Building Life Skills Today for a Confident Tomorrow.

Lead Within helps youth and families build confidence, manage stress, communicate clearly, and plan for their future. Lessons are short, relatable, and grounded in SEL, the Developmental Assets, and the PERMAH Well-Being Model.

Get Started View Topics
two females looking at a laptop
yellow circle illustration
two females looking at a laptop
yellow circle illustration
two females looking at a laptop
yellow circle illustration
smiling guy with a brown jacket
yellow circle illustration
smiling guy with a brown jacket
yellow circle illustration
smiling guy with a brown jacket
yellow circle illustration
judge looking down at paper
teacher talking to group of students
judge looking down at paper
teacher talking to group of students
judge looking down at paper
teacher talking to group of students
man looking down at his mobile phone
group of students sitting at a table
man looking down at his mobile phone
group of students sitting at a table
man looking down at his mobile phone
group of students sitting at a table

Lead Within is For

teacher helping student on laptop

Adults

Lead Within gives teachers, caseworkers, mentors, and program staff simple, ready-to-use lessons that make it easier to support youth and families. Each module offers practical tools for building confidence, managing emotions, improving communication, and guiding future planning, with little to no prep required.

two men sitting on stairs in front of a house looking at a laptop

Parents & Caregivers

Lead Within offers steady, easy-to-follow tools that help parents, foster parents, and caregivers support the youth in their lives. Lessons encourage healthy conversations, help families navigate stressful moments, and provide practical guidance for building resilience and moving toward a more hopeful future together.

young woman sitting on a floor with a laptop in her hands

Teens

Lead Within supports teens through the ups and downs of everyday life. Modules help them strengthen their confidence, handle stress, communicate more clearly, and plan for their future. Lessons are short, relatable, and flexible enough to use on their own or with support from a trusted adult.

Common Challenges We All Face

Self-Esteem and Confidence

  • Recurring self-doubt
  • Lack of self-assurance
  • Fear of failure
  • Second guessing abilities

Taking Care of Your Mind and Body

  • Overwhelmed by stress, anxiety
  • Struggling with lifestyle alignment
  • Difficulty prioritizing self-care
  • Lack of focus

Clarity in Purpose 
and Goal Setting

  • Feeling lost, unsure about future
  • Struggling to define goals
  • Unclear about purpose
  • Difficulty in determining next step

The Skills We Teach to Work Through Them

Strengthening 
Self-Perception

  • Positive affirmations
  • Confidence
  • Overcoming self-doubt
  • Identifying personal strengths

Achieving Mind-Body Balance

  • Stress management techniques
  • Habit stacking
  • Strategies for creating alignment
  • Embracing the present

Finding Clarity 
in Purpose

  • Self-reflection exercises
  • Setting SMART goals
  • Define your purpose statement
  • Goal breakdown strategies

Topics Designed to Build New Skills

Our lessons explore common parts of life like handling stress, understanding yourself, making decisions, and planning for the future. Each topic breaks things down into simple steps, offering tools that can make tough moments feel more manageable.

Get Started View Topics
illustration of a course curriculum

Interactive
Learning Resources

Each topic includes simple, interactive tools that help put skills into practice. Reflection prompts, short activities, scripts for starting hard conversations, and encouraging pep talks make it easier to understand the lesson and apply it in everyday moments independently or with support.

get started view topics
image of a person holding a mobile phone

Progress Tracking and Reporting

Our platform includes straightforward progress-tracking and reporting tools that help programs understand youth and family engagement. These insights make it easier to document participation, celebrate growth, and support consistent follow-through.

get started view topics
illustration of a course card showing a progress bar

Continual Updates and New Content

Lead Within grows alongside the people who use it. New resources are added over time, reflecting the needs we see in classrooms, casework sessions, and community programs. Each update is designed to offer steady, realistic support, not overwhelm.

get started view topics
young woman sitting with her legs crossed with a laptop on her lap

Our Evidence-Based Approach

Lead Within is built on three well-established, research-backed frameworks that support emotional wellbeing, resilience, and healthy development. We pair these foundations with guidance from trauma-informed clinical partners to ensure each lesson is practical, developmentally appropriate, and responsive to real-world needs.

Social and Emotional 
Learning (SEL)

SEL teaches practical skills for understanding emotions, managing stress, making decisions, and building healthy relationships. These skills help youth and families feel more steady, confident, and prepared for daily challenges.

Developmental
Assets

The Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets identify the supports and strengths young people need to grow, from caring relationships and boundaries to internal qualities like confidence, purpose, and responsibility. These assets guide how we design activities that help youth feel supported and capable.

PERMAH
Model

This model highlights six elements that contribute to wellbeing: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health. We weave these ideas into our lessons to help youth and families build balanced, meaningful lives one step at a time.

Who You’ll Learn With

Lead Within features lessons guided by Lisa Tarkington, Founder of Lead. Lisa helped shape the early videos using her background as an ICF-certified coach and her training in wellbeing and positive psychology, alongside input from trauma-informed clinicians and youth-serving professionals. As the platform continues to expand, you’ll see more presenters and voices added over time to reflect the diversity and lived experiences of the communities we support.

Lisa Tarkington talking to an audience.
"Our University has been working with Lead for almost two years. We started the program with our sophomore nursing students at their orientation. In this group of young women, we have seen an increase in confidence to share their thoughts and opinions, not only with their peers but with faculty and administration. These insights have helped our University to better understand the needs of our students and take action to resolve gaps. Our students have shared with us that after the sessions with Lead, they feel more cohesive as a cohort, they care for each other and realize they are not alone in their journey."
Workshop Partner
"We have worked with Lead for many years and are always blown away. Their work with youth is what I wish I had at that age. From overcoming limiting beliefs to creating a growth mindset, Lead is just what every community needs!"
Workshop Partner
"Lisa’s workshop was a wonderful experience and she presented the material in a very digestible, easy-to-understand manner. She led very thought-provoking activities that are great tools I’m going to hang on to so that I can use them on my own whenever I may need some confidence or self-care reminders."
Workshop Attendee
"The workshop led by Lisa was truly transformative for me in multiple ways. One of the things that impressed me the most was how she made a conscious effort to create a safe space for us to connect with ourselves and be present at the moment. What stood out to me the most was Lisa's ability to help me identify my personal needs as an individual to become the best version of myself. Her experience and expertise shone through as she provided practical advice and tools that I could apply in my daily life. I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected insights I gained from her guidance."
Workshop Attendee
"Learning about self-awareness made me realize how vital it is for me to start focusing on my personal health."
Workshop Attendee
"Lead has made a tremendous impact on our students, staff and faculty that have participated. Individuals spoke in great detail about the positive takeaways they had from participating. A common theme was that individuals felt more connected to themselves after partaking in the programming and had tools to help them discover more about themselves and grow. We are very thankful for this program and the benefits we have seen as a college."
Workshop Partner

Explore Our Topics

Each topic offers simple tools and activities designed to help you understand yourself, handle everyday challenges, and take steady steps toward your goals.

Confidence

Confidence isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you build. In this topic, you’ll learn how to trust yourself, speak up, and face challenges with strength, even when life has made you question your worth.

7 Videos | 6 Worksheets | 6 Scripts | 5 Pep Talks

View Topic

Self-Esteem

How you see yourself matters. This topic helps you build a more positive view of who you are with real tools like positive self-talk and reflection. You’ll practice lifting yourself up instead of tearing yourself down, even on the hard days.

2 Videos | 3 Worksheets | 2 Scripts | 2 Pep Talks

View Topic

Being Present

It’s easy to get stuck in the past or worry about what’s next. This topic helps you slow down, stay in the moment, and be more present with yourself and others so you can experience life more fully and reduce stress.

4 Videos | 3 Worksheets | 3 Scripts

View Topic

Purpose

You don’t have to have it all figured out, but having direction helps. In this topic, you’ll explore what matters to you and start building a life that reflects your values, passions, and potential.

3 Videos | 2 Worksheets | 1 Script | 1 Pep Talk

View Topic
View All Topics

Pricing

Discover the value of investing in yourself with our flexible and affordable membership options.

Yearly Subscription

$8.25/month

With our annual subscription, you're not just signing up for a membership; you're investing in a year-long journey of personal and professional growth. Enjoy unlimited access to expert-led topics and interactive resources to ensure consistent support and progress on your path to success.

get started

Monthly Subscription

$10/month

Embark on a month-to-month journey of self-discovery and growth with our monthly subscription. Gain access to expert-led topics and interactive resources, all designed to support your personal and professional development, one month at a time.

get started

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Our course is designed to be flexible, allowing you to learn at your own pace. You have the freedom to progress through the content according to your schedule and learning preferences, ensuring a personalized and comfortable experience.

The length of the topic can vary but typically learners dedicate 45 minutes to one hour per topic. However, your progress is saved as you go, so its easy to pick back up where you left off.

Our course caters to both individuals and companies seeking personal and professional development. Whether you're looking to enhance your own skills or support the growth of your team, our content is tailored to meet diverse needs effectively.

To learn more about how this course can benefit your organization and to discuss customization options, please contact our dedicated team at [email protected]. They'll be happy to provide further details and assist with any questions you may have.

Your Lead Within membership is active on a monthly basis, with the option to cancel anytime. We understand that circumstances may change, so we offer the flexibility for members to manage their subscriptions according to their needs. If you purchased a Yearly Membership your membership will renew yearly on the date you activated it. If you wish to cancel, your membership will not renew at the end of the year but you will retain access under the year is up.

In the top right hand corner, if you click your photo a dropdown appears, select "My Account." Then navigate to the "Billing" section, here you can edit your credit card or cancel your membership. You will retain access until the renewal date.