Introduction:

Intro Music Tasha – Welcome to the Little Shot Podcast where big dreams begin with little shots like you. I’m your host, Tasha Eizinger, author of The Little Shot picture book series, and I will be interviewing the main characters in The Little Shot books. They are all excited to share their stories with you, my friends! I have loved doing these interviews because you will get to hear some of the back stories that couldn’t be shared in the books.

This is the place where we talk about big dreams, character values, and what it takes to shine bright in this world. Whether you’re a kid or a grown-up, this podcast is for you. So, bring us along on your car ride, snuggle up with your favorite blanket, or get comfy in your classroom as we dive in to today’s episode.

SOUND Tasha – This episode is brought to you by… SOUND

Tasha – Today’s episode is based on the first book in The Little Shot series called The Little Shot: Courage. Courage is leading from your heart despite your fear. To learn more about living courageously, we have an incredible guest. He helps Little Shots like our favorite star achieve their dreams. Please welcome… Little Shot’s Mentor!

Mentor – Well, hey, there! I’m honored to be here. My purpose is to guide Little Shots like all of Little Shot’s friends listening so they can learn how to reach their dreams. Dreams don’t happen by magic. They happen with guidance, effort, and a willingness to learn. You gotta be teachable!

Tasha – Oh, friends! Can you feel that spark of possibility? Let’s start with the basics. What does it mean to be a mentor?

Mentor – A mentor is someone who has done what you want to do. For example, I am a Big Shot, also known as a shooting star. When Little Shot decided to become a Big Shot, she wanted to learn from someone who has experience. 

Tasha – Should we only learn from a mentor though?

Mentor – No way! We can learn from everyone around us, but a mentor knows the steps you have to take to make your dream come true. 

Tasha – Can you give an example of something you wouldn’t want to mentor?

Mentor –  Well, baking for example. Little Shot’s friend is great at baking. I am not. I might be able to share some tips based on my limited experience, but if someone really wants to learn how to bake Little Shot’s friend would be better to ask. 

Tasha – That makes sense! Because you know the process of becoming a Big Shot, you can teach Little Shot step by step on how to become a Big Shot. That doesn’t mean you should teach her how to do everything though.

• SOUND Tasha interactive – Hey, friends, that’s you… the one listening to this podcast. What is a dream you have? Remember, dreams don’t have to be big, but they do have to matter to you. Tell me one of your dreams… Go ahead… How wonderful! Who is someone who can teach you the steps? Is it a parent, coach, or teacher? If you don’t know anyone, you could ask your librarian for some book recommendations.* SOUND

Tasha –  Mentor, what else do mentors do besides teach the steps?

Mentor – That’s a great question! Mentors not only explain the steps. They also help you think differently so you can improving.

Tasha – What do you mean?

Mentor – In Little Shot’s first book, The Little Shot: Courage, you shared a bit of this. 

Tasha – Oh… yeah! Do you mean the part when Little Shot tried soaring across the sky, but she didn’t make it? 

Mentor – Yep! That’s exactly what I was thinking of.

Tasha – Little Shot felt like a failure, but you didn’t see it that way.

• SOUND Tasha interactive – Hey friends, have you ever tried really hard at something, but it didn’t work out? Did you feel like you were a failure or like you weren’t any good at it? I hope you didn’t feel that way, but if you did… Little Shot’s mentor is going to help you think about it differently.* SOUND

Tasha –  Mentor, even though Little Shot felt like a failure, you helped her understand she wasn’t. Can you explain to our friends listening what happened?

Mentor – I would love to! Little Shot told me she felt like a failure and like she wasted my time. Neither of those were true though! I was so proud of for trying her best! I told her to keep her chin up and reminded her that she wasn’t a failure. Then, I asked her a very important question. 

Tasha – What was it?

Mentor – What did you do well?

Tasha – That’s it?

Mentor – laughs… It’s an important question! I wanted her to to understand even though she messed up she still did at least one thing right. Because of this question, she realized she had the courage to try.

Tasha – That’s a big word! What does courage mean to you?

Mentor – Courage is leading from your heart despite your fear. That means if there is something in your heart you know is the right thing to do or it’s something that’s important to you, as long as it’s safe, you should do it… even if you’re afraid. 

Tasha – That is great advice and is probably easier said than done.

• SOUND Tasha interactive – What is something you tried recently that didn’t go as well as you wanted? Was it riding your bike? Playing a board game? Creating art? Competing in a sporting activity? Sure, it may not have gone as well as you wanted it to, but what is one thing you did well? Please tell me, I would love to hear what you did well… wow! Great job!* SOUND

Tasha – Mentor, it makes me happy for Little Shot knowing she practiced having courage. 

Mentor – We will always need more stars and people living courageously!

Tasha – Definitely! What else did you ask her?

Mentor – I asked her what was one thing she could do better… She was only allowed to tell me one thing.

Tasha – Why one?

Mentor – Sometimes when we are learning something new or if we messed up, we only focus on all the things we did wrong. That can make us feel overwhelmed, so it makes it much harder to improve. 

• SOUND Tasha interactive – Hey friends, remember what you just told me? The thing you tried that didn’t go as well as you wanted it to? You already shared the one thing you did well. Now, I would love to hear one thing you could do better. It can only be one thing though. Please share it with me… It takes courage and humility to share one way we can improve. I’m so proud of you for trying, for sharing something you did well, and for sharing one thing you could do better!* SOUND

Tasha – Mentor, what did Little Shot say?

Mentor – She realized she had a strong start but needed to get stronger so she could shoot across the sky longer. Ultimately, she decided she needed to get stronger.

Tasha – I’m sure there were others things she could have picked though.

Mentor – Absolutely! Just like anyone learning something new, there are many areas to improve. But, we can’t get better at everything at once. If we focus on one thing, we can get better at that thing. Then, we can focus on another are for improvement. The small wins add up to big wins!

Tasha – Small wins?

Mentor – Anytime we do something well, no matter how small, I call that a small win. The small wins are important because they make us happy, help us stay motivated, and every little step adds up to something bigger.

Tasha – That makes a lot of sense! It makes me think about building a tower of blocks. Each block by themselves isn’t very exciting. Even a few blocks stacked on top of each other isn’t very exciting. But, adding one little block at a time can create a big tower!

Mentor – And that is very exciting! 

Tasha – It sure is! I’m going to remember each small win as a little building block. Each one matters even if it’s not super exciting in the moment. After Little Shot became a Big Shot, she started doing something. Can you share with our friends listening?

Mentor – I’m happy to! Little Shot started to keep a Big Shot journal so she could write down 5 key things she learned about living courageously. 

Tasha – Yes, her journal is at the back of each book. If our friends listening don’t have a book, that’s okay. They can get her journal page at www.thelittleshot.com/kids to print it off and color it.

Mentor – They can also create their own page with a blank piece of paper and whatever they want to write with.  There will be journal ideas at the end of this episode.

Tasha – Great idea! I’m sure our friends are creative. Thank you so much for being here today, Mentor! I am certain you have inspired whoever is listening wherever they are.

Mentor – Thank you for having me! I hope our friends listening dream big and find someone who can help them accomplish their dreams!

Tasha – I enjoyed learning from you today, Mentor. Thank you, again, for being here.  

Closing:

Tasha –

SOUND And thank you, friends, for joining us today! Remember, every Big Shot started out as a Little Shot. Keep believing, keep practicing, and keep shining your light. Stay tuned after the brief ad to get your Big Shot journal questions and to hear tips for grown-ups. 

SOUND Tasha – This episode is brought to you by…SOUND

Did you know at the back of every Little Shot book there is a Big Shot journal page? It’s a coloring page for the copy you have at home. Please don’t color the one at your local library! If you can’t write down the Journal questions right now, you can access them at thelittleshot.com/kids. If you’re not able to write answers, that’s okay! Draw a picture instead.

What is one thing you learned today that you want to try this week? You could journal about one or all 3 of these things: 

1. What are some of your dreams? No matter how big or how small, write them all down! 

1. What is something you tried recently? What is 1 thing you did well? What is 1 thing you could do better next time?

1. What are small wins you have experienced lately? You could write them down in your journal. You could even write down small wins of the day as part of your bedtime routine!

You can answer 1 or all of 3 of those in your journal by writing about it or drawing a picture. Don’t want to put it on paper? You can talk about it with someone you trust. Every small step takes you closer to becoming a Big Shot!

SOUND Tasha – Hey, grown-ups! Here are 2 quick thoughts for you whether you are a parent, grandparent, or educator: 

Number 1: Most people either default to pointing out everything that went wrong or only noticing the things that went right. Either of those perspectives isn’t serving us the best way. The best example I can think of is watching kids in sports. You may already see where I’m going with this. First of all, we should let the coaches coach, especially the good coaches. Secondly, we need to ask ourselves if we have played the sport or even know anything about the sport. Since we’ve got that covered, regardless of your answers – it’s important for kids to be self-reflective, and we can guide that. After the initial excitement or big emotions from the event have calmed down, you can ask, “What do you think you did well?” Let your kid list everything. Be an excited, attentive, encouraging listener. Then, ask, “What is one thing you think you could have done better?” Once your child shares, your child might know how to improve it or might need guidance from the coach. You know your kid best so do what makes sense from here. 

Number 2: Small wins matter for so many reasons. First of all, what we choose to focus on, we will see more of it. If we feel like we are doing well, we will keep going and keep improving. While it is important to recognize what we are not doing well, I think sometimes we forget to celebrate the little moments. You could share small wins at dinner or bedtime. They could even be written on a piece of paper posted on the refrigerator. Everyone should share, including you, and allow yourselves to have a mini celebration. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be simply an affirmation or even dancing around. The whole point is to notice the small wins and to feel good about them.

SOUND Tasha – This episode is brought to you by… SOUND

Tasha – Thank you for listening to today’s episode! To access more free resources, please go to thelittleshot.com/kids. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend, family member, teacher, or someone who needs some hope. 

Until next time, I’m Tasha Eizinger, author of The Little Shot series, keep your chin up, your heart open, and your dreams soaring. 3… 2… 1… WISHHHH   Outro Music