The Business of Life with Dr King
Dr Ariel Rosita King brings on a variety of International guests from various countries, cultures, organisations, and businesses to talk about turning
problem into possibilities! Let's turn our challenges in opportunities together!
The Business of Life with Dr King
Why a trusted adult can change a young person’s path— how The MentorWell builds that bridge with Chris Coulter (Canada)
The most powerful support isn’t always advice—it’s being heard by someone who truly understands. We sit down with entrepreneur and father Chris Coulter to explore how The Mentor Well pairs young people with mentors who’ve lived through similar challenges and can offer the rare combination of empathy, clarity, and practical tools. Instead of replacing therapy or policing from home, this approach builds a trusted, confidential space where teens and young adults can unpack pressure from school, identity questions, family change, or the noise of social media and leave with skills they can use the same day.
Chris explains why parents—out of love—often jump into “fix it” mode and how that can shut conversations down. Mentors do it differently: they ask whether a teen wants a “feel it” or “fix it” conversation, teach core elements of emotional intelligence like self‑awareness, self‑regulation, empathy and conflict repair, and celebrate small wins to build durable confidence. Matching by lived experience is the key. Whether it’s navigating divorce, a tough exam result, orientation questions, or the “now what?” after university, mentees see a real person who made it through—and that makes their own next step believable.
We also talk about what today’s families have lost as extended networks fade and comparison culture grows. The Mentor Well’s six‑month model gives time for trust to deepen and for practical habits—like writing down one daily win—to rewire how progress is measured. The aim isn’t dependency; it’s capability. Chris shares moving transformations and the deeply personal origin of the project: a tribute to his daughter Maddie, whose legacy fuels a mission to reach teens before crisis. If you care about youth mental fitness, mentoring, and real‑world life skills, this conversation offers a clear, humane blueprint.
If this resonates, subscribe, share with a parent or educator who needs it, and leave a review to help more families find these tools. Explore resources or get in touch at thementorwell.com.
Music, lyrics, guitar and singing by Dr Ariel Rosita King
Teach me to live one day at a time
with courage love and a sense of pride.
Giving me the ability to love and accept myself
so I can go and give it to someone else.
Teach me to live one day at a time.....
The Business of Life
Dr Ariella (Ariel) Rosita King
Original Song, "Teach Me to Live one Day At A Time"
written, guitar and vocals by Dr. Ariel Rosita King
Dr King Solutions (USA Office)
1629 K St, NW #300,
Washington, DC 20006, USA,
+1-202-827-9762
DrKingSolutons@gmail.com
DrKingSolutions.com
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Business of Life. Today we have a very special guest, Mr. Chris Coulter. Welcome, sir.
ChrisCoulter:Hello. How are you, Dr. Ariel?
DrArielKing:Very good, thank you. So I'm really looking forward to our discussion today. Could you please introduce yourself to our audience?
ChrisCoulter:My name is Chris Coulter. I am a father of three, uh, two boys and an angel. I'm an entrepreneur who has experienced a lot of ups and downs in life. And um my my my my focus is on an online mentoring program we created called the mentor well, which is a it's it's to help kids who are looking for a non-judgmental um voice or a non-judgmental um way to talk to people because parents aren't parents aren't mentors. Parents kids don't share everything they share. Um parents think that they could be a great mentor, but they often are not. So um so I felt I felt there was a a need in the marketplace, and the market has responded and told me, yes, absolutely, there is a huge need for this.
DrArielKing:Wonderful. Can you tell us more about um what this is and and how it works and who it works for and why it works?
ChrisCoulter:So it's intended to be a bridge between parenting and therapy. And we're not a replacement for therapy. The the challenge is when kids are going through different events in life, it could be a parent's divorce, could be the death of a pet, it could be a a bad exam mark, it could be not getting into the university of their choice. There's so many things in life that um kids aren't taught about their emotions and how to regulate them. And the mentorship, mentorship's intended to be a um an emotionally intelligent adult who can just sit and listen and and and allow a non-judgmental space for for teens to share. It's intended for kids who aren't necessarily in need of therapy. There, they could be lacking confidence, they could be lacking direction, they could have challenges in their lives that they don't have anyone to talk to. Some refuse to talk to therapists, they feel they're not broken, and in many cases they're not. Um but but mentoring is it it helps create a trusted space. And anything that kids aren't able to talk aloud about, they suppress. And that is not good how that uh how they go about dealing with these problems. They don't they're not emotionally equipped to be able to handle a lot of this stuff, and so that's why we're seeing so many kids, so many teens that are really struggling. And I'll give you an example. So um someone someone might be going through challenges with their sexual orientation. It's not something most kids won't go, hey, mom and dad, um what do I do here? Um and that's where perhaps having someone to guide, someone who has gone through it. So someone might be um someone might be of the uh LGBQ uh community who can who's been through it. Maybe they went through it five, 10 years earlier. So talking through some of these challenges that that they encountered to ease the burden and ease the road for that child who's trying to navigate those same struggles and those same decisions.
DrArielKing:This really makes a difference. And how does a young person get a mentor? How is a mentor and a young person put together?
ChrisCoulter:So there's um so parents come on board, they and they they understand kind of the the the methodology behind mentorship. It's the importance, the importance for teens as well as for them to understand this isn't a way for parents to spy on their on their kids. There's a confidentiality aspect to this, because if it didn't exist, we would not kids wouldn't open up. And so there's a uh what I refer to as a one-way contract between the mentor and the mentee, meaning that the mentee can share the conversations that we have in our sessions, but the mentor does not go back to the parent and say, well, this is what's going on. And and so what that does is it helps, it just it helps create a safe space and establishes trust. So they will will hopefully open up. Um so we have a series of different mentors who come from all different walks of life. It could be athletes, it could be um people from academia, it could be some, it could be doctor, it could be it could be someone who has navigated serious health issues, it could be someone who's navigated um a really negative experience through a divorce. Um so any obstacle in life, what we try to do is we try to mirror the the mentee with the mentor through lived experiences. Because lived experiences isn't something out of a textbook. It is relatable, it it helps to alleviate some of the fear, knowing that someone else has gone through this previously and they came out the other side and they're flourishing. And so the goal is not to have kids just get by in life. The intent is to make sure we want to get kids to a place where they're flourishing. We want there's not enough happiness out there. There's not enough people who, enough kids who feel really good about where they are. And the challenge is well, kids are facing so many different obstacles through social media, through comparison through educ and education. Um, the job market is competitive. So, what what we want to do is we want kids to be equipped with with tools so they can go into that next chapter of life composed and confident. The other aspect that's really important is we we practice uh many of the elements of emotional intelligence: self-regulation, self-awareness, conflict resolution, empathy. These are all vital skills. These aren't soft skills, as everyone loves to refer to them as. They are life skills, they're essential. And for EQ, emotional intelligence has been revered as being more impactful and more effective than IQ as far as determining one's success in life. And the beauty of EQ is it can be learned. And and and so teaching kids how to self-regulate. And um, I have I have mentees that have gone, Chris, I can handle situations now where I couldn't a year or so ago. And they just have this inner confidence, they they they may have had challenges with their parents. Well, those they're able to repair those relationships. And the as I like to say, conflicts are inevitable. What we need to do is we need to establish how we can repair those relationships. And a lot of teenagers, they just get so adamant and they get angry and they can't express themselves and truly tell how they feel. So, what we want to do is we want to create a safe environment for kids so they feel like they're they're in a better place. They can navigate life's obstacles um by giving these these tools, but also having these shared, these shared experiences with their mentors.
DrArielKing:I think this makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it? I'm wondering with all the stress that young people are now having, um, and it seems to be different than maybe when I was growing up, right? Which was a long time ago. Me too. Yes. I'm wondering, do you think the change within the family has made a difference? Not having those cousins, those aunties, those uncles around, um, not having as much family around to actually have these type of discussions that you don't necessarily have with your parents. Do you think that that's making a difference also? The change in the family structure?
ChrisCoulter:I I I definitely believe that. I think um I think growing up, I had I had various coaches that made a big difference in my life. Um I had relationships with my friends' parents. Um I didn't have a a large extended family, but a lot of people have resources of a of an aunt or an uncle who is a safe space to talk. Um, even neighbors. And neighbors are we're we're people that I was exposed to all the time when I was growing up. Uh, and and we just don't have that same dynamic that exists in society like it used to. And having those those kind relationships that are outside of our parents are so vital. And it helps us to it helps to shape us. Um and uh I I do truly believe that because of the lack of exposure to all these different groups, it it absolutely does. And of course, we're also dealing with uh the advent of of social media, so we're trying to navigate a lot of those challenges. Kids are constantly in a comparative state, and they're always um they're trying to get to that. I want to be that influencer, and all that does is it creates this gap mentality. It it it's I'm I'm not feeling good about myself because I'm not who those people are. And the other thing that we we do from the mentor well's perspective is we ensure the kids practice um celebration and and and and taking those little wins that they have and acknowledging them. So as opposed to these kids having goals, and if they only get 80% of the way to their goal, they see that as a defeat. And as opposed to if if we go back and say, yeah, but look where you started and look at how much you've grown. And by acknowledging and celebrating it, all of a sudden kids go, as opposed to I fell short of my goal, now I'm like, wow, this is I I I have done a lot, and the and the most important thing is to write it down. And if and one thing I talk with my mentees all the time is I want I want you to put down one win that you had every single day. Write it down, and after a month, you've got a really powerful list of things like what have you done this month? If you don't, if you don't record it, if you don't celebrate it, it doesn't exist, not in our mentality. So by putting it on paper and being able to go back and read all these things you've accomplished, that in itself is stuff, I can actually do this. And it gives them a belief in themselves. And that's so powerful and so it's it's very limited what kids actually are are able to kind of celebrate because we don't give them the ability to celebrate. And we look, we we look forward as opposed to measuring backwards. Measuring backwards is so important.
DrArielKing:I love that. And measuring today makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it? I really love the fact that you're saying to them, put put it down, write it down. And uh when we talk about social media, this is so interesting to me. They look at what that person is doing, but that's just a snapshot for two minutes, and what they're seeing could be false, just a picture of what life is like rather than what life is truly like. And the fact that young people are trying to imitate sometimes things that don't actually exist. So I love the fact that you, as mentors and and what you're doing um with um your your company is actually letting young people understand that they are to be celebrated and that every little win makes a difference, and more importantly, their existence matters that who they are and who they are through the day as they come into contact with other people makes the world a better place.
ChrisCoulter:Absolutely, absolutely. So um, yeah, so uh so currently uh we are operating in Canada. Uh we our goal simply because of the demand is to is to to to next go into the US as well as into Europe. Um and we've it the beauty, the beauty and the challenge is um because mentors are not licensed per se, we're not bound by geographical restrictions like certain other health practitioners are. And because we're not a health practitioner, we're not a replacement for therapy. Um, but what we do is we allow we allow a universal ability for kids to talk to someone, to be partnered up with someone that has gone through what they've gone through, and hopefully navigate uh a positive outcome from it.
DrArielKing:That's Julie, what may I ask about how long um are they partnered for? Is it three months, six months, one year?
ChrisCoulter:We ask for a six-month commitment, which they can which they can extend or put into a maintenance program. And I'm what I mean by that is you have uh you have you have kids who we get, it's like a it's like a block of clay when we first see them. And and in after every session, the the honesty starts coming out, the stories keep coming out, the trust as it as it becomes more and more established, uh the kids are kids are able to open up and share what's going on. Um it's a it it's it it really is a beautiful it's a beautiful transformation. And as these kids get more and more confident, they're able to address some of these challenges in their life on their own. And so the biggest compliment from a ment a mentor's standpoint, the less a mentee needs you, helps to reinforce that mentorship is actually working. And uh as much as it's kind of a bitter sweep, because you know what, it you grow attached to these kids and they're and for the most part, they're they're amazing kids, they're just misunderstood, um, or they just don't believe in themselves. And to see this transformation of this of this kid into this confident person who's able to tackle the issues that they were stymied with six months later is is incredible. I'll share, I'll share a story. Um, one of my first mentees um had some challenges with uh when I came on board, had some real challenges with their mother. They were they it was it was it was a less than ideal circumstances, and and he refused to go to therapy, and quite frankly, I don't think he needed therapy because he was he wasn't broken, he didn't have any mental health challenges. But after about six months, he uh he he he said, Chris, I I'm able to tackle these tackle these um challenges with my parents that I wasn't able to before, or other challenges that were going on in their life. But the nice part about it is the kids aren't going, we don't expect perfection and we don't say to the parents, we're gonna bring you back a perfect kid. That's not realistic, uh as realistic as me coming coming out of this perfectly. Um but what we want to be able to do is we just want them to have these these these little stepping stones every single week. And these stepping stones represent confidence, um things that they never thought they could do, but they're now able to do. And that is something that when you when you see that, um, and even when when when kids don't need us as often, the one thing that this one this one teenager said, he said, Chris, I forgot how important our conversations are and how much they they help give me confidence and be able to address challenges I'd never addressed before. It's not that I go in into fix it mode because we don't fix. That's parents. Parents, that's why they break down a lot. The relationship breaks down because they jump into fix it mode. Not out of criticism, but uh, it's out of love. And um because we don't have that same emotional connection that parents have, we we just want to ensure that we listen well and we encourage them to share. And if it's a phrase I like to say is do we is this a fix it or feel it conversation? Meaning, do you want just for me to sit and listen and absorb it, or do you want my opinion? And and because sometimes, you know what, sitting quietly on the other side of the phone doesn't, or the other side of the computer doesn't necessarily it doesn't necessarily move the the relationship forward. Um, but what we need to be able to do is is we need to be able to just give these kids a safe space to s to talk. And the difference that I've seen in the kids that I have talked to, it it's it's transformational. And to see a kid walk out with confidence that was really afraid of their own shadow six months before is pretty powerful. And and the thing is, it's nothing I've done other than other than really giving them a safe space to share their story.
DrArielKing:That's really so powerful. It's amazing to me that that you've done something that is so important to just being a human being and actually going through development as a teenager. Um, and when we were both growing up, we we had those people, those neighbors, we had family, we had coaches. And I know in my own life, I have had so many mentors throughout my life. And as a result of that, I've been able to do everything that I've done, including start a foundation 25 years ago from a mentor. Um, so mentorship is so important for all of our development. And I love the fact that you've actually um put something in place that's structural to help teenagers. May I ask, um, do you have the same number of males and females? And is it mostly teenagers that you work with?
ChrisCoulter:Um so the people that we actually work with, it's it's it's uh age 10 till 25. Um, so we get them as they're just kind of going into that adolescence stage, where quite frankly, there's a lot of opportunity. So usually on the younger side are the girls because they mature quicker. And um, and the 25-year-olds are those ones that come out of university and they're like, all right, now what? And I don't know about you, but well, you you you've got a you're a doctor, so you you've obviously continued on your path, but when I came out of university, and I I I got a I got a Bachelor of Arts in political science, I was more confused as to what I wanted to do than when I went in. So uh so we get them on either end of the spectrum. So from 10 from 10 up to 25, and and kids need help at all stages. It's not life is tough, and uh and if you don't feel like you have someone to share that with, and I think the number I heard over the last number of years, 30 percent of kids feel they have no one in their corner that they can talk to.
DrArielKing:That is so sad. And can I ask, um, can you tell us a story of why you decided to start this uh for young people?
ChrisCoulter:Um so the mentor well, I lost my 14-year-old daughter, Maddie, to suicide in 2015. And she was an incredible kid. She was my eldest, my first child. Uh she was confident, she was funny, she was smart, she was athletic. Um, but she also had was navigating stuff that was outside of her understanding, navigating a business of my business that went out of um that went out of business, which impacted financially. We we we changed residences a year later. Um we became uh their mother and I separated, went through a nasty divorce, and she wanted to keep, she wanted to take the kids to Europe, and I said, no, I want to keep them in Canada. So she she was she was like the pawn in our in our in our divorce. And I know it it it had an incredible toll upon her emotionally. She was torn, uh she was in a no-win situation. And uh from the day that we lost her, I was I was when you when you lose a child, you always look in reflection as to what you could have done differently. And I I always thought if Maddie had someone who could have talked through our divorce with someone who had gone through something similarly, maybe five, ten years before that, and how they navigated it. It it just helps them to be able to understand that as dire as it may seem in any given moment, it's never it's that's a moment in time, and there's a way through it. And sometimes we can figure it out ourselves, but often we need other people to lean on to be able to get through. So the mentor well is a tribute to my daughter Maddie, and I I feel she is my co-pilot on this because I I there's so much good that comes from this, and it's all because of her and because of the the the kid she was. And parents parents look at kids who they might seem like quiet or they may be loners or they may not like school. It's it's not that we don't have to worry about those kids, it's the the those who are high achievers who always are raising the bar on themselves. And once once they they actually face adversity, that's when they're challenged for the first time and they don't know how to navigate that. And it's so important. And it's not maybe it's not that not that far down the road enough. We want to get them before they get to crisis, because once once they're in crisis mode, then mentorship is off the table. It takes on remediation, it takes on a completely different set of um, it takes a completely different direction. And so if we get into that, if we start talking to these kids when they're just at that tipping point where, yeah, they're facing some challenges, but they're not, they're not um completely, they're not completely devastated by it, then then I think that is our window of opportunity to be able to jump in and get these kids when they're still in a in a really good state of mind.
DrArielKing:I love the fact that you've taken a crisis, a family crisis, and something that affects your life and your family's life forever, and turn it into something that's so positive for so many um children, not just in Canada, but as you go around the world. I want to thank you for your time. Believe it or not, our 30 minutes has gone so fast. Would you like to tell our audience how to find you and the mentor well? Maddie's mentor well. Thank you.
ChrisCoulter:Uh so sure. You can reach us. Uh our website is thementorwell.com. Um we are, as I mentioned, we're in Canada for for the time being. Um, we work with businesses, we work with schools, and we work with families, individual families. So um there's a whole host of resources on our website about emotional intelligence, just about a lot of storytelling, um, navigating. There's it's a tremendous resource for parents. And um people that have been on it just go, wow, this is this is great. Thank you. It's it's helped many parents parent better. And that is that's that's that's part of our goal as well.
DrArielKing:Thank you. I'm looking forward to actually going online myself and learning as much as I can as a parent. So to our audience, thank you for being with us. And remember, if I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, then when? That's by the philosopher Hillel. And I've added if not me, then who? Thank you so much for joining us.