A single message can flip a teen’s world. Our guest, South Carolina State Representative Brandon Guffey, walks us through the 100‑minute window that turned a fake Instagram flirtation into a fatal sextortion—and why he chose to go public to save other families. We move past headlines to the mechanics of the scam, the role of shame and speed, and the sobering reality that one in five teens now report sextortion attempts, with spikes during school breaks when screen time surges.

We get practical fast. Brandon shares the language parents can use before panic hits, why “we protect first, we debrief later” matters, and how to frame grace over perfection so kids believe mistakes are survivable. We talk tools that actually help—like the seven‑minute NoEscapeRoom.org training from NCMEC and safer devices with on‑screen nudity blocking and “rewind” visibility—alongside the hard truth that you can’t just ban the internet. We also cover platform choices that hinder investigations, what end‑to‑end encryption means when evidence disappears, and why app stores should be held to the same age‑gating standards as retailers.

Beyond policy and tech, this conversation centers on a boy who loved music and Comic‑Cons, who made people laugh and feel seen. Brandon’s message is simple and urgent: most suicides are impulsive; if we can help a teen survive the next twenty minutes, tomorrow is possible. Hear how to start the hard talk tonight, set clear device rules without shame, and spot the early red flags that predators exploit. If you’re a parent, coach, or educator, this is a playbook for guarding kids in a digital world that moves faster than our instincts.

If this moved you, share it with one parent who needs it, subscribe for more candid, solutions-forward conversations, and leave a review with the one takeaway you’ll act on this week. Tomorrow needs you—and so do the kids in your care.

Welcome to Speak Out Stand Out — the show where we build confidence in our future, one voice at a time. I’m your host, Elizabeth Green.

I grew up shy, so I know firsthand how life-changing it can be when someone helps you find your voice. Now, I get to help kids and teens do exactly that — and this podcast is a place to share those tools with you.

Each week, I talk with experts and inspiring guests about simple, practical and tangible ways to help the young people in

Thanks for listing! Be sure to check out the show notes for additional resources including a free public speaking lesson and 52 fun practice prompts. And if you enjoyed what you heard today, please give us a follow.

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

If a four-year-old can price a canvas, track costs, and ship a painting, what else might kids be capable of when we give them the chance? We sit down with Leah Ellis, founder of the Society of Child Entrepreneurs, to explore how children can turn curiosity into real businesses that teach math, money, and leadership—without piling hours onto a parent’s schedule. Leah’s story begins with a pandemic pivot and a bold yes to her daughter Melody’s idea, and unfolds into a practical framework any family can use.

We walk through what a child-run business looks like at different ages: choosing a product or service that solves a real problem, setting prices with simple cost math, testing sales channels from fairs to Etsy, and learning customer service through experience. The conversation gets honest about the hard part—letting kids fail. From a slow sales day on a tenth birthday to a hasty impulse purchase on Black Friday, these moments become powerful lessons in resilience, commitments, and buyer’s remorse. The wins are just as vivid: a neighborhood trash-can service funding big goals, the pride of buying a coveted item with earned money, and the joy of giving to someone in need.

Leah shares time-saving strategies for parents and systems that hand ownership to kids, like using free bookkeeping tools such as Wave to manage invoices, payments, and inventory. We also map out options for families without fairs or dense neighborhoods: host your own children’s business market, ask schools or co-ops for a market day, or launch a simple online shop for makers over 13. Throughout, we focus on the values that keep money healthy—spend, save, and give—so kids see money as a tool for building, not a trophy to hoard. We close with how the Society of Child Entrepreneurs supports families with a 36-week curriculum, children’s books (Sparks to Stars on Amazon), quarterly fairs, and a junior board that helps steer programs.

Ready to raise confident problem-solvers who can speak up, serve others, and build something real? Hit play, then share your child’s business idea with us. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass this episode to a parent who needs a nudge to let their young founder fly.

Welcome to Speak Out Stand Out — the show where we build confidence in our future, one voice at a time. I’m your host, Elizabeth Green.

I grew up shy, so I know firsthand how life-changing it can be when someone helps you find your voice. Now, I get to help kids and teens do exactly that — and this podcast is a place to share those tools with you.

Each week, I talk with experts and inspiring guests about simple, practical and tangible ways to help the young people in

Thanks for listing! Be sure to check out the show notes for additional resources including a free public speaking lesson and 52 fun practice prompts. And if you enjoyed what you heard today, please give us a follow.

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

What if kids learned the moment they needed a skill, not months before it mattered? We sit down with Ben Somers, founder of Recess.gg, to unpack how problem-first projects, kid choice, and safe online communities can turn screens into tools and learners into builders.

Ben shares his journey from public school skeptic to education entrepreneur, influenced by first principles thinking and just‑in‑time instruction. We talk about why homeschoolers often thrive with this model, how small design choices—like letting kids switch classes—transform room energy, and what happens when a Minecraft trapdoor becomes the gateway to circuits, binary logic, and real coding. Along the way, Ben offers practical advice for parents who don’t feel “qualified” to teach: lean on adaptive tools, build daily habits, and protect your child from inherited math anxiety by modeling curiosity over fear.

We also break down “socialization” into three parts: connecting with people, navigating social norms, and maintaining a vibrant friend network. Ben explains how Recess.gg focuses on that third piece—matching kids by shared interests and giving them supervised spaces to collaborate on code, 3D worlds, and science simulations. Think of the computer as a modern wand: with the right guidance, kids can create, design, and solve problems that matter, gaining real agency in a world where nearly every job touches software.

If you’re curious how to start, Ben keeps it simple: begin with what fascinates your child, choose a safe space, and let projects pull learning forward. Explore Recess.gg, see what your kid wants to build, and watch enthusiasm do the heavy lifting. Enjoy the episode? Subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a review to help more families find their path to purposeful learning.

Connect with Ben

Check out the website or find him on Instagram.

Welcome to Speak Out Stand Out — the show where we build confidence in our future, one voice at a time. I’m your host, Elizabeth Green.

I grew up shy, so I know firsthand how life-changing it can be when someone helps you find your voice. Now, I get to help kids and teens do exactly that — and this podcast is a place to share those tools with you.

Each week, I talk with experts and inspiring guests about simple, practical and tangible ways to help the young people in

Thanks for listing! Be sure to check out the show notes for additional resources including a free public speaking lesson and 52 fun practice prompts. And if you enjoyed what you heard today, please give us a follow.

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!