THE ART OF ADULTING

Through her Adulting 101 Masterclass, Highland Park’s Heather Redisch empowers young people with the skills, confidence, and mindset to succeed in their careers and personal lives.

For many young adults, stepping from college into the professional world can feel anything but seamless. They enter a landscape crowded with unwritten rules: how to navigate a job interview; network effectively; and handle subtle workplace etiquette. Heather Redisch, founder of Adulting 101 Masterclass, saw these struggles firsthand during her career as a recruiter and talent consultant. Today, she is committed to equipping recent graduates with the confidence and skill sets they need to thrive in the workforce.

Redisch built a career in talent management, launching The Talent Maven in 2020 to help companies enhance their recruiting strategies and internal operations. But through conversations with recent graduates, she began noticing something unsettling.
“In 2022, I started noticing recent graduates struggling in interviews in ways I hadn’t seen before,” Redisch recalls. “They weren’t following up properly, lacked confidence, and seemed uncomfortable engaging in professional conversations.” This observation was across the board with Redisch noticing it even among graduates of top-tier schools.

The turning point came when Redisch read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, which gave her the language to describe what she’d been intuitively sensing. “I had this epiphany. The book described my students, who were graduating right now, and explained why they’re struggling,” she recalls. The book highlights the lasting, negative effects of early smartphone exposure and COVID-era isolation on Gen Z’s capacity to communicate face-to-face. “Between smartphones and COVID, they’re truly ill-equipped,” Redisch explains. “Instead of older generations complaining, we need to help them.”

From this realization, the Adulting 101 Masterclass was born.

Adulting 101 is a six-week program that helps recent graduates master essential professional and life skills not typically taught in college. The boot camp consists of networking in person and on LinkedIn, mastering interviews, self-advocating in their careers, and handling tough workplace conversations. The program also covers financial literacy, from understanding paychecks and credit to 401(k) savings, plus the logistics of moving to a new city, making new friends, and protecting mental health through executive functioning. It’s everything young professionals need to confidently navigate post-college life.

One key principle Redisch emphasizes is developing a personal “board of directors.” She encourages her students to surround themselves with mentors who will challenge them and support their growth. “I tell my students they need to think like an owner: take risks; get uncomfortable; and build a community around themselves,” Redisch notes.

However, Redisch believes the program’s real power lies in teaching students to develop resilience and to be comfortable with discomfort. When asked if any moments since the launch of Adulting 101 have stood out, Redisch immediately shared the story of a student who attended a networking event alone after overcoming his anxiety. “He told me afterward, ‘I never would have gone if I hadn’t been in your class,’” she says. “He set a goal to shake hands with the event’s keynote speaker, and he did it. By the end of the night, he was engaging confidently and left feeling genuinely proud.”

Redisch’s work resonates deeply with parents on Chicago’s North Shore, many of whom invest significantly in their children’s academic success only to find that traditional academics don’t always translate into real-world readiness. “Parents love having me as a middleman,” Redisch explains. “It takes the pressure off them to constantly nudge their kids about job searches and etiquette, giving them peace of mind that someone neutral is guiding their kids effectively.”

As a parent herself, Redisch empathizes with these families. She provides uniquely motivating support by being equally relatable, professional, and inspiring—qualities that undoubtedly help her build trust and confidence with her early-career clients.
Redisch’s Adulting 101 Masterclass continues to grow, with more young professionals seeking crucial skills missing from their formal education. She also partners directly with companies to train entry-level employees by closing generational communication gaps and fostering cohesive, supportive workplaces.

At its core, Redisch’s mission is about empowerment. She strongly advocates shifting the conversation away from blaming Gen Z for communication gaps and toward actively supporting and educating them, helping them transform from uncertain to self-assured.

As Redisch succinctly says, “If they can learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable, they’ll be able to tackle whatever life throws at them.”

For more information, visit adulting101masterclass.com.