Today’s episode is with Mark Redmond, a thought leader already in his 39th year of supporting young people from very tough circumstances to succeed despite the odds. He is Executive Director at Spectrum Youth and Family Services, a non-profit organization helping youth aged 12-26 and their families turn their lives around.  Let’s dive into Mark’s story and be inspired on how he ensures that no children will be left behind. [00:01 - 06:39] Opening Segment Let's welcome our guest for today, Mark Redmond Mark talks about his journey as a thought leader, which he says in his book is his “calling” He started making 12 dollars a week and never looked back [06:40 - 17:15] No Children Left Behind Mark talks about the issues that he’s encountering for trying to help at-risk youth He shares with us the opening story of his book about a young woman who was motivated to go back to school We discuss doing the little things and how they can still impact other people’s lives  He shares some of the things they’re doing at Spectrum to impact the lives of at-risk youth Quick promotion about my newly published book, Happiness is an Option. See link below [17:16 - 27:46] Children Have Bright Ideas Too  Mark talks about the importance of looking for mentors for children He shares a few platforms where people can start their mentoring careers  He shares how they were able to raise 90,000 dollars for the first time while spending nothing Mark tells us a story about a young girl who gave him an inspirational idea that you don’t want to miss! [27:47 - 36:01] Soft Skills Can Be Learned  We talk about sharing online posts about the “science of goodness and progress” amidst the COVID-19 pandemic  Mark shares the business they established to provide jobs to young people He talks about why we should not blame children for not learning soft skills right away  [36:02 - 42:16] Closing Segment Marks talks about where we can start searching if we want to look for organizations like Spectrum Visit National Network for Youth to look for nearby organizations you can connect with  Final words from Mark Announcements and final words   Tweetable Quotes: “A family helps each other out over the rough parts in life.” - Mark Redmond “It is still an amazing world because there are so many people of decency who care about others, who are responsible citizens of our planet, who want things to be better for themselves and their families and their broader community.” - Mark Redmond    Resources Mentioned: The Goodness Within Happiness is an Option  Detail Works: A Spectrum Enterprise   Connect with Mark on Twitter, email him at MRedmond@spectrumvt.org, or call him at  (802) 864-7423 x 209. Listen to his podcast too. Visit their headquarters at 31 Elmwood Ave Burlington, VT 05401 or check them out online and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.  Exhausted by the Negative News? Want to find more goodness in the world around you? Learn to live with less fear, more joy, and hope for a brighter future! Visit https://www.cogsummit.com/ for more details.    Ever Widening Circles Link: https://everwideningcircles.com/ EWC Ed: https://ed.everwideningcircles.com/ Donate! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=I-nvmUrlbDfU67bRoWWdOhFxiAM_W81jtIFBGCYzfCL6fG8oSUOg9ONIL9WR8LDjLEeYj0&country.x=US&locale.x=US EWC APP: https://everwideningcircles.com/good-news-app-ever-widening-circles-app/ Dr. Lynda's Book: https://www.dr-lynda.com/book/happiness