Success Unlocked – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This episode of The Advancement Spot is a little bit different — I was honoured to sit in the guest seat as the incredible Kevin P Murphy stepped into the host role to lead our candid and inspiring discussion! 

As the host of The Reflect-On Podcast, Kevin explores inspiring stories, traumas, lessons, and reflections on fears, feelings, and what truly matters. In this episode, he guides us through a beautiful conversation that touches on Apply Yourself’s holistic vision, why we shouldn’t ignore the immense benefits of in-person learning, and how we can nurture and nourish our drive to succeed.

You’ll discover:

• How to embrace the moments of reflection and surrender that will help us reach our goals
• How education will likely shift in the future and how to maximize its benefits
• Why the idea of work-life balance is a lie (and what we should actually strive for!)
• How to avoid letting toxicity seep into your professional or academic life
• The power of using your privilege for good — and how it can help you build a beautiful legacy  

This no-limits conversation is the first of a two-part series. Be sure to tune into next week’s episode to experience our full journey!

Guest bio: Kevin P Murphy is an advocate for the power of honest and vulnerable conversation to help improve lives and grow actionable potential. As a Financial Planner and host of The Reflect-On Podcast, Kevin has learned that reflection, attention, and emotionality are perhaps the biggest catalysts for betterment we possess in our modern world. 

Timestamps:‌ ‌

01:35  Meet Kevin P. Murphy

02:16  About Adrienne

04:19  About Kevin

06:47  Being vulnerable on your path

08:51  Adrienne’s journey

15:08  Moments of surrender

21:20  Future of education

29:45  Holistic success

35:24  Privilege & legacy

38:29  Toxicity

44:14  Outro

Links:‌ ‌

Kevin P Murphy

Instagram: @kevin.p.murphy 

The Reflect-On Podcast

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Many grad school applicants find writing their personal statement to be the trickiest part of the application process. While a student may excel at academic writing, crafting a clear and vibrant personal statement requires a different skill set and strategy!

Writing From the Inside: Centring Yourself in Your Own Experiences

When you’re writing an academic essay, you need to be thorough, balanced, critical, and objective. The most powerful personal statements, on the other hand, are energetic, distinctive, and full of spirit. After spending years being trained in academic writing, writing about your own experiences — and what they meant to you, emotionally or spiritually — can feel a little strange! In this episode, you’ll find tips and insights that will help you write an effective personal statement that feels like so much more than just a glorified CV.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The differences between academic and personal writing, and why these skills are not fully transferable 
• The mindset shift that will change the way that you approach your personal statement and allow you to reflect more easefully
• Why you should start writing your personal statement long before you think you need to
• The role that Starbucks played in the birth of Apply Yourself — and how the business was built almost accidentally! 

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:46  Intro

01:56  Academic writing

03:26  Client example

04:50  Starbucks dissertation story

10:56  Be the centre

14:40  Outro

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

I'm thrilled to have you join me today as we delve into a heartfelt conversation with Priya, our determined client on a journey towards her academic dreams. In this episode, we explore Priya's transformative experience navigating the challenging landscape of graduate school applications. From moments of self-doubt to triumphant achievements, Priya shares valuable insights into the power of self-validation, consistency, and resource utilization.

Navigating Graduate School Applications with Confidence
Join us as we uncover the strategies and mindset shifts that propelled Priya towards success, offering invaluable lessons for anyone embarking on their own academic or professional journey. Let's dive in!

1. Priya initially believed her CV was strong but discovered its limitations through coaching with Apply Yourself, ultimately gaining a deeper understanding of her experiences and their relevance to her goals. She highlights the importance of infusing her personality and personal connection into the statement, moving beyond a purely intellectual approach.
2. Priya discussed the importance of revisiting her application after submission to reassure herself and reignite her confidence in her abilities.
3. Through coaching with Apply Yourself, Priya gained confidence in her abilities and learned how to approach interview questions strategically. She also developed a more positive mindset about her worthiness and success.
4. Priya's consistent dedication to the process, despite occasional challenges and nerves, contributed to her success.
5. Priya emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities for support and guidance, such as finding coaching resources like Apply Yourself.
6. Priya encourages listeners to believe in themselves and their potential for growth, highlighting her own journey from uncertainty to confidence with the help of Apply Yourself.

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

I am so pleased to introduce my dear colleague and long-time friend, Francine! Fran is an in-house insurance defence lawyer and has been practising since 2017. She and I go way back - we first met at a boutique law firm where Fran was one of the lawyers I worked with, and we became fast friends. 

In this episode, Fran and I chat about her path to becoming a lawyer, and eventually transitioning careers across legal fields. She describes her winding, twisting road, beginning with her early interest in the legal system, her aspiration of working in a law firm, then preparing for the LSAT and her law school application, and ultimately, completing her law school education at the University of Ottawa. 

We started working with Fran - before she knew it! - as she transitioned through legal fields. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Fran during her application process and interview process. I am so proud of all of Fran’s hard work and that we, at Apply Yourself, could be a part of her journey. Fran has since been working as an in-house lawyer and she continues to thoughtfully and mindfully pave her professional path - and we are so here for it all. Fran’s journey, her years of work experience and her transition into a new legal career, reflects the hard work and dedication involved in professional advancement.  

Listen to this episode to learn about:

• Fran’s academic and professional journey to becoming a lawyer and the steps involved in her legal career transition,
• What it’s like to work with Adrienne at Apply Yourself during application processes for  professional advancement, 
• Some insights into writing the LSAT and applying to law school - and it is okay if you had to apply twice! A lot of people do it, and you are not alone. It’s all part of the journey that you want for yourself, and 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode: 

Episode 2: Adrienne’s Professional Path

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

In this week’s episode, we discuss actionable, strategic steps you can implement prior to, and during, your application process. A crucial first step to develop an application - one that is unique, professional, personal, refined, polished, and true to your values - is to mindfully think about what you actually want in life, both personally and professionally.

Maybe you dream of enrolling in law school, dental school, or a Master’s or Ph.D. program. Maybe you feel external pressures to apply to a certain school or pursue a certain career path. It is perfectly normal to be unsure of which programs or schools you’d like to apply to. You just have to be strategic and informed about your approach, and you’ve got to be true to yourself. 

Here are a few ways that you can be better informed, with the knowledge and tools needed, to determine which schools and programs you want to apply to. Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can implement the following strategies:

1. Contact the schools and programs that you’re interested in and ask if you can sit in on a class or a few classes to get a sense of the student experience (in person or virtually!),
2. Speak to graduates of the specific programs that you are interested in,
3. Asking if you can shadow graduates for a day or two in their new professions, and
4. Always visualize the life you want, the choices and opportunities you want to be available to you, and the freedom you want when applying to potential schools and your goals after graduation.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode: 

Episode 1: Making Big Moves with Adrienne Shnier

Episode 2: Adrienne’s Professional Path

Episode 4: 5 Struggles that Applicants Face and Strategies to Overcome Them (Part 2)

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

In this episode, we explore the concept of self-care and redefine how we view and practice taking care of ourselves while pursuing our long-term advancement and goals. 

The self-care industry, which makes approximately $10 billion dollars per year, strategically markets “self-care” as indulgences, weekends away, and cucumbers on your eyes. Now, while those things may be nice in the moment, alone they are not the things that will help us decompress, destress, and find alignment with ourselves in the long run. 

Rather, self-care is intentionally taking time to engage in sustainable, restorative activities that help you realign or maintain your alignment with yourself – in other words, sustainable restoration to successfully deal with stress. Our own self-care practices have to be conducive to activities that actively oppose feelings of stress and burnout. It is important to invest time in ourselves to recharge, and to engage in intentional rest that is our own choice and unique to each of us. 

So, how can we sustainably practice self-care? Listen to this episode to join our discussion of the following strategies, which are free to implement right now, and to engage in a mindful awareness exercise. 

1. Plan for moments of rest and stillness each day. 
2. Engage in awareness of yourself, your feelings, your wants, and your thoughts. 
3. Set healthy boundaries for yourself and others. 
4. Take a step away from your computer or work space, even for just a moment, to help with productivity. 

If you want to continue this conversation on reframing self-care and connect with us at Apply Yourself: The Advancement Spot, you can personally email me at hello@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal –  Let me know how you are redefining and developing your self-care habits. I’m here for you, supporting you along the way! 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode: 

Episode 7: 3 Strategies to Boost Your Advancement Today

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

In this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of introducing our very first guest on the podcast!

Meet Anshikha, a dear client of mine, who is graduating this semester from her undergraduate program and who was granted admission to Columbia University for her Master’s degree this fall! (Huge congratulations to Anshikha for this amazing accomplishment!!)

Anshikha shares her advancement journey and her personal experience working with Adrienne at Apply Yourself. She describes how her interests in academia informed her application submission, in alignment with her goals and passions in the global governance of infectious diseases, political science, and international relations. She reflects on the challenges she overcame while developing her graduate school applications, her process for becoming confident in the applications she submitted, and how she became comfortable with herself and her abilities through the application process. 

In this episode, we:  

• Learn about Anshikha’s personal experiences, interests, and her ongoing advancement journey
• Learn about the intensive work that is involved with the application process, including mindset shifts, skills development, time management, and focusing on yourself and not the competition 
• Learn about the work that we do at Apply Yourself and just some of the positive outcomes that come out of our 1:1 sessions with Adrienne, including improved writing skills and professional development
• Know what it’s like to work with Adrienne at Apply Yourself - whether it be through one-on-one live coaching and strategy sessions or our 12 week course! 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode: 

Episode 6: Advancement and Your Growth vs. Scarcity Mindset 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

At this time of year, I often think of my clients and students who are completing higher education and about to enter their exam period. In contrast, If you don’t have exams, your time is usually being tested by those end-of-semester essays or assignments, or even both. 

I know how stressful and busy this time gets - I’ve been there myself as an undergraduate, Masters, PhD, and law student - and as a Professor. 

In this episode, I provide 4 foundational strategies to help you master exam time, and other intense time periods, while also taking care of yourself. Here is a quick overview: 

1. Manage your distractions → We discuss strategies to reduce distractions during exam time. You can apply these strategies at any time. 
2. Don’t compare yourself to others → Everyone has different study methods, learning styles, and productivity speeds. Focus on yourself, not on others, and trust your process. 
3. If you are facing any extenuating circumstances, get in touch with your Professor and/or TA right away → The sooner you email and inform them, the more effectively your course team will be able to support you and provide you with the resources that you need. 
4. Your notes don’t have to be pretty to be effective → Your notes should be an effective study tool. Your notes should be accurate, organized, and make sense to you. They don’t need to be pretty to be effective - but organized and effective notes sure do look good!

I have curated these actionable strategies from my years of experience, and now you can implement them to help develop your mindset, focus, and skills to be more effective while studying and working towards your advancement. 

Subscribe to never miss an episode!

Resources and links mentioned in this episode: 

• Episode 7: 3 Strategies to Boost Your Advancement Today 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

In this episode, I give you 3 actionable strategies and tools to help increase your productivity and further your advancement, while also maintaining your health and well-being - even during high volume, busy times! 

Let's dive right in! Here are 3 health-conscious, cost-free, and sustainable strategies to help increase your cognitive freedom, decrease exhaustion, avoid burnout, and provide predictability and intention in your actions and daily life:  

1. Clearly plan out your days, weeks, and months → Use a pen and paper - identify your non-negotiables, things you enjoy doing, positive social time, and time for yourself - and diarize these categories. Use a calendar to promote predictability and autonomy over your schedule.
2. Rid your time and mind of social toxicity → Identify whether you are using your precious minutes and energy on people or behaviours that make you feel bad (i.e., gossip, aimlessly scrolling through social media, or spending time with people who don’t have your best interests at heart); instead, surround yourself with positive perspectives and people who support you.
3. Be intentional about the activities you engage in → The breaks in your days and weeks, your time away from work, and your outlets should energize and reinvigorate you. Develop a regular schedule for things you enjoy.

I hope that these actionable strategies can help you to navigate stressful times and develop the skills you need for your lifelong advancement. 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

In today’s episode, I discuss the importance of a growth mindset in your advancement journey. In my experience, I believe that developing a constructive, productive, health-conscious mindset is about 90% of the work towards achieving and surpassing your goals and aspirations.

When I talk about “mindset,” I’m referring to the way we think - what informs our decisions, how we perceive ourselves and others, and how we approach the world around us - identifying our assumptions, attitudes, biases, philosophies, worldview, and what informs them. 

Mindset directly affects how we perceive our own opportunities for growth, advancement, and success.

A “growth mindset” refers to the perspective that anything important to us flows to us in abundance - academic and work opportunities, energy, support from others, financial stability, and other tangibles and intangibles that we strive for. A growth mindset believes there are increasing opportunities for everyone, and everyone can have abundance and success.  

Conversely, a “scarcity mindset” is the assumption that anything important to us is scarce and at risk of running out. A scarcity mindset is toxic and detrimental - it leads to doubt in your abilities, feelings of insecurity, and fear of the competition and the unknown. It holds you back from your full potential.

Adopting a growth mindset is a fundamental step towards your long-term advancement. This takes continued work, but with a growth mindset comes boundless opportunity, skills development, and continued success. 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫