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Episode Summary
In today’s episode of The Ryan Glick Show, we jump into the topic of studying abroad. A topic that has not been covered before on the podcast. Joining us today is Stewart Knights, a study abroad student from the United Kingdom. Stewart is the founder of MILLXNNIALS Public Speaking Consultant as well as the founder of Context Culture.
In this episode, Stewart Knights shares what it is like to be a current study abroad student, some of the considerations you should take into account, and some tips to finding your passion while enhancing your public speaking. Stewart also offers how he was able to start and maintain a business while in school and some advice to students who may be considering studying abroad!
In this episode we discuss...
- Show Introduction [0:01]
- Introducing Our Guest [0:19]
- Stewart’s Background [1:14]
- Stewart’s Major and Main Objectives [3:41]
- Approach to Reaching Out to Future Connections [4:56]
- Stewart’s Process for Making Connections [7:06]
- Why Stewart Decided to Study Abroad [8:59]
- Selecting the Right University [10:59]
- Reviewing Universities Virtually Instead of Physically [12:45]
- Most Valuable Part of the Entire Experience? [14:52]
- One Thing Stewart Wishes He Knew Going into Study Abroad [17:31]
- Stewart’s Business MILLXNNIALS [20:13]
- How He Found Public Speaking to Be a Passion [22:42]
- Drama Group and Rugby for Skill Development [23:50]
- Managing Your Time [25:11]
- Advice to Students Who Want to Get Better at Public Speaking [26:54]
- Tip for College Students Considering Studying Abroad [29:10]
- Connect with Stewart [31:10]
- Closing Thoughts [32:01]
- Outro [32:18]
Resources Mentioned
- TBD
Guest Details
Stewart Knights, Entrepreneur and College Student
Want to connect with Stewart?
Episode Notes
In today’s episode, we are joined by Stewart Knights, a U.K. university student studying abroad in the U.S. Stewart Knight is the founder of MILLXNNIALS, a public speaking consultant company as well as the founder of Context Culture. The episode consists of Stewart’s experience studying abroad and how he was able to find a passion in public speaking. We talk about how Stewart was able to manage his time running two businesses while studying abroad in the U.S.
Stewart Knights is from Manchester, England and is a student at Lancaster University. As a child he went to private schools where he reflects on the environment being beneficial as he was surrounded by students with more experience and engagement. This helped Stewart rise to the challenge allowing him to continue on in university.
Majoring in business management, Stewart also specializes in fine arts and entrepreneurship. Stewart initially had intentions of getting a degree to get a career. This intention has since evolved since while in the U.S. as he now focuses on the networking capacity of his degree. Stewart takes this opportunity as a time to connect with likeminded people in a variety of industries while building up his network.
Stewart Knights shares that it is crucial to understand the value that you bring to a conversation and how you can learn from potential connections. The process for him feels fluid as he either speaks with a connection who makes a mutual introduction, or he takes a strategic approach to reaching someone in a specific area of interest.
The main drive to study abroad for Stewart was to change his mindset from degree to experience. His intention for studying abroad was to broaden his experience while also communicating with new people from all walks of like. Stewart shares that studying abroad truly changes the mindset of what you think is possible.
When selecting a university, Stewart found that there was so much to offer in the Midwest and the University of Iowa spoke to him. The process for reviewing universities looks much different for studying abroad then if you were selecting a college to study at. For studying abroad, many do not have the chance to do physical college visits. For Stewart, his college tries to help bridge that gap by having people who have studied in the U.S. and people from the U.S. who are studying abroad in the U.K. share their experiences.
Stewart Knights shares that the most valuable part of studying abroad was being able to be somewhere completely different. You have new experiences that come not only from networking but also in the courses that you take. Stewart believes that studying abroad breaks up the university experience and allows you to be more present in your studies and drive for experience.
Ending the episode, Stewart Knights offers advice to students who want to get better at public speaking. He shares the best thing you can do is find something that you are passionate about and that you are interested in learning more about. Once you have found your passion you can easily build the framework of public speaking around it. Stewart also offers advice for students considering studying abroad is to be aware of how the culture where you are studying most likely will be incredibly different. Go into it with a culturally open mindset so you can really enjoy your experience!
RYAN GLICK
Ryan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Groov, Inc, a property technology software company based out of Des Moines, Iowa. Ryan has been heavily involved in the world of Information Technology and entrepreneurship since the early 2000s. From small business consulting to Fortune 500 IT leadership, Ryan has a wide array of tech industry knowledge. Ryan has his BBA and MBA from the University of Iowa. Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn or Instagram.