When the pandemic hit, I was left to find new hobbies and new ways to connect with people virtually. I started listening to podcasts through Spotify and to my surprise, I found many that taught me about myself and what I’m capable of.
My podcast of the week is Driven Young, hosted and founded by Australian Byron Dempsey. He started the podcast in hopes to educate and inspire the younger generations. He focuses a lot of his podcast on education and how the traditional system of education doesn’t work for everyone. His podcast has grown to be very popular in Australia and it’s slowly gaining popularity in the US.
On each episode of the podcast, Byron interviews a new guest who has some knowledge and experience of the world and how to navigate it when you’re young. Many of the guests talk about their experience traveling the world, conquering their fears, navigating adulthood, and many offer advice on how to plan for your future.
There are a lot of podcasts similar to Driven Young and they are probably just as good. But Driven Young, in my opinion, acknowledges and addresses fears the younger generation has but might be reluctant to talk about. I have personally struggled with having confidence that I’m fully taking advantage of the life I’ve been given. The traditional route of high school and college hasn’t always suited me but oftentimes I’m reluctant to look for alternatives. Driven Young lets their younger viewers hear firsthand experiences of people who have taken very different paths in life. By doing this Bryon has helped solidify the idea that taking a non-traditional path in life doesn’t mean you’ll be less successful and happy in the future.
One of his episodes is titled “How to Change Your Mindset to Focus on Positive Rather Than Negative + Your Degree Doesn’t Equal a Job.” This episode was one of my favorites because Byron talks with Jen McCrea who is a speaker and coach that focuses on helping her clients gain a more fulfilled life. She spent a lot of the podcast talking about how much having a positive mindset can affect your life and even potentially make it better.
There can be so much negativity in the world and she believes that little positivity can improve your relationships and future. She also addresses the idea that there’s a certain pathway we all have to take in order to get a stable and successful career. We are taught to go to college, get an education, get a degree, and then life will just fall into place. However, job markets are changing and that isn’t always the case anymore. Sometimes non-traditional pathways lead to more promising futures. Jen talks about many alternative options for people who don’t want to pursue a degree.
Driven Young has allowed me to look at my life in a more positive way and embrace all the ups and downs it brings. It has allowed me to remember that there are endless possibilities for people, especially young people, and embracing those opportunities is so important. Growing up I feel like many people have tried to train me to look at my life a certain way, even urging me to follow more traditional paths. Driven Young has allowed me to remember it’s okay to not know what I want to do with my future and to take advantage of the life I live now.