I am More

This one feels a little different 💝

At I Am More we talk a lot about audacious belief, courage and tenacity.

We encourage young people to have goals and dreams but honestly, why stop there? Why not shoot for the stars? ✨

I Am More has never really fitted the mould of traditional education or alternative provision.

We've always done things a little differently and led from the front, side by side with the young people we support.

This year I've barely come up for breath.

The compound effect of years of knocking on doors, fishing in big ponds, relentless graft and believing there is always a way is starting to show itself.

I’m incredibly proud of what I Am More is becoming. It’s still evolving and I think that’s the exciting part…

To know our name is being echoed in rooms we've never even stepped foot in is both exciting and humbling 🫶🏼

This one is for the young people.

And it's for little me too, who would never have dreamt so big.

Because belief, integrity and tenacity aren't just values on a website. They're how we work and show up every single day.

Let’s see where this one takes us 🦋

Last week I attended the Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Careers Hub Annual Conference.

As ever, brilliantly organised and delivered.

One of the themes discussed was work experience and the Work Experience Guarantee.

Whilst it’s fantastic to see more opportunities being created for young people, my curiosity often sits with those who find these opportunities hardest to access.

👉🏼 The ones who slip through the net.

👉🏼 The ones who have been turned down for placements.

👉🏼 The ones whose anxiety makes the idea of entering a workplace feel impossible.

👉🏼 The ones who stay behind whilst everyone else heads out on work experience.

❓How do we create something different for them?

I had the privilege of independently evaluating Jacqueline Hobson’s Hybrid Work Experience Model.

What started as a 5 day pilot turned into a rich report, 19 appendices and a mountain of student voice, employer feedback, staff reflections, observations and outcome data.

The challenge?

Trying to squeeze all of that into a 10 minute presentation for a room full of Careers Leaders.

No pressure then 😅

What surprised me most was that many of the findings appeared to extend far beyond work experience itself.

Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay Careers Hub

🎤 Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention… 🎤

Not just my Grandad’s funeral song, but one of those rare kick me moments 🙄

This year has brought some incredible opportunities and growth, for which I’m very grateful 🙏🏼

The reality though is that sometimes saying yes to one thing means saying no to something else.

Earlier this year I was invited to be a co-author alongside the phenomenal Fatima Whitbread.

What an opportunity.

Unfortunately, I knew I didn’t have the time to give it the attention it deserved, so I politely declined.

Although regret is a big word (and not one I use lightly), this probably sits on a very short list.

It was still a privilege to attend the launch, support the book and celebrate the amazing people who shared their stories of resilience.

A fantastic read 📖

And whilst my story didn’t make it into this one, I’m okay with that.

Right now, I’m busy living the next chapter.

One day, when the timing is right, perhaps my story will find its own spine and its own place on the bookshelf 📚

Ps- I met the Founder of Reebok!!
Still doing his thing at 92 👟
What a guy!


Keely Pierce

One of the most interesting findings from a recent evaluation was surprisingly simple.

When young people were able to describe themselves more clearly, they appeared more confident speaking to employers, more willing to participate and better able to talk about their future.

The activity itself wasn’t the most important part.

The real value seemed to come from helping young people recognise and put words to their strengths, qualities and what makes them unique.

Sometimes confidence doesn’t start with speaking louder.

Sometimes it starts with a young person finally being able to say:

“This is who I am, and this is what I bring.”

🦋

💭 What changes when a young person can describe themselves differently?

One of the most interesting findings from a recent evaluation suggested that the language young people use to describe themselves may be more important than we realise.

For years, I’ve delivered sessions focused on strengths, personality, communication and self-awareness.

They’re often viewed as helpful extras.

Nice to have.

But not necessarily essential.

Yet this evaluation appeared to suggest something different.

The ability to describe strengths, qualities and what they could contribute repeatedly appeared alongside increases in confidence, participation and future thinking.

It got me wondering…

If a young person struggles to explain what they are good at, how easy is it for them to recognise their own potential?

The reality is that many adults still find it difficult to talk about their strengths.

Imagine developing that skill as a teenager ✨

👉🏼 8 months 👉🏼No targets set 👉🏼No pressure applied.

Just consistent relational presence, meeting a young person exactly where they were.

One practitioner.
One consistent relationship.
One young person who needed someone to show up.

These are the TOMs scores across three domains:

1️⃣Participation in Learning
2️⃣Selective Mutism
3️⃣Social Communication

Every single measure moved.

This isn’t magic, it’s inclusion 🫳🏼🎤

❌ No behaviour system�❌ No rewards chart�❌ No compliance targets

It’s what happens when a young person finally feels safe enough to grow.

If the change is real, it should be measurable.

Grief.

I wasn’t expecting to find it here.

I’m currently about 50+ hours into analysing 15 months of data from a mentoring pilot.

Looking at communication, reflections, behaviour patterns and trends across several young people.

And if I’m honest, something keeps appearing in the language used.

It isn’t anger.

It isn’t defiance.

It’s grief.

Statements like:

“Time is running out.”
“I missed out on childhood.”
“I don’t want to repeat what happened.”

Just a small snapshot of the language that keeps surfacing.

When you read the communication, reflections and behaviour patterns together, something becomes clearer.

These young people DID want to participate.

But they simply couldn’t tolerate the environments available to them.

What seems to sit underneath many of the cases I’m observing is a nervous system response to expectation and authority.

And when I say authority, I don’t mean discipline.

I mean perceived evaluation, pressure and loss of control.

I’m still deep in the analysis, but one thing is already becoming clear.

Sometimes what we call disengagement is actually grief.

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the as an and meeting Theo Paphitis in person.

I’m always looking for ways to bring real world inspiration into the lives of the young people I work with.

From Steven Bartlett to Simon Squibb, I’ve learned that being in the room matters.

This time was no different.

The opportunity to potentially bring not one but two Dragons’ voices to our young people is incredibly exciting.

Katie Piper was the main guest speaker and she truly blew me away. I knew her story, but hearing more in person… as a human… wow.

Grounded. Real. Relatable. 🙏🏼

Katie shared something that really stayed with me:

“When someone’s sees me flourishing, another part of my life is suffering (my kids).
But it’s ok to excel for a season.
Then it’s about making it up and regaining balance.”

That one landed.

As a mum, the juggle is real.

When I’m away delivering or building new opportunities, I feel that pull too.

But I do this so our young people see what’s possible.

So they see belief in action.
So they know they can build something bigger.

My daughter recently told her Head of Year she wants to run a business like her mum.

That’s what keeps me going. Building something that shows our children what’s possible, not just telling them.

Always building.
Always thinking of the young people first. 🦋

Choose You with I am More


Theo Paphitis Theo Paphitis