MavenU

Facilitator’s Guide
Table of Contents
 Welcome to MavenU
We are grateful.

Thank you for helping us to provide avenues for young women to find both
purpose and meaning as they prepare for the undergraduate experience.

You are a core element to this program’s success, and we’re excited about
seeing you authentically engage with our participants. Your professional
insight and personal values system are models for others, and we know your
skills will serve as a bright light for the young women who will join you this
weekend. They will come emotionally open and hopeful about the future.

We invite you to connect with these women on a personal level. Your

authenticity allows others to be authentic. Each facilitation experience your
opportunity to connect, “dive deep”, listen intently, embrace silent reflection
and push the boundaries of comfort.

In today’s world, few chances exist where we might turn off our cell phones,
focus our minds, and immerse ourselves in an intensive, developmental
experience.

You mean so much to us, and to the women looking towards the future with
“big dreams and real needs.” Thank you again.

The Mavenly Team

 Facilitator Schedule
Day 0 - Day prior to Day 1
You should have received:
• The Jed/Harris First Year College Experience Study
• Excerpts from Dr. Meg Jay’s Book “The Defining Decade”
• Timothy Clydesdale Interview: The First Year Out

7:00 PM Facilitator Training

7:15 PM Mavenly 101

• Our Story
• Our Objective
• Our Mission
• Our Content and Experiences

7:30 PM The Mavenly Mindset

7:40 PM Our Students

• Review of Dr. Meg Jay insights
• The role/importance of a “sympathetic listener”
• Discussion of Pre-work (VIA assessment, etc.)
• Mavenly Audience insights w/Kate
• Participant Breakdown (demographics and levels of
engagement with Mavenly prior to MC)

8:00 PM Our Framework

• The VIA Survey Unpacked
• The Harris/Jed Foundation Study Unpacked

8:05 PM The Workbook

8:45 PM Schedule Review/Activity Review

9:30 PM Final Questions?

10:00 PM Conclusion
 Mavenly 101
Our Objective: Mavenly + Co. promotes alternative success narratives for
young women and identifies tangible ways to help them create a lifestyle by
their own design.

Our Mission: We aim to support young women who consider themselves

self-starters with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and dream-fueled
enthusiasm. Through career profiles, blog entries, video and podcast
content, we assist women in creating a lifestyle by their own design. We
encourage them to strive for their own definition of success and create
a road map for building a life they love. It is our hope this will serve as a
resource to encourage women to take ideas they had as young girls and
develop them as women.

The Mavenly Mindset

We believe that creating a “lifestyle by your own design” begins with
understanding your unique values, strengths, and priorities. It is designed to
help women make more informed decisions and build intentional habits for
the lifestyle that they desire. This focus on self-awareness allows women to
authentically take ownership over their lives and move forward with purpose
and intention.
 Why Are We Doing a Workshop for College Readiness
Mavenly + Co. has developed MavenU to enhance emotional readiness and
help our participants develop hard and soft skills to ensure a preparedness
for the rigorous developmental experience that is college.

According to NBC a recent study by the Harris Poll, 87% of students say
more emphasis is placed on academic readiness rather than emotional
readiness for college, yet emotional readiness is a major factor to success in
the first year of college.

Emotional readiness refers to the ability to take care of yourself, adapt

to new environments, control emotions and behavior, and build positive
relationships.

College is often the place where young women are first faced with major
decisions they are expected to make independently. Mavenly believes that
there are core conversations that can and should occur to prepare young
women for that type of emotional challenge, and our audience agrees.

60% of college students noted they wanted more help with college
preparedness when it came to their overall college experience, including
time management and independent living skills. Studies show that feeling
emotionally prepared can reduce stress and anxiety when entering a
university environment, ultimately leading to both academic success and
healthier lifestyle choices.

Our goal is to give young women the tools to have a self-directed

undergraduate experience with a set of core coping skills and a level of
functional independence.
 The MavenU Philosophy
MavenU offers a unified curriculum to all participants. All sessions offer
discussion, hands-on activities and facilitator led reflection to address
individual needs and expectations. We do this through focused support,
introducing resources, cohort coaching and modeling of effective strategies
for success.

Our environment is designed to be authentic, dynamic due to the

participants contributions, collaborative, genuine, both challenging and
supportive, and focused on identifying both the values and priorities of
our participants in equal measure. Facilitators will “guide from behind” –
providing a supportive bedrock to the experience, not grandstanding or
dragging participants from the front. Participants are the center of MavenU.
The experience is rooted in how they create meaning for themselves. We
are committed to meeting all participants solidly where they are, and then
moving them forward in an atmosphere of meaningful challenge.

During the experience, we’ve remained focused on including a number of

different learning methods, and we believe learning and sharing that occurs
in informal gatherings is just as influential as our formal and more structured
experiences. Our program is designed to address the balance between “big
dreams and real needs” that this group of young people are navigating. We
aim to inspire and encourage rather than dictate and critique.

We use the GROW model to encourage learning, and the Mavenly Mindset
is a core and consistent component of success. Our primary instrument to
provide a ground level understanding of the power of positive psychology is
the VIA Institute on Character survey, which you’ve taken prior to today.
The underpinnings of our work include:
• Positive psychology - A tool that can be used to build confidence, ensure personal self-
authorship and increase coping skills.

• The Mavenly Mindset – Our belief that women can and should create a life by their own
design, with a commitment to acknowledging the strength of personal values in concert
with clearly communicated priorities.

• The Jed Foundation/Harris Poll Study which details the need to address emotional
readiness, prestige vs. personal priorities and confidence building.
 How Success Will Look
We will know we’ve been successful if/when:

1. Our participants teach, guide, challenge and support each other.

2. Our participants feel like it was a “posture free zone” – that they could be
themselves in an environment of healthy vulnerability.

3. Our participants depart with easily recalled and utilized information.

4. Our participants can navigate appropriate levels of challenge.

5. Our participants continue to engage with Mavenly resources after MavenU

concludes.

6. The voices of our facilitation team are voices of intentional transition and
guidance, not expectation, manipulation and/or a monologue.

7. The Mavenly stakeholders (parents, campus partners, peers and

colleagues) can see a measurable change in the personal agency and
confidence of our participants.
 Participant Schedule Day 1
10:00 AM Welcome and Table Topics
10:30 AM Welcome to MavenU
• Facilitator Introductions
• How to be successful
• Expectations and Objectives
11:00 AM Maven “Meeting of the Minds”
11:30 AM The Mavenly Mindset
12:15 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Passion + Power = Strength; A Conversation about Confidence
3:10 PM Prestige vs. Personal Priorities
4:10 PM Break
4:30 PM Decision Dynamics
5:00 PM Major Misconception
6:00 PM Break and transition to Dinner
6:30 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Fireside

Participant Schedule Day 2

10:00 AM Values Can Be Habit Forming
10:30 AM Design Your Day
1:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Sunday Night’s All Right: Self Care Rituals That Work
1:45 PM “Ground” Your Spirit – Strategies for Mindfulness
3:30 PM Break
3:45 PM Crafting your Legacy
4:30 PM MavenU Closing
 Using the Facilitator Guide
We want you to be successful. PLEASE feel free to provide feedback on the Facilitators Guide.
You can offer minute-by-minute reflections and/or feedback, and we’ll gather that feedback at
the conclusion of your experience.

Objectives:
• Every session will have outlined objectives that detail the goals for the segment. This is
going to allow you to manage your time to focus on the priorities of each segment.
• Refer to these bullets to avoid “scope creep” and/or over-expansion of the conversation.
Do not limit, allow the conversation to be organic, but be mindful of the session
outcomes.

Session Preparation:
• A/V, supplies, or prep work required for each session.

Session Title

5/5
Timing marks for each session. First number (prior to hashmark) denotes time for section. Second
is elapsed time.

• A/V Slide

• Dialogue and Conversation

• Reflection

VIDEO TITLE
Video

WB XX
Workbook Page

• Information to Be Offered by Facilitator

4:00 PM 1. Questions that are posed to the group.
 Day One: 10 AM – 10: 30 AM
MavenU Welcome and Table Topics
Objectives:
• Engage all participants in personal introduction.
• Make a personal connection with each participant.
• Create a vulnerable, authentic environment. (Model the way.)

Session Preparation:
• Cluster seating at tables for 4
• Spotify MavenU playlist on.
• Tables set with “sense of place” – intentional participant placement with:
o Workbook
o Table Tent w/ hashtag/table topic and question
o Quotes submitted in pre-work scrolling on slide
o Butcher block paper and markers
• *MavenU Slide 1 on A/V
• Mavenly Workshops Video queued.

Welcome and Registration

10/5
Greet all participants one on one as they enter. Rotate among tables as they find their
seat.

21/26
Facilitator Introduction and Review of MavenU
This is the one on one invitation to discuss the table topics as a group.
Invite them to:
• Answer the questions casually at each table.
• Doodle or output the answers on the butcher paper.
• Facilitators should be outputting as well.
Table Tent Discussions
Table Tent Questions:
• What are you hoping to learn this weekend?
• How do you spend a free weekend?
• Design your dream classroom.
• Dream big! What do your 20’s look like? What are you doing? Who are you with?
• Introvert or Extrovert? How do you know?
• What do you wish you had known your freshman year in high school?
• Early bird or night owl?
• Who inspires you? Why?

2/28
Complete the table tent activity, turn off playlist and assume location at front of the room.
All guests should be in an unobtrusive place.

2/30
Play Mavenly Workshops Video (Optional)
 Day One: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Facilitator Introduction to MavenU
Objectives:
• Set the tone for an authentic MavenU experience.
• Outline the expectations for successful contribution.
• Review schedule.
• Introduce the participants to one another.

Session Preparation:
• All participants should be seated at personal place.
• Flipchart for MavenU expectations with prompts.
• Ensure that there is a workbook at every place.

Introduction of Facilitators

2/2
Welcome Mavens to MavenU.
• Reintroduce self to general group.
• Share your personal connection to Mavenly briefly, and establish experience as
facilitator.
• Thank participants for bringing “their best selves” to this experience.
• Invite them to open and use their workbook.
• Establish that as “theirs” – they can doodle, use as a journal, take notes if that is how
they learn, etc.

10/12
The Invitation to “Get Real”

WB 2
Read the Brene Brown quote on page 2 of the workbook.

“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always
comfortable, but they are never weakness.”

1. What might it look like if each of us committed to bringing our vulnerable and
authentic selves to MavenU?
2. How can we create a space where everyone feels comfortable with honesty?

3/15
Invite the participants to answer the question on workbook page 2.

5/20
Expectations Flipchart
• Draw a line down the middle of the flip chart.
• External Expectations/Internal Expectations

We bring with us to every experience some personal expectations that make experiences
meaningful.
 1. What are some expectations you have for the other MavenU participants?
2. What can we do to ensure that this experience has meaning?
3. What are some expectations you have for yourself?

We wanted to create a space where you can talk about healthy personal relationships,
managing your time and interests, and knowing yourself enough to make healthy choices
about where your attention should go. We know college matters, and we want the experience
to have meaning for you like it did for us. There is no “right way” to experience college, but
there is your way. We want you to explore in a way that is authentic to you. That’s what MavenU
is all about.

5/25
Schedule Review
Review both the Day One and Day Two Participant Schedule
• Refer to page 3 and 4 in workbook.

5/30
Your Personal Why
Facilitator should articulate, briefly, their emotional and personal “why” for committing to the
MavenU.

Explain that “your personal why” might not be clear just yet, and if “you aren’t focused on one
key reason you are here, we’d love to hear the “who” that got you here.”

Invite the participants to place their personal “why” on the butcher block paper in front of
them.
 Day One: 11 AM – 11:30 AM
Maven “Meeting of the Minds”
Objectives:
• Provide the avenues for relationship building to begin.
• Position each maven as in control of their own undergraduate experience.
• Invite them to begin sharing values/character elements with other participants.

Session Preparation:
• Pull the VIA (Adult Survey) results provided before MavenU and pass them out to each
participant.
• Highlighters

What We Believe About You

5/5
Offer the following belief statements about women we call “mavens” – or women connected to
the purposes and goals of Mavenly.
• We believe that young women like you find empowerment when they discover their
core strengths and values.
• We believe that you learn from each other, and need to build relationships throughout
your life that will help you feel supported.
• We believe peers can, and should be mentors.

We want you to have the opportunity to build relationships with each other as much as possible,
and hopefully carry those relationships with you during your freshman year. Your time spent with
a peer mentor is just as important as the time you spend in conversations with the large group.

Because we see how important women-centered friendships are, we’re going to give you the
opportunity to get to know each other now. Your “squad” in college is going to be critical, and
we want this squad to be diverse, offer you insight you couldn’t have gained on your own, and
we want you to see things in a new way because of these potentially powerful relationships.

15/20
Pair and Share
Find a high-five buddy:
• You don’t know your high five buddy.
• Throughout the day, we’ll need you to find each other when we call for “high five
buddies.”
• You’ll have 20 seconds to find a high five buddy, give her a high five and sit down
ready to get to know each other better.
Your 20 seconds starts now.

--- Give them 20 seconds---

Presenter should outline the following insights on the VIA Character Survey:
• The VIA Character Strengths Survey is something each of us completed prior to coming
to MavenU today. We’re excited to use the VIA Character Strengths survey because we
believe character strengths connects and highlights what is best in all of us.

• Knowledge of your character strengths can empower and embolden you to live a life
that resonates with your core values and priorities. To know thyself is to know how to
impact the world around you.

• Within those 120 questions we know you were challenged, and we urge you to look
at any instrument like the VIA survey knowing it is a tool, one of many tools that can
provide insight on your strengths and talents.

• You might have noticed the VIA survey provided a list that included all of the strengths.
We’ll be working with your top five.

We invite you to highlight anything in the strength descriptions that might have sparked your
attention as you review your results in the VIA Survey with the provided highlighters. Make
notes in the margins, jot down questions, and we’ll offer you the chance to discuss them in the
group

We know you have a “top strength” – but we want to talk about the top five today.

When you are done highlighting key phrases, please select a partner. We’ll prompt you with a
series of questions when you are seated as a pair.

(Invite them to select a partner)

5/25
• Out of the top five strengths, what strength really resonated with you?
• What strength was a pleasant surprise?
• Do you think some of these strengths can make you feel more powerful, or less
powerful in a group setting?
• Do you think it is helpful to know the strengths that you possess, or do these kinds of
insights not influence your daily behavior?
• How will knowing your core strengths help you navigate college?
WB 4
What We’ve Learned

Invite the participants to put the top five strengths on workbook page 4.

10/30
List all 24 strengths verbally and ask who shared them as a top outcome to identify themselves.

WB 5
Invite all participants to create their own definition of strength on page 5 of their workbook. (Be
sure to invite them to leave values and priorities blank.)
 Day One: 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
The Mavenly Mindset
Objectives:
• Explore The Mavenly Mindset as a core concept.

Session Preparation:
• Slide 2 -The Mavenly Mindset
• Slide 3 – Positive Psychology 101
• Slide 4 – Values, Strength and Priorities Prezi

Introduction to The Mavenly Mindset

5/5
Our goals at Mavenly are to provide tools that will help you feel confident and prepared as you
explore college. College was a powerful time for us, and we want it to be just as powerful for
you.

We want you to really explore what mindset is going to help you feel confident and comfortable
when you go off to school.

WB 5
Invite a participant to read The Mavenly Mindset aloud.

5/10
Have the participants break down key phrases that stand out to them in the mindset.

As students identify sections, write their comments down on the flipchart.

Ask the participants the following questions:
• When you hear the term “mindset” – how would you define it?
• What is a mindset used for? What can it provide for you?
• Wait for stability. Courage. Insight. Confidence. All of these terms will work.

10/20
Positive Psychology
Review Positive Psychology slide and provide a top level explanation of the following core
elements:
• Dr. Erin Foley has been working in the area of positive/strengths based psychology
for years. She believes that “cultural beliefs teach women to play down our strengths,
creating a false sense of modesty and feeding into a mentality of scarcity. Rather than
affirming ourselves and other women, we tell ourselves “I am not enough.” This hyper
critical.”
• Positive psychology is just what it sounds like – it is turning our attention to the potential
that lies within us, cultivating and curating our strengths to arrive at a life that reflects
what gives us joy.
• We’re going to be offering the various ways to work through life’s challenges by
reffering back to knowing your:
 1. Values
2. Strengths
3. And Priorities
• And by using these as a tool, you’ll have the opportunity to feel more control
over your life.
10/40
Values, Strengths, Priorities
Review the Values, Strengths, and Priorities Prezi

WB4
15/45
Invite the participants to write about an experience where they have felt the most strong.
*This might be an opportunity to have a crucible conversation.

Break for Lunch

Notes on lunch:
1. Lunch is a time for us to gather together and continue to get to know one another.
2. We’ll be leaving this room and we’ll lock the door behind us, so feel free to leave
purses, etc., here if you like.
3. When we get to lunch, we challenge you to sit by someone new and introduce
yourself!
4. We’ll conclude lunch with plenty of time to check email, take a short break, etc.
 Day One: 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM
LUNCH

Day One: 1:30 PM – 3:10 PM

Passion + Power = Strength; A Conversation about Confidence

Objectives:
• Introduce concept of passion + power as a conduit for strength.
• Provide insight on the types of learning that happen on a college campus.
• Explore how interests can and will emerge in a college environment.
• Provide additional support for The Mavenly Mindset, offering other insights on this from
experts and personal coaches.

Session Preparation:
• Cluster seating at tables for 4
• Spotify playlist on.
• Podcast: http://mavenly.co/blog/erinfoley
• Workbook Page 8

Welcome Back

5/5
We’ve already accomplished so much today, and we’re going to dive a little deeper into the
practice of using your values, strengths, and priorities to empower you every single day.

We’ve all heard the old phrase “when you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life.
But sometimes, we lose sight of those little things every day, and we wait for “Oprah level” ah-
ha moments. Interests and things that we love to do are subtle and internal. We need to look at
the things that are closest to us to find what can offer sustainable joy.

But before we start, let’s talk about how college was designed.

“College” as we know it today is patterned of of the greek “academy.” That’s where the term
academics and academia come from.

The Academy was a place where young minds could ask bold questions from philosophers,
scholars, teachers, mentors, and peers. College was designed to be a place with a lot of access
to BOTH experiences and more traditional subjects. Sometimes, learning at college happens
just as much OUTSIDE the classroom as in. It is designed for you to be immersed in learning
and development. Very, very cool.

We’re excited about your exposure to both kinds of learning.

5/9
The Podcast
We have a podcast! (It’s pretty great, actually.) One of our favorite podcast guests is Dr. Erin
Foley, who is passionate about discovering how people can use their strengths to live a life of
purpose of passion.
We’re curious what you have to say about her insights, so we’ll listen to a podcast segment and
then we’ll come back and have a conversation about it.

PC – 4:15 – 7:45
Let’s listen to Erin’s “a-ha” moment where she discovers how her passions point right to her
strengths.

15/25
Ask for feedback:
• Were there any “this resonates with me” moments as she was talking?
• Do you think school or your personal relationships prepare you to identify your
personal passions? Why or why not?
• What about skill? What role does skill or talent play in the courage to explore placing a
priority on passions?

Why is this an issue? Let’s listen to why Erin feels we might feel paralyzed to act, and how this
might look if we don’t have the courage to have the conversation about passion and positive
psychology NOW.

PC – 8:20 – 11:15
• What subjects do you want to explore in college?
• What experiences do you want to try to have ?
• How are subjects and experiences different?
• Do we need both?
• What tools do you think really help you find joy in life? (Answers will be faith, hard work,
support from friends)

WB 7 – 5/30
Invite them to complete page 8 in their workbook.

15/45
Invite them to group share the results of their journaling reflection.

Conclude by saying the following:

We’ll return to these questions again and again over the course of this experience. This is not
the end of this conversation! Great things are ahead!
 Day One: 3:10 PM – 4:10 PM
Prestige vs. Personal Priorities
Objectives:
• Invite the participants to share and explore various elements of defining and sticking to
personal priorities.
• Explore the definition of prestige.
• Create an environment where they can share personal struggle.

Session Preparation:
• Pull up BrainPickings Twitter Account feed
• Slide 5 with questions for discussion

Prestige vs. Authenticity

5/5
This conversation is varsity level. It will challenge us to have the hard conversations and really dig
deep into our options and opportunities.

Listen to the following quote and be prepared to break it down at your table.

Read the quote twice.

“What you should not do, I think, is worry about the opinion of anyone beyond your friends. You
shouldn’t worry about prestige. Prestige is the opinion of the rest of the world.

Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. It causes
you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.”

Discussion slide with 4 questions

15/20
• How do we get attached to prestige? Does it happen early on or later in life?
• What is an example of getting addicted to prestige?
• Has anyone observed a friend or family member making an authentic decision rather
than a prestigious one? What did that look like?
• How can we fight making prestige-based decisions?
• What are some prestige-based decisions we make in high school? How might that differ
when we get to college.

It will be critical to listen and let the participants lead the conversation here. It will be challenging.
Be mindful of the time.

WB 6
Friendfluence

We’re often looking around to see what our peers are doing. That influence or peer comparison
is normal, but it can do a number on our self-esteem and feelings of empowerment.
 • Do you struggle with comparison? Provide an example from the past year of your life.
• What are some things we can keep in mind when looking at our peers and friends?
• Can we be happy for another person and still feel rooted in our own choices? How
does that look in real life?

Complete the influence boxes on page 6 of your workbook, then find your high-five buddy and
explain all four boxes to her, then switch, and listen as she explores her influences with you.

10/30
Group Sharing of Outcomes
 Day One: 4:10 – 4:30 PM
Break

Day One: 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

The Decision Tree
Objectives:
• Involve all participants to help each other make difficult, values and priority-based
choices in college.
• Create comfort with the unknown.
• Create an environment with positive and productive tension and resolution.

Session Preparation:
• Cluster seating at tables for 4
• Butcher paper
• 8 prompt questions on slips of paper
• Prezi with V+S+P

The Decision Deception

5/5
Welcome Back!
We’re really getting into some mental and emotional heavy lifting, and we’re thrilled that you
are doing so well.

One of the core concepts we want to introduce is the nature of choice and personal ownership
over choices.

There are rarely big blinking signs in college that tell us that “it is all up to us,” and we need to
start making choices based on our personal well-being and self interest. Many of us look to par-
ents, friends and family to show us what we should do. When you are in college, many of you
will be making decisions for the first time. Every day, in every way, you will need to really know
yourself to feel like those decisions are empowered.

Our goal is to equip you with the ability to use the values, strengths and priorities to make con-
fident choices and build resilience.

Life is not a game show. Very rarely are there only one acceptable answer. Let’s talk more about
that now.

Big Ticket Decisions

Some decisions have bigger stakes than others. They have seemingly endless options and lots
of potential risks and rewards.

Here are some casual rhetorical questions you might ask.

Often times we are paralyzed to know what decision is in our best interest. What are some “big
ticket” decisions we may be called to make?
Is college a safe environment for bigger stakes decisions? Why or why not?

20/30
Take a flip chart and have the first four decisions listed.

1. Invite the group to count off into four groups.
2. Assign each big ticket decision to a group.
3. Invite them to craft a decision tree with the various options (limited to three options)
that are available to that person.
4. Drop the following questions at the table for discussion:
• What might motivate a decision that is difficult?
• How might this person evaluate this decision with a friend or family member? An
advisor? A mentor?
• Who benefits from the “correct decision” and who will deal with the
consequences if the choice ends up badly?
• How might this person correct a flawed decision?
• Have any of you had to cope with a decision that ended up not reflecting your
values or priorities? How did you do that?
• Who is really the most invested in the choices we make? Why?

20/50
Invite the group to share with the larger group their findings from two of the questions.

Values, Strengths and Priorities Prezi

10/60
Return to the core concepts of V+S+P to guide choices and inclinations about life’s big ticket
choices.
 Day One: 5:00 – 5:30 PM
Major Misconceptions
Objectives:
• Involve all participants explore the nature and function of a major.
• Develop understanding of the resources available.
• Explore the timeline in creating a major.
• Create an environment with positive and productive tension and resolution.

Session Preparation:
•Butcher paper for ALL participants to see. (Taped on wall, or use a long dry wipe board.)
• Benchmark Large Post It’s – Written Before
o Day One
o Class One
o Academic Advisor Meeting 1
o Parent Call/Peer Call 1
o Seminar/Speaker (3 slides)
o Movie or Book (2 slides)
o Conversation with Professional

Major Misconception

5/5
We’ve discussed academia, and how college was designed for you to explore both inside and
outside the classroom.

We’ve also discussed big-ticket decisions, and now we’re going to talk about the biggest ticket
decision, selection of your major.

20/30
Major Myths and Facts

Let’s design a decision tree for major selection. Because we know people are going to start
asking you YESTERDAY what your major is.

It’s okay not to know.

It’s okay to create your own path to knowing.
It’s okay to know exactly what you want to do too.
Go to the far left of the butcher paper/output area and place the DAY 1 post it.

Place each post it up above the butcher paper and explain each step. DO NOT PLACE THEM IN
ORDER.

Walk them through placement of how the major decision might look. There are no wrong
answers, but be sure to explore the following concepts:
• The role of an academic advisor
• What a call/conversation with a parent looks like, rather than a peer.
• How movies and/or books can provide insight when balanced with academic seminars/
classes?
• How conversations with a professional can help.
20/50
Share your own personal major selection story, and what has happened to your career as a
result of the exploration and exposure – NOT Just the choice.
 Day One: 6:30 – 7:30 PM
DINNER
Objectives: Have a lighthearted, fun and relaxing conversation in a common room or nurturing,
comfortable space.

Continue to have one on one conversations to check in on participants. Try to monitor the
seating, offer suggested dinner partners, etc.

Day One: 7:30 – 8:30 PM

FIRESIDE
Objectives:
• Engage all participants in exploration of personal story.
• Create a balanced and healthy sharing environment.
• Model the way to active listening and respectful understanding.

Session Preparation:
• Sitting in a neutral circle.
• Spotify MavenU playlist on.
• No materials in laps
Fireside

90 minutes-2 hours
A fireside should be an environment of healthy and balanced (read: NO domination) sharing
and support.
Gather with the facilitator partner and develop a list of appropriate, positive prompts to offer a
method of sharing.
To model the way, one facilitator starts the sharing of a response to a question, and the other
closes the sharing, by rotating around in a circle.

Time limits on sharing are acceptable.

Prompts might include:

1. What were you expecting from this experience?
2. How have you changed in the past 4 years?
3. Was high school a beneficial experience for you, or more of a taxing experience?
4. What would you tell your 16 year old self?
5. Who inspires you and why?
6. Who would you like to evolve to become in college?
7. What personal attributes make you feel strong?

Close the experience on an upbeat note. Remind them that we will begin in the same room as
this morning at 10 AM.

Invite them to rest tonight and come back refreshed for our second and final day.

- End of Day One -

 Day Two: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Values Can Be Habit Forming
Objectives:
• Engage all participants in description of their personal definition of values.
• Create a definition that reflects the Mavenly Mindset.
• Provide a visual reminder that primary values deserve priority in your life, and that is the
only way to create confidence in our big ticket decisions.

Session Preparation:
• Stack of Post it Notes
• Bag of little rocks with 5 LARGE rocks
o Large rocks have values written on the side.
• Plastic vase that only allows for all rocks to be placed inside if the larger rocks are placed
first.
• Pitcher or bottle of water

Values Influence Habits

5/5
Invite the participants to transfer the definition of values they wrote on page 8 of their workbook
to a brightly colored post it note.

Invite four-six volunteers to read their definitions aloud.

Have everyone place their values definitions on a large sheet of paper/dry erase board.

5/10
Big Rocks/Little Rocks
One Facilitator reads the following story.
The second facilitator mimics the behavior in the story.

A women was speaking to her team of colleagues, and wanted to illustrate a point. She pulled
out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of her. Then she
produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.

When the jar was filled almost to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, she asked, “Is this
jar full?” Everyone on her team said, “Yes.” Then she said, “Really?”

She then put the rest of the rocks to the top of the vase. “Is it full now?

Then, she grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
Then she looked up at her team and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One young woman raised her hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if
you are smart and savvy, you can always fit some more things into it.”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t
put the big rocks in first, you’ll never make room for them. “
5/15
Big Rock Reflection
1. What do the “big rocks” represent?
2. How can we ensure to place the big rocks in first in our lives?
3. How do ambitions FEEL in our lives? Like big rocks or small rocks? Which are they?
4. Are we trying to “fill our vases” as young women with a plan?
5. Why?
6. How is that working for us?

WB 9
Invite them to place their “big rock” values and ambitions on WB page 7.

Place a list of “shiny commitments” that might appear in college on the outside of page 7.
 Day Two: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Design Your Day
Objectives:
• Develop Day Designer Meets V+P Mentality in participants.
• Focus on identifying an “ideal college day and ideal college week.”

Session Preparation: ????

Design Your Day

2/2
Whitney English is an entrepreneur and the developer of a very popular planner, and one of the
first things she does is help you identify your values and priorities.

In college, your most precious resource is time. Where you spend your time and with who will
shift like the sands, and you’ll need to remain grounded in your personal priorities to fit it all in.

Those ambitions are your big rocks, and the sands and water that surround them are secondary.
Making room for the big stuff is difficult but valuable work.

8/10
Read the following blog post from Whitney English, and invite them to place phrases that stick out
on the butcher paper or workbook in front of them:

Let Go
Start by letting go of what you thought—or what other people have told you—your purpose might
be. That may very well be your purpose…but in order to figure that out for yourself, you need to
start from scratch and see what comes up.

You need to be willing to give up what you thought the plan for your life was, and create the
blank space in your mind for what it really could be. Start fresh, with a blank slate. Write a new
purpose—even if it ends up being what you knew it was all along.

Ask Yourself First

Before you turn to external sources to help you find your purpose, turn inward. Have a
conversation with yourself. Ask yourself the important questions:
What did I love to do as a kid? (Cliche question, I know, but it’s cliche for a reason—it’s an
important one.) Did you love to write? Build Lego structures? Set up schoolrooms with all your
stuffed animals? Perhaps your purpose is to be an author, an architect, or teacher.

Or you might ask yourself: What problems am I passionate about? Or, how am I uniquely suited
to save the world? (It’s a lofty question, which means you’ll get a lofty answer—all the better for
purpose inquiry!)

Just Start
You can brainstorm your life purpose all day—and it’s totally fine if you do take a day or two to
do that!—but eventually, you’ll just need to get started. The only way to truly know if something is
your purpose is to actually do it.
There’s a lot of things I thought I wanted to do—things I was at one point was convinced were
my purpose in life—only to find out that I didn’t actually feel very passionate about them once I
started doing them.

Forget Perfect
As with anything in life, finding your life purpose is not a magic bullet. Even as you do find
and follow what you’re meant to do here on earth, don’t expect things to always be shiny and
perfect—or easy.

Following your purpose once you’ve found it doesn’t automatically equate to having the perfect
life. You will still struggle. You will still make mistakes.

I don’t say this to be a Debbie Downer, but to help you see that, while finding and following
your purpose will undoubtedly improve the quality of your life by pointing you in the right
direction, it won’t be a cure-all for your happiness. Only you can provide that. Regardless of your
circumstances, only you can decide to choose joy every single day.

But finding and following your purpose sure can help.

1. What stood out to you as I was reading Whitney’s blog?

2. How do you think this might refer to college?
3. Do you have anyone in your life who is modeling this behavior?
4. Who are they, and what are they doing?

25/35
Here’s your chance to complete your ideal college day and week.

WB 10 -11
• Design your ideal day (organized by day part) and week on pages 10 and 11 of your
workbook.
• You’ll have 25 minutes to complete this, so be bold and dream big. Nothing is off limits.
• Feel free to refer to your values, strengths and priorities sheets, as well as your thrive
sheet to guide you.
• Circulate to offer assistance and complete one on one mini supportive consultations.

10/45
Ask the women to circle their priorities in MARKER and star all mentions of their “big rock”
values.

Invite them to share their ideal days/weeks with a partner to close.

Remind them of the 15 minute break, and that we’ll regroup at 4 PM.
 Day Two: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch

Day Two: 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Sunday Night Syndrome
Objectives:
• Create core coping mechanisms for rituals that alleviate anxiety and stress.
• Acknowledge the collections of people who can assist you with anxiety on a college
campus.
• Cultivate a sense of ownership over personal time.

Session Preparation:
• Sit in clusters of 4 participants.
• Values on list (offered in previous sessions.)
• Flip Chart
Sunday Night Coping and Ownership of Joy

5/5
This conversation is rooted in power over personal time.
Other women have referenced feeling a sense of stress or anxiety over their Sunday evening.

Some mention a feeling of dread or concern, and they can’t often identify where it is coming
from. That creates cognitive dissonance as our minds and hearts process that “sinking Sunday
feeling.”

15/20
WE HAVE CONTROL
Rituals are little reminders that we have control over our environments.

They also reflect our values.

• Read examples of values that may have been offered in earlier sessions.
• Provide examples of rituals that connect with those.
• Output on the flip chart or dry erase board.

We have a number of resources that exist in college that really won’t be available to you any
other time in your life. Resources can be people, places or things – we call these therapeutic and
helpful aids “touchstones.”

Ask these questions of the group, and output on a flip chart:

1. What are some resources (they can be people, places or things) that might help you
deal with anxiety, stress, fatigue or frustration? (Be sure to list counseling center, best
friend, academic advisor or campus mentor, faith leader, counselor, friend or peer who
is older and has insight on your journey.)
2. What are some things that “feel” like therapy but might not offer long term solutions?
(Too much sleep, alcohol, food, etc.)
3. Who do you want to be sure to stay connected to in school? (Does not have to be
parent.)
 4. Will your rituals adjust as you get older? If so why? If not, why not?

10/30
Group Sharing of Mini Rituals
• Output these on the flip chart.
 Day Two: 4:30 PM–5:30 PM
Grounding – “What Works in Real Life”
Objectives:
• Self-reflect on current daily habits
• Cultivate a sense of self-awareness around thoughts and behaviors

Session Preparation:
• Workbook page with guiding questions for Habit Self-Reflection
• Start, Stop, Continue handout

15/15
Exercise: Habit Self-Reflection
• What does a typical weekday morning look like (before class/work)
• Describe your current health habits (food, exercise)
• What do you do to move your body?
• What does a typical weeknight look like?

15/30
Research-based tips around:
• Waking up
• Going to bed
• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Meditation

15/45
Start Stop Continue handout

15/60
Meditation: visualizing your best self

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM
BREAK
 Day Two: 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM
Resume Vs. Eulogy
Objectives:
• Bring closure to the MavenU experience.
• Create a bridge to post-MavenU engagement.
• Create an avenue for lead facilitators to share and inspire personal testimonials.
• Create an internal compass of legacy – defined by eulogy virtues that reflect the
strengths, values and clear priorities of a person living an authentic life.

Session Preparation:
• Slide 6 - Resume Virtues vs. Eulogy Virtues
• Ted Talk – David Brooks
Resume Vs. Eulogy Testimonial

5/5
At this time, the facilitator should read some version of the following prompt:
• We’re creating an avenue to close this experience, but hopefully not the learning and
exposure to the strength of this group.
• What you do now is up to you. We encourage you to see and use the resources that are
all around you (literally, the women around you are your greatest resource.)
• We also have materials that will serve as great touchstones as you move forward. (The
blog, podcast, coaching sessions, etc.)

10/15
Facilitators should share their personal undergraduate experience testimony, and should take
five minutes each to define their personal values, strengths, and priorities, and how that has
shaped their personal lives. It should be focused on insights gained from the time spent at
MavenU, and should reference SPECIFIC insights from the participants.
• Facilitator One Shares
• Faciliator Two Shares

5/20
Explain TedTalk concept to the participants with the following questions.
1. Who here has watched a TedTalk before?
2. What distinguishes a TT from just a traditional speech?
3. Have you learned anything insightful from other TTs? Provide the group with an
example of a “gem of insight” you’ve gained by watching a TT.

Show David Brooks Ted Talk (running time = 4:57)

David Brooks Ted Talk

Read aloud this key outcome from a blog written by David Brooks:

“We all know that the eulogy virtues are more important than the résumé ones. But our culture
and our educational systems spend more time teaching the skills and strategies you need for
career success than the qualities you need to radiate that sort of inner light.”
10/30
• How has your perspective on success changed as a result of today’s conversation?
• Adam #1 and Adam #2 are a powerful metaphor for our choices rooted in knowledge of
our personal values. How did that metaphor speak to you?
• What commitments are you willing to make to yourself or others as a result of this
experience?
• Please share one with the group.

WB
Letter to a Maven

15/45
At this time, we’re going to ask you to write a letter to yourself, and we ask you to outline the
personal insights and commitments you are willing to put into action as a result of our conversa-
tions here.

When you are completed with the letter, please address the attached envelope and slide the
letter inside. Paper has been provided as the final page in your workbook.

You will have 15 minutes.

Play soft spotify playlist.

15/60
Closing

We’re thrilled you were so responsive today, and we’re honored you chose to spend this time
with us.

Resources and an evaluation will come after this experience, and we really value your feedback
and contribution to the improvement of MavenU.

We want you to feel like you have a “thred of connection” to the other ladies who’ve also done
MavenU, and so we’ll invite to you the closed Facebook group at the end of this experience.
We’re excited to see what happens to each of your goals and aspirations as you enter college.

We’ll be in touch!