A resilience curriculum for conservative tweens and teens
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Confidence & Resilience for Tweens & Teens
Become the Hero of Your Story
In any classic tale, the hero is the character who rises up to change their story. Sidekicks do not.
I believe we were all born to be the hero of our own story, but sometimes we feel like the sidekick.
In Sidekick to Hero, I teach teens how to think, feel, and act differently than the rest of the world so they can avoid getting the sidekick results the majority of teens are getting today.
I'm looking for teens who want to stand out and be different in the best way possible. I'm looking for teens who are ready to kick themselves into HERO MODE!
Mental Resilience Training that Feels Like a Game
Subscription Includes
Cheaper than a cell phone
(and this will help solve their problems, not create them. Just sayin')
Here's how Sidekick to Hero Works
Self-Paced
Gain XP while watching bite-sized video lessons on everything from positive thinking to tackling homework and building better relationships.
Weekly Virtual Events
Keep the momentum going with Hero Training Rooms, live streams that tackle a new topic every week, and our new teen-led Social Clubs!
Customizable Avatar
Watch your personal growth come to life as you customize your avatar from a sidekick to a full-fledged hero.
Challenges
Complete real-life quests and earn in-game points to help you develop powerful mental and emotional skills.
Monthly Prizes
Stay engaged and win awesome gift card giveaways!
Parent Profile
Parents, stay connected to your teen's progress and celebrate their victories together.
I Get It - The Teen Years are TOUGH!
It's especially hard to be a teen when you THINK LIKE A SIDEKICK! You give up all your power or never even access it to begin with. This results in self-doubt, procrastination, and being overwhelmed by stress.
How do you stop this?
YOU THINK LIKE A HERO!
Add Mental Resilience to Your Teen's Education
Schools Don't Teach This
I was a middle school teacher and counselor for seven years. Schools are designed for the "hard skills" of reading, writing, and arithmetic. There are no classes on the "soft skills" of mental & emotional resilience. That's why I created Sidekick to Hero.
Perfect Resource for Involved Parents
Teens that get the most out of Sidekick to Hero are the ones whose parents make sure they sign in and watch something at least 3 times a week. If you get them in the app, I'll take care of the rest!
Maximize Their Success
Many teens have the academic skills to survive after high school, but not the mental flexibility and emotional control to really thrive. The skills taught in Sidekick to Hero will multiply your teen's potential for success!
Proven Strategies
Lessons and skills taught are based in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), emotional processing techniques, and a myriad of effective strategies for success from influential authors, coaches, and experts such as:
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Stephen R. Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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James Clear (Atomic Habits)
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Viktor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning)
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The Arbinger Institute (Leadership and Self-Deception)
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Jody Moore (Better Than Happy)
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Brooke Castillo (The Life Coach School)
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Simon Sinek (The Infinite Game)
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Cal Newport (Deep Work)
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Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Antifragile)
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Daniel Coyle (The Talent Code)
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Napoleon Hill (Own Your Own Mind)
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Carol S. Dweck (Growth Mindset)
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Todd Herman (The Alter Ego Effect)
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Dave Ramsey (Total Money Makeover)
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Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad)
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Abigail Shrier (Bad Therapy)
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Jonathan Haidt & Greg Lukianoff (The Coddling of the American Mind)
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and more!
I take the awesome ideas these powerful thought leaders teach and present them in short, humor-filled lessons that teens can understand and remember!
No Smart Phone Needed
I'm not a fan of teens having smart phones, so I designed Sidekick to Hero to be a web-based app that can be access on a web-browser on any device.
iOS and Android apps are being developed as we speak and will release in the next year. So, I'm not a total hater.
Who the Heck am I, Anyway?
Meet Your Teen's New Mentor
Glad you asked! I'm Joey Mascio, I like Flammin Hot Cheetos, Cookie Crisp cereal, and snowboarding.
But here's the stuff about me that you actually care about:
Masters in Education
I was a middle school teacher and counselor for 7 years in Southern California where I was nominated for Teacher of the Year in my region, ran the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS), and volunteered to be the full time teacher in the discipline office where I first started coaching teens on mental resilience and success.
Professionally Certified Life Coach
I have run my own coaching business for 5 years where I coach teens on confidence and creating success. I received my life coach certification from The Life Coach School and an advanced certification in Faith-based Coaching from Jody Moore.
Motivational Speaker
I've spoken at schools, church activities, girls camps, homeschool conventions, and small co-ops across the country. It's my favorite! Email me if you need a high-energy, confidence building presentation for teens.
Performer, Writer, and Comedian
I have over two decades of experience as a stage actor, a character performer at Disneyland, and an improv comedian plus a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. I use those storytelling skills and comedy chops to make my lessons engaging and entertaining for teens.
Family, Faith, and Freedom
I love my family, my faith, and my freedom ('Merica!). My wife and I live in Utah with our four kids and we are raising them to love God and respect people of all beliefs and backgrounds. Sidekick to Hero is a secular program that does NOT teach principles from any one religion, but also doesn't shy away from saying that having faith in something is awesome.
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Can I Sign Up More than One Teen?Yes. The price is per teen, so if you have more than one (first off, bless you) you will have to pay for a subscription for each. Right now, there is no way to add multiple teens to one parent account. To sign up multiple teens, simply go through the sign up process from the beginning for each teen. You will have to use a different email for your parent username that will be attached to each teen's account. But, you may use the same email at the checkout screen. If you don't have as many parent emails as you have teens, here is a workaround that uses a little known Gmail feature: Create one free gmail account (if you don't already have one) "example@gmail.com" When you sign up at Sidekick to Hero, you can add a "+1" to the email to have our system recognize it as a different parent username. "example+1@gmail.com, example+2@gmail.com, example+3@gmail.com" Password reset emails sent to those emails will all be sent to the main inbox "example@gmail.com" Keep a list of which email belongs to which teen so you can sign in and manage their account and see their activity log In the future, we hope to add a feature that lets parents add multiple teens to one parent account.
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Do you push any religious or political agendas?Not whatsoever! I am a conservative and a religious person myself, but Sidekick to Hero is a secular program fit for any public school, homeschool, or government affiliated organization. I encourage teens to follow the faith/political leaning of their parents. I feel that creates the happiest most cohesive homes. Also, some schools in some states use "social emotional learning" to push certain agendas. That's not what this is. Sidekick to Hero focuses on helping teens develop strength in four areas: Headspace (mental resilience), Emotions (emotional toughness), Relationships (being kind and service-oriented), and Objectives (become industrious go-getters!).
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Can we use ESA (educational savings account) or other state scholarship funding to pay for our subscription?YES! Most state scholarship programs will reimburse you for Sidekick to Hero. Always check with your specific program before purchase. Sidekick to Hero is listed as an approved or supported vendor on various funding programs in Utah and Arizona, including Utah Fits All, OpenEd (formerly MyTech High), Harmony Ed, Children's First, and Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account. If you have a Utah Fits All scholarship and would like to pay directly through Class Wallet, fill out this invoice request form. If you are a part of a charter school or other program that needs us to contact them to become an approved vendor, submit a request by emailing joey@sidekicktohero.com. We are happy to jump through any hoops so you don't have to pay out of pocket.
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Can my teen talk or interact with other teens in the program?There is no social or community chat features in Sidekick to Hero that allows teens to communicate with each other freely. The only time teens have the ability to chat with each other is during the weekly live streams where the chat is monitored by a professionally certified coach or during our new Social Clubs. Social Clubs are led by teen Club Leaders, with no adult present, fostering genuine peer-to-peer interaction. This setup allows teens to build friendships and practice leadership, social, and emotional skills taught in the program—all while having fun! Club meetings are recorded and monitored by my team, ensuring accountability and offering follow-up on any behavioral concerns reported by the Club Leader. This balance of independence and oversight creates a safe and enriching space for teens to grow. Social Clubs are an optional part of Sidekick to Hero.
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Can I see my teen's progress and activity?Yes! When you sign up you will create TWO ACCOUNTS. A parent account and a teen account. When you sign in with your email, you will be able to manage your teen's account and see a full log of your teen's activity so you can see when and what they did in the program. This is designed to help you keep your teen accountable. Parents, however, CANNOT see anything that their teen types into the Challenge Journal section of the app. No one can see that but the teen, not even me. This privacy is important so teens can be free to write out their thoughts freely and thus create growth and awareness. Since I cannot see anything your teen writes, Sidekick to Hero and it's employees are not responsible for anything your teen writes or admits in the Challenge Journal.
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What are the monthly prizes my teen can win?Monthly prizes consist mostly of Amazon Gift Cards of varying amounts, depending on the teen's level in Sidekick to Hero. Gift Cards are sent to the parent's email attached to their teen's account. Customer stickers of their avatars and other S2H swag can also be prizes.
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How can I get my teen to use Sidekick to Hero?You know your teen the best, so you know how to best motivate them. But parents that have seen the best results with their teens in Sidekick to Hero make it an expectation and a routine to sign in and use the program 2-5 times a week. Some parents attach rewards or incentives, others leave it to their teen and they do it on their own. Parents can join our Sidekick to Hero Parents Facebook Group to chat with other parents about how they get their teen to use it.
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Can my teen get 1:1 private coaching in Sidekick to Hero?Occasionally, Sidekick to Hero offers complimentary 1:1 coaching sessions for teens, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parents can sign up their teens, and afterward, teens may choose whether their session replay is shared in the Sidekick to Hero app for others to learn from. Participation in sharing is completely optional and based on the teen’s comfort level. For regular 1:1 coaching, the best option is to join my Drop-In Coaching program, which provides affordable, casual coaching for teens and their families on a monthly basis.
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Can I see the videos and lessons that my teen has access to in S2H?Right now, the Parent Portal does not have access to the full app. We encourage parents to sign in with their teen and watch the first couple of videos together so you can get a feel for the tone and lessons taught. Parents can preview four lessons from the app here! It will give you a good idea of the content and tone in the program. Show it to your teen to get them on board!
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Do you give special discounts for large groups and organizations buying in bulk?Yes! You can set up an organizational account for your homeschool co-op, microschool, charter school, or private school at a discounted annual rate. Please send all inquiries to joey@sidekicktohero.com.