Happy Thanksgiving Day’s Eve, grateful young humans! Allow me to present Advice Show Episode 015 for your enjoyment and edification. Yeah, I know what you really want right now is several healthy helpings of pumpkin pie and mug of hot cider, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. (Hey, don’t blame me; I’m not cooking your dinner.) In the meantime, Jessica needs advice on helping out a friend who feels really sorry for herself and Rachelle is struggling with losing her dad and isn’t ready to handle her mom’s new boyfriend. Let’s see if we can help:
And that’s my take; I’d love to hear yours. What have YOU done to help pull people out of their pity parties? Or maybe you’ve lost a parent and can relate to Rachelle. How did you respond? What can Rachelle learn from your experience?
Keep it real, everybody.
Peace, love, and a turkey,
// josh
P.S. Priscilla, you’re photo wasn’t embarrassing. You look great, honestly. Tanline schmanline. Anyway, thanks for sending it to me; it was great to have you on the show. I hope you find a lovely prom date. The rest of you, send your actually embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyjosh.com.
Welcome to Episode 013! Zach wants to run a professional haunted house but his dad’s not exactly thrilled by the idea and Ashley’s boyfriend admits he cheated on her with her best friend (ouch)…but her friend denies it. What to do?
Glad you asked:
I’m guessing you know what’s coming next: that’s right! it’s YOUR turn. What’s your advice for Zacharia and Ashley? How would you (or have you) handled similar situations in your life?
In your face, but on your side,
// josh
P.S. This week’s embarrassing childhood photo definitely takes things to a whole new level. Dig out those photos of you from when you were an infant (or, you know, last week) where you’re trying to smile and it comes off looking more like a grimace on a scared chimpanzee. The world wants to see those pics. Send ‘em to me at josh@heyjosh.com.
Episode 011! Jess wants to write a book and be an artist, but her parents think that’s waste of time and want her to go to college…but the thought of college makes Jess panic. What to do? In other email, JD and his fiance are pregnant but don’t want his parents or her grandparents to find out. I serve ‘em each a savory morsel of wisdom, so sink your teeth into this:
And now, my young apprenti (I’ve decided to make “apprenti” the plural form of “apprentice” instead of “apprentices” because, well, I think it sounds cooler), let’s hear YOUR advice for Jess and JD. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned about planning for your future and/or telling the truth even when it hurts?
Until next time,
// josh
P.S. Jaimie, thanks for sharing your toothless childhood smile with me. I found it both heartwarming and humorous. The rest of you…let’s see what you’ve got. Send your embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyhosh.com.
**HEADS UP! Tomorrow (October 21) I’m giving some crazy free stuff, so read carefully!**
You know how I have an Advice Show? And make videos? And how they’re fantastic and brilliant and praiseworthy? Well, I’ve been working on something for the past few months that trumps it all. Seriously. It’s the sweetest thing since high-fructose corn syrup. And you can get your parents to BUY IT FOR YOU, no problem. (I don’t want your hard-earned money).
This thing is all about identity, because figuring out how to deal with being labeled and establishing a solid sense of who you are is super-freaky important. And, anyone who purchases this within the first 24-48 hours is eligible to win everything from $1000 to a whole day hanging out with me in person (Yes, I’m excited, too).
So, how do you get grown-ups to get you a copy and a chance to cash in on a bounty of giveaway goodness?
Use my nifty cut-and-paste email template below. Or flex your own creative persuasion skills.
Godspeed, young human.
// josh
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THE EMAIL TEMPLATE
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Dear [THEIR NAME GOES HERE],
Research shows that adolescents, teens, and young people like me really need a positive adult influence in their lives to succeed. I know you try really hard to be that for me…so, thank you.
Anyway, teen expert Josh Shipp is releasing this amazing interactive product about dealing with being labeled and discovering your identity. And the cool thing is he’s designed it to help young people (like me) AND grown-ups (like you) work together. I really think it would be a worthwhile investment in my development, especially since I’m planning on growing up to be president, cure cancer, and generally do amazing things.
You can order it starting Wednesday, October 21 at 3 p.m. (EST) while supplies last.
Yo. It’s Josh Shipp, dropping in with Episode 009. Word on the street/email is Tessa’s being pestered by a pointlessly competitive, copy-cat frienemy and Alyssa’s canned emotions are causing her to distance herself from friends and family. These kind folks asked for my advice…and I kindly obliged. Behold:
Alright, young earthling—time for a little personal reflection. One way or another, I’m guessing you’ve dealt with these issues in your own life, so I’d love to hear what you’ve learned in the process (as would Tessa and Alyssa). We’ve all been on both sides of the “monkey see, monkey do” imitation game, and we’ve all canned up our emotions and made ourselves miserable. What’s YOUR solution? How have you opened up to friends and family about stuff you really didn’t want to talk about? Or, if you’ve been in Tessa’s shoes, have you ever tried to help people who annoy you and, if so, how did that worked out for you?
Pardon all the questions—I’m feeling inquisitive today, I guess. If you’d rather ask a question than answer one, that’s cool, too. Bring it on.
Later,
// josh
P.S. Hey, Kristen! It’s been good seeing you and your crazy Bubba teeth in my frame—it helps remind me to brush and floss regularly. The rest of you…I imagine I’ll be seeing your embarrassing childhood photos arriving in my email inbox any day now. Please direct your photos to josh@heyjosh.com.
Episode 008 rolls in with a question from Alysa about how to deal with her dad—sounds like he’s driving her crazy trying to teach her how to drive—and a query from Patrick about whether conformity is a good thing or a bad thing. I believe good questions deserve good answers, so, here we go:
If you have words of hope to share with Alysa, insight to offer Patrick, or a narcoleptic Driver’s Ed teacher, the world needs to hear about it. Leave a comment below, budding advice slingers! If you have questions, issues, or troubling thoughts and you’re looking for advice yourself, hit me up—that’s what I’m here for.
Until next time,
// josh
P.S. Stephanie, looking sharp; you make an adorable dalmatian puppy. The rest of you, follow her lead and send in your embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyjosh.com. Dog costumes, chicken suits, homemade superhero get-ups and other unflattering apparel are all welcome in my frame.
Let’s be honest—sometimes, *some* grown-ups can cause you a lot of unnecessary grief. I know—I’ve been on the receiving end of that a few times myself. But here’s the thing: most grown-ups are doing their best and mean well. Let’s face it, some grown-ups need help…especially when it comes to understanding and connecting with young humans like yourselves.
I am going to help them.
You’re welcome in advance.
I’ve created a new website to help the grown-ups in your life overcome their natural tendencies to behave clumsily around teens and become better parents, teachers, coaches, and…you know, people in general. Have a few adults in mind? Send them here: http://grownups.heyjosh.com.
I’ve made it really easy for you: Just copy and paste the nifty little email template below, personalize it a bit, and send it off to all the grown-ups in your life you think could learn a thing or two from yours truly, and I’ll take care of the rest.
CONTEST: copy (cc:) josh@heyjosh.com on your email and I’ll pick three winners at random and mail you some rad free stuff.
Thanks!
// josh
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Dear [THEIR NAME GOES HERE],
You are formally invited to check out this new website for “grown-ups” from teen communication expert Josh Shipp. He’s only 28, but he’s been talking to and helping out teens and young people for more than a decade. So, he’s practically a genius. Anyway, now he’s helping adults (like you) relate to teens (like me) better. There will probably be a pop quiz, so I kindly suggest you get started at your earliest convenience:
Episode 006! Keepin’ it real with questions from Brandon and Gwen. Brandon’s feeling pressure to be something he doesn’t think he wants to be but—then again—he isn’t sure what he DOES want, and Gwen’s trying hard to be there for a BFF in a tough situation. Watch and learn:
The party’s here every week—same time, same place, same organic goodness. Flag me down at HeyJosh.com if you have a question of you own, or give me a call at 877-HEY-JOSH. In the meantime, try your hand at slinging advice to Brandon and Gwen. What have you done to try to figure out what you want? How have you been there for a friend? Your insights are valuable…but only if you share them. Go for it. This party’s for everyone.
// josh
P.S. Amy, your childhood photo is hilarious; your glasses redefine embarrassing. Love it. Thanks for chillin’ in my frame this week. The rest of you, stop guarding your embarrassing childhood photos from the eyes of the world like your reputation depends on it, let go of your pride, and send the pics to me at josh@heyjosh.com.
Episode 005 coming at you with splendor. Isabella doesn’t know what to do about her best guy-friend who’s acting like a creeper and Megan’s having some trouble with her mom and wants to run away. But fear not, young human! Your chia-pet-haired hero and his trustworthy owl sidekick come to their rescue:
And now…I punt to you: what’s YOUR advice for Isabella and Megan? Share your experience, insights, and tasty tidbits of life-giving wisdom in the comments section below.
Until next time,
// josh
P.S. Let us not forget to give Alica a well-earned pat on the back for sending in a picture of herself all gussied up as a cow. You’ve earned your place in the frame of fame. As for the rest of you…be honest, you have pictures of yourself dressed up as My Little Pony. Send your embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyjosh.com
I get a lot of emails from teens and twenty somethings who spill their guts to me and ask for my advice. It’s flattering. It’s humbling. It’s exhilarating. It keeps me up at night and inspires me to get up in the morning. And sometimes it just downright breaks my heart.
Like this.
A girl recently sent me a request for advice on YouTube. I asked her if it would be cool if I shared the vid with you. She said, “Indeed.”
This makes me sad for two reasons:
1// She’s going through this
2// A LOT of you are going through this
People ask me “How can I deal with my parents?” all the time, and it’s not an easy question. I know—I dealt with twelve different sets of parents growing up in foster care. Anyway, hold on to your socks for an in-depth look at this issue coming in the near future. In the meantime, here’s my response back to Kiley—I share it with you b/c it’s what I’d tell you if you had the same problem:
Hey there,
Sorry about your situation. My advice would be to focus on what you DO have, instead of what you DON’T have.
You DO have friends who care about you.
Love you.
Respect you.
Want you.
If your parents don’t feel like way (which is crazy) that is their problem. I wish I could give you some secret advice to make your parents change.
***BUT I CAN’T***
So this is a situation where the only thing you have control over is how you react.
You are a valuable person. And lovable. If your parents truly don’t see that, it’s their loss. Not yours.
// josh
P.S. May I put your video on heyjosh.com? I think a lot of teens could relate to your situation.
I also asked for some advice from a few friends of mine on her situation. Here’s what they brought to the table:
Advice from bvantil:
Hey Kiley, you seem like a great person, and that your family life is in a ‘valley’ right now. Be sure you take the time to sit them down one on one and explain how you feel, but be sure to ask what’s going on with THEM—you may be surprised at why they’re acting the way they are…and it’s okay to confide (and vent) to your friends (that’s what friends are for!
Advice from melissacwalker:
Aw, Kiley. Find the people who value you—your friends, the people you CHOOSE to have in your life—and stick with them. Let them build you up, and focus on that.
So, what’s YOUR take? Two things I’m wondering:
Firstly, if you’ve been through something like this, how have you dealt with it? What did you learn from it? What worked? What didn’t? Second, what advice would you give to her/someone like her?
