In this episode of the Youth Mentor Podcast, we chat with Holly Hashimi about her first year founding HeartSpark, a not-for-profit organisation that grew from 8 participants to multiple groups and a waitlist in just 12 months. Holly takes us behind the scenes of starting a youth organisation from scratch in Fort McMurray, Canada - from finding free spaces to run programs, to creative fundraising through handmade bracelets, to recently achieving not-for-profit status. She shares how she moved through self-doubt, found support in her community, and kept taking small steps forward before feeling fully confident.

For anyone dreaming of working with young people but feeling uncertain about where to start, Holly's story is full of practical insights and permission to begin before you feel ready. She opens up about building community partnerships, bringing her therapy dog Mrs. Pudding into the program, making programs accessible through free programming, and how her own personal growth journey enabled her to create the safe space she wished she had as a child. This conversation is especially valuable for aspiring youth mentors who want a realistic look at what that first year of building a youth organisation really looks like.

Find the full transcript at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast

Connect with Holly and HeartSpark at https://www.heartsparkwithholly.com

Follow HeartSpark on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/heartsparkwithholly/

Connect on Facebook here: HeartSpark

Connect with Shine from Within on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shinefromwithinhq/

Ready to start your own youth organisation? Learn more about our Youth Mentor Training at https://youthmentors.shinefromwithin.com.au

In this episode of the Youth Mentor Podcast, we're joined by Sabine McKenzie, an eating disorder recovery coach who brings a refreshing perspective to conversations around body image, food, and wellbeing. With eight years of supporting youth and adults through her business, Sabine shares her evolution from promoting body positivity to embracing what she calls "the grey space" - a gentler, more neutral approach to body image and health.

If you have young people in your world, especially teens or tweens, you'll love this nurturing and enlightening conversation :) :)

Find the full transcript at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast

Connect with Sabine on Instagram: @sabine.mckenzie

Connect with us on Instagram: @shinefromwithinhq

Curious about starting your own program or business that supports young people in 2025? Check out our free video training: How to Start Your Youth Mentor Business here.

In this episode of the Youth Mentor Podcast, we chat with Milly Bannister, founder of ALLKND, a charity dedicated to supporting youth mental health through its free, online Good Mate Training program.

If you want to know how you can be a good mate for your loved ones and especially young people, or you've thought about what it takes to start a youth mental health charity, this episode is for you!

Milly also shares how ALLKND reaches young people directly via platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and shares insights into creative partnerships with brands to amplify their impact. The session delves into Milly's origin story, branding, visibility, and the importance of strategic, creative partnerships in raising awareness for youth mental health support.

At the end, we share an exciting event we’re hosting to take our entire Shine from Within community, including you, through the Good Mate Training together!

REGISTER FOR OUR GOOD MATE TRAINING DAY ON SUNDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2024 HERE: https://sfw.securechkout.net/goodmatetraining

As always, find the full transcript at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast

Connect with Milly on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/millyrosebannister/

Connect with ALLKND on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/weareallknd/

Connect with Shine from Within on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shinefromwithinhq/

Take Good Mate Training anytime here:

https://allknd.org/goodmatetraining

Register for our Shine from Within Good Mate Training day, on Sunday 20th October 2024, here: https://sfw.securechkout.net/goodmatetraining

Today, we're joined by Evie Wilson, the founder of Stardust Squad, a magical gathering place in regional Victoria, for girls aged 5-early teens years, where each girl is celebrated for her uniqueness, and empowered to explore the wonders of mindset, friendships, self love, health, growing older, communication + connection.

In this episode, Evie shares the inspiring story behind Stardust Squad, how it blossomed from the realisation that her daughters can’t be the only ones in her regional town not into sport, into a thriving community program. She opens up about the powerful discussions around consent, friendship, and self-expression that take place during the "Make and Take" sessions, where girls create meaningful projects while exploring important life lessons.

Evie's authenticity and creativity shine through as she describes the magical mother-daughter Taylor Swift disco and her plans for the upcoming "Raising Starries" online group coaching program for parents. Get ready to be inspired by this heartwarming conversation about nurturing the next generation of confident, empowered young women.

Find the full transcript and link to additional resources at: https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast/

Connect with Evie Wilson on Instagram @_stardust.squad and her website https://www.stardustsquad.com.au

For more information on the Raising Staries program, follow her on social media for updates!

Connect with us on socials:

Insta: @shinefromwithinhq

Facebook: /shinefromwithin

And take our quiz to find out if you have what it takes to be a youth mentor and what your Youth Mentor Archetype might be at https://youth-mentor-training.com

Our next round of Youth Mentor Training will start in September.

Book in for a 30 min chat to see if it's the right pathway for you at https://shinefromwithin.pages.ontraport.net/ymt

See you in the next episode!! Thanks for listening.

In this episode we're joined by Louise O'Reilly who shares her perspective as an Aboriginal woman on how we can best support and mentor young people, drawing from her own lived experiences and past work as a youth worker. We talked about:

• Louise’s experience of growing up Aboriginal in Australia
• How Aboriginal kinship structures bring people closer together and what we can learn from this
• The importance of validating Aboriginal identities, cultures and perspectives
• Unpacking personal biases and privilege to be a better ally and mentor
• Amplifying the voices and involvement of Aboriginal youth

Find the full transcript at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast

Connect with Louise on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/louise.oreilly.shieldandconch/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@louise_oreilly

Join her Inclusion Creators Collective here: https://louise-oreilly.thinkific.com/bundles/InclusionCreatorsCollective

NEWS!

We’re about to launch a Pocket Mentor Course to give any adults who have a teen in their world some mentoring skills to keep in their back pocket! Stay tuned! It will include latest insights on what’s going on for teens, how to support teens through challenging situations, when they might need more support and more! Leave us a comment if you’re interested in this or email me - info@shinefromwithin.com.au and we’ll make sure you’re the first to know when it opens.

Connect with Shine From Within on Instagram or Facebook.

Join us in this inspiring episode of The Youth Mentor Podcast as Amanda recaps the 2024 Youth Mentor Conference and shares with you:

• some of the things that are working well for youth mentors, speakers, coaches, and educators as we head into 2024;

• some of the insights that the young people during the conference shared with us;

• some ideas for how you could get started with supporting young people in your community right now.

This episode includes snippets of conference sessions with Wildlings Forest School co-founder, Nicki Farrell, about providing more space and unstructured time for young people; and the founder of Borderline Camps, Cody Schaeffer OAM, about how their fully-funded camps run for young people and how they create an open, casual, trusting space with their campers. Plus highlights from our teens and mentors!

• Get replays of every single conference session at https://youth-mentor-conference.com
• Jump on a 15min call with me to talk about your own dreams of starting or growing your youth business at https://shinefromwithin.pages.ontraport.net/letschat
• Join our award-winning Youth Mentor Training at https://youthmentors.shinefromwithin.com.au

Find the full transcript at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast

Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook.

At the age of 25, Olha Ruda founded 10:11 - a mentorship program for high school students in Ukraine or who have fled the country. From a one-person show to now having over 150 mentors, they’ve delivered more than 1300 hours of mentoring.

In this episode you’ll get to hear a snippet of an insightful session lead by Olha at our 2023 Youth Mentor Conference. You’ll hear:

// How she started by herself and grew to a team of over 150 mentors

// Their process of application, mentor and mentee matching and supporting everyone

// How they grew their community quickly

// How they ensure mentees feel valued

// Her plans for growth going forward

Enjoy!

You can directly support 10:11 by becoming a Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/mentorship_10_11

Follow them on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mentorship.10.11/?hl=en

And get yoru ticket to the Youth Mentor Conference 2024 here: https://youth-mentor-conference.com

Full show notes and transcript at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast

Join us in this inspiring episode of The Youth Mentor Podcast as we sit down with Wil Massara, a visionary social entrepreneur who started his journey at just 11 years old. Wil takes us through his incredible story, from revolutionising youth leadership with the Youth Leadership Academy Australia to consulting for governments and organisations, bridging the intergenerational gap.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

• Wil's personalised approach to working in schools
• the invaluable lessons he's learned along the way
• and his top tips for building credibility in the youth space.

We delve into strategies for creating engaging conferences that centre around the young people in the room, even with multiple speakers and large audiences. And he shares how he kept going, even when there were only a few people in the room to begin with.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting, Wil's insights provide a powerful guide for anyone looking to make a lasting impact on youth. Don't miss this episode packed with wisdom, experience, and a vision for the future.

🚀 Tune in and learn how to craft your impact with Wil Massara!

You can find a full transcript of this episode at https://shinefromwithin.com.au/the-youth-mentor-podcast

Connect with YLAA at https://www.ylaaus.com/

And find Wil on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wil-massara/

Find us on Instagram @shinefromwithinhq

Join Wil online at our Youth Mentor Conference in Feb 2024 - https://youth-mentor-conference.com