Main Character Era
Summer 2026
Your teen’s Main Character Era
A structured five-week coaching experience that helps capable teens gain clarity, confidence, and direction without pressure to have it all figured out.
For parents of teens who feel stuck, anxious, or avoidant when the future comes up and want a thoughtful, grounded, actionable way forward.
Cohort 1: June 15 – July 17, 2026
Cohort 2: July 13 – August 14, 2026
(Limited to 20 teens per cohort)
Main Character Era is designed for teens who are capable, thoughtful, and full of potential, but feel unsure how to move forward.
This program is a strong fit if your teen:
Shuts down or avoids conversations about what’s next
Has many interests but no clear direction
Feels pressure to decide without understanding themselves first
Is smart and capable, yet unmotivated or disengaged
Knows they “should” care about the future, but feels overwhelmed
And it’s for parents who:
Want to guide their teen without pushing, nagging, or guessing
Are tired of second-guessing every decision
Care deeply about fit, timing, and long-term outcomes
Want clarity before making expensive or irreversible choices
This is not about rushing your teen toward an answer.
It’s about giving them a clear foundation to make decisions they can stand behind.
What Parents Are Experiencing (Without Saying It Out Loud)
You might recognize some of this:
You ask thoughtful questions and get one-word answers.
You try not to push, but worry that waiting too long will make things worse.
You wonder whether your teen just needs more time… or more support.
You feel the pressure of timing, money, and expectations without a clear way to help.
Nothing here means you’ve done something wrong.
Today’s teens are being asked to make adult-level decisions in a world that’s more complex, faster-moving, and more comparison-driven than ever before, often without the self-awareness tools adults themselves had to learn the hard way.
The Cost of Staying Stuck
When teens don’t understand themselves, decisions tend to be delayed, rushed, or made based on pressure instead of fit.
Over time, that can look like:
Avoidance and disengagement around the future
Choosing a path to “just get it over with”
Wasted time or money due to poor-fit decisions
Ongoing tension between parent and teen
Confidence erosion instead of growth
The cost isn’t just financial.
It’s emotional, relational, and cumulative.
Clarity doesn’t come from waiting longer.
It comes from having the right foundation.
Summer 2026
Introducing Main Character Era
Main Character Era is a five-week, strengths-based coaching experience designed to help teens understand who they are so decisions about what’s next stop feeling paralyzing.
This is not college prep.
It’s not career placement.
And it’s not about picking a single “right” answer.
It’s about helping your teen:
Understand how they’re wired
Build language for who they are
Gain confidence in decision-making
Engage with the future instead of avoiding it
Summer is intentional.
Without academic pressure, teens have the space to reflect, engage, and build momentum in a way that’s difficult during the school year.
Inside the Program, Week by Week
Week 1
Discover Your Main Character Energy
This is the shift from “I don’t know” to “Here’s how I’m wired.”
Focus: Self-awareness foundation
Your teen:
Cohort Session 1 Meets - 90 minutes
Personalized Strengths Discovery Profile Completed (powered by Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessment)
Begins guided reflection on how they think, act, and decide
Starts building language for their “Main Character energy”
Schedules their first 1:1 coaching session
So that:
Your teen can explain who they are beyond grades, labels, or comparisons.
Week 2
Make Sense of Your Strengths
Focus: Understanding patterns (not just traits)
Your teen:
First 60 minute one-on-one coaching session
Dives deeper into their strengths profile
Identifies what energizes them and what drains them
Learns how strengths can be overused or misunderstood
Starts building self-understanding without self-judgment
Schedules their second one-on-one coaching session
So that:
Your teen understands themselves with clarity instead of frustration.
Week 3
Connect Self-Awareness to Real Life
This is where avoidance begins turning into engagement.
Focus: Relevance and application
Your teen:
Second 60 minute one-on-one coaching session
Connects strengths to interests, activities, and possible paths
Explores why certain careers or ideas feel appealing
Separates curiosity from pressure or expectations
Has their first “this actually makes sense” moments
Schedules their third one-on-one coaching session
So that:
Your teen can start articulating why certain paths fit them and why others don’t.
Week 4
Build Confidence in Decision-Making
Focus: Ownership and confidence
Your teen:
Third 60 minute one-on-one coaching session
Practices talking about the future without shutting down
Learns how to evaluate options using self-awareness as a filter
Builds confidence in pivoting, refining, or saying “not yet”
So that:
Your teen feels capable of making decisions without needing certainty.
Week 5
Owning Your Main Character Energy
Focus: Integration, ownership, and practical forward movement
This final week is about recognizing growth — and helping your teen leave with confidence they can actually use.
Your teen:
Integrates what they’ve learned about their strengths, patterns, and motivations into a clear understanding of their Main Character energy
Identifies 2–3 aligned next steps for the coming months (not a lifetime plan, but meaningful direction)
Finalizes a personal decision-making compass they can return to as new choices arise
Practices articulating who they are, how they’re wired, and what matters to them — in their own words
Participates in the final cohort session — a guided close that acknowledges progress and growth
So that:
Your teen leaves operating from their Main Character energy — with clarity, confidence, and momentum — without pressure to have it all mapped out.
Your teen is now better equipped to:
Write college essays that sound authentic and grounded in who they actually are
Think more intentionally about college selection, majors, or programs, based on fit, not pressure
Choose high school, PSEO, or college courses that align with how they learn and what energizes them
Identify who to talk to (teachers, counselors, professionals, mentors) — and what questions to ask
Use school and community resources more confidently and resourcefully
Talk about their future without avoidance, shutdown, or defaulting to “I don’t know”
This isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about owning how they move forward.
Outcomes You Can Expect
After five weeks, your teen will:
Understand why certain paths interest them
Feel confident pursuing or pivoting from ideas
Talk about the future without avoidance or shutdown
Have language for who they are and how they decide
And you, as the parent, will:
Stop guessing how to help
Ask better questions because your teen can actually respond
Support next steps with confidence that the direction fits
Feel calmer about timing, money, and decisions ahead
This works whether your teen plans to attend college, take a gap year, start a business, or explore alternative paths.
“This program helped me step back and look at the whole picture and narrow down my thoughts about certain topics.
Knowing my strengths helps me see farther into my college life and helps me place some of my current interests into my future plans. It also helps me know which classes to focus on and which classes to let go of if they are not a requirement.”
— Julia, 11th Grade
“Before I had no idea what I was going to do in the future but after working together I have come up with some ideas of what I could do.
This has helped me find a major which I wasn’t able to do before”
— L.S., New High School Graduate
“I am now able to explore my life and future options with a much more knowledgeable approach which is very exciting.
I love that I have more information about me and what I might be good at and not so good at. This helps me be prepared. Before I was always nervous because I had no clue what college classes or a career would look like.”
— Brylie, 10th Grade
What Makes This Different
Most support for teens focuses on:
choosing faster
deciding sooner
narrowing options quickly
Main Character Era focuses on decision quality, not speed.
→ We start with self-awareness not pressure.
→ We build confidence before commitment.
→ We treat clarity as a skill, not a personality trait.
This approach doesn’t force answers. It creates durable decision-making.
Investment
$1,500 per teen
A two-payment option is available.
Cohort 1: June 15 – July 17, 2026
Cohort 2: July 13 – August 14, 2026
What’s Included
Five weeks of guided group and one-on-one coaching
Personalized Strengths Discovery Profile (powered by Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessment)
Three 60-minute one-on-one coaching sessions
Session recordings and written summaries
Structured reflection and application exercises
A personal decision-making framework your teen can reuse
Small cohort for thoughtful engagement
Post-Program Parent Conversation (45 minutes)
Between-session email support during the program
“I have confidence in choosing my core pathway classes and my options for the future now that I have a strong basis of how I operate and coexist with the world.
I feel like I am one step ahead. I'm not as nervous to choose my career opportunities. This truly really helped me gather my thoughts and learn things that could lead into potential career decisions.
— Allison, 11th Grade
“I feel a sense of clarity on how I operate and make decisions compared to before where I wouldn't self evaluate so at times I would feel stuck.
I now know which fields will allow me to operate at my full potential and how to find happiness in my work based on my strengths, personality, and interests.
— John, 11th Grade
“During this time of my life where I constantly have to describe myself, college application season is here, this course made this so much easier.
Now by sharing my strengths with colleges, I know they are receiving an honest answer that I am proud of. Not only is this easier for college related stuff, but this will help me for the rest of my life. Whether it's a job application or understanding what I can do best in order to benefit others, I will always tap into my strengths thanks to Anna.
— Ezra, 12th Grade
About the Founder + Coach
I’m Anna Nelson
I’m a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, ICF-Certified Coach, and MBA with over 20 years of experience coaching individuals through complex decisions.
I work with both teens and adults, and the foundation is the same in every context:
When people understand how they’re wired, better decisions follow.
Main Character Era was created to give teens the clarity most adults wish they had earlier in a structured, respectful, and developmentally appropriate way.
FAQs
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No. This program is designed for teens who don’t know yet.
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That’s common. The structure and approach meet teens where they are, without pressure.
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No. This is coaching focused on self-awareness, confidence, and decision-making.
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I created a summer program because teens aren’t juggling school pressure. If timing is a concern, but you are interested in enrolling your teen, we can talk about working together one-on-one. Email me at hello@annaynelson.com.
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Some teens are ready to move forward independently. Others choose continued support. That’s what the Boss Move Era is all about.
Your “I Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone” Era
If you’ve been wondering how to help your teen in their transition era and want a thoughtful, structured way forward, the Main Character Era may be the right next step.
This program is designed to give your teen clarity and confidence and to give you both a way to make future exciting decisions together.
Still have questions? No worries. Click here to schedule a Parent Conversation.
Cohort 1: June 15 – July 17, 2026
Cohort 2: July 13 – August 14, 2026