Episode 96 -- Dr. Amber Paulk - - The World Needs People Who Are Lit UP

Having a core that is separate from your career gives you an agility that allows you to take chances with confidence. Meet Dr. Amber Paulk in this episode who is a young professional in the academic world. She is a first generation college graduate and she says she had a great deal on her shoulders to show she could do and that she could pay her way. That gave her the grit and focus to take on every single task—she says she never felt like she could take her foot off of the gas. Her world was filled with mentors and opportunities to stay focused and not squander. People believed, encouraged and supported her along the way. Meeting a challenge for Amber was fun. She fell in love with teaching and that is a significant part of her career.We talk about what it was like to be a first generation college student and the idea that she didn’t have time to whine and be frustrated and disappointed. That level of resilience enabled her to figure life out—she called it her secret weapon that allowed her not to get stuck.Amber speaks to how you focus on your own unique and individual talents and zero in on your strengths and how you level those on your life. What are you doing right? What are you doing well? You’ll glean a look into positive side of life and how she mentors using that tactic. You’ll hear Amber talk about her passion project to help STEM to get into rural high schools to give a lift for STEM to get into these schools and help these graduates to find their path to college—she wants to be a part of the solution to get these students to college and help guide them through a system of support to help them persist and give a feeling of belonging. She touches on healthy boundaries and how important that is in helping provide the tools.Tune in for this episode to hear parenting and family skills that she and her husband implement to create their family dynamics and the process to see how they spend their time. There is a balance and sometimes in life you have to do things you don’t want to do—her advice comes naturally because it is incorporated in how she actually lives. She recommends a book called 365 Conversations which gives them intentional conversations for 3 years in their family. Connect daily. Join us.The music “STOMP” is used by permission of the artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff