The Next Step: Leaping to Adulthood

It's Adulting 101. This podcast is focused on everything you *should* learn in school - but likely didn't. What EXACTLY is a deducible? How does insurance ACTUALLY work? What is the difference between a defined-benefit and defined-contribution plan? What does a good job offer look like? How do I negotiate a job? We'll cover these topics AND more. We'll break down complicated concepts with industry professionals - you know, like what are the differences between a HMO, PPO, and HSA? Discover more about the Next Step Program here. Get the book here !

The Next Step: Leaping to Adulthood is a business podcast hosted by Nichole Harken, with 35 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Nichole Harken hosts The Next Step: Leaping to Adulthood, a business show with 35 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #35

  Episode 34: Should I Go to Grad School? Part 1 of 2

  Aug 13, 202621 min

  In Episode 34, Nikki welcomes Dr. Kyle Rudick of the University of Northern Iowa. Kyle contrasts undergraduate education as broad “tool gathering” with graduate school as focused development, mentorship, and creating knowledge rather than simply receiving. They discuss personality traits that make for good graduate students: those driven by curiosity and deep interest in their field. Kyle provides advice on the age old question of whether to pursue the degree immediately or to wait. A follow-up episode will cover the value of a master’s during economic downturns and financial support that should be offered to graduate students.

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  Episode #34

  Episode 33: Just Move It

  Aug 6, 202636 min

  In this episode, Nikki interviews Brett Caviness, a University of Northern Iowa graduate and award-winning real estate agent in California, about forging a path from small-town Iowa to the Silicon Valley. Brett advises students not to overthink relocation, to secure a job before housing, budget carefully for cost-of-living, watch for rental scams, and treat moves as non-permanent decisions.

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  Episode #33

  Episode 32: The Crooked Career Path: From Physical Education Major to Safety Guru

  Jul 30, 202632 min

  In this new mini-series, Nikki explores crooked career paths and how individual have used transferable skill sets to sell themselves in a new industry. The first episode features her husband, Matt Harken, Manager of Safety and Environmental Engagement at GROWMARK. He explains his role in helping promote safe, compliant practices in agriculture services that feed and fuel the world. He recounts a non-linear trajectory: a scholarship football player who started as an accounting major, switched to PE education after struggling in macroeconomics. He taught driver’s ed and coached at his hometown school, then lost his dream of becoming head coach. A new opportunity led him to college football coaching and operations, then to water well drilling, and later into agricultural safety through transferable skills like sales, project management, and leadership. He discusses how he developed his leadership style and urges students heading to college to chase your heart, and advises graduates to say yes and get off the fence.

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  Episode #31

  Episode 30: Legal Ease

  Jul 16, 202629 min

  On the Next Step Podcast, Nikki interviews attorney Trynann Utzinger and marketing professional Liv Wendt about key legal documents young adults often overlook after college. The discussion defines three core documents: a living will, a medical power of attorney, and a financial power of attorney. They cover defaults after age 18, including medical next-of-kin and the need for a court conservatorship for finances without a power of attorney, and how to prevent estranged family from controlling decisions. They discuss low-cost access to state/bar forms, notarization, sharing copies with agents/providers, and practical storage and electronic backups.

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  Episode #30

  Episode 29: Learn with Linda: All Things Tax, Part Two

  Jul 9, 202622 min

  On this episode Nikki and LInda debunk the myth that earning overtime, bonuses, or raises can reduce take-home pay by “bumping you into a higher tax bracket,” explaining that the U.S. uses graduated marginal rates where only the additional income is taxed at the higher rate, with a noted exception for some Social Security recipients. They discuss deductions: business expenses for the self-employed, itemized deductions, the standard deduction, a new charitable deduction for non-itemizers, specialized deductions, and deductible student-loan interest, stressing the importance of keeping access to needed forms via personal email and a stable address. They end the episode by breaking down paychecks, noting state-filing rules for multi-state work, and advising graduates to start retirement savings immediately, even in small amounts.

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