Local youth mentor gives teens the tools they need to live their most confident lives
Be Brave. Trust Yourself. Take Action. Six words that built the foundation for one big movement.
“That affirmation came to me when I started my own journey, and I just knew there was something within me that needed to change,” explains Kristi Simons, a spiritual mentor for teens. “I was definitely searching for more, but I didn’t have that belief in myself yet.”
As a former teacher turned teen life coach, Kristi finds deep fulfillment in teaching teenagers the lessons she wishes she had known at their age. “It comes down to equipping them with the tools and life skills I needed so desperately in my youth. Confidence and the actions that encompass it are at the core of everything I teach. My mission is to help teens nurture that confidence within themselves because I’ve realized is that confidence is deeply rooted in us all—we’ve just forgotten how to access it.”
Her approach to confidence-building is centred around four key areas: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual (or self) energy. “When teens tap into these four key areas—being brave, trusting themselves, and taking action—I’ve seen incredible transformations. They are reconnecting with themselves and developing a strong foundation for the future.”
Simons acknowledges that confidence is a major struggle for many teenagers today, especially with the pressures of social media and the constant comparison it fosters. “Growing up as a teen today is vastly different from when I was their age, and I hear this so often from my clients. The external noise from social media keeps them stuck in a worry cycle where they can’t hear the actual truth of what they truly want for themselves. It all comes back to comparison and judgment, which consume their thoughts.”
One of her favourite concepts to teach teens is mindfulness and self-connection. “In my personal development and healing journey, the greatest shift happened when I started looking within and asking myself important questions. Even scheduling an hour per week for self-reflection can create incredible results. That’s where the magic happens.”
Be brave, trust yourself, take action.
She emphasizes the importance of awareness, especially when it comes to thought patterns. “We talk a lot about how our beliefs create our thoughts, which in turn create our feelings, leading to the actions—or inactions—we take. As a teenager, I thought every thought I had was the truth. I didn’t have the awareness to recognize that many of those thoughts weren’t mine but were things I had absorbed from the world around me.”
This realization is key to the work Simons does with her clients. “Our brains are wired to keep us safe and understanding, that can help us navigate challenges with self-compassion. It’s not about having all the answers right now but about learning to navigate emotions and thoughts without letting them define us.”
Kristi believes open conversations between parents and teens can create deeper connections. “When parents acknowledge that they, too, struggled as teenagers, it allows for vulnerability and a more connected relationship. If parents don’t know how to start these conversations, I encourage them to introduce the concept of mental, physical, emotional, and self-energy.”
She breaks it down simply:
- Mental energy: The stories we tell ourselves and the language we use about ourselves. Shifting to self-love and confidence-based language can have a powerful impact.
- Physical energy: Our environment, movement, and how we fuel our bodies. Small, consistent actions in these areas help us feel better.
- Emotional energy: Understanding our emotions and why they arise. “Emotions are like the warning lights on a car dashboard; they’re signals trying to tell us something. Learning to recognize and honour these signals is key.”
- Spiritual (self) energy: What we value, what excites us, and what we want to create. “I work with teens on a ‘Wouldn’t It Be Cool’ list—writing down things they dream about doing and then finding ways to integrate those feelings into their current lives.”
Kristi’s journey from teaching in the traditional school system to becoming a teen life coach was inspired by her own transformation. “After I had my son and hired my own coach, Heather Chauvin, it was the biggest gift I ever gave myself. Investing in coaching opened my eyes to things that weren’t being taught in schools. Teachers do an incredible job, but you can only teach what you know. I knew I needed to step away from the classroom to help teens in a different way.”
Kristi offers resources through her podcast, Confident Teen, and other free materials for parents who may not be able to invest in coaching for their teens. “There are so many insights, wisdom, and knowledge available – teens don’t have to navigate this journey alone.”
Her core message remains simple yet powerful: “Be brave. Trust yourself. Take action.”
“Being brave starts with having the courage to write down what you truly want. Trusting yourself means leaning into discomfort and emotions. Taking action is about making small, intentional steps toward your desired life. It’s about reconnecting with yourself and embracing the confidence that has been within you all along.”
