Naomi Nye embarked on a profound journey that led to the founding of the Teen Rockstar Entrepreneur Academy and a family coaching service. This endeavor sprang from a moment of deep awakening following a failed suicide attempt. As she lay in that hospital bed, Naomi found herself grappling with a pivotal question: "How did I get here?" This moment propelled her into an exploration of the workings of the mind, brain development, and neuroscience, seeking to unravel the intricacies of human behavior and see what makes us tick.
After years of rigorous research, training, and personal healing, Naomi arrived at a profound realization: life's difficulties stem not solely from hardships themselves, but from the absence of coping skills to navigate them. Driven by this insight, Naomi established the Teen Rockstar Entrepreneur Organization with a dual mission: to address two pressing societal challenges impacting youth today and to redefine how we approach these issues. These challenges include the burgeoning mental health crisis and the precarious job market for young people.
Presently, alarming statistics reveal that 42% of Gen Z seek counseling, with antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications frequently prescribed to children. Moreover, a staggering 60% of college graduates struggle to secure employment in their desired fields, leading to financial strain and a sense of hopelessness. These circumstances contribute to concerning rates of suicide, teen violence and addiction.
In response, Teen Rockstar Entrepreneur offers entrepreneurship education and teen personal development group coaching programs. These initiatives aim to equip teenagers with the skills necessary to establish and expand successful businesses while fostering attributes such as emotional resilience, self-awareness, and critical thinking—qualities essential for thriving in an ever- evolving world.
Naomi Nye, Family Coach Youth Mindset Entrepreneurship
Why did you choose to work with youth and families instead of focusing on business, women, or relationship coaching?
My upbringing was marked by significant challenges. Born with a club foot into a family of Jehovah's Witness missionaries, I witnessed the strains of a toxic marriage firsthand. Our home was a toxic environment, occasionally marred by violence. Despite the difficulties, both of my parents are remarkable individuals, and I maintain a close relationship with them. However, they lacked the necessary skills to address their own struggles. Their upbringing, combined with the constraints of their religious beliefs, led them into a marriage they didn't truly desire, trapped by societal and familial pressures. Their desperation led to actions they wouldn't otherwise have taken, leaving a profound impact on our family.
Despite the adversities, I achieved success in my life until my late 30s, when a series of surgeries rendered me practically bedridden for seven years. Upon receiving a clean bill of health, I found myself unable to start anew. Therapy and medication only exacerbated my struggles, as continuously revisiting past traumas intensified my anger and depression.
It wasn't until I discovered the transformative power of personal development training and mentoring that I began to rebuild my resilience and confidence. Instead of dwelling on past trauma, I focused on developing the skills needed to navigate life's challenges effectively.
Reflecting on my experiences, I've come to realize that the prevailing approach to youth behavioral issues, primarily centered around therapy, frequently misses its mark. Many children branded as troubled or mentally ill are, in fact, grappling with the typical adversities inherent to adolescence. They spend a significant portion of their day in environments that stifle their inspiration and suppress their creativity. Moreover, they contend with the pressures of technology—a challenge absent during our own youth—whose negative impacts on brain development and overall well-being are only now becoming clear to us. Yet, these youths are often unequipped with the essential tools for self-regulation and resilience necessary to confront their day-to-day challenges.
Instead of delving into the root causes, therapy often inadvertently exacerbates their issues, perpetuating a distressing cycle.
This realization fueled my decision to work with youth and families, aiming to provide them with the tools and support needed to navigate life's challenges successfully. Having experienced years of personal struggle, I am passionate about empowering youth to overcome obstacles and develop the essential skills for thriving in today's complex world.
As neurologist Daniel Amen observed after analyzing thousands of brain scans, resilience is paramount for human flourishing—a principle that underpins the core mission of Teen Rockstar Entrepreneur.
What fuels your passion for your work?
There are two pivotal reasons that drive my unwavering dedication to my mission. Firstly, my personal journey led me to a profound realization: the futility of dwelling in victimhood. Faced with immense challenges and struggling with my own mental health, I reached a point of desperation where I contemplated ending my life. It was in that dark abyss that I had an epiphany—I wasn't broken, just uninformed. The universe had other plans for me, guiding me toward a path of enlightenment and empowerment. Now, I am driven by an unshakable conviction to liberate youth from the grip of insecurity, self-doubt, and lack of direction. By equipping adolescents with a deep understanding of themselves, backed by scientific insights, and teaching them essential skills like self-regulation, I believe we can guide them through the tumultuous journey of adolescence with resilience and success.
Secondly, I am deeply concerned about the global youth mental health crisis, which I have extensively researched. Several key factors contribute to this epidemic.
Firstly, technology has become a double-edged sword, hindering youth brain development, sleep patterns, and mental well-being. The constant exposure to curated lives on social media breeds feelings of inadequacy and diminishes the quality of real-world relationships.
Secondly, our outdated education system fails to equip students with vital life skills such as financial literacy, effective communication, critical thinking, and grit. Consequently, many youths enter adulthood unprepared for the demands of the real world, leading to disillusionment and dropout rates.
Thirdly, shifts in modern parenting paradigms, influenced by the Gentle Parenting Culture, have inadvertently led to a lack of boundaries and discipline. While well-intentioned, this approach fails to provide children with the necessary guidance and structure they crave for healthy development.
Lastly, therapy has become the default solution for life's everyday challenges, inadvertently labeling normal experiences as trauma and fostering a victim mentality. Instead of empowering youth to overcome adversity, we inadvertently reinforce their sense of helplessness.
In response to these challenges, I am committed to providing youth with the tools and guidance they need to navigate life's complexities successfully. By fostering resilience, emotional intelligence, and self-mastery, we can empower the next generation to thrive in an ever-changing world. These skills are not just life-saving; they are the cornerstone of a fulfilling and prosperous life.
How do you help teens and their families?
To support teens and their families, Teen Rockstar Entrepreneur takes a multifaceted approach. Our organization offers entrepreneurship education and teen personal development group coaching programs like the Designer Life Blueprint program, which equip teenagers with essential skills for business success while fostering attributes like emotional resilience and critical thinking. What sets us apart is our holistic methodology, incorporating music as a medium for connection and empowerment, and organizing in-person events to strengthen local youth communities.
Our mission is to address the challenges teens face comprehensively. We focus on equipping teens with executive functioning skills, improving parent-child dynamics, and mitigating the negative impacts of technology on well-being. By creating safe spaces and empowering youth to navigate these challenges, we aim to make a meaningful impact on their lives and communities.
We tackle these issues by instilling a growth mindset and teaching entrepreneurship. Our aim is to equip teens with the skills and mindset necessary to overcome obstacles and build successful futures, addressing both mental health challenges and the need for job security.
Our organization bridges the gap in life skills education by empowering teens with practical knowledge often overlooked in traditional curricula. We advocate for entrepreneurship as a pathway to success, resilience, and fulfilling careers, offering viable alternatives to conventional post-secondary routes.
Recognizing that family plays a crucial role, our teen group coaching program includes separate classes for parents to heal and improve their parenting skills. We understand the challenges parents face and provide support to create a harmonious home environment.
In essence, our comprehensive approach, combining mindset development and practical skill-building, positions us as leaders in teen personal development education. By empowering teens to embrace change and chart their paths to success, we're shaping the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
What plans do you have for the TRE Organization in the future?
In the future, Teen Rockstar Entrepreneur (TRE) has exciting plans to expand our offerings and impact on youth development. One of our upcoming initiatives is the launch of a monthly debate class. Through this program, students will have the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills essential for navigating the abundance of information available online. By fostering discernment, we aim to empower youth to navigate the complexities of the digital age with confidence and clarity.
We're committed to creating online communities where youth can connect with like-minded peers who inspire and uplift them. These positive relationships will serve as a source of support, encouraging youth to approach the future with optimism and motivation.
In the realm of events, we're thrilled to announce plans for our inaugural teen music and mindset concert in Miami at the end of October. This concert will provide a unique platform for youth to engage with music while fostering a positive mindset and sense of community.
Looking ahead, our goal for next year is to establish our first teen hangout center through our newly established foundation. Drawing inspiration from the social spaces of the past, such as malls and roller rinks, we aim to create environments where youth can gather, socialize, and engage in meaningful activities. By providing spaces where youth feel valued and heard, we hope to combat the allure of screen-based entertainment and cultivate a sense of belonging within their communities.
Personally, I'm eager to dive back into public speaking, delving into topics I'm passionate about, such as brain development—particularly during the crucial first 25 years of life. This knowledge has the power to profoundly impact the lives of both youth and parents, reshaping perspectives and outcomes.
Additionally, I'm committed to advocating for reforms in education, championing a paradigm shift towards a "Prevention before Punishment" approach, which forms the cornerstone of our mission.
To learn more about Naomi and Teen Rockstar Entrepreneur, connect with us on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn or visit our website for program information on our courses, workbooks, or if you simply have a question.
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