Who would you still be if the scary call came?

In this episode, Julie explores how the perspective you practice becomes the person you are. Through the work world, applied science, and faith traditions, she shares quick tools: separate the event from the identity, stick to the facts, and be the ocean, not the waves.

This episode explores different models used in coaching, and how faith teachings go even deeper.

Bottom line: The call may come. Know what’s holding you up before it does.

Same doors, different story. Tell me what’s holding you up right now at https://julie-w.com.

Julie gave a teenager five minutes at a youth leadership retreat, he took a lot longer, and the two-second thing she said next became a lightbulb moment for a fellow chaperone who told me she was nervous around teens. This episode is about the words we reach for when we're tired, worried, or on autopilot, the ones we inherited or defaulted to when our kids were little, and why they can quietly work against the relationship we want now.

We look at it through work, science, and faith lenses, and I share a phrase bank you can borrow today, including the one that matters most. If you've ever heard yourself say something and wondered where it came from, these aren't character flaws. They're defaults, and defaults can be updated. And if you're finding that your words reflect parenting a much younger child, these phrases might just save your relationship.

Bottom Line: having some phrases at the ready, and speaking with intent and goodwill, can save the day.

Recorded in real time - you can hear the exhaustion in the recording [insert melting face emoji]

In this episode, Julie shares practical, hard-won advice: expect a late-night "emotion dump" phone call, resist the urge to fix everything (or post about it on social media), anticipate personality whiplash, and let your kid write their own story — even if it looks nothing like you imagined.

Bottom line: Stay off the roller coaster, don't panic, and trust the work you've already done.

College drop-off is a wild time. And it doesn't necessarily get easier. But we can anticipate the roller coaster *and* choose to stay off of it. If you're dropping a kid at college, my heart is with you. If you might be in the future, I hope these notes are helpful.