Podcasts · Kids & Family · Education

10 for Teens + Tweens

Empowerful Girls

158 episodes

This is 10 for Teens + Tweens, a 10-ish minute podcast by Empowerful Girls that helps you grow curiosity, compassion, and confidence so you can take on the world! Host Stephanie Valdez discusses positive themes and tackles tough topics, teaching girls how to handle them. She shares guidance on personal development, physical and mental health, relationships, and media literacy. She hopes every girl listening will accept and embrace herself (strengths and weaknesses), make stronger connections with friends and family, and be mindful with media. More than anything, Stephanie wants girls to know for themselves that they are enough. Stephanie Valdez is the founder and director of Empowerful Girls. She has a degree in Communications and a background in Journalism. Stephanie is certified as a Girl Power Instructor, as well as in Social and Emotional Learning and Youth Mental Health First Aid. She has years of experience mentoring teens and tweens, and is also raising her own.

Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. 157. Gossip

    · 12 min · Episode 157

    Let’s talk about gossip! There are a few angles we’ll cover–gossip in general, what you can do when gossip starts up, and what you can do when the gossip is about you. . . . A full transcript of this episode is…

  2. 156. Social Media Driver's License with Jennifer Berger

    · 14 min · Episode 156

    I can't wait for you to hear my conversation with Jennifer Berger from Ready Set Screen! Jennifer developed a program called Social Media Driver’s License to help tweens/teens/parents “prepare for the digital road…

  3. 155. Over-apologizing + Hedging

    · 9:23 · Episode 155

    If you find yourself saying sorry constantly, or downplaying what you have to say, this episode is for you. Sorry not sorry, we’re talking about over-apologizing and hedging. . . . A full transcript of this episode is…

  4. 154. Girls + Sports

    · 11 min · Episode 154

    Multiple ads involving women and sports have sparked some online debates. I won’t go too far into the details of these ads; instead, I want to focus on the broader picture, those media messages and why they matter. .…

  5. 153. My Best Advice for 2026-27 School Year

    · 11 min · Episode 153

    Even if it’s the middle of the school year when you listen to this, I want to share my best advice that can help you all year long. • Overthink what might go right • Keep moving • Become better friends with yourself…

  6. 152. Jealousy

    · 10 min · Episode 152

    Jealousy is often the source of conflict in books and in shows, but how do you deal with it in real life? . . . A full transcript of this episode is available in the 10 for Teens + Tweens Ep. 152 show notes on…

  7. 151. Friendship reason, season + lifetime

    · 10 min · Episode 151

    I once learned that friendships and relationships are in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. I'm gonna share some of my experiences to help you understand your own. . . . A full transcript of this episode…

  8. 150. Play

    · 10 min · Episode 150

    What comes to mind when you hear the word "play"? What does play mean to you or look like for you? Also, when was the last time you allowed yourself to play? Let's talk about why and how you should bring more play into…

  9. 149. Sleep

    · 10 min · Episode 149

    Question for you–how’ve you been sleeping lately? Do you tend to stay up late doing homework, hanging out with friends, or scrolling through your phone–even on school nights? Or do you have to get up early for school,…

  10. 148. Jitters + Nerves

    · 9:35 · Episode 148

    When you feel nervous before taking a test, or competing in a sport, or singing on stage or starting something new, it's called performance anxiety. The good news is, there are methods to handle performance anxiety.…

  11. 147. Study Strategies

    · 11 min · Episode 147

    What's your study strategy? How about instead of studying harder, you try studying smarter. I’m going to share multiple studying strategies, and you can decide which combination works best for you. . . . A full…

  12. 146. Girls Changing the World pt. 2

    · 9:45 · Episode 146

    As we wrap up March and Women’s History Month, remember that women and girls are still making history today and changing the world. I want to highlight a few modern sheroes in hopes that they will inspire you to pursue…

  13. 145. International Women's Day

    · 9:53 · Episode 145

    Yesterday, March 8, was the 115th International Women’s Day! We've still got plenty of work to do for women to have the equality, rights, and support they deserve. Here are a few things I hope to see by the time you…

  14. 144. When it's hard to Love Yourself

    · 11 min · Episode 144

    Sometimes it’s hard to love yourself, so let’s help make it easier. . . . A full transcript of this episode is available in the 10 for Teens + Tweens Ep. 144 show notes on EmpowerfulGirls.com.

  15. 143. What Is Happening

    · 10 min · Episode 143

    I’m not gonna sugar coat it–there are a LOT of troubling things going on in the world right now. Like, more than usual. When you feel worried or weighed down by what you see happening, you often turn to adults for…

  16. 142. New Year, New View

    · 12 min · Episode 142

    Did you know that most New Year's Resolutions fail? Clearly how we're making them isn't working, maybe we should do things differently? Here's my new view on Resolutions to help you keep them. . . . PS--I created a…

  17. 141. It's Giving Service

    · 9:00 · Episode 141

    Sometimes when we’re asked to volunteer, we’re not exactly enthusiastic about it. But volunteering doesn’t only benefit the organization or group the service project is helping–it also benefits those who volunteer to…

  18. 140. Visualization + Goals

    · 9:53 · Episode 140

    10 for Teens + Tweens just celebrated it’s 5th birthday! Honestly this podcast exists because of you girls, so with all my heart, thank you for listening. Have you ever heard about using visualization? It's a mental…

  19. 139. Spilling the Tea on Secrets

    · 11 min · Episode 139

    Let's talk about the difference between secrets and things shared in confidence. Plus--there are some things you shouldn't keep a secret. And what do you do if your friend shares something you told them in…

  20. 138. My Birthday Breakup

    · 11 min · Episode 138

    It’s been 20 years since I got the worst birthday gift I’ve ever received. I’m sure you wanna know what it was. I’m not just gonna spill tea in this episode, there’s a lesson to take from it, too. . . . A full…

  21. 137. Get Outside + Connect

    · 12 min · Episode 137

    Nature offers numerous benefits and relief. It’s there waiting for us to experience it. The world is so noisy and it’s drowning out nature, so we need to get outside and reestablish our connection with it. . . . To…

  22. 136. Health Setbacks

    · 12 min · Episode 136

    Whether it’s a sports injury, food allergy, chronic illness, or something else, let’s talk about how to deal with health setbacks. As a reminder, I am not a healthcare professional; I am not offering medical advice, a…

  23. 135. Your Energy

    · 9:07 · Episode 135

    Your energy is a valuable resource–which is why you should selectively choose who you give it to. This past week, a certain podcast broke the internet (wasn’t mine–yet). Now even if you’re not a fan of Taylor Swift or…

  24. 134. My Best Advice for 2025-26 School Year

    · 11 min · Episode 134

    Even if it’s the middle of the school year when you listen to this, I want to share my best advice that can help you all year long. • Be Present • Try a Grandma hobby • Get out of your way Just so you know, I’m not…

  25. 133. The Cost of Beauty

    · 11 min · Episode 133

    I’ve got a hot take about beauty, and some of you might not like it that much, for others it might not apply to you right now. But I hope you’ll still listen because it needs to be said. It’s something I wish I…

  26. 132. Get Ready With Me Redos

    · 9:01 · Episode 132

    I imagine you girls have seen or at least heard of Get Ready With Me videos–maybe even created one yourself. Reflecting on my teen routines from the 90s and early 2000s, if I had made Get Ready With Me videos, now…

  27. 131. Surround Yourself With

    · 12 min · Episode 131

    One of the topics you gals message me about most is friendships. And I honestly understand why. Friendships have a huge impact on you, and they're a big and important factor throughout your tween and teen years. We’ve…

  28. 130. My Experience with Anxiety

    · 14 min · Episode 130

    I’ve received several requests for an episode on anxiety. Just like the ADHD episode 112, this topic is personal to me because I’ve experienced it. I will preface this by reminding you–I am not a healthcare…

  29. 129. Less Awkward with Dr. Cara Natterson

    · 25 min · Episode 129

    One of the most-requested topics--Puberty. So check out my chat with Dr. Cara Natterson from Less Awkward! Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett created a host of resources to help teens/tweens AND their…

  30. 128. Peer Pressure

    · 12 min · Episode 128

    Peer pressure can cause you to give in, go along with what others are doing, and make choices that don’t actually align with you. Let's explore some common peer pressure scenarios and help you strategize what to do…

  31. 127. Do It Anyway

    · 12 min · Episode 127

    You ever feel like, no matter what you do, you just can’t win? You're not wrong. And you're not alone. So do it anyway. . . . To help you, I created a "Do It Anyway" poster. Get your printable in the 10 for Teens +…

  32. 126. You Matter

    · 9:44 · Episode 126

    What do cassowaries, giant clams, or parrot fish have to do with you? There’s something I want to share that connects how I’ve been feeling lately (and maybe you have too) with my recent trip to Australia. . . . To…

  33. 125. Women's History: Inventions

    · 12 min · Episode 125

    To wrap up Women’s History Month, let’s recognize some women who made an impact with their inventions. Throughout history women who made an impact rarely received credit for it, and were often left out of history…

  34. 124. Women's History: Rights

    · 13 min · Episode 124

    In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m gonna share some women’s history with you. I know, this isn’t school, but I bet you’ll learn something new. Women’s rights have come a long way over the past two centuries. We…

  35. 123. Girls Mentorship with Jill + Mary

    · 26 min · Episode 123

    I can't wait for you to hear my conversation with Jill + Mary from Girls Mentorship! Jill and Mary are mentoring girls to thrive as bold leaders, confident friends, and connected community members. We discussed why…

  36. 122. Your Online Safety

    · 11 min · Episode 122

    Because SO much of your life involves digital interaction, it’s important to know how to navigate it. Like I’ve said before, I want to add to your safety tool box because I know what it’s like to be in an unsafe…

  37. 121. Crushes + Ships pt. 2

    · 10 min · Episode 121

    I've lost count of how many times you girls requested Crushes + Ships pt. 2! So back by popular demand, this time we'll discuss what to look for in a crush, how to talk to your crush, what if your crush doesn’t like…

  38. 120. Love Yourself

    · 9:50 · Episode 120

    A lot of voices are telling you otherwise, but you cannot hate yourself into loving yourself. For many of us, loving ourselves is not as easy as showing love to others. But you deserve the same love from yourself that…

  39. 119. Imposter Syndrome

    · 11 min · Episode 119

    You gals may have heard of, or experienced, imposter syndrome--which makes you feel like you’re a fake who doesn't deserve your achievements, even though you earned them. How do we deal with imposter syndrome? The…

  40. 118. Lessons from Silence

    · 10 min · Episode 118

    My very wise friend invited/gently challenged my friends and I to take a daily hour of silence. Initially I thought it sounded fairly easy. I didn’t know I had so much to learn. I want to share my experience to help…

  41. 117. 2025 INs + OUTs

    · 11 min · Episode 117

    You’ve probably seen the INs and OUTs trend videos, so to kick off this year’s episodes, I’m gonna share my 2025 INs and OUTs for teen and tween girls. We’ve got the whole year ahead of us, and I hope that these ideas…

  42. 116. Still Standing

    · 11 min · Episode 116

    That’s a wrap on 2024. As you reflect on the past year, what might stick out in your mind are negative memories, what you didn’t get to do, and things you had a hard time with, failed at, or gave up. The past year may…

  43. 115. Boys will be ...

    · 10 min · Episode 115

    There’s a saying that goes, “Boys will be boys.” But I think it's time we rephrase that. This is a tough topic, but because there are boys your age who are being taught certain beliefs and behaviors, I think it’s…

  44. 114. Glimmers + Gratitude

    · 11 min · Episode 114

    We just celebrated Thanksgiving in the US, and we've already discussed gratitude in episodes 003, 049, and 079--could there possibly be even more to say about gratitude? Actually, yes. The reason I keep revisiting this…

  45. 113. When You Don't Reach a Goal

    · 13 min · Episode 113

    Sometimes you’ll set goals and reach them, and sometimes you won’t. So then what do you do? You may remember, a few months ago I made a big hairy audacious goal to reach ONE MILLION podcast downloads by my birthday at…

  46. 112. My Experience with ADHD

    · 11 min · Episode 112

    I’ve had multiple requests for an episode on ADHD. This topic is personal to me because I was diagnosed with ADHD 3.5 years ago, a few months after I started this podcast. I will preface this by reminding you–I am not…

  47. 111. News Media Literacy

    · 13 min · Episode 111

    Media literacy is absolutely crucial for people to develop because we live in a digital world. And if you haven’t heard yet–you can’t believe everything you read OR see OR hear on the internet. So I want to cover some…

  48. 110. Building Trust

    · 10 min · Episode 110

    Building Trust in relationships is like building a bridge; it takes effort from both sides–mutual trust between you and the other person. And similar to a bridge, Trust is built on pillars, like Honesty, Integrity, and…

  49. 109. Educated Girls Rock with Nisha Glenn

    · 15 min · Episode 109

    I’m eager to share my interview with Nisha Glenn--an author and the founder of Educated Girls Rock! Nisha utilizes the knowledge she gained from not only her education, but also her life experience, to connect with and…

  50. 108. My Best Advice for 2024-25 School Year

    · 10 min · Episode 108

    Even if it’s the middle of the school year when you listen to this, I want to share my best advice that can help you all year long. Own It: • Your Responsibilities • Your Choices • Your Behavior It all stems off…

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