IAM293- Founder and Best Selling Author Helps Thousands of Students Get Into Their Dream College

Neha Gupta is the founder of College Shortcuts. She is a TEDx speaker, 3 time best selling author, and has helped thousands of students get into the college of their dreams while finding their passion and unique angle. She has built a school in Africa and plans on helping 1 million students over the next ten years while building 100 schools worldwide to push education forward.

• CEO Hack: (1) Daily meditation for 25 minutes (2) Walk for 45 minutes
• CEO Nugget: Do your best and leave the rest
• CEO Defined: Chief emotional officer of your team

Website: http://www.collegeshortcuts.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/collegeshortcuts

Text the word EZYEAH to 797979 to get a free e-book called College Shortcuts

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:30

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresham from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Neha Gupta of College Shortcuts. Neha, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Neha Gupta 0:39

So excited to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:41

No, but I'm super excited to have you on and what I want to do is just read a little bit more about Neha so you can hear about all the awesome things that she is doing. Neha is the founder of College Shortcuts. She is a TEDx speaker, 3 times best-selling author, and has helped thousands of students get into the college of their dreams while finding their passion and unique angle.

She has built a school in Africa and plans on helping 1 million students over the next ten years while building 100 schools worldwide to push education forward. Neha, Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Neha Gupta 1:11

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 1:12

Let's do it. So the first question I had was to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. And what led you to start your business?

Neha Gupta 1:18

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, I think one of the big things about entrepreneurship in general and wanting to pursue something, is the fact that a lot of people start by solving a pain they experience themselves. And in my case, I had two parents that didn't go to college here, they didn't understand the college admissions process.

And it was probably one of the most excruciating times of my high school experience when my parents were fighting, they couldn't figure out which schools they were looking at a ranking report, but they were worried they were gonna send me to a school, and maybe I didn't fit in, or maybe I wasn't happy there. And it was the first time I was leaving their house. And so it was a lot of stress.

And I was a top student, you know, all honors, AP, great scores. And still, it was hard. You know, this is the time when families should really be spending great time together and having great moments together before their child leaves. And for a lot of students, they don't come back after that. So to me, just experience of that frustration and pain is what led me to start College Shortcuts over 12 years ago.

Gresham Harkless 2:30

Nice, and I appreciate you for definitely, you know, sharing that and obviously, you know, being able to help other people out with that process, because a lot of people don't realize that it is a process to get to college. And it doesn't just happen. And a lot of times if you haven't gone through that process, as I myself can say, you know, my parents had not necessarily gone through that process. A lot of times you don't know, you know, what exactly to do, what not to do, where to apply, where not to apply. So it's great that you're kind of bringing light to that.

Neha Gupta 2:56

Yeah, and we'd love to do it. You know, it's, it's, it's a huge step. It's, you know, when people think back to their college years, you know, a lot of them fondly remembered that one of their 30s 40s 50s. And even if, you know, I was thinking about it this morning, like, even just the types of schools you go to, there's different networks that you're part of that you get to be part of. There are different alumni, there's so much that comes from going to a really great school that a lot of families don't think about when they're investing in a college consultant.

Gresham Harkless 3:28

Absolutely, absolutely. And yeah, I have fond memories of the very first time I went to Howard for my undergrads, I remember the first time I went there during the application process. And yeah, he definitely just took me back. So I wanted to drill a little bit deeper and hear a little bit more about you know, what you're doing, how you're helping support the clients that you're working with?

Neha Gupta 3:47

Yeah, so really, I mean, it's funny, I look back. And I think to myself, I basically had to build the mentor that I needed as a teenager in myself in order to give that and it's really exciting. I mean, we've helped students, you know, figure out what they actually want to do in life. You know, I mean, so many people in their late 30s and 40s, that hate their jobs, you know, they say, in America, 80% of people don't actually like what they do. And I'm trying to combat that.

So we do is, early on in middle school, in high school, we create these experiences, and we do a lot of assessments with these students to get a sense of like, what are your interests, and if you have those interests, here are some great summer camps or here's some great opportunities or internships or shadowing opportunities. And let's make a plan and let's actually do those goals. You know, for most parents, they blink there, I went from New Year's to may half the years gone.

So for us, we like to do this every single month, every two weeks. These kids are talking to a mentor that's like okay, this is what you want to do. So we have some students that you know, by the time they hit ninth grade, or even 10th grade, or even 11th grade, they've written a book they speak speaking, they've spoken on a TEDx stage they've you know, they've shadowed at really top firms, they've gone to incredible summer camps.

And when it comes to the application process, they know exactly what they want to do. Or they've had these types of experiences that have led them to have some form of a direction, which the truth is the education system is not giving them that currently. So to me, it's a lot of fun to see a student go from, I think I want to go into this, I don't really know, to have done these two or three things. It's so exciting. And I want to go do this at this university.

So we're really helping to kind of I would say, you know, shepherd them from, you know, young teen adult, to a full-on adult through college.

Gresham Harkless 5:42

Nice, I absolutely love that. I can imagine that even you know, just looking at an applicant, you probably know, when they're looking at an applicant and all the information and not just saying I want to do X, Y, and Z, but I've done this, this and this in alignment with why I want to come to your school, and what this is what I want to do, there is definitely a lot more powerful application packet than it would be if you know just saying I think I want to do X, Y, and Z.

Neha Gupta 6:05

Exactly. I mean, most students don't realize that in order to stand out in the process of 4 million students that are applying, and I think most kids don't understand, like, I'm like, right, the number 4 million out and write down 4 million humans or applying to college this year, how am I going to stand out? And that has everything to do with how you get packaged.

And look at most adults. I mean, when we hire, I go through over 1000 resumes to pick one consultant on my team. I'm I mean, I'm harder than some of the IV League's when it comes to admissions just to work with us. And even with the families, we review their applications to fill out with us and we interview every family that works with us. To us, it really is about like, does that child have that superpower? Are they going to pop off the paper, and the schools are looking for that too?

So to me, yeah, it does matter. And, I see this problem way later on. Like the skills we teach kids on how to submit your application, how to write your resume, how to format it, that stuff lasts you way longer into the future, those are things you still don't even learn in college. So to me, it is about packaging. And you know, when a lot of people are applying for jobs, I'm floored.

They have great experiences, but their resume is written horribly, or it's not formatted the right way. So again, there's so much that goes into what we do with the student to really make sure that yes, they have those experiences. But that other 50% is taking all of that and packaging it right.

Gresham Harkless 7:36

Absolutely. And I imagine that you know, whenever you have a son or a daughter, you send them off to college. It's not just for college, it's for, you know, setting them up as best as possible for the rest of their lives. So it's great to hear that you guys are dedicated to doing that. And I know you touched on a little bit about the superpowers, I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce, and it could be for you or your organization. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Neha Gupta 7:59

You know, I think for us, one of the big things, you know, we're just featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, and I said, you know, there are so many people that do college consulting, you know, it's not just me doing it, there are many people that do it, it's actually over a billion dollar industry. And the truth is, what sets college shortcuts apart from everybody else in the noise of college consulting, is that number one, we are honest and ethical.

We do not work with families that are trying to get in through the backdoor. That's not how we work. Second, I do believe there are shortcuts in life. And yes, you have to do the hard work. But if you have someone who has been a few steps ahead of you, that you're willing to listen to and be coachable. You absolutely can gain a shortcut to figure out what you want to do just by having the right people around you.

And number three, we're a female minority-run company, very rare to see in my industry. And for us, we truly care. Every student that works with me, they become part of my family. I tell families all the time, you know, we keep track of exactly who we work with, we remember every single family all of their details. We're not a massive size, you know, come in and come out the type of agency, we interview every single family to make sure they really fit with our brand and culture and what we know we can deliver.

Gresham Harkless 9:18

Yeah, absolutely. And definitely, you know, sounds like in everything that you guys are doing, and everything that you're dedicated to as well, you know, in helping, you know, to push education forward. So definitely appreciate you for doing that and sharing that with us. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app or book or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Neha Gupta 9:40

All right, I'm gonna give you a few hacks because I have a lot of them actually. I've been on this entrepreneurship journey now for over 12 years. And sometimes you wake up like I wake up and even to say that number feels weird to me that I've literally been doing this for that long. I would say one of my number one hacks you top-of-the-line hack is meditation daily.

I meditate every single day for 45 minutes, that's a long time, let me tell you for someone running a company or someone trying to get their mission across 45 minutes is a long time. But I will tell you that it slows down everything for us to go at 250 miles an hour, and who I am, to my team is a different human being. So to me, that's the little happy pill that I do daily. Second thing, I work out a minimum of 45 minutes a day, I don't exactly enjoy it, but I do it, I squeeze it in.

And even if I only have time for like a three-minute shower, which I did right before this podcast, that was like I'm gonna fit in that workout. It literally again, it's another way to set myself up for success. Because if you don't take care of your health, as an entrepreneur, you will burn out. And I learned that the hard way multiple times.

Gresham Harkless 10:52

Nice, I absolutely love that. And a lot of it, I always say, you know, make sure to put on your own oxygen mask first before you try to help other people out whether you're leading a team or doing whatever, you know, making sure that you're doing the things like working out and meditating.

And also making sure you're putting yourself in that correct environment is great, you know, CEO hack. So thank you for sharing that with us. And I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. Or if you can happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Neha Gupta 11:18

I would say the number one thing that I always think about is, to do your best, and leave the rest. And I think it's really powerful because a lot of us can overthink things. I can sit in meditation, and literally come up with like seven different content pieces as I'm meditating. Because I care so much about what I do. I'm probably the most passionate college consultant you will ever meet.

People tell me this all the time. They're like, Oh, my gosh, I've never met or heard someone online that cares this deeply. But what I will tell you is you should do your best. And then leave the rest. I tell my students this all the time, I tell friends that apply for jobs, if you feel you've done your 150% Let the universe conspire for you after that.

And I think it brings such solace to some of us that can suffer from anxiety, or put a lot of demands on ourselves to be at the top or be the best. I've always worked hard to be number one and to be the top person. But to me, I realize sometimes it's okay to let it go. And just do what you can do at that moment. And be proud of that.

Gresham Harkless 12:32

That's super powerful. And I definitely appreciate you for sharing that with us. Because a lot of times you can get so hung up and you know the end game or the end product, but you can have to give sometimes just control what you can control. So I appreciate you for sharing that with us. And now I want to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the show. So, Neha, I want to ask you, which is being a CEO mean to you?

Neha Gupta 12:58

Well, oh, my God is a CEO. So I have this nickname of what I believe a CEO is, and it's the Chief Emotional Officer of your team. So that's what the CEO stands for, for me. Because really, if you think about it, as long as the entire team is riding off the momentum of your energy, your mission, and your emotions if you can have an intensely strong emotional muscle, you will be successful.

And I know that sounds like weird, but I will tell you when I am down in the dumps. We don't have families that want to work with us when I am riding high and flying high, and I'm feeling joy. And I'm telling my team how much I love them. And I'm loving on them, even when they make mistakes, our business is flying.

So to me, a CEO is the chief emotional officer. So when you talk about putting that oxygen mask on first, that's a massive part of what I mean when I say CEO is the Chief Emotional Officer. Because if you can't manage yourself, you can't manage anyone else.

Gresham Harkless 14:10

Absolutely. And it's definitely a great way to make and remind the people you know, the round you that are near you, you know, just you know how much you care and what the saying goes, people don't care, care how much you know, until they know how much you care. And that definitely sounds like you know, right in line with everything that you're doing and everything that you're building.

So I definitely appreciate that definition. And Neha, I appreciate you I appreciate your time, what I wanted to do is pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know, then, of course, how best they can get a hold of you.

Neha Gupta 14:40

Absolutely. You know, one of the things I would say is that you know, I grew up with two entrepreneurs as a child. And so entrepreneurship was just in my world. And I watched them build companies, I'd watch them sell companies, I'd watch them fail miserably in companies and end up with nothing, you know, and I think it's really about you know, looking at life as a journey, one of the main reasons why my TEDx talk was titled is achievement killing us was about the fact that we have to take a moment and on a daily basis, and just be in all of our existence as a human being.

And the fact that we get these downloads and ideas, and we continue to inspire the world. So I just want everyone to realize that entrepreneurship can truly be an incredible journey of self-awareness and spirituality. So where they can find us at collegeshortcuts.com, where they can learn everything about us. And then of course, if they want to go on Amazon, they can grab our book, College Shortcuts as well. But we would love to offer all the readers and listeners a free consultation with us.

So go right to collegeshortcuts.com and hit the top right corner where it says to apply and book your call with us. And we would love to talk with you and your family and, and make sure that you are taken care of in this journey in this process that is ever-changing, ever, ever complicated. And obviously going through a lot of changes as we speak right now with everything going on in the news. So thank you so much.

Gresham Harkless 16:10

No problem. Thank you for taking some time out today and for all the awesome work that you're doing and dedicating your life to this. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Neha Gupta 16:19

Thank you so much.

Outro 16:20

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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