A Parent's Guide for Getting Girls Into STEM Careers

A Parent's Guide for Getting Girls Into STEM Careers

As a kid growing up poor in Humboldt County, I had no idea what Engineering was. No one ever took me aside and said, "Engineers create things and get paid a lot of money and have awesome lives." The only messages I got were, "The police came by looking for your uncle again, don't tell them anything."

High school was awful for me. I lived in my hoarder grandmother's house, fell asleep listening to my cat eating mice alive, and thought about suicide often. I failed out, never took my SATs and ended up failing out of college twice. Through determination, the Air Force and the sheer power of being awesome, I earned a Doctorate in Education, made it to my dream city (San Diego) and have a pretty cool life.

The reason I'm sharing this is because I want great things for your children and I want to give you every resource to encourage your daughters to get high paying, successful STEM careers if that's their passion. I want you to teach them about facing challenges, standing up to barriers, and to NEVER give up on their dreams. (My doctoral dissertation was rejected three times). My goal as a professional life coach is to make sure that high school students have a much better shot at life than I did.I don't want them sleeping on the floor in college, unable to afford meat, or sleeping on a cot and eating moldy tuna fish sandwiches in grad school. (I have a bed and a dining table now,  its pretty awesome). My journey was unnecessarily difficult and I want better for your teens. 

By some weird twist of fate, I ended up teaching high school Engineering in San Diego for five years. I learned a lot and by the last few years, was really making impacts. I coached two robotics teams, mentored students, and helped many get to college despite being from low income families or having horrible life situations.

Keep in mind that STEM careers can be mistakenly thought of as boring or not feminine or even female friendly. It's important to expose girls to as much as possible. I have broken down the activities and resources by age. Remember that when teaching STEM, its important to use the following at first:

*hands on projects

*bright colors for diagrams

*working with friends or in groups

*association with real life events/concepts

*fun projects that mix creativity and design with STEM topics

*immersion and experiences related to STEM

My ADD was kickin pretty bad in high school because I was a tactile learner. If I had been able to build robots, work with my friends, and actually have experiences that were fun, I'd probably be working at NASA right now, instead of sitting at home drinking wine and listening to Deadmau5 on a Saturday.

It's important to create a learning experience that appeals to the senses, can be relatable to real life concepts and is half math, half hands on. Don't forget vocab words and you have a great lesson plan for learning STEM.

The two best resources I found have everything you will need. They are broken down by age and are a great reference point. They have a ton of info on getting girls excited about math and science.

http://www.mastersindatascience.org/blog/the-ultimate-stem-guide-for-kids-239-cool-sites-about-science-technology-engineering-and-math/

http://www.wise.iastate.edu/resources.html

Here is my personally created timeline:

A STEM teaching timeline for girls delineated by age

Age 6-9 (key goal is "new concepts")

Actions

Try to build projects with your girls that are varied in nature. One week could be a house and lighting, the next could be a garden, the next a basic chemistry experiment, etc......

Make sure to introduce new words related to the project and get them started on spelling.

This is also a great time to take them to zoos, science fairs, and botanical gardens.

Introduce them to kid friendly science web pages.

Projects

http://www.education.com/science-fair/elementary-school/

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

http://www.roominatetoy.com/

Resources

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Childrens-Engineering/zgbs/books/16244041

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/29/shopping-for-a-girl-consider-science-and-engineering-toys/?_r=0

Age 10-13 (key goal is "experimentation")

Actions

Start finding girls science or robotics groups. If their school doesn't have one, HAVE THEM START ONE. If the school gives them any grief about it, set up a parent teacher conference. Contact me if you need any help with this stuff. I have a very good talent for negotiation.

"I don't think you heard me right, Vice Principal Johnson. Those girls are getting that science lab ASAP. And some sequined lab coats. I'd like mine in a large, please."

A math club is also a really good supplementary activity at this age and can get them on the road for STEM scholarships.

Projects

By this point, they should be upping the ante and working on programming, some coding, and component level wiring or mid level chemistry experiments.

This is a great collection of pictures of projects for middle school level kids

https://www.pinterest.com/utwep/stem-activities-middle-school/

This is a complete review of several robotics kits that are good for kids

http://www.razorrobotics.com/robot-kits/

This is a great physics project for middle school girls:

http://www.docfizzix.com/

Chemistry sets

http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/kids-chemistry-kits

Resources

This is a big one. Danika Mckeller, (yes, Winnie Cooper) wrote a couple of AMAZING math books for girls. I have the whole set. They are beautifully designed and make learning math concepts MUCH easier. (Plus I learned how to fix a broken high heel and to find a foundation that matches my natural skin tone.) They can be found here: http://www.danicamckellar.com/math-books/

If there is one recommendation I'd STRONGLY make today, it is to GET THESE BOOKS FOR YOUR DAUGHTERS. They are amazing.

 

Age 14-18 (key goal is "immersion/exposure")

Actions

As your girls enter high school, a few actions should be taken simultaneously:

*Arrange a meeting with an Engineering mentor, it should be either a female college engineering student or a younger female engineer. Girls need to see someone that is near their age, and as someone they can emulate. The most important thing is that they see someone they would want to be like.

*Take your daughter to a nearby college that has an engineering club. Engineering students LOVE to mentor high school students and tell them about their experiences.

*Work with your daughter's teachers to make sure that at least one tech related field trip is part of the school year. They should visit a tech based company and get to see firsthand what engineers, techs, and scientists do.

*Sit down with your daughters and explain about the A-G requirements for entering college at a state school. There are classes that HAVE to be completed to get to a 4 year school. These are the requirements for California, a quick google search can be used for your state if its different:

*Have your daughter sign up for the Society for Women Engineers. They have scholarships, resources, and mentoring.

*I cannot stress enough how awesome Engineering an Empire is. Its a series of historical documentaries about various civilizations that has CGI and historical reenactments. Get it off Amazon. My students LOVED this series and its hosted by Robocop's Peter Weller!!

  

Projects

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc

Resources

www.engineergirl.com

https://www.nsf.gov/news/classroom/engineering.jsp

Dr. Rob's Final Thoughts

Thanks so much for reading my article. It is my hope that you push your daughters to be high achieving performers in their field. Remember that there are always loopholes in life just in case things go sideways. Especially in tech fields.

There are lots of "fringe jobs" that few people know about that pay really well, even without a technical degree, or with a 2 year degree.

I am a technical writer for a turbine company. I don't have a technical degree and never passed Pre Algebra.

I do the EXACT same job as engineers that have Mechanical Engineering degrees and make just about the same pay. How is this possible?

military aviation background

writing background

So just remember, things are not always linear in life. If your daughter has a high aptitude for technical subjects, but takes English or Journalism instead in college, she can STILL be a technical writer and start off at $22-$32 an hour.

PS: Here is one last "easter egg" to help your daughters succeed. My BEST articles from the Blue Dragon Enterprises Blog for fast reference:

How to Create an 80k Job

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2015/03/3-ways-to-create-80000-jobno-really.html

The Best Teen Career Article of 2015

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-best-teen-career-article-of-2015.html

How to Lifehack College

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-lifehack-college.html

Girl Power, Getting Your Daughter into Tech Careers

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2015/04/girl-power-secrets-to-getting-your.html

Remember, if you ever have questions, feel free to ask, if you need to hire a professional teen mentor, I'm always available and general inquiries about your teen's education are FREE.

My website:

www.bluedragonent.com

My email:

dragonsgold76@gmail.com

My free Teen Book:

http://www.bluedragonent.com/teen-juggernaut.html

Here's to your success, (and don't forget to please subscribe to my Blue Dragon Enterprises Blog)

Dr. Rob

Girl Power (The Secrets to Getting Your Girls Into Science and Tech)

I have had a lot of interactions with parents of young girls lately and the conversations have been amazing. Many parents are giving up the "princess kits" and investing in robotics and science based toys and games. This is a great start and a step in the right direction.

3 girls getting lessons in AWESOME

A few years ago, I wrote a book for charter schools called Charter X (available here:http://www.lulu.com/shop/rob-garcia/charter-x/paperback/product-21857508.html). It is a guide for charter schools to write better assignments that are fun and engaging, how to assess kids for the right careers, and an entire chapter on helping female students get into STEM careers. I would recommend Charter X for any parent as well because it has valuable guides on steering your girls into careers based in interests, aptitude, and hobbies.

Anyway, I have enclosed the chapter for girls for FREE, and I hope it helps.

"An essential component of the Charter X philosophy is your female population. Some people will be bothered that I devoted an entire chapter targeting one gender. Those same people will probably be bothered that I woke up today. I’d rather spend my time focused on the fact that only 14% of engineers are women and that only 4.8% of Fortune 500 companies are run by women.

We hear about the inequalities in pay between genders, but to truly understand why it occurs, I think it takes a deeper understanding of the issue.  It’s not groundbreaking that the highest paying jobs right out of college are all engineering or science/mathematical based. Yet women represent a small amount of these careers.

From the Women in Technology website: “Forty percent of today’s women and minority chemists and chemical engineers say they were discouraged from pursuing a STEM career (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) at some point in their lives.  U.S. colleges are cited as the leading place in the American education system where discouragement happens (60%) and college professors as the individuals most likely responsible for the discouragement (44%). The U.S. K-12 education system falls short, too.  On average, the survey respondents give it a “D” for the job it does to encourage minorities to study STEM subjects and a “D+” for girls. (Bayer Facts of Science Education XIV survey, March 2010)

In my research, I came across an amazing Doctoral dissertation by Carol Heaverlo that focused on the phenomenon of female loss of interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) careers from 6^th to 12^th grade. This paragraph sums up several of the main issues succinctly:

“Despite this call to action, young girls and women are still confronted with obstacles on their pathway to education

and careers in STEM. From a lack of female role models and mentors, engrained societal gender stereotypes reinforced by friends, family, and community, lack of confidence due to internal feelings of Inadequacy (Imposter Syndrome), to differential teaching practices in the classroom (Besecke & Reilly, 2006; Buck, Plano Clark, Leslie-Pelecky, Lu, & Cerda-Lizarraga, 2008; Buck, Leslie-Pelecky, & Kirby, 2002; Cleaves, 2005)

In her dissertation, Carol included a study that was conducted that listed the factors that added to Hispanic student’s participation in STEM careers. I think it is relevant because they are non gender specific.

1) support of their family members;

2) high ability student;

3) interactive curriculum;

4) pre-college coursework that prepared them for rigorous math and science

courses in college;

5) teachers that showed an interest in and a desire for the students to learn;

6) small class size; and

7) living in a small community where there is usually a commitment to “place and being not found in a larger city.” (p.143) (Brown, Whitman, 2011)

            These factors are definitely worth examining. In my time in the classroom, I encountered many parents whose career planning for their daughters consisted solely of finding them a husband before they got “old” at 22. 

That’s it.

            Let that sink in for a moment. This type of patriarchal and antiquated expectation is definitely a factor in why our girls

lose the desire for technical careers. I will use this chapter to list resources and techniques to help build up our girls into confident, professional, young women.

Exposure

            One of the best things you can do as an educator is foster exposure to STEM careers for female students. This can be done in a variety of ways such as guest speakers that are female engineers, and reading books that are female based. It’s very important to find engaging speakers that female students can identify with and want to emulate.

            Field trips to engineering companies are another great way to create interest. These can be arranged by calling ahead and finding out what they offer for high school tours.

Changing Gender Attitudes

            It’s very important to support your girls and make sure that if any male students make comments about their future, their intelligence, or their career choices, that you intervene and put an end to those kinds of comments. It’s absolutely crucial to support female students and to create an attitude within them of resilience, success, and vision. I can’t imagine how many potential female scientists, engineers, or doctors gave up their dreams because some guy in a science class said something stupid to them that shook them up.

            I read about an amazing young woman named Maria Castro that CNN’s Soledad O Brian profiled. Maria grew up in a low income family in Phoenix, Az and dreamed of being an engineer. Her grades were good but her family wasn’t supportive at all. In fact, her father told her teacher that “it was just a matter of time until she fails.” Instead of accepting that pessimistic assessment of her talents, Maria petitioned for a specialized accelerated math class to be created at her school.

She became captain of a robotics team and enrolled in honors classes.

            When I read about this in 2011, I sent a small check and my first book to her with a personal note to not give up. I was thrilled to hear from her a few months later. She had gotten accepted into Arizona State and was pursuing a dual major in technical fields. Maria has the kind of attitude that we need to foster in young women. The ability to see what can be, not what is.

STEM From a Female Perspective

            One very valuable resource I have found for encouraging female students is a series of books written by Danica Mckellar (Winnie from the Wonder Years). They are very cleverly put together and designed well. The covers are deliberately designed to look like fashion magazines and her ability to break down mathematical concepts is easy to read and well researched.

            These books cover everything from middle school Pre-Algebra all the way up to high school Geometry. I purchased a few and was really impressed with the work she put into them. Definitely work purchasing for your school library.

            Another resource that is helpful is engineergirl.org. It has articles about female engineers, links to other engineering sites, and is designed in a format that will appeal to female students.

            Many organizations, like the Society for Women Engineers, offer scholarships and resources for females that wish to become engineers.

Chapter Summary:

• Girls should be encouraged to pursue engineering and technical fields

• Every effort should be made to provide resources for them to gain exposure to these careers

• The greatest drop off of female interest in science and math occurs in middle school

• Educators should try and set up a positive support structure that encourages young women to explore STEM careers"

Thanks for reading this. Remember to subscribe to this blog (I promise there are AMAZING articles on wealth building, weight loss, supercharging intelligence, and more, check the archives!!) 

If I can ever help or give advice, hit me up at www.bluedragonent.com. Thanks!! 

Dr. Rob

4 Reasons Why Science Babe Should be Every Young Woman's Role Model

As some of you know, an amazing event took place this week with the publishing of an article called, "The Food Babe Blogger is Full of Shit."

Yvette Guinevere, the Science Babe, who holds a B.S. in Chemistry and an MSc.  in Forensic Science, called out Vani Hari, the Food Babe as a charlatan and accused her of building an empire on fake science, scare tactics, and duplicitous practices. 

"Damn the winds, full speed ahead, I spy a delicious catfight." - Napoleon

There is no way on God's green earth that I am going to take sides on this. But one thing that I will address is that we can all agree that Science Babe is the type of woman that every young woman should aspire to emulate. Here is my rationale:

1. She has a healthy self image

2. She provides value to society

3. She can formulate a doctoral level argument that is hilariously clever

4. She has a tremendous self drive

I taught high school Engineering for five years in a low income school. I had a freshman class every quarter in 6 week Intro to Engineering courses. Too often, I would see talented girls that could end up being scientists, doctors, and engineers giving up and just doing enough to barely pass. They didn't see the value of pushing themselves for a scientific or technical career. 

Couple this with an overbearing father that wants them married at 19, shows like the Kardashians that teach them that it's better to be a furry backed, knuckle dragging, slow reading moron socialite than a working professional and you start to see why only 20% of women pursue tech related degrees (fastcompany.com, 2014). 

We need to focus on helping young women reach their potential. "Marrying a hot, rich guy" shouldn't be a career goal. I'd love to see high school girls rejecting the "selfie generation" culture and embracing the "She EO" culture. 

 

                                        More of this

Less of this

I place a person's worth on the desert island theory. A person's worth is attributed by what skills they could bring to a survival situation. If I were stranded on an island with Science Babe, she would immediately be testing potable water for toxicity, making me gather heavy objects like tree trunks and rocks to make a shelter, and gathering flint and combustibles so we could make signal fires. We would probably survive and I could get back to my Macho Man Randy Savage DVDs. 

If I were stranded with the Kardashians, none of them would talk to me because of my inability to ever procure VIP at the Viper Room, and no pliable chance at an athletic career. Khloe would pace the island restlessly, looking for small animals to consume alive, and Kim would use up her battery life taking selfies of her "island adventures." The point is, I would fucking die because none of them have any type of goddamn skill, talent, or value to any living person with an IQ over 15. 

There is hope out there. 

There are groups like Reality Changers that help first generation low income students get to college. There are girls like Maria Castro, who despite financial issues and little family support, got herself into ASU to study dual tech majors. I read about her on CNN and sent her some money, a copy of my book, and a personal note telling her how awesome she was. 

Maria's story: http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/05/12/soledad.education.latina/

So how can we help girls like Maria? Volunteer at high schools, support female robotics teams, donate to the Society for Women Engineers.............and most of all.............CARE.

If any girls are reading this and need help in creating a success plan or need a professional mentor, check out my life coaching website at www.bluedragonent.com. My teen book, Teen Juggernaut, is FREE for download. I don't charge teens for life coaching. 

So in hindsight, Science Babe, my doctoral hat is off to you, I applaud your success in your field, and I hope you inspire thousands of young women to study hard, achieve huge goals, and to move forward in life. You truly are amazing. 

Dr. Rob

"Big, bad, stupid lookin" - Dragnet

The BEST Teen Career Article of 2015 - Share With Every Teen You Know...

Happy Sunday Blue Dragon Army! I hope your week has been amazing. I have been busy finding the best resources and content to get you the life of your dreams. This week's article is specifically geared towards teens. Both high school students and college students can benefit from this content.

I wanted to specifically talk about how things have changed between your lives and mine. Specifically, the resources available, the job market, and the opportunities that you may not even know about. This will be a little longer than my usual blog posts but I promise, it will be worth it. I only bring you $100 pieces of info. That's my promise. So let's get started.

3 Things That Adults Have Incorrectly Taught You

1. You have to go to college to make something of yourself.

This is completely ridiculous. There are literally thousands of millionaires out there that never went to college because they didn't need it. They started their own businesses, worked hard, and achieved the American Dream. Now let me clarify, a college degree will increase your earning potential, but only certain ones. A liberal arts degree or Russian history won't hold a lot of value unless your life goal is to teach liberal arts or Russian history. The highest return on investment for degrees are Engineering, Mathematics, Nursing, Chemistry, Finance, and Computer Science. I am not saying to avoid college, I am saying that there are plenty of opportunities out there to make a lot of money if you choose to not go. 

There are also so many free programs out there to train you in a vocational skill, that college isn't always your best option. Go on my website at www.bluedragonent.com and download my FREE book Utopia, to learn more. 

2. Only adults can write a book, start a company, or get in really good shape.

Don't ever let your age be a limiting factor in your goals. I taught high school freshmen and I turned to them all the time for computer help and some math stuff. Just because you are young doesn't mean you can't learn and achieve just like adults. Here are the steps for the three things listed:

Write a Book

Get a piece of paper, write down your chapter ideas, develop your content, look at similar books for design ideas, and upload when finished to lulu.com. Its free. Then when people buy it, you get a check. Pretty cool, huh?

Start a Company

You need a business license (about 25 bucks, google it and your town), a website (wordpress or godaddy) and some business cards (vistaprint). Congrats, you're a CEO. You know what's awesome about owning your own company? THERE IS NO SALARY CAP. Your parents get a certain amount that they are paid, when you have your own company, your sales are determined by YOU. Google teen entrepreneurs to see exactly how some enterprising teens have created million dollar companies. My book for teens, Teen Juggernaut, also talks about opportunities for teens. Its also on my website for free. 

Get in Really Good Shape

Don't eat fast food or frozen food. Have veggies and brown rice with every meal. Cut down on sugar. Have a regular exercise regimen or activity you can do a minimum of three times a week. Remember that every item you eat with flour will increase your weight, increase your chance of diabetes and is hard for your body to digest. 

3. You have to be a certain age to accomplish huge goals.

All you need to make your goals come true is a plan, a list of resources, and smart people that will help you. You have access to the smartest people on Earth using the internet. Don't let your fears or shyness keep you from making a plan and being awesome. 

Jaylen Bledsoe was 13 and founded a company that went on to be valued at 3.5 million dollars.

Hart Main started a candle company at 13 and made it into Fast Company magazine. He has been featured in several news outlets.

Farrah Grey started his first company at age 7 and was a millionaire by 21. 

Zora Ball created a mobile video game app......at age 7. 

My entire life has been about taking chances and doing the things I have always wanted to do. I started a skateboard company, a clothing line, wrote seven books, and love helping others reach their dreams. START YOUR DREAMS TODAY. Trust me. 

3 Amazing Resources For Teens

1. Lulu.com - Lulu is a self publishing site that lets you create your own books, upload your own cover, or choose one of theirs, and then when people buy them, you get a check in the mail!! It really is this easy. Think about it, you no longer have to deal with publishing companies, or collect rejection letters. 

2. Stanford's Income Based Tuition - I just read this last week. Stanford, one of the most prestigious schools in America, has recently offered free tuition if a student's parents make less than $125000 a year and free room and board if it is less than $65,000. This is a huge opportunity for low income students to get a free, high quality education.

3. The Federal Gov Apprenticeship Database - For those that would prefer to learn a high tech skill that pays well, the Dept of Labor has every paid apprenticeship program listed by state! You can look up any career field that interests you and start getting paid as soon as you are accepted. Regular raises and plenty of job opportunities. The link is here: http://oa.doleta.gov/bat.cfm

3 Little Known Careers That Pay Well

UAVs, drones, unmanned aircraft, whatever you call them, are the future. We will need people to fly them, fix them, and create operator and maintenance manuals for them. As you can see from this chart at www.cognizant.com, UAVs are going to be a big part of American life. 

Here are the three careers that are worth looking into:

1. Technical Writer - Usually has a Bachelor's degree in English or Journalism, or military experience related to Aviation or machinery. Tech writers make between $24-$46 an hour depending on experience. They create the manuals used by maintainers or operators of UAVs.

2. UAV mechanical technician - This is a high paying job that will always be in demand. You can get an entry level position with an Associate's in Electronics or a military background. The pay is between $14-$30 an hour depending on experience. UAV mech techs install electronic components, troubleshoot mechanical issues, and use electronic equipment to make sure the UAVs are working properly. They are also known as FSRs (Field Service Reps) if you are job searching.

3. Enlisted Sensor Operator - This is a very coveted position. An enlisted Airman, Soldier, or Sailor runs the sensors that are used in a UAV for weather and flying conditions. Usually military trained, this position pays roughly  $80,000 on the civilian side. 

Dr. Rob's Final Advice For the Week

Thanks for reading this. For those of you that don't know me, I grew up in a low income household and failed out of high school and two colleges to go on to earn 6 degrees including a PhD. I am a professional life coach in San Diego and love what I do. 

You are at an important time in your life, focus on finding a field that you love. Don't worry about the Kardashians, reality TV, Angry Birds, or Facebook. Concentrate on creating an amazing life for yourself, and always try to help others. Remember that no one owes you anything, and hard work DOES pay off. 

I am always available if you have life questions. Never forget:

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. 

Dr. Rob

PS: I do ask one tiny favor, please subscribe to my blog (upper right corner) so I can keep giving you the BEST in free, high level content. Feel free to share, use, or distribute my content. 

3 Ways to Create an $80,000 Job..............No, Really

Greetings Blue Dragon Army!!! 

This is a high end post. The kind that is specially reserved for people that are ready to sweat a little for the potential payoff of a HUGE salary. I guarantee, if you are legitimately success minded, can invest 2 weeks of complete focus into one of these methods, and are willing to do ANYTHING for your financial success, read on. 


Ok, cool. There are like 4 of you left. That's what happens when you mention real work.It has a funny way of weeding out the lazy. Without any further ado, here are three possible pathways to your success:

1. Start your own school

The federal government is giving away 2-5 million dollar grants to start vocational apprenticeship programs. You just need a partnership with a local business, a local school, and to fill out a long application and watch a video. As the director of this school, you can create your own salary as long as it is comparable to similar program salaries. This usually means 80-120k to run the show. Here is the link:

http://www.dol.gov/apprenticeship/grants.htm

If you need a PhD consultant thats an expert at technical careers, Im available for hire. 

2. Create a digital publishing empire

Shane and Jocelyn Sams were teachers in Kentucky that heard a random podcast by Pat Flynn on making online income. They gave it a try, created a few digital products and put them online. 

Their monthly income is now over $100,000. MONTHLY. Their process is laid out here and easy to follow. They give their methods away and are really nice. 

http://flippedlifestyle.com/podcast2/

If you guys need help creating a digital product, I can help you through the entire process, help you write it, even get you a cover designer and help advertise it for a small fee. Contact me for details. I have now written four and they aren't that hard. 

3. Become a highly paid technical specialist

People that learn a rare skill can command high salaries because they are hard to come by. Programming and network specialist are two great fields and guess what? THE TRAINING IS FREE. Here are two ways to learn a high paying skill. 

http://www.codecademy.com/

http://www.sdce.edu/job-training/computers (San Diego Based)

There you have it guys, three ways to create a much higher standard of life. See you at the Porsche dealership!!

Dr. Rob

Jana Cochrane as Explained by my Sister Leticia.........

*This is a special guest post from my sis to the Blue Dragon Enterprises Blog. As part of the healing process for all of us, I asked my sister to write about her friendship with Jana. 

An unreal once in a lifetime friendship.
 
I can pinpoint the moment I knew I had finally met someone who could roast my brother within seconds of any comment he made....... My friendship with Jana Cochrane began on Facebook. Next to myspace, it was my first real expierence with social media. While commenting on one of my brothers threads on Facebook , Jana popped in and roasted us both. I loved her. She was unbelievably quick at ripping someone a new asshole and casually adding a smily face emoji after anything crude, rude, or ruthless she wrote. At times, it was so clearly the work of a genius. 

Six months prior to meeting Jana in person and getting a friend request from her I was quite possibly at the worst place in my life mentally that I have ever been in. I had returned from my honeymoon only to be fired the same day. As a mother , the hardest thing to go through is job loss. I a few ups and a lot of downs along the way. Unknowingly to me, my future friend was about to go through the exact same expierence. Within months, I had burned through every dime in my savings but luckily had good ole unemployment as a back up source of income. Jana and I began casually chatting on facebook about "weeds" a show that we both enjoyed. I had every season on DVD (clearly a waste of money) and I decided that the best way to meet her in person was to deliver the seasons to her at work. To my suprise, she wasnt there. The exact day I went to drop the dvds off, she had been laid off. I sent her a text and she quickly called back asking if we could meet up.  

She chose Starbucks on Myrtle . Even though it was hot outside (hot for humboldt) she showed up in a puffy vest . The quick meetup then turned into a four hour chat fest about our lives. From that moment on , I realized that this woman was not only funny, smart, and beautiful...... she had the one quality I admired in a person..... she was trustworthy. From that day on there was rarely a day that I didn't either text, talk to, or see her.  At that point in time , Jana was single and she was VERY dedicated to her family. This was not only beautiful to see but also very difficult to understand. She drove up to her parents cabin almost every weekend , went grocery shopping for them, babysat her nieces and nephews and most importantly..... cared for her father who was on a waiting list for a new heart. Jana would often drive her father to his appointments at Stanford all while waiting on a donor for her father. See, the beauty of Jana was her ability to do so much for other people and never once complain. She had a way of making everyone around her feel valuable and important. 

I can't count the number of times when I have called her in a panic crying over the smallest things and all the while knowing that regardless of the problem, she always had great advice. A lot of the time all I really needed was a "put your big girl panties" on lecture and oddly enough... within seconds I felt better. Her level of compassion for people and animals was unreal. Whether it was cleaning out her pantry and dropping "goody bags" off for homeless people by the mall, housesitting for people, adopting animals, she did it without a second thought. Looking back now, I realize that finding a friend like Jana would be equivalent to finding a unicorn- impossible. I shared many memories with her, many laughs, many meals, many cry sessions , and many moments that I will never forget. On January 9, 2015 I came home from work and noticed a mutual friend Terri had sent me a message asking me to call her ASAP. It was a phone call that would forever change my life. Through tears Terri said "Janas gone" . It was Friday and my first thought was that there was a horrible car accident (she typically traveled south on the weekends) but it was nothing I would have ever expected. As  it turned out, Jana had collapsed at work and the EMTS were unable to revive her.

 I spent the next hours sobbing in real heartache. A physcial pain that had somehow synced to my mind. I sat there in a state of shock crying until I ran out of tears. I took two xanax and chased them with a bloody mary. At that point in my life, nothing could have ever felt anyworse then that day and the days after. I have learned so much from her simple lessons . Whether it was " you cant change anything so just go with it", "you cant get blood out of a rock" , or "dude ,  let that shit go" every word echoed true. I have learned to remind everyone I love that I care for them and will be there regardless, to live everyday like it is your last, and to cherish every moment I have on earth. Jana left us all in a state of shock but the greatest thing she left us with was each others comfort. Since her passing I have had many conversations with people that I have met through Jana that have offered me comfort and the drive to move on. In the end, she brought us all together. For that, I will forever be grateful.

5 Mental Concepts That Will Help You Beat Fear and Crush ANY Goal..............

Greetings Blue Dragon Blog readers!!

This article will cover techniques that will help you to conquer any goal you are trying to reach. We all have accomplishments that we would like to do, such as writing a book, applying to a better job, starting a company and so forth................but we don't always move forward.

This is where my industry comes in (life coaching). I get paid to move people past their roadblocks, mental snags, and fear. Too often, we psyche ourselves out BEFORE WE EVEN TRY. Why is this? Why do we hesitate? Here are a few reasons:

Self intimidation

Fear of what others will say or think of us

Fear of humiliation

Insecurity

Low self perception

These reasons are all terrifying, intimidating, and too often, effective at shutting down our dreams. A coworker can say something like, "You shouldn't even try to paint, everyone knows most artists are poor and never make it."

A relative can say, "You shouldn't even try to be an engineer, you are not smart enough."

Why do people say stupid things like this?

Because they are insecure, and ARE INTIMIDATED BY STRONG GOALS.

In order to be truly successful, you must embrace the following concepts and make them a part of your everyday habits.

1. Stop Caring About What Others Think

I know this one seems counter intuitive, especially from a life coach, but it's true. 99% of people will react to your decisions with scorn, stupidity, or outright negativity. You don't need this. They do not pay your bills, contribute to your success, or help you in any meaningful way. Get their opinion when you are in newspapers, when you are on TV, when you have paid off a relative's house in cash. You have no need for their stupid advice. Only your chosen mentors should guide you. 

2. Dream Big

In order to constantly improve yourself, its not enough to just reach your goals, you should strive to create YOUR OWN INDUSTRY at your chosen goal. I don't just life coach, I write books, give fitness training, write seminars, speak in schools, etc. I don't view myself as an average person that wastes a full day watching Sunday or drinking at the beach all day. I imagine a powerful, life changing, dynamic person that will change the lives of thousands. This is the mental imagery you need of yourself in your endeavors. 

3. You ARE 500% Better Than You Think at ANYTHING

We carry around a lot of self doubt. Its easier to mentally walk away from challenges than to try and wrap our minds around things. You have a LOT more potential to learn than you have ever imagined. The two things you need to learn new concepts are a frame of reference and a good teacher/lesson. 

Calculus scares the shit out of people because they are terrified of feeling stupid. Know what I'm terrified of? NOT TRYING. 

Take a minute and look at this graphic. You know that as water is pouring into the bucket over time, the volume will rise. You can see that the flow is erratic because its coming out of a faucet in different amounts. 

The top chart represents water flow from the faucet. The bottom chart shows the volume of liquid in the bucket. (diagram from http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au/jw/calculus.htm)

Guess what? You just got a calculus lesson from a guy that COULDNT PASS PRE ALGEBRA IN HIGH SCHOOL. (failed three times) If you look at this and understand it, what else can you learn? What else can you teach yourself? The reason that my own attitude changed was because I became an expert at self learning. I discovered that my chances of academic success greatly improved with my own attitude and aggressive take on studying/learning. 

Don't be scared of how great you can be. Steve Wampler scaled El Capitan in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy. Dick Hoyt has competed in over a thousand marathons, carrying his son, Richard, or pushing him in his wheelchair. Richard is a spastic quadriplegic which means almost zero muscle function. 

The reason that guys like Steve and Richard can succeed at their goals is simply that they believe in themselves. Its that simple. They accept the abilities that they have and they train, practice, and augment their willpower until it is time to act. 

Guys, stop being scared. If you have an unrealized goal or dream, START IT TODAY. If you need help developing it, email me. This is what I do and I'm pretty damn good at it. 

Why? Because I choose to be. 

4. Perspective is Subjective

How you view yourself will be the number one reason you succeed or fail. This is an absolute truth. If you're going on a date, and you wear an average outfit, old shoes, and don't make any effort to make good conversation, how do you think you'll feel? How do you think OTHERS will feel towards you? 

No matter what your endeavor, you have to consistently believe in your abilities. You CANNOT think of yourself as ordinary. It simply does not work. 

If you are a real estate agent, BE THE BEST ONE IN THE INDUSTRY. If you are going to be a professor, be the one that sets the standard for the school. Think of yourself like that everyday. 

Here are two images. When you think of yourself, who do you imagine?

You don't have to ask which one I imagine myself as. You already know. 

5. Visualize Success Only

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. The mental toughness you can create will carry you through anything. You just have to use it properly. Truly successful people use visualizations to "guide" their actions to victory. 

Can you imagine the Mission Commander of the Space Shuttle saying, "Gee guys, I hope this mission works. I hope we are mostly successful."

Yet too many people have this lackadaisical approach to their goals. You must be aggressive, smart, and use your resources properly. Don't try and write a book, start an empire, don't be a mechanic, own the garage. Your own visualizations will keep you motivated, and will carry you through the tough times. If you are going to school, visualize graduation, a great job, and success. 

Do not ever give in to negative thoughts, fear, or perceived failure. You never truly fail until you quit or die. There is always fight in you. The secret is to conjure it up. 

Well guys, that's it for this week. I truly believe that these concepts have gotten me through the hardest challenges I have had in life. Embrace them and watch your success rates shoot WAY WAY up. 

I believe in you. 

Rob