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Advice from Kyle Grappone: Youth Motivational Speaker, Author, and Coach.

By Briyahna Rice

Kyle Grappone is a name that you may not be familiar with unless you’re stuck in an academic rut, are ready to pull your hair out or need a helping hand. Well, Kyle’s hand is that one you’ll want to take. As the creator of To the Next Step, Grappone and his team offer educational coaching and interactive lessons to high school and college students regarding real-world objectives and career paths. The lessons cater to each student’s needs to help them become more prepared and well adjusted for real-world expectations and responsibilities.

To the Next Step focuses on topics such as discovering your passions and creating a path into the workforce for students who may be confused or overwhelmed about what’s next for them. We work with students to create a plan that allows them to determine what career they should pursue and how to work towards building a life they will enjoy living,” said Grappone.

As someone who got his start in corporate America, Kyle saw firsthand how ill-prepared his coworkers were based on much they disliked their jobs. They felt trapped in the lives they were living. With To the Next Step, students can avoid this and grow to love the path they’ve chosen for their lives.

“Corporate America expects today’s graduates to enter the workforce already equipped with skills such as communication, problem-solving, independence, and much more. A lot of graduates I have surveyed over the years have told me that they were unaware of what was coming next in life. If they had known what working full time was all about, they would have taken the time to prepare themselves by taking advantage of the opportunities their school gave them,” he explained.

Now, as an author, motivational speaker, and founder of To the Next Step, Kyle is in a position to help other high school and college students reach the heights of their life goals and aspirations. And in a world of social media and instant messaging, teaching interpersonal skills is critical.

“The ability to communicate face to face is imperative. Social media and smartphones have hurt our ability to connect on a human level. We are so used to speaking to a screen that we forget the fundamentals of communication such as eye contact and responding to things such as questions and constructive criticism. When you are on social media or your smartphone, and you run into a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, you are able to walk away from it. That is not possible when you are sitting in a meeting with your team and your boss,” Grappone warns students.

Anyone who wants to learn more about To the Next Step, can visit tothenextstep.org or purchase a copy of Kyle’s book, Your Guide from High School and College to The Real World, available in both hard copy and digital.