Homeschool Coffee Break

What if one simple daily habit this summer could reduce screen battles, spark meaningful conversations, and build your child's character — all at the same time? Summer reading activities do not have to be complicated to be powerful.
This episode shows how 10 minutes a day of read alouds can transform your summer into something your kids actually remember . . . with practical ideas for every age from elementary all the way through high school:
✅Why read alouds are the single most powerful summer reading activity you can do
✅Age-by-age ideas for elementary, middle school, and high school that actually work
✅How one question after any chapter sparks real conversations without any pressure
✅Simple hands-on activities that pair perfectly with any book your family is reading
✅Why stopping read alouds when kids can read on their own is one of the biggest homeschool mistakes
✅Why 10 consistent minutes beats any elaborate summer learning plan every time
Grab the FREE Read Aloud Magic and start your summer reading activities this week.
Resources for You
Read Aloud Magic (free resource — favorite read aloud books, tips, and ideas, linked in show notes)

Show Notes:
One Simple Summer Habit That Does More Than Any Curriculum
What if I told you there is one simple habit this summer that could reduce screen battles, build family relationships, improve reading skills, spark meaningful conversations, and create memories your kids remember for years? It doesn't require expensive curriculum, elaborate lesson plans, or hours of preparation.
Many homeschool moms during the summer are thinking — should we keep schooling? What if they forget something? Do I have enough time to take a break? What if summer learning could feel more like family connection and less like school?
Summer is the perfect time to shift from worksheets to stories, from checklists to conversations, and from assignments to curiosity.
The One Habit: Read Alouds
Read alouds give you so much more than just reading. They give you leadership. They give you learning. They give you character development. They give you family bonding and family conversation. And best of all, one book can work for many ages.
I still remember when Steve was reading the Little Bridges series to our kids. We were driving in our giant van and all of a sudden the kids started talking about how that grandpa in the story was so crotchety. They said they'd never want their grandpa to act like that. Did I ask them questions? Did I give them a multiple-choice test? No. They had been so involved in the story that they were comparing the grandpa's character to their own grandpa's. That is family bonding, character development, and family conversation — all happening naturally.
How to Get Started This Week
If you are not reading aloud, especially in the summer when things slow down, I want to challenge you to pick a book today or tomorrow and start reading 10 minutes a day. Before breakfast, after breakfast, before bed, during lunch while the kids are eating and you have their full attention.
Don't overthink it. Consistency matters more than length. It is better to do 10 minutes every single day this summer than to do 30 minutes today and then nothing for five days. Schedule it. Put it on your calendar so it actually happens.
What C.S. Lewis Knew About Stories and Imagination
C.S. Lewis lost his mother when he was very young, and books became a refuge for him. He spent countless hours in mythology, fairy tales, and classic literature. That imagination was what inspired the Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters.
He said — reason is the natural organ of truth, but imagination is the organ of meaning. He believed this is where children grasp meaning. Through stories, children encounter courage, sacrifice, honesty, loyalty, and faith before they are even able to explain those things. Read alouds feed both the mind and the heart. They do more than teach reading skills. They shape your kids' imagination, character, and faith.
Too often when we start school, we squash that imagination — sit down, do a bunch of workbooks, read this short story and answer these questions. That is not education. We need to protect curiosity and imagination. How did we get to where we are with technology and creativity? Because someone had imagination. And a lot of times that starts with really good books.
Summer Reading Activities for Elementary Ages
For elementary-aged kids, focus on wonder, curiosity, and family connection. Picture books, chapter books, family read alouds are all great places to start. Read under a tree. Go up in a backyard fort. Spread out a blanket at the park. Read during popsicle time. Build a blanket fort and read underneath it. Listen to audiobooks in the car.
Make it fun. Draw your favorite characters. Create a craft related to the story. Act out scenes. Create a treasure hunt based on a book.
Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother Caroline was a certified school teacher who believed in education and literacy as essential, not optional. Even during the difficult frontier years, no matter where they lived, she prioritized teaching her children to read. And those family experiences became the inspiration for the entire Little House series.
What if you read Little House in the Big Woods this summer? Make homemade butter. Learn a pioneer chore. Cook over a fire. Compare pioneer life to modern life. Easy, fun, and meaningful — not just reading and writing.
Summer Reading Activities for Middle School
Middle schoolers often become passionate about specific topics. Right now my 11-year-old is into history and has been reading historical fiction. Maybe your kids are into horses, planes, ancient history, missions, nature, or sports.
Let your child pick the topic — not you. They will be so much more interested. Then let them read three kinds of books on that topic — a fiction book, a biography, and a nonfiction. For Hunter, that looked like a fictional baseball story, a biography of Derek Jeter, and a book on the science and math of baseball.
Ask one question after reading each day — what surprised you? What would you like to learn more about? What would you have done differently in that story? Then maybe do one extra activity. Watch a documentary, go to a museum, cook a related meal, build a model.
These things develop critical thinking skills, ownership, and independent learning. I didn't want my kids to always have to do everything a teacher told them. I wanted them to think for themselves, plan for themselves, and make choices for themselves.
Summer Reading Activities for High School
Many moms stop reading aloud when their kids can read on their own. Big mistake. Many stop in high school. Even bigger mistake. Teens still need discussion. They still need to develop their listening skills. They need exposure to great ideas. And they still need family connection.
We still read aloud in the morning, and Steve would read to them several evenings a week. For older kids, try a Christian biography, a mission story, historical fiction, great literature, the classics, or an apologetics book. Don't be afraid of a classic just because the vocabulary feels heavy — the ideas are worth it.
Ask questions like — what character stood out today? What would you have done in that person's place? How does this compare to Scripture? What leadership lesson do you see? Choose one biography or one classic and read it together, then discuss it once a week. Over ice cream. At a coffee shop. On an evening walk. Keep it simple.
Bringing It All Together
Pair your read alouds with simple summer experiences. If you're reading about Harriet Tubman, go outside at night and look at the North Star — she followed it to guide enslaved people to freedom. If you're reading about a historical time period, bake something from that era.
Just last week we were reading Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? and we made Johnny Cakes for breakfast — which we found out are actually called journey cakes because you could take them on a long journey and they wouldn't go bad. She was telling her dad all about it when he got home that evening. That is learning that sticks.
Summer becomes intentional, relational, and memorable — not just educational.
You don't have to recreate school. You don't need elaborate plans or expensive curriculum. One book. One conversation. One family read aloud can inspire a love of learning. And inspiring a love of learning? That's the easiest thing read alouds do.
To help you get started, grab my free Read Aloud Magic resource in the show notes. It has 20 to 30 of our family's favorite read aloud books, tips for how to run read alouds, and simple ideas for turning books into meaningful family learning experiences — no workbook required.
Will you take the read aloud challenge this summer? Start this week — just 10 minutes a day. That's all it takes.

Your kids are already making videos on their phones — but what if that creativity became something much bigger? Youth filmmaking is one of the most powerful ways to build storytelling, teamwork, and real-world skills all at the same time.
David Alford, of Cross Purposes Products, pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to make a film from scratch, sharing 5 practical insights every aspiring young filmmaker needs to know before they ever pick up a camera:
✅Why the story always comes before the equipment in youth filmmaking
✅The biggest mistake young filmmakers make that loses the audience every time
✅How to find free locations, borrow gear, and a willing crew in your community
✅What 4 months of pre-production looks like and why it makes everything work
✅How a $6,000 short film made it to film festivals and international distribution
✅Why telling stories from a Christian worldview matters more now than ever
Visit Crosspurposes Productions to watch the films mentioned in this episode and reach out if you want guidance on getting started.
Resources for You
Cross Purposes short film and all films
Contact email for filmmaking questions
Cross Purposes available on Pureflix, Tubi, Apple TV, TBN, Amazon, and international platforms
Life Skills Leadership Summit
Show Notes:
Making Movies With Your Kids — A Conversation With Filmmaker David Alford
Today I have filmmaker David Alford here, and we're talking about a topic I personally think you'll find exciting — making movies. When I think about my grandkids, they're always making movies with my phone. Kids today are walking around with little movie studios in their hands. So let's talk about what's actually possible.
How David Got Started — And How Homeschool Kids Changed Everything
David is a graduate of UT Austin with a degree in radio, television, and film. He worked in Christian radio for about 12 years as a drive-time radio host, then did some television work at a local ABC affiliate. But he'd never done the film part of his degree. So in his 50s, he decided to round off the trifecta — and he started making movies.
He also became a homeschool dad. His kids grew up in a community of homeschool families, and over time that community became his surrogate family. He was a drama teacher at a local theater and had this pool of artistic, creative kids around him who were interested in storytelling.
When it came time to make his first film, he pulled those homeschool kids in — some as actors, some as crew. All you have to do is put a task in front of homeschool kids and they'll figure it out. Tell them to learn about makeup or lighting, and they'd go study on YouTube and come to set ready to go.
With a makeshift crew of college film graduates and homeschool kids, they made a short film called Cross Purposes over four days. It had heart. A lot of heart. And that little film — made on a shoestring budget with mostly volunteers — got picked up by a distribution company and is now being distributed worldwide in several languages.
Where to Start: Tell the Story Only You Can Tell
If you want to make a movie, start with what's around you. Start with your environment. You're not going to wow anyone with special effects on a $3,000 film. What you can do is tell a story that only you can tell. A story that comes from your heart, that God has put on your heart to tell, told to the best of your ability with what's around you.
Take people somewhere they don't normally get to go. If you work at a grocery store, you see a side of it that most people never see. Take people on that journey. Your world doesn't have to be giant or spectacular. It just needs to be different — because people who watch movies want to go somewhere they've never been before with people who are interesting to spend time with.
Writing Characters That Connect
When writing a screenplay, look for a character who is conflicted. Nobody likes to see stories about perfect people — there's only one perfect person who ever walked this planet. The rest of us fall pretty short. We don't relate to perfect characters and we're not interested in them.
Find a character who fascinates you. Someone you want to spend time with. Someone when they walk in the room, you perk up a little. Warts and all. They need to have problems, because we all do. If you look at Bible characters, so many of them had serious issues — and we learned from those issues. Christian films are the same way.
The biggest mistake new filmmakers make is that they telegraph everything too quickly. Two minutes into a scene, the audience already knows exactly what's happening and they're just waiting for it to end. You have to constantly feed your audience new information — about the character, about the conflict, about the scene. Every scene needs to be triggered by the scene before it. If you can remove a scene and not feel any difference, that scene doesn't belong in the script.
And your main character must change from beginning to end. They need to have gone through a metamorphosis. Something real has to happen to them.
From Script to Screen — The Production Process
Once your screenplay is locked — meaning you and your team are genuinely happy with it and it's been through feedback — that script becomes the foundation for everything else. Then you find your team. A director of photography, lighting people, sound, set design, costume. David's oldest daughter is their production designer. His youngest daughter is the assistant director. His son worked on sound.
You storyboard the entire film — drawing what the camera will see in each shot, almost like a comic book. By the time you get on set, the movie is already made in your heads. It's just a matter of making it happen.
Pre-production takes about four to five months. And when you do get on set, you have a short amount of time. Even with volunteers, treat them like paid professionals — start on time, end on time, don't waste their time. People will work hard for you even if they're learning their jobs for the first time, as long as you respect them.
One more thing — please do not cheat on your actors. If you have two actors doing a beautiful job and then you cut to someone who can't act, the whole story falls apart. Find actors who can genuinely convince you.
Funding a Film on a Small Budget
Cross Purposes was made for about $6,000. David went to local locations and asked if they could shoot there for free. Most people said yes. The hospital where much of it was shot had an entire wing closed due to staffing shortages and let them use it for free. All you have to do is ask.
Equipment can be rented from production houses for a couple hundred dollars. Some local universities will let students check out cameras. Free editing software is available online. Work lights aren't fancy, but they work — just make sure the shadows are off the faces.
Cross Purposes has now been making money for about five years. The money it earns funds the next film. The budget has gotten bigger every time and the quality has improved. It's a snowball effect.
Where Films Can Go After You Make Them
After post-production and editing, short films can go to film festivals — Christian and secular ones all over the country. Cross Purposes was accepted at 13 out of 15 festivals it was submitted to. Those acceptances led to a distribution company reaching out, which now distributes the film worldwide — on Tubi, Apple TV, TBN, and platforms in Russia, Australia, Europe, and South America.
David's First Step Advice
Have a story that when you tell it to people, they react. It makes them smile, it makes them cry, it makes them something. Don't start until you have a story you feel like you have to get in front of other people.
And don't make it about you being in front of a camera. It's a service. You're there to serve the people who work with you and the audience watching. If it becomes an ego trip, it shows up on screen. Start with the story, and the pieces will start falling into place.
People need to hear your voice. As many voices as there are out there, people need to hear yours. Do it because it's something God wants you to do. Make it joyful. And make it joyful with the people you do it with — because this is a team sport.
You can find all of David's films and links to where you can watch them at crosspurposes.productions. If you want to get in touch with David directly or ask questions about getting started, you can reach him at crosspurposes@yahoo.com. Links to both are below this video.to both are below this video.

America turns 250 and most families will watch fireworks — but “what if” your kids actually understood the stories, the sacrifices, and the people who made this country possible? Your America 250 celebration does not have to be complicated to be meaningful.
This episode shares 3 real Americans from 250 years ago whose stories will spark great conversations with your kids, plus simple ideas to make your America 250 celebration come alive this summer with no big unit study or hours of preparation:
✅Why history sticks when it is told through stories instead of textbooks
✅The 1 question to ask after reading any biography that sparks real thinking
✅3 ordinary people from 250 years ago that changed history with everyday courage
✅Simple hands-on activity ideas that connect colonial history to real life today
✅Why your kitchen table is the most powerful classroom in America right now
Grab the America 250 Leadership and Freedom Bundle mentioned in this episode and start your celebration this week.
Resources for You
America 250 Leadership and Freedom Bundle includes use code 250 for 20% off
America 250 Leadership and Freedom Unit Study
Johnny Tremain Literature Study
Flag Day Unit - June 14
4th of July Unit Study
Election Day Unit Study
use code 250 for 25% off
What If Your Family Actually Understood the People Who Made America Possible?
What if your family read a book together this summer, ate a colonial meal, and had a few great conversations? Would your children remember more about America's founding than an entire textbook?
America turns 250 years old in just a few weeks, and the celebration has already begun. Most of you will go watch fireworks. But what if your children actually understood the people, the stories, the sacrifices, and the leadership that made America possible? It doesn't require a giant unit study or hours of preparation. Today I want to show you some simple ways to celebrate America 250 while inspiring a love of learning and having fun with your kids.
History Is More Than Dates and Dead People
Most moms feel the pressure to cover the history and check off all the checkboxes. But history is so much bigger than that. When our kids were teenagers, they read a book in ninth grade called More Than Dates and Dead People — and that title says it all. We need to look at the stories of ordinary people who influenced others. That's leadership. Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.
America 250, right now in the summertime when you may not even be doing regular school, is the perfect opportunity to help our kids see themselves as part of a much bigger picture.
Paul Revere — One Ordinary Person Who Changed History
Let's start with Paul Revere and his Midnight Ride. Longfellow wrote a whole poem about it — The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere — and I still remember reciting it in junior high.
Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. On the 18th of April in 75, hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year.
Most families know who Paul Revere is. But do they realize he was just a silversmith? When we were in Boston, we actually got to visit his house. He was just an ordinary craftsman who risked arrest to warn fellow patriots that the British troops were moving in on Lexington and Concord. One regular person used his influence to help change history.
So how could you apply this to your family? Read a one-page biography of someone from 250 years ago in America. Read it aloud at lunch and ask one question — how did this person influence others? Then close your mouth and see what they say. That's leadership education in action. How easy is that?
Great Books Bring History to Life
One of the easiest ways to learn history — and the way we did it best — was through literature. Kids remember stories so much more than worksheets.
One of our favorites is Johnny Tremaine. Johnny begins the story as a proud silversmith's apprentice, goes through a lot of hardship, makes mistakes, grows in friendships and responsibilities, and eventually grows into a leader during the American Revolution. Kids naturally connect with his struggles, and you can discuss courage, teachability, responsibility, and wise decision-making as you go through the book.
Instead of worksheets, add some hands-on activities. Build a Boston Tea Party crane. Become a midnight messenger like Paul Revere. Do a colonial apprenticeship project. Make colonial meals together. My kids always perked up when food was involved. Learning becomes so much more memorable when you're doing history — not just memorizing and regurgitating facts.
What could you do this week or next week? Read one chapter from a historical book. Have your kids narrate what they hear each day and ask one question — what leadership trait did this person show? Or not show? Not everyone's a good leader. Get a book from the library and start reading. That's enough.
Abigail Adams — Leadership Doesn't Always Look Like Standing in Front of a Crowd
A lot of people think it was only men participating 250 years ago. That is just not true. There were plenty of strong women fighting for the cause and supporting their families. Abigail Adams is one of them.
She was home while John Adams was away serving his country — managing the farm, the finances, the household, and the children during very uncertain times. Many homeschool moms I know can relate to carrying the weight of everything that's going on.
Her letters reveal courage, wisdom, and perseverance. On March 31st, 1776 — 250 years ago — John was helping to shape a new government. Here's what Abigail wrote:
Remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.
That sounds simple at first, but it reveals so much wisdom. Abigail understood that a new nation wasn't just about defeating Great Britain. It was about creating a better society. She encouraged leaders to think not only about the immediate crisis but also about the rights and needs of others.
Leadership isn't always standing in front of a crowd. Sometimes it's a thoughtful letter. A meaningful conversation. Influencing the people around you. Something homeschool moms do every day. You are influencing the next generation. You may feel like you're not doing much, but you have more impact on your children than anyone else. Leadership is happening around the kitchen table.
Patrick Henry and the Courage to Say What Others Won't
On March 23rd, 1775, Patrick Henry challenged Virginians to prepare for difficult days. And one of the lines that most of us can remember — I hope your children will remember it too — is this: Give me liberty, or give me death.
His speech helped persuade many colonists to take action when others were still uncertain what to do. He had influence.
What could you do with his story? Read his speech and then ask — would you choose liberty? Or would you choose to just do whatever everyone else tells you, whatever the government says? There's a lot of conversation right there for your family. Have you ever needed courage to do something difficult? What does courage look like for a child? What does it look like for a homeschool mom?
You Don't Need More Resources — You Need the Right One
The problem with history isn't a lack of resources. There are resources abounding — printable packs, websites, YouTube videos. The problem is too many resources. You could spend 5 to 10 hours just trying to figure out what to do over the next few weeks. What you need is something that's organized and ready to use.
America 250 is more than a birthday celebration. It's an opportunity to help your kids understand freedom, responsibility, leadership, and character. You don't have to recreate this in a classroom. Find some great books to read, tell great stories, have meaningful conversations around the dinner table, and let your kids see that history comes alive.
250 years ago, ordinary people made choices that changed history. Paul Revere. Abigail Adams. Patrick Henry. Today, the conversations you have around the dinner table will influence the next generation just as quickly.
That's why we made our America 250 Leadership and Freedom Bundle. It includes our Leadership and Freedom Unit Study, a bonus Johnny Tremaine literature study with silversmith STEM activities, history, writing, and math, a Flag Day unit study, a 4th of July unit study, and an Election Day unit study for November. It's literature-based, hands-on, all ages can learn at the same time, and it's leadership-focused. Every activity has a leadership tie-in.
It's not a bunch of worksheets. It's not a textbook with multiple choice questions. It's easy for moms to use, it's all in one place, and you can start this week with Flag Day.
Use code 250 to save 20%. Get all the details in the show notes.

What if, instead of asking which college your teen should attend, you started asking what kind of person they want to become? That one shift changes everything about how you prepare your kids for adulthood — and this episode lays out a completely different path forward.
This episode introduces a 16-cycle blueprint designed to build genuine life skills for young adults one quarter at a time — from EMT certification to sailing through the South Atlantic to starting a business and making the first sale. You will hear a father and son tell the real story of what this journey has looked like, how it was funded, and what the outcome has been so far.
Discover ways to build character, and create confident, capable adults by age 20.
✅The one question that replaces "what college should I attend"
✅How 16 hands-on cycles stack real skills and real-world experience
✅How one teen earned $600 a day to fund his own real-world education
✅Why a personal code of rules and virtues is the foundation of true self-government
✅The patron relationship that opens doors traditional mentoring never could
✅Why most teens launch into adulthood anxious, unprepared, and waiting for someone to tell them what to do
Grab the book mentioned in this episode and start building the kind of young adult your family is proud to launch into the world.
Resources for You
The Preparation by Matt and Maxim Smith
Maxim's Substack
More life skills for teens help
Show Notes:
Preparing Your Kids for Adult Life — A Conversation With Matt and Maxim Smith
Today I have a long-time friend Matt Smith here with his son Maxim, and we're talking about a brand new book they wrote together called The Preparation — all about preparing young people for adult life. Matt and I met in a mastermind back in 2009, so it's great to reconnect. Maxim is the guinea pig for the whole thing, and he's got some incredible stories to share.
What Kind of Man Do I Want to Become?
Instead of starting with outcomes like career and college, the book opens with a much bigger question — what kind of man do I want to become? Matt explains why.
The whole idea of college is — so that what? So you can pay your own rent? That's not a very motivating vision. So they started thinking about what the real outcome actually is. What would inspire a young man, challenge him, and make him want to come into his own adulthood? The only answer to that question is one he has to find for himself — what kind of man does he want to become?
The book is designed as a program that could fully replace college. It lays out exactly what to do, quarter by quarter, and still covers all the academics. But the motivating driving force behind it — the thing strong enough to push you through the hard parts — is that personal vision of who you want to be.
Maxim says when he was first introduced to the program, the question took shape through a concept called be, do, and have — the three most important verbs. Most people focus on the have. But be is the most important. And do is where young people have their greatest power, because when you're young, you have unlimited energy and high openness to new experiences. Doing is your leverage.
For his own answer to that question, Maxim found inspiration in a fictional character — Edmund Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo. Not the revenge part of the story, but the 14 years he dedicated to gaining as many skills as possible. Learning to read and write, sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat, economics, math, multiple languages. That was the vision Maxim worked from.
Wisdom as Righteousness in Action
The Preparation focuses heavily on the classical virtues — courage, wisdom, hospitality — and especially stoic thinking, particularly the work of Epictetus. Matt says wisdom is the key to being a happy, healthy, successful individual, but you have to make it practical. Get away from abstract ideas and give young people real examples of what good looks like and how to model it.
One of the most powerful exercises in the book is building a personal code. It has three parts.
First, they think about their own actions — what are the things I do that make me feel small or ashamed? No one else might even know about these things, but the kid knows. They decide to stop doing those things — not because someone else made a rule, but because they made the rule for themselves. This is the very beginning of identity formation. For the first time, they're choosing not to do something on their own authority.
Second, they go through a list of the ancient virtues and find the ones that call to them. Unlike the rules, which are binary — you either kept them or you didn't — the virtues are aspirational. You can always be more courageous. There's no ceiling.
Third, they start listing their accomplishments. When you're starting out, you feel like you have nothing. But skills stack up fast in the preparation. After just one cycle, looking back at the actual skills you've gained — not just what you've studied, but what you can actually do — gives you a sense of pride and identity you didn't have before. And that's what young people are missing.
Patrons, Not Just Mentors
Most people think of a mentor like Gandalf — someone who shows up and offers you everything for nothing. That's not really how it works. The Preparation uses the term patron, drawn from ancient Roman society, where an older established person would come alongside a younger person who had skills, motivation, and hunger but not much yet. It was a two-way street. The patron would publicly say — this person is under my protection. One of us.
The key insight is that you can earn a mentor or patron. Young people who are ambitious, smart, detail-oriented, hungry, and virtuous — when Matt encounters young people like that, he wants to help them. But the relationship only works if the young person is adding something to it in return.
Intergenerational relationships are often the richest in life — because there's no competition, no status jockeying. You're not trying to prove anything. Matt says the best relationships in his life are not with his peers. They're intergenerational.
The Cycles of Preparation
There are 16 cycles in the program, each centered around an anchor course — anything from a cooking school in Florence, Italy, to a heavy equipment operator course in Florida, to an entrepreneur cycle, a sailing cycle, an EMT certification, learning to build a house at the Shelter Institute in Maine, a fighter cycle in Thailand. Sixteen different real-world skill areas.
Each cycle also includes activities the student chooses themselves — skydiving, learning guitar, a second language, motorbikes — plus online academic courses related to the anchor activity, and a required reading list. For the entrepreneur cycle, there are about 10 books to complete in three months, along with courses in sales, marketing, and social media marketing.
Students are also required to post a weekly update on Substack — for accountability and to build a public record of what they're doing. Maxim now has over 6,000 followers on Substack, which has opened up opportunities he never expected — working on wildfires, a sailing cycle recommendation from a reader, geophysics crew work in Nevada, mule packing.
The most memorable cycle so far? Sailing. Maxim had never been on a sailboat in his life when he flew to the Falkland Islands — all the way at the bottom of South America — to join a 72-foot sailing vessel for 21 days. The winds were so strong the bus was swaying on the road. They couldn't leave for several days. He got seasick two or three times. They crossed the South Atlantic through the Strait of Magellan — from the Falklands back to Chile — and he said the moment the water calmed down on the Pacific side, he finally understood why Magellan named it the Pacific.
Each cycle, virtually every anchor activity, leaves you with a real skill that has real economic value. Something you could get a job from. And when you stack 16 of those, by the time you're 20 you are the most interesting 20-year-old you'll meet.
How to Fund the Preparation
Yes, some cycles cost money. But compared to college — with one year of college tuition, Maxim has been funding multiple real-world experiences. There's also a work cycle built into the program where the entire three-month focus is earning as much money as possible.
Maxim's first cycle was getting his EMT certification. Because of that — and because a reader found him on Substack — he was offered work on wildfires earning $600 a day. That funded his sailing cycle. He also worked at Office Depot and as a pizza delivery driver. In six weeks at Office Depot, he saved over $5,000.
And here's a perspective shift — training Muay Thai in Thailand for two months, including room, board, and meals six days a week, costs less than EMT school. Not everything real costs more than college.
Maxim's Advice to Teenagers
If you could tell another teenager one thing about preparing for adulthood, what would it be?
Realize how limited time actually is. Figure out as soon as possible what you should be doing to make the most of it — not pursuing vices, but pursuing what is actually fulfilling. Gain as many practical skills as possible. Study the classical virtues. Study the stoics. And see how many opportunities open up from that work and that effort.
You can find The Preparation on Amazon. Read the reviews before you buy — many of the reviewers are parents who read it first before giving it to their kids, and many say they wish they had this when they were that age.
If you want to follow what Maxim is doing, go to maximsmith.com on Substack. We'll put a link right below this video.

If your homeschool feels like a never-ending pile of curriculum, co-ops, and pressure, there is a better way — and it starts with doing less.
This episode digs into what an elite education actually means, why most homeschool moms are overcomplicating & adding more things out of fear, and how simplifying your homeschool gives your kids more time to think, go deeper, and actually love learning. You will walk away with one practical step to take this week and a completely different lens for every homeschool decision you make going forward.
Homeschool moms who are exhausted from checking every box and still wondering if it is enough will find this episode both freeing and clarifying. Elite education is not about harder curriculum or longer school days — it is about raising kids who think critically, make wise decisions, and love learning for a lifetime.
What is covered in this episode:
✅Why fear drives homeschool overwhelm and how to break the cycle
✅What an elite education really means — and it has nothing to do with harder subjects
✅Why deep focus beats scattered assignments every single time
✅How doing less gives your child more time to actually think
✅1 thing to remove from your homeschool this week
Check out Raising Leaders, Not Followers and start giving your kids the elite (BEST) education they were made for.
Resources for You:
Raising Leaders, Not Followers Course
Show Notes:
What If the Best Education Actually Comes From Doing Less?
Most homeschool moms secretly wonder — am I doing enough? What if my kids fall behind? What if I miss something important? So what do we do? We add more and more — more curriculum, more activities, more pressure on everyone. But what if the best education actually comes from doing less? Doing less and doing it differently.
Fear Is Driving Your Overwhelm
I think too many moms are homeschooling from fear. The fear of not preparing your kids for the future. The fear they won't succeed. The fear they'll miss some opportunities. And this fear leads to overloading your schedules and chasing everything.
When's the last time your kids could just hang out, go outside and play, go shoot some hoops? Most moms think more is better. So they sign their kids up for multiple programs, all the co-ops, all the curriculum — and they still feel unsure about whether their kids are going to be ready.
Abraham Lincoln had less than one year of formal schooling. He was self-educated. He learned through reading, through reflecting, and through real life experiences. And he went on to be one of the most influential people in history. His education would not be complete according to public school standards — they've got a long list of things you're supposed to do and it's just busy work. But he developed into an educated person through thinking, through character, and through leadership.
What Is an Elite Education?
This is what I call an elite education. And I think most of you would like to give that to your kids — but you're not sure how. Elite education is not harder curriculum. It's not more subjects.
Elite education means thinking critically, understanding deeply, making wise biblical decisions, loving learning for a lifetime, and having a foundation of godly biblical character. This is what actually prepares kids for adulthood. The academics come along, but that is not the focus. An elite education prepares a child for adulthood.
George Washington Carver and Tuskegee University
George Washington Carver was born into slavery and had very limited formal education as a child. But he was curious. He spent hours in nature exploring and experimenting and teaching himself — because schools for Black children were not really available back then. He educated himself through observation and personal study, and he later became one of the leading agricultural scientists. He developed hundreds of uses for peanuts and other plants.
What made him exceptional was not a traditional school. It was curiosity, perseverance, and a love for learning.
He eventually started teaching at Tuskegee University, founded by Booker T. Washington. And this university was more than academics. Every student who came there had to learn a trade. Maybe they learned cooking and actually cooked the food for the other students in the dorms. Maybe they learned carpentry and built the buildings for the university. Everyone had a trade as well as a field of study.
And you know what happened in 1905? Tuskegee University had more self-made millionaires than Harvard, Yale, and Princeton combined. Because they had a different approach to education. It was more than just academics. They learned real life skills.
What Happens When You Simplify
When you simplify your homeschool, your kids have time to think. They go deeper instead of rushing through their assignments. Learning becomes meaningful because it has purpose and intention.
When you overload your children, all they do is check off the boxes. Retention drops drastically. Motivation disappears. That's when you get all those attitude problems and learning doesn't really happen.
A child that is deeply interested in one topic — just one topic — learns reading through books, writing through a reading journal, thinking through discussion. Reading, writing, discussion. That is real learning, not a bunch of scattered assignments.
You don't need to do more. You need a clear framework — a way to filter your decisions, a way to know that you are doing the right activities and studying the right subject areas for each of your kids.
What to Do This Week
Look at your current homeschool plan and remove one thing this week that is not serving your goals. If you don't have goals, you need to make a vision. We talked about that in an earlier episode. If you want to raise your kids to be leaders, you've got to have a vision for your homeschool.
And I want you to know — all three of my kids are in their 30s now, and they all love learning. I think a lot of it has to do with the foundation we gave them in their homeschool.
That is exactly what Raising Leaders, Not Followers gives you — a way to make wise and purposeful decisions for your upcoming year, for each of your kids. It helps your kids make wise decisions too. It gives your kids an elite education for life so that they can think critically, make wise decisions, have a love for learning, and have a foundation of character.
If you have any questions, let me know. It's not for everyone all the time — but it is for the mom or dad who wants to raise their kids with purpose, prepared for adult life, thinking critically, making wise decisions, and loving learning for a lifetime. Come check out Raising Leaders, Not Followers — the link is in the show notes.