Picture this: you’re walking down a college hallway, focused on your next class, when a simple poster stops you in your tracks. Not because it’s flashy or promises easy rewards, but because something about it speaks to a part of you that you didn’t even know existed. For most of us, we’d glance, maybe pause for a second, then keep walking. But what happens when that moment becomes the catalyst for completely reshaping your future?
This is exactly what happened to Chandra Kydd during her freshman year at Florida A&M University. A Peace Corps recruitment poster—something she’d never heard of before—would ultimately lead her away from her dreams of becoming “this mega PR person” and toward what she now calls “the greatest adventure of my life.” Her story illuminates a profound truth about life-changing decisions: they rarely announce themselves with trumpets and fanfare. Instead, they whisper to us through ordinary moments, challenging us to choose courage over comfort.
Chandra’s journey from that hallway poster to three years of service in the Eastern Caribbean reveals how our most transformative decisions often require us to abandon our carefully laid plans and trust something deeper than logic. Her experience offers insights into why some people follow their calling while others let fear keep them anchored to familiar shores.
When Opportunity Meets Preparation
Powerful life-changing decisions occur when we’re prepared to recognize opportunity, even in unfamiliar forms. Chandra admits she “had never heard of it before in my life. I never knew it existed” when she first encountered the Peace Corps poster. Yet something about the images—young people “in pure joy” helping others, living simply with “their boots on the ground”—resonated with her background in service.
“My father is a Vietnam veteran, and my dad is a big hero to me. And my mother is also big with community service with the city of Fort Lauderdale. So service has always been a big part of our family,” Chandra explains. When her original plan to serve in the military was derailed by weight requirements, the Peace Corps presented “a viable path for service-focused living without those barriers.”
This intersection of personal values and new opportunities creates fertile ground for transformative decisions. Chandra’s family foundation in service didn’t automatically lead her to the Peace Corps, but it made her receptive when the opportunity appeared. The lesson here extends beyond service work: our biggest breakthroughs often happen when we remain open to paths we hadn’t previously considered.
Amy Stone’s question about Chandra’s family background reveals this crucial connection: “Did you have from your youth and your family and your community grow up? Did you already have a commitment or some experience doing community service or volunteer work?” The answer illuminated how our deepest values, planted early, can guide us toward unexpected but ultimately perfect opportunities.
The Persistence Behind Bold Choices
What separates life-changing decisions from fleeting impulses is persistence through obstacles. Chandra’s path to the Peace Corps wasn’t smooth—she faced multiple denials, extensive health clearances, and missed assignments to her preferred locations. “They did deny me a couple of times, they did deny me,” she recalls, but “that voice kept saying, you got to go.”
The application process itself was daunting: “I remember the application being a bit of a beast. It was like, you know, what’s your mama’s name? Your grandma? You know, what’s your fingerprint? You know, we get. What’s your blood type? It was, like, really thorough.” Yet Chandra persevered because she recognized something spiritual in her calling: “I’m a very spiritual person, and I believe when God is leading me to do something, it’s like a voice telling me to do something, and it won’t leave me alone until I get it done.”
This persistence reveals an important truth about transformative decisions: they require us to push through not just external obstacles, but internal doubt. When Chandra finally received her assignment to St. Vincent and the Grenadines—a place she’d “never heard of before until I literally landed my feet on the island”—she had to trust that all the uncertainty and setbacks had been leading somewhere meaningful.
Embracing Uncertainty as Adventure
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Chandra’s story is how she transformed uncertainty into adventure. When the Minister of Technology handed her keys to a brand new, unopened community learning center and said “whatever you want to do, just don’t burn it down,” most people would have been paralyzed by the lack of structure. Instead, Chandra saw possibility.
“I was like, I got this because I am so. I’m scared. But at the same time, I am the kind of person, I don’t like to be micromanaged,” she reflects. This self-awareness allowed her to reframe a terrifying level of responsibility as the ultimate creative opportunity. She built computer classes, started a Ladies Keep Fit club, and became deeply embedded in the community culture.
The transformation was reciprocal. While Chandra taught technology skills, the community taught her “their culture, their dishes, their language, their dialect, their holidays.” She learned the national anthem, participated in carnival, and ate local foods exclusively. “If I am in Rome, I am going to do as the Romans,” she explains, describing a level of cultural immersion that created lasting bonds.
This complete embrace of uncertainty—and the willingness to be changed by the experience—distinguishes truly transformative decisions from safe choices that simply expand our comfort zones without fundamentally altering who we are.
The Ripple Effects of Courageous Choices
Life-changing decisions create ripple effects that extend far beyond their immediate impact. Chandra’s Peace Corps experience didn’t just give her three years of adventure; it fundamentally shaped her career trajectory and life philosophy. Her realization that “when you teach an adult, it will greatly benefit the child, but it’ll also benefit the whole household and individual is still the whole community” led directly to founding Smart Kid Concepts.
The transition home proved challenging—Chandra describes having “a mental breakdown in the Walmart” due to overwhelming choices and cultural readjustment. Yet even this difficulty became part of her growth, teaching her about resilience and the ongoing nature of personal transformation.
Today, her work with adult education and the Smart Giving Project directly reflects lessons learned during her Peace Corps service. “No matter what you do and no matter what industry you in, you should always try to find a need, find a way to fill a need,” she explains, describing how feeding homeless individuals in South Florida connects to the same service mindset that drove her overseas decades earlier.
The Choice That Keeps Choosing You
The most profound insight from Chandra’s story may be this: truly life-changing decisions don’t just alter our circumstances—they reveal who we were meant to become. Her description of the Peace Corps as “the greatest adventure of my life” isn’t just about the exotic location or unique experiences. It’s about discovering that her deepest fulfillment came from service, community building, and empowering others to learn and grow.
“That is what made it so special so much that I actually extended my service. I served three years,” Chandra explains. When we make decisions aligned with our authentic selves, they don’t feel like sacrifices—they feel like coming home.
The poster in that college hallway didn’t just offer Chandra a job opportunity. It offered her a chance to become fully herself. Her willingness to follow that calling, despite never having heard of the Peace Corps and having completely different career plans, demonstrates the kind of courage required for truly transformative decisions.
As Chandra’s journey shows us, the most important choices aren’t always the biggest ones. Sometimes they’re as simple as stopping to really look at a poster that captures our imagination, then having the courage to explore where that curiosity might lead. The key is remaining open to possibilities we haven’t yet imagined and trusting that our deepest values will guide us toward adventures we never knew we needed.
This article was inspired by an interview with Chandra Kydd and Amy Stone on The Art of Imperfect Adulting podcast. To hear more compelling conversations like this one and receive special offers from our guests directly to your inbox, join our email community today.
Interview Transcript Chandra Kydd with Amy Stone | The Art of Imperfect Adulting | August 12, 2025
Amy Stone [00:00:06]:
Chandra kid. Welcome to the art of imperfect adulting. I’m so glad you’re here. Are you ready for a fun chat?
Chandra Kydd [00:00:12]:
I am so ready, Amy. Let’s do it.
Amy Stone [00:00:15]:
Let’s do it. I begin all my interviews by asking my guests what part of the world they call home. So where are you these days?
Chandra Kydd [00:00:22]:
I am in sunny South Florida here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Amy Stone [00:00:26]:
Oh, my goodness. We’re neighbors. Did you know that? I did not realize that I’m in Miami. What? I know. That’s crazy.
Chandra Kydd [00:00:36]:
So you feel the humidity right now.
Amy Stone [00:00:39]:
It’s nothing but humidity right now. It’s very hard for people to understand who have not spent time in South Florida how oppressive it gets. And we’re in the early part. South Florida’s just warming up. It’s just warming up. But there’s a reason people did not live here before there was central air conditioning, and that reason is humidity.
Chandra Kydd [00:00:58]:
Yeah.
Amy Stone [00:01:01]:
Yeah. So maybe also mosquitoes. Maybe also mosquitoes is another reason. But yeah. So we. And we’re lucky we’re on the coast. We do get a breeze, but it gets real hot. It gets real hot. All right, so, yay, Florida. So in a second, we’re going to do the. We’re going to get to the topic of the day. But before we do that, I have one more question. Warm up question to ask you. There’s that saying, laughter is the best medicine. Share with us something that is that you can rely on to bring a smile to your face or laugh laughter to your day. What’s something that you really, really enjoy?
Chandra Kydd [00:01:33]:
I truly have to say it is my kids. I never know what they’re gonna say, you know, especially when I’m feeling low. They sense it. They know it. And they just come at me, at me with, you know, just the most craziest of things and sayings and. And. And it’s just hilarious at how fast they’re growing and how many things they pick up and. And they just are in tune with me, and they always make sure that they keep me smiling. So I really appreciate my kids for that, wanting to be a little piece of the joy in my day. So my kids truly keep me laughing. They keep me smiling, and if I get a little too low, they’re like, mama, Nope. What’s going on, Ma? Talk to me. Talk to me. And they’re like, such characters. So they are truly a big part of the center of my joy these days.
Amy Stone [00:02:23]:
That is amazing. I love that answer. I do. I do. Kids are hilarious. They’re also. They can Push our buttons. They can push my buttons, but they, they are, they’re great.
Chandra Kydd [00:02:34]:
Those daughters love them.
Amy Stone [00:02:37]:
I have an equal. I have equal opportunity across the. But all the kids can push my buttons in different ways. Girls, boys, all of them. All right, the topic of the day is not how our kids can push our buttons, but it is. You’re going to share with us the story of how a promotional poster, seeing a promotional post poster hanging on the wall change the path of your life. And so the first question I have, I actually already know the answer to this, but the first question I have for you to share with the audience is tell us what the poster was about.
Chandra Kydd [00:03:07]:
Well, the poster was a poster hanging in a hallway when I was in college at Florida A and M University. And it was a poster to join the United States Peace Corps.
Amy Stone [00:03:18]:
All right, that’s. I mean, I think probably everybody who’s listening is more than likely familiar with the Peace Corps. But just, just recap it for us. Share it so that we’re all on the same page. Tell everybody what the Peace Corps is.
Chandra Kydd [00:03:30]:
Right. I had never heard of it before in my life. I never knew it existed, never heard of it. And when I saw it, I was like, peace Corps sounds like submission trip and, you know, or something like that. But it really and truly kept calling me and, and I had no idea what it was, but it just kept drawing me in every time I walked down this hallway from class. And it wasn’t until I went to a recruiter’s, like, a recruiter came out and he explained in detail what the United States Peace Corps really is and really what it is, the essence of it. It was started by John F. Kennedy to really give Americans the opportunity to take whatever skills they have. And they could be practical skills, skills you learn through your education or certific. And you take those skills abroad to other countries and you help them to improve their lives in their. In their country. So you literally leave the US and take whatever knowledge you know and help the world.
Amy Stone [00:04:36]:
All right, that’s all right. And you do it so you sign up for a certain amount of time. We should talk about it a little bit. So what part. Let’s back up a teeny tiny bit to. You mentioned that you had never heard of it. College is a. College is a time of transformation. It’s a time when we figure out what we’re going to do. All kind of things like that at how. Where were you in your college journey? And when you think back to yourself then before you saw this poster when you’re walking down the hallway, what were your goals and dreams and plans at that time?
Chandra Kydd [00:05:06]:
My mindset was, I’m going to be this great PR journalist. You know, I was, you know, I love public speaking, love writing. And I was like, I’m going to be this mega, you know, PR person. I’m going to be the person in front of the camera. You know, I’m going to be representing some, you know, mobile or big company or something like that, and. Or be at some big magazine or media news outlet. That was my mindset.
Amy Stone [00:05:32]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:05:32]:
That was the goal before I, you know, began to go down this path towards the Peace Corps.
Amy Stone [00:05:38]:
And did you see the poster, like, your freshman year? Or were you. Or were you, like, in the closer to graduating and launching?
Chandra Kydd [00:05:47]:
I saw the poster around. I was in my freshman year. I was coming near the end of my freshman year when I saw the poster and I began to share it with my friends. And I had a very good friend that I shared it with her. And I was like, one of the things that the recruiter had mentioned was that you could actually have a friend go with you. Kind of like a buddy system during the training. You may not end up in the same location. So I had a friend who. I tried to convince her to go with me, to join with me, but the problem was she wanted to go to Africa, and I did not want to go to Africa. So, you know, and it was like, ah. And we ended. She ended up leaving before me, so I was a little jealous. But that ended up being the situation with that. But it was in my freshman year.
Amy Stone [00:06:35]:
And then you carried it all the way through to graduation.
Chandra Kydd [00:06:38]:
The feeling stuck with me all the way through graduation. I got distracted. I mentioned that in one of my books, don’t get bitter, get better. You know, romance. Right. But I ended up back on track with the mindset that you got to go, and I ended up going after graduation.
Amy Stone [00:06:52]:
Beautiful. Beautiful. All right. So you had never heard of it and you did not know anybody who had done this before you saw it?
Chandra Kydd [00:07:00]:
Never.
Amy Stone [00:07:00]:
What was on the postcard? What was on the poster? Like, what was the picture?
Chandra Kydd [00:07:04]:
I believe it was a picture of a young. I think there was a couple of pictures of young people. They looked like they were in their maybe mid 20s or so. I think one looked like they were in a African village, and one looked like they were, like, made a little maybe in the Europe.
Amy Stone [00:07:22]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:07:23]:
They were, like, interacting with people, and everybody looked. They were smiling. And the volunteers looked, you know, very simple, T shirt, you Know, maybe some little cargo pants. And they just looked like they were in pure joy. They were helping people. It wasn’t anything fancy, but the fact that they were. They had their boots on the ground. It wasn’t. They were going to feed. They were literally living it. They were living this life of service. And that appealed to me. It wasn’t. We were going to go donate. They were like, we’re going to serve. And that appealed to me a lot.
Amy Stone [00:07:59]:
And did you have. That was the next thing that popped in my mind. Did you, from your. Your youth and your family and your community grow up? Did you already have a commitment or some experience doing community service or volunteer work? Was this a part of who you already were?
Chandra Kydd [00:08:17]:
Yeah, my father is a Vietnam veteran, and my dad is a big. You know, he’s a big hero to me. And my mother is also big with. She did come with community service with the city of Fort Lauderdale. And so service has always been a big part of our family. And so I wanted to serve in the military, actually, when I was in high school, but the military said, you are. You’re. You’re overweight. So I was like, okay, that’s not going to work. They said, you got to lose a lot, a lot of weight. So I was like, okay, that’s not. Maybe not my path. So. So I just said, you know what? Let me go to school. And then when this opportunity came along where, you know, weight was not an issue, it was more. So if as long as you have the heart to serve you, this might be your. Your opportunity, your calling. So it line and the fact that I got to go overseas was kind of like icing on the cake. I never really thought about going overseas, but this was kind of like, this might be an ext layer of adventure to the whole scenario.
Amy Stone [00:09:19]:
That’s good. I love that you had an idea of joining them. There’s a very funny story in my family that there was. My father also served very briefly in the military, I think, during the time of Vietnam, although I don’t have the timing exactly right. Anyway, I at one point walked home and was like, hey, I think I’m gonna go into the military. And my father, he kept his straight face, but he just looked right at me, and he was like, do you understand that they will tell you to do things and you will not be able to negotiate or say no? Like, he just was like. He was like, I’m not sure this is a good fit for you, Amy. And it became a joke in our family because I am. I Am always the person who challenges. Because it would have been. It would have been. It definitely would have been an adventure. It would have been an adventure. So. All right, so walk me through how this happens. You’re a freshman, and you see the poster, and you mentioned that you, at some point, you go to an information workshop. Walk me through the process of, like. You know, the process of, like. I’m curious about this. What happened? What was the application like? What was. How did it. How did. How did it go from interest to commitment?
Chandra Kydd [00:10:36]:
Yeah, it was. I’ve always. I’m a very spiritual person, and I believe when God is leading me to do something, it’s like a voice telling me to do something, and it won’t. It won’t leave me alone until I get it done. So this voice is constantly. Okay, let’s go, let’s go. You gotta go, you gotta go. And so this voice is constantly nagging at me. So I went ahead and I filled out the application, and I’m gonna. I’m not gonna lie, the applicant. I remember the application being a bit of a beast. It was like, you know, what’s your mama’s name? Your grandma? You know, what’s your. You know, what’s your fingerprint? You know, we get. What’s your blood type? It was, like, really thorough. Because they want to make sure that you’re healthy, that you really understand what you’re getting yourself into. You know, they let you know that safety is your priority. We are going to train you. We want you to understand that you’re going to have to learn to adjust. Remind yourself that it is your job to adjust to the country and not try to adjust the country to you.
Amy Stone [00:11:38]:
Right.
Chandra Kydd [00:11:39]:
So they really let you know that you have to be willing to shift and pivot and make things work. With little to no resources at times. Understand that you might be in a very rural area. You have to be willing to listen to your friends and neighbors and things like that, and we will keep you safe. But be mindful that you have to. To just always be vigilant and to always be. Have a heart to do what you can for the people that you serve. And so the application took quite a bit of time, and I had some issues because, like I said, I was overweight. So they want to make sure that I had to get, like, make sure my. And I had issues with blood pressure. So they wanted to make sure that I, you know, how am I going to make sure that I’m making my blood pressure a priority while I’m away? You know, so all of these things, things they wanted to make sure that you’re going to maintain while you’re away, because you are supposed to serve a minimum of two years.
Amy Stone [00:12:39]:
Okay?
Chandra Kydd [00:12:40]:
So while they’re going to provide you with accommodations, they’re going to provide you with, you know, medical care, dental care, things like that. You know, those basics and necessities, you know, it’s still upon you to take care of yourself. You’re going to have to do a lot of walk. And they want to make sure that I can handle the amount of walking that I would have to do. Because we were not allowed to drive in our country, we’re not allowed to drive, so we got to walk a lot of places. So can I handle the amount of walking that I may need to be able to do? So these are the things that they want to know that I can handle for these two years of my service.
Amy Stone [00:13:13]:
Right? Because you’re not signing up for a teen tour. It’s not a vacation.
Chandra Kydd [00:13:16]:
Oh, no, you’re living it. You’re. You’re. When I say boots on the ground, I mean boots on the. Like, this is your data. This is a seven days a week, 365, two years minimum commitment. So you have to really have your mind made up. This is not like you get there and you get bit by a mosquito and you’re like, like, I’m going home now.
Amy Stone [00:13:38]:
It was like.
Chandra Kydd [00:13:39]:
It’s like, there is no air conditioning. You know, this is, you know, you talking about Florida. You know, we’re like, there was no ac, There was no hot water heater. Where I was, there was no washing machine. You know, so this was really basic way of living where, at least where I was, there were other volunteers who had other better ways of. But, you know, depending on what country you’re in, you may be in a place where there are mountains and all of that. So they want to be sure that, you know, depending on the area and region you’re in, that you can handle it. So the application process was long. They do interview you, they talk with you. They want to know that mentally you’re prepared for this. So I went through all of that process, had to go through some medical clearances and things like that. But I constantly. That voice kept saying, you got to go. So no matter what, I was determined to make it happen. No matter what blips came along the way. And because they did deny me a couple of times, they did deny me.
Amy Stone [00:14:40]:
So, yeah, because not everybody. It is an application process. Not everybody gets to go they’re looking for skills. And so, okay, so, so. And so you do this, and then there’s training and so on and so forth. What did people in your life say along the way? This sounds like this was several years. Like, two, two, three, four years. While you were going through the application process, what did your friends and your family, classmates. What did they say when you began to talk to them about the fact that you were going to do this?
Chandra Kydd [00:15:10]:
Well, classmates and friends were like, oh, that sounds cool, because I don’t think, you know, friends, they think, adventure. They think, oh, overseas. That sounds cool. Adventure. You know, Parents. My mom was like, oh, no. Oh, absolutely not. My mom was like, you’re going where? Doing what? Absolutely not, young lady. She’s like, no, ma’ am. You’re going by yourself. Yourself. You don’t know these people. Where are you gonna go? And I’m like, mom, I don’t know. And so she was like, no, no, I don’t. No, no, no, no, no. But my dad was like, if that’s what you want to do, you go, there’s.
Amy Stone [00:15:45]:
There’s often in, like, parents. Like, in the parents. Let me say, in my family, there’s one parent who’s like, all right, if you’re committed, let’s figure out how you’re gonna get it done. And there’s the other one who. She’s like, ah, you know, maybe. Maybe take a different bath, you know? So in my family, I’m the one that people come to when they want a yes, when they’ve got a crazy idea and they’re like. They’re like, this is what I want to do. And they want a yes. I’m the one that they come to. And so. And then sometimes when I’m like, I don’t know. Then they know that they’re really asking for something that might be way out there. So that’s very. So you do describe this as the greatest adventure of your life.
Chandra Kydd [00:16:23]:
Yeah.
Amy Stone [00:16:24]:
And you tell us about where you got to go, what your time was, and what you. What work you. What work you were doing. Because the Peace Corps, I might be wrong about this, but I think they come into locations with specific things that they’ve been asked to support.
Chandra Kydd [00:16:39]:
Right. So. So, as I mentioned, I did get. I did miss some assignments. So there were assignments where I was supposed to have ended up in places like the. Because my original selection. Because they do allow you to pick the region.
Amy Stone [00:16:55]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:16:56]:
But you don’t get to pick the specific location. So my original first choice was. Was Europe.
Amy Stone [00:17:03]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:17:04]:
Eastern Europe. So I thought I was. I missed assignments to like Albania, Romania, Armenia. I think those were the areas that I wanted to go to, but I missed those assignments. And then I was supposed to go to like, Jamaica and then I missed that assignment. And it was all because of health clearances that they require. So I really. I know one, one tip. Don’t be too honest on your application. So for those who want to go, don’t be too honest on that application. I was too honest because they’re gonna make you like go and get, you know, clearances for all of it. So. But I finally did end up in the Eastern Caribbean. So the way that it was, we went to Miami for a three day, kind of like a debrief, you could say. And I met all of the folks in my group, and so there were like 20 something of us. And we were all in Miami for a couple of days. And then we flew out to St. Lucia and we were in St. Lucia for a month. And this is where we did, like, our training. We, you know, how to, we, we stayed in with. Each of us was paired with a family.
Amy Stone [00:18:06]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:18:06]:
And they trained us, like, how to be safe, you know, do’s and don’ts. Some basic, you know, how to adjust to how to learn to listen. Because even though the primary language is English, they speak a dialect, so it’s a broken English. It’s like, what do you say? What are you speaking English? What do you. What is that? Ah, what. So you, you have to learn to really listen, to learn to, you know, adjust. You have to learn to change your, you know, what are some of the customs and the norms, you know, the do’s and the don’ts. What could be considered offensive, you know, how should you address and what’s a, what’s a. No, no, you know, things like that and how to just stay safe. So we learned all of those things over the period of a month. And then near the end of that month, what happened is we went through. So they had. There are several islands that part that are a part of the Ecuador for the Peace Corps. And so what happens is the directors of those islands now come to us in St. Lucia for the. At the end of the training and they literally interview all of us. Okay, want to know, like, what are our strengths? What are our educational backgrounds? What do we know, what are our interests? All of that. And then at that point, it’s like a boxing match. They like go to town and they like literally fight for us because now they want us, us in their Specific island because they may have projects and things that organizations that specifically want us with certain skills. And so that’s what happened. They went to town for like, I don’t know, three days, I think. And so we’re all on pain. We’re like, who do you think? And we’re trying to listen at the door. What do you think? Who do you think? Where you gonna think you’re gonna end up? So we had that nervousness for like a couple of days. And then finally we get our assignments. And I ended up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which is an extremely tiny, tiny, tiny island which is right between Grenada and St. Lucia. And so never heard of it before until I literally landed my feet on the island.
Amy Stone [00:20:07]:
Wow. And what kind of projects, what kind of projects and service work were you doing in your two years?
Chandra Kydd [00:20:13]:
So what I did, I got there and ended up in a very small village called Chateau Belair, which is the very northernmost on the leeward side of the island. And it is a very small farming town. And I ended up in a learning resource center. So the minister of technology had a meeting with me. He called me in and he just literally gave me a set of keys to a brand new building that they had never opened. It had just been. They built it two story building and it never been open. And he gave me keys, set of keys. And he. And I was like, you know, what do you want me to do? And he explained what the building was. He said it has a downside, like a. A dining hall with a stage and kitchen, and the upstairs has a classroom with all these 25 brand new computers. It has an office and it has a library. And so I was like, okay, great. What do you want me to do? What do you want me to do at this center? He’s like, I want you to run it. And I was like, okay, so when do you want me to open it? He’s like, whenever you want to open it. And I was like, that’s a lot. I’m like 20. I’m like 23ish. And I’m like. And he’s like, you’re gonna have a staff. And I was like, well, what do you want me to teach and what do you want me to do with it? And he’s like, whatever you want to do, just don’t burn it down. And I’m like, are you serious? And he’s like, here’s the keys.
Amy Stone [00:21:38]:
Oh my goodness.
Chandra Kydd [00:21:38]:
Staff will meet you when you get there. And I was like, okay. And. But the truth Is I was like, I got this because I am so. I’m scared. But at the same time, I am the kind of person, I don’t like to be micromanaged. So when I was like, I’ll look at it and I’ll figure it out. And that’s literally what I did. I look, I went to it, I walked around, I saw the classroom, I saw the downstairs dining area, multi purpose room. I saw the library. I said, first thing we gotta do, we gotta stop this library and we gotta start some classes. I met the staff and it was like, I was like, let’s do it. And then I started walking around the community. I asked the community, well, what would you guys like to learn? And I just pretty much was like, okay, I tell you what, we’re gonna start a month from now and then we’ll see how it goes. And so I said, well, do. They said, we wanna learn computers? I said, okay, I think I know something about some computers, so I’ll teach you guys computer classes. So I said, we’ll do a class with 8 to 5 to 8 year olds and we’ll do some for adults. Adults. And it didn’t take long for me to realize I couldn’t do the kids. I couldn’t deal with the kids. I was like, nope, this isn’t gonna work. The kids were, their energy was. I said, okay, but the adults, okay, that’s it. That, that was what got me.
Amy Stone [00:22:59]:
All right, so for two, did you do. It was the same project for two. For the two years it was working at, in that learning center and building out and designing educational purposes programs.
Chandra Kydd [00:23:08]:
Correct that. And then because I fell in love with so many of the students, a lot of the ladies, I started losing weight. Remember, I had issues.
Amy Stone [00:23:16]:
Okay. Yeah.
Chandra Kydd [00:23:18]:
And so I started a Ladies Keep Fit club.
Amy Stone [00:23:20]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:23:21]:
So we started like, you know, doing exercise and aerobics and things like. And then that became a big, you know, popular thing. So a Ladies Keep Fit, you know, club. So that became a big thing as well. So, you know, it became. It just. And that was the cool thing about Peace Corps. There was no. You don’t have like one assignment. Peace Corps is what you make it. There are no limitations on what you can do. They just want you to make things better than before you arrived.
Amy Stone [00:23:51]:
All right?
Chandra Kydd [00:23:51]:
And that’s the cool, adventurous part about Peace Corps.
Amy Stone [00:23:55]:
I have to admit that surprises me. My concept of Peace Corps was more like a very little knowledge beyond when it was founded and seeing posters. And I do know a couple people, people who have Been involved, but I was expecting more of water and irrigation plans and like, and things like that. So that is amazing. Like, really rolling out like a community education center. That is spectacular. All right, so that is an adventure. I can tell how that would be an adventure. Tell us more about what ties you to that. So you use the words the greatest adventure of your life. Like, what is it about this trip that, like, that just sticks in your mind that these are the greatest adventures? I mean, you’ve got lots more living to go. So we’ll say so far.
Chandra Kydd [00:24:44]:
Right? Right. I think the way I was embraced, you know, the fact that. And I have to say, as a young woman of color, when I got there, folks were like, there are black Peace Corps volunteers. They were shocked because there really aren’t, especially females. So I was like, really a treasure, you could say. And so they were, like, really shocked. And I was like, since I didn’t know much about Peace Corps volunteers, and they were like, they’re black Peace Corps. I was like. I was like, I didn’t know there’s one. So you’re shocked. I’m shopping, you know, so they. But they were so happy. I think that was the part that gave it so much joy. They appreciated my presence so much. Every little thing, just me being there, leaving, knowing that I left home to be there with them, to. To show them anything that I knew to them. They were so grateful and they were so appreciative, and I was so grateful for everything they taught me. It wasn’t just me teaching them. They were teaching me their culture. They were teaching me their dishes. They were teaching me, you know, their language. Right. Their dialect, you know, so their. Their holidays. I knew their national anthem. You know, I was. I was dressing the way they dress. I was getting my hair done and the styles there I was loving. I was learning about Soca and, you know, carnival. And I was part. I was. I was in there, I was doing juve, and I was participating in all of the activities full hearted. I ate what they ate. I was not buying imported foods, like what I had at home. I ate what they ate. I learned the dishes. I. You know, and that was really important to me. If I am in Rome, I am going to do as the Romans. So they embraced me. They invited me into their homes constantly. They invite, they protected me. They always made sure to let me know where to go, what to do, you know, it was. They. They brought. They made homemade juice. They brought me fresh fruits and vegetables. They. They loved me and I loved them. And that is what made it so special so much that I actually extended my service. I served three years.
Amy Stone [00:27:02]:
That’s what I was going to ask you is if you, is if you stayed on or. Because it does become. I’ve done two other interviews, not of Peace Corps specifically, but done two other interviews with people who’ve been in international service programs. So. And it can become a livelihood. It can become a very, you know, you can re up and, and reestablish it, but at some point your service ends. And one of the conversation, part of the conversations of the people I’ve interviewed on other topics of this is about the jump back home from doing international service. We’re coming home and coming back to the States and what are you going to do with the skill set that you developed in the sector? So let’s talk about the transition and what are some of the things you decided to go next? So you’re in your mid-20s when you start your three year service in a remote Caribbean island, but at some point you decide, okay, that’s enough of that coming home. You come back to South Florida?
Chandra Kydd [00:28:06]:
Yes, I came back to South Florida.
Amy Stone [00:28:09]:
Did you know what you wanted to do next or were you just like, hey, it’s time for something new?
Chandra Kydd [00:28:13]:
I think at this point I, I think I said I think I need to stay in the classroom. I think I, I just enjoyed watching the, the light bulb go off, you know, teaching someone something that, and it opens so many doors for them. And I like that feeling of knowing that I had a part of that planting like a very special seed that grew to actually grow in their household as well as their community. It blessed their whole community. So I wanted to kind of stay in that vein. And so I decided to stay in the classroom, went into the middle school, but I.
Amy Stone [00:28:49]:
You became a middle school teacher?
Chandra Kydd [00:28:51]:
I became a middle school teacher because I didn’t know how to be a teacher.
Amy Stone [00:28:54]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:28:55]:
That wasn’t ever my mindset before I.
Amy Stone [00:28:58]:
Left my mom, I will tell you. I think that’s showing a lot of awareness because I remember when I learned, I was like, I was like. When I learned, I was like, you know, I know how to do this, but I do not know how to teach it right.
Chandra Kydd [00:29:10]:
I was like, I had no idea how to be a teacher in the US at all. And so I had to go into teaching English because my journalism, that was the certification of. The easiest for me to pick up because of that. But literally the transition back was really difficult because here in St. Vincent, you know, I was almost, almost kind of like, almost like the Kim Kardashian. And then I come back here and I’m like, nobody cares.
Amy Stone [00:29:39]:
You know, like, you had a place in the community. Yeah. You had a respected place in the community.
Chandra Kydd [00:29:45]:
A mental breakdown in the Walmart. I got overwhelmed. I literally cried in the Walmart one day because of. I went to buy cereal and I got overwhelmed because there were just too many choices. But you noticed the thing that, that hurt me the most was that no one stopped and asked if I was okay.
Amy Stone [00:30:05]:
Okay, no one. Yeah.
Chandra Kydd [00:30:07]:
And so this was the thing that was. And it’s possible, you know, I don’t know if you’re. Maybe some of your other guests had a similar situation where, you know, when I was there, people would have stopped and everybody would have, you know, wanted to know, what’s wrong, what’s the matter? But here no one stopped and asked if I was okay. And so that, that’s when I was like, okay, you’re home now and it’s not the same. And so you got to adjust back to home. And so now I go back and I said, look, I’m going to stay in the classroom and I gotta. Now I need to readjust. Back in the U.S. that was difficult because now I have all of these stories that no one really wants to hear. And so I am now going to now impart what I’ve learned, because I did learn skills. I learned some very valuable skills how to motivate and how to teach people with very, very limited resources. That is something that will be with me forever. So now I have to take that and figure out how to impart that in a middle school classroom. And I was very, very good at it.
Amy Stone [00:31:12]:
Yeah, no, I, I would say that that is. Those are both skills that would pay off really well in the middle school environment. You. There’s, it’s a, that is my. There’s not a. There’s not a future of my life that includes me teaching in middle school, but things have gone way wrong in my life if you find me teaching middle school English speaks, folks, because I think that would be really, really hard. But, but I think the other thing in there that’s very interesting is that it’s like, you know, I mean, it’s. I think that we. No one who’s listening is going to be surprised that somebody. Nobody stopped in a, in a Walmart and said, hey, how you doing? Because I think that we, you know, and it’s, it’s like, it’s almost like a stereotype because it’s in a Walmart. But you could put a Target, you could put a, you know, that could have been, you know, Home Depot, any of those big box stores. Watching people have a hard time in a public place right now in the United States. That’s not going to raise any flags. Flags. We just give people space. It’s like, all right, they’re there. But you know, I’m happy it’s not me. But you know, we’ve been there and it’s a hard way to go. So people look for. And this is a thing that we talk about, it’s in the news. It’s all other things like, you know, a sense of community, a sense of safety in big communities. Those are things that people are sort of talking about more and more as things that are missing. But. Okay, you’re no longer a middle school teacher, I don’t think. Are you still a middle school teacher?
Chandra Kydd [00:32:31]:
No, I teach adult adults now.
Amy Stone [00:32:33]:
You teach adults, which actually ties back to when you were in the Peace Corps and you made that connection. You were like 5 year olds. Have a lot of energy. Take me to the adults, please. The so in the minute we’re going to do the final questions, but let’s talk about. You founded a thing called Smart Kid Concepts and something called the Smart Giving Project. Tell us a little bit more about what those are and how you want throw in there in the end how you want people to find you online to follow up after the interview.
Chandra Kydd [00:33:00]:
Yes, please. So you know, with Smart Kid Concepts. So, yes, I did eventually leave the middle school classroom because I wanted to get back to the adults because that was where my heart was to know that, you know, when you teach a child, it’s one thing to teach a child, but when you teach an adult, it will greatly benefit the child, but it’ll also benefit the whole household and individual is still the whole community. So I wanted to get back to the adults, but I realized that there was still something missing in the adult classroom. There is a motivational piece that can be missing in an adult classroom, but it is absolutely necessary in an adult classroom because unlike children, adults do not have to be there. They are there by choice. So if adults are not constantly motivated and reminded of why they need to finish, their chances of finishing are sometimes very low. So Smart Kid Concepts was me seeing a need and trying to fill a need, seeing that students needed a high level of motivation, they needed to constantly be reminded, but also they needed to be equipped with skills about how to be an adult adult student. So we oftentimes think that because you’re an adult. You know how to study because you’re an adult. You know how to manage your time because you’re an adult. You know how to communicate. You know how to ask questions when you’re stuck. You know how to learn. That is not the case a lot of times. So Smart Kid Concepts is there to kind of bridge that gap. It is there to provide tools, tools, resources and motivation for those adults to help them make it to the finish line. So I have written some books to, and it’s all about getting better. It’s a series of books and the, the one that you’re going to be able to give to your watchers is this guy right here. I have one. Don’t get bitter, get better. But this guy right here, which you’ll be able to give to one of your lucky watchers is going to be this guy. Go back to school and get better. And this, this tool is filled with like a toolkit of like a study guide, a time management tool, how to figure out your learning style so that when you do study, you study in a way that’s most effective for you. How to create a vision board. I have a vision board. Hear me, I’m a big believer in vision boards. They work how to create a plan of action so that your vision does come to pass. You know, so creating this opportunity to not only motivate adults but to help them meet the finish line. Because schooling and learning does not just happen in a classroom, it happens every day of your life. Conversation are part of your learning. Mentorships, you know, all of these things, even if you learn something online or read a book, all of that is learning. So Smart Kit Concepts is here to bridge that gap and fill in where maybe institutions may not be meeting that, that holistic need for those adult students. So I partner with other organizations and I am able to go out and I speak and I do workshops and I, you know, to help these organizations to, you know, remind their audience, whether it be their employees, whether it be their students, like, hey you guys, let’s do, let’s get her done. Let’s come on. These are the tools, here are the tips. Tips, here are the strategies. Let’s go. Come on. No time to waste. We gotta do this, we gotta get it done. We gotta make that finish line. Because if you don’t make the finish line and you don’t reach the goal, we don’t ever want to walk away empty handed. Because now you can’t make that, that dream come true. That’s gonna get you to that higher level. So that’s where Smart Kid comes in at. It’s all about all of these things to fill in and meet that need that many other institutions where they are now maybe teaching you a skill or teaching you a course or getting you a certification, but they might not have that other thing that’s going to help the students actually make it to the certification. Or even corporations get their employees to a higher level so that they stay motivated to be an even higher level employee to help make the company an even greater success.
Amy Stone [00:37:22]:
Yeah, I think that. I think it’s really interesting this as just a concept and it really dovetails with what one of the messages behind the project and the show that I’m creating because one of the things that is the through line and the motivation of the show is my realization in my own experience that the linear path that I thought that adulting and being an adult would be. It’s not how my life shook out. It’s not how most people’s life shakes out. But. And one of the things in there is about education. It’s like we. I think that I felt and I think a lot of people that I’ve talked to have a similar thing. It’s like, well, okay, so once you finish school, whether that’s high school or college or postgraduate work, then it’s over. You’re done with that. And that’s actually not the way most people I know. Even if they have, regardless, people retool and reskill and pivot and change over and over and over again. Even if you stay in the same profession, there’s continuing ed and, and change and stuff. And so embracing that and developing the skills to excel in that environment I think is. Is really important. And what I think is I’ve seen people do this in so many different times. The one that everybody’s ready for is if you do, if you decide you don’t want to do the same career, you get fired, you change. Right. But people do this when they retire. People do this after they take a break and have kids and they might be homemakers for a while and then they’re really reskilling to go back out and to jump back in. It’s. I think that’s a really incredible thing that you’re offering within your community. And so I think that’s good. So we are giving away Smart G. Go ahead.
Chandra Kydd [00:39:03]:
Yes, I want to mention the Smart Giving. Yes, yes. So with the Smart Giving project and. Because, you know, once again, my heart is still to serve. Right?
Amy Stone [00:39:14]:
Yes.
Chandra Kydd [00:39:15]:
So. And and where we gotta, you know, pull that in with the Smart Giving Project, it’s all about, you know, finding ways to serve the community. So what smart giving is, is, is smart giving was really. And if anyone’s ever been on my social media, I’m gonna turn that back on. They’ll see that I feed my students, you know, every day for over 10 years, even when I taught middle school, I feed students. And so someone wanted to be a blessing and say, you know, can I donate? You know, and so I said, well, sure. And I thought they were going to donate, you know, just a min. Some, you know, muffins or something like that. And it turned out to be a large amount of food. So I now share that with the people in my community and it has. What started out as a small little share out has become a major feeling of a need. So this is something giving me an opportunity to, to help those in the community. Because we still, no matter what you do and no matter what industry you in, you should always try to find a need, find a way to fill a need. So there is a humongous need. And you know, in South Florida with the humidity, it’s extremely hot and there are a lot of homeless folks who are out in this humidity and they don’t have enough to eat, but they definitely don’t have enough to drink and they are dehydrated. So we are out every week giving food and we, we’re, you know, really right now trying to give out bottled water and help them stay hydrated and meet a need for those folks who are homeless in South Florida, in the Fort Lauderdale area. So that is what, that is what the Smart Giving Project is all about. That giving piece on top of, you know, giving and feeding the mind with smart kid concepts, but also feeding the body because by me feeding my students daily, even if it’s just a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, when I now have. Have their bodies intact and strengthened and fortified, they are now so willing to listen to the lesson.
Amy Stone [00:41:16]:
Right? Yeah. And I got their full attention. When you’re hungry, it’s hard to learn or be creative. It is very hard to dream. Very, very hard. Those are beautiful causes and I’m glad that you’re giving them away. I’m glad that you’re focused on those. Those are really, really good and important. It is, it is. South Florida is a very expensive place to live. And so we have a, we, we, we have a lot of work that’s available to be done in all of our communities through community kitchens. And all of those things keeping people, keeping people fed. We have very expensive food in Florida, especially South Florida, because we are a tourist destination. So it is very easy to find a very expensive luxury restaurant. A little bit easier than it is to find maybe some other things. And so that’s important community work. All right, so we are giving away, and this is the first time I’ve done it this way. So you wrote a book called Go Back to School and Get Better, which you showed us. I am giving it away. So for the first person that writes a review about this episode on Apple Podcasts and sends it into me on the show, I will then tell you how to get a free copy of this book. And that’s how that’s working. So the instructions are in the show notes. This book sells for $39. So that’s a very generous gift. And I want to say thank you very much, Chandra, for making that available to the audience. Somebody is going to be very lucky to get that. The easiest way to get all the information for the giveaways and things like that, that is always to be a subscriber to the imperfect adulting email community, because then I email it directly to you. You don’t have to hunt it up in the show notes or click on it in YouTube. It comes straight to your email box and then you can get the information there. That’s always the easiest. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. All right, Chandra, are you ready for the final three questions, the rapid fire fun questions?
Chandra Kydd [00:43:12]:
Sure. And then give me if you. When you get a chance to share my website with, yes, our viewers and so forth.
Amy Stone [00:43:20]:
We let’s do that now because it was supposed to be before, but you had such long, beautiful stories about your two things that I forgot. There you go. No, tell us how people can find you online. Do it.
Chandra Kydd [00:43:31]:
So, yes, so I do have social media they can find going to my website at www.smartkidconcepts.com, www.sm a r t k y d d C-O-N C-E-P-T s.com or they can go and find me on social media at Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and definitely my YouTube channel, where there are a gazillion resources to help adults to get back better in school and so forth. So please do find me on social media. But I am looking forward to you guys getting a free copy of this book. This will be an ebook version of Go Back to School and Get Better.
Amy Stone [00:44:13]:
Fantastic. All right, thank you for catching me on that. And make sure we got that. Now we’re going to do the final three questions.
Chandra Kydd [00:44:20]:
Are we ready?
Amy Stone [00:44:21]:
Let’s do it.
Chandra Kydd [00:44:22]:
Let’s do it.
Amy Stone [00:44:23]:
All right. Are you a person who has a set morning routine and if so, what is it?
Chandra Kydd [00:44:29]:
So my set morning routine. Yes, I am up at 3am 3 yes ma’ am. 3am I. Yes. Because I’m a full time teacher. So what? Smart kid concepts has to start at 3am before my full time job at my school. So 3am I get up at 3am and at that point I start to meditate, listen to some music, wake myself up and then I jump on my smart kit concepts work. And then after that, about 4:30 or so I try to run to the gym for about an hour and then I come back and I get my babies ready for school and, and then it’s out the door to the full time job. That’s my morning routine.
Amy Stone [00:45:17]:
You are a busy woman. Oh my goodness. All right, so very, very good. I want you to think back over your life. You’ve got, you’ve had a lot. I’m, you’re a person who I feel has had a lot of mentors and people who are teachers and, and in your life, you mentioned your dad and other people. But think back over your life. What’s a piece of really good or even great advice that you’ve gotten that you’re willing to share and who gave it to you?
Chandra Kydd [00:45:50]:
Well, one that kind of, and I’m sure there’s a bunch. One that I have to say a couple, one that my dad always used to give was that whenever you do something, you do it 100%.
Amy Stone [00:46:03]:
Okay.
Chandra Kydd [00:46:04]:
You don’t go halfway. If you’re going to do it, do it 100%. And then one that my, one of my administrators gave me a couple years ago and it’s, and it still rings in my, my ear is the reward for good work is more work.
Amy Stone [00:46:24]:
If that is not like the. We all learn that at some point. Like you did such a nice job doing this work. Here, have some more.
Chandra Kydd [00:46:31]:
Yes. The reward for good work is more work that rings in my head for the last few years when every time I think I’m like, man, I must be doing a good job because there’s more work coming my way. So I love it, I love it. And it, and it rings through my mind all the time. So that’s definitely the advice that’s been new on the top of my roster of folks at the top of my list.
Amy Stone [00:46:56]:
I love that. All right, very good. All Right. Very, very good. All right. So when you take vacations, I’m fascinated to hear how you answer this. When you take vacations and when you go somewhere for relaxation, do you prefer to travel a long way to somewhere that’s far away and exotic, or are you a person who right now is staying closer to home and relaxing in your backyard?
Chandra Kydd [00:47:20]:
Right, So I would. My preference would be to go somewhere far away, preferably somewhere I’ve never been. I just came back from London for book signing. For. For this. Books, actually.
Amy Stone [00:47:33]:
Wow. All right.
Chandra Kydd [00:47:34]:
But, yes, but nowadays, because of my hectic busy schedule, I stay a little bit closer to home because I can’t stay away too, too long. So I’m. You know, my kids are constantly trying to pull me in Orlando and things like that. But me, me personally, I would love to be somewhere near water. Yeah, I like being places near water. Right now. I would actually love. And I haven’t had the chance to go somewhere with mountains. I really want to get around some mountains and some greenery, you know, whether. Like, I don’t know, I just want to get around some mountains. I just. They just seem so majestic and so peaceful, whether I’m climbing them or staring at them in the distance. I just want to just be in awe of mountains and just simmer down a little bit.
Amy Stone [00:48:26]:
There you go. Well, yeah, no, I can see that. I definitely can. All right, that’s it. Chandra Kidd, thank you so much for being a wonderful guest today on the show.
Chandra Kydd [00:48:34]:
I appreciate you so much. Amy and I look forward to being back again. Hopefully we can touch base again. And I. And I look forward to, you know, your viewers getting a hold of the book and just us collaborating in the future, you betcha.