My YEDI Plan My Story

A Step-By-Step Overview and Quick Start Guide

This Quick Start Guide will help you create your

ACADEMIC PLAN

FINANCIAL PLAN

CAREER AND COLLEGE PLAN

BUSINESS PLAN

• It will also help you– Use your online coaching tools

at www.ready4yedi.com to communicate with your coaches, mentors, and advisors

– Understand how and when to update your plans

– Keep your focus on achieving your plans, even when distractions exists (and they will!)

How to use this book and online coaching tool as a Middle School student.

“I am about to enter my first year of middle school. My mom signed me up for YEDI so that I could get a good start as I prepare to transition into high school. My YEDI online coach has helped me create a plan for my grades this upcoming year and I even have a plan for starting to earn my own money doing something I love to do!”

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

1. What could I be doing now to get ready to hit high school with a running start, already above my competition?

2. How much money does it take right now to pay for the things I need (and even some of the things I want?)

3. What do I love to do more than anything else in the world and how do I make money doing it?

4. How much money will I need once I go to high school? For extracurricular activities? For fun?

5. Do I have what it takes to be my own boss one day? How about now?

How to use this book and online coaching tool as a High School student.

“After completing my first year of high school I was frustrated at my results. I had perfect attendance but a starting grade point average of 1.9 on a 4.0 scale! It wasn’t until I approached the cheerleading coach about cheering that I realized that I couldn’t participate in extracurricular activities with less than a 2.5 GPA! (I didn’t even know what a GPA was until I entered high school and had already messed up!) I now have a plan for increasing my grade point average to allow me to do the things I want to do during my high school career. I even have a plan for not repeating this poor start when I transition into college!”

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

1. What does my GPA need to be to go to the college I want to attend?

2. How much money will I need throughout high school?

3. What do I love to do more than anything else in the world and how do I make money doing it?

4. How much money will I need to pay for the things college scholarships don’t cover?

5. Do I have what it takes to be my own boss one day? How about now?

How to use this book and online coaching tool as a College student.

“I am currently enrolled in college and pursuing a career in physical therapy. Although I am pretty certain about my career choice I still could use a little help being sure I am getting the right experience to be competitive when I graduate and pursue my first job. I also seem to never have enough money to keep focused!

I am now taking a proactive approach to my academic studies and have a clear plan for how I can achieve my personal financial goals while also pursuing a dual career path of gaining work experience and building my network of future customers for my

own independent practice one day!”

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

1. How do I manage my college GPA to be as competitive as I can be in pursuing my career or postgraduate studies?

2. How much money does it take right now to pay for the things I need (and even some of the things I want?)

3. What if my first career choice doesn’t work out? What else could I do with the skills and passions I have?

4. How do I start building a positive personal financial statement to position myself to buy my first car? My first house?

5. Do I have what it takes to be my own boss one day? How about now?

1. Log into www.ready4yedi.com using your assigned login and temporary password.

2. Read the Welcome section and do the Practice Assignments to get familiar with this tool!

This is how you will communicate with your coaches, mentors, and advisors, from anywhere in the world! (wherever there is computer access, of course)

Before going any further. . .

It is never too early to start planning.

Having a plan puts you in greater control.

Things don‘t just happen to you.

You make things happen!

Your plan, your story, unfolds from the time you are born and once you take the pencil (literally), you start charting your own success.

So, pick up your

and let’s write!

How can I . . .

• get good grades

• participate in extracurricular activities, professional and social organizations connected with my career of choice

• gain some work experience

•and earn money (preferably more than minimum wage)?

The YEDI Marketplace is an online store full of products from our partnering businesses that YEDI students can sell to their own network of individuals and businesses to earn money NOW!

I know what you are thinking

Or dream up your own business doing something you love to do, are good at doing, and have the time to do!

Your coaches, mentors, and advisors can help you develop your own business plan using various online reference tools found in the Business Plan Section of your YEDI online tool!

Quick Start InstructionsAcademic Plan Overview

From high school on (and really as early as preschool) you begin writing your academic story. All stories are different but the key is to own your academic experience.

Plan your grades, your extracurricular activities, your community service, and then track your progress, making adjustments every time you hit a bump (or huge in the road!

Coaching Tip: Everyone you meet along your academic journey can be one of your “angels”. So get a Letter of Recommendation and keep it handy in your YEDI folder online!

Good people like helping good people.

Assignment 1: Grade Point Average Plan (High School and College Students Only)

Enter each subject you are taking along with the number of credits. Then enter your projected grade for each subject. (Don’t forget to aim high!).

This enables you to see what type of grades you will need to get to achieve whatever goal you have set for the upcoming year.

Assignment 2: Extracurricular Activities

Plan Make a list of the extracurricular activities you plan to participate in this school year. (Don’t forget to make them count and participate in things that will make you even better at doing the things you love to do!)

This helps you build your school resume and is also a great way to get a skill that people might pay for right now!

Assignment 3: Community Service Plan

Community service matters whether or not it is required for graduation! Make a plan to get involved in some community service projects throughout the school year and track. (Don’t forget to get Letters of Recommendation for a job well done!)

Quick Start InstructionsFinancial Plan Overview

Seems like the older we get, the more money it takes! But even as early as middle school you can get a head start on your financial life (and build some wealth!) by:

•Budgeting

•Tracking where your money goes

•Saving for the things you want (and yes, one day you will want your own car!)

•Investing in things that can make you more money.

•Giving to others to spread the wealth!

Coaching Tip: Try giving just 10% of whatever you have away. Just try it!

In my experience, it comes back!

Assignment 1: Monthly Budget Worksheet

Enter the amount you plan to spend on each item listed in the worksheet for the month. (Even consider the things your parents or others spend on your behalf!)

This enables you to see how much money you would need to make to become financially independent from your parents or others (a good thing!)

Assignment 2: Track Where Your Money Went

At the end of every month you will receive a reminder to update your monthly budget worksheet to enter what you actually spent on each item listed.

Any amount you made over your expenses is shown in the Savings section showing you how close you are to whatever savings goal you have set for yourself this year!

First Car

Dorm stuff

Travel to and from school

First apartment

Quick Start InstructionsCareer Plan Overview

Is it possible to make money doing something you love to do so much you would do it for free?

ABSOLUTELY!

So what do you love to do?

What do they call that profession, that career?

What does it take to do it and do it well?

What college, trade school, or professional school would you go to and why?

Coaching Tip: Take time and explore various careers and always, always, always have a Plan B (C, D, E, etc.)

Life is full of exciting choices and the better prepared you are, the more choices you will have!

Assignment 1: Explore Various Careers

As early as middle school you can start looking at all the possible things you might want to do to earn money and become financially independent. Here you will choose some careers and complete a Career Evaluation Worksheet making sure you know as much about that career as you can to help you make a decision about whether or not you want to do it.

Assignment 2: Exploring Various Educational Options

Deciding which school to attend to pursue a certain career is about more than just choosing the school. You must also choose the tuition, the living accommodations, the distance from home, the atmosphere, the entry requirements, the city you will live in for the next 4-5 years of your life, etc.

What makes you tick?

Coaching Tip: Find a school where it all fits and it will be a hit! And if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try, (you know the rest!)

Quick Start InstructionsBusiness Plan Overview

This section may not be what you thought it was about. You see, running a business is not for everyone but everyone should run their own “business.”

Coaching Tip: People who take ownership in their grades, their money, their careers, and their communities, become LEADERS in their schools, their families, their jobs, and some even in their own businesses.

They run their own business and they master the skills that will make them successful, working for someone or working for themselves.

So YEDI students manage themselves like

they are a

business.

A business with a good product

Their skills and character

A business with loyal customers

Their ever-growing network of family, friends, coaches, mentors, advisors, and like-minded peers.

A business that knows how to operate efficiently

How they manage their time on this earth.

A business with a strong management team

Their team of coaches, mentors, and advisors

A business with strong financial potential

Their personal net worth or wealth

YEDI Students Strive to Be

By Continuously Working On

Assignment 1: Project your Personal Financial Statement by the end of the current year. (Remember, start with the end in mind. Where are you trying to go?)

Coaching Tip: Sample Personal Financial Statements are included in the Business Section of your online coaching tool to show you one possible way you can begin building positive net worth no matter what your age, starting with our Sample Middle School Personal Financial Statement!

Assignment 2: Complete the Association Chart in your online tools listing who you know and what you know how to do that can be a money maker for you. (This is where Cozy Corner Store comes in. It gives you an easy way to earn money with someone else’s product until you have the time and resources to make your own!)

Coaching Tip: Throughout life you will meet people who are willing to help you achieve your goals. The key is to let them know you need their help and give them an easy way to help you. The best source of customers for any business is people you know and those they know!

Assignment 3: Set up your account in the YEDI Marketplace as an independent sales rep. Then give everyone you know or meet the website and ask them to set up their online account and SHOP AT THE YEDI MARKETPLACE! Every time one of your accounts purchases something in the YEDI Marketplace, you get the product commission.

Coaching Tip: When it comes to making your own money the sky is the only limit I know of so the more effort you make, the more money you can make!

YOU set up your YEDI Marketplace Sales Rep Account.

Then spread the word to everyone you know or meet to “Shop till they Drop” at the YEDI Marketplace all year round!

Typically each assignment will contain either an article, video, or references to make sure you understand the importance of each component of your different plans.

After most articles, videos, or references we give you a simple online quiz to make sure you understand what was discussed. Quiz scores add up to opportunities to apply for “Cash for College” in your senior year of high school!

You will also receive reminders letting you know when it is time to update your different plans and these updates count for cash too!

So don’t lose this easy way to build up your ‘YEDI Report Card” to be eligible for

CASH!

Don’t try to do this all alone! Use your coaches!

Keep your plans updated!

Don’t stop planning your every move!

Don’t stop when situations try to throw you off your plan!

Original plan not working? Get Help!

Change of Plans? Write another Plan!

FINAL WORD

As just one of your many coaches in life, I feel compelled to thank you for letting me play a part in your unfolding story. Every YEDI student is unique so every YEDI student’s journey is unique as well.

Just remember, a coach is only as good as the player.

So, play well,

Coach Sandra Marks

YEDI Founder