A 35-year-old CEO was just put in charge of leading Red Lobster out of bankruptcy, and back into profitability.

In high school, Damora Adamolekun poured himself into speech and debate activities, and played football.

But it wasn’t those “extracurricular activities” that landed him at Brown and Harvard — it was what he did with them.

Upon winning $10k from from a speech competition at the age of 16, he started his first stock portfolio.

And when it came time to apply to Ivy League schools, he assembled a “highlight reel” of all of this football plays, and packaged it together with his academic background.

Damora looked beyond academics, and beyond extracurriculars.

That’s the formula attending top schools, and becoming a 35-year-old CEO of a 60-year-old company. 👊

In today’s issue:

📊 Flash poll results: The biggest challenge is keeping kids engaged.

🩺 News you need to know: A validating message from the Surgeon General.

🎓 Notable nibbles: Why kids shouldn’t stress over their college major, youth sports are getting bombarded with private equity, a remarkably compassionate 9-year-old, and more!

Well, it looks like there’s a dominant challenge.

Don’t worry, we’ll dive into some research in the coming weeks and bring you tactics for keeping your kids interested and engaged in learning life skills.

Keep your eyes peeled. 👀

It’s official.

Parental burnout is now a public health crisis. ❤️‍🩹

Last week, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, penned an op-ed for the New York Times that made every parent feel… seen.

He acknowledged what parents have known for ages — parenting is exhausting, and it’s now a public health issue. 

Dr. Murthy highlights that modern stressors like managing social media, kids’ mental health, and a loneliness epidemic are making things worse than ever. 

On top of that, parents are working longer hours, all while spending more time with their kids.

If you want to go crawl in a hole, I get it. 🤷

Dr. Murthy’s solution? It’s time for a major shift in how society values parenting. 

He’s pushing for policies like more financial support, paid time off, affordable childcare, and better mental health services. 

But it’s not all on the government — Dr. Murthy encourages personal change too. He says parents should normalize asking for help and offering support, without waiting for permission.

So while we all wait for policies to catch up, it’s important to lean on each other for support, and take care of yourselves. 

You’ll be setting an excellent example for your kids in the process. 💪

💊 Teen depression has gone down, but: Fewer kids with depression are getting the treatment they need.

🎓 Not sure if this is useful, but it’s definitely cool: Here’s list of the oldest universities in every U.S. state.

💰 Mistaken millionaire: A remarkably compassionate 9-year-old was rewarded in a big way for his selfless deed.

🤷 Another case for focusing on life skills above academics: Turns out, tons of people “regret” their college major, no matter what it is.

🥹 Watch: This dad interviewed his daughter on the first day of school every year. Now she’s a senior. I’m not crying, you’re crying. 

⚾ Private equity firms are making money off your kid’s arm: The youth sports “industry” is big business.

🩺 No, we’re not talking about Doogie Howser: Your kid could start their healthcare career while still in high school.

🇺🇸 ICYMI: How to talk to your kid about politics.

Hope you enjoyed today’s issue!

Until next time,

Ivy

CEO — Prequel

Follow my journey on LinkedIn