your second year, you, you had this idea that you just wanted to work with kids to hone your craft of teaching, but that [00:11:00] you knew eventually you were leaving because this wasn’t for you. And I really wanna unpack what you mean by that, because, so you talked at many different schools, many different grades, like taking over here and there like.

What was it about the school setting, like the public school setting that caused you to feel that way? Like, this isn’t for me, I’m gonna eventually go do my own thing. Like, I’m curious, what, what was it about your experience of six years that was like, I, I can’t, this isn’t right. Um, yeah.

Jen: Yeah. I think there’s a couple different facets to that.

I think the biggest thing was. The administration, it, it really came down to if the administration was supportive and honest and didn’t perpetuate drama. Didn’t cause drama, was respected, earned respect [00:12:00] from fellow adults, right? Then those, those schools thrived. It was fun to be there because those teachers felt validated, right?

Teachers work so hard. They give, we give time and energy and our resources, we open our wallets and we do all of these things for our, our, our students, right? And so all we really want is to be heard and for us, and to be supported in the challenges that we face, right? And celebrated. In those celebrations.

And so I felt like I just had some really poor administrators. And again, right like that, that first year when I taught fifth grade, I didn’t let that stop me. Like I chose to continue the hard path because I felt like the kids, you know, [00:13:00] the kids are more important than an adult. That didn’t have great ethics, and but there’s only so much, there’s only so much you can do with that.

Right. And at some point it makes you feel like you’re swimming more upstream. And it started to make me feel like I was part of the problem versus part of the solution. Um, because I think the system as a whole is kind of a mess. Um, I think we do a really good job at. At giving our best, right? I think every teacher out there is giving his or her best all day every day and trying new methods and charts and, you know, going through continued education to learn new strategies.

Um, but not everything that’s in the system is working to help the kids, right?

Amanda: [00:14:00] Yeah. And so I guess what I’m wondering is, um, ’cause you did make this leap to leave and you did feel like, you know what, I, I think I can do more for kids by leaving this system. Um, that’s not validating teachers and undermining them.

Right. Um, but it sounds like you were a very validating teacher and prioritized relationships above. Everything else, which I do too. You know, like that’s what this podcast is all about. It really is. It’s about prioritizing relationships that, that the connections that you have with the kids are what empowers them.

Mm-hmm. And listening to them and, and, and validating them. Right. Just like teachers need to be validated. Kids need to be, their experiences need to be validated too. So, um, how did you, I mean, because, you know, I’ve quit. Twice. And then I’ve, I’ve gone back and it’s, it’s been really hard, like making that decision.

I guess [00:15:00] I just did it, you know? Um, but I guess I’m just wondering like, what, what was that experience like for you? Like, ’cause I know there’s teachers that listen to this podcast that they listened to it because they want to empower. Students, and they do that in their classrooms, but maybe they do that in other ways too.

Like in, like we have summer break, right? And there’s different things that teachers do. We all have our side gigs, not all of us. But, um, I guess, so what I’m wondering is like, um, how did you do it? How did you leave? Like what, how did you do it? And like, what are you doing now to empower students, um, in your own way, like outside of the system?

Jen: Yeah, so I think I saw it kind of coming, like it was a slow build. Um, in the October of the school year I left, so like I left in June, but in October I went on a retreat to Costa Rica where I was really diving into like my life’s purpose and, [00:16:00] um, I just felt like. Being in the classroom wasn’t aligned with me anymore.

And I love working with young people. I love kids. I love guiding them. And I think the work is so important. Teaching is so important. Guiding is so important. Parenting is so important. Um, but it’s like, how did I wanna do that it right. And the classroom isn’t the only way. So in October, I was like, all right, I think I’m gonna leave.

And I didn’t, I, I. You know when you’re not in alignment with something and it starts to feel like really soul sucking. Yes, I do. Well, I was like, I don’t know how I’m gonna make it to winter break. Like this is, I, it was almost like trudging through molasses and, but then I was like, how disorienting would it be for the kids if I left?

Like sure they’re high schoolers, but like, it doesn’t matter how old you are, whenever there’s a disruption. In [00:17:00] your routine, it doesn’t feel good. And there were already other teachers in the school that had left and that, and I didn’t wanna be that. And I think there’s a difference between quitting when it’s harmful and quitting when it’s hard.

And I’m not a quitter when it’s hard. And so I was like, this is challenging. This feels uncomfortable and unaligned, but. There is a greater message in this. I’m gonna stick through it for the, the rest of the year. So I knew I was, it was coming. And so, because I anticipated that I signed up for a six month, um, coaching program to become a life purpose coach.

So I earned that certification. And then I also, um, and I know we’re gonna talk about breath work, but I also, so in my own personal growth journey. I started seeing a therapist in 2019 and I started working with [00:18:00] mentors, um, to help with that growth mindset and, and, and learning like life hacks on how to optimize my life and to set bigger goals and how to actually achieve those and.

Through that process. I also partook in meditations and breath work and those somatic practices, those body practices really took like, took me that extra leap almost that talking. It would’ve taken a longer time if I had just continued to talk through things. And so breathing through them, meditating on them, visualizing, I was like, this is gold.

This is magic. So I knew that in order to really kind of see my vision come to life outside of the classroom and empowering young people, I wanted to learn a somatic practice. So I signed up for a week long, um, breath work healer. [00:19:00] Um. I’m breath work facilitator training in New Mexico and my healer’s name is David Elliot.

So if anyone is interested in looking up his Spotify playlist, um, yeah. Or his website. I mean he is fantastic. So really anticipated leaving, anticipated taking the leap, and then I tried to just prepare myself with the tools that I would need in addition to. Having my bachelor’s and my master’s in education in six years of teaching and I also coached high school track and cross country for three years, um, prior to that.

So just, and, and having that belief in myself because you have to hold your vision no matter who else believes in you.

Amanda: We’re so amazing. I, I’m just so, I don’t know, blown away by you. I really am. Um, I, I’ve been on a very similar journey. I have a lot of, a lot of, um, yeah, a similar story, honestly. And, and around the [00:20:00] same timeframe too.

2020. I really think that it caused a lot of people to question kind of their purpose, um, and. I love that you have found direction and I found direction, um, through, through body work and breath work. And, um, and so I, I do wanna learn a little bit more about like that work, uh, and, and we’ve talked about the difference between meditation and breath work.

I do think that everyone in the world, no matter who you are, like, can benefit from this stuff. So I’m just wondering a little bit about just what, what are some like key things that you learned about, like somatic and breath work that you might share with anyone listening right now? And me? Yeah,

Jen: yeah.

Yeah. So breath, there’s a lot of different types of breath work out there. There’s breath work that you can do when you wake up in the morning, like breath of [00:21:00] fire, where you just like pump air kind of in and outta your belly and it mo and it wakes you up. You can do a box breath, you know, for young people listening, or parents, you know, you’re transitioning from one thing to the next.

You’re going from one class to the next. You can just breathe in for, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, right? And you can just breathe in like a. Box. Right? ’cause you can visualize it and that can help reground you, right? There’s so many different types of breath. There’s the nasal breathing there or the alternating nasal bre uh, breath work.

But this particular kind of breath work that I hold space for and I teach is a form of pranayama breath. Um. But my healer, David, he doesn’t totally go into like the science behind it. Um, you kind of have to like experience it for yourself because what it does is it’s an active form of meditation. So it’s a three part [00:22:00] mouth breathing breath, which we are typically taught not to breathe through our mouth, right?

We’re taught to breathe through our nose. Um, but this breath work, it’s. It’s almost like, um, a hyperventilation because you are doing it in a rhythmic pattern that, um, and it sounds something like this.

And you just do that for 15 to 25 minutes. Um, and. It really gets you into a meditative state. It’s an active form of meditation, and it works really, really well in our society because we are so, our minds are going nonstop, right? And so a lot of the times when we encourage people to sit down to meditate, you know, the apprehension can be like, well, I can’t get my mind to stop.

Right. Well, there are [00:23:00] practices that you can do, right? Meditation, breath, work. It’s all a practice. It’s like riding a bike. It’s like learning how to write a good paper. It’s, it’s a practice. So breath work is a really good like gateway to, to meditation because it is that active form where your brain is quieting and your breath does the work for you.

Amanda: I love that. Yeah. ’cause meditation has so many just mis there’s so many misunderstandings. Yeah. About what it is. And I think some people are like, are turned off when, when you say, you know, like, let’s meditate or you know, and like you can’t force anyone. I. To meditate. Like they have to be ready and willing, even breathing honestly, like, ’cause I remember people telling me adults like, just take a deep breath or count to 10, or, you know, and being kind of angry and like holding my breath just to defy [00:24:00] them.

You know? Like that doesn’t, but yeah, I, I mean, I agree that you totally have to kind of. Experiment yourself with it, because I can literally, because I’ve, I just, you know, finished a program to become a meditation teacher, and I can feel my body, um, calming down. Like as soon as I, and there’s certain moments in my day when I just breathe, like when I turn off the shower, I just.

I always breathe through my nose, um, because I read that book. Uh, breathe By. I love that book. It’s so, I’m sure you read it too, right? I haven’t

Jen: read it yet, actually. Oh my gosh. It’s so good.

Amanda: I know James Nestor. It’s like the science. So, David Elliot, like he didn’t go into the science. This guy will for you.

He’s, and I’ll put links to your his. Um. His program. I’d love to learn more about it too. Um, but yeah, I, I just, these moments that I just like take a deep breath and I can feel my body calming down. Like I can feel [00:25:00] everything, my nervous system just calming and it’s amazing how, how, um. Just amped up. I am on a daily basis as a teacher and a mom, um, and a wife.

And I, like the other day, I asked my husband like, how much of the time are you calm, like in your day to day? Like what percentage of your life do you feel calm? And he was like, like. All of it. And I, and I was like, well, I’m the opposite. I feel not calm. You know, most of the time, the only time I feel calm is when I’m purposefully breathing, you know?

And like mm-hmm. Just doing like, just breathing and thinking. Like sometimes I’ll think like, you don’t have to think about that right now. Like, I don’t know why, but that like is really helpful to me. Like, ’cause sometimes my mind will just, ’cause you’re right, we’re always up here, [00:26:00] our culture, our society, and so, I don’t know.

I just think that you have the key. We have the key to. I think our students, you know, like, uh, mental health, like what could help them, help support them in their mental health. Uh, and, and just like dealing with this fast-paced world, right? Like, yeah. So I just, I just really, I, I think that what you’re doing is, is so important.

Um, yeah. Uh, so I, what else do you want to talk about when it comes to like, just because you said, uh, you, you wanna help. Kids find their purpose and, um, and, and you’re coaching and, and anyone listening right now could, uh, could. Uh, schedule a 30 minute call with you. So in that call, um, what, how do you guide, uh, kids and, and maybe their parents in, in how to kind of help [00:27:00] deal with mental health issues or like find their purpose?

Like what kind of tips do you have for those things?

Jen: Yeah, so I offer the 30 minute discovery calls complimentary because I think it’s really great to just have a space that is like no stress and an opportunity for me to get to know parents, um, or the parents and the teens. Um, I also work with young adults as well, so if they’re over 18, um, you know, they can hop on a call without their parent.

Um, but. It is really important to just build that relationship from the get right and for them to have a space that they can be heard. And so in that 30 minutes we, I ask, you know, like, you know, what made you, what inspired you to book the call? Um, you know, what are you, what would you be looking to get?

What are the, what are the main goals? You know, what are you looking to get out of this, uh, three [00:28:00] month? Coaching opportunity for your teen or young adult. Um, because you know, some people, some parents are looking for help with, you know, their child gaining some confidence and building some confidence and setting some goals no matter what size they are.

Um, and others are looking to gain some clarity on their future, right? So that’s where that life purpose coaching comes in, is like. I don’t necessarily have the expertise that a college or that a high school counselor has in terms of, you know, colleges that would, that are specific to, you know, being a math major or colleges that are specific to being an education major or whatever that major may be.

Right. But I work in tandem with that, but I’m asking more. Open-ended questions like soul searching questions, questions that are, um, [00:29:00] diving into like the common thread of their interests and their strengths that they’ve noticed throughout their life. And maybe there are career opportunities that they have not thought of because maybe that’s something that hasn’t been brought up in those college and career conversations that they’re having at school.

And also, um. I’m kind of going full circle back to the beginning of our conversation, but, you know, uh, high school counselors have a finite amount of time, right? So thinking back to the conversations I was having, having in 2010 and 2011, you know, you’re like utilizing the tools that they have and then it’s like you kind of fit into their schedule and you get 20 minutes and like you’re supposed to, you know, know what you wanna do for the rest of your life.

And so, um, I think having a space. Where we can really dive in together, um, to really understand their interests in a more nuanced way can be really powerful. So like building confidence, um, [00:30:00] future planning and gaining clarity about their career and life purpose. Um. And just, you know, help with habit building.

Um, managing like the everyday stressors, um, the expectations that they have. And, um, you know, sometimes they just, they just don’t wanna hear things from mom and dad, right? And their parents. You know, parents want what’s best for their kids. They want their kids to grow. They want their kids to be empowered.

And they want them to be happy and successful and excited about life. And sometimes that just takes an outside person to show them some tips and tricks and tools to manage the overwhelm that they’re feeling in their head. The overwhelm they’re feeling in their body and what tools can they implement to make their lives easier?

’cause sometimes it’s really not that hard. They just need somebody who can zoom out [00:31:00] and assess kind of where they’re at and give some feedback. I.

Amanda: Yeah. Wow. You are such a gift. I, I’m so excited to share your, your website and all, all that you have to offer. Um, so yeah, I, I think, ’cause I think I, I teach high school, uh, freshmen and I teach at a high achieving school.

You taught high school too, it sounds like. Did you teach it? Yes, I was the reading specialist. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Okay. So you went from fifth grade.

Jen: To ninth grade, is that right? Yeah, I taught ninth through 12th graders in like the range in all of my classes.

Amanda: Oh, okay. All of them. Okay. Wow. Because you were the reading specialist and that’s an interesting, um.

That’s a really interesting place to be a reading specialist high school. Like that’s, that’s hard. Um, because yeah, that’s just like, at that point when you’re struggling with reading, that can really affect a student’s self-esteem. But my students, I feel like. Um, [00:32:00] they just are doing kind of what they’re told, you know, jumping through hoops and doing what they think is gonna get them, uh, into a good college and into a good career.

And they’re not necessarily thinking about, they’re, I think. Uh, this is an assumption. I know this isn’t everyone, but that it’s more about success, you know, and launching and, and moving outta the house and making money. Um, and that is, I think, what you, and that is important of course, but I think what you bring to it is thinking about it from this other angle of like, what’s inspiring to me?

What’s motivating, what’s my strength? What do I want? What makes me happy? And. I think that, ugh, I just wish, I want all kids to be able to like, um, just Yeah. Be able to, to think about their life in those terms too, and not just do what everyone, what adults are telling them to do, you know, jumping through hoops.

Right. [00:33:00] Which is what I think public school does, but, yeah. Yeah. And

Jen: there’s a lot of pressure that comes with that. You know, you gotta, mm-hmm. That’s gotta be really tough. Um, you know, I had a lot of, and I always have had high expectations for myself, my parents, um, you know, valued education very much so, which I’m so thankful for, you know.

Um, but I think with like the type A personality that I have, you know, I was like, I’m gonna work really, really hard at cross country practice and really hard at track practice and really hard in all of my classes. And, um, you know, I wasn’t. I mostly got A’s, but I struggled in some subjects and I was getting extra help.

And I think that, um, there’s a balance that you learn as you grow, right? That you know when to ease up and then you know when to step on the gas. And I think at a young age when you want to be [00:34:00] such a high achiever, right, because. Achieving good grades equals this college equals this amount of money equals this.

It seems so linear. I think that you don’t always have the experience and the foresight to know right, to know when to give yourself grace, to know when to give yourself a break. ’cause a lot of kids just end up with burnout or anxiety or a lot of things that can ultimately be avoided with some self-compassion.

Amanda: Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I think teachers listening too sometimes feel like they’re just setting up hoops, you know, in their classrooms. And that’s kind of like how it’s run. And so how can you, you know, in your own classroom, give kids grace and, and, and make time to kind of slow down and, and breathe. And I’m still trying to put my meditation practice into practice in the classroom.

It’s very tricky. It’s, [00:35:00] you forget, like, ’cause everything’s so fast paced.

Jen: Yes. Um,

Amanda: but I think that, you know, breathing, like you said, like just little moments, you know, in the classroom. And I’m just talking to teachers right now that are listening. Like, just like when you remember, you know, like just to take that deep breath.

Um. To calm yourself and slow down a bit is really important. Um, yeah. And to like not constantly be plowing through and like working and, um, piling on the work, I guess to kids. And that’s hard. High school teachers kind of do that.

Jen: Um, yeah, and I know my, my. Role was unique. Um, and sometimes the kids would, you know, I’d let them go on tangents and they’d be all like giddy.

Like, oh, we got Miss Chico off on a tangent. And like, we’re not doing work right now. But I, I, I reframed it to like, this is their form of a [00:36:00] break. Right. This is a way that they’re communicating with each other without phones in their hands. This is an opportunity for real conversation and I would try to steer the conversations, you know, to life lessons, to the book we were reading and such.

But yeah, like just you gotta, and then you and, and leading by example, like I would come in, I would talk about the chakra system, I would talk about energy and I would talk about like. The self-care practices that I was doing, I would be drinking my electrolytes and my shakes and they would ask questions.

And you know, one day I came in and they were all sitting in a circle on the ground and like ing, they were like crisscross applesauce in a circle ing. And you know, they think they’re making fun of me and sure they are. That’s fine. I don’t care. Right. Yeah. Uh, they can’t hurt my feelings. I won’t let them.

Um, but. [00:37:00] They’re listening, right? And they’re paying attention. And it’s like, to them, that’s their visual representation of what relaxation looks like. So even though they sat in a circle in silence and did that making poking fun at me, you guys sat for 30 seconds in peace. Good on you. You got your meditation in.

Amanda: Yeah. Well, and humor, I feel like, is a form of, you know, like stress relief too. Like those kids were having fun and they knew, it’s obvious to me they had a good relationship with you because they, you know, were able to do that. And it didn’t, you were, you know, it didn’t bother you that it was just a fun, uh, little joke.

Oh, miss Chico. I

Jen: loved it. I loved it. I thought it was great.

Amanda: Yeah, every time I, I talk about meditation, for some reason, kids do that. They like put their hands up and they like sit crisscross and go, um, like, I don’t know why that’s like one of those weird, like myths or something [00:38:00] that that’s what you do and you meditate.

I mean, you don’t have, you could do that, but you don’t have to. Um. Well, okay. Thank you so much for this conversation. Is there anything else that we haven’t talked about that you, you know, wanna share with anyone listening? Um, there, it’s mainly teachers who listen to my podcast, so I don’t know if you wanna talk to teachers or maybe there are, I think, young adult students or older, like, you know, 18, 20.

Early twenties. I have had a few contact me, um, that listen too. Um, but yeah. Is there anything else you wanna say to the, the people listening about, um, transitioning into this kind of work or, um, empowering students? I don’t know. Any last things you wanna say?

Jen: Yeah, I think empowerment. Comes, it comes from within, right?

Like it’s, it’s a muscle. [00:39:00] I think that my job as a coach is a, is a space to remind young people of the power that they have within themselves, right? Because there’s so much clutter in this world. There’s so many internal stories that we’ve created about the world around us that aren’t true. Right, but they’re the true stories we’ve made because of our lived and perceived experiences.

And I think when we unpack those and we release them and detach, and the empowerment comes from the realization of who we are and the purpose that we have here on this planet, because I think that if everyone was out there living their purpose. And, and there’s so many vehicles in which we can do that, right?

You don’t just like do one career necessarily for your whole life, right? That’s not what I mean. But I think if people are out there living their purpose, that’s what makes the world a collective, a [00:40:00] collectively a better place because everyone is feeling empowered to express. Their soul’s purpose, right to to express what sets them on fire.

So to all the parents and the teachers listening, the more that you are in your purpose, whether teaching isn’t your full purpose, but that side gig that you’re doing is talk about it. Bring in the thing that you’re selling on Etsy, show the kids what that is. If you bring that more into your every day and you share that.

That that fire that’s lit is gonna get stronger and stronger and stronger, and it’s gonna overflow into everything that you do, right? That energy is gonna flow into everything that you do and for, and you are going to then inspire everyone around you even more because they can see how happy you are and inspired you are by your own gifts, [00:41:00] right?

And for all the young people out there, you’re not supposed to have it all figured out. But empowerment comes from that small win and that next small win and that next small win. And eventually you’re gonna have so many more small wins than losses, and you get to set the standard of success for yourself.

Like I am a 31-year-old. That quit my teaching job a year and a half ago. I work at a restaurant, which I love, and for me right now, that is selfishly in addition to paying the bills, right? That is selfishly my way of feeding my soul because when I show up to work, I’m not perfect, right? We all get annoyed at things, but when I show up my I, I try so hard to make.

The person’s day better. That’s in front of me, right? Because if I can do [00:42:00] that, that’s feeding my soul because that’s what I feel like I’m here to do. I’m here to hold space for people. I’m here to make the world a better place by inspiring them. I’m here to bring joy and everything. I do be joyful in what I do.

So it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter how much money you’re making, you set the standard of what success looks like and as long as it’s coming, empowerment’s always gonna come from within.

Amanda: Love that. Oh my goodness. Empowerment is a muscle. I’m gonna write that down. You said that and I love that.

That is such a good quote. ’cause it is, it takes practice. That questioning like that inquiry of, of what is this thought? True. That’s actually something I, I teach my students too, and I’m an English teacher, you know, but like. Just that what we think is it is not necessarily true, you know? And like what other people think or what [00:43:00] we think other people think.

Um, so yeah, I just love everything you just said, I think. Yeah, right on. For sure. Um. Cool. Well, thank you so much Jen, and I can’t wait. Um, for people to go visit your web website, jen chico.com, if you want to book your 30 minute free, uh, call with Jen just to talk about, you know, what, what, uh, what. Your path could look like with Jen.

I think you’re just Yeah, just an amazing asset to, to anyone who works with you. I know it, I know. I’m getting chills right now just saying it.

Jen: Just Oh, thank you.

Amanda: Yeah. All the work you’ve done is, is really, really inspiring, so thank you. Thank you.

Jen: Yeah, and I can share the link with you too. If anyone wants to book a breathwork session with me, I can give you the link to that as well.

Amanda: Yeah, I’ll put the links to everything we talked about in, in the show notes too, for everyone who’s listening. Alright, well thank you so much, [00:44:00] Jen. Um, Amanda, thanks for having me. Yeah.