Suzy & Heather | Youth Life Coaches – Youth Life Skills Coach, LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Suzy Martinek  and Heather LaMontagne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Suzy and Heather, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Suzy My experience helping young adults all started when I decided to be a volunteer leader for a youth retreat with a bunch of 6th grade girls. I stayed their leader from that weekend through high school. Now 15 years later, we are still a huge part of each other’s lives. Because I am passionate about equipping teenagers with the tools they need to feel successful in life, I decided to become a Certified Youth Mentor and Resilience Coach. With over a decade of experience working with young people, I am committed to helping youth seek optimal emotional and physical health and to chase their dreams and career pursuits. Colorado youth are struggling with mental health issues and I wanted to help bridge that gap with empowering teens to become their best selves and achieve greater happiness and success..

Heather
As the daughter of a psychologist, I grew up absorbing analytical guidance about improving myself and others. I naturally modeled the loving analyst role with friends and family. This trait helped me in both personal and professional relationships throughout my life. However, my career has always been about something else.

During the pandemic, I finally decided to get back to my roots and helping others. I chose life coaching because I love how it helps people move forward productively to get unstuck. I have 2 adolescents myself and have observed how Gen Z is experiencing unparalleled levels of stress related to being the most Internet-dependent generation. I felt called to this and got certified in 2020 to be an adolescent life coach through the same organization as Suzy.

Suzy & Heather came together through a mutual friend who realized they were both interested in being life coaches specialized in helping young adults. We felt life skills were an important foundation for our business since schools really don’t teach these soft skills that are critical to long term success.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As life coaches specializing in adolescents, we help young adults aged 14-24 build resilience and mental wellness to help AVOID mental crisis. Critical gaps in support exist for this age group that neither they, nor their parents may be aware of. We fill those gaps and help prepare them for life by building confidence and sharing important life skills they don’t teach in schools. It is this focus on life skills that sets us apart from other youth life coaches. There are many options for programs to keep young adults busy, but few that will have a long-term impact on their life like ours.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Scootering around Denver on Lyft or Uber Cocktails at 5430 Rooftop bar
Shopping In Cherry Creek North
Dinner at El Five
Sushi at Uchi in Rhino
Colorado Avalanche hockey game at Ball Arena
Drinks at Terminal Bar in Union Station
Take in a Rockies game at Coors Field
Hiking in Boulder at Chautauqua Park
A visit to the Meow Wolf experience

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Suzy–I want to do a Shoutout to a group of 6 young women I started meeting with when they were 12 years old. Today, they are 28 and 29-years old and we are still meeting and even taking trips together. WE have been a constant in each other’s lives that has influenced our everyday short term and long term decisions. They ARE the main reason I decided to become a Youth Life Coach.

Heather – I want to recognize my kids who inspired me to help adolescents as they navigate these critical years, and my husband who encouraged me to pursue my passion. Finally, I wanted to acknowledge Colorado Public Radio for covering Colorado Children’s Hospital’s state of emergency for kids’ mental health in 2021 at a pivotal time in creating our business. This was the icing on the cake validating the tremendous need for what we do.

ARTICLE LINK: https://www.cpr.org/2021/05/25/covid-mental-health-childrens-hospital-colorado/

Website: https://www.youthlifeskillscoach.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youthlifeskillscoach/