Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity: Recent Episodes
Jeff Ikler
Personal leadership and career coach Jeff Ikler and guests help unlock the innate curiosity we're all born with. Getting Unstuck-Cultivating Curiosity is about seeing the familiar from a different angle or seeing something new as a package of possibilities one can unwrap and consider.
Guest Nick Parish is a writer, angler, and educator in Portland, Oregon. He's the editorial voice behind Current Flow State, a publication and member community aimed at helping people make fly fishing a bigger part of their life.
Summary Fly fishing instructor, writer, and educator Nick Parrish joins me for a conversation that quickly moves beyond techniques and equipment into the philosophy of fly fishing and what it can teach about living well. Drawing inspiration from the writings of John Gierach, Nick argues that fly fishing is less about catching fish than cultivating attentiveness, curiosity, creativity, and meaningful relationships—with rivers, wildlife, fellow anglers, and oneself.
Nick explains how his own teaching emphasizes observation before action, encouraging students to slow down, study the water, and immerse themselves in the environment rather than rushing to make the first cast. He advocates a minimalist approach to gear, believing that skill, versatility, and creative problem-solving matter far more than accumulating expensive equipment. Throughout the conversation, Nick and I reflect on several memorable John Gierach quotations, using them as springboards to discuss mindfulness, companionship, conservation, and the restorative power of time spent outdoors.
The discussion also explores the ethical tension inherent in catch-and-release fishing. Nick acknowledges the paradox of loving fish while pursuing them, arguing that responsible anglers must balance that tension through conservation, habitat restoration, and sound fisheries management. He describes experiments such as fishing without hooks and emphasizes that the future of fly fishing depends on protecting the ecosystems that sustain it.
Ultimately, Nick and I conclude that fly fishing is best understood as a creative, deeply attentive way of engaging with the natural world—one in which the journey, the place, and the experience matter far more than the number of fish caught.
A key takeaway Fly fishing is a practice of attention. When we slow down, observe deeply, and engage creatively with the natural world, the fish become only one part of a much richer experience of connection, learning, and stewardship.
References / Links Ihttp://www.currentflowstate.com/subscribe
http://www.currentflowstate.com/immerse
https://shop.currentflowstate.com/b/deschutes-ribbon-map-dra-benefit
https://bsky.app/profile/nickparish.bsky.social
https://www.instagram.com/currentflowstate/
John Gierach Quotes
Today on Getting Unstuck Hi, I'm Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I'm periodically releasing mini-episodes of "Cultivating Curiosity." In about 10 minutes, I'll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work.
Summary This mini-episode revisits Jeff Ikler's conversation with Dr. Christian Busch, author of Connect the Dots: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck, to explore why serendipity is far more than simple luck. Dr. Busch argues that serendipity is "smart luck"—unexpected opportunities that emerge when people actively connect unrelated ideas and act on them. The process begins with a trigger, an unexpected event or encounter, followed by a "bisociation," in which two seemingly unrelated concepts are linked. The final step is recognizing and pursuing an unanticipated opportunity that results from that connection.
Jeff illustrates this process through several examples.
The episode concludes with Dr. Busch's insight that self-limiting beliefs—fear of rejection, imposter syndrome, or feelings of inadequacy—often prevent serendipity from unfolding. By reframing the greater risk as the regret of never acting, people become more willing to pursue unexpected possibilities. Jeff ultimately argues that awareness, curiosity, and courage allow us to recognize and cultivate the hidden opportunities that life continually presents.
Guest Dr. Christian Busch is the author of The Serendipity Mindset and an internationally known expert in the areas of innovation, purpose-driven leadership, and serendipity.
He is the director of the CGA Global Economy Program at New York University (NYU), and also teaches at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is a co-founder of Leaders on Purpose and the Sandbox Network and a former director of LSE's Innovation Lab. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Expert Forum, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and on the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 thinkers "most likely to shape the future.
The central idea Serendipity isn't something that simply happens to us—it is something we help create. By remaining curious, connecting unexpected dots, and acting despite uncertainty, we greatly increase the likelihood of discovering opportunities we never could have planned.
Connect / Referenced Book: The Serendipity Mindset
Twitter: @ChrisSerendip
LinkedIn: Christian Busch
Book: Meaningful Coincidences
Guest Dr. Melissa Hughes is a keynote speaker, author, and Human Potential Alchemist who helps people understand how the brain works so they can work, lead, and live better. With a doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction and decades of experience translating neuroscience into practical strategies, Melissa has become a trusted voice for organizations looking to improve leadership, communication, performance, and culture.
She is the creator of the Cognitive Blueprint™, a neuroscience-based assessment that reveals how your brain naturally processes information, makes decisions, solves problems, and responds under pressure. Rather than labeling who you are, it helps you understand how your brain works so you can communicate more effectively, lead with greater intention, and perform at your best.
Melissa is also the creator of Wired for Success, an online learning experience that combines neuroscience, live coaching, and practical tools to help participants build better habits, strengthen resilience, improve decision-making, and create lasting personal and professional change.
Whether she's on stage, writing, or developing new learning experiences, Melissa's mission is simple: make neuroscience personal, practical, and powerful.
Summary Melissa Hughes returns to the microphone to discuss her new Cognitive Blueprint, a neuroscience-based assessment designed to help people understand how their brains naturally think and behave—especially under pressure. Rather than categorizing personalities, the Cognitive Blueprint identifies "neuro efficiency patterns," or the thinking strategies our brains default to when stress and cortisol push us into survival mode. Melissa explains that these patterns develop over time through repeated experiences, learning, and reinforcement, making them adaptable rather than fixed.
Drawing on her own tendency to generate endless ideas without always finishing projects, Melissa illustrates how recognizing our default thinking patterns allows us to interrupt unproductive habits before they take over. She describes how increased self-awareness re-engages the brain's prefrontal cortex, enabling better decision-making, planning, and collaboration.
Jeff and Melissa explore how understanding these cognitive patterns can improve teamwork, leadership, communication, and even personal relationships. They also discuss the implications for education, arguing that schools often ignore the neuroscience of learning by expecting students to perform their best while under significant stress. Melissa contends that curiosity is one of the most powerful ways to build new neural pathways throughout life, helping people move beyond automatic thinking and develop greater cognitive flexibility.
The conversation concludes with a broader discussion of happiness, success, and gratitude. Melissa challenges the traditional formula that hard work leads to success and then happiness, arguing instead that cultivating happiness first creates the neurological conditions that allow people to work harder, perform better, and ultimately achieve greater success.
A key takeaway Our brains automatically fall back on well-established thinking patterns when we're under pressure, but those patterns are not permanent. By understanding how our brains naturally operate and approaching challenges with curiosity, we can interrupt unhelpful defaults, think more effectively, and work better with others.
References / Links www.melissahughes.rocks
Subscribe to receive Neuro Nugget
The Cognitive Blueprint™
Wired For Success
The story behind this episode The story I relate in this episode emerged when, in September 2019, I walked some of the World War I battlefields in Belgium and France with my guide, Iain McHenry. As we walked along where a trench had existed during the war, Iain told me the story of an archaeological dig that recovered and eventually identified the remains of a British soldier who was killed there in November 1914 in a German mortar attack. The story has stayed with me because of how the soldier, Richard Lancaster, was finally identified and because there are literally thousands of other Richards who've never been found.
Rather than tell the story as a straight historical narrative, I wanted the piece to have a distinct voice, so I chose to write it from the perspective of Richard's unique dog tag, which led to his identification.
After we visited the site where Richard was found, we visited where he was later buried. (see the photo) Our final stop on this part of the journey was the nearby
Principals Cindy House is the author of Mother Noise, a memoir in essays and a regular opener for David Sedaris on his tours across the country. She teaches nonfiction at the Gotham Writers Workshop. She also offers private writing classes.
Cindy is my writing coach, and our Friday meetings are a high point of my week. This essay came out of a prompt she suggested: "Write about a headline that never left you." She epitomizes good teaching: she is quick to challenge me to "dig deeper for my real story," offers sound suggestions, and then praises me when I hit a strong note. I can't imagine taking this writer's journey with anyone else.
When we had completed the essay, I asked her for her thoughts on producing an audio version. Unexpectedly, she was quick to offer her voice. You can't see me smiling, but trust me, I still am.
Iain McHenry was born in Belfast and, after leaving school, joined the British Army, embarking on a career that took him all over the world. He was stationed in Germany, Northern Ireland, Canada, the Falkland Islands, and Belgium, and he has completed operational tours in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone.
He has always had a passion for WW1, and after leaving the army, he started his own business in Belgium, working as a WW1 researcher, battlefield guide, and published author.
Today on Getting Unstuck Hi, I'm Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I'm periodically releasing mini-episodes of "Cultivating Curiosity." In about 10 minutes, I'll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work.
At some point during the summer of 2019, I was walking in our nearby forest preserve, listening to a podcast with Tim Ferriss in conversation with Seth Godin. Tim Ferriss always asks his guests during the wrap-up what they're reading that they find fascinating—books that have truly impacted them. Without hesitation, Seth Godin replied, The Art of Possibility. I thought, if Seth Godin found the book worthwhile, I had to look into it.
The authors of the book are Benjamin Zander, who at the time was the Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and served on the Faculty of the New England Conservatory in Boston. That's an important distinction, as you will hear.
And Rosamund Stone Zander was a family therapist and a landscape painter. Sadly, Roz died in September 2023 in a tragic accident.
The idea
The book's central premise is that life is a story and we are its author. Many of the circumstances that block us from leading a deeply satisfying life are assumptions and interpretations of our own making. We can, therefore, write better ones. Supporting that idea are 12 practices, which, if followed, promise to transform our thinking and the way we walk through life.
The book, then, and this is important, is not a self-improvement book that results in merely tweaking our undesirable habits or making only incremental changes. The 12 practices are powerfully disruptive. Not surprisingly, because Roz was a psychotherapist, the practices call for a completely different way of looking at the world and our behavior.
I purchased the audio version of the book because the authors narrated it and Ben infused it with rich musical examples. If I had been asked to write a back cover blurb, I might have offered something very erudite like, "I was blown away by it." It sits on my bookshelf with only a few other titles that I can grab in case of disaster.
At the time, I thought I had little hope of securing Ben and Roz as guests on our fledgling show, but they could not have been more gracious in their response and participation. Episode 100, which I'll link in the show notes, has become one of my top 5 downloaded episodes out of more than 400, and for good reason.
I'm going to feature two of the practices in this mini-episode:
One is "It's all invented," which is really the capstone practice, and
Two, Giving an A.
In both cases, the authors will explain the practice in an excerpt from the original interview, followed by my brief commentary.
It's all invented. Here is Roz touching on "It's all invented."
Everything we do or say is really embedded in an interpretation, and we don't notice that, and when slide back and forth between the interpretation and what we say is real, and most of the time we are saying that what we, how we are interpreting things is reality, and that's how you get Republicans, Democrats, and all sorts of people in conflict because they don't make that distinction, so we are saying everything that you do and talk about, aside from something that everybody agrees is just happened or is true, is a story, and if you, if everything is a story, you can retell the story, and it'll make a different life for you. Enormous power of realizing that, and then saying, "Okay, let me just take the same circumstances I've just dealt with and make up a new story about it that helps, that is enlivening to me and enlivening to you and enlivening to everybody else.
This practice has always taught me that I have the power to reframe and interpret what I've seen or heard about something, whether it's external or internal to me, so that whatever it is becomes more meaningful. I don't see this as putting a glossy coat of paint on something. It's challenging me to look at an aspect of life for what can be gleaned from it. This practice definitely calls for me to pause, step back, and refrain from immediate judgment. And that's not always easy because it runs counter to how our brains seek immediate clarity.
As an exercise, take a situation and see if you can look at it differently so that it is, as Roz suggests, more enlivening. Sometimes you might have to do this through gritted teeth, but remember, you are the author of the story.
Give yourself an "A." OK, here is the second practice: Giving an A. We'll hear from both Ben and Roz in this excerpt.
The giving of the, which was Ross's idea, came out of my class, and the reason is that the students were living under such fear of competition and failure, and so I, we came up with this idea, Ross came up with the idea, and I practiced it, which is giving the A the beginning of the year before they've done anything. This is right in the very first class, they get the grade. The condition is there to write a letter at the beginning of the year describing who they will have become by the end of the year, and that to justify this thing, and so they're describing themselves at their very best at being successful and effective and wonderful musicians and people, and that's the person I teach when I go into the class, so that there became a way of approaching all teaching or conducting, I walk into an orchestra and give everybody an a instantaneously before we've begun, and the orchestra players feel that sense of confidence, of trust, of joy, of shared love of the music, and it creates an atmosphere. Oh, and then very important, if they make a mistake, we go, how fascinating. That has to be seen. How fascinating. I encourage people to go out and try that on the golf course, because what we do is we live under such fear of failure that we become very cautious and anxious, fearful, and looking all the time to see if other people are making the mistakes, and so it's not an atmosphere of risk taking and joy, and if you create an atmosphere of risk taking and joy, then, and everybody who makes a mistake gets to say, "How fascinating, then you've got a chance to people to learn more effectively, giving something here about transformation, because if we don't give an A and hope they'll live up to it, right, you see them as an A, and that means that I, or Ben, as the teacher or therapist, or whoever's given the giving the A has to do the work themselves, that becomes the relationship of an A. It isn't just the student that we hope to help along, because they feel loved and everything, and now they, they're not afraid. It is the relationship that changes, and that is the transformation. So, teachers transformed, students transform in the process, and transformation means that you're living in a different world, you're living in a world that doesn't operate by the same physics as the world we live in. It's very hard for people to get that the A is not a judgment
Giving an A is my favorite of the twelve practices because, as Roz pointed out, it carries responsibility for both the giver and the receiver. We can give anyone an A, and that calls for us to see and treat them differently because our intent is that the A becomes, to quote from the book, "a possibility for the receiver to live into."
I saw immediate application in my lifelong vocation of education. The key, as the authors point out in the book, is for the receiver to "place themselves in the future, looking back, and to report on all the insights they acquired and milestones they attained during the year as if those accomplishments were already in the past. Everything must be written in the past tense. Phrases such as I hope or I intend or I will must not appear."
As an exercise, give a server in a restaurant an A the minute you sit down. How might doing so impact your behavior toward them? The key point here is that you're not trying to get the server to live up to a standard you've set, but to have them look more carefully at their own behavior and how they want to conduct themselves.
Connect / Referenced Book: The Art of Possibility
Benjamin Zander Center
Video: Ben's TED Talk
Video: Ben on "Giving an A"
Rosamund Stone Zander
Book: Pathways to Possibility
Original episode: Creating a Life of Possibility: "How Fascinating!"
Guest JoAnne Duncan has had a varied career, from Alaskan fly-fishing guide to elementary teacher and principal, always focused on valuing the strengths of every student and staff member. Though she's stepped away from her career in public education, she continues to learn, grow, and inspire others. A lifelong learner, she finds joy and insight outdoors, exploring nature and discovering new ideas, always growing, always learning, and always curious.
Summary In Part 1 of this episode, JoAnne reflected on her unconventional path into education, her transition into school leadership, and ultimately her decision to leave the profession because of the toll it was taking on her physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Since leaving, JoAnne has focused on what she calls "radical self-care," prioritizing physical and mental health through activities like yoga, swimming, and surfing in Hawaii. This period of recovery has restored her well-being and opened space for reflection about her future. While she continues to enjoy substitute teaching, she is exploring new directions, particularly those involving helping others, possibly through fitness, motivation, or personal growth.
JoAnne and I have known each other for years, so when I learned she was struggling with what to do next, I proposed that we both read Elizabeth Weingarten's book, How to Fall in Love with Questions: A New Way to Thrive in Times of Uncertainty, to see what comes up for us. The central message of the book is that uncertainty is not a problem to be solved as quickly as possible; it is a condition of life that can foster growth, insight, and self-discovery when approached with curiosity and patience. The book was inspired by Elizabeth's own questions and her reading of the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who believed that we can benefit from "falling in love with our questions"—in effect, living patiently with them.
Part 2, then, explores our takeaways from reading Elizabeth's book. You can hear my conversation with Elizabeth in episode #421: https://bit.ly/44HQsAk
A key takeaway Burnout isn't always a signal to work harder—it may be an invitation to rethink the questions you're asking about your life. By embracing uncertainty with curiosity and self-compassion, you can find opportunities that align more closely with your values and well-being.
References / Links Instagram — @newave_nana
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneduncan990/
How to Fall in Love Questions: A New Way to Thrive in Times of Uncertainty
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Guest Elizabeth Weingarten is a journalist and applied behavioral scientist who works at the intersection of science and storytelling. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, she has worked on the editorial staffs of The Atlantic, Slate, and Qatar Today, and was Managing Editor of Behavioral Scientist. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Atlantic, Slate, CNN, The Financial Times, Quartz, Harvard Business Review, and Time.
She has led research programs at the think tank New America, the consultancy ideas42, and at tech companies Torch and Udemy. An in-demand speaker, she has shared her work and conducted workshops at venues including SXSW, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and the University of Virginia. She lives in Northern California with her husband and son.
Summary In this conversation, author Elizabeth Weingarten discusses her book How to Fall in Love with Questions—a New Way to Thrive in Times of Uncertainty, which explores how people can develop a healthier relationship with uncertainty. Drawing on the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke, behavioral science, neuroscience, philosophy, and personal experience, she argues that uncertainty is not something to be eliminated but to be navigated thoughtfully.
Weingarten explains that our brains are wired to seek certainty, which leaves discomfort in the wake of unanswered questions. Yet rushing toward easy answers often leaves us more confused and stuck.
She introduces practical frameworks, including a "question map" and a fruit-tree model that categorizes questions by the time and attention they require. The discussion also examines leadership, decision-making, perfectionism, community, and self-compassion.
Ultimately, Weingarten suggests that growth comes not from finding immediate answers but from learning to live with meaningful questions long enough for deeper clarity and wisdom to emerge.
The Essential Point The central idea of Elizabeth Weingarten's message is that uncertainty is not a problem to be solved as quickly as possible; it is a condition of life that can foster growth, insight, and self-discovery when approached with curiosity and patience.
Many of life's most important questions cannot be answered immediately, and trying to force certainty often prevents us from finding the deeper understanding we actually need.
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Hi, I'm Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I'm periodically releasing mini-episodes of "Cultivating Curiosity." In about 10 minutes, I'll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. This week's mini-episode comes from a May 2023 interview with Dr. Alan Stern. Today, Dr. Stern is an aerospace executive and remains a planetary scientist. In 2015, he was the Principal Investigator on the historic New Horizons mission to Pluto. In that role, he had ultimate responsibility for the entire research project, overseeing its scientific, technical, and administrative aspects.
The situation In 2015, after a nine-year journey, the New Horizons spacecraft was poised to complete its an historic flyby of Pluto. But success was not guaranteed. For the New Horizons' mission to be successful, all of the spacecraft's data-gathering instruments had to work flawlessly starting seven days before reaching its closest point to the planet and for at least two days after. All of the maneuvering of the seven data-gathering instruments – what they would look at, what they would measure – had to be preprogrammed into the craft's computer. There was simply no way someone back at Mission Control could drive the spacecraft in real time, because by 2015 New Horizons was three billion miles from Earth. A signal traveling at the speed of light would take 4.5 hours to reach the speeding spacecraft. In that amount of time, whatever Mission Control had been directing the spacecraft to photograph or measure would likely have passed.
But preprogramming didn't guarantee success either. New Horizons, traveling at 35,000 miles an hour, had to reach a specific point in space within a nine-minute window, or "the box," as the team referred to it. If the craft were early or late to that point, the computer would be directing the instruments to look at or measure something during the critical flyby period that wasn't centered in their field of view – or potentially not there at all. And there would be no time to recalibrate them. Orbiting Pluto for a redo was out of the question because the spacecraft didn't have the necessary fuel to execute such a move. Orbiting Pluto wasn't even in the mission plan. If the box were missed, the potential to collect data would be lost. The mission would have failed.
A grace period of only nine minutes. 540 seconds. After three billion miles. And nine years.
The good news is that Mission Control scientists were carefully monitoring the spacecraft as it approached the ideal central point and calculated that it was less than two minutes off – way inside the nine-minute box. Everyone in Mission Control breathed a sigh of relief.
But what if we…?
Scientists and engineers are, however, perfectionists, so the question quickly arose, "Do we make a correction? Do we scratch back a few more important seconds to make sure our instruments are pointing where we want them to point?" Days before the critical flyby, there was still time to do so. It was a tempting proposition. Dr. Stern picks up the story.
Once we got in the box, the navigation teams recommended that we do one more engine firing to really put it in the middle of the box. And we had an analysis done that showed that if we didn't change anything if we stayed where we were, didn't go to the middle of the box but we're just in the box, we would get every single scientific observation One that we had set out to do. And yet they were recommending, and in fact, the engineering and science teams, were recommending that we just nail it, we go right down the middle of the pike. And I rejected that as the leader of the mission. Because at that point, we were going to get everything we came for. And while we might have done a few things a little bit better, the risk that that engine burn might have gone haywire, or sent the spacecraft into some fetal position where it needed help from Mama back on Earth before or we could carry out the flyby was real. And I didn't want to take any risk. Once we were in the box. You know, there's an old saying Better is the enemy of good knife. Yeah, right. It was good enough. And as you've seen from the results, we really nailed it. So I'm glad that we, we backed away from that, because it looks to me like more risk than reward,
To summarize, as the mission leader, Dr. Stern gathered everyone on his team together to review the navigation calculations, and then took three powerful steps:
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Stern asked each of his team members to voice their opinion on the wisdom of making the correction. One by one, around the table, each leader of a critical aspect of the program voiced "Go," recommending the correction.
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Stern waited and took notes until everyone had the opportunity to voice his or her opinion. He then made the decision: "No go."
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He then asked a critical question, "Is there a must-do reason to make the correction when we're already safely within the box?" He went back around the room and asked each section leader to respond. After hearing from everyone, Stern stood with his original "No go." It was simply not worth the risk of introducing a potential programming error this late in the game.
New Horizons soon flew past Pluto at 35,000 miles an hour, a mere 7,500 miles above the dwarf planet's surface. As the spacecraft began to "phone home" amazing images and other data, it was clear that New Horizons – the first mission to Pluto – was an unqualified success. "Good enough" was truly good enough.
The idea
Leaders typically struggle with three questions in scenarios like the one before the New Horizons team, and they do so because they feel "All eyes are on me."
• Do they feel they need to make the immediate call without input because they're the leader, or do they ask to hear from all members of their team on the critical question?
• Do they speak first because they're the leader, or do they weigh input from the team and speak last? And finally,
• Do they push for "better," or do they stand pat when there is evidence that "good enough" is truly good enough?
Here's Dr. Stern's further rationale for the process.
I always speak last. As the mission leader, I'm a firm believer that, well, I might set the table, I might start a meeting off, here are our objectives, here's what we should consider that the final gonna go on my part should be considered one, having heard from all the experts that know more than me about each individual area, my job is to go broad, and make sure that the mission carries out all of his objectives. And their job is to go deep, and make sure that each little piece is operating properly. So I was last in that poll. And I did reject what was a unanimous decision by everyone else. And it was a little lonely, but you know what, I was confident in it. And it worked out just fine.
Dr. Melissa Hughes, a neuroscience geek researcher and author of Happier Hour with Einstein, Another Round, reinforces Dr. Stern's steps as a meaningful way to avoid "groupthink," which she defined as "a psychological phenomenon that happens when people in a group willingly or unconsciously commit to decisions they don't necessarily agree with to avoid creating emotional tension or conflict with their colleagues."
In Dr. Stern's case, no one on his team wanted to be the only "No go" and buck the "groupthink." The consequences of groupthink, as Dr. Hughes describes, can be significant: "When people…put harmony and cohesion above the critical evaluation and analysis of the outcome, they stifle their thoughts, refrain from asking the hard questions and avoid exposing potential pitfalls. This often leads to irrational or problematic decisions."
In New Horizons' case, the consequences of groupthink could have been disastrous.
A program note: If you're a space geek like I am, I've included a couple of illustrations of the mission in the shownotes on my website.
Hi, I'm Jeff Ikler, host of the Getting Unstuck - Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I'm periodically releasing mini-episodes that, in under 10 minutes, dive into an evergreen idea from a previously broadcast episode. The content in these mini episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work.
This week's episode was inspired by a conversation with educator Dr. Deb Gustafson in December 2019, when she explained how, as a principal, she had applied Jim Collins' flywheel principle from Good to Great in her elementary school.
The idea
The flywheel is an individual's, team's, or organization's intentional ordering of only five to six key, repeated actions to achieve desired outcomes. Critical to success is the idea that the first action triggers the next, which in turn triggers the next. Each action is thus dependent on the one that came before it.
What prompted Deb's effort was her recent inheritance of the district's worst-performing elementary school. Rather than throw a series of unrelated strategies at the problem, Deb used the flywheel as a thinking tool to help her architect a plan for sustainable improvement.
Two important principles of the flywheel concept are ONE, a clear explanation of the desired result toward which everyone in the organization can work, and TWO, the selection of the all-important priority step from which the remaining elements cascade.
Here's how the two elements played out in Deb's planning. After studying her student population, Deb realized that her students were extremely dispirited, lacked self-esteem, and felt they had no future. Given those findings, she decided that the desired result couldn't just be a lofty academic goal; it had to reflect the needs of the whole student. So she structured the desired results as: "Help kids become the best people they can be."
Deb decided that, to achieve the desired results, the all-important priority step in the flywheel had to be hiring teachers who loved kids. As she told me, "I can teach people how to teach, but I can't teach them how to love. What these kids needed was to feel valued and capable of succeeding. If we did that well, academic success would follow."
I've included Deb's flywheel model in the show notes on my website. Take a minute to review the steps and how they were designed to achieve the school's desired results.
And the results, you ask? Deb's school quickly became the district's highest-performing elementary school, and her approach served as a model for other leaders and schools throughout the district.
Extending the idea The beauty of the flywheel is that it constrains thinking to what is essential to bring about desired results. Instead of wild brainstorming that results in "We could do this and this, and this," the flywheel demands discipline: "If we do these few things in this order really well, we'll increase the likelihood of success."
But imposing that limitation is really challenging for lots of organizations. Author of the essential read, Essentialism, Greg McKeown argues for a relentless pursuit of "less, but better." One of the biggest mistakes he notes is to dilute what is important by having "priorities." Here he explains the surprising history of the word priority and how its meaning has shifted over time:
The word "priority" came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities. Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality. Somehow we would now be able to have multiple "first" things.
One of the strategies that I really liked from McKeown's book is the idea of W.I.N. : asking yourself "What's Important Now?" Yes, it's a very mindful question because it helps us from sliding back into the unresolved past or ruminating about the yet-to-be-seen future. As McKeown concludes "It is mind-bending to consider that in practical terms, we only ever have now."
And W.I.N.? is a flexible question in that it can be asked relative to the macro level of life where we're constantly trying to bring work, play, family into harmony and flow. (Note, I don't say "balance" because there ain't such a thing, is there?) And it can be asked at the micro level regarding all those discrete work or home projects staring us in the face.
So…push yourself a bit, and ask "What's Important Now?" For inspiration, you can always watch the famous clip from the movie City Slickers, which never fails to get the juices flowing.
Referenced Interview with Dr. Deb Gustafson
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Guest Rich Gassen has worked at UW-Madison for over 15 years as Production Manager and, more recently, as Director at Digital Publishing and Printing Services. He focuses on empowerment, autonomy, and process improvements with his team. His work mantra has always been "Show Up and Participate," which continues to guide him in his lifelong learning. He also leads a community of practice for supervisors at UW-Madison, focusing on training and development. Summary In this episode, Rich discusses his leadership journey and the principles that guide his work. Drawing on more than 35 years in the printing industry, Rich explains how influential mentors shaped his belief that effective leaders provide both autonomy and support. He recalls a manager who trusted employees to make decisions while remaining available during difficult moments—a model that continues to inform his own leadership style.
Rich emphasizes that leadership is fundamentally about people. He believes employees perform best when they feel valued, understood, and connected to the larger purpose of their work. Whether by sharing customer praise, encouraging innovation, or involving staff in major decisions, such as relocating the print shop, he seeks to create an environment where people feel a sense of ownership and agency.
A strong advocate for continuous learning, Rich helped build a campus-wide community of practice for supervisors, providing opportunities for networking, book discussions, and professional development. He stresses the importance of listening, asking questions, and resisting the urge to have all the answers. As leaders advance, he argues, their role shifts from solving problems to removing barriers that prevent others from succeeding.
Throughout the conversation, Rich highlights transparency, curiosity, and habit-building as essential leadership skills. Ultimately, he sees leadership not as a destination but as an ongoing learning process focused on helping people grow, contribute, and thrive.
The Essential Point Great leadership is less about having the answers and more about creating the conditions for others to succeed. Leaders serve their teams best when they listen, build trust, remove obstacles, and help people see the significance of their contributions.
Social Media & Referenced LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richgassen/
Campus Supervisors Network Homepage: https://campussupervisorsnetwork.wisc.edu/
UW Printing site with article on innovation during a change initiative: https://printing.wisc.edu/2024/05/23/the-dpps-printshop-move-finding-innovation-through-challenge/
Jeff's LinkedIn article
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. "Quetico" (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the "Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity" podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Hi, I'm Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. It's summer, and our thoughts naturally turn to making the most of longer days and warmer weather. We're desperate to be outside. With that in mind, I'm periodically releasing mini episodes of "Cultivating Curiosity." In about 10 minutes, I'll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work.
The idea This week's mini episode was inspired by a July 2021 interview with Dr. Melissa "Missie" Patschke. Missie has since retired, but at the time of our conversation, she was principal of Upper Providence Elementary School in the Spring-Ford Area School District in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Her message, born of 20+ years of experience and reinforced by the COVID pandemic, was that organizations move forward with strength if they're led by leaders, not a leader.
As a school leader, your role is not to be the person pulling everyone up that hill or being number one at all times. Your role is to build that capacity and be number two, so that other people can be number one. And the more number ones you build, the better you're all going to be.
Taking the idea deeper The necessity of building others' capacity to lead is not a new idea. It's not universally practiced, though, because leaders typically get stuck trying to build capacity in one of three ways:
- Conceptually, they get "it." They get the need and wisdom behind growing others. But their inner critic pulls them aside, puts an arm around them, and whispers, "Yeah, but if they lead, what's your role? How's it going to make you look?"
- They forget that "building" or "growing" ends in "i–n–g," implying that it's an ongoing process, or at least a process of gradual release. It's not a one-and-done effort, meaning one day your staff is being led and the next day they're leading.
- As a leader, you just don't know how.
So let's take a small step toward number 3. In my mind, the best example of building capacity came from what may at first seem like the most unlikely of places: the military. We usually think of life in the military as giving and receiving orders: "I say 'Jump!'" and you jump. But one savvy ship captain saw things differently.
When Captain David Marquet inherited what was then the worst-performing submarine in the U.S. Navy, he immediately realized why: the 135-member crew was largely doers, not thinkers. They were used to taking and conditioned to take orders. But Marquet knew that to effectively run something as complex and as deadly as a nuclear submarine, you had to have people who were thinking about what they were doing and how what they were doing impacted the rest of the ship's performance.
Putting the idea to work OK, you're not the captain of a nuclear submarine, but if you're leading an organization, a department, or even a team, the implications of your collective work are significant. You need to be surrounded by thinkers and not just doers.
If you buy into that wisdom, but you're not used to leading in an intent-based way, the next time someone comes into your office with a question, instead of providing the answer, start by asking the simple question: "What do you think we should do?" And probe with a follow-up question or two to get at their all important rationale.
Asking the question "What do you think we should do?" with genuine curiosity may be the hardest shift for some managers who are used to and comfortable with simply giving direction. To build your own capacity to ask that open-ended question, show your inner critic the door and lead with the phrase "Hmmm, I don't know." And then ask, "What do you think we should do?"
One note of caution: when you say, "I don't know," mean it. Don't play bingo with your staff by having them guess an answer you might already have in mind. The tone you use to open a discussion and invite their thinking is critical. In fact, try not to have the answer unless it's a desperate, time-sensitive situation. Be curious about the ideas your staff can generate. Probe for clarity and the ability to implement.
Trust me on this. I made the mistake of not leading this way early in my career because I wanted everyone to rise to my brilliance. I wanted them to come to the answer that was in my head. That approach simply bred frustration and distrust among my staff.
Guest After 11 years at IBM, Brooke Erol left a "great job on paper" to pursue a more aligned, purpose-driven life. She founded Your Best Life Inc. to help professionals find meaning at work, and later Purposeful Business to support leaders in building people-centered organizations. She is the author of More Than A Paycheck and Create a Life You Love, and speaks globally on leadership and purposeful work. Summary In this conversation, career coach and author Brooke Erol explores the changing nature of work, fulfillment, and identity in an era shaped by burnout, layoffs, and artificial intelligence. Drawing from her own experience at IBM, she reflects on realizing early in her career that many people were "chasing the weekend" rather than finding meaning in their work. That realization eventually led her to write More Than a Paycheck, a guide designed to help individuals develop greater self-awareness and agency in their careers.
Brooke argues that self-awareness is foundational to meaningful work, yet modern life leaves little room for reflection. She encourages people to intentionally create time to examine what energizes them, what no longer serves them, and which limiting beliefs may be shaping their choices. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes that traditional career formulas—go to college, get a corporate job, retire happily—are no longer reliable in today's unstable job market.
The conversation also examines the disruptive impact of AI, especially on younger workers and recent graduates, while highlighting the growing value of trade and skilled labor careers. Brooke encourages people to remain adaptable, continuously learn new skills, and consider side projects or entrepreneurial paths alongside traditional employment.
The discussion closes with reflections on retirement, purpose, and identity. Brooke and Jeff agree that fulfillment comes not from stopping work entirely, but from continuing to contribute, learn, connect, and pursue activities that make life meaningful.
The Essential Point Brooke's central message is that people must take greater ownership of their careers and lives by developing self-awareness, questioning inherited assumptions about work, and intentionally pursuing work that aligns with who they are.
She also stresses that fulfillment and purpose are not luxuries reserved for retirement—they are essential parts of a healthy, sustainable life at every stage.
Social MediaWebsite: www.yourbestlifeinc.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careeryoulove/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ozlemerol
LinkedIn Newsletter: Career Path YOU Love: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7234651608981065729/
All My Books Page: https://www.yourbestlifeinc.com/books
More Than a Paycheck: https://www.yourbestlifeinc.com/books/morethanapaycheck
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. "Quetico" (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the "Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity" podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits "Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It's brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.
Guest JoAnne Duncan has had a varied career, from Alaskan fly-fishing guide to elementary teacher and principal, always focused on valuing the strengths of every student and staff member. Though she's stepped away from her career in public education, she continues to learn, grow, and inspire others. A lifelong learner, she finds joy and insight outdoors, exploring nature, and discovering new ideas, always growing, always learning, and always curious.
Summary In this episode, JoAnne reflects on her unconventional path into education, her transition into school leadership, and ultimately her decision to leave the profession. Initially drawn to teaching through a lifelong inclination to instruct and guide others, she became a principal after experiencing ineffective leadership that she felt failed both teachers and students.
Her administrative career, particularly during and after the pandemic, became increasingly defined by crisis management rather than instructional leadership. She describes the growing demands of handling high-needs students, safety concerns, constant meetings, and a lack of systemic support. These pressures led to chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and a decline in her physical health. Despite leading a "dream school" with a strong staff, the cumulative toll forced her to step away in 2024.
Since leaving, JoAnne has focused on what she calls "radical self-care," prioritizing physical and mental health through activities like yoga, swimming, and surfing in Hawaii. This period of recovery has restored her well-being and opened space for reflection about her future. While she continues to enjoy substitute teaching, she is exploring new directions, particularly those involving helping others, possibly through fitness, motivation, or personal growth.
The conversation emphasizes uncertainty as a productive space. Inspired by the idea of "falling in love with questions," JoAnne commits to exploring possibilities without rushing toward definitive answers, remaining open to curiosity, serendipity, and personal evolution.
A key takeaway Sustained burnout from systemic pressures can force even the most dedicated educators to step away—but recovery, reflection, and openness to uncertainty can create space for a more aligned and healthy next chapter.
References / Links Instagram — @newave_nana
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneduncan990/
Guest
Dr. James E. Young is Distinguished University Professor of English and Judaic Studies Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he has taught since 1988, and Founding Director of the Institute forHolocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies at UMass Amherst. Professor Young is the author of Writing and Rewriting the Holocaust (Indiana University Press, 1988), The Texture of Memory (Yale University Press, 1993), which won the National Jewish Book Award in 1994, At Memory's Edge: After-images of the Holocaust in Contemporary Art and Architecture (Yale University Press, 2000), and The Stages of Memory: Reflections on Memorial Art, Loss, and the Spaces Between (University of Massachusetts Press, 2016), which won the National Council for PublicHistory Book Award for 2017.
Professor Young is a frequent consultant and judge on proposed memorials.
Co-host Irene Stern Frielich was a guest on Episode 370: "Walking Where History Happened: A Daughter's Holocaust Journey." Irene is the daughter of a German Jewish Holocaust survivor—but for much of her life, the story remained unspoken. In 2017, after rediscovering her father's testimony, Irene set out to physically retrace his escape route from Nazi Germany through his survival in Holland. The result was a journey of reconciliation and healing. Her award-winning memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts, explores trauma, courage, and connection across generations.
Summary Dr. James Young explores how memorials differ from monuments and how they shape collective memory. While monuments are often static and fixed, memorials are dynamic, experiential spaces that invite visitors to engage emotionally and physically—becoming part of what Dr. Young calls the "performance" of memory.
Drawing on examples such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Holocaust memorials, and the 9/11 Memorial, Dr. Young explains that the most effective memorials balance abstraction and history, allowing visitors to interpret meaning across generations. He emphasizes that powerful designs avoid prescribing a single emotional response; instead, they open space for reflection, discomfort, and personal connection.
Dr. Young also highlights the importance of naming individuals, noting that listing victims humanizes loss and magnifies its scale. He discusses innovative approaches like "meaningful adjacencies" at the 9/11 Memorial and decentralized memorials such as Stolpersteine (stumbling stones), which embed remembrance into everyday life and create ongoing engagement.
A recurring theme is "living memory"—memorials that evolve through participation, maintenance, and reinterpretation by future generations. Dr. Young acknowledges the tension in memorializing tragedies in which communities no longer exist, stressing the need to restore not just the absence but the lives once lived. Ultimately, he invites visitors to approach memorials with openness, allowing their own emotional responses to deepen understanding of history and self.
The Essential Point The most powerful memorials don't dictate meaning—they create spaces where visitors actively experience, interpret, and carry forward memory in ways that remain meaningful across generations.
Social MediaOccupied Words: What the Holocaust Did to Yiddish
Guest Minnesota native Aaron Hebeisen grew up hunting, fishing, and recreating outdoors. His lifelong passion for wildlife led him to earn an Animal Ecology degree from Iowa State University. He has worked for the Minnesota Conservation Corps, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on wildlife disease research, and is now the Field Operations Coordinator with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, supporting chapters in 10 states across the Midwest and the southern U.S.
Summary This episode explores the meaning, management, and future of public lands in the United States. The discussion begins by defining public lands—roughly 640 million federally managed acres overseen by agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service—and emphasizes their "multiple-use" mandate, balancing recreation, resource extraction, and conservation.
Aaron highlights BHA's mission to advocate for these lands on behalf of all users, not just hunters and anglers, framing Americans as "public landowners" with both rights and responsibilities. A key theme is the complexity of land and water access, illustrated through conflicts over stream access laws in states like Illinois, where differing definitions of "navigability" create legal gray areas and tension among stakeholders.
The conversation also examines policy advocacy, including coalition-building, lobbying, and navigating bipartisan politics. Aaron describes BHA's approach as "radically purple"—engaged but nonpartisan—focused on finding common ground across competing interests.
A major case study is the rollback of mining protections near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area via H.R. 140, which Aaron argues could set a precedent for weakening environmental safeguards nationwide. Despite such challenges, the episode remains grounded in a broader philosophical reflection: public lands are a uniquely American inheritance that fosters personal connection, humility, and stewardship.
Ultimately, Aaron underscores that protecting these lands requires active civic engagement—if people don't participate, they risk losing access to what is collectively theirs.
A key takeaway Public lands belong to all of us, but their future depends on whether people actively engage in protecting them—through stewardship, advocacy, and participation in the political process.
References / Links Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
Beyond Fair Chase: The Ethic and Tradition of Hunting
Guest Ashley Jablow (Jab-lo, pronouns: she/her) is the founder of Wayfinders Collective and creator of Life Design School, a creative studio for people in career and life transition. A seasoned facilitator, speaker, coach, and design strategist, Ashley blends design thinking and innovation, emotional intelligence, and creative tools to spark clarity and action for teams and individuals navigating change. She's also the artist and author of 100 Days of Designing My Life, a guided journal series for reflection and reinvention, and the creator of "The Little Deck of Sweet Reflections", an intuitive card deck to inspire your creativity, connect with your inner wisdom, and reflect on who you are becoming.
Summary In this conversation, Ashley reflects on the pivotal career transitions that shaped her work as a coach, facilitator, and innovation practitioner. She describes several moments of feeling "stuck," including graduating from business school without a job, working in prestigious roles at IDEO and the White House during the Barack Obama administration, and later being unexpectedly laid off from what she believed was her dream job. Rather than viewing those experiences as failures, Ashley explains how they became turning points that led her toward coaching and helping others navigate difficult transitions.
A central theme of the discussion is the relationship between reflection and action. Ashley argues that meaningful change requires both deep self-understanding and practical movement forward. Drawing from her background in coaching and design thinking, she describes how innovation, creativity, and human-centered leadership intersect. For her, reflection without action leads nowhere, while action without reflection risks solving the wrong problem.
The conversation also explores leadership development, trust, vulnerability, and the challenge leaders face in shifting from doing the work themselves to empowering others. Ashley emphasizes that the "people stuff" — culture, trust, communication, and values — must be addressed before productive organizational change can happen. She closes with an important reminder: when people feel stuck, creativity, play, and joy are not distractions but essential pathways to movement and renewal.
Ultimately, our conversation highlights the grit, interdependence, and adaptability required to survive in the historic West.
A key takeaway Being stuck is not a dead end but often the beginning of transformation. Real progress comes from pairing honest self-reflection with concrete action, while staying grounded in humanity, trust, and joy.
References / Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyjablow/
https://www.instagram.com/ashleyjablow/
The Power of Onlyness by Nilofer Merchant
My guest Dr. Shileste Overton Morris serves as the Chief Programs Officer at the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit and the Director of the Center for Schools and Communities. The Center delivers national, state, local, and international services that build capacity in schools, districts, and organizations supporting children, youth, and families. Dr. Overton Morris' expertise includes strategic leadership, parent engagement, belonging, and education leadership. She serves on multiple statewide and national boards. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Temple University, College of Education and Human Development.
Summary In this episode, Dr. Overton Morris discusses the complex and evolving nature of bullying in schools, emphasizing that it is less about individual "bad actors" and more about systemic conditions and power dynamics. Drawing on decades of experience in school safety and social-emotional development, she explains that bullying involves repeated behavior and an imbalance of power, now amplified by technology and social media, which extend harm beyond school hours and increase its reach and permanence.
Dr. Overton Morris highlights that modern bullying includes not only physical and verbal aggression but also relational aggression—such as exclusion, rumor-spreading, and digital harassment. She underscores how adolescents' underdeveloped executive functioning contributes to impulsive and harmful online behavior, sometimes with serious legal consequences.
A central theme is that effective prevention requires a comprehensive, consistent, whole-school approach. Schools that implement structured frameworks—such as social-emotional learning, positive behavior supports, and restorative practices—can significantly reduce bullying. These approaches depend on aligned adult behavior, proactive monitoring, and a strong, inclusive school climate.
She also stresses the importance of equipping all school personnel—not just teachers—to recognize warning signs and intervene early. For parents, active listening, observation, and partnership with schools are key.
Ultimately, Dr. Overton Morris argues that bullying prevention is "adult work": it depends on the environments adults create, the behaviors they model, and their willingness to consistently address harmful conduct.
Takeaways Bullying prevention isn't about reacting to incidents—it's about intentionally creating environments where bullying is less likely to occur, which depends on consistent, aligned adult behavior and system-wide commitment.
Links LinkedIn
Center for Schools and Community
Referenced Interview with Dr. Dana Milakovic: Nurturing the Emotionally Safe School Environment
Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture that Brings out the Best in People by Dr. Donna Hicks
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
Trauma in the Schools podcast series
Guests Dr. Carolyn Ernst is a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), specializing in the surface evolution of planets, moons, and small bodies. She has contributed to missions across the solar system and has extensive experience in imaging systems. Dr. Ernst helped NASA impact both a comet and an asteroid, serving as instrument scientist for the DRACO imager and a member of the investigation team on the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. She is currently on the science teams for Europa Clipper, Dragonfly, Hayabusa2, and Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) missions. She is also a member of the European Space Agency's Hera mission team, which will return to the Didymos system for close-range characterization of the asteroids and the outcome of the DART impact. Michelle Chen is a software systems engineer and project manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland. Her work centers on developing and integrating advanced technologies for spacecraft and prototype systems. Chen led the SMART Nav team for NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, where their autonomous navigation algorithm enabled the world's first spacecraft impact with an asteroid for planetary defense. Her career spans multisector projects, including the development of advanced prosthetic limbs, optical navigation systems, data acquisition platforms, and missile simulations. Chen's technical expertise includes real-time embedded software, image processing, control systems, and system-level integration.
Summary The conversation explores the success and implications of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the first mission designed to test whether a spacecraft could intentionally alter an asteroid's trajectory. Engineers and scientists collaborated to send a kinetic impactor into Dimorphos, a small asteroid orbiting the larger asteroid Didymos, demonstrating planetary defense capabilities.
A key innovation was the spacecraft's autonomous navigation system, which guided it during the final approach using onboard imaging from the DRACO camera. Because scientists had never seen Dimorphos up close, engineers relied on extensive simulations to prepare for unknown conditions. The mission exceeded expectations: instead of shortening the asteroid's orbit by 7 seconds, it achieved a 33-second reduction, largely due to unexpected ejecta that amplified the impact force.
The discussion highlights how asteroid detection and tracking systems—coordinated by organizations such as the Minor Planet Center and international networks—identify potential threats, refine orbital predictions, and communicate risks. Early detection remains critical, as effective deflection requires years of preparation.
Beyond the technical achievement, the guests emphasize interdisciplinary teamwork, where engineers and scientists continuously exchanged insights and made compromises to balance navigation precision with scientific data collection. The mission underscores the importance of experimentation over theoretical modeling alone and serves as a powerful example of how collaborative, cross-disciplinary work can address global challenges while inspiring future generations in STEM.
The Essential Point The mission's core insight is that planetary defense is not theoretical—it is achievable—but only through early detection, real-world experimentation, and deep collaboration across scientific and engineering disciplines.
Social Media & Referenced New York Times: NASA Smashes Into an Asteroid, Completing a Mission to Save a Future Day
D.A.R.T. project overview and impact videos
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Guest Carol Tyler, known for her beautifully written and drawn autobiographical comics, is one of the most important and influential comics artists ever. In July 2026, she will be inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame at Comic-Con. Her books are: Soldier's Heart: The Campaign to Understand my WWII Veteran Father (2015), and Fab4 Mania: A Beatles Obsession and the Concert of a Lifetime (2018). Her current book is in two parts: The Ephemerata, Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief, September 2025. Part II Verdante, The Ephemerata Goes Home, due in 2026. Summary In this conversation, Carol Tyler discusses her graphic memoir Soldier's Heart, a deeply personal work that blends visual storytelling with narrative to explore her father's World War II experiences and their lasting impact on her family. She explains that graphic memoir is not simply illustrated text but a deliberate interplay between words and images, where each medium carries distinct emotional and informational weight. Tyler developed a unique visual language—through color palettes, panel styles, and composition—to distinguish timelines, perspectives, and emotional states.
The project began when her father, late in life, unexpectedly opened up about his wartime experiences, prompting Tyler to document his stories through recorded interviews. These revelations coincided with crises in her own family, including her mother's stroke, her daughter's mental health struggles, and strain in her marriage. As a result, the memoir evolved into a broader exploration of intergenerational trauma, linking her father's unprocessed war experiences—what might now be recognized as PTSD—to patterns of anxiety, depression, and OCD across generations.
Tyler reflects on how World War II shaped not only individual veterans but an entire culture, influencing family dynamics, gender roles, and societal behavior in the decades that followed. While the book brought some understanding and partial reconciliation, her relationship with her father remained complex, especially as he aged and regressed emotionally. Ultimately, the memoir serves as both historical preservation and personal reckoning, capturing stories that might otherwise have been lost.
A key reflection Unprocessed trauma—especially from war—doesn't end with the individual; it reverberates across generations, shaping families, relationships, and even culture in ways that often remain unseen until deliberately examined.
Social Media & Referenced Soldier's Heart
Carol Tyler—Pages and Progress video
Guest Amaroq Weiss is the Senior Wolf Advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. A biologist and former attorney, she has worked on wolf recovery and conservation advocacy at the state and federal levels across the country for nearly 30 years. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. Summary This episode features Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, in a wide-ranging conversation about wolf conservation, public perception, and coexistence. Weiss traces her path from a childhood fascination with wildlife to a career blending science, law, and advocacy, shaped by influential books and mentorship.
The discussion centers on the persistent vilification of wolves, rooted in cultural narratives imported from Europe and reinforced by modern media and political interests. Weiss argues that wolf hatred is largely learned—and therefore reversible—emphasizing that most Americans actually support wolf protections. She explains how wolves are often scapegoats for broader tensions around government regulation, while misconceptions about their behavior fuel fear.
Ecologically, wolves function as keystone species, regulating prey populations, promoting biodiversity, and even helping control disease. Economically, they contribute to tourism and can reduce costly deer-vehicle collisions. To avoid conflicts with livestock and enable coexistence, Weiss outlines a range of effective non-lethal strategies—such as removing attractants, using guard animals, and modifying ranching practices.
The episode also explores the ethical and intrinsic value of wolves, beyond their economic and ecological value. Weiss urges listeners to challenge misinformation, advocate for science-based policy, and recognize wolves as sentient beings with a right to exist. Ultimately, she frames conservation as a long-term, multi-generational effort requiring shifts in both mindset and behavior.
The Essential Point The core of Amaroq's argument is that our conflict with wolves is less about the animals themselves and more about legacy beliefs and practices that can be changed through education, policy, and a willingness to coexist.
Social Media & Referenced www.biologicaldiversity.org
https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv
https://waleslit.com/authors/amaroq-weiss/
Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez
Wolf Wars by Hank Fisher
Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth
60 Minutes: The Wolves of Yellowstone
Guest Karen Berman, Ph.D., Chaired the Department of Theatre and Dance at Georgia College and previously taught for 15 years at Georgetown University. She is Dean Emerita, College of Fellows of the American Theatre; Past President of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education; Director of 150 Holocaust and other theatre productions; and winner of the Georgia Governor's Award for the Arts and the Hillel Heroes Award. Karen is co-Artistic Director of Washington Women in Theatre. She is the co-author with Dr. Gail Humphries of the two-volume work, Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal. Co-host Irene Stern Frielich was a guest on Episode 370: "Walking Where History Happened: A Daughter's Holocaust Journey." Irene is the daughter of a German Jewish Holocaust survivor—but for much of her life, the story remained unspoken. In 2017, after rediscovering her father's testimony, Irene set out to physically retrace his escape route from Nazi Germany through his survival in Holland. The result was a journey of reconciliation and healing. Her award-winning memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts, explores trauma, courage, and connection across generations.
Summary In this episode, Jeff and co-host Irene Stern Frielich speak with Dr. Karen Berman about the role of the arts in Holocaust education and remembrance. Dr. Berman discusses her five-year project to co-edit two volumes featuring 33 contributors who explore how theater, music, visual art, and film illuminate the Holocaust and its aftermath. The books argue that the arts can foster empathy, healing, and social responsibility while inspiring people to become "upstanders" who actively oppose hate and injustice.
The conversation explores how artistic expression functioned as both resistance and survival during the Holocaust. A powerful example is the performance of Verdi's Requiem in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, where imprisoned singers used music as a form of spiritual defiance against their captors.
The discussion also examines how Holocaust education is evolving. Scholars and educators are increasingly shifting from purely historical instruction toward approaches that engage students emotionally and morally through storytelling, performance, and immersive technologies such as virtual reality and holographic survivor testimony.
Ultimately, the episode emphasizes that art has the power to humanize history, deepen empathy, and transform audiences into witnesses. By connecting personal stories with creative expression, educators and artists can ensure that Holocaust memory remains meaningful—and that the lessons of history inspire moral action today.
The Essential Point The episode emphasizes that art has the power to humanize history, deepen empathy, and transform audiences into witnesses. By connecting personal stories with creative expression, educators and artists can ensure that Holocaust memory remains meaningful—and that the lessons of history inspire moral action today.
Social Media Website: Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal: www.storiesoftheholocaust.com
Georgia Governor's Award for the Arts: https://share.google/7ZF1jsonbwuBfMeDr
Hillel Heroes Award: https://share.google/AVs09ck8I9RpdVIDb
Kirkus ReviewsStories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal. Volume I
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-berman/stories-of-the-holocaust/
Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal. Volume II
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-berman/stories-of-the-holocaust-2/
Substack
Referenced Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín
Virtual reality video of a Holocaust survivor revisiting the Majdanek concentration camp: Pilgrim in the Metaverse
Guest Bill Whiteside abandoned a 30-year career in software sales to devote his time to a story that he started researching to keep his mind engaged during his business travels. Intrigued by a little-known incident from early in Winston Churchill's first term as Britain's Prime Minister, this diversion evolved into an obsession as he dug into the story of a controversial and catastrophic clash between the British and French Navies from multiple angles. The more he learned, the more it became a book he just had to write. That book, Operation Catapult: Winston Churchill and the British Attack on the French Navy at Mers-el-Kébir, was published by the U.S. Naval Institute Press in March 2026. Summary In this episode, Jeff talks with author Bill Whiteside about his new book, Operation Catapult, which describes a little-known but dramatic episode early in World War II. Whiteside explains that after France fell to Germany in May 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill feared that the powerful French fleet might fall into Nazi hands. Determined to prevent this strategic disaster, Churchill ordered the British Navy to confront the French fleet anchored at Mers-el-Kébir in Algeria. When negotiations failed, British ships opened fire on their former allies, killing nearly 1,300 French sailors.
Whiteside describes how the story captivated him because it reveals the moral complexity and human drama behind major historical decisions. Rather than presenting events as simple or inevitable, his research shows how Churchill agonized over the decision, how British officers struggled with the prospect of attacking friends, and how individual personalities shaped the outcome. Whiteside emphasizes that history becomes compelling when readers see historical figures as people—leaders balancing duty, fear, loyalty, and uncertainty in moments of crisis.
The conversation also explores Whiteside's research process as a non-professional historian. Drawing on archives in the U.K. and California, original letters, and memoirs, he reconstructed the perspectives of both British and French participants. Influenced by narrative historians like Laura Hillenbrand and Rick Atkinson, Whiteside has crafted a fast-moving, character-driven account.
Ultimately, the book explores leadership under extreme pressure and invites readers to reconsider a controversial decision that may have helped ensure Britain's survival during one of the war's most vulnerable moments.
The Essential Point Whiteside argues that history becomes truly meaningful when we move beyond headlines and dates to understand the human decisions, personalities, and moral dilemmas that shape events.
Social MediaOperation Catapult: Winston Churchill and the British Attack on the French Navy at Mers-el-Kébir
Guest Tom Reed studied photography at Rutgers while studying Geography. Ansel Adams, Edgar Payne, and the Hudson River School are major influencers. Zen sensibilities profoundly influence his compositions and writings, as he is a student of Japanese martial arts and aesthetics (chado). His photographs and writing center on the experience of awe at the sight of a landscape. He hopes this leads to considering nature itself divine and sacred, and that stewardship, rather than the dominant utilitarian view, is the only sane attitude.
Summary In this episode, Jeff speaks with photographer, writer, adventurer, and wellness coach Tom Reed about a life shaped not by financial ambition, but by a deep desire for experience, nature, and meaning. Reed traces this orientation back to formative childhood moments that helped him value independence and authenticity over conventional success. His path led him through geography studies, wilderness work in Alaska, whitewater guiding, sailing, martial arts, and ultimately photography.
Reed's artistic philosophy blends influences from Ansel Adams with Japanese aesthetic traditions. His black-and-white landscape photography—especially from Patagonia—aims not to comfort but to evoke awe: the kind of beauty that shocks us into awareness of something greater than ourselves.
The conversation explores how skill and serendipity intersect in creative work, the role of mindfulness in perceiving opportunities, and the thread of vitality that connects Reed's diverse pursuits. The discussion also turns to climate change and environmental degradation, with Reed emphasizing acceptance without apathy—a stance rooted in spiritual maturity and non-judgment.
Ultimately, Reed's work invites us to reconsider why certain landscapes move us so profoundly—and what that says about our relationship to the natural world.
A key reflection Awe is a powerful emotional and spiritual experience that can dissolve ego and reconnect us to something greater.
References / Links Photo website: www.tomreed.com Books: https://tomreedbooks.com/
TEDx: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB8L5a-P6NM
blog: http://tomreedphotography.wordpress.com/
MBAM audiobook: https://mrtomreed.gumroad.com/l/moved-by-a-mountain-audiobook
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtomreed/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomReedsPhotos
Guest Matthew Collins is a writer, speaker, and voice coach whose career spans British television, travel writing, prison education, and Shakespeare. A former BBC presenter, he now leads voice and public speaking workshops and teaches Shakespeare to students ranging from ex-prisoners to members of the Women's Institute. His approach is non-academic. He encourages students to explore Shakespearean texts using spoken voice exercises - and to feel the effects they can have on the mind and body. (And soul...) Matthew also gives entertaining talks. And last year, he launched the podcast "We Sons of World War II Vets," which explores the stories and remembrances of World War II veterans as told to their sons and daughters.
Summary In this episode, Jeff speaks with Matthew Collins—former BBC presenter, prison educator, and host of We Sons of World War Two Vets—about his podcast where he interviews the sons (and now daughters) of WWII veterans. Sparked by reflections on his own father's wartime experience and the stories left partially untold, Collins began recording conversations with baby boomers whose fathers fought in the war. Although many of these veterans "didn't really talk about it," their children absorbed attitudes shaped by hardship, stoicism, discipline, and emotional restraint.
Matthew explores recurring themes: the cultural gap between pre-war fathers and post-war sons, delayed gratification versus modern immediacy, emotional desensitization born of trauma, and the quiet heroism often discovered only after a parent's death. Through stories ranging from aristocratic war heroes to working-class POWs, Matthew highlights how wartime experiences reverberated across generations—shaping parenting styles, masculinity, and family dynamics.
Ultimately, the project preserves fading history while inviting younger generations to reconsider resilience, community, and the cost of freedom in an era that may no longer take peace for granted.
A key reflection We often don't fully understand our parents until after they're gone, so try to explore their past now through gentle probes.
Social Media & Referenced Website: https://www.matthewcollins.com/
Podcast: https://www.matthewcollins.com/we-sons-of-ww2-vets
Elizabeth Keating interview: https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog/338-asking-essential-questions-to-uncover-and-preserve-family-history
Guest Paul Knowles has not followed a conventional path. Originally from Texas, he worked in Downtown Dallas as a financial advisor for the world's largest private wealth manager. He then served as marketing director for a highly successful Colorado regional bank and later for one of the nation's top real estate offices. However, it was after stepping away for a year and a half that Paul stumbled onto his true calling, and for the past ten years, he has been the Assistant Director of the Museum of Northwest Colorado, located in Craig, Colorado
Summary In this episode, I visit with Paul to explore Western history through various artifacts. From a massive dinosaur footprint recovered from a coal mine to a 1,700-year-old "burden basket" woven by the Indigenous people living in the area at the time, to the Winchester rifle, the first reliable repeating rifle, the museum reveals a layered history stretching from prehistoric swamps to the era of outlaw drama.
Paul challenges Hollywood's myth of the violent, gun-slinging West, reframing firearms as tools of survival rather than symbols of chaos. Through objects like annotated copies of Charles Kelly's The Outlaw Trail, prison-made spurs crafted by inmate John Cox, early Colorado brand books, and a letter referencing Butch Cassidy, we'll encounter a West both harsher and more nuanced than legend suggests.
At center stage in the museum stands "Western Reflections," the world's largest watercolor, symbolizing remoteness, resilience, and the central importance of water.
Ultimately, our conversation highlights the grit, interdependence, and adaptability required to survive in the historic West.
A key takeaway Artifacts tell truer stories than myths; when we examine physical evidence, Hollywood's caricature of the West gives way to a more human, complex reality.
A Video Tour of the Museum is available in the show notes for this episode on my website: https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog
Guest Barbara Vokatis is a professor at the State University of New York an Oneonta, keynote speaker, award-winning author, and therapy dog partner. She is an author of books in dog therapy in educational settings ("Teachers and Therapy Dog Teams: Innovative Collaborations to Make a Difference for Children") and a children's book ("Carmel Goes to School") with the therapy dog theme. Her latest book is titled "Unshakable: Parenting through Autism with Love, Courage, and Purpose."
Summary In this episode, Jeff Ikler speaks with Dr. Barb Vokatis about the role of animal-assisted intervention—especially therapy dogs—in supporting student well-being, engagement, and learning. Dr. Barb explains that her work began when she observed the powerful, calming, and relational impact her dog had on her autistic child, which led her to develop a certified therapy dog program in schools. She describes how structured classroom visits from therapy dogs can reduce anxiety, increase focus, improve classroom behavior, and encourage participation—especially among shy or reluctant students.
Teachers reported that students became calmer and more attentive when the therapy dog was present, without disrupting instruction. Dr. Barb shares examples of students who became more expressive, more willing to speak, and even newly motivated to write after interacting with the dog and hearing her story. She emphasizes that therapy animals are not gimmicks or tools, but relationship catalysts that help build trust, kindness, and emotional safety.
The conversation broadens to educational reform, arguing that student mental health and kindness should be more intentionally integrated into the school system. Dr. Barb calls for teacher training, professional development, and scalable models that responsibly expand therapy animal programs.
The Critical Takeaway Schools should treat student well-being and academic learning as inseparable, with animal-assisted programs as one practical pathway.
Social Media/Referenced https://www.instagram.com/dr.barb.educator/
https://www.facebook.com/barbara.vokatis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-vokatis-ph-d-530649a/
https://barbaravokatis.com
Book recommendation: The Path of Powerful Kindness
Guest Hurley Winkler is a writer and editor from Jacksonville, FL. Her newsletter, "Lonely Victories," is among the top Substack publications in the Literature category. She teaches creative writing at Flagler College. Summary In this episode, I speak with writer and teacher Hurley Winkler about journaling, creative practice, and building a sustainable writing life. Hurley traces her path to writing back to childhood anxiety and early journaling inspired by Harriet the Spy, and describes how writing eventually became her preferred independent art form after early interests in theater. She discusses her work as a writing teacher and how her philosophy balances encouragement with challenge while meeting students where they are.
A central focus of the conversation is Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, Hurley once interviewed Julia Cameron, including morning pages, artist dates, and creative accountability. Hurley shares how working through the program — especially with partners — helped her cultivate courage, clarify goals, and move forward with major creative and life decisions. The discussion also explores resistance, practical strategies for writing through it, and the value of containers like timed sessions and word counts.
Finally, Hurley also reflects on leaving social media due to its addictive nature, how that decision led to an ADHD diagnosis and treatment, and how reclaiming attention is an ongoing process. Throughout, she emphasizes writing community, "lonely victories," and the importance of writer friendships in making the creative journey less solitary.
The critical takeaway Writing may produce "lonely victories," but building writer friendships and community makes the creative journey more resilient and sustainable.
Referenced The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Website: https://hurleywinkler.com/
Substack: https://lonelyvictories.substack.com/
The language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
Guest Heather Lende is the author of four books centered on her life in Haines, Alaska: If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs, Find the Good: Life Lessons from a Small-town Obituary Writer, and, most recently, Of Bears and Ballots, about her adventures in local politics. Heather served as Alaska Writer Laureate from 2021-2023, has an honorary Ph.D in Humane Letters from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and is the recipient of the Middlebury College Alumni Award. Summary In this, my 400th episode, I sit down with writer Heather Lende to talk about how she approaches her craft and what it means to write from, and for, a real community. Living in the small town of Haines, Alaska (pop ~2000), Heather sees writing less as performance and more as an act of careful observation, listening, and responsibility.
Our conversation touches on her long-running obituary column, which requires her to listen carefully, get the details right, and tell people's stories with humility and care. She sees herself as "an observer of life," while her careful attention to people and their details has earned her the label of "story catcher." We talk about what changes when you write about people you know—or at least know of. We explore what I call Heather's nonlinear writing process, her discomfort with neat conclusions, and how grief, memory, and daily observation shape her work. We also explore doubt, discipline, and the tension between creative ambition and ordinary life. Throughout the conversation, writing emerges as a way of staying connected—to place, to people, and to the small, meaningful moments that make up a life.
We dive deeply into the story "Alaskans Dear" from her book, If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name, to understand her writing process and what it means to live in a small town.
The Essential Point Storytelling for Heather is not just creative work, but a relational act that binds her to the community she serves.
Social MediaWebsite:https://www.heatherlende.com/
Referenced See the audio file of what Heather is reading in the show notes for this episode at https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog
Guest Adam Bronstein grew up exploring the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York and knew from a young age that he wanted to work to protect wild places. He received a BS from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry in Environmental Studies and Geographic Information Technologies. Adam first joined the Western Watershed Project staff in 2020. Outside his capacity at WWP, Adam hosts and produces Our Public Lands podcast, advocates for Wilderness, and is a dedicated public lands hunter and angler—always looking for that elusive cow-free habitat.
Summary In this episode of Getting Unstuck: Cultivating Curiosity, Jeff speaks with Adam Bronstein, Oregon Director of the Western Watersheds Project and host of the Our Public Lands podcast, about long-standing and emerging threats to America's public lands. Adam places today's controversies—grazing, land sell-offs, road building, logging, and political pressure on land-management agencies—within a deeper historical context, showing that these conflicts are not new but recurring. Much of the conversation centers on livestock grazing in the arid West, which Adam argues is ecologically unsustainable, heavily subsidized, and responsible for widespread watershed and habitat degradation, despite supplying only a small fraction of the nation's beef.
The discussion also explores how language such as "restoration" and "ecosystem health" is often used to justify extractive practices that further damage public lands. Adam highlights brighter spots, including dam removal and beaver restoration, as examples of how ecosystems recover when human pressures are reduced. Throughout the episode, he emphasizes that public lands belong to everyone and that meaningful reform will require public vigilance, political engagement, and a willingness to rethink how these landscapes are managed.
The critical takeaway The central takeaway is that many of today's public-lands crises stem from entrenched, subsidized extractive practices—and that ecosystems recover most effectively when lands are protected, pressure is reduced, and the public actively defends its shared ownership.
Referenced Websites
https://westernwatersheds.org/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-public-lands/id1752585783
https://wildernesswatch.org/
https://johnmuirproject.org/
https://www.backcountryhunters.org/
https://www.standingtrees.org/
Articles/Substacks
https://open.substack.com/pub/westernwatersheds/p/a-backdoor-land-grab-signed-in-plain?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
https://open.substack.com/pub/morethanjustparks/p/everything-the-trump-administration?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Books
Battle for the Wilderness: https://a.co/d/h2C43MK
This America of Ours: https://a.co/d/jc832WT
A Wilderness Original–The Life of Bob Marschall: https://a.co/d/fXZ4RvX
Guest April Obersteller is a people-centered leader, operator, and founder of And Not Or, a community and leadership platform built around the belief that we don't have to choose. She has led customer and employee experience across iconic consumer brands, including YETI and woom, and now leads community and experience at Recess. April also hosts The AND Podcast, where she shares real conversations about leadership, growth, and humanity. Summary In this episode, Jeff talks with April Obersteller, co-founder and CEO of And, about what it really takes to build companies that succeed by investing in people as much as products. Drawing on her experience at fast-growing brands like YETI and her work with startups and scale-ups, April challenges the false choice between caring for employees and driving business results. Instead, she advocates for an "and" philosophy—holding space for profitability and people, clarity and uncertainty, action and reflection. April explains why internal customers are often overlooked, how intentional care doesn't require flashy programs, and why culture can't be faked with posters or slogans. She also discusses brave leadership, emphasizing awareness, courage, and the willingness to act amid discomfort. Throughout the conversation, April highlights how focusing on employee success ultimately creates better customer experiences, stronger teams, and more resilient organizations. The episode offers a thoughtful exploration of leadership, scalability, and how curiosity and creativity emerge when leaders resist either-or thinking and instead embrace the complexity of building something meaningful.
The Essential Point Sustainable business success comes from embracing "and" thinking—supporting people and performance together—rather than treating employee care as secondary to growth or profit.
Social Media & Referenced LinkedIn Website
Guest Hal Herring is a long-time contributing editor and writer at Field and Stream magazine and has covered conservation and the environment for national and international publications for almost thirty years. His work was featured in the Patagonia documentary Public Trust in 2020, and he is at work on a book about the American public lands.
Summary In this episode of Getting Unstuck: Cultivating Curiosity, Jeff speaks with writer and public-lands advocate Hal H. about renewed political efforts to weaken protections for America's public lands. The conversation centers on three major flashpoints: Senator Mike Lee's failed attempt to sell off federal lands under the guise of affordable housing, the Department of Agriculture's proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, and a quieter movement to transfer federal public lands to state control. Hal explains how these efforts fit into a long historical pattern of privatization attempts, driven by ideology and commercial interests rather than public benefit. He walks through why the Roadless Rule was created—highlighting watershed protection, crumbling road infrastructure, wildfire risk, and taxpayer cost—and why the evidence overwhelmingly supports keeping it in place. Throughout the discussion, Hal emphasizes that public lands are a uniquely American idea, central to clean water, wildlife, recreation, and democratic access. The episode closes with a reminder that public voice matters: citizen pressure has stopped land grabs before, and continued vigilance is essential to protect lands held in common for future generations.
The three takeaways Efforts to sell, develop, or transfer public lands are not new—they are part of a long-running campaign to privatize shared resources.
The Roadless Rule protects watersheds, wildlife, and taxpayers by limiting costly, damaging road construction that agencies cannot maintain.
Public lands endure only when citizens actively defend them; public pressure has proven effective in stopping harmful policies.
References / Links Hal's website
Summary In this episode, Cultivating Curiosity host Jeff Ikler reflects on his love of year-end "Best Books" lists and why reading sits at the heart of his podcast and personal life. He welcomes lists from institutions like The New York Times and the New York Public Library, seeing them as both a defense against book banning and a source of discovery, connection, and generosity. For Ikler, books spark curiosity, deepen empathy, and create bonds—whether through gifting or thoughtful conversation with authors. He also underscores podcast hosts' responsibility to read their guests' work in full, arguing that preparation honors both listeners and writers. Ultimately, Ikler finds himself drawn to books that slow him down through careful observation and reflection, or expand his understanding through deeply researched history, reinforcing reading as both nourishment and refuge. Three Major Takeaways 1. Reading lists are acts of resistance, curiosity, and connection—not just recommendations. 2. Thoughtful reading is essential to meaningful conversation, especially in podcasting. 3. The most rewarding books either sharpen our attention to the present or deepen our understanding of the past.
Jeff's favorite books in 2025 Crossings – How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb. Quoting from the book jacket, "Creatures from antelope to salmon are losing their ability to migrate in search of food and mates; invasive plants hitch rides in tire treads, road salt contaminates lakes and rivers; and the very, very noise of traffic chases songbirds from vast swaths of habitat." In this beautifully crafted book, Goldfarb makes the case that overpasses and underpasses are essential for reducing the deaths of animals and humans who inevitably come into brutal contact with one another. One of the chief takeaways in our era of divisiveness is that road ecologists and other scientists, insurance companies, and government officials are working collaboratively to solve problems. They have different goals for doing so, but they're working effectively at the intersection. You can access my two-part podcast interview on Getting Unstuck–Cultivating Curiosity with Ben in episodes 347 and 348.
The Comfort of Crows – A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. This title came from one of last year's best books, and it did not disappoint. Quoting from the book jacket, "Margaret Renkl presents a literary devotional: fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year." How often do you read a chapter or passage because the writing is so moving? If you're interested in slowing down and seeing more of your immediate world, this is a great place to start. This small volume is a course in observation and reflection.
Challenger – A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham. Like many Americans who watched the Space Shuttle Challenger break apart just seventy-three seconds into its mission, I thought I knew the story, but I was so wrong. As the book jacket explains, "…the Challenger disaster was a defining moment in twentieth-century history–one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told." I was moved to head-shaking anger after reading how decisions were made and bungled. Higginbotham's explanation of a highly complicated topic is beautifully presented. The book is a primer on the dangers of overly complex and competing bureaucracies and ego.
Remember Us – American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter. Remember Us documents twelve lives connected to the American Military Cemetery near the small village of Margraten, Netherlands. Approximately 8,300 Americans who helped liberate the Netherlands from the Nazis and the grip of fascism during World War II are buried there.
One of these was a Black American soldier who, along with a company of other Black Americans, dug the graves under the harshest weather conditions. The cruel irony is that Black soldiers worked in segregated and mostly non-combat roles in a war fought to eliminate tyranny and oppression.
The cemetery is remarkable because local Dutch citizens have taken it upon themselves to adopt each grave and visit it weekly. This practice reflects the citizens' ongoing gratitude, and their visits ensure that the soldiers are always remembered for their sacrifice. There is a waiting list of citizens who wish to adopt a grave.
Raising Hare—a Memoir by Chloe Dalton. This title has made almost every list I've come across. From the jacket cover, "…Dalton stumbles upon a newborn hare—a leveret—that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she brings it home, only to discover how difficult it is to rear a wild hare." Dalton deftly and wisely navigates caring for the hare as a house guest versus a pet, a choice that lets the hare move between the wild of the nearby woods and the security of her home. Like Renkl, Dalton has a keen eye for observation, one that put me in her home and garden as a witness to their interactions.
Origin — A Genetic History of the Americas by Jennifer Raff. When I was growing up, I watched or read with almost religious fervor anything National Geographic produced featuring Louis Leakey, a paleoanthropologist and archaeologist. I was in awe of how he dug through the layers of time to find bones and artifacts from our earliest ancestors. Leakey's work was critical in demonstrating our human origins in Africa.
So, when my friend Annette Taylor, a researcher of evolutionary psychology and biology, shared an article featuring Professor Jennifer Raff, an anthropologist and geneticist trying to rewrite the history of human origins in the Americas, I knew I had to invite her on my podcast.
As a history enthusiast, I found it especially rewarding to co-host, along with Annette, a discussion with Professor Raff on podcast episode 358 about how and why early peoples migrated to and within North America. Raff has a talent for simplifying complex topics and making listeners comfortable with uncertainty. Scientists have theories and are constantly testing and revising them. We don't yet know for sure how early peoples arrived here or why they migrated, but that's the beauty of science and history. There is always more to discover.
If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende. I read this book decades ago and was as captivated then as I was this year by Heather Lende's storytelling ability. Adapted from the back cover, "As both the obituary writer and social columnist for the local newspaper (in Haines, Alaska, population about 2,500), Heather Lende knows better than anyone the goings-on in this breathtakingly beautiful place. Her offbeat chronicle brings us inside her — and the town's — busy life."
Why read about a small town in Alaska? Maybe because it helps us look critically at our own lives. Like Renkl and Dalton, Heather Lende has an eye for detail, but also the humanity beneath the detail. She has graciously agreed to be my guest in podcast episode 400 this coming February.
The most interesting books read in 2025 by his friends and colleagues Steve Ehrlich – The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soulby Connie Zweig. Zweig writes from a Jungian perspective that is accessible to anyone who thinks about old and new agendas, internal and external, as we transition to later life, and reflect on what we want to hold on to, and what we're prepared to let go of to live an authentic life.
Cindy House – What Just Happened by Charles Finch. It's one person's experience of the terrible year that was the pandemic lockdown, with all the fear, uncertainty, and strangeness I had forgotten. I loved his cultural observations and witty take on one of the weirdest years of our lives. I am so glad this particular record exists.
By Edgington – The Untethered Soulby Michael A. Singer. I first read the book in 2013, then again in '24, and now I read and refer to it every year. Singer's book is what propelled me to join his Temple of the Universe, where Mariah and I now live on the grounds. It's filled with inspiration and simple, almost homely wisdom: "The moment in front of you is not bothering you; you're bothering yourself about the moment in front of you!"
Spencer Seim – To Possess the Land by Frank Waters. It follows the life of Arthur Manby, who came to the New Mexico territory in 1885 from England. He quickly tried to cash in by calling parcels of land his own. He quickly ran into resistance, often by force, and had to learn the hard way that the land of New Mexico in those days was a bit more complicated.
Charlotte Wittenkamp – Shift by Ethan Kross. Kross examines Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and the notion that we always have the freedom to choose how we respond - even to the atrocities Frankl had to put up with in a WWII concentration camp. Kross examines and supports, with scientific findings, various ways we can shift our perspectives to gain easier access to that freedom of choice.
Paul McNichols – E-Boat Alert by James F. Tent. The book offers a nearly forensic yet highly readable analysis of the threat posed by the E-Boats of the German Kriegsmarine to the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944. It covers the development, use, strengths, and limitations of these fast, maneuverable craft, as well as their impact on the Normandy landings on D-Day and the weeks thereafter. The most interesting part is the chain of events that ultimately led to their neutralization.
Annette Taylor – My Name is Chellis, and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization by Chellis Glendinning. Chellis writes affectionately and respectfully about eco-psychology and nature-based peoples from whom members of Western Civilization could learn a lot.
Sue Inches – The Light Eaters – How the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on earth by Zoe Schlanger. A thrilling journey that leads the reader from an old paradigm of plants as separate inanimate objects, to the true nature of plants as sensing, alive beings who communicate with the world around them. An inspiring example of how human understanding of the world around us is making progress!
Rich Gassen – The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. Priya teaches us how to have better parties, events, and relationships through her writing. I used this book's information (along with her podcasts) to plan a better 10-year anniversary party for the Campus Supervisors Network community of practice I lead at UW-Madison — making it exclusive, inviting, and tailored to those who attended.
Mac Bogert – Renegadesby Robert Ward. After some time as a college professor, Bob decided to try journalism. He spent twenty years interviewing folks from Waylon Jennings to Larry Flynt, and, damn, he's good at it!
Hunter Seim – Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. The novel is set during World War II, from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of antihero Captain Yossarian, a U.S. Air Force B-25 bombardier. The term "Catch-22" itself refers to a paradoxical situation in which contradictory rules or circumstances trap a person. In the novel, Yossarian discovers that he can be declared insane and relieved from duty if he requests it, but by requesting it, he demonstrates his sanity. Remarkably accurate in describing organizational dysfunction and bureaucratic absurdity. It was the perfect book to read in 2025.
Bill Whiteside – I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally. I wondered whether this memoir by a New York restaurateur (who hates the word "restaurateur" and much else), who suffered two strokes and survived a suicide attempt, would live up to its social media hype. It does.
Guests Why are school children more anxious, aggressive, and shut down than ever before? We first heard answers from educators Tamara Neufeld Strijack and Hannah Beach in April 2020. Hannah takes us up to the present in this update episode.
Tamara is the academic dean of the Neufeld Institute, where she develops and delivers courses and workshops that support parents, teachers, and helping professionals around the world in making sense of children through developmental science. Tamara works as a registered clinical counsellor, parent consultant, and sessional instructor for several universities, where she lectures for the faculties of education and counseling.
Hannah is an award-winning educator, author, and keynote speaker. She was recognized by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in 2017 as one of five featured change-makers in Canada. She is a Neufeld course facilitator, delivers professional development services across the country, provides emotional health consulting to schools, and speaks at national and international conferences about the power of bringing more feeling and human connection into the classroom.
Together, they are the authors of Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive, and Shut Down Than Ever―And What We Can Do About It – a book about restoring the emotional well-being of children. As stated in the book's preface, "Academics can no longer be divorced from matters of the heart."
Summary The core takeaway is this: children today are emotionally overloaded and under-supported, and until adults—especially teachers—reestablish themselves as consistent, caring, emotionally safe anchors, academic learning will continue to fall short.
Tamara and Hannah argue that modern cultural shifts—loss of free play, constant entertainment, diminished time with adults, and the dominance of technology—have deprived kids of the natural outlets and relationships they need to process alarm, frustration, and sadness. Schools cannot "fix" behavior through discipline or curriculum tweaks alone. The starting point is restoring emotional connection, safe expression, and relational leadership in the classroom.
Listen for:
- Why are our kids in the position today of being more anxious, aggressive, and shut down than ever before?
- What has been the impact of children losing time for free play – and of entertainment becoming the substitute for free play?
- What are "void moments," and what purpose do they serve?
- How can one teacher make a huge difference in the risk factors of children?
- What are the characteristics of the "caring leader"?
- Why we need to provide children with outlets for expression, and why are those outlets especially important in the online learning environment we find ourselves in today?
"When we see a child who is aggressive or being difficult in some way, we look only at the behavior, and we go to correct the behavior. But what's behind the behavior? What if we feed the emotion behind that behavior? The behavior will naturally go away, just like food will help alleviate a child's hunger. If we're only treating the behavior, and not the root cause of it, how do we actually shift the child?" — Hannah Connect with Hannah and Tamara Reclaiming Our Students on Amazon
Book website, including the "Inside / Outside Handbook
Hannah on LinkedIN
Hannah's website
Tamara's website
Recommended The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate
Update: If you listened to last week's podcast, you know that today's episode about the historic Apollo 8 mission to the moon in late December 1968 was one of my most popular of 2024. The lessons from that mission, which I discussed in episode 344, are just as important, if not more so, today in episode 394. An artist's rendering of Apollo 8 as it photographs "Earthrise."
Summary In this episode, I reflect on the Apollo 8 mission to the moon in late December 1968 and the turbulent year that preceded it. The episode highlights enduring lessons on inequality, collective problem-solving, and environmental stewardship. It urges renewed respect for history and a commitment to addressing modern challenges with the same ingenuity that defined the space race. Three Takeaways Historical Literacy: The mission symbolizes humanity's capacity for courage, teamwork, and ingenuity, offering hope and a sense of shared accomplishment amidst turmoil.
Historical Inequality: The unresolved issues of racial, gender, and economic inequities persist, echoing the divisions of 1968.
Environmental Responsibility: "Earthrise" underscores the planet's fragility, emphasizing the need for collective stewardship over self-interest.
Social Media Rocket Men by Robert Kurson
Summary This coming February, Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity will start its eighth year. My goal with this podcast is to host guests who will make us think, "I didn't know anything about that," or "That's something I hadn't considered," or "I might be able to apply that to some aspect of my life." In each case, "that" refers to the topic being discussed.
And the topics will vary widely. Unlike other shows that focus on a single topic, such as politics, entertainment, or leadership, Getting Untuck's focus is eclectic. This year, I offered episodes about how to inspire student curiosity, the healing powers of fly fishing, writing, the Holocaust and World War II, marketing, and a score of other topics.
Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity continues to rank in the top 3 percent of all podcasts globally, where just over 4 million options are vying for your ears' attention. We just published our 392nd episode, which is notable given that most podcasts don't reach ten episodes.
I say "we" because a special thanks goes to my engineer, Neil Hughes. He manages all the back-end publishing logistics and makes every episode sound professional. He also welcomes me to pull up a virtual chair for periodic emotional therapy when needed. To say I would be lost without him doesn't begin to do his services justice.
As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank you, my listeners. I wouldn't be able to continue doing this show without your interest and support. Thank you.
I'm going to recap 2025 in three parts: Part One: The three episodes that you listened to the most.
Part Two: The one episode that was particularly special to me.
Part Three: The three most popular backlist episodes.
Part One: The three episodes that you listened to the most. (In no particular order.)
- Episode 344 - "Earthrise"—What Apollo 8 Should Have Taught Us
This episode reflects on the Apollo 8 mission's iconic "Earthrise" image in late December 1968 and the turbulent year that preceded it. It highlights enduring lessons on inequality, collective problem-solving, and environmental stewardship. The episode urges renewed respect for history and a commitment to addressing modern challenges with the same ingenuity that defined the space race. This episode's popularity doesn't surprise me, so I'm going to devote next week's episode to replaying it.
- Episode 348 - Breaking Barriers: Men, Vulnerability and Emotional Growth
In this episode, I talked with Bob Reece, a mental health counselor and fly fishing guide, about his work addressing the mental health of men and at-risk teens. We discussed overcoming societal stigmas around vulnerability, providing men with tools to manage emotions, and the transformative impact of connecting with nature through fly fishing to improve relationships and professional lives. Bob emphasized the need to normalize vulnerability among men, challenging traditional notions of masculinity and fostering healthier emotional expression. This episode's popularity did not surprise me, given what I've read about the crisis single white men are experiencing.
- Episode 369 - From Heart Attack to Health: A Plant-based Transformation
In this episode, I talked with Byron Edgington, a Vietnam Veteran and commercial helicopter pilot. Byron shared his journey to a whole food, plant-based diet after a heart attack. He and his wife experienced dramatic health improvements almost immediately, including weight loss and the elimination of prescription medications. Our conversation expanded to explore the environmental impact of meat production, animal cruelty in factory farming, and how food choices can shape personal health and global sustainability.
Two other episodes deserve mention. Episode 345 - Living with Purpose—Eastern and Western Insights Into Habits and Growth
In this episode, Dr. Tamsin Astor, an author and habit scientist, discussed her approach to habit formation and the integration of Western and Eastern philosophies to promote wellness.
Episode 363 - Decoding LinkedIn–Optimizing Your Digital First Impression
The popularity of this episode should surprise no one. Here, "LinkedIn Profiler" Tony K. Silver shared LinkedIn optimization strategies focused on capturing attention quickly, using strategic keywords, and creating high-quality, engaging content with clear calls to action for professional success.
Part Two: The one episode that was particularly special to me. Episode 368 - What We Make of Them
After participating in New York City's "No Kings" march last spring, I reflected in this episode on the urgency of defending democracy, drawing parallels between the current political climate and that of 1930s Germany. When the march ended, I slipped into a bookstore to warm up and dry off. There I found Remember Us by Robert M. Edsell. The title of the book comes from a moving poem by Archibald MacLeish: "The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak." A few stanzas carry the meaning.
Nevertheless they are heard in the still houses: Who has not heard them? They say, Our deaths are not ours; they are yours: They will mean what you make of them They say, Whether our lives and our deaths were for peace And a new hope or for nothing we cannot say: it is you who must say this. We were young, they say. We have died. Remember us.
Two of the poem's lines moved me so much that I took the episode title from them.
"Our deaths are not ours; they are yours: They will mean what you make of them
Remember Us documents twelve lives connected to the American Military Cemetery near the small village of Margraten, Netherlands. Approximately 8,300 Americans who helped liberate the Netherlands from the Nazis and the grip of fascism during World War II are buried there.
The cemetery is remarkable because Black American soldiers, who were generally restricted to non-combat support roles, dug the graves under horrific weather conditions. The cemetery is also notable because local Dutch citizens have adopted each grave and visit it weekly. This practice reflects the citizens' ongoing gratitude for the soldiers, affirming that they have heard the voices of the dead. Their visits ensure that the soldiers are always remembered for their sacrifice.
Part Three: The three most popular backlist episodes. (Titles that aired before 1/1/25.)
- Episode 93 - Reclaiming Our Students
I'm not surprised that this episode continues to track after almost five years. Based on their mega best-selling book, Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive, and Shut Down Than Ever―And What We Can Do About It, authors Hannah Beach and Tamara Neufeld Strijack alerted us to what's going on with today's youth. I'm going to do a separate episode update in two weeks, but for our purpose here, two of the questions we discussed in the episode were
- Why are our kids in the position today of being more anxious, aggressive, and shut down than ever before?
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What has been the impact of children losing time for free play – and of entertainment becoming the substitute for free play?
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Episode 316 - Fishing the Good Fight—Healing on the Stream for Men with Mental Health Issues
Jim Flint is the Executive Director of "Fishing the Good Fight," an organization that uses fly-fishing retreats to help men navigate the complex intersection of masculinity and mental health. As a fly fisher, I was thrilled with the reception of this episode and with two other very popular episodes on the spiritual power of fly fishing
Episode 315 - Susan Gaetz is the executive director for Casting for Recovery, a national nonprofit using the therapeutic sport of fly fishing to serve women with breast cancer.
Episode 330 - Sylvia Huron is the co-founder and Executive Director of Reeling in Serenity, a non-profit that uses fly fishing to support addiction recovery through free retreats.
- Episode 321 - You Have a Story to Tell—The Art of Memoir Writing
This episode explores the art of memoir writing with author and teacher, Cindy House. Our conversation delved into the genre's rising popularity and its essential elements. Cindy emphasized curiosity as the foundation of writing and how memoir differs from autobiography by focusing on one or more specific aspects of one's life rather than a comprehensive account. Our conversation also covers the major elements of memoirs, including the importance of a central dramatic question, its supporting thematic framework, and the structure that holds everything together.
Two other episodes deserve mention. Episode 88 - Leading in a Time of Crisis: Part 10
I conducted this interview with the then-Principal of the Baltimore Design School, Zaharah Valentine, in April 2020. The crisis, of course, was COVID-19, and Zarharah offered suggestions on how faculty could weather it. This episode has probably surged recently because educators are once again in crisis. Teachers and administrators are leaving the field due to burnout, low pay, lack of support, political pressures, and challenging student behaviors.
Episode 324 - Cultivating Student Curiosity and Engagement in the Thinking Mathematics Classroom.
This was one of my favorite episodes of the year. Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education and has developed a unique way for students to learn math. Instead of sitting by themselves working out mind-numbing math problems, Dr. Liljedahl's method has students working in triads at whiteboards on real-world problems. Process and thinking, here, are as necessary as the answer.
Guest Leah Ellis is a mom of four, writer, wedding officiant, Girl Scout leader, and founder of The Society of Child Entrepreneurs. Her life blends family, creativity, and leadership, from giggling over business plans at the breakfast table to mentoring kids through hands-on entrepreneurship. With her children as her compass, Leah is reminded daily that growth is messy, love is work, and compassion changes everything. Through SoCE, Nerdy Nuptials ICT, and Girl Scouts, she creates spaces where kids, couples, and communities are empowered to lead with authenticity. Leah believes in making room for both the mess and the magic of becoming. Melody Ellis is a young artist, child entrepreneur, and community leader who blends creativity, curiosity, and confidence in everything she does. As one of the first members of The Society of Child Entrepreneurs, Melody has grown up alongside SoCE, learning how to turn ideas into action through real-world business experiences. From designing artwork and products to helping at events, she leads with imagination and heart. Guided by creativity and compassion, Melody is learning that growth takes courage, mistakes are part of the journey, and kids are capable of amazing things right now. Through SoCE, Girl Scouts, and her own creative ventures, Melody is already making her mark as a leader in the making. Summary This episode explores how Leah Ellis and her daughter, Melody, turned a four-year-old's curiosity into a thriving business and, ultimately, a youth entrepreneurship movement. When the pandemic forced Leah to close her daycare, she pivoted into financial coaching—training that Melody absorbed from the living-room TV. Soon, Melody announced she wanted to start a business, launching a contact-free drip-art venture at age four. As her work grew, Leah recognized the need for a community of young entrepreneurs. She created the Society of Child Entrepreneurs, a structured program teaching business skills, financial literacy, adaptability, and leadership through hands-on experience. Kids learn pricing, budgeting, opportunity cost, and problem-solving, culminating in selling their products publicly.
The conversation highlights extraordinary creativity—like kids designing a robot to stop porch pirates—and the confidence that grows when adults step back and ask questions rather than set limits. Leah also discusses the proposed "SoCE Law" to ease restrictions on kids starting businesses. Throughout, Melody reflects on how entrepreneurship has made her more adaptable, expressive, and willing to share her work. Together, they illustrate what happens when young people are empowered to build real businesses.
The Essential Point The core message is that children are far more capable than adults often assume. Creativity, business sense, and problem-solving emerge naturally when they are given space, the ability to ask questions, and trust. Leah rejects the idea that "kids are the future," arguing instead that they are powerful now. By letting kids start real businesses, handle real challenges, and make real decisions, the Society of Child Entrepreneurs helps them develop confidence, adaptability, and an entrepreneurial mindset that carries into every part of their lives.
Social Media & Referenced The Society of Child Entrepreneurs
Guest Jonathan Gluck is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He was deputy editor of New York magazine for ten years, after which he worked as managing editor of Vogue. He currently works at Fast Company. His work has been recognized with multiple National Magazine Awards. He is the author of An Exercise in Uncertainty, a memoir of how his journey with incurable cancer has reshaped his identity, marriage, and daily life. Summary In this deeply candid conversation, journalist and author Jon Gluck recounts his 22-year journey living with multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable bone-marrow cancer. He describes the shock of his diagnosis at age 38 and the long, winding road of tests, remissions, relapses, and emerging treatments that have kept him alive. The discussion explores how Gluck navigates profound uncertainty, the illusion of control, and the emotional toll that chronic illness places not only on the patient but also on family and relationships. He and his wife confronted the strain of living in medical limbo, ultimately turning to therapy to rebuild connection during what he calls becoming "cancer zombies."
The conversation also highlights the restorative role of fly fishing, which Gluck describes as one of the few activities capable of placing him entirely in the present. This genuine flow state quiets fear and anxiety. He shares broader lessons about empathy, how to speak to someone with a serious diagnosis, and the importance of intentionally pursuing joy, connection, and meaning while living alongside uncertainty.
The Essential Point The heart of the discussion is Jon's insight into living meaningfully in the face of uncertainty. His story shows that while we cannot control the inevitabilities of illness or life's unpredictability, we can control how we show up—seeking information, accepting our limits, nurturing relationships, and embracing activities that restore us. His emphasis on intentionally choosing joy, connection, and presence—even in the shadow of chronic illness—offers a universal lesson for anyone facing their own uncertainties.
Social MediaFacebook https://www.facebook.com/jon.gluck.3
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gluck-b32b6898/
https://www.instagram.com/jbgluck/
Guest Hunter Seim is a thirty-year veteran of the Bureau of Land Management. His current role is a range and wild horse advisor to the District Manager of the Northwest District, Colorado BLM. During his career, he worked as a land survey technician and an outdoor recreation planner specializing in wilderness management in Palm Springs, California, and as a rangeland management specialist and an assistant field manager in Craig, Colorado. His duties have given him exposure to almost every aspect of managing public lands. He received a Bachelor of Science in Range Management from Texas Tech University in 1992. Range management and rangeland ecology are my primary background and where the bulk of my career and professional interests lie.
Summary Hunter Seim brings three decades of experience from the Bureau of Land Management to this conversation about managing America's public lands. With a background in range management and ecology, Hunter explains how the BLM oversees 245 million acres across the western states, balancing diverse and often conflicting interests—from wilderness preservation to resource extraction, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat protection.
The discussion reveals the BLM's unique challenge: its mission is so broad that "somebody's always going to be disappointed." Hunter describes managing everything from wilderness boundaries in California to oil and gas reclamation in Colorado, emphasizing that collaboration is essential to success. Rather than dictating policy, the BLM works as a neighbor to thousands of private landowners, state agencies, and various other stakeholders.
Particularly fascinating is Hunter's work with outcome-based grazing, which demonstrates how properly managed livestock grazing can coexist with—and even benefit—sensitive habitats, such as sage grouse environments. The wild horse program presents one of the agency's most emotionally charged challenges, as the BLM attempts to balance animal welfare with ecosystem health while facing intense public scrutiny amplified by social media.
From fire management to water rights, mineral extraction to animal crossings, the BLM operates at the intersection of conservation and commerce. Hunter emphasizes that these public lands benefit all Americans, whether they ever visit them or not—from the resources they provide to the simple knowledge that vast, undeveloped wilderness still exists. His recommended reading, Wallace Stegner's "Beyond the 100th Meridian," captures the essential challenge of managing the arid West.
The Essential Point The most critical insight is that successful public lands management requires constant collaboration and a balancing act between competing interests. The BLM cannot simply dictate policy—it must work as a neighbor with thousands of stakeholders, from ranchers to environmentalists, state agencies to private landowners. This collaborative approach, exemplified by outcome-based grazing initiatives that benefit both livestock operators and wildlife habitat, demonstrates that conservation and commerce need not be mutually exclusive.
Social Media & Referenced Bureau of Land Management Beyond the 100th Meridian
Guest Spencer Seim owns and operates ZiaFly guide service in Taos, NM. He's been tying flies since age eight and just finished his 23rd season guiding the southern Rockies. Spencer is well known for his classic Atlantic salmon flies, as well as his own patterns for fishing the Taos area. Spencer lives with his wife, Sophia, daughter Olivia, and son Ivo. From hopping freight trains, bouncing throughout the Rockies looking for fish, to tying flies, making hooks, and dyeing feathers, Spencer is always eager to share his hard-earned knowledge with others. Spencer's work has been featured in America's Favorite Flies, The Drake magazine, Smithsonian magazine, and The Feather Thief. In addition to Getting Unstuck, he has been a guest on numerous podcasts, including Destination Angler, Wet Fly Swing, Getting Unstuck, Ask About Fly Fishing, and This American Life. Summary In this riverside conversation, fly-fishing guide Spencer Seim reflects on how his lifelong passion for fly fishing has shaped his identity, philosophy, and environmental ethics. From his early fascination with anglers in the southern Rockies to his work guiding others on Colorado and New Mexico rivers, Spencer sees fly fishing not just as a sport but as a spiritual and meditative practice—a way to connect deeply with nature and oneself. He describes the river as "a living thing" and "the ultimate connection to nature," teaching humility, adaptability, and respect. Each day on the water is a dialogue between person and place, one that demands observation and openness rather than mastery or control. Spencer explains that true success on the river—and in life—comes from learning through failure, adapting to changing conditions, and maintaining realistic expectations. The "frontier of the mind," as he calls it, is the mental space where curiosity and growth thrive, often nurtured by time spent in solitude outdoors. As a parent, he uses these same lessons to teach his daughter resilience, kindness, courage, and the value of learning from mistakes.
He also extends his stewardship ethic to conservation, recounting a story of helping prevent gas drilling in the Valle Vidal wilderness and emphasizing that "Mother Nature is not a resource, she's the source." Ultimately, Spencer frames both fly fishing and life as opportunities for "quiet lessons"—moments of discovery, humility, and connection that flow like the river itself.
The Key Takeaway Spencer's central insight is that fly fishing mirrors life: success comes through humility, awareness, and adaptation. The river teaches us to listen to nature, to others, and to our own inner dialogue.
Social Media https://www.ziafly.com/spencer-seim
Guest Dr. Karen Sobel-Lojeski is a pioneer in understanding how technology shapes human connection at work and beyond. She created the award-winning framework, Virtual Distance, a proven and practical set of predictive analytics that target problems and predictably strengthen trust, collaboration, and productivity across remote, hybrid, and in-person teams. As the founder of Virtual Distance International, she has advised Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and institutions, including Coca-Cola, the US Navy, DARPA, and the World Economic Forum. A trusted advisor, former professor and researcher with affiliations at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, Wharton, and the Stockholm School of Economics, she is the author of Uniting the Virtual Workforce, Leading the Virtual Workforce, and The Power of Virtual Distance. Her insights have been featured in Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and other prominent publications. She is a sought-after speaker, known for energizing audiences worldwide. She holds degrees in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from SUNY Albany and a Ph.D. from Stevens Institute of Technology, where her dissertation, Virtual Distance: A New Model for the Study of Virtual Work, won the Best Dissertation of the Year Award. Summary In this follow-up conversation, Dr. Karen Sobel-Lojeski—creator of the concept of "virtual distance"—discusses how technology continues to shape, and often erode, human connection, particularly in education. She defines virtual distance as the measurable sense of separation people feel despite being physically close, a phenomenon driven by technology-mediated communication. The model comprises three layers: physical distance, which has the least impact on outcomes; operational distance, representing the day-to-day barriers to smooth communication; and affinity distance, the emotional and relational disconnect that most strongly undermines trust, learning, and collaboration.
Dr. K and Jeff revisit ideas they first discussed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools shifted to remote learning. While educators solved many operational challenges, they largely ignored the emotional and social costs—students' inability to connect, play, and learn together. Dr. K likens this to Isaac Asimov's story "The Fun They Had," a cautionary tale about robotic education devoid of joy and connection.
The discussion shifts to current policies that restrict cell phone use in schools. Dr. K argues these measures, while well-intentioned, misidentify the real problem. Locking up phones doesn't undo decades of cultural conditioning around technology. Students' sense of self and connection has already been rewired; removing the device without addressing underlying social and emotional needs merely produces deprivation, not engagement.
She urges educators to prioritize relationships, empathy, and social learning—what she calls "reconnecting to our direct experience of being human." AI, she warns, intensifies virtual distance by outsourcing creativity and meaning-making. Ultimately, she calls for a cultural and educational rebalancing that centers human connection in an increasingly digital world.
The Essential Point Technological fixes—whether online learning, AI, or banning cell phones—cannot mend what they helped fray: our capacity for human connection. True learning and creativity depend on empathy, direct experience, and social bonds.
Social Media klojeski@virtualdistance.com www.thepowerofvirtualdistance.com
www.virtualdistance.com
+1.551.580.6422
Guest Jodi Scott is a purpose-driven business leader and entrepreneur passionate about bridging the gap between natural wellness and modern innovation. As the co-founder of Green Goo, she's helped pioneer plant-based alternatives in categories traditionally dominated by synthetics, from first aid to personal care. With a background in science, sales, and sustainability, Jodi brings a fresh perspective to how businesses can grow with integrity, lead with empathy, and stay true to their mission even in fast-changing industries. Summary In this episode, Jeff speaks with Jodi Scott, co-founder of Green Goo, a family-run company that produces plant-based first-aid and wellness products. The conversation traces Green Goo's origins from her sister's early herbalism experiments to a thriving business built around natural healing and sustainability. Jodi shares how her family's blend of skills—her sister's herbology, her mother's tech entrepreneurship, and her own background in health psychology—converged to create a purpose-driven company focused on high-efficacy, natural alternatives to chemical-laden over-the-counter products.
She explains the rigorous process behind Green Goo's product formulation, including the FDA's growing recognition of botanical ingredients and the company's commitment to transparent labeling. Beyond product development, Jodi highlights the deeper values that guide the company: spreading goodness, supporting community, and cultivating trust among consumers skeptical of plant-based efficacy.
The heart of the conversation comes when Jodi recounts selling the company to a seemingly aligned partner—only to watch it collapse after the buyer's scandal. Forced to lay off her family and staff, she describes the emotional devastation and eventual resilience that followed as they fought to buy the company back. That experience reshaped her understanding of resilience—not as relentless grit, but as the ability to pause, get present, and move forward with clarity.
Now, with Green Goo reborn and expanded into a broader wellness portfolio, Jodi continues to advocate for purpose-driven leadership and mindful living, encouraging others to "keep showing up" even when the path is uncertain.
The Essential Point Jodi's essential message is that resilience isn't about endless drive—it's about presence, reflection, and finding purpose even amid loss. Her journey with Green Goo shows how values and mindfulness can sustain both people and businesses through profound challenges.
Social Media www.greengoo.com | www.southernbutter.com | www.ovamoon.com | www.fambotanicals.com
Guest Dennis and Ali Pitocco lead 360° Nation, a global media platform dedicated to uplifting humanity. For over 15 years, the couple has focused on showcasing humanity's best aspects and driving positive change. Their philosophy emphasizes presence, belonging, and compassionate service, allocating resources for the greater good. They believe in the power of media to benefit society, employing a purpose-driven "for good" vs. for-profit business model that highlights the human potential for creativity, compassion, and collaboration. Summary In this episode, Dennis and Ali reflect on their 500-mile walk along the Camino de Santiago, a six-week pilgrimage through northern Spain that became one of the most profound experiences of their lives. Initially drawn to the Camino less for its religious tradition than for its potential as a reflective journey, the couple sought quiet, connection, and space away from the noise of everyday life. Along the way, they discovered what they call a "symphony of silence"—a meditative calm in which layers of distraction and obligation fell away, revealing a more profound sense of self and purpose. Dennis describes how walking each day with nothing but their thoughts and nature's rhythms stripped away life's "varnish," exposing what truly matters: authenticity, relationships, and wonder. Upon returning home, he and Ali found themselves changed. Dennis reached out to each of his siblings, determined to cultivate genuine, not transactional, relationships—an impulse he attributes directly to the Camino. They also wrote the book we occasionally dip into during this episode to record for themselves and inspire others to approach the Camino as a journey of introspection rather than endurance.
The conversation touches on lessons about slowing down, embracing simplicity, and rekindling awe in the everyday. For Dennis, the Camino became a metaphor for life—an act of "unbecoming" all that is false so one can return to one's most authentic self. As he puts it, "Pain is temporary, but the accomplishment of doing it lives with you forever."
The Essential Point The Camino taught Dennis that transformation often comes through subtraction—not adding more, but shedding distractions and illusions to rediscover authenticity, connection, and the quiet beauty of being fully present.
Social Media
LINKTREE
Guest Christopher Schaberg, PhD., is the Director of Public Scholarship at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as a founding editor of Object Lessons, a book series on the secret lives of ordinary things. Chris is the author of ten books, including one really good one on fly-fishing. Summary In this wide-ranging conversation, Chris reflects on curiosity, confusion, and the value of paying attention to small things. He begins by adapting Norman Maclean's line from A River Runs Through It—"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it." by suggesting that "confusion" or "mystery" runs through his own life and work—a reminder that lingering in uncertainty can be a fertile state for creativity and learning. Chris also discusses his fascination with airports, where he once worked, and how those complex spaces became both a professional subject and metaphor for human experience.
He also explores his "Object Lessons" book series, which celebrates the hidden lives of ordinary things, and his broader intellectual project of focusing on the small, the local, and the limited—an intentional counterbalance to a culture obsessed with scale, speed, and expansion. This theme carries through his writing on fly fishing, Adventure: An Argument for Limits, and Little Data, all of which urge closer attention to what's near, tangible, and often overlooked.
As director of public scholarship, Chris works to help academics communicate their research clearly and meaningfully to general audiences, fostering what he sees as a moral imperative for universities: to re-engage with the public in accessible, authentic ways. He and I also reflect on teaching, the challenges of student preparation, and the evolving role of curiosity in an AI-driven age. Chris closes by describing fly fishing not as an escape but as a way to recenter attention and rediscover connection—with nature, with others, and with himself.
The Essential Point Chris's essential insight is that confusion and uncertainty are not obstacles but opportunities—spaces where curiosity deepens, learning expands, and meaningful connections between art, scholarship, and everyday life emerge.
"The best essays leave you more puzzled about a topic in a constructive way. It's okay to be confused—linger there."
Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-schaberg-812923282/
Guest Lyle Kirtman has been a leadership development consultant for more than 30 years. As CEO, of Future Management Systems Inc., he has worked on developing leaders to increase results for students in 500 school districts in 15 states. Kirtman's focus on innovation in education is a key element of his presentations, keynotes, and publications.
His field-based research has already made major contributions to the educational leadership arena through his "7 Competencies for High Performing Leaders," the use of leadership assessments for self-reflection and hiring, and the importance of getting a "C" in compliance to increase focus on results for student achievement.
He is the author and co-author of numerous books, including Leadership and Teams: The Missing Piece of the Educational Reform Puzzle and Shaping the Future: Four Leadership Pivots for Lasting Educational Impact, which we discuss in this episode.
Lyle earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) and a master's degree in counseling with a concentration in career development from SUNY and Fairfield University, Connecticut.
Why This Episode Matters Lyle Kirtman's new book, Shaping the Future for Leadership Pivots for Lasting Educational Impact, aims to help educational leaders cultivate a positive results culture through four essential pivots.
- Identify a clear North Star that defines student success.
- Develop a new approach for hiring, developing, and retaining all staff (shifting from instructional leader to talent leader).
- Implement a system where employees self-assess their progress toward enabling student success.
- Establish and commit to high expectations for all students and staff.
Kirtman argues that educational leaders lack a 21st-century "North Star" for student success, which is often narrowly defined by high-stakes test scores. He redefines "results" as the essential skills and competencies students need to be successful in life, beyond just academics. These include skills like critical thinking, resilience, and adaptability.
Social Media www.futuremsi.com
Twitter (X): @FutureManageme3
Guest When I sat down with Brew Moscarello, founder of Trico Unlimited, a Vermont-based fly fishing guiding and instruction service, it was clear that his story is about more than guiding—it’s about a lifelong relationship with the outdoors. Drawn to Vermont by both snowboarding and fly fishing, Brew found himself immersed in the mountains and rivers that continue to inspire him today. His journey eventually led him into the Orvis organization, where he has turned his passion for the water into a vocation—while still maintaining a deep connection to the slopes. Summary Brew’s approach goes beyond technical instruction—he emphasizes presence, patience, and the Zen-like qualities of being on the river. For Brew, guiding is as much about teaching and creating memorable experiences as it is about catching fish. He differentiates himself by leveraging his decades of experience on the Battenkill River, his deep ties to landowners and the community, and a strong instructional style tailored to each client’s needs. Conservation and education are central to his mission, from working with the Battenkill Watershed Alliance to coaching a new high school fly-fishing club. Ultimately, Brew sees fly fishing as a way to connect people with nature, themselves, and each other, creating moments of joy, focus, and gratitude that extend far beyond the catch. The Key Takeaway Brew’s fly fishing and guiding practice is less about catching fish and more about cultivating presence, patience, and connection with nature and others. Developing respect for the sport, the environment, and education is at the heart of what he does.
Social Media Trico Unlimited, 4022 VT-313, Arlington, VT 05250 Brew Moscarello brew@tricounlimited.com (802) 379-2005
Guest Sam Sochet is a retired high school principal who currently works as an educational mentor, coach, consultant, and community speaker. He has been a member of the Syosset, NY, Library Board of Trustees since 2020 and currently serves as its Vice President. Sam taught and led schools for over 3 decades, which culminated in his work at Martin Van Buren High School, transforming it from a school on the brink of NY State Receivership and closure, to a thriving destination school for families in Eastern Queens. Sam’s ability to utilize data analysis and community and civic involvement nearly doubled the graduation rate. As a result, Sam was named New York City High School Principal of the Year in 2019. Sam is currently running for the position of Oyster Bay, NY, Town Supervisor. Summary Sam Sochet shares lessons from transforming a struggling school, highlighting the significance of community, empowering teachers, and preparing students for flexible futures—while reflecting on the changing purpose of education and his new role in public service.
The takeaway We must reimagine K–12 education, starting at the local community level, so that schooling goes beyond the traditional acquisition of content and test scores, focusing instead on preparing adaptable, collaborative, critical thinkers who can thrive in an uncertain future.
Social Media LinkedIn
Guest Rebecca Winthrop is a leading global authority on education, the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in life, work, and as an engaged citizen. She leads cutting-edge research and initiatives aimed at transforming education systems around the world to better support children’s learning and development. Rebecca is a trusted advisor to both school communities and national and international organizations. Her expertise is sought by many, including parent networks, schools, district education leaders, the White House, the United Nations, and Fortune 500 companies. Rebecca’s work is centered on developing and advocating for evidence-based strategies that bring people together—families, educators, policymakers, and companies—to help children maximize their potential. She is the co-author with Jenny Anderson of The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better.
She holds a PhD from Columbia University’s Teachers College, an MA from its School of International and Public Affairs, and a BA from Swarthmore College. Summary Jeff and Rebecca explore how schools’ outdated designs hinder student agency and engagement. They unpack the four “disengagement modes,” highlight practices that foster curiosity and autonomy, and stress the role of families, teachers, and systemic reform in helping students become lifelong, self-directed learners.
Key Takeaways Outdated Structures vs. Agency: Schools were built for compliance, not curiosity—modern learning must cultivate student agency and exploration.
Four Modes of Engagement: Students move among Passenger, Achiever, Resistor, and Explorer engagement modes.
Pathways Forward: Family collaboration, autonomy-supportive teaching, and project-based learning help students thrive and connect knowledge to real life.
Social Media Instagram: @drrebeccawinthrop
TikTok: @drrebeccawinthrop
LinkedIn: Rebecca Winthrop
Guest None today; just me reflecting.
Summary In this episode, I reflect on lessons I’ve drawn from Robert Redford’s film adaptation of A River Runs Through It and how they support my growth as a writer. At first, I loved the film for its beauty, but as a writer, I later returned to it as an instructional tool: how to go beyond the surface story of familial love to convey Maclean’s more profound meaning. The scene where Norman Maclean’s father insists he cut his drafts in half taught me that “thrift” is about essence, not just length. Like Norman, I struggle in my early drafts to move past surface storytelling and uncover what I am truly trying to say. With encouragement from my writing coach, Cindy House, and insights from writing instructor Jeannine Ouillette, I’ve learned to revise until I reach “aboutness”—the story’s heart that sits between the story’s plot and its themes. For me, digging deeper means discovering not just what happens, but what emotions I’m feeling that I want my readers to feel. The Bob Ross painting I refer to in the essay.
Related Media In Episode 240 of the podcast, “Teaching—The River That Runs Through A Life,” I speak with John Dietsch, who choreographed all the fly fishing scenes in the film.
Watch the scene where young Norman learns to write.
Watch the emotional last scene in the film.
Read this beautifully constructed review of Norman’s teaching and writing.
For a related and highly informative podcast, listen to April Vokey’s interview with Rebecca McCarthy, who wrote an intimate portrait of Norman.
Guest Sarah Elkins is a keynote speaker, Gallup StrengthsFinder coach, and the author and podcast host of Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will. She is the principal at Elkins’ Consulting. She is the organizing genius behind the annual No Longer Virtual Summit, a small business summit for those looking for a community of professionals to grow with - personally, professionally, and thoughtfully. In her work with coaching clients, Sarah guides individuals to enhance their communication by using storytelling as the foundation of their collaboration. What she’s realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
Her work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on her podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
Summary In this episode, Sarah and I discuss our key takeaways from her recent "No Longer Virtual Summit." We reflect on sessions that focused on finding a target audience and identifying one's "content personality type." We also explore how they've applied these concepts to their work. I share how I’ve narrowed the focus of my podcast to center on curiosity and innovation, while Sarah talks about incorporating storytelling and the StrengthsFinder assessment into her public speaking coaching. We both emphasize the importance of vulnerability, personal stories, and targeting a specific audience to build authentic connections and achieve career clarity.
Key Takeaways Narrow your focus to find your target audience. Instead of trying to appeal to a broad market, solopreneurs should "shoot with a rifle, not with a shotgun" by focusing on a specific audience based on their values and the problems they solve for clients. Embrace your "content personality type" for business development. Identifying how you work best, such as in-person or through reflection, can guide how you build your business and get people to care about your services.
Use storytelling to build authentic connections. Sharing personal stories that demonstrate your skills and values can create a deeper, more memorable connection with others. This is particularly effective for leaders and professionals in networking situations.
Social Media: Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will Book: To support your local bookstore, visit Bookshop.org. Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-stories-dont-define-you-how-you-tell-them-will/id1329558957
Guest Dr. Constantino “Costa” Aguilar is a distinguished educational leader with over 29 years of transformative service in public education. Throughout his dynamic career, Dr. Aguilar has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to student success and organizational excellence, serving in a wide range of leadership roles, including Spanish Teacher, Head Baseball Coach, Associate Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Technology and Innovation, and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Merced Union High School District. He currently serves as the Superintendent of Riverbank Unified School District, where he continues to lead with strategic vision, innovation, and a relentless focus on equity and achievement for all students. Dr. Aguilar’s exceptional leadership has been recognized at the state level. He is a proud recipient of the prestigious “Honoring Our Own” award from the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) and has been named Mentoring Minds California Administrator of the Year. His accolades also include ACSA Region 9 Principal of the Year, Career Technical Education (CTE) Administrator of the Year, and District Principal and Co-Administrator of the Year—testaments to his ability to inspire teams, elevate learning environments, and drive sustainable change. Summary Dr. Constantino “Costa” Aguilar is a superintendent in his third year at Riverbank Unified School District. Costa shares his journey from being a Spanish teacher to becoming a superintendent and discusses his vision for educational reform. He highlights the importance of social-emotional learning and dual enrollment programs—high school and college—and emphasizes the need to teach students how to be productive members of society. Costa outlines the challenges facing education today, including social disengagement, mental health issues, and the integration of artificial intelligence. He also stresses the need for community engagement, parent involvement, and a shift away from antiquated, adult-centric school systems.
Key Takeaways Educational Purpose and Reform: According to Costa, the current national K12 school system is "incredibly antiquated" and no longer serves students' needs. He believes the purpose of schooling should be to provide every student with the opportunity to pursue their dreams, regardless of what they are. Costa advocates for changes like different scheduling and focusing on mastery learning over traditional grading.
The Role of Community and Social-Emotional Learning: Costa emphasizes the importance of unifying the community and building trust between parents and the school system. He believes social-emotional learning (SEL) is a foundational and essential component of education, helping students develop emotional intelligence and learn how to be productive social members of society.
Challenges of Modern Education: The biggest challenges Costa faces include how to use artificial intelligence, improving literacy skills, and student mental health.
Social Media Riverbank Unified School District
In this episode, I reflect on some of the "No" responses I receive from potential guests. I have hosted this show for seven years and 376 episodes, yet some of my most popular episodes are about guests who declined to be on the show. I discuss three types of "Nos": a direct "No," an initial "Yes" followed by silence, and no response at all. I note that the rejections that linger with me are from guests I desperately wanted to host. I explain that I sometimes share these stories with my listeners to create something out of nothing and to explain what sparked my curiosity in the first place. I conclude that while a "No" still stings, I have learned not to take it personally; it is a fact of podcast life.
Guest Nanci Morris Lyon is a long-time resident of Bristol Bay, Alaska, living in King Salmon, where she owns Bear Trail Lodge on the famed Naknek River. She is a long-time leader in Bristol Bay conservation and has been an essential voice in the fight against the Pebble Mine. As the first female guide in Bristol Bay and one of the first in Alaska, she is an inspiration for many young women pursuing careers in the sport-fishing world. She was instrumental in the creation of the Bristol Bay Guide Academy, and 14 years later, she continues to be the lead instructor at the Academy, currently guiding some of her past students into roles as academy instructors. She is also a role model for guides throughout the country, demonstrating and emphasizing the importance of getting involved in fisheries management and conservation as a sport-fishing professional. She has donated her time to several important Bristol Bay fisheries documents, including the Southwest Alaska Rainbow Trout management plan and the Nushagak King Salmon Management plan. Among the Bristol Bay guide circle, she is known as the “Queen of the Naknek.” Summary Nanci discusses her unique path to becoming a fishing guide and lodge operator. She shares her personal history, including graduating from high school at 16, working in veterinary medicine, and then building homes in Anchorage before a personal loss led her to a new career in guiding. Nanci highlights the importance of cultivating a strong customer service culture at the lodge, where employees are treated like family and encouraged to go beyond their basic duties. She also talks about her involvement in environmental issues, particularly her opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine, and her role in establishing a fly fishing guide academy for local youth.
Key Takeaways Exceptional Customer Service is a Taught Culture: Nanci emphasizes that outstanding customer service is not accidental but a deliberate part of the company culture. She leads by example, showing employees that no task is too small, and she hires people who are genuinely interested in connecting with guests rather than just performing a job. She looks for individuals who want to "meet people where they're at" and make a positive impact on their day.
Environmental Advocacy is Crucial in Remote Areas: The interview highlights the fragility of Alaska's natural resources and the importance of protecting them. Nanci's involvement in fighting against projects like the Pebble Mine, which threatened the entire Bristol Bay ecosystem, demonstrates how individuals and businesses in remote locations can become key advocates for environmental preservation and the subsistence lifestyles that depend on them.
Challenges Foster Resilience: Nanci's life story, from losing her brother to adapting to the demands of a remote Alaskan lifestyle, illustrates how adversity can build resilience. She believes that stepping out of one's comfort zone, especially in an environment where self-reliance is essential, makes people better. This mentality is a core part of her character, as she views challenges as opportunities rather than insults
Social Media Bear Trail Lodge
Today on Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity One of the many problems that plague U.S. businesses, not-for-profits, and our U.S. education system is when and how to change. For many institutions, the process can look like fruit-of-the-month club: they try “this” until a new “this” comes along. A new something – process, way of thinking, way of leading etc. – is seen as the answer to all organizational ills . . . until a new, shinier something takes its place. As a result, employees are whipped-sawed by an unending stream of changes, and sustained results are rarely achieved.
One who wrote at length about this problem was Jim Collins in his landmark book, Good to Great. There he looked at what great performing organizations do that good performing organizations typically don’t do. One of the habits that great organizations instinctively employ is something Collins called “the flywheel” – a process involving 4-6 elements with each element impacting / driving the next. The thinking went: “If we do “A,” then “B” will happen, which will cause “C” to happen, which will cause “D” and so on. Each element is a consequence of the element that came before it. As Collins wrote:
“Pushing with great effort, you get the flywheel to inch forward. You keep pushing, and with persistent effort, you get the flywheel to complete on entire turn. You don’t stop. You keep pushing. The flywheel moves a bit fast. Then as some point —breakthrough! The flywheel flies forward with almost unstoppable momentum.”
Guest The book was written about U.S. business, but the question was quickly asked, “Would this thinking work for not-for-profits and specifically, education?” One educator who was immediately intrigued is Dr. Deb Gustafson. Now retired, at the time of this interview, Deb was the Executive Director of Student Services for the Geary County Unified School District 475 based in Junction City, KS. She is the former principal of Ware Elementary School, and that’s where she started turning a flywheel that still turns today.
Listen for • What the situation like at Ware Elementary when Deb became principal.
• What it was about Collins’ book that most impacted Deb.
• Why the first practice Deb installed as part of her flywheel – see the illustration – was “select teachers infused with passion.”
• What Deb saw as the ultimate goal – the why, the purpose, the cause – behind what they we’re trying to accomplish at Ware.
• The distinction we draw in the interview around “urgency.” There was “urgency” in needing to do something to resolve the pain that students and teachers are experiencing, but it wasn’t an urgency of pace or timing; it was an urgency around the imperative to take the right action where none had been taken before.
• How Deb saw it as critical to “align, apply and enhance” any new initiatives and practices to the existing ones.
• The impact the flywheel experience had as Deb trained new administrators.
For reflection At one point in the interview, Deb noted “You just have to get to the root causes of what you need in your environment to sustain performance.” How often does your current organization actually identify root causes or the real problem to be solved?
For more information Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins
Guest Hannah Bratterud is a Norwegian-born writer, consultant, and real estate advisor living in Montana. Through her Substack “Finding Home,” she explores themes of identity, belonging, and transformation, particularly in times of personal or political upheaval. A leadership strategist by trade and a curious wanderer at heart, Hannah recently shared her journey of becoming an American citizen amid rising national uncertainty. Her work invites readers to question assumptions, embrace complexity, and keep choosing where and how they belong. Summary Hannah, who has now lived in the U.S. for 30 years, explains her decision to seek American citizenship now. She discusses the "paradox of America" – a nation founded on freedom but marked by historical injustices and inequality. Hannah is drawn to the U.S. for its opportunities and individual freedom, yet acknowledges the need to address systemic inequities and support marginalized groups. Her desire for civic engagement and to actively contribute to a more inclusive society drives her decision. Key Takeaways: * Hannah's decision to seek U.S. citizenship now was, in part, influenced by the strong anti-immigration sentiment so prevalent today. If she were to leave the U.S. to visit relatives in Norway, would she be able to re-enter if she were not a citizen? * She describes America as a paradox, valuing its promise of freedom and opportunity while acknowledging its historical foundations of genocide and slavery, and ongoing inequality. * Hannah's motivation for becoming a U.S. citizen stems from a desire for civic engagement and to actively work towards creating freedom and opportunity for historically oppressed groups in America.
Social Media Previous interview on Getting Unstuck: Learning to Invest in Yourself – A Transformation Story with Hannah Bratterud
Substack article: Becoming American
Guest None today; just me reflecting on recent events. Summary In this episode, I recount my recent fly fishing trip to Alaska, reflecting on how various organizations shaped my experience. Delta Airlines impressed him with personalized service and proactive rebooking. In contrast, an overpriced and unwelcoming airport hotel in Detroit left a negative impression. The Bear Trail Lodge in Alaska, however, stood out for its commitment to guest experience, environmental consciousness, and celebration of local culture, reinforcing the idea that a brand is defined by a series of customer touch points, not just its primary service. Key Points: * A successful vacation, and by extension, a positive organizational experience, depends on mindset, handling unexpected issues, and interactions with external organizations. * Organizations like Delta Airlines and the Bear Trail Lodge demonstrate an understanding that their overall brand and reputation are built upon numerous customer touch points, not just their core service. * Personalized service, attention to detail (like a handwritten note or addressing customers by name), and embodying a brand's values contribute significantly to customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Guest “Brave Leadership” founder Kimberly Davis champions emerging leaders and senior managers navigating today’s workplace and partners with HR professionals looking to develop talent. She shares her inspirational message of personal power, responsibility, and impact with organizations nationwide and teaches leadership programs worldwide. Kimberly is a TEDx speaker whose 2018 book, Brave Leadership, was named one of Inc. Magazine’s most impactful books, became an Amazon bestseller in the Business Leadership and Motivation category, and received the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award. She lives in San Diego, CA, with her husband, Tim, and cat, Sulley Magee, while their son, Jeremy, is living his brave in college. Summary Kimberly asserts that effective business leadership is inextricably linked to strong personal leadership, emphasizing that individuals must first believe they are leaders. She emphasizes the crucial importance of understanding one's impact on others and being intentional in interactions. A key tool she introduces is the "super objective," which, in part, emerged from her training in the theater. The super objective helps leaders clarify the desired outcome—what they want others to do, think, feel, say, or believe. By applying these techniques, individuals can develop self-belief, cultivate the potential for authentic leadership, and consciously shape their influence, ultimately transforming their impact on both their professional and personal worlds.
Three Important Takeaways Personal Leadership is Foundational: True leadership begins with self-awareness and self-belief; without personal leadership, effective business leadership is unattainable.
Intentional Impact: Leaders must be acutely aware of the impact they have on others through their energy and actions, and should define a "super objective" to intentionally guide their desired influence.
Unconventional Development: Leveraging techniques from outside the traditional business environment, such as theater's "super objective," provides powerful, unique tools for cultivating self-belief and the potential for authentic leadership.
Social Media/Referenced https://brave-leadership.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlydavisonstage/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgCBVGBHGx4
Guest Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, Food Story coach, and author of the award-winning memoir Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict. She reveals how emotional wounds, cultural expectations, and personal history—not hunger—often shape our relationship with food. After battling emotional overeating for decades and gaining and losing over 700 pounds, Michelle discovered that the key to lasting weight loss wasn’t another diet—it was rewriting the stories behind her eating. With a background in media sales and leadership at companies like Radio One, Disney/ABC, and NPR/PBS member stations, Michelle now uses storytelling as a tool for transformation. Through workshops, retreats, and her ebook Mind Over Meals, she helps others uncover their food truths, rewire their thinking, and create lasting change from the inside out.
Summary Michelle’s pivotal "watershed moment" occurred when she realized, after decades of struggling, that food's true purpose is nourishment, not fulfilling emotional needs. This insight, coupled with a powerful family story about inherited food memories, profoundly transformed her relationship with eating. Michelle emphasizes that sustainable weight loss stems from deep internal, mental work—unpacking thoughts, emotions, and beliefs—rather than focusing solely on diet or exercise.
Three Important Takeaways Processed Food Addiction: Processed foods are deliberately designed to be addictive, making it extremely challenging for individuals to exert willpower against their engineered palatability and leading to cycles of overeating and weight gain.
Beyond Emotional Eating: Eating can be driven by a wide array of emotions beyond stress or comfort, including curiosity, jealousy, the desire for status, or people-pleasing, which often go unrecognized as triggers for unhealthy food choices.
Mental Work for Lasting Change: True and sustainable transformation in one's relationship with food and weight loss comes from addressing underlying thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, and viewing food as a source of nutrition.
Social Media/Referenced
Website: https://michellepetties.com/
TEDx Talk, A Food Addict's Lesson: Confusion. Clarity. Recovery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLr53XlIV4
Portfolio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bwxhm8KbbjtfsjEc1w8qD7Qqe8LJ4EEj/view
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIbMxXOSCNH--MCNru4WuLw
Instagram: https://instagram.com/iambrandnewnow
Facebook: https://facebook.com/iambrandnewnow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-petties/
Essays:https://vocal.media/humans/loving-your-self
Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@iambrandnewnow?lang=en
Guest Irene Stern Frielich is the daughter of a German Jewish Holocaust survivor—but for much of her life, the story remained unspoken. In 2017, after rediscovering her father’s testimony, Irene set out to physically retrace his escape route from Nazi Germany through his survival in Holland. The result was a journey of reconciliation and healing. Her award-winning memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts, explores trauma, courage, and connection across generations. Why This Episode Matters In this deeply moving conversation, Irene discusses the memoir that retraces her father's footsteps across Germany and Holland during World War II. Sparked by the 2017 Charlottesville rally, she embarked on multiple research trips to understand her father's wartime experience, including his escape during Kristallnacht at age 12 and being hidden for two-and-a-half years in an attic. Through visiting actual locations and meeting descendants of both rescuers and perpetrators, Irene discovered the concept of inherited family trauma and began her own healing process. The conversation explores themes of courage, historical memory, and the power of standing where history happened. Three Important Takeaways 1. Inherited family trauma affects multiple generations - Both descendants of Holocaust victims and perpetrators carry psychological impacts from their family histories, often without fully understanding these influences until later in life. 2. Physical presence at historical sites creates a profound connection - Standing where events occurred provides emotional and spiritual experiences that reading about history cannot replicate, offering deeper understanding and healing opportunities. 3. Human connection transcends historical divisions - Meeting descendants of both rescuers and those who harmed her family allowed Irene to find common ground and begin healing conversations across historical divides.
Referenced Website, including available presentations: www.shatteredstars.org
About the book: Book trailer
Follow the journey: https://www.facebook.com/ShatteredStarsHealingHearts
Stolpersteine laying video with English subtitles: https://youtu.be/XZkZx6ynJls
Chapter-by-chapter Book Notes, including photos: https://shatteredstars.org/book-notes/
Guest Byron Edgington is a retired commercial helicopter pilot, writer, a graduate of The Ohio State University, and a dedicated cook using only plants. His other interests include a daily crossword puzzle, meditation, and a four-year association with BizCatalyst 360 and its weekly Friendship Bench. Edgington lives with his wife Mariah in North Florida. His Substack essays, titled "Passing Thoughts,” can be found at byronedgington.substack.com. Summary: Why this discussion matters Byron shares his journey to a whole food, plant-based diet after a heart attack and a life-changing exposure to nutritional research. He and his wife transitioned overnight and experienced dramatic health improvements, including weight loss and the elimination of prescription medications. The conversation expands to explore the environmental impact of meat production, animal cruelty in factory farming, and how food choices can shape personal health and global sustainability.
Three Takeaways
A plant-based diet can lead to significant health improvements, including weight loss and the reversal of chronic conditions such as heart disease.
Animal agriculture has a substantial negative impact on the environment, including excessive water usage and land occupation.
Many common misconceptions about diet, such as the necessity of meat for protein or milk for strong bones, are challenged by scientific research.
Social Media Substack: byronedgington.substack.com
The Substack article we reference.
References / additional background info on moving to a plant-based diet
This is a 7-page doc that Byron created that fleshes out various benefits of moving to a plant-based diet.
Guest None today; just me reflecting on recent events. Summary After participating in New York City's "No Kings" march, I reflect on the urgency of defending democracy, drawing parallels between the current political climate and 1930s Germany. A conversation sparked by a protest sign leads me to contemplate his father’s World War II contributions. Later, a chance visit to a bookstore uncovers Remember Us by Robert M. Edsel, deepening my appreciation for those buried at Margraten Cemetery in the Netherlands. The essay ultimately underscores how freedom is built on sacrifice—and how remembering the dead is a civic responsibility, not just a historical ritual.
As you'll hear, this episode is a wonderful example of serendipity.
Three Important Takeaways:
Historical Memory Is a Call to Action: The march and its signs, especially those invoking fascism, reveal the importance of remaining vigilant against authoritarianism by remembering history and those who resisted it.
Freedom Is Not Just a Word: The author challenges the overuse of “freedom,” urging a deeper understanding of its cost—measured not only in lives lost but in the potential and beauty those lives might have created.
Remembrance Is a Moral Duty: Inspired by Dutch citizens who adopt and care for the graves of fallen American soldiers, the author reaffirms the responsibility of the living to honor those sacrifices through both remembrance and action.
Guest Cindy House is the author Mother Noise, a memoir in essays and a regular opener for David Sedaris on his tours across the country. She teaches nonfiction in the Lesley University MFA program and memoir writing at the Gotham Writers Workshop. She also offers private writing classes. Summary This podcast episode explores the art of memoir writing with Cindy House, my memoir writing coach. My conversation with Cindy delved into the memoir’s rising popularity and its essential elements. Cindy emphasizes curiosity as the foundation of writing—be still my curious soul!—and how memoir differs from autobiography by focusing on specific aspect of one’s life rather than a comprehensive account. Our conversation also covers the major elements of memoirs, including the importance of a central dramatic question, its supporting thematic framework, and the structure that holds everything together. Cindy shares insights on overcoming writer's resistance and self-doubt, offering practical strategies for perseverance. The episode also tackles the complex nature of truth in memoir writing, highlighting the significance of personal perspective over historical accuracy.
Three Key Takeaways: 1. Curiosity drives the writing process and is essential for personal and creative growth. 2. Memoir writing focuses on specific life aspects and requires a central dramatic question and thematic framework. 3. Truth in a memoir is often subjective, relying on personal experience and memory rather than historical accuracy.
Social Media Website Writer Noise Substack Email
Guest Bill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned lay historian turned writer of narrative non-fiction, specifically a forthcoming book about an incident in Winston Churchill’s tenure as Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II.
Summary In this episode of “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity,” I talk with Bill about the process of writing the book on Churchill, which he’s detailed in a new book, Everybody Knows a Salesman Can’t Write a Book. As Bill has written, “My book is for anyone who dreams of turning a creative idea into commercial reality, especially anyone who wonders how to manage the intellectual and the business challenges of writing a book while working a traditional job.”
Bill was a previous guest in episode 203, where we discussed the forthcoming Churchill book.
Takeaways √ Bill’s forthcoming book is a story about Winston Churchill and a deadly incident in the early days of World War II of which most people are not aware; a clash between the British and French, who up to the time of the incident, had been allies.
√ The book is an intersection of “how to write,” the content of the incident between Britain and France, and a memoir of Bill’s life during a specific period.
√ One of the key questions an aspiring writer has to ask themselves is “Do I have a deep enough passion for this topic to sustain me over a long period of time?”
√ In addition to passion, to motivate your readers, it’s important to have a sense that you can bring something different to your account of the story, especially with nonfiction.
√ One of the challenges of writing is deciding what to leave in, what to leave out.
√ There's always a reason not to do something. And most people find that reason and embrace that reason not to do something And it's the people who ignore that and say, I'm going to find the reasons to do something for the people who break through who are successful.
Links/References Website: www.perfectlytruestory.com
Sign up for Bill’s monthly newsletter: https://www.perfectlytruestory.com/background-and-newsletter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-whiteside-lancaster-pa/
Twitter: @PerfAdequate
Email: bill.whiteside@perfectlytruestory.com
Guest Valerie Gordon is a 10-time Emmy-winning television producer with over 20 years of producing and overseeing award-winning content for HBO, ESPN, CBS, and the Olympic Games. She knows what makes a story meaningful and memorable and the incredible power of stories to engage, educate and entertain.
An engaging speaker with innovative programming, Valerie offers audiences and individuals the storytelling strategies to stand out, whether they want to land a job, secure a promotion, nail the presentation, close the sale, or plan their next chapter.
Summary Valerie and I discuss the importance of storytelling in leadership and how to improve storytelling skills. We dive into her highly readable book FIRE YOUR NARRATOR: A Storyteller’s Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Life, which explores the impact of our internal communications on external communications. Valerie shares her own internal voice, "Squash," and how it hindered her growth. We explore a few of the ten narrator archetypes and some strategies for reshaping personal narratives and achieving healthier perspectives. The book also combines personal stories, neuroscience, and humor to help readers improve their storytelling skills.
References/Links Website: https://thestorytellingstrategist.com/
More on the book: https://thestorytellingstrategist.com/fire-your-narrator/
(Available on Amazon and BN.com)
Connect with Valerie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriejgordon/
Follow The Storytelling Strategist
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheStorytellingStrategist/
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytelling_strategist/
Guest Paul Glover is the No B.S. Executive Leadership Coach, assisting leaders in organizations with revenue up to one billion dollars. He’s a Tedx speaker, an approved Vistage and YPO Speaker on leadership in the Post-Pandemic work environment, the author of WorkQuake™: Making the Seismic Shift to a Knowledge Economy, a Forbes contributor, a "recovering” federal trial lawyer, an ex-felon, a Starbucks addict, and a Chicago Bears fanatic. Summary: Why this discussion matters In this candid and compelling conversation, Paul Glover shares his journey from successful labor lawyer to convicted felon and how a transformative prison experience led him to embrace vulnerability, personal accountability, and leadership coaching. Drawing on the metaphor of the "medieval fool," Glover emphasizes the value of truth-telling advisors and the importance of self-care and legacy in leadership. His coaching philosophy demands commitment, honesty, and hard work.
Three Takeaways
- The Power of a "Fool": Inspired by the medieval fool who had the psychological safety to tell the king hard truths, Glover advocates for everyone to have a "fool" in their life – someone who provides honest, unfiltered feedback to expose blind spots and ensure accountability. His wife played this critical role during his imprisonment and continues to do so.
- Accountability as a Catalyst for Change: Glover's own profound transformation was rooted in taking full responsibility for his illegal actions and the devastating impact on his family. He emphasizes that true change and growth, both personally and in leadership, require unwavering personal accountability.
- Legacy and Self-Care in Leadership: Glover's coaching philosophy prioritizes building a lasting legacy—improving an organization for future leaders—over short-term, ego-driven gains. He also stresses that dedicated self-care is non-negotiable for effective leadership.
Social Media Paulglover@sbcglobal.net
paul@paulglovercoaching.com
paulgloverspeaks.com
TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsVweR4yXz4
Guest Tony K Silver is a multi-award-winning LinkedIn expert, who has been helping people on the platform since 2008. He works with individuals and teams. He also presents on LinkedIn at conferences, expos, and company events, live and Online. Because LinkedIn is the preferred platform of professionals, he can work across many different industries, which include professional services, financial, coaches, and speakers, and has clients worldwide. Summary – Why this discussion matters In this episode, I speak with Tony K. Silver, known as "the LinkedIn profiler," about how to optimize LinkedIn profiles for maximum impact. He emphasizes the importance of understanding users' limited attention spans (the "seven-second syndrome"), strategic keyword placement for improved searchability, and creating valuable, consistent content. Tony stresses the importance of a strong "top card" (banner, headshot, headline) and the “About” section with a clear call-to-action.
Takeaways
- You Have 7 Seconds: LinkedIn users judge profiles quickly—your banner, photo, and headline must clearly communicate what you do and why you matter.
- Use Keywords Strategically: Being found on LinkedIn depends on having the right keywords strategically embedded throughout your profile.
- Content Quality and Consistency Matter: Posting informative and engaging content regularly (even just biweekly) builds visibility and trust.
Social Media WWW.tonyksilver.com
Guest Colleen Kelley Creating fun and accessible chemistry stories has been a labor of love for Colleen, as a retired chemistry professor and author of a series of kid’s chemistry comic books. In 2023, the PBS short documentary, “Comic Book Chemistry,” was awarded an Emmy. Colleen holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University and was a tenured professor with research expertise in environmental toxicology, medicinal chemistry, and chemistry education.
Why This Episode Matters In this interview, Dr. Colleen discusses her journey from teaching college chemistry to developing "molecular literacy" programs for children ages 4-10. Inspired by her childhood experience with the Three Mile Island incident and challenges teaching college students, she created comic books with character-based storytelling to make chemistry accessible. She believes building neural pathways for understanding chemistry symbols early helps overcome traditional learning barriers and promotes lifelong scientific curiosity.
Three Important Takeaways 1. Chemistry education faces significant challenges, with a 50% failure rate among college students, often because they lack foundational understanding of molecular symbols and concepts. 2. Teaching "molecular literacy" through storytelling and character-based learning engages young learners and creates neural pathways that make advanced chemistry concepts more accessible later in life. 3. Chemistry education should extend beyond traditional classroom settings to help people of all ages (8-108) understand scientific concepts relevant to climate change, health issues, and daily life.
Referenced https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-kelley-ph-d-049aa91ab/
https://www.youtube.com/@ChemistryColleen
Guest In a career that spanned a quarter-century, Ted Czech covered crime for newspapers in three states. Disenchanted with how journalism was taught and practiced, Czech launched a second career in public relations in 2021 and began work on Saving the Beast: A Recovering Reporter Reflects on America's Broken Media and How to Fix It. Why This Episode Matters This episode explores the state of American journalism with Ted Czech, a former newspaper reporter and author of Saving the Beast. Czech critiques the decline of objective reporting, attributing it to sensationalism, ideological bias, and personality-driven news. He advocates for a return to balanced, fact-based journalism.
Key takeaways:
- Journalism must separate fact from opinion to maintain credibility.
- Media polarization feeds public echo chambers.
- Restoring trust will require structural and cultural change.
Referenced / Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-czech-815b8822/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RecoveringReporter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ted.czech/
X: https://x.com/TedCzech
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits "Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.
Guest Jon Waterman’s immersive explorations of wilderness and environmental issues are distilled within his 17 books, in a mission to inspire readers to protect the planet’s natural wonders. His book Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis is drawn from some of his life’s most profound journeys. By taking risks and tackling difficult issues, his work transcends traditional outdoor yarns and has garnered numerous awards, such as a Literary Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Summary In this episode, writer and Arctic explorer Jon Waterman shares insights from his decades-long journeys across Alaska’s Arctic wilderness. He paints a sobering picture of climate change’s accelerating impact—melting permafrost, vanishing sea ice, shifting wildlife patterns, and imperiled native villages. As the Arctic warms nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, Jon calls it “the canary in the coal mine” and urges us to recognize the global implications—and take action.
Three Important Takeaways 1. The Arctic Is Warming Rapidly The region is experiencing climate change nearly four times faster than the rest of the globe, leading to permafrost melt, disrupted ecosystems, and rising sea levels. 2. Local Impacts Have Global Consequences Thawing permafrost releases greenhouse gases like methane, while diminished sea ice alters ocean currents and contributes to extreme weather patterns far beyond the Arctic. 3. Witnessing Wilderness Fuels Urgency and Hope Despite alarming trends, Jon emphasizes the importance of experiencing nature firsthand to foster a sense of wonder, connection, and responsibility to protect it.
Guest Matt Ence is a teacher at Bountiful High School in Bountiful, UT. Matt retired from the military in 2017, when he began his teaching career. He teaches a course on the Holocaust, as well as courses in AP World History and US History. Matt became a Museum Teacher Fellow at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2023. Summary Matt discusses teaching a dedicated Holocaust course. He covers the chronology of events from Hitler's rise to post-liberation challenges using survivor testimonies, primary sources, and interactive activities. Matt emphasizes personalizing the Holocaust beyond statistics, exploring collaborators and bystanders alongside perpetrators, and connecting this history to other genocides to help students recognize warning signs and develop empathy for different groups.
Three Important Takeaways 1. Teaching chronologically helps students understand cause-and-effect relationships in Holocaust history, while personal testimonies humanize the statistics of 6 million victims. 2. Holocaust education should include an examination of four groups: perpetrators, collaborators, bystanders, and rescuers, showing the complexity of human choices during this period. 3. Connecting Holocaust history to other genocides helps students recognize warning signs and potentially prevent future atrocities through informed action.
Contact/Social Media Matt’s email: matthew.ence@gmail.com
U.S. Holocaust Museum’s website: https://www.ushmm.org/
Matt featured in Medium
Museum’s Social media:
https://www.instagram.com/holocaustmuseum/
https://www.youtube.com/ushmm
https://www.twitter.com/holocaustmuseum
https://www.facebook.com/holocaustmuseum
Yad Vashem
Guest Jennifer Raff is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Kansas. She works with Indigenous communities and tribes across North America who wish to use DNA as a tool for investigating questions of recent and more distant histories. Her first book, “Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas,” is a New York Times bestseller and has won multiple awards, including the Phi Beta Kappa book award in science. In 2024 she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (General Nonfiction) to support work on her second book. Why This Episode Matters Professor Raff discusses how genetic evidence has changed our understanding of the peopling of the Americas. Rather than a simple crossing of the Bering Land Bridge 13,000 years ago, DNA research suggests a more complex story involving population isolation during the Last Glacial Maximum (26,000-20,000 years ago), followed by multiple migration waves. Recent discoveries, like footprints at White Sands dating to 25,000+ years ago, continue to challenge existing theories.
Three Important Takeaways 1. Genetic evidence shows the ancestors of indigenous Americans descended from an isolated East Asian population that experienced gene flow with ancient North Siberians around 25,000 years ago. 2. Beringia wasn't just a narrow "land bridge" but a lost continent twice the size of Texas, with its southern coast relatively habitable during the Last Glacial Maximum. 3. Research in this field requires a multidisciplinary approach that respectfully incorporates indigenous knowledge and perspectives alongside scientific methods.
Referenced Origin: A Generic History of the Americas
https://anthropology.ku.edu/people/jennifer-raff
Guest Reuben Swartz is the founder of Mimiran, the fun, anti-CRM for independent consultants. He founded Mimiran out of his experience as a sales and marketing consultant for the Fortune 500 who struggled with his own business development efforts. He's also the host and chief nerd on the Sales for Nerds podcast. Summary – Why this discussion matters This episode explores how solopreneurs can effectively differentiate themselves, refine their niche, and build meaningful relationships. Reuben shares insights on the importance of defining a unique "secret" that sets a business apart, the power of genuine conversations in client relationships, and why narrowing one's focus leads to greater success. He also discusses overcoming sales and marketing challenges, particularly for introverts, and how technology should support, rather than replace, human connection in business growth.
Takeaways
Solopreneurs Need a Unique "Secret" – Clearly defining what makes you different helps cut through the noise and attract the right clients.
Conversations, Not Just Technology, Build Relationships – While digital tools help, authentic human interaction remains the foundation of trust and business growth.
Narrowing Your Niche Increases Success – Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, focusing on a specific audience makes sales and marketing easier and more effective.
Social Media Founder, Mimiran: the fun, "anti CRM" for solo consultants who love serving clients but hate "selling"
Host & Chief Nerd, Sales for Nerds Podcast
Blog | LinkedIn Free Training: Simpler Messaging for More Referrals
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits "Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.
Guests
Jane Kelly founded Eat Your Books in 2009 with her sister Fiona Nugent because she wanted to easily find recipes in her extensive cookbook collection, and reasoned there are other cooks with the same need. She has spent the past 15 years building the site into a search engine for 2.6 million recipes found in cookbooks, food magazines, and online. Previously, she held senior roles in television and music for the Virgin Group in the UK.
Katie Thacher leads CookShelf, which now manages Eat Your Books and is building the next iteration of the product. A lifelong cook and cookbook lover, Katie spent most of her career in product management for consumer tech products, most recently spending 6 years at Amazon working on Kindle and Amazon Music. After leaving Amazon, she wanted to combine her love of cooking with her love of building great tech products, which led her to reach out to Jane about working together on Eat Your Books. In addition, she co-owns a wine bar called Little Thing in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Episode Summary This episode explores how technology bridges the gap between physical cookbooks and digital resources by making more recipes available to cooks. Jane and Katie discuss their journey with Eat Your Books, a platform that helps home cooks easily find and utilize recipes from their personal cookbook collections and an almost endless array of digital resources. They also discuss the role of technology in reducing food waste and how their forthcoming app, CookShelf, will foster a deeper connection to cooking and culinary exploration.
Social Media/Referenced https://www.instagram.com/cookshelf.app
http://instagram.com/eatyourbookswebsite
https://www.facebook.com/eatyourbooks
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits "Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.
Guest Deborah Sosin, MSW, is a writer, editor, psychotherapist, and an instructor at GrubStreet, the Center for Creative Writing. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Salon, Cognoscenti, Brevity Blog, and several literary magazines. She wrote the award-winning picture book Charlotte and the Quiet Place; and a workbook, Sober Starting Today. Debbie just completed This Is 70, a linked set of 70 micro-memoirs of 70 words each, written to mark her 70th birthday. She lives outside of Boston. Summary This episode explores Deborah’s journey of writing, creativity, and self-expression. She discusses her path to becoming a writer, the role of curiosity in storytelling, and the value of writing as both a personal and professional endeavor. She shares insights on diary writing, publishing challenges, and the significance of mindfulness in the creative process. Additionally, she reflects on her experiences with Substack, micro memoirs, and her children's book Charlotte and the Quiet Place, emphasizing how writing can be a tool for connection and personal growth.
Three Takeaways The Power of Writing as Self-Discovery – Writing, whether through diaries, memoirs, or creative storytelling, serves as a means of exploring identity, emotions, and personal history.
Mindfulness and Creativity – Mindfulness plays a critical role in writing by helping authors stay present and engage deeply with their thoughts, which can enhance storytelling.
Overcoming Writing Resistance – Writers often struggle with self-doubt and perfectionism, but embracing the messiness of early drafts and writing without rigid expectations can unlock creativity.
Social Media www.deborahsosin.com
@deborahsosin.bsky.social
https://deborahs27.substack.com/
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Sarah Elkins is your guide to uncovering the right personal stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and effectively demonstrate their character, values, and vision. She is a storyteller, communication coach, author, and professional musician. As a Gallup-certified StrengthsFinder coach, Sarah uses that tool and story-sharing strategies as the foundation of her work with teams, improving communication to reduce tension and stress in the workplace. Why this episode matters This co-produced episode of “Getting Unstuck-Cultivating Curiosity” and “Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will” explores the power of objects to reduce division and foster connection. Podcast hosts Jeff Ikler and Sarah Elkins share the mic to discuss how objects hold deep personal significance, unlocking stories that help people relate to one another on a human level. They highlight how storytelling can be a tool for understanding and empathy, particularly in polarized times.
- Objects Hold Stories – Personal items often carry deep meaning and can serve as prompts for sharing stories that build connection and understanding.
- Storytelling Reduces Division – Sharing personal stories with the intention of connecting rather than persuading helps bridge divides in a polarized world.
- Listening is Key to Connection – Actively listening to others’ stories fosters deeper relationships and a greater appreciation for different perspectives.
Social Media/Referenced Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
Breaking Bread Village
Podcasthon
Guest Julie A. Vitale, Ph.D. is the Superintendent of the Oceanside Unified School District. Her educational journey includes a Ph.D. in Urban Educational Administration from Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration, and a Masters and Bachelor of Arts from the University of LaVerne. Dr. Vitale has been a faculty member at Concordia University since 2007, contributing to the development of their Ed.D. Program. Her dedication to education has earned her prestigious recognitions, including the Western Riverside County Association of School Managers Superintendent of the Year and the Urban Leadership Alumni Achievement Award from Claremont Graduate University. Notably, she was honored with the Lighthouse Award by the San Diego County Office of Education for her commitment to equity and inclusivity. Actively engaged in educational leadership beyond her district, Dr. Vitale serves on the Governing Boards for AASA. She also served on the governing board for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), where she played a pivotal role in organizing the Lead with Pride Summit, focusing on LGBTQ+ inclusivity in schools.
Why This Episode Matters This episode matters because it illuminates various challenges facing public education in the United States, including the:
• push for patriotic-structured U.S. History lessons
• de-emphasis/elimination of DEI and the restrictions of gender definitions
• continued move toward the privatization of schools
• escalation of gun violence
• dislike in some political circles of social-emotional learning programs and
• low morale among teachers and administrators
Referenced CASEL website: https://casel.org/
Human Rights Campaign: https://www.hrc.org/
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Peter Byck is an award-winning documentary film director helping to lead a $10 million research project comparing Adaptive Multi-Paddock grazing with conventional grazing. He is the director of the docuseries Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there), which is all about inventive farmers and maverick scientists building a path to solving climate change with hooves, hearts, and soil. Byck is a professor at Arizona State University, where he teaches students to make short documentary films about sustainability solutions. Summary Peter Byck discusses the potential of regenerative agriculture, specifically multi-paddock grazing, to combat climate change. He explores how improving soil health benefits farmers, consumers, and the planet. Peter shares insights from his research and documentaries, highlighting the role of cattle in soil regeneration and debunking common myths about sustainable farming. The conversation underscores the urgent need for systemic change in food production and how collective action can drive meaningful environmental improvements.
Three Takeaways 1. Regenerative cattle grazing—adaptive multi-paddock grazing—enhances soil health, leading to carbon sequestration and improved biodiversity. 2. The common misconception that cattle grazing always harms the environment needs reevaluation. 3. Sustainable food production requires collaboration between farmers, businesses, and policymakers.
Social Media (paste these urls into your browser) www.carboncowboys.org www.rootssodeep.org
Facebook, Instagram and Youtube: @carboncowboys
Guest Paul Banks is an ADHD father and husband who broke out of corporate life and spent 5 years in complex SaaS sales, understanding how to create meaningful connections through the power of video content. The former retail manager and volunteer police officer now spends his days combining technology, AI, and expertise to help his clients attract and convert premium clients. His ‘Why’ is to help people make better decisions so they can live their most fulfilling lives. Summary In this episode, Jeff and Paul discuss curiosity, relationship-building, and ethical sales and marketing strategies. Paul discusses how behavioral science influences customer engagement, the importance of authenticity in content creation, and how businesses can shift from transactional to trust-based sales. He also explores the impact of neurodiversity on career paths, the role of sonic branding, and why companies should prioritize long-term connections over immediate conversions.
Three Takeaways 1. Authenticity Builds Relationships—Trust is the foundation of sales and marketing. Authentic content and genuine engagement strengthen long-term customer relationships. 2. Understanding Behavioral Science Improves Engagement—Emotions, not logic drive human decisions. Businesses should tap into behavioral science to communicate effectively without manipulation. 3. Quality Over Quantity in Sales Outreach – Personalized, thoughtful engagement outperforms high-volume, automated outreach, leading to better conversion rates and deeper client trust.
Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-banks007/
email: paul@javelincontent.com
Company: Please copy and paste the links in your browser.
Javelin – YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@javelincontent
The Javelin website: https://javelincontent.com/
Podcast: Marketpulse YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marketpulsepodcast
Allan M. Winkler is the University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Miami University of Ohio. He has also taught at Yale University and the University of Oregon and, for one year each, at the University of Helsinki in Finland, the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and the University of Nairobi in Kenya. In addition to his own books, he co-authored a college textbook and a high school textbook on American History. Summary In this episode, Jeff speaks with historian and author Alan Winkler about the importance of critical thinking in history education. They discuss how history textbooks have evolved to include social history, the challenges of teaching an “unsanitized” version of history, and the role of thematic learning in understanding patterns over time.
The conversation also explores the Home Front during World War II, highlighting the propaganda efforts, labor movements, and the contributions of women and minorities to the war effort.
Three Takeaways 1. Thematic Learning Enhances Historical Understanding – Teaching history through themes like civil rights, immigration, and labor movements helps students recognize patterns and connections over time. 2. The Home Front Was Complex and Contradictory – WWII propaganda united Americans, but racial discrimination, labor strikes, and shifting gender roles revealed deeper societal tensions. 3. Critical Thinking is Essential in History Education – Encouraging students to analyze historical events beyond basic facts fosters deeper understanding and prevents the oversimplification of complex issues.
Social Media email: winkleam@miamioh.edur
Guest Ben Goldfarb is an environmental journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, the Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, and many other publications. He is the author of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times, and Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Elise, and his dog, Kit — which is, of course, what you call a baby beaver. Summary In this two-part episode, Jeff Ikler talks with author and environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb about his book Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. They explore the intersection of wildlife conservation and infrastructure, focusing on wildlife crossings, roadkill reduction, and habitat preservation. Ben highlights the economic and environmental benefits of wildlife-friendly infrastructure and discusses the importance of advocacy, public awareness, and collaboration to address the challenges posed by human development. Overall Takeaways 1. Wildlife Crossings Save Lives: Properly designed crossings dramatically reduce roadkill and improve public safety, addressing the economic and ecological costs of animal-vehicle collisions. 2. Collaboration is Key: Road ecology requires partnerships between transportation agencies, conservationists, policymakers, and communities to implement effective and sustainable solutions. 3. Advocacy and Awareness Matter: Public support and legislative action are essential to fund and prioritize wildlife crossings and habitat preservation projects for long-term impact.
Social Media / Referenced Website: https://www.bengoldfarb.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben.a.goldfarb/
X: https://twitter.com/ben_a_goldfarb
Books:
Crossings: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1324005890
Eager: https://www.amazon.com/Eager-Surprising-Secret-Beavers-Matter/dp/160358739X
Overall Takeaways
- Wildlife Crossings Save Lives: Properly designed crossings dramatically reduce roadkill and improve public safety, addressing the economic and ecological costs of animal-vehicle collisions.
- Collaboration is Key: Road ecology requires partnerships between transportation agencies, conservationists, policymakers, and communities to implement effective and sustainable solutions.
- Advocacy and Awareness Matter: Public support and legislative action are essential to fund and prioritize wildlife crossings and habitat preservation projects for long-term impact.
Social Media / Referenced Website: https://www.bengoldfarb.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben.a.goldfarb/
X: https://twitter.com/ben_a_goldfarb
Books:
Crossings: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1324005890
Eager: https://www.amazon.com/Eager-Surprising-Secret-Beavers-Matter/dp/160358739X
Guest Ben Goldfarb is an environmental journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, the Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, and many other publications. He is the author of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times, and Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Elise, and his dog, Kit — which is, of course, what you call a baby beaver. Summary In this episode, Jeff Ikler talks with author and environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb about his book Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. They explore the intersection of wildlife conservation and infrastructure, focusing on wildlife crossings, roadkill reduction, and habitat preservation. Ben highlights the economic and environmental benefits of wildlife-friendly infrastructure and discusses the importance of advocacy, public awareness, and collaboration to address the challenges posed by human development. Focus of Part 1 * Defines road ecology * Explains why crossings are critical * How various groups—road ecologists, wildlife biologists, conservation aid organizations, government agencies, and transportation departments—collaborate to bring about beneficial solutions * How crossings are financed * Argues that we must commit to habitat preservation as well as providing safe passage
Overall Takeaways
- Wildlife Crossings Save Lives: Properly designed crossings dramatically reduce roadkill and improve public safety, addressing the economic and ecological costs of animal-vehicle collisions.
- Collaboration is Key: Road ecology requires partnerships between transportation agencies, conservationists, policymakers, and communities to implement effective and sustainable solutions.
- Advocacy and Awareness Matter: Public support and legislative action are essential to fund and prioritize wildlife crossings and habitat preservation projects for long-term impact.
Social Media / Referenced Website: https://www.bengoldfarb.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben.a.goldfarb/
X: https://twitter.com/ben_a_goldfarb
Books:
Crossings: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1324005890
Eager: https://www.amazon.com/Eager-Surprising-Secret-Beavers-Matter/dp/160358739X
Guest Bob Reece has worked as a full-time educator with at-risk teens and as a successful small business owner over the past two decades. He now works as a Clinical Counselor and Personal Coach. He holds Master of Natural Science and Master of Clinical Counseling degrees as well as Life Coach Certification from the Tony Robbins/Madanes Training School. Summary In this episode, Jeff Ikler talks with Bob Reece, a counselor and fly-fishing guide, about his work addressing the mental health of men and at-risk teens. Bob highlights the importance of emotional well-being, the power of group dynamics, and the healing environment of fly fishing. They discuss overcoming societal stigmas around vulnerability, providing men with tools to manage emotions, and the transformative impact of connecting with nature to improve relationships and professional lives.
Three Takeaways 1. Nature as a Healing Space: Fly-fishing retreats provide a peaceful environment where men can open up, reflect, and address emotional challenges outside the stresses of daily life. 2. Overcoming Stigma: Bob emphasizes the need to normalize vulnerability among men, challenging traditional notions of masculinity and fostering healthier emotional expression. 3. Practical Emotional Tools: Through guided counseling and group support, participants gain actionable strategies for managing emotions, improving relationships, and finding balance in their lives.
Social Media Website: www.ThinAirCoach.com
Instagram: @thin_air_angler
Guest Tamsin Astor: Tamsin Astor is a Chief Habit Scientist. She helps her clients shift their mindset, organize their vision, and improve their habits, creating productivity and joy! Dr. Astor’s clients reduce their decision-making, increasing their time and energy for fun! Tamsin is a mother, a traveler and foodie. She believes travel breeds tolerance and cultivates gratitude and reflection. Tamsin holds a PhD in neuroscience and psychology and a post-doctorate in education. She has certifications in yoga, coaching, mindset & ayurveda. She is an executive coach and author. Summary In this episode, Tamsin Astor discusses her approach to habit formation and wellness, integrating both Western and Eastern philosophies. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the "Big Why" behind habits and focusing on creating new, positive routines rather than solely addressing the root causes of negative habits.
Tamsin shares her personal journey, including her struggles with sleep and the impact of her son's cancer, which led her to explore Ayurveda and health coaching. She highlights the significance of personal responsibility, mindset, and the role of pleasure in daily life. Tamsin also touches on the importance of ethical frameworks in relationships and the value of diverse perspectives in her coaching practice.
Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamsin-astor/
https://substack.com/@drtamsin
https://www.facebook.com/ktamsinastor
https://www.instagram.com/tamsinastor/
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Summary An artist’s rendering of Apollo 8 as it photographs “Earthrise.”
This episode reflects on the Apollo 8 mission's iconic "Earthrise" image in late December 1968 and the turbulent year that preceded it. It highlights enduring lessons on inequality, collective problem-solving, and environmental stewardship. The episode urges renewed respect for history and a commitment to addressing modern challenges with the same ingenuity that defined the space race.
Three Takeaways Historical Literacy: The mission symbolizes humanity's capacity for courage, teamwork, and ingenuity, offering hope and a sense of shared accomplishment amidst turmoil.
Historical Inequality: The unresolved issues of racial, gender, and economic inequities persist, echoing the divisions of 1968.
Environmental Responsibility: "Earthrise" underscores the planet’s fragility, emphasizing the need for collective stewardship over self-interest.
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Summary In this episode, I reflect on how books have impacted my life and why standing up to book censorship is essential. Given my interest in books, I was curious to know what some of my colleagues, friends, and family members read in 2024 and what they will read in 2025. So, I contacted more than 40 of them, asking them for a brief bio, their books of choice, and why a given title found its way to their bookshelf and nightstand. See their suggestions below. Three Major Takeaways 1. Books as Lifelong Companions: Jeff's "next" shelf symbolizes curiosity, learning, and discovery throughout life. 2. Reading as Resistance: Championing books combats censorship and fosters critical thinking. 3. Power of Storytelling: Great books connect us to history, nature, and universal truths, shaping perspectives and fostering empathy.
Summary Next February, Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity will start its seventh year. I try to offer timely and, I trust, interesting guests and content on leading effective change in education and business and cultivating curiosity about a wide variety of topics, including space exploration, art, history, the environment, personal development, purpose setting, writing, racism and anti-Semitism, selling, cooking, and, of course, fly fishing.
Getting Unstuck Cultivating—Curiosity still ranks in the top 3 percent of all podcasts globally. Currently. just over 4 million options are vying for your ears’ attention. We just published our 341st episode, which is notable given that most podcasts don't reach ten episodes.
As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank you, my listeners. I wouldn't be able to continue doing this show without your interest and support. Thank you.
A special thanks goes to my engineer, Neil Hughes. He manages all the back-end publishing logistics and makes every episode sound professional. He also welcomes me to pull up a virtual chair for periodic emotional therapy when needed. To say I would be lost without him doesn’t begin to do his services justice.
I’m going to recap 2024 in three parts:
Part One, the episodes that you listened to the most.
Part Two, all the episodes were important, but one was particularly special to me.
Part Three, my most popular episode over the life of the podcast.
Guest After completing an undergraduate degree in history and political science at Simon Fraser University, Paul McNicholls spent a career in insurance claims investigation. When nearing retirement, he was approached by the UK publisher Helion and Company, and the result was his first book Journey Through the Wilderness. He is now writing the story of Donald Montgomery who served with the Canadian Corps in the First World War. He moved to Vancouver in 1908 and was the older brother by one year of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. In 2021, Paul received the Howard Browne Medal from the Victorian Military Society. Summary In this episode, Jeff and Paul explore the historical significance of World War II's Battle of the Bulge, coinciding with its 80th anniversary.
Paul explains Hitler’s campaign goals, including his desire to split the American and British alliances and capture the port of Antwerp.
Jeff provides the context for some of the events leading to the battle: the Allied breakout from the Normandy beaches, the Ally’s ill-fated Market Garden campaign, and the disastrous Battle of the Hurtgen Forest.
Their conversation also focuses on the challenges of the harsh winter conditions, the U.S.’s initial troop limitations, and the German force’s need for fuel.
The conversation also highlights lesser-known stories, such as the Malmedy Massacre and the brutal realities faced by soldiers in the Ardennes.
Paul and Jeff share their experiences walking historic battlefields and how physically visiting these sites provides a deeper understanding of history's emotional and human elements. The discussion concludes with reflections on the importance of preserving these stories and their enduring lessons about leadership, resilience, and the cost of conflict.
Three Takeaways Battlefield Lessons: The Battle of the Bulge illustrates the significance of tactical decisions, resource limitations, and the human cost of war in shaping history.
Emotional Connection to History: Walking historic battlefields fosters a deeper understanding of the physical and emotional challenges the soldiers faced.
Preserving Stories for the Future: Sharing lesser-known events, like the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest and the Malmedy Massacre, deepens the public’s understanding of the critical lessons of history.
Social Media LinkedIn
Referenced The Malmady Massacre: The War Crimes Trial Controversy by Steven Remy
When Senator Joe McCarthy Defended the Nazis Smithsonian July 2020
Rachel Maddow Ultra Season 2
The Boys’ Crusade by Paul Fussell
Voices of the Bulge by Michael Collins and Martin King
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Luann Horobin is one of 1700 ICF Master Coaches who serves clients as an Executive and Leadership Transformational Coach and Consultant. Having been raised on a farm, the core values of work and community have been her guiding life principles. Yet, when facing life and career transitions, a pivotal point was learning how to achieve ambitions, not by working harder but by adopting a different mindset. Luann’s dive into the science of transformation led to her customized coaching of breakthroughs that achieve ambitions, make better decisions, and put zest into life without stress.
Summary In this episode, Jeff speaks with Luann Horobin, a coach specializing in mindset, neuro coaching, and vertical development (see below). Luanne explains how understanding brain chemistry and mindset shifts can help individuals overcome inner resistance and unlock their potential. She introduces the concepts of the "red brain" (triggered by stress and fear) and the "green brain" (fostering creativity and decision-making) to illustrate how words and feedback impact brain function.
Luann emphasizes the importance of reframing resistance as feedback and highlights the power of vertical development, which shifts underlying thought patterns to achieve lasting growth.
They also explore combating ageism and rediscovering personal values, encouraging listeners to focus on their unique strengths and contributions.
Three Takeaways Reframing Resistance: Recognizing resistance as feedback can help individuals shift their mindset and embrace growth opportunities.
Vertical Development: vertical development refers to the process of fundamentally transforming the way we think, perceive, and approach challenges rather than just adding new tools, skills, information, or knowledge, which defines horizontal development.
Combating Ageism: Focusing on personal strengths and unique contributions helps combat limiting beliefs and rediscover value at any stage of life.
Social Media LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/luannhorobin
Guest Laura Bakosh, Ph.D.,is a mindfulness teacher, published researcher, and co-founder of Inner Explorer, an organization that brings stress resilience, attention, and mental well-being skills to K-12 schools and early learning centers. She earned a Ph.D. from Sofia University and a Bachelor of Science from Boston College. Laura was trained as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor at the University of Massachusetts, Center for Mindfulness, and is an Allstate/Northwestern University Nonprofit Fellow.
Laura has practiced and studied mindfulness for over 30 years and began teaching it to children 15 years ago. She realized it was difficult for children to commit to daily practice at home, leading to the creation of Inner Explorer in 2011. Inner Explorer provides a year-long sequence of short, audio-guided mindfulness practices that are easy to implement in the classroom each day! Students and educators practice together and improve their social-emotional capacities, leading to 43% less stress, 60% better emotional regulation and behavior, and 15% higher grades and test scores. Laura coined the term “Mindfulness-Based Social Emotional Learning-(MBSEL)” in 2012 to show that mindfulness is foundational to social-emotional functioning because it buffers stress and activates learning readiness.
Summary In this episode, Jeff and Jillane Flanders, the Executive Director of the Center for Educational Improvement, talk with Laura Bakosh, Ph.D.., founder of Inner Explorer, about the transformative power of daily mindfulness in schools. Laura shares her journey into mindfulness and the development of her program, which provides simple, guided audio sessions for students from preschool to high school. The program emphasizes the connection between mindfulness and academic, behavioral, and emotional benefits, supported by extensive neuroscience research.
Laura explains how mindfulness reduces stress, improves focus, and fosters emotional resilience, particularly in high-stress school environments. She highlights the challenges of implementation, including educator buy-in, and shares success stories of schools that have adopted the program, noting improvements in student behavior, academic performance, and school culture. The conversation concludes with strategies to integrate mindfulness into education more broadly and the need for systemic changes in teacher preparation programs.
Three Takeaways:
Daily Mindfulness Improves Outcomes: Regular mindfulness practice enhances focus, reduces stress, and boosts academic and behavioral performance in students.
Simple Implementation is Key: Inner Explorer’s guided audio sessions make it easy for educators to integrate mindfulness without adding to their workload.
Cultural Shift Required: Systemic changes, including mindfulness training in teacher preparation programs, are needed for widespread implementation.
Social Media Email LBakosh@InnerExplorer.org.
Website www.InnerExplorer.org
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/InnerExplorer/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/inner-explorer-inc-
X https://twitter.com/inner_explorer
Guest Elizabeth Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas, Austin. A linguistic anthropologist who studies culture and communication, she has been a Fulbright Scholar in Ireland and a visiting scholar at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies in Germany and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands. Summary In this episode, I chat with Elizabeth Keating, Ph.D., author of The Essential Questions, about the power of curiosity in preserving family history and understanding generational perspectives. Dr. Keating discusses how asking meaningful, anthropologically inspired questions can help uncover the rich stories and cultural insights of parents and grandparents, transforming familial relationships. She emphasizes the importance of capturing these stories before they are lost, as time and cognitive ability are fleeting. The discussion also highlights how cultural transmission occurs in everyday interactions and the impact of generational conflict on how values and beliefs are passed down. Dr. Keating shares her experiences as an anthropologist and teacher, using her framework to encourage deeper connections and a greater appreciation for the complexities of family history.
Three Takeaways 1. The Urgency of Storytelling: Capturing family stories is vital before they are lost, as time and cognitive ability are finite. 2. Cultural Transmission Through Everyday Life: Understanding how values and beliefs are passed down helps bridge generational differences. 3. Anthropology-Inspired Questions: Using open-ended, meaningful questions fosters deeper connections and unearths untold family histories.
Social Media LinkedIn
Website
Referenced The Atlantic article: The Questions We Don’t Ask Our Families but Should
Guest Dr. Sarah Bennison is an adjunct professor at New York University and founder of Trinity School (NYC) Office of Public Service, a thought-leading service learning initiative engaging students, faculty, families, and alumni in ongoing, meaningful community engagement work and social impact curriculum. She started her career in New York City public schools in the South Bronx and has thirty years of teaching and leadership experience. Sarah is also the founder of a children's sleepwear company for social good, BennisonGives, LLC, which emerged from her work to support infant and maternal health in Burundi, East Africa. Summary In this episode, Sarah and I discuss the concept of "mattering"—feeling valued and adding value—and its potential to counteract the toxic achievement culture prevalent in many high-achieving schools. Sarah shares insights from her work with students, particularly around connecting academic learning to real-world issues through community service. She highlights how fostering a sense of mattering helps students manage stress, develop confidence, and experience mental health benefits. We explore ways for teachers, parents, and schools to support students' mental well-being through small, consistent actions to reinforce students’ intrinsic value. Sarah also discusses how the Mattering Movement’s curriculum integrates into academic subjects, providing a framework to build connection, belonging, and resilience among students.
Three Takeaways The Power of Mattering: Students benefit when they feel valued and are encouraged to add value, which helps counter the pressures of an achievement-focused culture.
Curriculum Integration: The Mattering Movement’s curriculum is flexible, allowing integration into any academic subject and making social-emotional learning part of the regular school day.
Support for Parents and Educators: Parents and educators can foster a sense of mattering in small, meaningful ways to help students develop resilience and manage stress
Social Media / Resources LinkedIn
Website: The Mattering Movement
Guest Frank Zaccari is a TV/podcast host and keynote speaker with a background in the U.S. Air Force and over 30 years as a high-tech executive & business owner. A five-time Best-Selling and two-time Award-Winning Author, he has written nine impactful books and co-founded the “Trust the Process” Book Marketing Program. Frank mentors at Arizona State University and the University of California Entrepreneurship Academy and guides veterans through the Veterans Treatment Court. Summary In this episode, Jeff and Frank discuss the challenges of promoting books and creating a successful marketing campaign. Frank shares insights from his experiences, emphasizing the importance of planning and consistency. He discusses the need for authors to promote their work well in advance, outlining a 90-day pre-launch strategy involving social media, email campaigns, and targeted messaging to build awareness. Frank’s “Trust the Process” approach consists of understanding the author’s goals, creating compelling content, and using multi-channel strategies to gain traction in an oversaturated market.
The conversation also touches on the parallels between book promotion and public relations, highlighting the difficulty authors face when competing for attention in a crowded space. Frank underscores the need for resilience and adaptability, urging authors to invest in a strategy that can consistently keep their work visible.
Three Takeaways:
- Early and Consistent Promotion: Frank emphasizes a 90-day pre-launch campaign to build momentum for a book’s release, utilizing social media, email, and podcasts to keep the book top of mind.
- Importance of Storytelling and Engagement: Beyond the content, Frank notes the importance of personal stories and interactive elements to make campaigns memorable and relatable.
- Resilience and Adaptability in Marketing: Frank stresses that successful campaigns require resilience and a willingness to adapt to audience reactions and market conditions.
Social Media https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4jSFziDx5ZQXP2ZY5-M0-w
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankzaccari/
https://www.frankzaccari.com/
frankzaccari@gmail.com/
www.authorstrusttheprocess.com/
https://www.facebook.com/frank.zaccari
Guest Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government. Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for almost 7 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider.
He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Summary In this reflective episode, I draw parallels between today's democratic challenges and two pivotal historical examples. Through my experiences teaching about World War II, I explore how America fought against tyranny abroad while struggling with discrimination and division at home. Using the documentary "The Twisted Cross," I taught students how Hitler's legal rise to power was fueled by hate and blame. I then explore the 1960 presidential election through the book and documentary "The Making of the President 1960," highlighting how Kennedy and Nixon's contentious campaign ultimately ended in a peaceful transfer of power—symbolized by a handshake in the snow. As America faces another crucial election, these historical lessons remind us that while democracy has always faced internal and external threats, the peaceful transition of power remains fundamental to our system of government. Key Takeaways * While America's founding documents champion lofty ideals of equality and freedom, our experience during World War II reveals an ongoing struggle to fully embrace these principles in practice. * Hitler's legal rise to power through targeted messaging of hate and blame demonstrates how easily average citizens can be manipulated into supporting a 'big lie,' serving as a stark warning about democracy's vulnerability to internal erosion. * The 1960 election's culminating 'handshake in the snow' between former President Eisenhower and incoming President Kennedy exemplifies how the peaceful transfer of power, even amid fierce political competition, stands as the cornerstone of democratic governance.
Guest Award-winning cookbook author, blogger, fermenter and sourdough baker Anne-Marie Bonneau has lived plastic-free since 2011. Through social media, her blog and her book, The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet, Anne-Marie shows others how reducing their trash not only benefits the planet but also satisfies their taste buds, improves their well-being and boosts their bank accounts. Summary Anne-Marie Bonneau offers practical approaches to reducing waste, particularly focusing on food waste and plastic consumption. She emphasizes that while achieving absolute zero waste isn't realistic, making small, manageable changes can have a significant impact. The discussion covers various accessible strategies, from using cloth shopping bags and produce bags to cooking with dried beans instead of canned ones.
Anne-Marie addresses common misconceptions about food expiration dates and reveals that only 5% of plastic gets recycled in the US. She challenges the myth that sustainable living is necessarily expensive or time-consuming, suggesting that it often saves money by reducing food waste and unnecessary purchases. The conversation touches on composting initiatives, the problems with plastic recycling, and creative ways to use food scraps. Throughout the episode, Anne-Marie maintains that living more sustainably should be enjoyable rather than burdensome, noting that it leads to a lighter, more satisfying lifestyle with better food choices and less clutter.
Key Takeaways * Food waste in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas; composting is a better alternative * Only about 5% of plastic is recycled in the US; reducing plastic use is more effective than recycling * Simple changes like using reusable bags, buying in bulk, and cooking from scratch can significantly reduce waste * Adopting a low-waste lifestyle can improve health, save money, and be a more satisfying way to live
Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZeroWasteChef
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerowastechef
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@zerowastechef
newsletter: https://zerowastechef.substack.com/
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest With skills developed initially through training for the ministerial priesthood and over 25 years of continued professional development, Seamus Corry has a unique set of talents and abilities to engage, mentor, support, advise, and guide people of all backgrounds and experiences to be the best they can be and realize their true potential. This is achieved by building authenticity, trust and ongoing commitment. Seamus joined forces with Angela di Marco and Dana Sardano of https://finduniquelyu.com in 2023 and, under their support, guidance, and collaboration, has trained to become a specialist instructor delivering programs on behalf of the organization.
In 2024, in collaboration with Tara LaFon Gooch of https://taralafongooch.com, successful Tedx speaker, motivational and confidence coach, and business leader joined in partnership to deliver bespoke well-being and confidence-based programs on a global scale.
Summary This episode explores Seamus’ transformative journey as a former Catholic priest who left the church after a breakdown and subsequent disillusionment. Seamus shares his experiences of abuse, trauma, and isolation within the religious institution. Despite hitting rock bottom, he found the strength to rebuild his life and pursue a path of personal growth and helping others.
Seamus discusses the importance of self-awareness, healing past traumas, and challenging limiting beliefs. He emphasizes the power of finding one’s path and purpose, even in adversity. The episode offers valuable insights for individuals who have experienced trauma and seek personal transformation.
Three Takeaways Trauma and Abuse: Seamus Corry describes the emotional and psychological abuse he suffered during his training for the priesthood, leading to a crisis of faith and identity.
Loss and Isolation: Leaving the priesthood resulted in a complete loss of his support system, including his family and community.
Transformation and Helping Others: The guest overcame his trauma and found his calling by supporting others who are struggling with similar challenges.
Social Media LinkedIn
Website
Podcast
Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/seamus-corry You Tube www.youtube.com/@SeamusCorryPyp.
Seamus co-authored Volume 11 of The Rattled Awake Anthology, the Mental Health Edition, and is now a best-selling author.
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest In January 2015, Dana Sardano picked up a paintbrush for the first time since childhood, which was the catalyst for a major shift in her career. In June 2017, she decided to retire from her career in education to fully embrace an artist’s life and to model for her daughters the importance of listening to your soul’s purpose by following your bliss. She has since opened Ubuntu Fish Gallery in Stuart, Florida, co-founded Uniquely Phenom Collaboration, co-hosts the Going Commando with Angela and Dana podcast, and has authored several books of inspiration and empowerment, including Ten Recommandments, which we discuss here never for a second regretting her decision to take that leap of faith.
Summary Dana and I discuss her book "10 Re Commandments," which emphasizes personal empowerment and self-awareness. She shares her journey from traditional education to spiritual teaching, highlighting her experiences with abuse and neglect. Dana explains how her book aims to help readers understand and overcome victimhood, judgment, and unmet expectations. She also touches on the importance of living in the present and the therapeutic value of writing. Dana's work is deeply personal, reflecting her healing journey and the realization that personal growth is a continuous process. The conversation concludes with reflections on the importance of compassion and understanding in personal development.
Key Takeaways Break Free from Victimhood: Take ownership of your experiences and break free from the victim mentality to unlock personal growth and empowerment.
Heal Past Traumas: Unraveling unresolved traumas is crucial for personal transformation and well-being.
The Power of Self-Awareness: By understanding your beliefs and patterns, you can challenge limiting behaviors and create positive life changes.
Social Media Dana@FindUniquelyU.com
mobile: (954) 465-9175
UniquelyPhenom.com
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Dr. Erwin Garcia is the Superintendent of Billings Montana Public Schools, the largest district in the State of Montana. During his tenure, he has pioneered the establishment of three public charter schools: the Billings Early College School, the Opportunity School, and the Multilingual Academy. Dr. Garcia has broadened access to college, career, and military pathways. Before his role in Billings, Dr. Garcia served as Area Superintendent in the Houston Independent School District. Summary In this conversation, Dr. Garcia emphasizes the importance of reading proficiency, teacher empowerment, and community involvement to support the needs of Billings students. Garcia highlights the connection between education, democracy, and societal well-being, stressing the need for adequate funding and support for teachers. He discusses how initiatives such as the family-friendly school program, Kinder Ready Program, and opening charter schools can address educational gaps. Garcia also touches on the importance of developing informed citizens, critical thinking skills, and adapting teaching methods to meet current needs. The conversation explores the need to limit attention to high-impact standards, such as reading comprehension.
Three Takeaways 1. Reading proficiency by third grade is crucial for student success and preventing dropouts, requiring focus on the science of reading and proper resource allocation. 2. Teacher empowerment, adequate compensation, and professional development are essential for addressing modern educational challenges and improving student outcomes. 3. Education plays a vital role in democracy, necessitating a holistic approach that includes community involvement, innovative programs, and a focus on developing critical thinking skills.
Social Media Erwin Garcia, Ed.D. | LinkedIn
TEDx Billings: Democracy
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Sylvia Huron has had a deep love for fishing from an early age, a passion instilled in her by her father. Her son Ian introduced her to fly fishing. For Sylvia, this was a welcome challenge, and the introduction to the fly-fishing community was just what she needed. Sylvia has been in recovery since 2018 and is passionate about supporting the recovery community. Fly fishing has been a source of peace and healing for Sylvia, so sharing this with others is deeply fulfilling for her. In 2021, Sylvia, her son Ian, and Jennifer Gilbert joined founder Becca Klein in establishing Reeling in Serenity. Reeling in Serenity hosts free fly-fishing retreats for men and women in active recovery from substance abuse. On January 1st, 2024, Sylvia accepted the position of Executive Director for Reeling in Serenity. Reeling in Serenity has been featured in Angler Magazine and Fly Fisherman Magazine, and the organization has hosted retreats in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Montana, and Colorado.
Sylvia has been a registered nurse for over 20 years. She also serves as a group facilitator for the Georgia Nursing Association’s Peer Assistance Program, supporting nurses in substance abuse recovery programs.
Summary Sylvia Huron, co-founder and Executive Director of “Reeling in Serenity,” discusses how fly fishing can aid addiction recovery. The organization offers free retreats for individuals in recovery, providing a safe space to learn fly fishing and connect with nature and others in recovery. Sylvia emphasizes the therapeutic aspects of fly fishing, including its ability to promote mindfulness and peace. The retreats combine basic fly fishing instruction with opportunities for participants to share their recovery stories. Sylvia highlights the importance of overcoming shame and guilt in recovery and how fly fishing can help individuals reconnect with themselves and others, especially family members.
Reeling in Serenity also organizes follow-up activities like online meetings and fishing outings to maintain community support. The conversation touches on the organization's plans for future growth.
Three Takeaways 1. Fly fishing provides therapeutic benefits in addiction recovery, including promoting mindfulness, peace, and reconnection with nature and oneself. 2. The structure and impact of Reeling in Serenity's retreats, which combine fly fishing instruction with opportunities to share recovery stories and build community. 3. The broader effects of addiction on families and the importance of creating safe, judgment-free spaces for individuals in recovery to heal and grow.
Social Media Sylvia@reelinginserenity.org
Website: reelinginserenity.org
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Canadian author Patti Shales Lefkos celebrated her creative nonfiction debut with Nepal One Day at a Time, an adventure travel memoir with a humanitarian twist. Her second book, Grounded by Granite, highlights her childhood on a remote island in a pristine lake in the Canadian Shield. In 2023, at the age of 77, Patti and her husband, Barry Hodgins, completed a 500-mile trek on Nepal’s Great Himalayan Trail. Summary This podcast episode features an interview with Patti Shales Lefkos, author of Nepal One Day at a Time. Patti discusses her solo trek through Nepal at age 67, which she undertook to prove her independence and capabilities. She shares insights about her experiences volunteering in remote Nepali villages, observing the impacts of Western influence, and navigating challenging situations like crawling through a dark cave monastery. Key takeaways:
- Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to personal growth and increased self-confidence, regardless of age.
- Responsible tourism and cultural sensitivity are crucial when visiting remote areas, including asking permission before taking photos and being mindful of one's impact.
- Small acts of volunteerism and fundraising can make a significant difference in improving education and living conditions in underprivileged communities.
The conversation also touches on the changes in Nepal due to tourism, the importance of respecting local cultures, and Patty's continued involvement in supporting education initiatives in the region. The episode concludes with a discussion of the value of pursuing new experiences and staying active as one ages.
Social Media Personal website: https://pattishaleslefkos.com
Nepal One Day in Nepal Society: https://pattishaleslefkos.com/nepal-one-day-at-a-time-society/
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Dr. Oleg Konovalov is named among the top eight global experts in leadership and shortlisted for the Distinguished Award in Leadership by Thinkers50. He is the #1 Global Leading Coach named one of the Global 100 Inspirational Leaders 2022, along with Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey. Having been named ‘the da Vinci of Visionary Leadership’ by many leading authorities of our time, Oleg is considered #1 in the world in the field of vision and visionary leadership.
He is the author of The Fisherman’s Path to Leadership, The Vision Code, Leaderology, and other books.
My co-host, Rich Gassen, works as a print shop supervisor at UW-Madison, where he focuses on empowerment, creativity, and process improvements with staff. He also chairs the Campus Supervisors Network (CSN), a community of practice at the UW supporting supervisors in their roles by offering training and networking events, a weekly newsletter, and a website. Rich is an avid reader, sharer, and practitioner of leadership.
Summary Oleg Konovalov, an expert in vision leadership, shares his insights on cultivating curiosity and leadership. He distinguishes between two types of curiosity: "curiosity to know" and "curiosity to explore." The latter is more valuable, as it allows leaders to go beyond surface-level information and develop practical solutions to complex problems. Oleg emphasizes the importance of vision, which he sees as a space in the future defined by the value we create for people, rather than just lofty goals or wishes. He stresses that true leaders must be able to read "weak signals" and explore their own limits to better serve their people. Oleg also discusses the role of peace, connectedness, and love in effective leadership, arguing that leaders must be at peace with themselves and their people to unlock their full potential. Overall, Oleg's perspective highlights the need for leaders to move beyond ego-driven strategies and cultivate a heart-centered, exploratory approach to guiding their organizations into the future.
Three Major Ideas:
- The need to distinguish between "curiosity to know" and "curiosity to explore"
- The importance of vision as a space in the future defined by value creation, not just goals
- The role of peace, connectedness, and love in effective leadership
Oleg uses an extended analogy between fishing and leadership throughout the conversation. Here are the key elements of the fishing analogy that Oleg draws:
- Reading Weak Signals: Oleg compares effective leadership to fishing, where leaders need to be skilled at reading "weak signals" - the subtle cues and indicators that aren't immediately obvious, similar to how a skilled fisherman can detect the presence of fish in the water even when they can't be directly seen.
- Adaptability and Handling Changing Conditions: Just as a fisherman must constantly adapt their techniques and lures based on changing weather, water conditions, and fish behavior, Oleg says effective leaders must be able to nimbly adapt to fast-changing realities and challenges.
- The Journey, Not the Destination: Oleg likens leadership to a journey or "path" rather than reaching a final "finish line" or destination. Like fishing is an ongoing activity without a clear endpoint, Oleg emphasizes that leadership is a continuous process of growth, exploration and adapting to new circumstances.
- Revealing Greatness: Oleg states that the role of a leader is to "reveal the greatness" in their people, similar to how a skilled fisherman can bring out the full potential of the fish they are trying to catch.
Social Media LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-oleg-konovalov/
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Gail Harris is a Certified ghostwriter specializing in women’s memoirs. She is an IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England) Book Award Finalist for the memoir FINDING ZOE. She collaborates with authors who have risen above life’s challenges and have a journey to share. Gail values the cathartic nature of storytelling in that our reflections and takeaways are life-changing, both for the author and those who read her book. She experiences first-hand how an author’s personal story of healing is universal—that what sets us apart pales against what brings us together. Gail inspires women to write their memoirs to heal, leverage their businesses, and fulfill their unique calling of self-expression. She founded Golden Ghostwriting and is the author of the self-help book YOUR HEART KNOWS THE ANSWER: How to Trust Yourself and Make the Choices That are Right For You. Summary Gail Harris explains her role as helping women authors share their personal narratives, emphasizing their vulnerability and the healing aspects of the process. Gail believes that storytelling has the power to foster connection, shared humanity, and personal growth.
Her ghostwriting approach involves in-depth interviews, identifying unique story elements, and collaborative manuscript development. Gail recounts a project where she interviewed multiple individuals to capture a comprehensive narrative, highlighting the importance of diverse perspectives.
The conversation also touches on the impact of uncovering personal and family histories, as exemplified by Jeff's experience of learning new details about his mother's past. Throughout the discussion, Gail underscores the transformative potential of sharing personal stories for both authors and readers, promoting self-love and deeper understanding.
Three critical lessons:
- Staying present in the moment can help reduce worry and maintain composure.
- Sharing personal stories can be a powerful tool for healing and fostering connections.
- Considering multiple perspectives enriches storytelling and provides valuable context.
Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-harris-269a219/
https://goldenghostwriting.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lyOp5KOyvo
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Following 4 ½ years of dedicated research about the World War II experiences of his father, pilot Howard Snyder, and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth, Steve published his book SHOT DOWN. Steve is president of the 306th Bomb Group Historical Association and on the board of directors of the 8th Air Force Historical Society. Summary This podcast episode explores the air war over Europe during World War II, focusing on the experiences of B-17 bomber crews in the 8th Air Force. The discussion covers the dangerous missions aircrews face, including enemy attacks, harsh weather, and mechanical failures. A key turning point in the air war was the introduction of long-range fighters, such as the P-51, which helped secure Allied air superiority on D-Day. Central to the discussion, Steve shares insights about his father's harrowing experiences as the bomber pilot of the “Susan Ruth, which was shot down over Belgium. Steve's father's story of evasion, joining the French Resistance, and eventual return to American forces is recounted. The episode also touches on Steve's extensive research, including interviewing the German pilot who shot down his father's plane. Three takeaways:
- The 8th Air Force faced extreme dangers and suffered heavy losses in their bombing campaign.
- Long-range fighter escorts were crucial in gaining air superiority.
- Preserving and sharing WWII veterans' stories is vital for educating future generations.
Social Media Website - http://SteveSnyderAuthor.com Amazon - http://bit.ly/ShotDownBook
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@SteveSnyderShotDown/videos
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-snyder-61570625/
Referenced Documentary of Howard Snyder and the “Susan Ruth”
The “Toby Mug” from the movie, “Twelve O’Clock High”
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Lorenzo Rodriguez has been a math educator for the past eight years, joyfully honing his craft and developing a pedagogy that works to convince students that a mathematician can be anybody, with any background, who thinks in any language. He has served as the Math Department Chair and Activities Director, worked within our cross-curricular Cybersecurity pathway, and hosted “math labs,” collaborative days spent engaging in dialogue about how best to support mathematical thinking in our diverse classrooms. Summary This is part 2 of an episode I aired with Dr. Peter Liljedahl last week. Peter created the program “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” that Lorenzo uses.
Our conversation here delves into the challenges and rewards of transforming math education. Lorenzo shares his journey from traditional teaching methods to a more student-centered approach. He emphasizes the importance of building buy-in among colleagues and sparking student curiosity to foster a love of math.
The conversation highlights the power of project-based learning and real-world connections in making math relevant and engaging for students. Lorenzo's implementation of the Thinking Classrooms model showcases how collaborative problem-solving can transform the classroom dynamic. The episode also addresses the need to rethink assessment to better measure student understanding and growth.
The episode concludes with a hopeful outlook on the future of math education, emphasizing the potential to create more equitable and engaging learning experiences for all students.
Social Media Social Media: X (twitter) - @getoffyourath
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and author of the best-selling book, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. Peter is a former high school mathematics teacher whose work emphasizes collaborative learning for a more effective mathematics education. Most recently, he received the Læringsprisen [Learning Award] for Changing the way we think about Education in Denmark (2022). Summary The podcast episode explores Professor Liljedahl’s journey in understanding how teaching practices affect student learning in math classrooms. He shares his observations of a teacher struggling to implement problem-solving, leading to student frustration and disengagement. This prompted him to research the psychology of mathematics education and develop the "thinking mathematics classroom" approach, emphasizing practices such as using vertical whiteboards, random grouping of no more than three students, and note-making.
The discussion delves into the benefits of these methods, such as increased student engagement, collaboration, and the ability for teachers to provide timely support. Dr. Liljedahl also addresses the challenges of balancing direct instruction and messy learning, as well as the origins and difficulties of the algebra curriculum.
The episode concludes with a discussion on the future of education, emphasizing the importance of teachers and the need for more training in neuroscience and child psychology.
Bonus tracks I’ve also included two bonus tracts with Peter and Danelle on my website blog post for this episode. One speaks specifically about student note-making, another of Peter’s practices. The second tract speaks to Algebra's challenge to student success.
Social Media Website- https://www.buildingthinkingclassrooms.com/
Twitter- @pgliljedahl
Instagram - @buildingthinikingclassrooms
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BTCthinks
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guests Dr. Ken Wallace recently retired as the longest-serving Superintendent in Maine Township High School District 207’s history, which dates back to 1902. During Ken's tenure, District 207 was named one of America’s most innovative districts multiple times for advances in technology, adult learning, and career advisement. Ken is currently an educational consultant for multiple organizations. Danelle Almaraz, an educational leader with over three decades of experience, is committed to advancing leadership in modern education. At InnovateED, she empowers middle-tier leaders, promoting collaboration, innovation, and growth. Danelle champions continuous improvement, student success, and curiosity, advocating for an inclusive educational experience that enables learners at all levels to drive positive change. Summary With author Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It as the backdrop, the podcast episode explores the toxic achievement culture in US education and its detrimental effects on today's youth. Dr. Ken Wallace and Danelle Almarez discuss how the pressure to excel academically and in extracurricular activities and gain admission to prestigious colleges is causing stress, anxiety, and mental health issues among students. They critique the narrow definition of success that prioritizes test scores and college admissions over personal growth and career readiness.
The conversation covers the misalignment between traditional schooling and real-world needs, the rising student debt crisis, and the importance of career-focused education.
Both guests advocate for redefining success, helping students find their passions, and giving them agency in their learning. They emphasize the value of experiential learning, internships, and understanding the economic implications of educational choices.
The episode concludes by stressing the need for schools to foster a sense of belonging and “mattering,“ focusing on helping students understand who they are and on long-term student outcomes rather than short-term achievements.
Social Media Dr. Ken Wallace
Twitter: @KenWallace207
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-wallace-35a50b50/
Danelle Almaraz
http://linkedin.com/in/danelle-almaraz
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013505683057&mibextid=LQQJ4d
https://www.instagram.com/dalmaraz007?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Angela DiMarco is an intuitive design leader with 30+ years in branding, marketing, and advertising. As Chief Creative Officer at Phenom Publishing, she collaborates with authors to create impactful book designs. Co-host of "Going Commando with Angela & Dana," she champions authenticity and honest conversations. Angela's expertise helps businesses express their unique brand with creativity and integrity, connecting them with their audience on a profound level. Summary In this podcast episode, Angela shares insights on branding and authenticity. She discusses her career journey from aspiring doctor to branding expert, emphasizing her curiosity about people's authentic selves and the masks they wear.
Angela defines branding as uncovering a company's core values, vision, and unique positioning - the "DNA" that should drive all messaging and actions. She explains her process of working with clients through collaborative workshops to integrate this brand DNA into all aspects of their business. Angela stresses the importance of authenticity in branding, refusing to work with clients seeking only superficial solutions.
We also explore the concept of “priming,” which is how organizations can psychologically engage prospective customers to ensure the best brand experience.
The episode also touches on Angela’s partnership with Dana Sardano, highlighting how their friendship and authentic perspectives contribute to their various business ventures.
Three Takeaways 1. Authentic branding is rooted in a company’s or a solopreneur’s core values, vision, and unique positioning.
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Effective branding requires integrating the brand's DNA into all aspects of the business.
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Organizations and solopreneurs can use a variety of methods to set the customer up psychologically to optimally experience the brand.
Social Media Connect and collaborate with Angela DiMarco – https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamariedimarco/
Co-Host of "Going Commando with Angela & Dana" – youtube.com/@goingcommandowithangelaanddana
Co-Founder of Uniquely Phenom Collaboration / UPC Creative Services: Explore how Angela can assist in infusing some magic into your venture – https://upccreativeservices.com/
Co-Founder/Chief Creative Officer of Phenom Publishing, and Author of "Uniquely U. Update #52: The Birth of a Bright-Eyed Entrepreneur" – https://phenom-publishing.com/angela-dimarco
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Cindy House is the author Mother Noise, a memoir in essays and a regular opener for David Sedaris on his tours across the country. She teaches nonfiction in the Lesley University MFA program and memoir writing at the Gotham Writers Workshop. She also offers private writing classes. Summary This podcast episode explores the art of memoir writing with my guest, Cindy House. Our conversation delved into the memoir’s rising popularity and its essential elements. Cindy emphasizes curiosity as the foundation of writing, discussing how memoir differs from autobiography by focusing on specific life aspects rather than a comprehensive account of one’s life. The conversation covers the structure of memoirs, including the importance of a central dramatic question and thematic framework. Cindy shares insights on overcoming writer's resistance and self-doubt, offering practical strategies for perseverance. The episode also tackles the complex nature of truth in memoir writing, highlighting the significance of personal perspective over historical accuracy.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Curiosity drives the writing process and is essential for personal and creative growth.
- Memoir writing focuses on specific life aspects and requires a central dramatic question and thematic framework.
- Truth in a memoir is often subjective, relying on personal experience and memory rather than historical accuracy.
Social Media Website Writer Noise Substack Email
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Neil C. Hughes is a technology writer and the host and producer of the Tech Talks Daily podcast. He is the author of Great TED Talks: Innovation: An Unofficial Guide with Words of Wisdom from 100 TED Speakers. He is also the behind-the-scenes engineer wizard on this and 15 other podcasts. Summary In this episode, Neil and I delve into the rapid pace of technological change and its multifaceted impact on our lives. Neil expresses curiosity about how AI and emerging technologies will augment human capabilities, stressing the need to balance tech usage with preserving critical thinking skills. Our conversation includes an overview of "extended reality" technology and its potential to transform work environments, predicting a future where smart glasses and small keyboards replace traditional laptops. We also discuss the importance of balancing AI tools like ChatGPT with our own unique voice and creativity. Finally, we address how best to manage technology use, mitigate overuse, and foster a healthier relationship with tech while remaining optimistic about the future.
Key Takeaways:
- Technological Change and Its Impact: Neil emphasizes the importance of balancing the use of AI and technology with preserving critical thinking and creativity.
- Extended Reality in the Future of Work: Neil discusses the potential of extended reality to transform work environments, highlighting both benefits and concerns.
- Managing Technology Use: Strategies to balance technology use include disabling notifications, creating tech-free zones, and fostering self-awareness.
Social Media linkedin.com/in/neilchughes
Websites * techblogwriter.co.uk/ (Company) * podcasts.apple.com/ug/podcast/the-tech-talks-daily-podcast/id1018727913 (The Tech Talks Daily Podcast) * amazon.com/author/neilchughes (Amazon Author Page)
Email techblogwriter@outlook.com
About Your Host Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Summary In this episode, I travel to Wannsee, Germany, a suburb of Berlin, where on January 20, 1942, 15 high-ranking Nazis gathered in a villa to resolve various aspects of the “final solution of the Jewish problem.” I need to stand where terror and genocide were launched on a continental scale.
The Takeaway In this episode, I trace the mental and physical journey I took recently in the Netherlands to grasp the murder of more than one hundred thousand Dutch Jews during WWII at the hands of the Nazis. I wanted to move beyond the number and get to the human beings.
Physically, the journey took me to several Holocaust-related sites in Amsterdam: the old Jewish Quarter, the Anne Frank House (Annex), the old Dutch Theatre, the Dutch Holocaust Memorial, and of high interest, the sidewalks of Amsterdam. And outside Amsterdam to the Westerbork transit camp.
Part of my mental journey involved moving beyond the human tendency to see Anne Frank as symbolic of all Dutch Jews who were murdered. But the larger mental issue was confronting the remnants of hate I saw and how they drove me toward hate.
Guest Dave Lampert is the CEO of Food Rescue US, a national non-profit tackling food waste and food insecurity. Dave spent the bulk of his career in the for-profit sector, including 20 years with Dutch multi-national Wolters Kluwer, building and leading B2B businesses in content and software. He has also been actively feeding the hungry for over 30 years as a volunteer. Dave has three grown children and lives with his wife and their two dogs in Hartsdale, NY. Summary This episode tackles the startling reality of food waste in the US, while highlighting the inspiring work of Food Rescue US, a non-profit dedicated to bridging the gap between food insecurity and perfectly edible food headed for the trash.
Three Key Takeaways:
- A Growing Problem: The conversation dives into the sobering statistics: more than 40 million Americans face food insecurity—people who lack consistent, reliable access to a sufficient quality and quantity of affordable, nutritious food—while a staggering 30% of our food supply goes to waste. Food deserts, where access to fresh and affordable food is limited, disproportionately affect minority communities.
- Tech-Powered Food Rescue: Food Rescue US tackles this complex issue with innovative solutions. Their user-friendly app connects volunteers with local food rescue opportunities, streamlining the process of collecting excess food from grocery stores and other food donors. Even cosmetically imperfect produce finds a new home, preventing waste and feeding those in need.
- Beyond Food Distribution: The episode goes beyond immediate hunger relief. Dave discusses the organization's commitment to reducing food waste's environmental impact. They explore composting initiatives and advocate for broader solutions, including consumer-focused innovation.
The episode concludes with a call to action, encouraging listeners to explore volunteer opportunities with Food Rescue US and advocate for change in their communities. It's a powerful reminder that small steps can make a big difference in the fight against food waste and hunger.
Social Media Website: https://foodrescue.us/ About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Jim Flint has been directing non-profit organizations for the past 25 years. He was the founding director of two youth development organizations, the Fiver Children’s Foundation in New York City and the Peak Initiative in Milwaukee. He joined the “Fishing the Good Fight” team in 2022 as the organization’s Director of Operations and currently serves at the interim Executive Director Jim lives in South Florida but spends a considerable amount of time in Denver, CO, where “Fishing the Good Fight” is based. Summary This episode delves into the innovative work of “Fishing the Good Fight,” a non-profit that leverages the therapeutic power of fly fishing to address men's mental health challenges. Through personal stories and insightful discussion, the conversation explores how these retreats provide a safe space for men to open up, connect with nature, and build a supportive community. We learn about the retreats' structure, the importance of volunteers, and the organization's future goals, including expanding their reach and impact.
Three Takeaways:
- Breaking the Silence: This episode tackles the often-overlooked issue of men's mental health. Jim shares his own story and highlights the importance of creating a safe space for men to open up and seek support.
- Beyond the Cast: Fly fishing becomes more than a hobby in this context. “Fishing the Good Fight “uses fly fishing retreats as a therapeutic tool, fostering a supportive environment for men to connect with nature and each other.
- Building a Community: The episode explores the power of community for men's mental health. The retreats provide a space for men to share their struggles, build connections, and find a sense of belonging. Jim emphasizes the importance of alumni support networks that keep the connections strong.
Social Media Website: https://www.fishingthegoodfight.org/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/p/Fishing-the-Good-Fight-100064770040571/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/fishingthegoodfight/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fishing-the-good-fight
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Susan Gaetz is the executive director for Casting for Recovery, a national nonprofit serving women with breast cancer using the therapeutic sport of fly fishing. Susan has been a fixture at CfR for many years. She began volunteering for the organization 25 years ago. She joined the national staff in 2010 as Regional Program Manager and became Program Director in 2016. She lives in Austin, TX, and holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas at Austin. My co-host in this episode is Diane Wyzga. Diane is a nurse attorney turned litigation consultant turned story guide. For 30 years, Diane has helped professionals take their story from a message only they could hear to the publishing world, the courtroom, hospitals, board meetings, and the airwaves. Today, as Quarter Moon Story Arts, Diane custom-coaches women committed to discovering their Origin Story so they are seen, heard, understood, and listened to.
Diane is also the host of Stories From Women Who Walk, a long-running global podcast. She will co-publish this episode.
Summary Our conversation dives into the inspiring work of Casting for Recovery, an organization that provides fly-fishing retreats for women battling breast cancer. Driven in part by her own curiosity about life's next chapter, Susan highlights the transformative power of these retreats.
Three Takeaways:
- Healing Through Nature: Casting for Recovery offers unique retreats specifically designed for breast cancer survivors. By combining fly fishing with oncology support, these getaways provide a chance to reconnect with nature, build confidence, and find solace in a supportive community.
- The Power of Fly Fishing: More than just a hobby, fly fishing offers therapeutic benefits for recovering women. The gentle act of casting helps with physical rehabilitation and provides a welcome distraction, keeping both mind and body active.
- Beyond the Reel: Casting for Recovery goes beyond the basics of fly fishing. Their approach focuses on empowerment, building competence and comfort in the outdoors, and fostering lasting connections among survivors.
Social Media Website: www.castingforrecovery.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/castingforrecovery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/castingforrecovery
Summary No guest today. Just me musing on the upcoming Father’s Day celebration. Given that my father passed away almost forty years ago, I get reflective as the holiday approaches and, more so, as the years between his passing and my age increase. In this episode, I explore why I’ve been thinking about him more, what I remember about him, why there are gaps in my knowledge, and what I would ask him if I could. My dad was a complex man—perhaps all fathers are—because he was a product of a generation he understood and one that he didn’t always.
Over the years, I celebrated Father’s Day by giving my dad traditional gifts, such as a circular saw, barbecue equipment, or a history book. He always appreciated the gifts, but I wonder if he might have appreciated a conversation more, the result of me asking him questions in an attempt to understand him better.
I’d like to think that he would hear my questions as caring on my part. His responses, in turn, would be a gift to me.
Guests Bill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned lay historian turned narrative nonfiction writer. He is the author of an engaging memoir, Everyone Knows a Salesman Can't Write A Book. To further debunk the myth that he can’t write, he's finishing up a much-anticipated book about a little-known incident in Winston Churchill’s tenure as Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II. After completing an undergraduate degree in history and political science at Simon Fraser University, Paul McNicholls spent a career in insurance claims investigation. When nearing retirement, he was approached by the UK publisher Helion and Company, and the result was his first book Journey Through the Wilderness. He is now writing Canadians on the Veldt, which chronicles Canada’s role during the South African War between 1899 and 1902. In 2021, Paul received the Howard Browne Medal from the Victorian Military Society. Summary Bill and Paul discussed the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers on D-Day, the complexities of the Normandy landing operations, and the hypothetical scenario of a failed invasion. They also explored the importance of various events on June 4-5, 1944, and the critical factors that contributed to the success of D-Day, including deception planning, detailed training, air superiority, and contingency planning.
The conversation also touched on the value of intellectual counterfactual exercises and the importance of personal and historical investigations.
Throughout the conversation, the speakers emphasized the importance of understanding the complexities of historical events and the connections that can be gained through exploring them.
Social Media Links Bill
Website
Spoutible
(bwhiteside3@gmail.com)
Paul
Referenced Article from The Guardian
Podcast: “We Have Ways of Making You Talk”
Film of Canadians landing
Guest Danelle Almaraz, an educational leader with over three decades of experience, is committed to advancing leadership in modern education. At InnovateED, she empowers middle-tier leaders, promoting collaboration, innovation, and growth. Danelle champions continuous improvement, student success, and curiosity, advocating for an inclusive educational experience that enables learners at all levels to drive positive change.
Summary This episode dives into three key ingredients for educational systems that are curious about transformation: empowered students and teachers, overcoming resistance to change, and establishing the all-important share purpose.
- Danelle argues for shifting the focus from top-down directives to cultivating student curiosity and creativity. Schools can better prepare students for the unpredictable future by granting teachers more autonomy.
- The discussion also tackles overcoming resistance to new initiatives. Collaboration is key, with Danelle advocating for a "lead from the middle" approach that involves teachers and principals as partners in navigating change.
- Finally, Danelle and Jeff emphasize the importance of a clear, shared purpose to guide decision-making and rally the school community.
Social Media http://linkedin.com/in/danelle-almaraz https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013505683057&mibextid=LQQJ4d
https://www.instagram.com/dalmaraz007?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Referenced
Uncertain, the Wisdom of Being Unsure by Maggie Jackson
Guest Ethan Bryson is the Founder of Natural Urban Forests. Natural Urban Forests is an afforestation company focused on addressing the urgent need to restore native forest ecosystems.
Based in Seattle, Washington we create forests utilizing the Miyawaki method of forest planting with heightened attention to transforming life in the soil. This innovative method enables forests to grow 10x faster at 30x the density of standard afforestation methods.
We work to honor and involve local indigenous communities in the planting and ongoing care of these forests. When possible we begin each planting with a blessing to reset the land, and nurture the plants, animals, and people.
Powered by a steady dose of locally crafted espresso, Jarie loves nothing more than to figure out how to explain complex things in clear and compelling ways. My goal is to help build a more ethical, inclusive, and resilient world by educating and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs—be they 18 or 80.
Summary Ethan and his organization are on a mission to restore harmony between nature and urban life through forestation. Their efforts encompass three main aspects:
Firstly, they focus on designing forests with intentionality, incorporating elements like circular plots and symbolic features to create healing and transformational spaces. This includes projects in New York City and collaborations with Indigenous communities.
Secondly, they emphasize the importance of community involvement in planting and maintaining urban forests, with volunteers playing a key role in ensuring the long-term survival of these green spaces.
Lastly, Ethan stresses the educational aspect of their work, highlighting the environmental benefits of urban forests and the potential for experiential learning through a forest-based curriculum. We discussed topics ranging from soil health to the symbiotic relationships within old-growth forests, all aimed at fostering a deeper connection between people and nature.
In summary, Ethan's organization is dedicated to planting forests as a means of restoring ecological balance, engaging communities, and providing educational opportunities.
Social Media www.naturalurbanforests.com
ethan@naturalurbanforest.com
Referenced Kyle Lybarger: https://www.nativehabitatproject.com/
Manhattan forest project: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5-v1GKMnc4/?igsh=MTg5YzB5dTAxd2M2NQ==
Miyawaki planting method: https://urban-forests.com/miyawaki-method/
Sugi Project: https://www.sugiproject.com/
Ida Nason Aronica Forest: https://www.sugiproject.com/forests/Ida-Nason-Aronica-Forest
Guest Dimitry Anselme is the Chief Officer of Growth and Engagement with Facing History & Ourselves. In that role, he innovates program design for school and district implementation and facilitates organizational partnerships in the US and internationally. Facing History partners with educators worldwide to help students prepare for civic life and better understand themselves and the world. Summary In this episode, Dimitri and Jeff discuss the persistence of hate and racism despite society's efforts to combat it. They delve into the mission of Facing History and Ourselves to challenge bigotry and hatred through engaging history teaching. The conversation also explores the challenges of teaching sensitive topics like the Holocaust and the increasing need for tolerance education in elementary schools. They underscore the importance of raising ethical children and Facing History's outreach efforts, including partnerships with aligned organizations. The discussion also touches on the intersection of education, curiosity, and professional development, emphasizing the importance of preparing teachers and fostering curiosity for creativity and problem-solving.
Social Media Website - https://www.facinghistory.org/
Summary In this episode, I sit down with four LinkedIn friends/colleagues to discuss Dacher Keltner’s book, Awe the New Science of Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life. Each of my guests brings an important perspective to the topic. Dr. Keltner defines awe as connecting to something larger that yourself; “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” He then supports that definition by detailing eight emotional wonders of life:
- Moral beauty: appreciating other people’s courage, kindness, strength, or ability to overcome obstacles.
- Collective effervescence: being part of a larger collective self, e.g., a Taylor Swift concert, a political rally, gathering with others to watch the recent eclipse
- Nature: what I feel when I stand in a trout stream or look out over the Grand Canyon
- Music
- Visual design: attractions in New York City: the Edge, the Little Island, and the High Line
- Spirituality and religion
- Life and death
- Epiphany – understanding of an essential truth, insights, scientific discoveries, sudden disclosures
After introducing the concept and speaking about it from my guests’ various perspectives, I asked whether the leader can inspire awe in the workplace.
Guests
Rich Gassen works as a print shop supervisor at UW-Madison, where he focuses on empowerment, creativity, and process improvements with staff. He also chairs the Campus Supervisors Network (CSN), a community of practice at the UW supporting supervisors in their roles by offering training and networking events, a weekly newsletter, and a website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richgassen/
Melissa Hughes is a neuroscience researcher, educator, keynote speaker, and author of Happier Hour with Einstein — Another Round
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahughesphd
https://www.melissahughes.rocks/
Sarah Elkins is your guide to uncovering the right personal stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, advocates, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and effectively demonstrate their character, values, and vision. She guides individuals and teams toward improved communication and reduced friction in the workplace. Sarah is a storyteller, keynote speaker, Gallup-certified StrengthsFinder coach, podcast host, author, and professional musician.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesmileisfree/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahlynnelkins/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elkinscommunication
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Bwk56V5neXxjJXk3tarSE?si=01589bf8438d43c6
Brooke Erol is a corporate dropout who pursued her dream of having more meaningful work for herself and others. All her life, she has spent writing, speaking, coaching, and consulting on the topic of having a life of fulfilling and purposeful work. She works with individuals—YourBestLife—and organizations—Purposeful Business, Inc.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/purposefulbusiness
www.instagram.com/happielliatwork
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ozlemerol
X: www.twitter.com/boerol1
References The Pause Principle by Kevin Cashman
How Minds Work by
Guest Iain McHenry was born in Belfast and, after leaving school, joined the British Army and had a career that took him all over the world. He was stationed in Germany, Northern Ireland, Canada, The Falkland Islands, and Belgium, and he has completed operational tours in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone. He has always had a passion for WW1, and after leaving the army, he started his own business in Belgium, working as a WW1 researcher, battlefield guide, and published author.
Today, he splits his time between his home in Tallahassee, Florida, and the old battlefields of France and Belgium.
Aside from military history, he loves to fly light aircraft, travel and run.
Summary Iain’s World War I tours go way beyond dates and statistics. They cater to diverse interests, from general historical context to specific family narratives. By visiting trenches, tunnels, and lesser-known sites, participants gain a unique perspective on the daily routines, living conditions, and struggles faced by the soldiers. The emotional impact of war is a recurring theme, with Iain sharing stories of families searching for the final resting places of loved ones and the poignant inscriptions found on gravestones.
The episode doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of war. It explores the vast cemeteries holding the remains of thousands, the ongoing process of identifying soldiers through artifacts like ID disks, and the constant threat of unexploded ordnance that lingers in the ground. Yet, amidst the tragedy, there's a sense of connection to the past. Iain and I describe the energy one feels on these historical sites and the stories unearthed through excavations, like the discovery of a soldier's remains and the heartwarming reunion with his granddaughter.
Overall, the episode is a powerful reminder of the importance of learning about history. By studying World War I battlefields, we not only gain a deeper understanding of the conflict itself but also connect with the human stories of those who lived through it.
Social Media Bespoke Battlefield Tours
Referenced
Menin Gate
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Tara LaFon Gooch, an acclaimed Keynote and TEDx speaker, is known for her expertise in confidence empowerment. As an international best-selling author, Tara's dynamic presence and passion inspire audiences globally. With an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and certifications from Cornell University and The University of Notre Dame, Tara's transformative message has been featured in Forbes, LA Weekly, and Fox News. Her recent TEDx talk, "Gratitude: The Foundation of Confidence," has garnered global acclaim, showcasing her ability to help individuals unlock their full potential and live confidently. Summary Ditch the corporate grind? This episode's guest did just that, leaving behind a toxic job and battling depression and anxiety. Their secret weapon? Gratitude. They found that focusing on what they were thankful for, not just in the world but in themselves too, helped them turn things around.
But gratitude is just the first step. The conversation digs into how to rewire your brain for positivity. We're talking about taking responsibility for your actions and appreciating yourself, past and present. It's not always sunshine and rainbows though – there's real work involved in changing negative thought patterns. But with some effort, you can silence that inner critic and start feeling good about yourself again.
Feeling stuck? This episode also tackles how to find the motivation to get moving. Visualization and taking action are your new best friends. Plus, figuring out what truly matters to you – your core values and strengths – can be a game changer. It all adds up to building confidence and a sense of purpose, both in your personal life and your career.
Speaking of career, our conversation switches gears to how confidence plays a major role in leadership and branding. The key? Authenticity. Turns out, people can see right through a fake. The speaker even opens up about their own struggles with confidence as a leader, proving it's a common hurdle.
The episode wraps up with a powerful message: stay true to your values, no matter what. It might mean turning down clients or walking away from situations that don't feel right. But in the end, staying aligned with your principles is the recipe for long-term success and personal growth.
Social Media / Referenced https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-lafon-gooch
https://www.facebook.com/tara.lafon
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTXN57YGfMOMJdkphzr2PoQ
https://www.tiktok.com/@taralafongooch
https://www.instagram.com/taralafongooch
About Jeff Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Guest Bradley Wright is a professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut and the director of the Life Purpose Lab (lifepurpose.lab.uconn.edu). He teaches courses on well-being and research methodology. He is the co-author of The Purpose Journal: Discover Your Destiny and Leave a Legacy.
His teaching and mentoring have received departmental and university awards. Bradley grew up in California and lives in Connecticut with his wife. They have two sons and a small, fluffy dog. His hobbies include cycling, hiking, and photography.
Summary In this episode, Bradley tackles the question of finding purpose and meaning in life. He acknowledges the challenges, including a lack of clear systems and the fear of uncertainty that holds many back. Bradley proposes a "purpose portfolio" –– engaging in multiple meaningful activities across various aspects of life –– to maximize overall fulfillment.
His work at the Life Purpose Lab emphasizes "possibility management," a framework designed to help people intentionally explore and navigate different life paths. Journaling is a key tool, prompting exploration of purpose itself and offering practical steps for discovery.
The conversation emphasizes taking action over waiting for inspiration to strike. Small, incremental steps can lead to significant change. Bradley highlights the transformative power of purpose, not just for personal happiness but for creating a positive impact on the world. His training program suggests living purposefully can positively affect the lives of others, with a potential reach that can range from a few individuals to hundreds.
Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleywrightphd/
Referenced “Serendipity is not Serendipitous”
Life Purpose Lab
Summary This episode explores the importance of storytelling in business communication and life. Inspired by his late wife Jane's spirit, Jarie Bolander delves into the importance of narratives that inspire action. The discussion weaves in Jarie’s experience supporting organizations in crafting impactful stories, highlighting a common challenge faced by businesses and non-profits alike.
The episode takes a poignant turn as Jarie recounts his marriage to Jane, their life together, and the profound impact of her leukemia diagnosis. Their relationship transformed from spouse to caregiver and patient, demanding immense resilience and commitment. Jarie reflects on the significance of their vows in the face of such hardship while acknowledging the initial struggle to ask for help and prioritize self-care amidst overwhelming circumstances.
Through Jane's illness and eventual passing, Jarie grapples with grief and the preciousness of life. He shares his own challenges in seeking support. The conversation explores the healing power of therapy alongside the enduring comfort of unconditional love and support from loved ones.
Social Media Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
Referenced Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder
Stuart: A Life Backwards
Diane Wyzga - the origin story
Summary
I’ve been podcasting for more than five years and have more than 300 hundred episodes on topics that include space exploration, cooking, history, education, movie scores, the importance of objects in movies, inn-keeping, serendipity, beavers, bagels, nature, and fly fishing—to name a few! And I’ve been privileged to meet some incredible, giving, wise people.
But like most podcasters—all?—I’ve been unable to secure interviews with everyone I wanted to see on the other side of the mic. Why? The reasons vary, ranging from “Sorry, I’m just too busy” to silence—no response at all. This is an episode about some of them—the ones whose photo will never fill an empty square on my podcast website—and why I wanted to talk to them in the first place.
Guest As a former teacher turned speaker and happiness coach, Kim Strobel helps schools, businesses, and organizations prioritize their happiness and well-being so they can overcome their fears, discover their joy, activate their limitless potential, and boldly pursue their dreams. She is the author of Teach Happy. Summary This episode focuses on Kim’s journey with panic disorder, highlighting the power of cognitive behavioral therapy and helping others overcome anxiety. Kim emphasizes happiness as a direction rather than a destination, urging the implementation of happiness habits for well-being. Of particular note, Kim explained that up to 40% of our happiness is within our control, so looking at the world through a lens of positivity and possibility is essential. Lastly, Kim advocates for radical wellness through boundary-setting and rewiring brains for happiness, encouraging investment in building healthy relationships and regulating social media usage for personal growth and fulfillment.
Social Media / Referenced www.StrobelEducation.com
www.KimStrobel.com
Break the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza
The Tools: 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower--and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion by Phil Stultz
Guest Ben Goldfarb is an environmental journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, the Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, and many other publications. He is the author of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times, and Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Elise, and his dog, Kit — which is, of course, what you call a baby beaver.
Summary This discussion highlights the beaver’s role as a keystone species, an organism crucial to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Beavers create ponds and wetlands, benefiting numerous species and providing vital services like water purification, flood control, and wildfire mitigation.
Historically, unregulated trapping nearly decimated beaver populations in North America, causing dramatic ecological decline. In Yellowstone National Park, for instance, the absence of wolves led to elk overgrazing, destroying beaver habitat. Beaver reintroduction efforts in the 1980s significantly improved the ecosystem.
The conversation emphasizes the importance of coexisting with beavers and wolves. Non-lethal solutions like "beaver deceivers" can mitigate property damage, while the ecological benefits (fish habitat, flood control) far outweigh minor inconveniences. The future of beaver management lies in learning to share our environment, not removing these valuable ecosystem engineers.
Social Media / Referenced Website: https://www.bengoldfarb.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben.a.goldfarb/
X: https://twitter.com/ben_a_goldfarb
Books:
Crossings https://www.amazon.com/dp/1324005890
Eager
https://www.amazon.com/Eager-Surprising-Secret-Beavers-Matter/dp/160358739X
Guest Katie Mullen is the founder of MMS Consulting, which specializes in sales training and consulting and has helped Fortune 500 companies from all over the country increase sales, improve performance, and create more customer trust. MMS Consulting was founded on a several-year research project on the topic of how customers want to be treated. Hundreds of customers were interviewed on pet peeves, likes, dislikes, etc, and the answers were aggregated into data points that are now used during the training and consulting offered by MMS Consulting.
Before founding MMS, Katie Mullen spent fifteen years selling into diverse industries, including medical devices, online media, fundraising, and event planning. Katie hosts the “Golden Rule of Selling” podcast and is the author of The Sales Tightrope: A Research-Based Guide to Not Annoying Customers and Still Being a Top Performer.
Summary Focusing on qualities essential for success in sales, such as curiosity and adaptability, Katie emphasizes the importance of building rapport and understanding customers individually. Her approach combines scientific research with personalized presentations tailored to each client, prioritizing long-term relationships over short-term gains. By employing discovery questions and addressing root issues, she ensures a mutually beneficial fit, fostering trust and loyalty for future opportunities.
Social Media / Referenced kmullen@mms-consulting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiefmullen/
https://www.tiktok.com/@katiemullen_goldenrule
Guest John Camp (he goes by Camp) is Head of Teaching & Learning at the New England Innovation Academy, where he oversees the development of systems to recruit, hire, support, and evaluate teachers. He also supports teachers in developing and implementing the curriculum. He's been a leader and a teacher at various schools throughout his 29-year career. His experience includes English and writing classes and interdisciplinary courses such as “The Art and Physics of Time Travel.” At St. Mark’s School, which bestowed him with The Trustees Chair and the Kidder Faculty Prize, Camp served as the Director of Experiential Learning and Associate Director of The Center of Innovation in Teaching and Learning. His pedagogical mantras include, “I aim to teach what cannot be Googled” and “I expect you to work hard, so I work hard.”
Summary Our conversation examined how the New England Innovation Academy is shifting the landscape of 6-12 education toward integrating various learning styles and innovative teaching methods.
Competency-based assessment was discussed as a promising alternative to traditional tests, emphasizing gauging students' mastery of skills and practical knowledge.
The conversation went beyond academics, highlighting the growing importance of student-centered learning and fostering social-emotional development as crucial aspects of education.
We also explored the practicalities at the New England Innovation Academy, delving into student workload, school policies, and their innovative practices.
A central theme emerged: education is no longer solely about knowledge transmission. Instead, it is vital to nurture well-rounded individuals and promote personal growth through student-centered instructional approaches. This discussion provided valuable insights into the evolving education landscape, where innovation and student success are the driving forces shaping the future of learning.
Social Media / Referenced New England Innovation Academy - https://neiacademy.org/
Guest Bennett (Ben) Bratt helps leaders and their teams create the transformative, inclusive, and enduring changes in their team effectiveness that fuel their most deeply desired outcomes. He is the founder and principal at Team Elements, a consulting and coaching organization that helps identify and resolve issues holding teams back from achieving their desired goals. Ben is the author of The Team Discovered (BMI Publishing 2020).
Summary A number of factors will contribute to team ineffectiveness, including: • insufficient resources and training,
• unrealistic expectations,
• poor organizational culture,
• lack of psychological safety and emotional intelligence, and
• lack of conflict resolution tools. Often, underlying all of these reasons is a lack of clarity around team goals and individual roles, which contributes to a lack of trust among team members.
Social Media / Referenced LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bennettbratt
TikTok: @bennettbratt
Website: Team Elements
Guest Dr. Donya Ball is a leader, author, and keynote speaker. She currently serves as superintendent of schools in California. Dr. Ball is a professor of both educational leadership and teacher education and is passionate about studying, writing, and speaking about overcoming leadership hardships. She published her first book of the leadership series, Adjusting the Sails: Weathering the Storms of Administrative Leadership, in 2022, followed by Against the Wind: Leadership at 36,000 Feet in December 2023.
Summary Dr. Donya Bell’s journey from studying communications to discovering her passion for education was sparked by her curiosity, cultivated through tutoring with the America Reads program. This experience led her to prioritize people development over technical skills in school leadership, emphasizing the significance of listening and inviting input to build trust and involvement. Donya highlighted the evolving purpose of education, advocating for personalized learning experiences beyond standardized tests. She also underscored the benefits and challenges of connecting with diverse perspectives, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and growth through exposure to varied viewpoints across industries and communities.
Social Media / Referenced LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donya-ball-ed-d-314bb011/
X- @SuptDonya
Instagram - @dr__d__
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SuptDonya
Lyle Kirtman - 7 Competencies of Highly Effective School Leaders
Summary “Getting Unstuck” host Jeff Ikler reflects on recent messages of remembrance that prompt him to consider life's impermanence of life and how he wants to be remembered.
The Universe sends us messages to consider and, if we’re open to them, to act upon.
Facing the task of decluttering after his sister's passing, Jeff embraces "death cleaning" to downsize personal effects.
Cherishing artifacts from his parents, Jeff displays them as a tribute, shifting his perspective on imperfections and upbringing.
The impermanence of life becomes evident, leading to a contemplation of how objects and memories shape one's legacy.
Meaningful items, like a metal cup from wilderness adventures, hold sentimental value, prompting thoughts on how he'll be remembered.
Jeff's experiences at Quetico Provincial Park in Canada significantly influenced him, inspiring the naming of his coaching company after the place.
Referenced Jane Duncan Rogers – Before I Go: The Essential Guide to Creating A Good End-of-Life Plan
Margareta Magnusson – Dostadning: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
Guests In this episode, I was deeply fortunate to sit down with two amazing guests: Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander. Ben is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Youth Orchestra. Rosamund was a therapist and an accomplished painter and sadly passed away in September 2023. They are the authors of The Art of Possibility – a life-change book if you adopt its twelve practices. Roz was the author of a follow-up volume, Pathways to Possibility.
Summary
Some readers and listeners may have the tendency to place these two books in the category of “self-help.” But as the authors point out early on in The Art of Possibility, “the practices presented in this book are not about making incremental changes that lead to new ways of doing things based on old belief, and they are not about self-improvement.” The practices are more transformational. This is not about playing better in old constructs, it’s about playing in new constructs of our own making.
As you listen
- How might Roz and Ben’s respective roles – Roz as a therapist who listens for the stories that clients tell and Ben as a conductor who helps musicians break through barriers – apply to the roles that educational leaders and teachers play?
- How people live in what they think is reality when it’s really just their interpretation. It’s an invention.
- Why living with a spirit of possibility has to be created and practiced.
- Ben’s and Roz’s explanation of one of the practices, “The giving of an A.” In the book they write, “This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.” The ownership of the “A” shifts from the traditional bestower, the teacher, to a co-created relationship with the student. How might this apply to education in our schools?
- What “Being a contribution” is dependent on.
- How Ben defines “leadership.”
- What leaders who follow the practice “Lead from any chair” believe in.
- How “Being the board” eliminates the need for blame.
Guest Dr. Hayley Watson is the founder and CEO of Open Parachute, a Tier 1 K-12 curriculum program that supports the mental health of students, teachers, and parents. She is a Clinical Psychologist and holds a PhD in school bullying interventions. She has been creating and delivering programs for youth and practitioners across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia for the past 20 years.
Dr. Watson is the author of the forthcoming book FINDING THE WORDS: EMPOWERING STRUGGLING STUDENTS THROUGH GUIDED CONVERSATIONS. (Release in mid-March 2024.
Summary My conversation with Dr. Watson delved into the critical topic of mental health support for students, exploring its connection to childhood trauma and the need for robust education in schools. Dr. Watson emphasized the neuroscience behind mental health and its impact on both students and educators, highlighting the importance of prioritizing well-being within the educational space. Key to her work is training educators to use words that help draw the limiting stories out of children and provide a space for students to help one another.
Our conversation covered practical strategies like mindfulness exercises and self-care techniques that educators can adopt while advocating for broader systemic changes like comprehensive mental health education for children. By bridging the gap between neuroscience, education, and self-care, she provided valuable insights into fostering a healthier and more supportive environment for students and educators alike.
Social Media / Referenced Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-hayley-watson-2b249a16/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drhayleywatson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drhayleywatson/?hl=en
Program Website: https://openparachuteschools.com
Guests As the “Connection Counselor,” Joe Kwon’s mission is to help professionals elevate their careers by teaching them how to connect to anyone, anytime, and anywhere. He is the creator of the “Everybody Thrives” program, which is designed to help organizations transcend statistics, increase belonging, and unlock higher performance. He is also the author of three leadership books, including Unlock Your Executive Presence: Feel like a Boss, and the host of several podcasts, including "Diversity Bites."
Summary Our conversation focused on the concept of “executive presence,” the ability to command attention and inspire trust through confidence and clarity of voice and behavior. An essential component of E.P. is image – how one presents oneself to others, especially to leadership. But it’s more than mere image; it’s the aura you convey to leadership that you can step into the larger shoes of the next position and make things happen. E.P. gives leadership the confidence to place a bet on “future you” rather than just on “past you.” E.P. is often an essential component of getting promotions when candidates are similar in terms of skill set and track records.
Social Media / Referenced Website: https://everybodythrives.podia.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmSC7_veHdshx5Y8ukZHQgQ/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connectioncounselor/
Path2Promotion - Avoid common career detours and get on the path to promotion by learning how promotions really work and the keys to improving your promotion prospects. It's a program offered either through 1:1 private coaching or through a forthcoming online course. For details, contact Joe via his email:: joe@connectioncounselor.com
Guests Jason Greer is the Founder and President of Greer Consulting, Inc., a labor management and employee relations consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is a trusted source of the latest race and labor relations news for media nationwide.
Summary Jason Greer and I dove deep into the crucial yet turbulent waters of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our polarized world. We explored practical ways to nurture diverse and inclusive workplaces and addressed concerns around diversity training. It was all about building bridges and fostering a sense of belonging.
Integrating DEI into the very fabric of business practices emerged as a key theme. We discussed facing fear as a hurdle to embracing diverse perspectives and the importance of creating work environments where everyone feels empowered to contribute their unique talents. It's not about one-off initiatives but about sustained efforts to build an inclusive culture that celebrates and leverages individual differences.
With cultural polarization a stark reality, navigating sensitive topics and fostering productive dialogue across diverse viewpoints became another focus. We talked about addressing concerns surrounding diversity training (36:44) and finding common ground despite differing opinions.
Ultimately, Jason Greer and I both gained valuable insights for navigating the complexities of DEI in today's world. By promoting understanding, challenging biases, and building bridges across cultures, we can all contribute to businesses and communities that thrive in a more equitable and inclusive environment.
Social Media / Referenced Previous interviews with Jason
Connect with Jason
Guests Andy Stephens was born and raised in a small town in Northwest Washington on the Salish Sea. After 17 years, he traveled to Los Angeles to play college baseball in the sunshine. He taught in the public schools of LAUSD for six years before moving to Boulder, CO, where he now teaches science at New Vista High School and at area colleges.
Summary My conversation with Andy revolved around the unique educational philosophy of New Vista High School, where fostering curiosity is paramount, and Andy’s particular teaching style. We discussed innovative science classes designed to ignite wonder, with mixed-age groupings enabling peer learning and deeper engagement. The importance of school purpose and community acceptance in supporting this approach was emphasized alongside equitable teaching methods that cater to diverse student needs. Ultimately, the focus lies on education that sparks a lifelong love of learning, empowered by storytelling and connection – an approach with lessons beyond the classroom walls.
Social Media / Referenced New Vista High School
Summary No guest today in what is my first episode of the new year. I promise no New Year’s resolutions except one: to read and digest as many books as I can during the year.
Given my interest in books, I was curious to know what some of my colleagues, friends, and family members will read in 2024. So, I contacted more than 40 of them, asking them for a brief bio, their book of choice, and why that title might find its way to their nightstand. I thought that maybe I'd hear from a few, but that many might be too busy to respond, given the fast-approaching holiday.
Their responses poured in:
Jesse Kohler is the President and Chair of The Change Campaign and also serves as Executive Director of the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice.
Going to read Preventing and Healing Climate Traumas: A Guide to Building Resilience and Hope in Communities by Bob Doppelt.
Because the climate crisis is widely traumatizing. Promoting support across our society to work through it together is one of the most critical callings of our time.
Paul McNicholls is a lay historian and author.
Going to read Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918–40 by Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman.
Because what happened to the British Army between the First and Second World Wars explains why they were summarily defeated by the Germans and had to be evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk in 1940.
Frank Zaccari is a best-selling author and CEO of Life Altering Events, LLC.
Going to read The Passion Test by Janet and Chris Attwood.
Because over my long time on the planet, my passion – or what I thought was my passion – has changed many times. Now, in my semi-retirement, this book will help me focus on finding my next passion where I can make a difference.
Neil C. Hughes is a freelance technology journalist, podcast host and engineer, and the producer of "Tech Talks Daily" and "Tech Fusion" by Citrix Ready.
Going to read Freedom to Think: Protecting a Fundamental Human Right in the Digital Age by Susie Alegr.
Because this title will deepen my understanding of the intersection between technology, privacy, and human rights in the digital age.
Melissa Hughes, Ph.D. is a neuroscience researcher, speaker, and author of Happy Hour with Einstein and Happier Hour with Einstein: Another Round.
Going to read Misbelief by Dan Ariely.
Because the human brain is so incredible and so incredibly flawed (and because I read everything that Dan Ariely writes!)
And Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant.
Because we all have hidden potential begging to be discovered.
Valerie Gordon is a former Emmy-winning television producer who brings the Art of Storytelling for Impact and Influence to audiences and corporate leaders.
Going to read Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant.
Because I found his previous works to be insightful and helpful in my business as well as in meeting my own goals. I recommend it to anyone interested in the human mind and its impact on realizing our potential.
Rich Gassen is a print production manager at UW-Madison and also leads a community of practice for supervisors where we explore topics on leadership and staff development.
Going to read Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant.
Because I have always sought to improve myself and those around me to achieve more through better processes, incorporating efficiencies, and harnessing strengths. I feel that this book will bring me to another level in being able to do that.
Sarah Elkins is a StrengthFinder coach and story consultant, keynote speaker, podcast host, and the author of Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will.
Going to read Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson.
Because I’ve become especially sensitive to representation over the past few years, and I talk about wanting to support all people. Reading a book by a person of color and understanding her back story is one way to help me do that.
Diane Wyzga is a global podcaster, a story expert who helps clients clarify ideas and amplify messaging, and a hiker – who walks the talk.
Going to read The Perfection Trap - Embracing the Power of Good Enough by Thomas Curran.
Because as I've become aware of our culture's dangerous obsession with perfection, I want to learn to step away from my own focus on it.
Bill Whiteside is a retired software salesman who is now writing a book about Winston Churchill and a little-known event from World War II.
Going to read Larry McMurtry: A Life by Tracy Daugherty.
Because after spending the past five years researching my book with my nose in books about Britain and France in 1940, it’s going to be refreshing to read just for fun once again. McMurtry’s personality and career as a bookstore owner and a highly regarded author – “Lonesome Dove," “The Last Picture Show” and “Terms of Endearment” – fascinate me.
Mark Reid is a maker of traditional handmade Japanese paper and host of the Zen Sammich podcast.
Going to read The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham.
Because the main character's internal moral challenges and the battle with societal expectations are compelling for me to read about and contemplate.
Mark O’Brien is the founder and principal of O’Brien Communications Group, a B2B brand-management and marketing-communications firm, and host of The Anxious Voyage, a syndicated radio show about life’s trials and triumphs.
Going to read Lyrical and Critical Essays by Albert Camus.
Because as a longtime fan of Camus' existential work, I look forward to stretching my thick Irish noggin to let in a tad more light – as I always try to do.
Hope Blecher is an educational consultant and the founder of Hope's Compass, www.HopesCompass.org, a non-profit that helps members of the community and visitors to interact with survivors of the Holocaust and children of survivors through arts, music, poetry, prose, and more.
Going to (re)read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exuperty.
Because I experience something new each time I read it.
And Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell.
Because I'm curious about what these authors will say that will help me continue on my own pathway of exploring art.
Christine Mason is the Cultivating Resilience podcast co-host, educational psychologist researcher, entrepreneur, and yoga instructor/mindfulness coach.
Going to read From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman.
Because Friedman knows the region exceptionally well, this book will provide me with a greater understanding of the underlying regional and religious tensions and conflicts and also prepare me to lead others in a deeper discussion toward a potential resolution and peace.
Tammy Hader is a retired accountant, a lifetime Kansan, a storyteller, a caregiver, and an author. (See above.)
Going to read Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam.
Because our relationships – our social capital – continue to be degraded in the current environment, so I want to study it, defend against it, and learn how to shift myself and my community into improved connections.
Cindy House is the author of Mother Noise, a memoir about her recovery from addiction. She is a regular opener for David Sedaris on his book lecture circuit. She is also my memoir instructor.
Going to read Art Monster: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art by Lauren Elkin.
Because the book looks at women artists and their work as a reaction against the patriarchy. In these days of watching the GOP war against women, it seems especially important as a woman in the arts to consider how my work can be a protest against extreme political positions.
Susan Rooks – the Grammar Goddess – is an editor/proofreader who helps nonfiction/business content authors of books/blogs/websites and podcasters and their episode transcriptions look and sound as smart as they are.
Going to read Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, MD.
Because as I age, I’m interested in doing everything I can to stay alive in a healthy manner.
Steve Ehrlich is a lifelong educator and has an equally long-standing calling in fly fishing. He combines those two loves in classes on the lessons of fly fishing and its treasured literature for personal and professional growth, renewal and healing, and social change.
Going to read An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong.
Because I've always been intrigued by the interconnectedness of things, especially the things we can't fully understand. Such a mystery is at the heart of this book, which is about how animals are connected to one another in so many ways and in a manner that most of us have difficulty comprehending.
Annette Taylor is a rogue researcher of evolutionary psychology.
Going to finish We Are Electric by Sally Adee – but doing so scares me...
Because it seems like the author is justifying our “merging” with AI or at least romanticizing our ever increasing entanglements with technology. And since I like to simplify life using a cave-dweller perspective, this idea freaks me out.
Leon Ikler is a commercial photographer primarily shooting tabletop and small room scenes in the studio along with a mix of location work.
Going to read Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson.
Because in these contentious times with the nation so divided, I like how she frames today's issues against what has taken place in the past. I feel it is essential to know our history so we can try to avoid making the same mistakes again.
Rita Grant is a former award-winning video producer.
Going to reread The United States of Arugula by David Kamp.
Because it's a great reminder of how our current American culinary landscape was created.
I'm ending with Rita because she also sent in another suggestion. Not a book, but a song – "You Can't Take That Away From Me," sung by the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. As Rita noted, "The lyrics will stand the test of time. They're a testament to what we hold in our hearts and imagination that can never be taken from us."
Summary “Getting Unstuck” is somewhat of a rare animal in the world of podcasting. It’s offered timely content focused on change, education, and curiosity for over 5 years and sits in the top 3% of all podcasts. 44% of all podcasts have less than 3 episodes, according to two tracking sources. Most podcasts don't make it past 10 episodes. Conversely, we just passed the 300-episode milestone, which is somewhat of a magic marker for podcasts.
As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to take a moment to thank my listeners and recap 2023 in three parts: 1. the top episodes in terms of downloads, 2. the episode that meant the most to me, and 3 my most popular episode over the life of the podcast.
The episodes in 2023 that garnered the most listener attention
What follows are the top downloaded episodes for 2023. Not surprisingly, each of the five episodes focused on the major themes I emphasize in the podcast: overcoming personal resistance, recognizing and taking advantage of serendipity, defining a new purpose of education, experiencing the meditative aspect of fly fishing and the natural world, and the power of curiosity.
Here, then, is a short description of these five episodes:
- 250 - How a Life-Altering Event Can Still Mean A Rich Life, Fulfilling Life
Rick Locke is an excellent example of someone who literally had to look at life from a different angle. While he was losing his central vision due to macular degeneration, he could still see out of the corner of his eye. And that, as it turns out, was the lens through which he could see – and share – a whole new world of wonder. 2. 249 - How to Become All-in as a Solopreneur
April Vokey couldn’t help but look at life from a different angle. From a very early age, April loved fishing and hunting. She decided to shun more traditional work and instead start a business where she would guide, provide instructional courses, write, be a keynote speaker, and host a podcast on all things related to her fishing interests, all while becoming a wife and mother. Her decision also came with the expected challenges — and one challenge that men doing the same work never face. 3. 239 - What is the Purpose of School?
In this episode, educator, author, and futurist Rhonda Broussard and I touch on various reasons for our K-12 system of schooling. Is it to prepare students for a career, acquire knowledge and skills, or develop creative thinking and problem-solving abilities? And what about student agency? How much voice and choice should we allow students to determine what and how they want to learn? 4. 246 - Dr. Christian Busch on Connecting Life's Dots Going Forward
Steve Jobs famously said, “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” Today’s guest, Christian Busch, Ph.D., would respectfully disagree. He writes, “Serendipity is not just about a coincidence that happens to us, but it is actually through the process of spotting and connecting the dots that we start to see bridges where others see gaps.” 5. 253 - How Can You Reframe Your Inner Story to Create a Healthier Reality?
Valerie Gordon is a 10-time Emmy-winning television producer with over 20 years of developing and overseeing award-winning content. She knows what makes a story meaningful and memorable and the incredible power of stories to engage, educate, and entertain. And she’s detailed how we can tell a healthier personal story – and overcome our inner narrator – in her highly readable book, FIRE YOUR NARRATOR: A Storyteller’s Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Life.
The 2023 episode that meant the most to me
This episode grew from my experience traveling to Berlin and Amsterdam this past fall to immerse myself in local aspects of the Holocaust. Here, I traveled to Wannsee, Germany, a suburb of Berlin, where on January 20, 1942, 15 high-ranking Nazis gathered in a villa to resolve various aspects of the “final solution of the Jewish problem.” As a Jew, standing in the room where the Nazis met was a chilling experience in its own right, but it was made more so because Adolf Eichmann had been one of the Nazis attending.
268 - Getting the Best Revenge Standing Inside the Room
My most popular episode over the 5-year life of the podcast
And finally, I wanted to acknowledge that episode 201 - “Learning About Life and Leadership from a Fly Fishing Guide,” remains the runaway listener favorite over the podcast's life. Initially, I was nervous about posting an episode about fly fishing, but my conversation with guide Spencer Seim was anything but what one might expect. It wasn’t about the technical aspects of fly fishing; it was about how Spencer approaches his clients every day as a leader. So, I think the focus on leadership played well, but that said, I’ve done a number of episodes since related to fly fishing, including #2 in this year’s top 5, and they were all well received. Who knew?
201 - Learning About Life and Leadership from a Fly Fishing Guide
Guests Mary Nadeau has worked at Nokomis Regional High as a teacher and administrator for the past 32 years. She has served as the Principal for the past 15 years. Nick Miller is a member of the English department.
Summary Our conversation explored how fly fishing, a seemingly unconventional activity in schools, can be woven into the fabric of education. We delved into the significance of the sport, its potential as an English elective, and its role in empowering student voice and choice. The discussion highlighted the innovative approach of a Maine high school that utilizes fly fishing to foster curiosity, personal growth, and a unique learning experience, challenging traditional educational models. Ultimately, it paints a picture of education where passions like fly fishing can become catalysts for deeper learning and holistic development.
Social Media / Referenced Nokomis Regional High School
K-12Dive article featuring Nic and Mary
A River Runs Through It
Podcast episode on fly fishing literature
Summary
Our conversation centered on the need to address the misconceptions surrounding homelessness and the importance of individual and collective action to create positive change. We emphasized the value of education and awareness in dismantling harmful stereotypes and empowering individuals to support those experiencing homelessness. By opening our hearts and minds, we can foster a more compassionate and inclusive society. My Guests Peggy Wilms is the founder of award-winning All Things Wellness, an entrepreneur, author, host of The Coach Peggy Show, and wellness retreat host, educator, and speaker. She is a certified personal trainer, sports performance nutritionist, and personal and executive health, wellness, and life coach for nearly 35 years. Dennis Pitocco is the Founder and Chief ReImaginator of 360° Nation encompasses a publishing enterprise; the award-winning BIZCATALYST 360°, a multimedia enterprise; 360° Nation Studios, and a social enterprise, GoodWorks 360°. Social Media
Unsheltered landing page
Unsheltered FAQ
Interview guide
Guest Andrew Sachs is the CEO and Founder of Nobel Learning. Nobel helps learners get the technical, soft, and leadership skills they need to succeed in work and life in today's quickly changing world.
Summary In this episode – which is an update of episode #122 where Andrew and I first talked – we focus on the need to equip students with the skills they need to succeed in school, life, and the ever-changing job market. We discussed the role of technology in education and the value of youth-led projects and collaboration. We also explored the challenges of education reform and the need to find ways to make traditional education more relevant to today's students.
One of Andrew's most profound ideas was, “If you want kids to lead, let them learn to make decisions. Let them make decisions. And let them make mistakes.”
Social Media/Referenced Nobel Learning
My Guest Dennis Behnke provides individual and group tours of Berlin and German history, focusing on World War II and the Cold War.
Summary / Key Topics My conversation with Dennis focused on the importance of history education, particularly in understanding World War II and its lasting impact. We discussed the challenges and opportunities of teaching history in a way that is both accurate and engaging, and we highlighted the significance of personal stories and memorials in bringing history to life. We also explored the issue of anti-Semitism and its relevance to the Holocaust, emphasizing the need to learn from the past to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
Social Media
Berlin Storyteller website/tours
Dennis’s email
The Takeaway In this episode, I travel to Berlin, Germany, and the Bebelplatz, a large square in the city's heart. A university borders one side, a church another, and the opera another. Behind me is one of Berlin’s main libraries. Sitting atop one of the buildings is an outdoor bar with large colorful umbrellas to shield the patrons. As calming as the setting is today, it was anything but on the night of May 10, 1933. There, a mob of Nazis, Nazi-leaning students, and citizens gathered to burn an estimated 20,000 books the Nazi regime had deemed culturally and spiritually unfit. The only visual evidence of that event is a subterranean memorial with enough empty library shelves to hold an estimated 20,000 books. Social Media / References https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_book_burnings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empty_Library#:~:text=The%20Empty%20Library%20(1995)%2C,Germany%20on%20May%2010%2C%201933.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebelplatz
Summary This week, something different. As we approach Thanksgiving, I find myself in a contemplative mood. So, I’m solo this week, starting what could become a lengthy exercise that will have me unwrapping and considering the package that is my life in 15 crossroad moments. Talk about being curious.
Jeff’s Crossroad Topics 1. Punching the clock: newspapers, groceries, and dishes 2. Book of the Month Club 3. Earning my keep at home 4. Neighborhood explorer 5. The U-505: life foreshadowed in a German submarine 6. Montana: killing spiders, stacking wood, and landing on the moon 7. Discovering agency: a sawdust puppet, no more model airplanes, and a road trip 8. The last parking meter 9. Quetico: biting insects, muddy portages, and reflections 10. A vision on a staircase 11. “No” and a box of chocolates 12. Coached 13. Perfection and Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” 14. A conversation in a small café in Vermont 15. Death and Decluttering
My Guest Susan Engel is a professor at Williams College, where she teaches courses on developmental psychology and education. Her research interests include children’s curiosity, invention, and ideas. She is currently working on a book about Kindergarten in America.
Summary / Key Topics Lifelong learning and curiosity are essential for a thriving society. They allow us to adapt to change, solve problems, and create new opportunities. Yet, curiosity is often overlooked in education, leading to a decline in curiosity among children.
There are many ways to foster curiosity in children. One is to create a learning environment that is safe and supportive, where children feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. Another is to provide children with opportunities to explore their interests and learn at their own pace. Finally, it is important to model curiosity by showing children we are always learning and growing.
Curiosity is valuable in education because it motivates students to learn and helps them to develop critical thinking skills. Curious students are more likely to ask questions, investigate problems, and develop creative solutions. They are also more likely to be engaged in learning and retain information.
Education should nurture students' curiosity, helping them to become lifelong learners. This can be done by providing students with opportunities to learn about the world around them, develop their problem-solving skills, and connect with their own interests.
Resources / Social Media
The Hungry Mind: The Origins of Curiosity
The Hungry Mind: Psychologist Susan Engel's Call To Arms | WBUR News /
The Intellectual Lives of Children
Why Should This Be So? with Susan Engel - CHOOSE TO BE CURIOUS
Susan Engel - Psychology
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jan/28/schools-killing-curiosity-learn
https://elimindset.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/engel2011.pdf
Neil DeGrasse Tyson
George Land study
My Guests Bill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned lay historian turned narrative nonfiction writer. He is the author of an engaging memoir, Everyone Knows a Salesman Can't Write A Book, and to further debunk the myth that he can’t write, he's finishing up a much-anticipated book about a little-known incident in Winston Churchill’s tenure as Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II. After completing an undergraduate degree in history and political science at Simon Fraser University, Paul McNicholls spent a career in insurance claims investigation. When nearing retirement, he was approached by the UK publisher Helion and Company, and the result was his first book “Journey Through the Wilderness.” He is now writing “Canadians on the Veldt,” which chronicles Canada’s role during the South African War between 1899 and 1902. In 2021, Paul received the Howard Browne Medal from the Victorian Military Society. Summary History is the story of our humanity – and inhumanity – and is essential for understanding our present and shaping our future. In this podcast, our two lay historians discuss the importance of history and memoir writing through a study of Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets by Burkhard Bilger.
In this discussion, we explore the complexity of historical figures' actions and motivations and the importance of writing histories with personal stories and critical analysis.
Throughout the podcast, the authors share their writing and research techniques and reflect on the ways in which history, war, and personal growth can all intersect.
This podcast is an informative exploration of the human condition, and it will appeal to anyone interested in history, memoir, or the power of storytelling.
Topics in this episode The appeal of history and writing books. (2:27)
History and its importance in understanding society. (6:22)
A family history book set during WWII. (8:48)
Nazi history, current events, and personal perspectives. (15:31)
The complexity of a historical figure's actions and motivations. (18:00)
Writing histories with personal stories and strategic analysis. (19:58)
Winston Churchill's actions during World War II. (24:31)
Writing, character flaws, and personal curiosity. (29:16)
History and politics with a focus on the first half of the 20th century. (34:19)
Nazis meeting to manage the "final solution" of Jews. (35:44)
History, gray areas, and personal stories. (39:06)
Referenced Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets Social Media Links Bill
Website
Spoutible
(bwhiteside3@gmail.com)
Paul
My guest Kate Jackson is the principal at Enso Wellbeing Coaching, where she works with individuals and organizations to enhance leadership, culture, communication, productivity, retention, and, ultimately, well-being. Kate is also co-author of Flyfishing - A Pathway to Wellbeing and offers workshops to individuals and business teams at Margo and Lola Flyfishing School in Ellsworth, WI.
Summary The real story in this episode is how Kate’s personal experiences – divorce, stage 4 cancer, and an initial career in the corporate world – came together to inform how she approaches her work as a well-being coach and consultant. She speaks with hard-earned authenticity and an awareness that her message of well-being and its potential benefits must be expressed in a language that business leaders and teams are willing to hear.
Key Topics Social Media Links / Referenced LinkedIn
Website
Book
Article on her health and well-being Work at Simms
Video referencing her mental health work at Simms:
My Guest June Hersh began her food writing career in 2004. Her mantra is Eat Well-Do Good, and to that end, she writes books with a charitable flavor. Her first was Recipes Remembered, a Celebration of Survival (Ruder Finn Press May 2011), written in association with and to benefit the Museum of Jewish Heritage - a Living memorial to the Holocaust. The book is a collection of stories and recipes from June’s interviews with over 100 Holocaust survivors. This November, a new edition of her first book will be released by The History Press under the title Food, Hope & Resilience: Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors. The esteemed chef Daniel Boulud penned the foreword. Proceeds will benefit Holocaust organizations.
June has also written The Kosher Carnivore (St. Martin's Press November 2011), Still Here, Inspiration from Survivors and Liberators of the Holocaust (Brian Marcus, 2015), Yoghurt a Global History (Reaktion Books 2021 and Iconic New York Jewish Food, a History and Guide with Recipes (The History Press, February 2023).
Summary Jewish food is a vibrant and diverse cuisine with a rich history, especially in New York City. June Hersh's book, "Iconic New York Jewish Food," explores this culinary landscape, focusing on the bagel, a beloved New York icon. Hersh examines the history, craftsmanship, and cultural significance of the bagel, as well as its role in Jewish food culture and traditions.
Topics in this episode Food writing, Holocaust recipes, and Jewish food heritage. (4:40)
Jewish food traditions and recipe preservation. (10:16)
The history and cultural significance of bagels. (16:43)
The history and culture of New York-style bagels. (20:49)
The origins of bagels and lox in New York City. (28:44)
Jewish food culture and traditions. (34:09)
History, context, and food with June Hersh. (39:57)
Food, history, and culture with a focus on Jewish cuisine. (42:48)
Social Media Links She invites you to email her at junehersh@gmail.com, follow her on Instagram and Facebook @junehersh, or visit her website www.junehersh.com
Summary In this special edition of Getting Unstuck — Cultivating Curiosity, I rotate the mic and tell a story where, with help from a dear friend, Sarah Elkins, and some self-reflection, I extricated myself from “stuckville.” About Sarah Elkins "Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision." In her work with coaching clients, Sarah guides people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What she’s realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages and on the people they’re sharing them with. Her work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on her podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and home. Sarah is the author of Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will. Referenced
Elkins Consulting
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life
The Work
Summary This is part 2 of my conversation with two very smart guys, Wade Bruffey and Zoltan Sarda, the co-founders of GoMobi.work, a partnership-driven software company that helps organizations build and optimize their employee development program. They bring 30 years of experience working with teams and individuals to help people grow and succeed. Organizations using GoMobi.work’s frameworks build systems that foster clarity, empower high performance, and help team members take aligned actions. With GoMobi.work, organizations create transformation that lasts. In Episode 274, I interviewed Wade and Zoltan. In this episode, they interviewed me for their podcast. Both interviews evolved into deep conversations about hiring practices, organizational purpose and culture, and leadership. Topics in this episode Intuition, leadership, and decision-making. (1:34)
Interviewing techniques and storytelling in the workplace. (8:53)
Leadership, storytelling, and building a culture. (13:45)
Leadership, coaching, and change management in the workplace. (20:34)
Using data to inform business decisions. (27:16)
Data-driven decision-making and leadership. (29:32)
Education assessment and coaching. (32:45)
Reflection on business and personal growth. (35:53)
The importance of reflection and taking time to think in leadership growth. (38:14)
Aligning actions with espoused theories in business and coaching. (39:40)
Reflective capacity and coaching in business. (40:51)
Leadership, teamwork, and organizational obstacles. (45:52)
Social Media Links Website: www.GoMobi.work
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gomobi-work
Register for GoMobi’s free weekly management workshops: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoceqrpzstHNMm18b3k2wKyu7znBOBar--
Sign up to be a part of GoMobi’s software launch: https://gomobi.work/beta-signup
Jeff’s book: Shifting - How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change
Guest Jeanne Gutierrez is a Curatorial Scholar in Women's History at the New-York Historical Society. She is a Ph.D. candidate in History at the CUNY Graduate Center. Jeanne is the co-curator of the NYHS “Women’s Work” exhibit. Summary In this episode, Jeanne takes me behind the scenes at the New-York Historical Society to understand the collaborative thinking and effort that goes into curating a major museum exhibit, in this case, “Women’s Work.” From the Museum’s exhibit program description:
“What is “women’s work?” How have broad trends in American economic, legal, and political history encouraged women to take certain jobs and restricted them from “men’s work?” How have race, ethnicity, social class, legal status, sexual orientation, and gender presentation impacted these distinctions? In a new exhibition, the Center for Women’s History showcases approximately 45 objects from New-York Historical’s own Museum and Library collections to demonstrate how “women’s work” defies categorization.”
Listen for:
• What story the curatorial staff is trying to tell about the nature of women’s work.
• Why collaboration between curators, scholars, and designers is essential.
• How the limited number of artifacts were selected and challenged the team.
• Why the staff had to limit the artifact captions to about 100 words.
• How the intentional organization and display of artifacts contribute to the story and visitor experience.
Social Media / Referenced • https://www.nyhistory.org/
• Missionary Rag Baby, 1893–1910
My Guest Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Jennifer Lang lives in Tel Aviv, where she runs israelwriterstudio.com. Her prize-winning essays appear in Baltimore Review, Under the Sun, Midway Journal, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is an Assistant Editor at Brevity Journal. She is a longtime yoga practitioner and instructor. She has two unconventional books forthcoming, Places We Left Behind: a memoir-in-miniature (9/5/23) and Landed: A yogi's memoir in pieces & poses (10/15/24), both with Vine Leaves Press.
Summary In this episode, Jennifer and Jeff explore Jennifer’s memoir, Places We Left Behind: a memoir-in-miniature. They delve into Jennifer's deliberate choice of format, which serves to craft emotional impact through a concise narrative of only 13,000 words. The memoir encapsulates Jennifer’s family life in New York, California, and Israel and explores themes of conflict, commitment, belonging, and the meaning of home. Therapy and yoga emerge as Jennifer's anchors, aiding her in marital challenges. Philippe, her husband, gains insight into her journey through her memoir. The main takeaway for readers is to hold onto their voice and remain true to themselves in the midst of the partnership of marriage. Social Media Links instagram.com/jenlangwrites
facebook.com/jenlangwrites
facebook.com/israelwriterstudio
My guest Spencer Seim (rhymes with “time”) lives a life devoted to fishing, environmental issues, and serving people. Since he was 8 years old, Spencer has been obsessed with fly fishing. Spencer has been guiding northern New Mexico and southern Colorado for eighteen years. Eight years ago, he founded ZiaFly, a guide service that focuses on a personalized fishing experience with access to some of the best trout fisheries in the Rockies. Spencer is also very well-versed in fly tying. He’s tied flies commercially, for art, for competitions and of course, for his guided trips. Spencer’s flies have been featured in The Drake magazine, New York Times, Kirk W. Johnson’s book The Feather Thief, and America’s Favorite Flies. Spencer has been mentioned in This American Life, Smithsonian Magazine, and Outside Magazine. The Takeaway Life typically moves along at a fast pace for most of us. By the end of the day, activities we’ve been engaged in are often a murky blur in our rearview mirror. What, then, might be the payoff in slowing down, observing, and reading the environmental water, say, like a fly fisherman? And how do we give ourselves the ability to hold onto and make sense of those moments of pure serendipity? As you listen 1. What is it that drew Spencer to the water and fly fishing? 2. What life lessons can we take away from the fly fisherman’s need to observe and immerse him or herself in the trout’s environment? 3. How did Spencer get involved in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of almost 300 rare bird skins that could be used to tie salmon flies? 4. What is the underlying story of The Feather Thief? How does Kirk Johnson’s decision to write the story rest on one of those rare moments of serendipity in life? 5. How does Spencer distinguish himself as a guide? How does he demonstrate differentiated servant leadership? How does he view guiding as being part of a team? Connect with Spencer ZiaFly website
Referenced Home Waters by John Maclean
A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
The Element by Sir Ken Robinson
Finding Your Element by Sir Ken Robinson
My Guests Wade Bruffey and Zoltan Sarda are the co-founders of GoMobi.work, a partnership-driven software company that helps organizations build and optimize their employee development program. They bring 30 years of experience working with teams and individuals to help people grow and succeed. Organizations using GoMobi.work’s frameworks build systems that foster clarity, empower high performance, and help team members take aligned actions. With GoMobi.work, organizations create transformation that lasts.
Summary Wade and Zoltan discussed the importance of cultivating curiosity, empowering individuals, and creating collaborative relationships to improve decision-making, strategy, and company culture. They also emphasized the need for organizations to hire individuals based on their thinking abilities rather than just their skills, use data-driven approaches to identify the right candidates and align core values with organizational goals and the well-being of customers and employees. Additionally, they discussed how their software helps guide employee development conversations and the importance of leaders investing in training and creating a culture of innovation within organizations. Finally, they talked about their work in helping organizations create supportive, collaborative, high-performing environments by focusing on leadership ownership, people, and core values.
Key Points Curiosity: Wade and Zoltan believe that it is important for people to be curious and ask questions. They said that curiosity leads to innovation and problem-solving.
Empowerment: They believe that employees should be empowered to make decisions and take initiative. They said that this leads to a more engaged and productive workforce.
Collaboration: They believe that collaboration is essential for success. They said that organizations should create a culture where people feel comfortable working together and sharing ideas.
Data-driven decision-making: They believe that organizations should use data to make decisions. They said that this helps to ensure that decisions are based on evidence, not on gut instinct.
Training and development: They believe that training and development are essential for employee success. They said that organizations should provide employees with the skills and knowledge they need to do their jobs well.
Culture of innovation: They believe that organizations need to create a culture of innovation. They said that this requires a supportive environment where people feel comfortable taking risks and trying new things.
Social Media Links Website: www.GoMobi.work
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gomobi-work
Register for our free weekly management workshops: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoceqrpzstHNMm18b3k2wKyu7znBOBar--
Sign up to be a part of our software launch: https://gomobi.work/beta-signup
Guest Annette Taylor is a part-time researcher of evolutionary psychology who works to understand how our common biology, which evolved from our days as cave dwellers, may help explain various social and antisocial behaviors today.
Summary Jeff and Annette discuss the concept of the "cave dweller" inside each person, which refers to our instinctual, psychological, and biological tendencies. Annette shares her personal experience of discovering her own cave dweller, “Claire,” and how it influences her behaviors and interactions with others.
Listen for • the inner critic's relationship to the cave dweller
• the need for human connection and understanding
• the presence of our inner cave dweller in the workplace, highlighting behaviors such as ranking, fear of change, and resistance to new ideas
• how inner cave dweller concept can clarify in group/out group conflicts
Social Media / Referenced Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2549817165317933/
X (formally known as Twitter;) https://twitter.com/Fakecongirl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-taylor-564aa871/
Medium: https://medium.com/@pennyfie
Website: https://www.cavedwellerclub.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/ht3hdlz4w797xoia8t65uhlrq
Guest Scot Simmons is a husband, father, and fly fishing guide. He is 12 years in recovery from addiction and doing well managing depression and anxiety, which started at a young age. Fast forward decades, and he is able to walk and talk in his truth and make purposeful change. Summary Jeff and Scot's conversation delved into their mutual love for fly fishing and the connection it fosters with nature. They emphasized the significance of savoring the process and environment over fixating solely on catching fish. Amidst shared fishing dreams and destinations, Scot revealed his struggles with mental health and how fly fishing served as a therapeutic outlet. He spoke about breaking unhealthy patterns, seeking help, and healing for the sake of his children. The discourse touched on the impact of a viral fishing moment, self-doubt, witnessing George Floyd's murder, and the healing power of community engagement and mentorship.
Social media / Referenced
The Takeaway In this episode, I travel to Berlin, Germany, and the Bebelplatz, a large square in the city's heart. A university borders one side, a church another, and the opera another. Behind me is one of Berlin’s main libraries. Sitting atop one of the buildings is an outdoor bar with large colorful umbrellas to shield the patrons. As calming as the setting is today, it was anything but on the night of May 10, 1933. There, a mob of Nazis, Nazi-leaning students, and citizens gathered to burn an estimated 20,000 books the Nazi regime had deemed culturally and spiritually unfit. The only visual evidence of that event is a subterranean memorial with enough empty library shelves to hold an estimated 20,000 books. Social Media / References https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_book_burnings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empty_Library#:~:text=The%20Empty%20Library%20(1995)%2C,Germany%20on%20May%2010%2C%201933.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebelplatz
Guest Tammy Hader, with a BBA in accounting from Wichita State University, her professional history resides in numbers. In 2018, after a 30-year accounting career, Tammy reinvented herself as a writer. She is an essay writer at Medium, BizCatalyst360, The National Association of Baby Boomer Women, BabyBoomer.org, and WebMD. Tammy is also a contributing author in the Daily Gift Book Series. Walking Old Roads is her first book. Summary Tammy and Jeff discuss her book Walking Old Roads, reflecting on her journey to rediscover her personal sense of kindness and overcome a feeling of disconnection in the current world. She also explores the impact of her corporate career on her withdrawal and the role of role models and faith in regaining a spirit of benevolence. Tammy and Jeff also share insights on trust, genuine connections, and the value of in-person interactions versus technology.
Social Media / Referenced www.tammyhader.com
www.facebook.com/tammy.hader.1
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-hader-a534b2199/
www.twitter.com/HaderTammy
Guest Doug Peacock is a Vietnam veteran, author, filmmaker, and naturalist – and none of those words do him justice. He is a relentless protector of our physical wilderness and its creatures. Here’s a link to the full bio of an extraordinary individual. https://dougpeacock.net/biography Summary Doug Peacock's lifelong fight for American wilderness and grizzly bears began after witnessing the devastating impact of industrialization in the West. He emphasized preserving wilderness for human evolution and consciousness, discussing climate change threats, and advocating for protecting grizzlies from trophy hunting while recognizing the positive impact of wolves on the environment and expressing concern for future generations amidst climate change. Social Media Website Referenced The Monkey Wrench Gang
Hal Herring interview on Getting Unstuck
Summary In this episode, I travel to Wannsee, Germany, a suburb of Berlin, where on January 20, 1942, 15 high-ranking Nazis gathered in a villa to resolve various aspects of the “final solution of the Jewish problem.” I need to stand where terror and genocide were launched on a continental scale.
My co-host in this episode is a fellow podcaster and someone I am proud to call a friend – if only a virtual one at the moment, Steve Miletto, EdD. Steve has been an educator in Georgia(US) for 36 years. He has served public school families as a history teacher, assistant principal, high school principal, and RESA Executive Director in the Heart of Georgia RESA (8 years) and now with North Georgia RESA. In 2009, he was the Georgia Principal of the Year and a finalist for NASSP/MetLife National Principal of the Year in 2010. Steve is the host of the highly regarded podcast, Teaching, Learning, Leading K-12.
Summary In this discussion, Jeff and Steve use the book Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr. as the basis for their discussion on student agency: student voice and choice about what and how they want to learn. Listeners may know the book by its film name, October Sky.
Jeff and Steve use elements from the book to explore the qualities and benefits of student agency, including encouraging student interest, support from adults and mentors, independent learning and critical thinking, overcoming obstacles, learning beyond the school environment, and fostering tangible effort towards goals. Recommendations for future schooling involve faculty connecting with students, understanding their needs, creating opportunities for exploration, prioritizing student interests, and promoting autonomy and project-based learning within the curriculum.
Links/References Steve at LinkedIn
Guest Matthew E. Berger is executive director of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. He oversees the foundation’s programs to raise awareness about hatred against Jews and to monitor and analyze antisemitism on social media. As executive director, Berger is leading FCAS’ launch of “Stand Up to Jewish Hate,” a multi-platform advertising campaign to educate non-Jews about modern antisemitism and empower them to address hate in their communities. The campaign has introduced the Blue Square emoji as the national symbol for addressing antisemitism, encouraging people everywhere to speak out against intolerance. Summary In this episode, Matthew discusses the work performed by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS), which Robert Kraft launched in 2019. FCAS aims to raise awareness about antisemitism and build alliances to fight Jewish hate. We explored various strategies, including advertising, education, and symbolizing support through the Blue Square campaign.
Points of discussion
• The importance of recognizing and building partnerships to address all forms of hate.
• The importance of uniting Jewish groups and building partnerships with other communities to address anti-Semitism and hate.
• How to sustain interest and concern beyond Pride Month and how to increase the impact of the foundation's message.
• Ways to combat anti-Semitism, including demystifying the Jewish community, education, and addressing anti-Semitism with the same vigor as other forms of hate and injustice.
• The issue of increasing levels of hatred and anti-Semitism in society and the need to build a society that values quality and tolerance.
• The role of social media in amplifying extremist views and the importance of addressing anti-Semitism as part of a broader societal problem.
Social Media / References Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
Website
Guests Kevin and Sue Harter are the proud innkeepers of Rockwell’s Retreat, the former residence and studio of Norman Rockwell in Arlington, Vermont. Summary Kevin and Sue began their dream and journey of owning an inn more than 25 years ago. Life intervened, and they got busy raising a family, working, and moving around the country. In the summer of 2019, they made an impulsive visit to the Norman Rockwell property in Arlington, VT, and from the moment they drove over the covered bridge, they knew they were about to write their next chapter. By the end of 2019, they became Vermonters and renamed the property “Rockwell’s Retreat.” Our conversation focused on
• what it’s like to manage such a historic property
• problem-solving and navigating COVID
• the importance of building relationships with the local community
• the collaborative nature of inn keeping in the Manchester/Arlington area
• how to provide guests with a meaningful and relaxing experience
**Social Media / Links** Instagram
Articles featuring the Inn
https://movesflash.com/real-people/kevin-sue-harter/
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/new-owners-honor-and-refresh-norman-rockwells-southern-vermont-home/Content?oid=31727601
https://berkshiremag.com/jf21/rockwell
https://www.vtmag.com/post/innvermont-rockwell-s-retreat
The Takeaway In this episode, I trace the mental and physical journey I took recently in the Netherlands to grasp the murder of more than one hundred thousand Dutch Jews during WWII at the hands of the Nazis. I wanted to move beyond the number and get to the human beings.
Physically, the journey took me to several Holocaust-related sites in Amsterdam: the old Jewish Quarter, the Anne Frank House (Annex), the old Dutch Theatre, the Dutch Holocaust Memorial, and of high interest, the sidewalks of Amsterdam. And outside Amsterdam: the Westerbork transit camp.
Part of my mental journey involved moving beyond the human tendency to see Anne Frank as symbolic of all Dutch Jews who were murdered.
But the larger mental issue was confronting the remnants of hate I saw and how they drove me toward hate.
Guest Mike Magee is President of Minerva University since April 2022. Prior to joining Minerva, he was the founding CEO of Chiefs for Change, a non-profit organization supporting leaders of many of the nation’s largest and most innovative K-12 public education systems. Previously, Magee co-founded and was CEO of Rhode Island Mayoral Academies (RIMA). As CEO of RIMA, he built a statewide network of regional, racially, and economically diverse public schools while successfully advocating for sweeping changes to stat education policy. Before starting RIMA, Magee taught American literature and philosophy for a decade at Haverford College, Wheaton College, and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2004, his book, Emancipating Pragmatism won the Elizabeth Agee Prize in American Studies. He is a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow and for the past several years, has moderated seminars for both the Pahara Institute and the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Magee holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in political science and English from the College of the Holy Cross.
Summary In this episode, Minerva University president Mike Magee and I explore why the school has been ranked the #1 innovative university in the U.S., which is initially evidenced by its unique invitation to apply for admission where prospective applicants are challenged to complete a puzzle. The deeper answer lies in Minerva’s approach to education and people development. Listen for how its approach encompasses global cultural immersion, active learning, interdisciplinary curriculum, project-based learning, and a commitment to developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, ethical orientation, and diverse perspectives for successful workforce preparation — and of equal importance, the social and emotional development of its students.
Links/References Mike at LinkedIn
minerva.edu
My guest Renée Smith, MSOD (she/her) is the founder and CEO of A Human Workplace, a global movement and consultancy committed to making work more human. She led award-winning culture work as a state executive and served in the Governor’s Office as Director of Workplace Transformation for the State of Washington. Smith is a researcher, writer, and speaker who’s reached hundreds of audiences worldwide, making the business case for a human workplace.
Summary
In Part 2 of this episode, Renée and I explored the antidote to fear in the workplace: love. Love can manifest itself in various ways in professional settings:
Leaders providing genuine care for employees by showing interest and respect and by creating an environment of belonging
Workgroups functioning like a family – team building and acknowledgment of accomplishments
Supporting individuals during personal crises.
Other critical considerations for a love-based culture include
Sustainability, as new employees join the organization and the challenge of leadership turnover.
Screening job candidates for their capacity for love.
Leading with human-centered messaging.
Social Links Websites AHumanWorkplace.com (Company)
MakeWorkMoreHuman.com/blogposts
https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneesmith-ahumanworkplace/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-human-workplace/
https://www.instagram.com/reneesmithspeaks/
https://www.instagram.com/ahumanworkplace/
Referenced The Amari Wave
My guest Renée Smith, MSOD (she/her) is the founder and CEO of A Human Workplace, a global movement and consultancy committed to making work more human. She led award-winning culture work as a state executive and served in the Governor’s Office as Director of Workplace Transformation for the State of Washington. Smith is a researcher, writer, and speaker who’s reached hundreds of audiences worldwide, making the business case for a human workplace.
Summary Renée and I discussed her journey into organizational development and why she started her organization, A Human Workplace, which aims to eliminate fear in the workplace.
Through her research, Renée discovered various fear stories, including
uncertainty after a change initiative,
toxic experiences through betrayal and loss of trust, and
public shaming, harassment, and discrimination.
These fear experiences can originate from leaders and team members and have significant physical and emotional consequences for individuals. Fear-based cultures can also have detrimental effects on organizations, such as reduced productivity and higher turnover rates.
Social Links Websites AHumanWorkplace.com (Company)
MakeWorkMoreHuman.com/blogposts
https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneesmith-ahumanworkplace/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-human-workplace/
https://www.instagram.com/reneesmithspeaks/
https://www.instagram.com/ahumanworkplace/
Referenced The Asshole Survival Guide
The No Asshole Rule
The Takeaway
In this episode, I share thoughts about a tour I recently took in the Hurtgen Forest World War II battlefield, which sits between Belgium and Germany. The Hurtgen Forest was the site of the longest battle the U.S. Army engaged in during World War II, and it is widely considered an egregious failure of strategy and leadership.
I wanted to understand why the battle was fought, what elements challenged the U.S. Army’s progress, and what lessons we could take away from a battle that incurred 30,000 to 50,000 casualties (deaths and wounded).
Guest Kirk Wallace Johnson is the author of The Fishermen and the Dragon: Fear, Greed, and a Fight for Justice on the Gulf Coast, The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century, and To Be a Friend is Fatal: the Fight to Save the Iraqis America Left Behind, which covers his efforts on behalf of Iraqi refugees as the founder of the List Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies.
Summary Our conversations explored several important topics in Kirk’s life:
• Why Kirk became passionate about supporting Iraqis who helped America during the Iraqi war gain entry into the U.S. and how that experience led to creating the “List Project” and his first book, To Be a Friend is Fatal.
• How he found solace in fly fishing, which led to meeting fly fishing guide Spencer Seim and his writing of The Feather Thief, the story of a million-dollar theft of dead rare birds from the British Museum.
• How a Bruce Springsteen song led Kirk to research a conflict between Vietnamese immigrants and the Ku Klux Klan along the Texas Gulf Coast and how Diane Wilson, an environmental activist, took on the corporations that were polluting the water.
• Why educational restrictions on certain content stand in the way of helping youth to develop critical thinking.
Links/References Kirk on “This American Life”
• 499: Taking Names https://www.thisamericanlife.org/499/taking-names
• 607: Didn’t We Solve This One https://www.thisamericanlife.org/607/didnt-we-solve-this-one/act-two-1
• 654: The Feather Heist https://www.thisamericanlife.org/654/transcript
• 745: Getting Out https://www.thisamericanlife.org/745/transcript
Interview with the fly-fishing guide, Spencer Seim
https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog/2021/11/29/getting-unstuck-200-life-and-leadership-from-a-fly-fishing-guide
Guest Bernard Beitman, M.D. is the first psychiatrist since Carl Jung to systematize the study of coincidences. A graduate of Yale Medical School, he did his psychiatric residency at Stanford University. The former chair of psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Columbia medical school for 17 years, he writes a blog for Psychology Today on coincidence. He is the author of Meaningful Coincidences: How and Why Synchronicity and Serendipity Matter, and the co-author of the award-winning book Learning Psychotherapy. The founder of The Coincidence Project, he lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Summary Our conversation explored a number of questions:
• Why it is beneficial to pay attention to coincidences.
• The difference between synchronicity and serendipity.
• Obstacle to acting on triggers
• How telepathy works.
• The nature of simulpathity.
• How the psycho-sphere is likely to function.
• The relationship between coincidence and prayer.
• How agency – free will, making personal choices – is essential when it comes to understanding and leveraging meaningful coincidence.
Links/References Website: https://coincider.com/
Podcast: https://www.coincider.com/podcasts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBeitman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coincider?fref=nf
Instagram: bernardbeitmanmd
Trout Unlimited video: https://www.tu.org/scot-simmons-the-studio/
Guest A veteran San Francisco radio broadcaster, Joanne Greene currently hosts two podcasts - “All the F Words”, in which two writer friends nearly 30 years apart explore issues that begin with the letter “F” and “In This Story….” Joanne’s 3-minute essays, set to music. In June 2023 she publishes By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go, her inspiring and growth-filled memoir through and emergence from life-threatening calamities. Summary
In this episode, Joanne shares her life before and after a traumatic accident where she was hit by a truck while crossing the street. Three key discussion points emerged from our conversation.
• Firstly, Joanne reflects on her fast-paced lifestyle as a means of distraction and how her parents' upbringing influenced her need to prove herself and be a provider.
• Secondly, she delves into her decision to write a memoir, exploring the process of discovering its focus, the challenges of transitioning from a career in radio to writing, and the lessons she learned along the way, such as patience and controlling one's response to challenges.
• Lastly, Joanne discusses the universal takeaways from her memoir, emphasizing the power of gratitude, the support of her family, and the blessings in her life.
References/Links www.Joanne-Greene.com
https://www.instagram.com/joannergreene/
https://www.facebook.com/joanne.greene.984/
@JoanneRGreene on Twitter
Guest Mark Reid is host of the “Zen Sammich” podcast and a maker of traditional handmade Japanese paper, called washi, where he lives in Yamaguchi, Japan. Before that he was an attorney, beginning his career as an Assistant District Attorney in New York. He’s also been a professor of English at three universities in Japan and a graduate teaching assistant at Florida State University in Religious Studies.
Summary In this episode, we discuss
• Why Mark left the practice of law and moved to Japan to make paper.
• The origins and purpose of Mark’s podcast, “Zen Sammich.”
• The importance of Mark’s morning ritual.
• How to calm your mind in an anxious situation.
• An easy way to cultivate patience.
References/Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/zen-sammich/
Guest Jennifer Jane Young is an Intuitive Business & Leadership Advisor and Founder of The School of Intuitive Leadership. She helps entrepreneurs and leaders find the path of least resistance, make the biggest impact and create sustainable, aligned success through intuitive leadership. Jennifer is also the author of the forthcoming book, Say Yes to Your Yes – How to trust your gut and take the leap in business (and life)
Summary The conversation explored the concept of intuitive leadership, which involves tapping into one's inner wisdom and aligning it with personal goals. Jennifer highlighted the universality of intuition and the importance of practicing it through mindful reflection. We also discussed the “School of Intuitive Leadership,” which supports individuals in taking intuitive action within a community. Jennifer shared personal experiences of embracing the unknown and growing through creativity and mindfulness. Finally, we discussed following intuitive nudges and making meaningful connections in life.
References/Links http://instagram.com/jennifer.jane.young
https://www.facebook.com/theschoolofintuitiveleadership
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-jane-young
http://twitter.com/jennyjaneyoung
https://youtube.com/@theschoolofintuitiveleadership
Dr. Alan Stern is an aerospace executive and planetary scientist with experience on 29 space mission teams, 14 of which he played a principal investigator role. Among those, he is the leader of NASA’s New Horizons, the first mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt—making the farthest exploration of worlds in history. Summary Our conversation explored a number of questions:
Why was the exploration of Pluto important? How does it remain so?
What are the leadership lessons associated with the program?
How can leaders encourage the identification of problems that could compromise the mission?
Why is it essential to have a precise mission goal and sub-objectives?
What qualities should leaders look for when hiring people?
How can educators use space exploration to inspire students toward science and engineering careers?
Why is the continued exploration of space critical?
References/Links Instagram - chasingnewhorizons2018
Twitter - @AlanStern
https://www.vox.com/2015/7/16/8980397/pluto-mission-cost
Guest Valerie Gordon is a 10-time Emmy-winning television producer with over 20 years of producing and overseeing award-winning content for HBO, ESPN, CBS, and the Olympic Games. She knows what makes a story meaningful and memorable and the incredible power of stories to engage, educate and entertain.
An engaging speaker with innovative programming, Valerie offers audiences and individuals the storytelling strategies to stand out, whether they want to land a job, secure a promotion, nail the presentation, close the sale, or plan their next chapter.
Summary Valerie and I discuss the importance of storytelling in leadership and how to improve storytelling skills. We dive into her highly readable book FIRE YOUR NARRATOR: A Storyteller’s Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Life, which explores the impact of our internal communications on external communications. Valerie shares her own internal voice, "Squash," and how it hindered her growth. We explore a few of the ten narrator archetypes and some strategies for reshaping personal narratives and achieving healthier perspectives. The book also combines personal stories, neuroscience, and humor to help readers improve their storytelling skills.
References/Links Website: https://thestorytellingstrategist.com/
More on the book: https://thestorytellingstrategist.com/fire-your-narrator/
(Available on Amazon and BN.com)
Connect with Valerie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriejgordon/
Follow The Storytelling Strategist
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheStorytellingStrategist/
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytelling_strategist/
Guest Hal Herring is an award-winning journalist and contributing editor at Field and Stream magazine. He is also the host of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Podcast and Blast.
Summary The debate over public and private land and water in the United States has raised concerns over public access to natural resources. While large tracts of land are being bought up in the West, the major consequence is not raising real estate prices but rather a growing indifference to conservation and the environment. Politics plays a significant role in this issue, as policymakers tend to prioritize other issues, such as immigration and economic concerns. Public ignorance and indifference also contribute to this problem. There is a need for a more informed and less indifferent citizenry to address this issue, recognizing people's spiritual connection with nature's ecosystem.
The three major topics discussed in this podcast conversation are:
The debate over private and public land and water: The conversation delves into the issue of public access to public land and water, with a focus on the debate between private and public ownership. The Wyoming hunters' case is used as an illustration.
Why environmental and conservation work is challenging: We discuss the challenges faced by environmental and conservation workers, including political lobbying, public ignorance and indifference, and the difficulty of passing conservation legislation.
The spiritual connection, recognizing one’s place in nature’s ecosystem: We discussed the need for humans to recognize that they live in and are a part of the natural world – nature is not just a place they visit. This is especially important to recognize to broaden the discussion beyond what’s good for hunters and fishers.
References / Links Hal’s website
New York Times article
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
BHA Podcast and Blast
The Wilderness of Hope
John Jeavons
E&ENews
Trout Unlimited
Guest Jeanine Cowen is an active media composer and educator. She is the chair and professor of practice of the Screen Scoring department at the University of Southern California. Formerly the Vice President for Curriculum and Program Innovation at Berklee, she is an experienced and skilled educator and innovator. She is an active freelance composer, music producer, and sound designer focusing primarily on the intersection of audio and visual medias, with particular interest in the burgeoning VR/AR/XR worlds and video games.Cowen's compositions have been heard throughout film, television, video games and the stage in works which include the definitive documentary The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo.
Summary The conversation revolves around the music score of "The Night Window," a scene from the World War I film "1917." (See below.) The scene focuses on Lance Cpl. Schofield as he runs through the blazing ruins of a French village, dodging bullets and night flares. The haunting score, composed by Thomas Newman, begins softly and then accelerates to contribute to the scene's emotion.
The episode delves into how film composers generate a movie’s score, including discussions with the director and film editor. The importance of how film composers help tell a film’s story in films is highlighted, as they speak with notes when actors and screenwriters speak with words.
Referenced / Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeaninecowen
The Night Window Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKew6JUNknk
Guest Rick Locke was born and raised in Erie, PA. He earned a BS in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA in finance from Rutgers University.
Rick’s professional career in information technology spanned 39 years. He completed his career as Chief Information Officer at his last two companies and retired in 2014.Rick became interested in photography around 1980. He learned the craft through photo magazines and adult education classes. Initially, family and career demands limited his photographic endeavors to family vacations. By the early 2000s, with more time to devote to photography, he began to pursue his passion for photography more seriously.
Summary What makes Rick unique and interesting is that he is now an outstanding photographer despite the fact that he is legally blind, the result of macular degeneration. He can still see out of the corner of his eye, which he wisely named his website, "Out of the Corner of My Eye."
Following the theme of episodes 246 and 247, Rick’s story is a great example of serendipity. The universe puts situations in front of us. Sometimes we see them, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we act on them, and sometimes we don’t. Rick created luck out of what others might have seen as a tragedy.
While he was blessed with support from family, friends, doctors, and technology, Rick’s personality and strength of character encouraged him to look at his challenge from a different and more positive angle.
Links / References
Website: www.RickLocke.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OutoftheCornerofMyE
Guest April Vokey is a fly fishing writer, fly-tyer, and speaker. After guiding in British Columbia for ten years, she now splits her year between camp in northern BC and Australia. She is an FFF certified casting instructor, forager, bowhunter, and mother. Summary
April Vokey can’t help but look at life differently. From a very early age, April loved fishing and hunting. She’s decided to shun quote-unquote more traditional work and instead start a business where she would be “all in” as a fly fishing guide, provide instructional courses, write, be a keynote speaker, and host a podcast on all things related to her interests while being a wife and mother came.
Her decision came with the expected challenges, but as a female in a male-dominated industry, she faced some challenges that men doing the same work would never have to face.
April is also passionate about the environment and conservation, especially now that she is raising her daughter to be a steward of the Earth.
Links/References https://www.instagram.com/aprilvokey/
https://www.facebook.com/AprilVokey/
https://www.youtube.com/flygalventures
Interview with John Dietsch
Summary In this podcast episode, my cohost, Steve Miletto, of the “Teaching, Learning, Leading K12” podcast, and I talk with Elizabethton, TN High School teachers Daniel Proffitt, Jason Clevinger, and Patrick Roberts. Elizabethton is an XQ Super School with a mission to build a culture for learners to think and act as changemakers.
This episode discusses how the school actualizes this mission at the individual student level through its curriculum, school activities, and professional development. The school advocates for student agency, giving students a voice and choice in what and how they want to learn and promotes curiosity as a core determinant of academic achievement.
The episode also explores how faculty members in traditional core subjects such as Math, English, Science, and History encourage curiosity.
Referenced Teaching, Learning, Leading K12 podcast
XQ Super School
Elizabethton High School
Summary Cindy House is the author of Mother Noise, a memoir in essays, and is a regular opener for author/humorist David Sedaris on his tours across the country. She teaches in the MFA program at Lesley University. In this brief episode, we follow Dr. Christian Busch’s 3-part process to showcase a beautiful example of personal serendipity — the act of creating personal smart luck. Social Media >Website: https://cindy-house.webflow.io/
Memoir: Mother Noise
Referenced For more on the 3-part Serendipity process, see episode #246 with guest Dr. Christian Busch.
Summary Steve Jobs famously said, “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” Today’s guest would respectfully disagree. As guest Dr. Christian Busch writes, “serendipity is not just about a coincidence that happens to us, but it is actually through the process of spotting and connecting the dots do we start to see bridges where others see gaps.” This episode will explore that process.
Thus, Serendipity is “unexpected good luck resulting from unplanned moments in which proactive decisions lead to positive outcomes. Serendipity is the hidden force in the world.” Serendipity is smart luck versus blind luck.
Guest
Dr. Christian Busch is the author of The Serendipity Mindset and an internationally known expert in the areas of innovation, purpose-driven leadership, and serendipity.
He is the director of the CGA Global Economy Program at New York University (NYU), and also teaches at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is a co-founder of Leaders on Purpose and the Sandbox Network and a former director of LSE's Innovation Lab. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Expert Forum, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and on the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 thinkers "most likely to shape the future.
Links/References Book: The Serendipity Mindset
Twitter: @ChrisSerendip
LinkedIn: Christian Busch
Book: Meaningful Coincidences
Guest Ted Merwin, Ph.D. is a Senior Writer for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Before coming to JFNA, he worked as AIPAC’s Synagogue Initiative Director for the Mid-Atlantic Region. For many years, Ted taught Judaic studies at Dickinson College (Carlisle, Pa), where he was the founding director of the Milton B. Asbell Center for Jewish Life.
Summary Look between the slices of rye bread of a traditional Jewish deli sandwich, and a time capsule of Jewish life in America emerges. The Jewish deli – a uniquely American institution – is the story of migration from Eastern and Central Europe and the struggle between wanting to retain Jewish culture and assimilate into American life. The story of Jewish life begins in the crowded tenements of New York City, migrates to the other boroughs, the nearby suburbs, and eventually throughout the U.S.
Key Discussions How the Jewish deli in America
√ emerged as an institution unlike what immigrants had experienced in the shtetls of Eastern Europe.
√ evolved as a focal point of Jewish identity and remembrance, as a unifier of different immigrant Jewish cultures, and as a communal gathering place, especially for men.
√ had its roots in the culinary habits of German Jewish immigrants
√ rose in importance during the great depression and the rise of the American Nazi Party, especially in New York City.
√ migrated outside of New York City – to the suburbs, Miami and Los Angeles – in the aftermath of World War II.
√ as an institution declined due to various factors.
Social Media/Referenced ULTRA
Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli
“I’ll Have What She’s Having”: The Jewish Deli at the New York Historical Society (through April 2, 2023)
Guest Lee Ellis is a nationally-recognized leadership coach, award-winning author, certified speaking professional* (CSP), a Vietnam Veteran and former POW, and USAF Colonel (Ret) | President, Leading with Honor
Summary
Some of the most interesting writing on leadership has come from active and former military personnel, but Lee Ellis has the added dimension of learning leadership lessons the hard way as a five and half year Prisoner of War in the infamous Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War.
Key Discussions √ How the POW experience influenced Lee’s leadership abilities and practices.
√ The importance of leaders showing vulnerability.
√ The leader’s role in establishing culture.
√ The best leaders integrate a focus on results and on the people doing the work.
√ Why adaptation is a critical leadership skill.
√ Why it’s important for a leader to cultivate a culture that fosters creativity and innovation.
Links/references
Leading with Honor website
Leading with Honor book
Engaging with Honor book
Guest Founder of “Cherish Your World,” Laura Staley facilitates healthier connections to home, others, and self through decluttering, Feng Shui, and emotional intelligence. She’s the author of Abundant Heart, Live Inspired, Let Go Courageously and Live with Love: Transform Your Life with Feng Shui, & the Cherish Your World Gift Book.
Summary For good reasons and bad, we surround ourselves with things. In this episode, we look at how "things" occupy our space — not just in terms of the physical world in which we exist, but at how that physical space reflects what’s going on in our head and heart.
Key Discussions √ Our things aren’t just things, they have stories attached to them.
√ The three organizational styles.
√ Decluttering the head, heart, and home — and seeing the relationship between the three.
√ The two drivers of clutter.
√ The importance of sharing your abundance with those who have lost everything.
√ The relationship between decluttering and death.
Links / References https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurastaley1/
https://www.facebook.com/laurastaleycherish
https://www.instagram.com/cherishyourworld/channel/?hl=en
Guest In 2011, coach and author Jane Duncan Rogers was devastated when her husband died. However, six years later, with two books and a TedX talk to her credit, she now runs her not-for-profit, “Before I Go Solutions.” Its mission is to create a world where people are at ease talking about and planning ahead for death. It helps accomplish this by providing products and programs so people can create a good end-of-life plan and benefit from the peace of mind this brings.
Summary Generally speaking, our philosophy in the Western world is to ignore death and pretend that it's not going to happen. There’s another way to look at things.
Key Discussions √ Why and how Jane started her organization, “Before I Go Solutions”
√ How she and her husband approached his impending death and why it produced a sense of relief and comfort
√ Why death planning is really an act of love
√ What questions we need to ask when planning for our death
√ How and why we should approach “death cleansing”
√ Why it’s critical to manage “secret papers”
√ The obstacles people put in front of themselves before engaging in death planning
√ The elephant in the room
√ The options to burial
√ What to say to someone grieving
Referenced Social media
Website
TEDx Talk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beforeigosolutions/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/giftedbygrief
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeduncanrogers/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/janeduncanrogers/
Books:
Before I Go
Gifted by Grief
The Comfort Crisis
Guests Jeff Carver is an English teacher who has been working in New Orleans charter schools for the last nine years. Before teaching, he spent the good part of a decade working in music and advertising. Nia DeCoux is a writer, educator, and activist who believes that when done well, storytelling and teaching become the same practice. Her work has been honored by both the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and the National Black Arts Festival. Summary
While many educators continue to follow the standard 150-year-old approach to instruction and learning, and others are leaving the profession for various reasons, many teachers are helping to ignite their students’ inherent curiosity.
Key Discussions √ Desired learner outcomes for tested and non-tested courses
√ How student performance against the mission is measured
√ The importance of place-based and project-based learning
√ How kids and parents adapt to the unique New Harmony environment
√ Why Jeff and Nia became teachers, and how their teaching changed over time
√ How to introduce students to the idea of voice and choice
√ How to help teachers experiment with allowing students’ curiosity
Social media/References website: www.newharmonyhigh.org
Rising by Elizabeth Rush
Guest —John Dietsch is an award-winning author and writer/producer best known for supervising the fly fishing scenes and doubling for Brad Pitt in the classic OSCAR-winning film A River Runs Through It. John’s latest book, Graced by Waters, explores our connection to the outdoors through the prism of fly fishing and investigates its transformative and healing power in the face of loss. John currently teaches English literature, guides fly fishing, and facilitates wellness river retreats when he is not writing (or fishing) from his home in Pacific Palisades, California.
Summary — Water is the most common physical property found on Earth, but its spiritual properties — its ability to soothe our souls, nurture us, and facilitate deep personal reflection — are just as important. John Dietsch, fly fisher, guide, film producer, author, and teacher, helps us wade into it.
Key Discussions √ John’s calling and its relationship to water.
√ Focus on the process vs. the result.
√ The spiritual qualities and connection to water, and why being in water for the fly fisherman is as important as catching fish.
√ The purpose of faith.
√ The importance of making mistakes.
√ The two types of fly fishermen and how those types apply to life.
√ John’s role on A River Runs Through It and the iconic fly fishing scene at the film's end.
√ How the film and the film's metaphor parallel events in John’s life. And how the film helped him work through his own pain from the loss of his brothers.
√ How serendipity/synchronicity can play a role in our lives if we’re observant.
Social Media/References John Dietsch 3104159232
John@castlecreekproductions.com
Johndietsch.com
Retreats
https://fishforwellness.org
Media
https://www.facebook.com/john.dietsch.332/
https://www.instagram.com/dietschjohn/
Graced by Waters book
Good Night Oppy
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
Home Waters by John Maclean
Guest — Rhonda Broussard is an author, entrepreneur, and futurist. One Good Question: How Countries Prepare Youth to Lead is her first book. Broussard is an award-winning education entrepreneur and sought-after public speaker. She is the founder and CEO of Beloved Community, a national nonprofit committed to sustainable economic equity in schools, the workforce, and housing. She is a 28-year educator and researcher who founded and led a network of language immersion and international schools in the US. Broussard studied education in Cameroon, Martinique, metropolitan France, Finland, and New Zealand. Her essays have been featured in The Future of University, North American Edition; Building Bridges, One Leader at a Time; This I Believe, Personal Essays by the Women and Men of Eisenhower Fellowships; IB World magazine, and Forbes Magazine.
Summary — In this episode, we touch on various reasons for our K-12 system of schooling. Is it to prepare students for a career, acquire knowledge and skills, or develop creative thinking and problem solver abilities? And what about student agency? How much voice and choice in determining what and how students want to learn should we allow?
Key Discussions √ How allowing educators more time to wonder will pay dividends in terms of improved instruction.
√ Why there is an inherent tension between giving educators time to wonder and the urgency to reform.
√ What the role of schooling is.
√ How the world of work and the expectations of a career have changed over time.
√ How we can, on the one hand, respect and believe in greater student agency while reducing our tendency to limit it because it means a loss of our traditional authority.
√ How global educators are grappling with the same question and coming up with different answers.
Links / References For more information, visit rhondabroussard.com. IG: @RhondaBroussard_Author
Twitter: @BroussardRhonda
The Reluctant Creative by Dr. Caroline Brookfield
Getting Unstuck Interview with Biology teacher, Nate Hassman
Getting Unstuck Interview with Tennessee high school educators
Getting Unstuck Interview with Michele Chen
Guest Dr. Nate Zinsser is an expert in the psychology of human performance who consults with individuals and organizations seeking a competitive edge. He has been at the forefront of applied sport psychology for over thirty years. From 1992 to 2022 Dr Zinsser directed a cutting-edge applied sport psychology program at the United States Military Academy’s Center for Enhanced Performance. He is the author of The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance.
Summary Confidence is a state of mind achieved through training, choosing to focus on select experiences, and the ability to tell oneself a story based on a belief in a positive future.
Key Discussions √ What are the Rosenthal or the Pygmalion effects, and how do they speak to performance?
√ What is confidence?
√ How does confidence apply to non-athlete and non-military leaders?
√ What is the three-part process of becoming a confident leader?
√ How does choice become a factor in building confidence?
√ How important is it to read non-verbal communication?
√ How do resilience and an “anti-fragile” mentality relate to confidence?
√ Why do negative self-doubting thoughts keep popping into our heads?
Links / References website
The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance
Leading With Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton by Colonel Lee Ellis
Summary — Award-winning food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar found herself in 2008 “writing more about food than travel and had turned into a stroller-pushing Upper West Side Mama.” Needing to “escape,” as she admitted, ”she decided to head to France to research cassoulet, that “slow-cooked carnivorous orgy of pork, lamb, duck, beans, and herbs stewed together in an earthenware tureen.” A quick, fun story, she thought. “I couldn’t have been more wrong,” she discovered.
Guest — Sylvie Bigar was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and lives in New York City. Her writing has appeared widely, including in The New York Times, Washington Post, Food & Wine, Forbes.com, Saveur, Bon Appetit, Edible, Departures, Travel & Leisure, and National Geographic Traveler.
Sylvie co-authored chef Daniel Boulud’s definitive Daniel: My French Cuisine, Living Art: Style Your Home with Flowers with floral artist and designer Olivier Giugni, and the recently published Cassoulet Confessions: Food. France, Family and the Stew That Saved My Soul.
Takeaways √ Where, what, and when people eat gives you a sense of their culture.
√ Cassoulet is a bean-based stew with duck confit, sausage, pork, vegetables, and various herbs.
√ Sylvie’s investigation of the complex story of cassoulet — its history, ingredients, method of cooking, and the region where it originated — became a metaphor for her investigation into her personal history.
Links / ReferencesOnline socialwww.sbigar.com @sylviebigar Book
Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family and the Stew that Saved My Soul
Articles
Wall Street Journal
New York Times “Front Burner”
New York Post
Food & Wine
Guest Bill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned writer of narrative non-fiction, specifically a forthcoming book about an incident in Winston Churchill’s tenure as Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II.
Summary In this episode of “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity,” I talk with Bill about the process of writing, which he’s detailed in a new book, Everybody Knows a Salesman Can’t Write a Book. As Bill has written, “My book is for anyone who dreams of turning a creative idea into commercial reality, especially anyone who wonders how to manage the intellectual and the business challenges of writing a book while working a "traditional" job.
Takeaways √ Bill’s forthcoming book is a story about Winston Churchill and a deadly incident in the early days of World War II of which most people are not aware; a clash between the British and French who up to the time of the incident had been allies.
√ The book is an intersection of “how to write,” the content of the incident between Britain and France, and a memoir of Bill’s life during a specific period.
√ One of the key questions an aspiring writer has to ask themselves is “Do I have a deep enough passion for this topic to sustain me over a long period of time?”
√ In addition to passion, to motivate your readers, it’s important to have a sense that you can bring something different to your account of the story, especially with nonfiction.
√ One of the challenges of writing is deciding what to leave in, what to leave out.
√ There's always a reason not to do something. And most people find that reason and embrace that reason not to do something And it's the people who ignore that and say, I'm going to find the reasons to do something for the people who break through who are successful.
Links/References Website: www.perfectlytruestory.com
Sign up for Bill’s monthly newsletter: https://www.perfectlytruestory.com/background-and-newsletter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-whiteside-lancaster-pa/
Twitter: @PerfAdequate
Email: bill.whiteside@perfectlytruestory.com
Summary Reflecting on past decisions, actions, and accomplishments can be a springboard to future action or a recurring regret for what we didn’t do, impacting our ability to focus on the present.
Takeaways √ Western society has slowly eliminated or reduced physical challenges to find food, build and take shelter, flee from predators, and avoid overly risky decisions. But that has resulted in us being more out of shape, overweight, anxious, burned out, materially focused, and generally more physically and mentally unhealthy than our predecessors.
√ We attempt to increase our happiness or dampen our dispirited selves through acquiring material possessions, increased wealth, sugar and salt-laden ultra-processed foods, and alcohol and other drugs.
√ Our view of death exacerbates our ability to focus productively on the present.
References The Comfort Crisis
Summary Debbie Danielpour, an award-winning screenwriter writer, and I examine how screenwriters and speakers use objects to grab their audiences' attention at a particular moment and for a particular reason. This is an abridged — and enhanced — version of episode 219.
Takeaways √ Objects can be used by screenwriters or speakers to focus an audience’s attention the way dialogue can’t.
√ Objects can be physical elements, a name, or something ethereal.
√ Objects can play at least four roles in a film or communication.
Referenced The paper in “Moneyball"
The paper in “Charade”
Summary Like the powerful question organizations need to ask — “Why do we exist?” — “Why do I do what I do?” is a powerful question we should all ask ourselves periodically.
Takeaways √ “Why does our organization exist?” is a powerful question that everyone in an organization should be able to answer uniformly. If they can’t, the organization’s purpose and people are likely out of alignment.
√ Misalignment can have a significant impact on staff morale, productivity, and achieving desired results.
√ Asking, “Why do I do what I do?” brings purpose setting down to the individual level.
√ If the work we do and how we do it is not in alignment with our deepest values, we will find ourselves in a position of misalignment — and suffer the consequences.
Referenced A Month in a Tuscan Villa Didn’t Fix My Burnout
City Slickers
L.A. Confidential
Interview with Brooke Erol
Interview with Steve Miletto
Summary In this episode, my friend and fellow podcaster, Steve Miletto, and I discuss the “next big thing,” the next chapter in our lives, the “one more” challenge we want to tackle.
My guest Steve Miletto is the Executive Director of North Georgia Regional Educational Services Agency, which provides professional development services and support for 5 school systems in North Georgia. Steve is in his 36th year in public education in Georgia. He is also a professional leadership coach, a classroom teacher mentor and coach, a speaker on better instructional, leadership, and social media practices and the host of the very popular “Teaching Learning Leading K12” podcast. He is also a multiple award-winning teacher and principal.
Takeaways √ “One more” is knowing that you have more in you to give to support your purpose.
√ School leaders are wrestling with staff resignations and how to encourage staff to stay.
√ When it comes to purpose, we tend to over-focus on the what and the how and under-focus on why we're doing what we're doing on behalf of those we serve.
√ Don’t look externally for purpose; look internally.
√ To find purpose, “Ask: would I regret not doing “X” or stopping too soon doing what I’m doing?
√ Feeling overwhelmed? Revisit your purpose. Ask yourself why you do what you do, and examine what you like doing.
References / Links LinkedIn
Podcast: Teaching Learning Leading K12
YouTube Channel @smiletto
Instagram and Twitter @SRMiletto
Leadership from the Inside Out by Kevin Cashman
L.A. Confidential - “Why did you want to become a cop?”
Summary Central to any focus on change are some looming questions: why change, how to change, and how to overcome obstacles. Looking broadly at change across many fields, what intrigues me about change is the engine that drives it, and that’s curiosity. And curiosity is not just a point in time; it’s a process: helping people to pause, reflect, ask questions, gain clarity and then change.
My guest Andy Vargo is no stranger to change!
If you ever feel awkward about yourself, then you can understand how Andy Vargo lived the first forty years of his life. Coming out of the closet at forty doesn’t define him; pursuing his passion to help others does. Having changed everything about his life, Andy leads others as a motivational speaker and helps people live their fullest lives as a business and life-change coach. At night you can find him working stages around the northwest as a comedian, making light of his journey with the gift of laughter.
Awkward is not only his brand, but his style as Andy encourages us all to ‘Own Your Awkward’ and be true to your genuine self.
Takeaways √ “Owning your awkward” is being true to who you really are.
√ When you recognize your awkwardness, it’s time to change.
√ “Authenticity” is not trying to fit in and put on a certain personality.
√ Often the initial questions that clients come to coaching with are only scratching the surface. It’s what’s below the surface that’s the real issue.
√ Change is not about just having a goal; it’s determining the results you want when you achieve the goal.
√ The problem to a solution is often contained in the problem itself.
√ Getting Unstuck is not an accident; it’s a process.
Referenced / Links Andy hosts the “Own Your Awkward” podcast, authored the Awkward Journal series, and Own Your Awkward Life Changes. He shares his thoughts and ideas in his blog and video series at awkwardcareer.com.
Summary Research has shown that curiosity can make us happier, increase academic achievement, and increase our emotional intelligence. And of equal importance, as today’s guest explains, curiosity is a divining rod in our search for creativity — a key ingredient of long-term business and personal success.
My guest My guest in this episode is Dr. Caroline Brookfield, a veterinarian, stand-up comic, and passionate believer that we can courageously welcome creativity into our lives. She is the author of THE RELUCTANT CREATIVE: 5 Effortless Habits to Expand Your Comfort Zone.
Takeaways √ Creativity is one of the top skills that people are going to need over the next 10-20 years to be effective problem solvers.
√ People — especially children — learn how not to be creative, in part because we are pattern and routine driven.
√ One of the killers of creativity is that we internalize how others react to our work.
√ Daydreaming can generate both negative and positive results.
√ D.A.N.C.E. D = Daydream A = Ambiguity N = Novelty C= Curiosity E= Edit later
√ Mindfulness gives you space to be creative.
√ Fear holds us back from experimentation.
Resources / Links / References Free creative exercises from The Reluctant Creative
Instagram and tik tok @artfulscience
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-brookfield/
Book thereluctantcreative.com
Website carolinebrookfield.com
Summary Obstacles standing in the way of progress often seem insurmountable. Leaders who remain adaptable, flexible, and pause to give themselves time to assess options increase their likelihood of breakthroughs. And very often, the solution to the problem sits within the problem itself.
**Takeaways** √ The seeds of a problem’s solution are usually contained in the problem itself.
√ Effectively problem solvers work within the constraints of limited time and budget and ask a question of curiosity: what can we do differently right here with what we have?
√ Overcoming obstacles, according to author Ryan Holiday, requires that we take three steps:
1. Change our perception of the problem — our attitude and approach to it.
-
Use our energy and creativity to uncover the opportunity within the problem
-
Cultivate and maintain an inner will to overcome setbacks.
Referenced The Obstacle is the Way
Summary Much of the teaching profession is in turmoil. Thousands of teachers are leaving the field for a variety of reasons. Among them are:
• Teachers exhausted and dispirited after pivoting to remote instruction during the pandemic — and now having to quickly make up for “lost learning.”
• Teaching has been increasingly politicized through limitations on the content teachers can cover and how teachers can teach.
• Teachers feel unqualified to work effectively with students in critical areas such as social and emotional learning.
But many teachers who are working with enlightened leadership are flourishing and helping to ignite their students’ inherent curiosity.
My guest Nate Hassman is on a quest: seize every possible opportunity to position students as leaders and experts, and partner with students to find a path that is individualized to their skills and interests. He wears several hats for Maine Township School District 207, in Des Plaines, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago. By trade, Nate is a science teacher at Maine West High School. Additionally, he facilitates workshops with fellow teachers in action research and classroom culture, sponsors Maine West’s student mentor-leader organization, and coaches track and cross country.
Takeaways √ District 207 sees its responsibility as providing students with multiple post-high pathways from which to choose depending on their interests and circumstances.
√ Nate’s teaching has evolved from a pure content focus to one where he generates experiences for the students to evolve as experts.
√ Methods of evaluating students have had to shift from traditional assessments to listening for the types of questions they ask and how they analyze problems.
√ Student curiosity is fostered through experiences that get them to think, not just regurgitate knowledge.
√ Curiosity is also fostered by bringing real-life news into the classroom and relating it to the course of study.
√ Effective leaders have mastered the art of adapting to internal and external stimuli, and they are not afraid to ask the collective to pause to consider options.
Referenced New Harmony High School
> “Getting Unstuck” Interview
> School Website
As leaders, we can often fall into the trap of focusing most of our attention on the work of achieving desired outcomes. While achieving outcomes is critical for organizational success, authentic leaders also focus on how they are showing up to lead the people doing the day-to-day work to achieve those desired results. Focusing their attention there forces the leader to be vulnerable, to think more in terms of “we” than “I.” Focusing their attention on the staff doing the work engages the leader’s innate curiosity, and that curiosity gives rise to empathy. Empathy nourishes emotional intelligence, which is the cornerstone of sustained impact.
Takeaways √ People experience a form of grief when organizations go through layoffs.
√ Leadership is akin to being onstage because people are always looking at you, watching what you will say and do.
√ “Brave Leadership” is the act of staying true to who you are when the pressure is at its greatest.
√ The super-objective that we set for ourselves defines the impact that we want to have on others.
√ How you show up is how people see you, not what you believe. Authenticity is in the eye of the beholder.
√ If you are not curious about people, you cannot bring empathy to the conversation, and if you are not empathetic, you cannot be authentic and have the impact you want to have.
√ Because organizations are numbers-driven, leaders tend to focus on the work as opposed to the people doing the work.
√ Real presence doesn’t show up in the absence of obstacles.
My Guest And someone who knows more than a thing or two about brave leadership is our guest in this episode, Kimberly Davis, author of the best-seller Brave Leadership, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Brave Leadership University.
Resources / Links / References Company: onstageleadership.com
TEDx: youtube.com/watch?v=PgCBVGBHGx4
Book: braveleadershipbook.com/
Email: kimberly@braveleadershipuniversity.com
Twitter: OnStageKimberly
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimberlydavisonstage
Patrick Lencioni - The Advantage
Interview – Joanne Duncan
Daniel Lubetzky – Do the Kind Thing
Interview – Dr. Ken Wallace
Sarah Elkins – “No Longer Virtual” Summit
Summary There’s a lot of talk about why organizations need to have a purpose — why they do what they do on behalf of those they seek to serve — and to have that purpose go beyond being a mere marketing tagline.
What’s equally challenging to get at is how an organization defines its why, how they get staff buy-in — or better yet, staff input — and then has the discipline to choose activities that work towards fulfilling it.
My guest My guest to help walk us through this topic is Brooke Erol. Brooke is a corporate dropout who pursued her dream of having more meaningful work for herself and others where we are not only seeking money but also contributing to a bigger cause. All her life is spent on writing, speaking, coaching, and consulting on this topic of having a life of fulfilling and purposeful work. She works both with individuals- YourBestLife and organizations - Purposeful Business, Inc.
Takeaways √ Many businesses focus on profits over purpose instead of figuring out how to do both.
√ An organization’s pain point is not necessarily an expressed lack of purpose, but lack of purpose is often the driver below the surface.
√ Leaders at the highest point of an organization — founder, and CEO — must have a deep consciousness to understand the imperative of having and living a purpose fully.
√ Companies often face a litmus test as to whether they are going to honor their purpose in their decision-making,
√ Customers and job seekers should monitor a company over time to see if it adheres to its purpose.
√ The number one reason for the purpose to stick is the 100% commitment of the CEO or the founder.
√ Instead of trying to save the whole world, find one area where you can have an impact, and let that be your purpose.
Referenced/Resources/Links Book: Create a Life You Love: Reflections on Living Life to the Fullest
Instagram: www.instagram.com/purposefulbusiness
www.instagram.com/happielliatwork
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ozlemerol
Twitter: www.twitter.com/boerol1
Summary
In this episode, I talk with Megan Miller, who, at an early age, discovered the power of learning a foreign language and now works to empower others who want or need to have a bilingual voice.
Megan is the founder of Aprovechar Language Solutions, LLC, whose mission is to empower anyone needing a bilingual voice. She offers a personalized, habit-based approach to teaching Spanish and English language and culture to adults worldwide.
Megan has over 20 years of experience in Spanish and has been obsessed with learning and teaching all of her life: from living abroad in Madrid, Spain, traveling worldwide, and being a training consultant and language coach.
Megan noted in our conversation that language has the power to help us transition from a “me” mentality to an “us” or “we” mentality. That is, by learning another language, one can better understand the culture and people it represents.
Takeaways
√ Motivation to do anything and curiosity are inextricably linked.
√ Without actually traveling, one can enjoy culture through literature, movies, and music.
√ Just as it is with English in the U.S., a foreign language has dialects and accents that shift from region to region.
√ If you want to learn a new language, study it as it pertains to something in the culture, e.g., cooking, sports, or art.
√ When learning a new language, dabble a little bit each day.
References/Links/Resources Website: www.aprovecharlanguagesolutions.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aprovecharlanguagesolutions
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aprovechar-language-solutions/
My pulse quickens whenever we leap into the unknown of space, be it with the 2015 New Horizons flyby of Pluto, or the launch of the new James Webb telescope on December 25, 2021.
And so, I experienced that rush on September 26 when the D.A.R.T. spacecraft designed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for NASA was intentionally slammed into a tiny asteroid at some 14,000 miles per hour after traveling for more than 10 months and 7 million miles.
"Intentionally slammed into a tiny asteroid” is the operative phrase here. Let’s find out why that was done from one of the critical minds on the project, Michelle Chen, an engineer with the Johns Hopkins APL who led the team that developed the spacecraft’s SMART navigation system.
Takeaways
√ The D.A.R.T. mission — D.A.R.T. stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test — was undertaken to see if we could nudge an asteroid out of an orbit that could potentially be on a path of hitting Earth.
√ The D.A.R.T. spacecraft flew on its own for the last 40 minutes or so of the mission, courtesy of the navigation system that Michelle and her team built. It had to be capable of maneuvering independently, given the speed at which it was flying and the distance between the craft and the JPL team.
√ Michelle judged the quality of her team, in part, by the quality of the questions they asked.
√ As a leader, Michelle believes in giving her team members room to explore and make mistakes.
√ Curiosity will help to define our future innovations.
√ What would you tell your younger self? Stay true to who you are, and ask questions.
References/Resources
New York Times: NASA Smashes Into an Asteroid, Completing a Mission to Save a Future Day
One part of life that I’ve become really curious about in the past few years is dying. I didn’t think about it at all when I was in college and played racquetball on a Saturday morning following a little too much end-of-the-week celebration the night before.
There were moments in the four decades that followed when death reared its head — close friends from my college years passed away, and I lost both my parents — but aside from the immediate grief, I continued to live life like most of us probably do: on cruise control. I got up, I went to work, I pursued my personal interests, and I went to bed. Rinse and repeat.
“As it turns out, personal finance is like touching an electric fence that you didn’t know what electric. Managing our money is not a math problem; it’s a behavioral problem.”
Carl Richards is a Certified Financial Planner™ and creator of the Sketch Guy column that appeared weekly in The New York Times (2010-2021). There, he used simple illustrations to introduce calming financial advice and counsel. He is also the author of The One-Page Financial Plan and The Behavior Gap resources — a book, website, and podcast that provide simple ideas to help us “Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money.” Carl’s goal is to demystify financial planning by focusing as much — or more — on the humans it serves as it does on the numbers.
Topics discussed in this episode include:
- The crash of the housing market in 2008.
- The psychological underpinnings that influence money management.
- Using a tree as an analogy for financial counseling.
- Carl’s sketches as “shortcuts” and “souvenirs.”
- Simplifying the complex world of money management.
- “Conversation grenades.”
- Why Jeff focuses on curiosity.
Takeaways:
- If you want to understand money management, start by understanding fear and greed.
- When we talk about return on investment, emotional balance sheets are just as important as financial ones. The line between financial planning and therapy is super thin.
- Making the complex simple in terms of money management starts and stays with an unrelenting focus on one’s goals.
- Simple line illustrations can be used to engender problem-solving conversations outside the worlds of finance and money management.
Links
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/thinkingcarl
- https://twitter.com/behaviorgap
- The One Page Financial Plan
“The Behavior Gap” resources
- Behavior Gap Radio (free site)
- The Behavior Gap website
- The Behavior Gap book
My guest in this episode is Charlotte Wittenkamp. Her own experience relocating from Denmark to California led to her ongoing fascination with global differences in value systems and communication patterns. In short, why do we believe what we believe?
Many people mistakenly equate obituaries with death notices, but, as we’ll hear in this episode, obituaries are not tales of death; they are tales of life. They are the CliffsNotes of someone’s identity and relevance. And as much as we know we shouldn’t, we are drawn to them as mirrors, which we figuratively stand in front of and ask, “How does my life compare to this individual’s?”
My guest today is Richard Goldstein. Since joining the New York Times in 1980, Richard worked as an editor and an obituary writer, focusing on figures from the military and sports world.
I’ve written four screenplays as a hobby, one of which received an honorable mention at the 9th Annual Nantucket Film Festival. If I were thanking the Academy, it would be because I had an exceptional teacher who just happens to be my guest in this episode. I’ve asked her to clarify what and how screenwriters work to help inform your storytelling ability as a communicating leader.
Debbie Danielpour writes award-winning screenplays, libretti, fiction, and nonfiction. She has been an award-winning professor of fiction and screenwriting for over thirty years at San Francisco State University, Emerson College, Harvard University, and now at Boston University.
I’ve asked several people to come on the show in this series to talk very briefly about an aspect of their life that makes them tilt their heads in curiosity and want to figure out how to satisfy it.
My guest in this episode is a master at looking at the familiar from a different angle. Dr. Christine Mason is a university professor, prolific author, workshop facilitator, yoga instructor, and painter.
I’ve asked several people to come on the show in this series to talk very briefly about an aspect of their life that makes them tilt their heads in curiosity and want to figure out how to satisfy it.
My guest in this episode is a master at looking at the familiar from a different angle. Dr. Christine Mason is a university professor, prolific author, workshop facilitator, yoga instructor, and painter.
My guests in this episode are Melissa Hughes Ph.D., a neuroscience researcher, educator, keynote speaker, and author of Happier Hour with Einstein — Another Round, and Michael Appelgren PsyD, a licensed psychologist, private practice owner, and executive functioning and parent management coach. Together, we explore the roots of curiosity, some of the obstacles that stand in the way of actualizing it, and the benefits of increasing and leveraging it.
My guest in this episode is Dennis Pitocco. Dennis is Chief Reimaginator of 360° Nation, an organization and approach to life that includes the award-winning BIZCATALYST 360°; Real Voices 360°, and GoodWorks 360°. Everything Dennis and his team do is “for good” versus for-profit and founded upon their quest to rediscover humanity at its very best.
My guest in this episode is Sarah Elkins. Sarah is a storyteller, the podcast host and author of “Your Stories Don’t Define You. How You Tell Them Will,” and a Gallup certified StrengthsFinder coach.
In this episode, Sarah focuses on the role curiosity plays in informing our identity and how we define the relevance of our lives. And through that focus, Sarah has laid bare the bedrock of emotional intelligence because our personal identity and relevance are two key drivers of our behaviors toward others.
In this episode, the first in the Curiosity series, I’ve asked a number of people to come on the show over the next few weeks to talk very briefly about an aspect of their life that makes them tilt their heads in curiosity and want to know more about how to satisfy it.
My first guest is Pat McHugh. Pat is the Executive Vice President of Sales for the hand2mind school publishing company, which develops supplemental curriculum, social and emotional learning products, and hands-on resources. He's starting to engage his curiosity to confront an issue that each of us will eventually face: retirement.
My guest in this episode is Mary Thomas-Vallens. Mary, a 40-year classroom teacher in the Irvine California Unified School District, currently serves as a moderator and in various other capacities for the Braver Angels organization, which works to depolarize “reds” and “blues,” “conservatives” and “liberals” and help them become better listeners.
"It's really all about building relationships. Actually, that's what advocacy is about at its core."
Sue Inches is an experienced environmental advocate, educator, and policy consultant. She is the author of the highly acclaimed Advocating for the Environment: How to Gather Your Power and Take Action.
When the supply chain works, it’s a beautiful thing. But as the old saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and given the complexity of most supply chains today, any disruption can have a significant impact. Today's guest St. Claire L. Gerald, an Association of Supply Chain Management Certified Supply Chain Professional, helps us understand why the system is so delicate and how it can impact us.
My guest in this episode is Leanne Gordon, the principal of Leanne Gordon, a firm dedicated to helping individuals navigate what overwhelms them when considering change, their personal or their organization’s false starts in change initiatives, and the inevitable resistance they’ll encounter leading change.
Tania Marien is an independent environmental education professional and the Director of Talaterra — "Speak Earth" — a network of independent environmental education (EE) professionals who contribute to lifelong learning and environmental health in communities.
OK, that’s Tania’s official bio. After talking with her for a couple of hours and studying what she does and how she works, I prefer to describe her as a “citizen for our age”: she’s a connector, an organizer, a contributor, a doer, a giver, and infinitely smart about how to approach the highly complex topics of the environment and climate change.
My guest in this episode is Steve Ehrlich. Steve is semi-retired, but now applying his life-long experience in adult learning, psychology, and literature to a new chapter — bringing the transformative lessons and stories gleaned from the fly fishing environment to support personal and professional growth.
In this episode, we will wade into the literature of fly fishing — a contemplative, lyrical, and often poetic genre that examines water and our association with nature as a metaphor for life.
My guest in this episode is Dr. Donna Curtin, a historian serving as the Executive Director of the Pilgrim Hall Museum. Pilgrim Hall is “the oldest continuously operating public museum in the country and America’s museum of Pilgrim possessions. I wanted to talk to Dr. Curtin because as a former high school history teacher and developer of social studies classroom materials for more than 35 years, I’m very concerned about the restrictions being placed on what some history teachers can teach especially on the theme of racism. Having met Donna on a tour of the Pilgrim Hall Museum, I felt she would bring the professional historian’s view of the role and value of history for young and old alike.
My guest in this episode is Bradley Wright, a professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut and host of the “School of Purpose” podcast. When I began to investigate curiosity, Bradley’s focus on purpose was one of the first ideas that intrigued me because I don’t ever remember saying to myself, “That’s why I’m here! That’s what I meant to do in life!” Instead, it was more like, “Well, maybe I could teach.” Curious as I am, I wanted to explore the relationship between my passion for curiosity and the appeal of discovering life's purpose. So, too, it turns out, did Bradley.
How do you go about telling a very inviting and understandable story in film? My guest in this episode, Rita Grant, is an award-winning documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, and the driving force behind Sweet Sage Pictures. In our conversation, she explains how she harnesses her technical skills, curiosity, instinct, and heart behind the camera.
Today I’m joined by Erica Nelson, a member of the Navaho Nation. Erica is a fly fishing guide, host of the “Awkward Angler” podcast, and a contributor to the “Awkward & Clueless Beginning Fly Fishing” show on YouTube. She is a Brown Folks Fishing ambassador, a community that cultivates the visibility, representation, and inclusion of people of color in fishing and its industry. She is also the passionate co-founder of REAL Consulting, which focuses on bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion to the world, including the world of fly fishing.
Bill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned writer of narrative non-fiction, specifically a forthcoming book about an incident in Winston Churchill’s tenure as Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II. Our conversation explores the incident, which we then use as an opportunity to examine what makes a great leader great, what constitutes the art of writing great, truthful narrative non-fiction, and Bill’s personal journey to satisfy his curiosity.
We rarely reveal our true self to others, and sometimes (very often?) we don’t reveal it to ourselves. Sadly, we can’t interact effectively with others if there are layers of our personal onion between us. Diane Wyzga, a self-described story doula works to help professionals pull back the curtain and get to the heart of their message — their authentic story.
What can we learn from non-traditional sources if we’re willing to look at things differently? How can we break out of our often self-imposed boundaries to see what the universe is offering us? For example, this podcast is broadly about “K12 education,” but it’s really about thinking and doing things differently to get different results. And in the case of this episode, what can a fly fishing guide, Spencer Seim, tell us about leadership? And what can we learn from seemingly random events?
The "Trauma in Schools" podcast series focus primarily on the trauma that students carry with them into the classroom. But, many school faculty, staff and administrators are also experiencing trauma. COVID has dislocated relationships and put pressure on educators to quickly address ”learning loss.” There is a critical need for school leaders at any level to promote self-care through mindfulness training. Mindful leadership expert, Michael Bunting, explains the first safe steps.
Those who work for substantial educational change, do so within the context of today’s heated nation and world. Two thought leaders are adept at shining a light on those educators who are trying to lead their communities out of darkness. Dr. Michael Fullan and Dr. Mark Edwards have penned an argument for change that highlights how eight districts are combining the emotional and scientific basis for how educators and communities can work together to address the problems we face.
If students are in a state of high stress or trauma, the part of the brain that facilitates learning is inaccessible. Thus, student academic achievement rests squarely on the shoulders of student wellness. Neuroscience researcher, Melissa Hughes, Ph.D., explains.
One of the goals of our series is to raise awareness and the level of discourse around student trauma and mental health in general. And if we’re not bringing these subjects out into the open, kids keep all those emotions bottled up inside of them. Dr. Glenn Albright and Kim Weiland from Kognito, a firm that develops avatar-based simulations to help develop trauma-informed educators, explain.
Periodically on Getting Unstuck, we welcome a change maker to tell their story of personal transformation: how a specific event or catalyst propelled them into a different role or way of thinking from where they once were. Today, we hear from Suzanne DeMaillie who went from being the parent of three children to someone who led a four- year crusade to bring about a specific educational change. And as we’ve learned from countless other examples, bringing about an educational change isn’t always easy.
Some students from low-income communities – often kids of color – may lack aspirations for a post high-school future because they feel it’s simply unrealistic to think of life outside of their current situation. But many students from low-income communities do have aspirations, yet they are sidelines because of real or perceived societal barriers blocking their way. The organization OneGoal helps them find a pathway. Priya Linson, OneGoal’s Executive Director of its Chicago chapter, explains.
As today’s guest observed, “Many kids fall through the cracks somewhere.” Maybe they’ve experienced trauma outside of school, and as a result, they don’t fit in inside of school. But Jeff Rivero, veteran history teacher at Yosemite High School in Merced California, knows how to reach them and help them uncover their passion. How? He treats them like the natural resources they are.
Over the years, we've heard a lot of ideas from teachers, administrators and thought leaders on how to reform high school so that the institution would better serve tomorrow's graduates and the complex world they face. But we'd never heard students' ideas on how to improve their high school experience. In this interview, we get the details on the student-generated and award winning plan from Sheri Nelson (Assistant Principal) and Alex Campbell (teacher) of Elizabethton HS, Elizabethton, TN.
This week I talked with Janani Pathy, Principal of the Bill Hogarth Secondary School in Markham, Ontario Canada. Janani is one of those “unstuck” leaders that we profiled recently in our “unstuck” series. “Unstuck” leaders tend to demonstrate a few key behaviors, one being, they're highly adaptable and innovative. As a result, they don't tend to get stuck very often. That observation led to a discussion of a process for overcoming obstacles that Ryan Holiday outlines in his book, The Obstacle is the Way.
Over the summer, we’ve been running a series called “Unstuck” where we’ve profiled school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already unstuck. A number of behaviors define them. They're adaptable, flexible and innovative community-minded, focused on life skill development and the whole child; and finally, they believe there is an imperative to develop student leaders. Today's guest, principal Janani Pathy, epitomizes the unstuck leader.
This week I talked with Peter McWain, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Sante Fe Public Schools. We reviewed a number of positive instructional outcomes that emerged from living under COVID. Unintended consequences occur all the time from change. While planners usually target desired outcomes, they often don't consider the negative outcomes that could accrue. To avoid that, change planners could ask themselves a question such as "How might the opposite of our desired outcome emerge?"
We recorded our first interview with Peter McWain, Santa Fe Public Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction during the summer of 2018. As schools emerge from COVID — and as educators try to prepare today’s students for an ever volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, we wanted to revisit some questions from our initial conversation:
What is the purpose of U.S. education? What do we want for our graduates to know and do with their knowledge? And what kind of people do we want them to be?
We recorded our first interview with Peter McWain, Santa Fe Public Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction during the summer of 2018. As schools emerge from COVID — and as educators try to prepare today’s students for an ever volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, we wanted to revisit some questions from our initial conversation:
What is the purpose of U.S. education? What do we want for our graduates to know and do with their knowledge? And what kind of people do we want them to be?
This week I talked with Dr. Lindsay Lyons, an educational coach who helps teachers integrate student voice in classroom learning so as to develop shared classroom leadership. There's a lot of interest in student agency, but there's also concern from many teachers and students. Teachers are leery of giving up control and not being able to cover everything they need to cover. Students are simply used to taking direction from their teachers. The research, though, says "Just do it!" and the benefits will come.
If you asked people to identify the qualities they want to see in high school graduates, most people would respond with points such as Independent thinking, Collaborative, Problem solving, Emotionally intelligence and Adaptability. These are also all qualities that we would want to see in leaders, rights?
But what kind of opportunities do we routinely give kids to develop these leadership qualities? And what kind of barriers stand in the way of practice? Leadership coach, Dr. Lindsay Lyons, explains.
This week I talked with Erin Mote, co-founder of the Brooklyn Lab Charter School in Brooklyn, New York. Erin is passionate about helping the school's "scholars" discover their interests, their passions, and in the process, help shape their individual identity. This idea that we can be shaped by multiple interests and passions led us to investigate the book RANGE and the TEDx Talk "The Hidden Power of Not (Always) Fitting In." Life, we discovered, should be about investigating and living possibilities.
Erin Mote is the cofounder of the Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, a community-based school organization that serves more than 1000 students. She is also the Executive Director and Co-Founder of InnovateEDU. In this episode, we'll go from the design of the charter school that Erin and her then soon-to-be-husband scratched out on the back of a cocktail napkin to a flourishing school of "scholars," many of whom come with a figurative backpack full of challenges and hard-earned grit and resilience.
This week I talked with Daniel Bauer, podcast host, author, mastermind facilitator, and coach. He has defined the art of growing leadership talent that seeks to change education to better serve 21st century students. He grows "Ruckus Makers." As successful as he is, he's as susceptible to self-doubt and the voice of his inner critic – his imposter syndrome – as the rest of us. The imposter syndrome is an extremely persuasive, loud, and rude critic – a real bully. But there are ways to turn its volume down.
We’ve been running a series called “Unstuck,” which focuses on school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already "unstuck." And by "Unstuck," we mean they are leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership.
Whiles he’s not technically a leader inside a school anymore, Daniel Bauer epitomizes our “unstuck” philosophy with a unique brand of his own: developing "Ruckus Makers."
This week I talked with Dr. Daisy Morales, the new Superintendent of the Live Oak School District in Santa Cruz, CA. Daisy’s big concern coming into the district on Day 1 wasn’t rectifying the “lost learning” associated with managing classrooms in a virtual or hybrid environment. Her primary concern coming out of a year of COVID was with the wellness of her faculty and staff. So, we stay with wellness in this episode and focus on three unique ideas to help faculty and staff promote their own self-care.
Dr. Daisy Morales is the new Superintendent of the Live Oak School District in Santa Cruz, CA. Like other smart, experienced leaders, Dr. Morales didn't come into the district with her guns of change blazing. Instead, she began a series of one-on-one and group listening meetings to determine the priority for the year. Not priorities, but priority. And what she discovered is that the worlds of instruction and learning, and social-emotional learning need to come together. Fast.
This week I talked with Connie Liu and Jordan Mareno of “Project Invent,” an organization that brings innovation, design thinking, and community problem solving into the classroom. "Project Invent" is all about helping students maintain their curiosity and sense of discovery — what a ZEN master would call their "beginner's mind." This approach isn't just a nice to have. Today’s organizations operating in an environment of volatility, complexity, and ambiguity want innovative thinking from their leaders.
Teaching kids 21st century skills is not new news. Fortunately, most school systems have instruction in place that addresses the 4Cs or variations of them along with life & career skills and media skills.
How schools develop the skills, however, does vary. Do you teach these skills in discrete lessons? Or do you weave them seamlessly into project-based experiences? In this episode, Connie Liu and Jordan Mareno of Project Invent share their philosophy and program.
This week we talked with Sunny Summers, the Founding School Leader of New Harmony High School in New Orleans. Our conversation centered on how one goes about designing a new school, especially one that is place-based around the local ecosystem. That approach is unique, but what really defines New Harmony is its people – its faculty and students. And people is where we go with this week's mini-feature, as we explore how one author is redefining global warming by focusing on the people affected by it.
This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. By "Unstuck," we mean our guest is leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. This week talked with Sunny Summers, Executive Director of New Harmony High in New Orleans. New Harmony High rewrote the book on place-based learning because everything the students engage in leverages the local ecosystem: the land, the people and their culture.
This week we spoke with K12 social studies educator, Casey Jakubowski, Ph.D.. Our conversation dove into the debate about the purpose of teaching U.S. History. Is it about instilling patriotism, examining the promise of America versus its practices, or teaching critical life skills? A mixture? Teaching skills is where we go with this week's "Worth a Listen, Look or Read." We make the case that helping students develop their critical thinking is critical given that employers are looking for it.
The teaching of U.S. history and civics is in the news a lot these days. We’re seeing controversy and divisiveness around the approach we should take with our students. Stress what's good about the U.S. and where we're making progress toward meeting our goals? Focus on where the promise is not yet being met? The discussions are leaving many teachers in pedagogical limbo. And students may be denied the opportunity to engage in some critical thinking. Guest Casey Jakubowski PhD, a K12 specialist, weighs in.
This week we spoke with Principal Michelle Pinchot who was asked to turn around a low-performing school. Rather than jump in immediately with a bunch of 'solutions," Michelle started asking a lot of questions and listening. And listening is where we go with this week's "Worth a Listen, Look or Read." We'll watch a TED Talk to learn about 5 strategies we can use to improve our listening. And then we'll learn about the 7-38-55 rule, which, well...check out the episode for the skinny on that.
This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. By "Unstuck," we mean our guest is leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. This week we talked with Michelle Pinchot, Principal of the Heritage Computer Academy in Garden Grove, CA. Her challenge? How do you improve a low-performing school where only 50% of the faculty feel pride in what they're doing? Hint: don't start with a slew of actions.
In this week's podcast, we talked with Mike Matsuda, Superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District. Mike's focus has been to build a three-part framework that brings greater alignment between what happens in the classroom and the world of work. One of those elements speaks to developing student voice. We dug into that idea by watching a video that features a graduation speech given by Denzel Washington. In that speech, Washington outlines the real goal of having students develop their voice.
This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. By "Unstuck," we mean our guest is leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. In this episode, we talk with Superintendent Mike Matsuda around his singular vision — to bring better alignment between what students are doing in the classroom right now and the world they’ll face upon graduation — and the urgency by which he's pursuing it.
This week we chatted with Yasmeen Robbins, an Instructional Review Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Instruction. Her role takes her from one end of the state to the other where she engages with many administrators. And she hears from many of them how isolating the work can be. So, like the great change agent that she is, Yasmeen decided to do something to alleviate some of their isolation. And that "something" symbolizes her desire to connect people, enable collaboration, and grow community.
This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series, which focuses on school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already "unstuck." And by "Unstuck," we mean they are supporting a major shift in education that will increase the potential for administrators and teachers to achieve desired outcomes. Yasmeen Robbins has spent 16 years in public education, most recently as an Instructional Coach. What caught our attention is the APP she's building that will promote cross-district collaboration.
This week we chatted with an Assistant Superintendent of the Mesa Arizona Public Schools, Dr. Randy Mahlerwein. Randy believes that educators need to create different types of learners with a different skill set from what they have typically produced in the past. Doing so is imperative if they're going to create learners who can thrive in the evolving world of work. To help educators navigate such a shift, Randy had to demonstrate adaptive leadership and create a psychologically safe environment.
If school leaders want staff to feel comfortable designing and initiating changes to benefit students, they have to create a culture of psychological safety for experimentation – and failure.
Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, the Assistant Superintendent over Secondary Schools in the Mesa Public Schools explains how to do just that.
This week on "Getting Unstuck," we chatted with Principal "Missie" Patschke on the need to build leadership capacity with all staff. The necessity of building the capacity of others to lead is not a new idea. It’s not universally practiced, though, because leaders typically get stuck trying to build capacity in one of three ways. We'll investigate a way to break free of those barriers in this week's deeper-dive feature "Worth a Listen, Look, or Read."
In this conversation, we hear from elementary school principal Dr. Melissa "Missie" Patschke, a leader who instinctively gets how you build capacity in others. This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series, which focuses on school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already "unstuck." They’re doing things better, not just differently, not just as part of the most recent trend, but because they want to increase the likelihood that they can achieve desired outcomes on behalf of their students.
This week we chatted with Assistant Superintendent Constantino “Costa” Aquilar regarding his district’s now six-year shift to broaden its students' post high school opportunities. The district’s shift is remarkable not only for its scope, but also because of the extensive communication that fosters it. We dug deeper into that idea of communication by looking at an ongoing process of adaptation and change in a forest where “communication” is required for survival
In this interview, "Costa" Aguilar, Assistant Superintendent of the Merced Union High School District details the shift his district started six years ago. This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series, which focuses on school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already "unstuck." They’re doing things better, not just differently, not just as part of the most recent trend, but because they want to increase the likelihood that they can achieve desired outcomes on behalf of their students.
This week we enjoyed getting an update from Principal JoAnne Duncan. JoAnne first appeared on our show last October. She impressed us with how she tried to simplify her staff's approach to managing COVID by keeping them focused on what they could control.
We extended the idea of simple through the work of Carl Richards, a certified financial planner. Richards has a knack for recasting complex ideas as simple illustrations with a few strokes of a felt-tip marker and paper no bigger than a napkin.
We aired our first interview with Principal JoAnne Duncan in October 2020. With that challenge staring this young principal in the face, we focused our conversation on leadership. If her leadership could be boiled down to one word, it would have to be “caring.”
With the challenging year of COVID somewhat in the rearview mirror, we caught up with JoAnne and asked her to reflect on what guided her this past year and provide some guidance to educators who will again be facing a challenging school year.
Today we welcome someone working on the frontline of education. Elementary school principal, JoAnne Duncan, is a big-hearted, inspirational leader – just what her staff, kids, and parents need as they labor under the cloud of COVID-19.
Before she became a principal, JoAnne served as a first grade teacher, kindergarten teacher, and reading specialist. She believes in the brilliance of each child and knows firsthand that when we follow a child’s curiosity and interests, joyful, deep learning happens.
This week we talked with Dr. Deb Gustafson on how she is again applying Jim Collins' flywheel principle, this time as an Assistant Superintendent, to develop a district office staff that relentlessly focuses on supporting its teachers so that they can in turn relentlessly focus on supporting their kids.
We extended that idea of having a disciplined mindset through Essentialism author, Greg McKeown's discussion of setting a priority versus priorities by asking the question "What's Important Now?"
We first spoke with Dr. Deborah Gustafson in December 2019 about how she had applied Jim Collins’ principle of the flywheel to her work as an elementary school principal. She wanted to focus on those practices that would move the dial for her kids. Academically, yes, but even more important was the need for her kids to believe in themselves. Therefore, hiring people who were instinctively wired to support kids was essential. COVID has only intensified the need to stay focused and hire the right people.
One of the problems that plague most organizations is when and how to change. For many, the process looks like fruit-of-the-month club: they try “this” until a new “this” comes along. Jim Collins wrote about this behavior in Good to Great. To avoid this phenomenon, great organizations employ something Collins called “the flywheel” process – a process involving 4-6 elements with each element impacting driving the next. One educator, Dr. Deb Gustafson, wondered if it would work in her school.
This week we talked with three guests on the idea of unstructured play for children. One of our guests, Hannah Beach, describes “unstructured play” as invented activities from the mind of a child.
Unlike adult-organized activities or technology-driven entertainment, unstructured play gives kids the opportunity to digest and make sense of their world and ultimately to grow as humans.
If opportunities for unstructured play are critical for kids’ sound mental health, are they also critical for adults?
When COVID first impacted education over a year ago, one of the messages we heard from educators is that “we need to address the social and emotional needs of our students.” That message was driven by the concern that kids were increasingly isolated. Strong relationships that had existed began to fray. COVID also uncovered disparities in access to instruction, and so student performance suffered. But here’s the sad truth: many of our kids were already in social and emotional trouble long before COVID.
Innovating in education can be challenging because of red tape, limitations, and a constant lack of funds. But this week's guest, George Couros, cautions that constraints shouldn't stop innovation.
We can choose to look at a problem and the constraints that surround it, and be frustrated, or we can work with what we have to find a solution. One of the principles of innovation science is that the solution is contained in the problem. In this episode, we'll look at some innovators who used that thinking.
A recent guest on our show remarked that "The discussion in education has moved beyond the question of ‘Do we need to transform education to make it more responsive to the needs of students in the 21st century?’ That train has left the station. The debate now is over how.” Today’s guest, educator George Couros, answers that question in part by pointing to purposeful innovation. Not just innovation that changes something, but innovation that provides greater value, and makes teaching and learning better.
In this week's episode of “Getting Unstuck”, we talked with Dr. Deborah MacNamara, a school counseling psychologist on why it’s important for leaders to establish a healthy culture based on relationships.
Interpersonal relationships are critical, but their success may be dependent on the relationship we have with ourselves. Those relationships can suffer do to what psychologists call the "empathy gap." And that’s where we’re going to focus in this installment of “Worth a Listen, Look, or Read.”
Given what school leaders may face this fall —
lingering exhaustion brought on by managing the last year and a half under the cloud of COVID, and
the relentless academic push which manifests itself in the fear of students’ loss of learning — how can they help teachers nurture a culture of collective strength, of sustaining relationship-based rituals?
Counselor and educator, Dr. Deborah MacNamara provides some direction.
This week we reintroduced you to Jamahl Hines, an Assistant Principal and the founder of the Future Educators of Diversity, a program that creates a pipeline for developing teachers of color.
Jamahl’s story inspired us to look for other educators who are trying to reshape schools. Here we found Emily Pilloton-Lam, the Executive Director of the nonprofit Girls Garage where she teaches young girls how to put power tools together with science and math principles to build projects for their communities.
We first aired this interview with Jamahl Hines last November. His story continues to inspire us as an example of an effective change catalyst. It starts with him realizing a need – in this case that students of color need to see someone like themselves standing in front of the classroom – and then by taking action to develop future educators of diversity.
A lot has happened since, so we decided to share Jamahl's good news in a brief update chat.
Sometimes circumstances are the catalyst for driving a change that you never anticipated. Assistant Principal, Jamahl Hines relates his experience in this story of transformation.
In this week's "Worth a Listen, Look or Read,” we enrich the theme of external partnerships through a story that recently aired on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
The story details how five school districts on Long Island, New York confronted a growing mental health problem among their students.
The solution that the district leaders and parents came up with relied on an external partnership and the innovation principle of “Near, Far, Sweet” – finding a solution that is desirable, feasible and viable.
What can we learn about leading transformational changes from someone outside of K12 education? In this episode we talk with Rich Razgaitis, co-founder and CEO of FloWater to learn:
• the importance of having a succinct mission statement.
• how to change behavior by first understanding human behavior.
• why you should look outside of your space for inspiration.
• the importance of agreeing on what problem you’re trying to solve.
• the need to be as dispassionate as possible when overcoming obstacles.
In this weekly mini-feature of Getting Unstuck, we provide you with a new way of thinking, some unique content, or a critical skill that speaks to our mission of helping leaders wherever they are get unstuck and achieve their desired outcomes.
I this week's episode, we introduce the concept of "resistance" as it potentially relates to students developing their agency — their choice and voice in what they want to learn, and how they want to learn and demonstrate their knowledge.
One of the most fundamental shifts we're seeing is a move toward greater student agency. When educators and educational systems focus on students as active navigators of their own learning and development, great things happen. And while we want to support student agency, we may not have a clear picture of how to develop it, or have the day-to-day habits and structure in place to make it happen in our schools. Our conversation with 11th grade literature teacher, Kerry Graham, provides some answers.
We know that writing as a life skill is made even more necessary as the business world increasingly demands workers who are critical thinkers who can articulate points of view and make persuasive arguments. As we think about the deeper purpose of school, we'll also discuss how writing can engage kids and help them develop agency. Aaron Pribble, a high school social studies teacher and author of Writing in the Social Studies: A Practical Guide for Teaching an Essential Skill, explains.
When is the right time to make changes to K-12 education? Now? Later? Today’s guest, Dr. Kim Fleming, President of Core Education, a consulting firm specializing in teacher effectiveness initiatives argues that the best time is now. Kim then reviews changes that are already taking place in four critical areas of schooling: professional development, social and emotional learning, teacher roles, and student agency.
In this episode, Jeff takes a nostalgic trip, and social studies educators Larry Cuban and Phil Roden discuss the state of social studies education today, wrestling with both the purpose of social studies education: Is it to develop patriotism, citizenship, or critical thinking? And the best instructional method: Chronological? Thematic? Skills? Experiential?
"How do we create and spread better models of learning for young people, so that they can truly thrive in the world? asks Jenee Henry Wood, Head of Organizational Learning with Transcend Education, a not-for-profit organization that supports school communities to create and spread extraordinary, equitable learning environments. And when we say models, we mean the experiences that students are having in school. In Part 2, we learn about Transcend's 10-Step framework as it works with one school.
"How do we create and spread better models of learning for young people, so that they can truly thrive in the world? asks Jenee Henry Wood, Head of Organizational Learning with Transcend Education, a not-for-profit organization that supports school communities to create and spread extraordinary, equitable learning environments. And when we say models, we mean the experiences that students are having in school. In Part 1, we get exposed to the philosophy of change that Transcend follows with schools.
What’s considered when creating a school experience for today’s students facing tomorrow’s world? A unique combination of design principles and ethos explains Tom Woelper, the founding head of the New England Innovation Academy. "The founders really thought that our educational system needed to evolve and change. It was not preparing students for our rapidly changing world where we’re looking at disruptive technologies, the end of careers as we know it, and preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet.
As a former teacher turned speaker and happiness coach, Kim Strobel helps schools, businesses, and organizations prioritize their happiness and well-being so they can overcome their fears, discover their joy, activate their limitless potential, and boldly pursue their dreams.
Students must be able to drive their own learning to fully reap its benefits explains teacher Ben Pendarvis. If we want active citizens, reflective thinkers, and confident leaders to compete globally, we must give students more experiences to inhabit these roles. The results of these experiences empowers students to remember what they learn and take on the kind of skills we want to see in our local, national, and global economies, and also in our homes, neighborhoods, markets, and public forums.
Students must be able to drive their own learning to fully reap its benefits explains teacher Ben Pendarvis. If we want active citizens, reflective thinkers, and confident leaders to compete globally, we must give students more experiences to inhabit these roles. The results of these experiences empowers students to remember what they learn and take on the kind of skills we want to see in our local, national, and global economies, and also in our homes, neighborhoods, markets, and public forums.
Do you confidently sing your life song? Or is it still waiting inside of you to be played? Educator Barbara Bray helps us understand the importance of those questions as they apply to today's students. Barbara is an author, speaker, keynoter, and consultant. She is the host of the Rethinking Learning podcast, founder/owner of My eCoach and co-author of Make Learning Personal and How to Personalize Learning. She is author of Define Your Why where she focuses on re-defining your WHY during uncertain times.
Do you confidently sing your life song? Or is it still waiting inside of you to be played? Educator Barbara Bray helps us understand the importance of those questions as they apply to today's students. Barbara is an author, speaker, keynoter, and consultant. She is the host of the Rethinking Learning podcast, founder/owner of My eCoach and co-author of Make Learning Personal and How to Personalize Learning. She is author of Define Your Why where she focuses on re-defining your WHY during uncertain times.
Want to help improve race relations? You can start by understanding what’s going on in that 3lb weight sitting on your shoulders. Jason Greer, the Founder and President of Greer Consulting, Inc., a labor management and employee relations consulting firm, explains. Jason is known for his work in the area of racial reconciliation based on his experience as a victim of cross burnings by the KKK. He is the co-author of Bias, Racism, and the Brain: How We Got to Where we Are and What Needs to Happen Next.
Want to help improve race relations? You can start by understanding what’s going on in that 3lb weight sitting on your shoulders. Jason Greer, the Founder and President of Greer Consulting, Inc., a labor management and employee relations consulting firm, explains. Jason is known for his work in the area of racial reconciliation based on his experience as a victim of cross burnings by the KKK. He is the co-author of Bias, Racism, and the Brain: How We Got to Where we Are and What Needs to Happen Next.
Here on Getting Unstuck, we’ve focused on companies and their leadership only when we’re aware that they’re doing something extraordinary in the area of change. So we were pleased in this episode to talk with Rick Woldenberg about his experiences of successfully navigating the choppy COVID waters for his businesses, customer, and staff. Rick is the Chairman and CEO of three education focused companies.
Here on Getting Unstuck, we’ve focused on companies and their leadership only when we’re aware that they’re doing something extraordinary in the area of change. So we were pleased in this episode to talk with Rick Woldenberg about his experiences of successfully navigating the choppy COVID waters for his businesses, customer, and staff. Rick is the Chairman and CEO of three education focused companies.
Innovate within our current schools? Transform education completely? “The reality is, we have to do both," argues Professor Tom Hatch, a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and Director of the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST). "We have to improve the schools we have, but at the same time, we have to transform the education system so that we're supporting the development of all students.”
Innovate within our current schools? Transform education completely? “The reality is, we have to do both," argues Professor Tom Hatch, a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and Director of the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST). "We have to improve the schools we have, but at the same time, we have to transform the education system so that we're supporting the development of all students.”
In this episode, we hear from Grace McGuirk, a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Public Health. Grace is the Evaluation Manager and Nutrition Advisor with the Sage Garden Project, a program that provides staff, equipment, and training to high-need school garden programs to help students experience standards-based, grade-appropriate lessons as they grow, prepare, and share nourishing food.
In this episode, we hear from Grace McGuirk, a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Public Health. Grace is the Evaluation Manager and Nutrition Advisor with the Sage Garden Project, a program that provides staff, equipment, and training to high-need school garden programs to help students experience standards-based, grade-appropriate lessons as they grow, prepare, and share nourishing food.
Children of color are held in virtual bondage through the negative stereotypes that define them as threatening, violent, criminal, poor, and academically disengaged. Children of color internalize these stereotypes as guilt before they even enter the school. For many children, these stereotypes become a script that influences their behavior and inhibits their ability to be engaged learners. Guest Alexs Pate explains how we can rewrite the script and bridge that gap to create an environment of "innocence."
Children of color are held in virtual bondage through the negative stereotypes that define them as threatening, violent, criminal, poor, and academically disengaged. Children of color internalize these stereotypes as guilt before they even enter the school. For many children, these stereotypes become a script that influences their behavior and inhibits their ability to be engaged learners. Guest Alexs Pate explains how we can rewrite the script and bridge that gap to create an environment of "innocence."
According to author and education researcher, Heather Clayton Staker, "schools can be a microcosm of the world that we want our children to grow up to create themselves. One starting point is to shift the power structure so that children are given agency and ownership to drive their own learning. Part of the shift from a teacher-led to a student-driven mindset will come from giving students multiple learning pathways and empowering them to set their own goals and follow them."
Even without COVID-19, leading a class, school or district isn’t easy. You have to be focused on what matters most. Key to that, as argued here by Superintendent of Port Washington, NY schools, Dr. Michael Hynes, is knowing your North Star – your values, why you're going what you're doing, what you're trying to achieve, and what your non-negotiables are.
The traditional high school transcript reinforces outdated modes of education, limits learning to single subjects, and impedes the pursuit of educational equity. It sorts students through narrow measures such as grades and GPA. Ben Rein of the Mastery Transcript Consortium explains why the Mastery Transcript is a dramatic alternative. It supports each student in exploring varied pathways to futures of interest, and in being recognized for acquiring and mastering skills both inside and outside of school.
Our current system of education is broken. The structures and practices starting with our federal system, down to the states, to the districts, to the schools – including most of higher education – do not support or incentivize innovative ways of engaging students that encourage them to pursue their interests and passions, and develop the skills necessary to contribute to a better world. Dr. Chris Unger explains how we must inspire and empower educators to change education to better support students.
When the Gallup organization measured student engagement in school, they found that engagement drops from 5th grade on. Only about half of students in middle school reported high levels of engagement and about one-third of high school students reported the same. Why are our students increasingly disengaged? In this conversation, Dr. Eric Toshalis who for the past three decades has served public education in a variety of roles explains the causes of student disengagement and what we can do about them.
In this episode, we talk with Gregg Brown. Gregg spent 30 years in the telecommunications industry. He became an instructor at the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) where he taught marketing and economics using Profession Based Learning. In 2017, Gregg became the CAPS Network Coordinator to support the growing number of programs using the CAPS Model. Here, Gregg explains how businesses and schools are partnering to provide students with meaningful exposure to the world of work.
In this episode, we talk with Patrick Cook-Deegan. Patrick is a leader in reimagining adolescent education through the lens of purpose learning. He is the Founder and CEO of Project Wayfinder.
Project Wayfinder imagines a world where adolescent education is designed for all students to develop lives of meaning and purpose. It partner with educators to design innovative learning experiences that foster meaningful connection and guide students to navigate life with purpose.
“It’s all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story that enhances our quality of life." Here we are fortunate to chat with two amazing guests: Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander. Ben is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Youth Orchestra. Rosamund is a therapist and an accomplished painter. They are the authors of The Art of Possibility — a life-change book if you practice its twelve practices. Roz is the author of a follow-up volume, Pathways to Possibility.
What’s it like to sense on a spiritual level that the work you’re doing isn’t the work you’re supposed to be doing? Lorraine Flower's transformation story from corporate executive to corporate change agent – someone who brings the power of spirituality and consciousness into the workplace – is not typical of the business executive burnout stories that we’re used to hearing. Lorraine was quite happy in her work. She simply had a feeling that she had a connection – as she puts it – “to something bigger.”
One of the ongoing changes we’re increasingly experiencing is artificial intelligence: the simulation of human intelligence in a machine. Simply put, machines are quickly becoming “intelligent” enough to do many tasks that humans used to do. The implications are enormous, especially relative to the work we will do going forward and how we will do it. And, as our guest Professor Ed Hess explains, those shifts will require us to take our learning capabilities to a higher level in order to stay relevant.
How in touch are you with your deepest values? How much are you leading your life in alignment with them? Author Shelley Paxton tells her story of awakening in Soulbattical: A Corporate Rebels Guide to Finding Your Best Life.
Shelley went from a position of corporate power and prestige with one of the world's most iconic brands to the depths of near self-destruction. Only a recurring nightmare awakened her to the realization that life had to be and could be more.
How can educators help to develop the leader in every child? Educators Todd Nesloney and Adam Dovico explain.
What qualities do successful school systems share. Education journalist Beth Hawkins gives her perspective from what she has seen in her extensive reporting.
Education transformation evangelist, Jaime Casap, asks – and begins to answer – “What’s holding us back as a nation from truly reforming our education system?”
In this episode, “human-focused” thought leader, Mark LeBusque – educator, trainer, speaker, podcaster, author, coach – asks and answers a provocative question: “What would happen if I treated my colleagues like human beings?”
Sometimes circumstances are the catalyst for driving a change that you never anticipated. Assistant Principal, Jamahl Hines relates his experience in this story of transformation.
If you could ensure that students develop one skill in school, what would it be? Educator and attorney, Colin Seale, argues for thinking critically.
The world is rapidly changing. So, too, are the needs of tomorrow’s workforce. How do we change education accordingly? Education reformer Grant Lichtman explains.
How do you lead people effectively when nothing is as it used to be? Principal JoAnne Duncan explains that connecting with people begins with listening.
Innovation is often described in terms of its process – the mechanics of harnessing ingenuity. David Price (OBE) points the spotlight on the people powering the process.
What distinguishes good teachers from “the best” teachers? (It’s not content knowledge.) Thought-leader of change in education, Dr. Robert Quinn provides an absorbing answer.
How might we figuratively break down the walls of the classroom and share ideas in an effort to improve teaching and learning? Ben Owens, CEO of Open Way Learning explains why and how we need to do just that.
How do we best prepare kids to succeed in today’s fast-evolving world? STEAM coordinator Andrew Sachs explains how part of the answers comes down to one word: teamwork.
A lot of times when we ask why we are doing something in education a certain way, we get the answer "Because we've always done it that way." One educator who challenges that assumption is Melissa Romano, candidate for Montana State Superintendent of Instruction. And she challenges that assumption with a question that asks us to stop and think, "Are we doing what's best for kids now?"
The educational research is pretty clear: two critical factors move the student success dial the most (1) understanding how teachers think about their instruction and student learning, (2) how students learn, and the intersection of the two. Educational researcher Professor John Hattie explains.
Innovating in today's schools is tough for a number of reasons. There are historic barriers and sometimes frankly, there's the inertia of leadership. One easy way to innovate and bring some pretty interesting results for kids, however, is to literally step outside the walls of the classroom and school. Long-time educational observer and reformer, Tom Vander Ark explains "The Power of Place."
We all like to think we’re working hard, right? The sad fact, though, is that most of us spend a lot of time doing “fake work,” which is emotionally draining and non-productive. And someone who has researched the concept of fake work and seen a lot of it first hand – and sometimes engaged in it – is Gaylan Nielson, author of Stop Fake Work in Education. Listen in as Gaylan defines "fake work" and how we can avoid it.
How do you teach during these challenging times? Experiment. Try something. Try something else. And above all, nurture student relationships. Teacher and education technology master Chris Nesi explains.
How do we move forward as a national around the discussion of race? We start, says principal Anthony McWright, by acknowledging our biases.
Why won’t a cooker-cutter approach to transforming schools work? Principal of the innovative Science Leadership Academy, Chris Lehmann explains.
Today we welcome Dimitry Anselme, the Executive Program Director for Professional Learning and Support at “Facing History and Ourselves.” The mission of this nonprofit organization is to use lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. In this episode, we’ll learn about Dimitri’s and Facing History’s vision for how schools can create educational experiences that combine social and emotional learning, equity, and civic education.
“The best thing we can ever do for kids is help them find their ‘why’ in life.” Dr. Ken Wallace, Superintendent of District 207 in Park Ridge, Illinois explains why and what happens when schools don’t.
Fundamental to changing schools so that they’re more beneficial to a student’s future is understanding how students learn. Neuroscience researcher Melissa Hughes Ph.D. explains.
Innovating in education just to innovate is pointless. Ideas on how to change education abound. The key, according to veteran principal Evan Robb is to align everyone around a vision of student success.
Whether you’re a parent, an educator, or just a concerned citizen, you have a big stake in what happens in our classrooms – the incubators of our future. If you listen to education transformation advocates, we need to change those incubators by recognizing that we’re in a post-industrial society and build an educational system that better prepares children for it.
To support that discussion, we welcome four school leaders from the Mesa, Arizona Public Schools who are leading the change effort now.
Today we welcome Mike Oliver, Principal of Zaharis Elementary School in Mesa Arizona. Mike and his team have shaped this extraordinary school over the past 18 years. It brings to life many of the principles of change called for by the transformation advocates: agency for students and teachers; real-world problem solving; opportunities for collaboration and innovation; social and emotional development; and curiosity. And one of its hallmarks is no test preparation beyond the daily school activities.
Whether you’re a parent, an educator, or a concerned citizen, you have a big stake in what happens in our classrooms – the incubators of our future. If you listen to education transformation advocates, we need to build an educational system that better prepares children for our post-industrial age. The problem is most school systems are still rooted in competition, the status quo, and trying to make what already exists more efficient. Author and transformational change advocate, Richard Gerver, explains.
Today we're joined by professors Mark Smylie and Karen Seashore Louis. Mark and Karen along with Joseph Murphy are the authors of Caring School Leadership and Stories of Caring School Leadership, two books that speak to the need to develop caring leadership in schools. We'd think that "caring" in schools would be a given, but as the authors have seen, it's not always the case. Here we'll find out why caring has ebbed away in many schools and what can be done about it.
Today we are joined by author Ted Dintersmith. Ted's LinkedIn profile reads “change agent” – and the changes he’s focused on are at the intersection of “education, innovation, and democracy.” He is the author of What Schools Could Be, which details the trip he took across the U.S. in 2016, visiting some 200 schools in all 50 states. Listen as he asks and answers his own question: “Is thinking about what's going on in schools nice or imperative?”
Today, educational leaders and schools are barraged with suggestions and directives to do “this” and “that” to improve student performance and outcomes. But the problem is that we don’t really have agreement on what we mean by “performance” and “outcomes.” This special series seeks to turn up the volume on that much needed discussion. Someone who is uniquely qualified to give us a broad perspective on this topic is Mike Soules, President of Corwin.
Here, we welcome Dr. Lynne Pierson, an experienced educational professional with successful leadership achievements in urban, rural, suburban and international schools. In 2007, Dr. Pierson was asked to lead an effort to overhaul the educational system of the United Arab Emirates. Her six-year effort was a lesson in patience, understanding, and collaborating. Ultimately, coordinating the comprehensive school reform plan was as much an exercise in leadership as it was in educational development.
Anthony Kim, consultant and author of The New School Rules, is an advocate of embracing new management practices that allow continuous adaptation in today’s rapidly changing environment. As he writes in the book, “Schools that are working – and there are many – always create, early on, environments designed for evolution, responsiveness, continuous learning. A new approach to the management, organizational practices, and work of schools is an essential component to the success of students in our schools.”
If you’re a leader or teammate, you’re going to need to support the social and emotional health of your colleagues. To do that effectively, you must first establish and be secure in your own emotional intelligence. It’s a variation on the axiom: if you’re going to lead others effectively, you must first lead yourself effectively. We’re joined here by Teresa Quinlan, a consultant and coach who specializes in personal and team transformation through emotional intelligence training and coaching.
We all have a superpower – a unique gift to share with the world. The question is, how are we going to unlock, grow, and share it? Schools can help tap into our natural curiosity, but we also have to be willing to experiment and turn down the volume of our inner critic. Today we’re joined by Stacy McCoy Prime, a former New York City school principal and now the inspiration behind the "Upstream Design Lab," which creates transformational learning products and experiences for educators, students, and parents.
Today we are deeply fortunate to sit down with two amazing guests: Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander. Ben is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Youth Orchestra. Rosamund is a therapist and an accomplished painter. They are the authors of The Art of Possibility what can be a life-change book if you practice its twelve practices. Roz is the author of a follow-up volume, Pathways to Possibility.
It's pretty accepted today by thought leaders that you can't effectively lead others until you know yourself and manage your behaviors appropriately. Understanding our various mindsets is key to building that self-awareness and the appropriate behaviors that follow. We'll dig into those mindsets in this conversation with Ryan Gottfredson PhD., a cutting-edge teacher, consultant, author, trainer, and researcher who helps improve organizations and leaders by improving their mindsets.
School discipline has traditionally seen administrators and teachers mete out punishment for inappropriate student behavior. There’s another way advises social and emotional consultant Jim Collin. It relies instead on a social and emotional approach – one that seeks to help adults and students first understand the underlying cause or causes of the disruptive behavior. Central to success is the need to for adults and students to create and operate within a safe, calming space.
Leading complex changes – especially during a crisis – requires leaders to be master balancers in that they have to manage both the human aspects of change , e.g., resistance to change, motivation, and consensus decision making, as well as the more technical aspects of change, e.g. What concern do we attack first? How do priorities shift over the life of a complex change? We hear the details from change expert, April Armstrong.
People think “virtual distance” is a function of geographic dispersion, but it's not. It's really the psychological and emotional distance that is created when we put a piece of machinery between us when we're talking. When virtual distance is high, this disconnect starts to affect how we feel, which affects how we think, which affects the decisions we make, which affects performance, which impacts achieving desired results. So how do we reduce virtual distance? Author Dr. Karen Sobel Lujeski explains.
As authors Chris Mason and Dr. Melissa ("Missie") Patschke describe it in their new book, Visioning Onward, “visioning” is more than just another prescription for a lofty sounding Mission or Vision statement that we see adorning the walls of most schools. Instead, "visioning" is a step-by step process that helps schools and communities imagine in a heart-centered way what they want on behalf of their students. It’s a process that can lead to transformative change.
It’s our pleasure to welcome Chester Elton back to Getting Unstuck. The thematic river that runs through Chester’s books, coaching and consulting is staff engagement and its impact. His research shows that performance and results improve when leaders authentically and purposefully engage their staff whether it’s in business or education. And the expression of authentic gratitude is one key way to engage staff.
Why are children more anxious, aggressive and shut down than ever before? And what can be done to reverse this course? In this episode of Getting Unstuck, we'll get answers from educators Tamara Neufeld Strijack and Hannah Beach, authors of Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children are More Anxious, Aggressive and Shut Down Than Ever – And What We can Do About It.
Welcome to Part 13 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we probed how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I this interview, our final one in the series, we hear from education transformation advocate Richard Gerver on why schools need to take advantage of this period and not slip back into the old normal, and why local practitioners are best equipped to lead the transformation.
Welcome to Part 12 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are very busy, we’ve limited these conversations to about 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Senior Director of Technology Michele Dawson, it's about meeting the technology needs of students, parents, and teachers.
Welcome to Part 11 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For educational service agency heads Dr. Jeff Hawkins and Steve Miletto, it's ultimately about helping schools answer the question: “What do we do next year?”
With the huge focus on curriculum and testing, educator, consultant and author Jocelyne Chirnside cautions that we’re missing a critical part of a child’s holistic development.
Welcome to Part 10 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are very busy, we’ve limited these conversations to about 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Principal Zaharah Valentine, it means addressing the needs of the entire school population – students and faculty.
Welcome to Part 9 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are very busy, we’ve limited these conversations to about 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Chula Vista Elementary S.D. educators Toni Faddis Ed.D and Giulia Longo, it's all about nurturing relationships with students and parents.
Welcome to Part 8 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are very busy, we’ve limited these conversations to about 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For UK-based co-Principal Vic Goddard, it’s safe-guarding the most vulnerable of his students.
Welcome to Part 7 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are very busy, we’ve limited these conversations to about 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Principal Mike Oliver, it’s about providing students with opportunities to learn in authentic ways.
Welcome to Part 6 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are very busy, we’ve limited these conversations to 15 to 20 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Superintendent Dr. David Schuler, it’s about supporting the social and emotional health of students, faculty and staff, and the community.
Today on “Getting Unstuck,” authors Kirsten Richert, Jeff Ikler, and Margaret Zacchei unabashedly talk about their new book, Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change, why they wrote it, the school leaders and thought leaders who influenced it, and how they feel it will help educators ask the right question about a potential change:
“Is this change something that will help us achieve our “Why of Intended Impact” – the outcomes we seek on behalf of our unique students”?
Welcome to Part 5 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are extremely busy, we’ve limited these conversations to approximately 15 minutes.
How do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For educators Dr. Ken Wallace and Jill Geocaris, it starts with taking care of everyone’s mental health.
Welcome to Part 4 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are extremely busy, we’ve limited these conversations to approximately 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Principal Evan Robb, t’s about prioritizing activities, taking small steps, learning, and making adjustments.
Welcome to Part 3 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are extremely busy, we’ve limited these conversations to 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Director of Middle School Teaching and Learning Kim Pence, it’s about managing expectations, having patience, and trusting your faculty.
Welcome to Part 2 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities to pivot. Because these educators are extremely busy, we’ve intentionally limited these conversations to 15 minutes. So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Principal Margaret Zacchei, it’s about giving people the opportunity to show up with their gifts.
Welcome to Part 1 of a special series: "Leading Schools in a Time of Crisis." In these conversations, we will probe how educators are helping their schools and communities pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these educators are extremely busy, we’ve intentionally limited these conversations to 15 minutes.
So, how do educators effectively lead change during a crisis? For Principal Carol Kampa, it starts with maintaining and strengthening relationships with students, faculty, and the community.
Enabling sustained organizational success today forces us to look at the leadership staff relationship differently. Mike Vacanti explains how we need to refocus our perspective.
Our lives are rarely linear. Most of us start out “here” and then make a series of twists and turns. Sometimes we’re the driver. Sometimes fate and opportunity take the wheel. And sometimes someone else says “I’ll drive.” In this "Transformation Story," we hear from Lorraine Flower – her journey from being on the corporate fast-track in her mid-thirties to an advisor for leaders and organizations on how to bring the power of spirituality and consciousness to their work.
What changes can schools and school leaders make to better support students today as well as their future growth? Educator Steven Miletto offers three suggestions.
What does human-centered leadership look like? And how does it impact effective change? We offer some answers with our friend and Value Through Vulnerability podcast host, Garry Turner. Today’s episode is extra special for us because it’s really the first time we get to talk a little bit about our new book – Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change.
There are moral and business arguments behind any diversity and inclusiveness effort. Expert Jennifer Brown explains how to leverage both for organizational health and success.
Coaching is now recognized as essential leadership behavior, but it can be challenging to practice. Leaders have to replace one set of behaviors and their rewards with another. Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit and The Advice Trap, explains how to stay curious a little bit longer.
What does someone do with their life if emotional and physical pain is all they have ever known? What happens when they hit "rock bottom"? In this "transformation story," Lisa Sargese explains how she drew on spiritual and personal strength, and the words from those around her, to pull herself up and move forward. Her journey isn't over, but she has experienced tremendous personal growth by helping to support others in need.
Many of us have experienced that nagging feeling that “There has to more to life than this.” But, what do we do about it? Some of us do nothing other than listen to our inner critic about our shortcomings. Garry Turner took a different approach. He decided that a lovely house, good salary, a nice car and other accoutrements of "success" weren't enough. He knew he was missing something – there was more to his life's purpose that he wasn't seeing. Listen in as he shares his story of awakening.
As leaders, how is what we say and how we say it critical to staff growth and organizational success? In his new book, Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don’t, L. David Marquet (USS Navy ret) explains. Here, he digs deeper into how language can transform leadership and staff performance. Ultimately changing the language we use with each other helps us see the leader in ourselves.
How do you best manage life’s transitions, and the inevitable ups and downs of life? In this episode of Getting Unstuck, we’ll hear some interesting suggestions based on the concept of "Emotional Empowerment" from Dr. Carla Cooke: psychotherapist, speaker, radio host, and author.
Our lives are rarely linear. Most of us start out “here” and then make a series of twists and turns. Sometimes we’re the driver. Sometimes fate and opportunity take the wheel. And sometimes someone else says “I’ll drive.” In this "Transformation Story," we hear from Randy Ginsburg – his journey from being bullied to entrepreneur to author sharing a path of potential growth for others.
In this conversation, we are joined by Tara Nolan. Tara is a leadership coach, a team coach, a facilitator of leadership training programs, a keynote speaker and host of "The Game of Teams” podcast. As Tara shares her backstory, we learn about her seemingly easy ability to “reinvent” herself, but also her need to better understand what she was moving away from and the reasons why. Her recognition of the importance of self-reflection becomes a light she shines into teams to help improve their performance.
Our lives are rarely linear. Most of us start out “here” and then make a series of twists and turns. In this series, we call “Transformation Stories,” we interview one individual about how they came to be where they are now – aligned with who they really are and where they want to be in life. In this episode, we talk with Rachel Druckenmiller. Rachel knew early on that she had a voice that could serve a higher purpose, but it was muted. She unleashed it by asking herself the question "Where am I hiding?"
The New Year fast approaches, and that means ‘tis the season of “New Year’s resolutions.” It’s not surprising that we take on these goals. Most of us want something greater for ourselves – a different version of ourselves perhaps. But wanting and doing are two different enterprises. The sad fact is that most our best intentions fail as early as February. In this episode, we posit why this might be happening and how a different approach just might yield the results we want.
What does real organizational change look like in action? We’ve talked a lot about change here on our podcast, and we written extensively about the process in our forthcoming book, Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. (Corwin Press) But writing about it and actually facilitating it are different. So today, we shift from our traditional interview format and have an informal discussion around a change initiative we're facilitating for a client where we are putting ideas into practice.
"The Eagle has landed!" The success story of the Apollo space program is well known. Less well known is how the Apollo team overcame hurdles and setbacks to achieve success. The effort required changes in computing, rocketry, organizational management, problem solving and attitudes. It required everyone to experiment to find out what worked, and to learn that just because something had never been done before didn’t mean it can’t be done. One Giant Leap author Charles Fishman explains.
What are the hallmarks of an organization that relentlessly seeks to operate within a culture of continuous learning? And what does the leader look like who leads such an organization with intentionality? We dive deep into those intertwined topics with the help of Mark Ethier, Co-founder and CEO of iZotope, makers of intelligent audio technology.
One of the problems that plague most organizations is when and how to change. For many, the process looks like fruit-of-the-month club: they try “this” until a new “this” comes along. Jim Collins wrote about this behavior in Good to Great. To avoid this phenomenon, great organizations employ something Collins called “the flywheel” process – a process involving 4-6 elements with each element impacting driving the next. One educator, Dr. Deb Gustafson, wondered if it would work in her school.
Most of us could likely identify someone we think is "charismatic." But when it comes to defining charismatic qualities, we're likely to fall silent or offer banalities such as "electric," "engaging," or "magnetic." Ever curious, Joe Kwon, "The Connection Counselor," set out to more carefully outline those qualities that make up the charismatic persona, and the result is his new book, Unlock Your Charisma. Interestingly, many of the qualities are the same ones that we would like to see in our leaders.
Organizations thrive and survive on the creativity of their employees. But what constitutes “creativity”? Are we born with it? Can it be drawn out of us by our teammates, manager, or the type of work we do? And what is the relationship between creativity and employee engagement, and how do both impact problem solving?
Dr. Tracy Stanley, a social scientist and author of The Engagement Whisperer, and Barbara Wilson, an executive coach, and creativity facilitator and trainer provide some answers.
The performance of U.S. education is often the recipient of criticism – and much of it is justified. Despite mountains of research on what works and the strong effort of most educators, many of the students coming out of our K-12 system are only basically equipped to participate in and contribute to society. Why? Jay McTighe, a renowned educator, and Dr. Judy Willis, a neuroscientist and teacher make a cogent case for radically changing how we prepare teachers, develop curricula, and provide instruction.
Why do some of our communications land as intended and others don't?
Say “Hello!” to Lila Smith, a messaging consultant and “Communications Breakthrough Coach.” Lila has successfully leveraged her theatrical training to become one of the world’s most recognized and sought-after communications experts. Here, we’ll learn how to improve our messaging so that it's serving our purpose and the listener's.
Most of us encounter adversity of some juncture during our lives. How we respond to it says a lot about who we are. Heather Younger certainly encountered adversity through a particular set of circumstances early in her life. We’ll learn how Heather responded through the remarks she made at the May 2019 Colorado Springs TEDx. The title of her talk was “Transform Adversity into Opportunity with One Simple Technique.”
In this "Transformation Story," we talk with Jessica Du Bois. Jessica is a consultant and leader in the employee benefit industry who helps organizations by creating people- and purpose-focused benefits programs. Jessica’s transformation story began when she was asked to join a small gathering of influential leaders. Listen to what two of the participants said to her and how that catalyst prompted her to begin a journey of self-discovery.
What does it mean to provide candid and compassionate feedback? Why is this “ying” and “yang” of helping staff to improve so important to changing behavior? We’ll get answers to these questions and others from two seasoned educators and prolific authors, bloggers, and podcasters, Joe Jones and T.J. Vari.
How might you think differently about how your organization works and approaches change?
Here, we’ll learn how Rona Wilensky, Ivette Visbal, and a team of educators wrestled with this question when they decided to break the mold of the traditional high school. Rona is the founding and former principal of New Vista, an alternative high school in Boulder, Colorado, and Ivette Visbal is currently the school’s Dean of Students.
How human is your workplace? How can what works well at work, work even better? Whom do you rely on to initiate change at work: Yourself? Or “leadership” from above? We’ll discuss these and other questions with Mike Vacanti, an organizational change catalyst. Mike is also the inspiration behind the #Human First Club – an intimate conference that seeks to "address the future of work, personal and organizational development, wellness and strategies for success in today’s transformational business climate.”
In this episode of “Getting Unstuck – Shift for Impact,” we’re joined by Kris Macc. Kris is the founder and president of KMACC Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in emotional intelligence and leadership development in the workplace.
She is also the author of the recently published and highly acclaimed #NOAPPROVALNEEDED, a book that brings together the consistency of voice of women in their 40s from all over the world. Women in their 20s, 30s, and 50s and beyond – and men – listen up!
Kevin Strauss is the CEO of Uchi, an app for connecting with others authentically and privately. Kevin trained as a biomedical engineer and invented medical devices for improving people’s lives. Over time, he realized that a key element in whether individuals and teams could innovate successfully had more to do with soft-side human skills than their hard-side technical skills. Kevin turned this passion for connection into a consulting practice where he works with organizations to improve emotional wellness.
In this episode, we’re joined by Marvin Cadet, a Project Manager for The Mission Continues. The Mission Continues is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit that supports Armed Forces’ veterans to continue their service, and empower communities with their talent, skills and preparedness to generate visible impact. Marvin helps run critical community service projects in the Northeast – revitalizing neighborhoods, transforming public spaces, and improving educational resources.
In this episode, we're joined by Bill Ruggles, a true Zen-master of project management. Bill will help us demystify the role of PM as it pertains to complex change initiatives. He’ll talk extensively about three factors that organizations must consider when planning a major shift. Along the way we’ll learn how PM can help organizations avoid having their change initiatives become part of the 70% that fail.
Do you have to be naturally creative to innovate? Or is there a method and are there tools that everyone can use innovate? We’ll explore this question and others with Amnon Levav, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Systematic Inventive Thinking (S.I.T.), a Tel Aviv-based innovation firm that works with organizations all over the world. Amnon will explain why innovating against the product, service or process you already have yields better ideas than blue-sky brainstorming.
Do you have to be naturally creative to innovate? Or is there a method and are there tools that everyone can use innovate? We’ll explore this question and others with Amnon Levav, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Systematic Inventive Thinking (S.I.T.), a Tel Aviv-based innovation firm that works with organizations all over the world. Amnon will explain why innovating against the product, service or process you already have yields better ideas than blue-sky brainstorming.
Sarah Elkins is a keynote speaker, a Gallup certified Strengths coach, the creator of the annual and unique #NoLongerVirtual conference. She is also a communications coach, the host of the podcast, Your Stories Don't Define You. How You Tell Them Will, and the author of a forthcoming book by the same name. The river that runs through her work is communication – the stories we tell, how we tell them, the patterns of thought they create, and their impact on the relationship we have with ourself and others.
Gallup reports that some 70% of all U.S. workers are on the spectrum of disengagement at work. A number of factors converge here: ineffective leadership, a stifling culture, and unclear agreement on what impact the organization is trying have. So, too, does the fact that many workers are grinding away at jobs that reflect neither their passion nor their talents.
in this interview, we’ll hear from Chester Elton, recognized as being among the world’s top leadership and organizational culture experts.
If you uttered “Ugh, resumes. . . .” when you saw the title of this episode, you’re not alone. Writing resumes is one of those things we love to hate. To sort things out, we went to an acknowledged authority on the subject, Lynda Spiegel of RisingStarResumes. Lynda worked in an HR capacity for most of her career before going solo as a resume consultant. She’s looked at countless resumes to know what helps a prospective employer answer the question: “Am I interested in knowing more about this person?
What it takes to market to anyone about anything is different today. The smart phone and access to unlimited information on the internet changed everything. It’s no longer about a company's great products and or services – their "features and benefits." According to marketing veteran, Zach Messler, it’s about the buyer – what they are thinking and feeling at any given moment. Listen in as Zach reveals the thinking behind being “clear, compelling, and convincing” in all of your marketing communications.
Innovations in technology are happening with ever-increasing speed. In this interview, we’ll hear from Neil C. Hughes, a highly respected authority on technology, on how to develop a healthy relationship with it. Neil is a much sought after speaker and writer on technology trends. He hosts the incredibly popular daily podcast, “The Tech Blog Writer Podcast“ with 50,000 listeners world wide. And speaking of podcasts, Neil will walk us through what the podcaster wannabe should consider before ever buying a mic.
We all have a “river” that runs through our veins – a theme that punctuates our life. Sometimes that theme is muted, and some times it’s loud. And sometimes it’s there, but hidden. Listen in as millennial Jordan Gross talks about his path of self-discovery – how he tore away the obstacles that stood in his way of realizing what he is meant to do in work and life.
Have you ever caught yourself wondering if you weren’t supposed to be doing something different? Maybe you thought, “I know I’m not cut out for doing ‘this,’” but at the same time "I don't know what a different 'this' might look like."
Coach Andrea Barry has heard that observation before – many times before. After a long and successful career as a military officer, Andrea decided to help business leaders identify and overcome the obstacles standing in their way of living a new “this.”
When we think of “project management,” we probably think of plans, schedules, deliverables, resources, and dependencies among various functional departments. But in the following episode, senior project manager, Bob Prol explains how project management is a “people business.” Projects succeed or fail based on the team members and their efforts. To help reinforce the human side of project management, Bob creates Haikus with wake-up call messages. Listen in as Bob weaves together p.m. principles and poetry.
In this episode of “Getting Unstuck,” we’ll hear from social activist Orville Morales. Orville is a community outreach and change specialist. We’ll learn how he marshals community support for the causes he’s undertaking – support that has different perspectives on the desired change and on the kind of support need to enact a change. We’ll learn about the critical importance of education and its underlying data. Finally, we’ll learn why it’s necessary to be as specific as possible about the change itself.
Why do some complex changes stick, while others fail miserably – up to 70% according to the Gallop organization. How much of change failure is the lack of attention paid to planning, resources, and other technicalities of change, and how much responsibility falls on the shoulders of people leading or implementing the change? Listen in as marketing communications expert, Mark O’Brien – who has witnessed the good and the bad when it comes to change – gives his perspective.
How often as a leader do you find yourself worrying about what happened yesterday, or catastrophizing about all the things that could happen tomorrow? In this episode, the third in our series on mindfulness, we’ll get insight into these questions and others with mindfulness teacher Oksana Esberard.
Note: We’ll also experience a bit of mindfulness by participating in a brief “whole brain” meditation session. Please join us for that when we get to that part of the episode – except if you’re driving!
What does it mean to be “mindful”? How can you work toward being more mindful? How does the mindful leader behave, and what impact does he or she have on those with whom they work? We’ll get answers to these questions and more in this interview with Michael Bunting. Michael is the author of a number of books, most notably The Mindful Leader. And, as a mindful consultant and trainer, Michael works around the world with organizations, helping them to transform their leadership and culture.
How often do you ask yourself “Who am I? Where am I going? How do I get there?” How do you gain personal awareness? How do you present yourself authentically to others? In this the first of three episodes on Mindfulness, we gain insight on those questions by exploring the concept of "contemplative practices" with educators Dr. Esmilda Abreu and Rhonda Schaller. We learn how those practices can lead to greater emotional intelligence, and offer important benefits to individuals and organizations.
How does your organization approach change? Where do ideas for change come from? How do you assess for change readiness? How do you develop and maintain a culture where change is seen as a vital part of the organization’s focus? How do you hire the right talent for that culture?
In this wide-ranging interview, we hear from Tom Parker how the highly respected not-for profit, Make-A-Wish America wrestles with these questions. Tom is currently serving as the organization’s Director of Human Resources.
Cognitive distortions are self-limiting patterns of thinking that many of us demonstrate in life. These mental biases include “all or nothing thinking,” “overgeneralizing,” and “no control fallacy.” Sound familiar? In this episode, we hear from Courtney Ackerman on how to identify and begin to manage these negative thought patterns. Courtney is the author of My Pocket Positivity, and a researcher and regular contributor to the Positive Psychology Program.
When have you ever been asked – or been forced – to move out of your comfort zone – the arena in which you've historically operated? What did you discover about yourself and your strength repertoire in the process? What lessons did you learn about life? In this episode, we meet Tom Dietzler who suddenly found himself engaged in two roles that were very different from the one he had heretofore performed.
Who is the best leader with whom you have ever worked? What made them so? Was it their technical knowledge and the application of their experience? Was it how they worked with staff? A combination of these qualities?
In this episode, we hear from Pat McHugh, a highly inspirational and successful leader who epitomizes the idea of the “servant leader” – the leader who leads from the “other,” and not the self, perspective.
What do we mean by “soft” or “interpersonal” skills? Where do you see them – or the absence of them – in the workplace? Which ones do you consistently demonstrate? In this episode, we’re joined by Mary Schaefer, an HR specialist who now works with organizations and leaders on how to bring humanity back to the workplace through interpersonal skills.
What are your experiences with performance appraisals? Useful? A waste of time? Somewhere in the middle? In this episode, Steve Paul, former owner of a construction service company and now a business consultant, offers a proven way to boost their usefulness: "acceleration meetings." Listen for how frequent, but time-limited conversations can bring you closer in tune with your staff's needs and idea, and establish deeper trust in the process.
Do you find yourself living your life, or someone else’s? Do you routinely invest in yourself to carve out your own identity and solidify your life? Or are you lost in someone else’s flashlight beam, a light that is gradually dimming as the batteries fade?
Today we meet Hannah Bratterud, now a fulfilled individual, and successful consultant and coach for small business owners. But it wasn’t always that way. Listen in as Hannah tells her story of transformation.
How can organizations best engage their employees to create real loyalty? What impact does leadership have on employee loyalty and engagement? What do we need to know about employee retention today?
In this episode, we get some answers from Heather Younger, best-selling author of The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty. Heather is also a workshop facilitator, motivational speaker, and host of the very popular podcast, “Leadership with Heart.”
Your life’s clock is ticking. What’s the trip you can’t afford not to take? What’s the activity you can’t afford not to do? Who is the person you can’t afford not to meet?
In this episode, we meet septuagenarian Jane Trombley, who manages 3scoreandmore.com, a unique website, which was first intended to support women interested in solo travel. The site has since grown to include people of all ages and genders.
Jane also writes extensively on the “Medium” platform for those approaching retirement.
What is the goal of U.S. education in an ever-changing world? What do we want for our students when they walk across the stage to receive their high school diplomas? How do we need to look at developing new and current teachers differently? To help answer these questions, we welcome educator Peter McWain. Here, Peter reviews the lack of agreement among key stakeholders on answers to these questions and notes the obstacles standing in the way of more systemic change in K12 education.
In this episode, we interview Joe Kwon who, as he says, “pulls back the curtain” on life in his entertaining and informative “Why it Works” podcast. There he interviews a diverse cohort of guests who speak to the universal principles behind what they do.
Joe’s other love is Aikido, the Japanese martial art. After gaining a basic understanding of some of the principles underlying it, we asked Joe to use Aikido principles to diagnose two situations where individuals needed to get out of their own way.
Our lives are rarely linear. Most of start out "here" and then make a series of twists and turns. In this "Transformation Story," we talk with Shelley Brown. Shelley’s life took a dramatic turn due to a physical ailment, but that physical challenge soon pushed her into the emotional grip of deep anxiety and fear. She tried numerous ways to get back on a level emotional plain, but nothing seemed to work — until she made a major discovery. As she relates in her story, it was the only solution left to her.
How do you view life’s changes? As a series of one-off events that are largely disconnected from each other? Or as an ongoing transition? To get a perspective on those question, we listen in on an interview our friend, Sarah Elkins, conducted with Kris Macchiarola on her podcast, "Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will.” Kris is a consultant, speaker, leader, coach, and author of #NoApprovalNeeded. She helps organizations create a culture where employees feel energized, enabled, and engaged.
How do you show up as a leader at work (and in life)? What impact do you want and need to have to feel engaged, energized, and accomplished? In this episode, Kirsten and Jeff talk with leadership expert, Kimberly Davis, author of the best seller, Brave Leadership. Here we’ll learn how to show up authentically in life and at work, and how to define our “super objective” – our personal impact statement – and what can hold us back from implementing it.
Our lives are rarely linear. Most of start out "here" and then make a series of twists and turns. In this "Transformation Story," we talk with Becca Bycott. Becca's life began to take a major turn one day riding the Metro in Washington D.C. "Courage" she would later say, "is the willingness to realize that something isn't working and to change it." As she stepped off the train, she began a journey toward self-awareness that now expresses itself in rich and honest conversation, and at the keyboard.
How do you view change – as episodic or as a constant? In this episode, which is Part 2 of a two-part series, we’ll continue to explore the idea of building a culture of change – a culture of continuous curiosity, experimentation, and learning. We'll focus primarily on leaders and organizations that operate in the absence of that philosophy. We’re joined Amy Sokal. Amy brings almost twenty-years as a leader in non‐profit development and fundraising.
How do you view complex changes – as one-offs, or as a constant to support getting desired results? In this episode, which is Part 1 of a two-part series, we’ll start to explore the idea of building a culture of change, or as we prefer to call it, a culture of continuous learning and improvement. We’ll be joined mid-way through the episode by Edtech innovator, Claire Hollenbeck. Claire will draw on her extensive experience to share what happens in an organization that encourages a culture of learning.
OK, you’ve agreed on a plan for a complex change. Now, what do you need to consider to implement the plan? How do you get staff buy-in? In the first part of this episode, we'll suggest some answers to those questions. Then we'll hear from veteran educator and consultant Margaret Zacchei. With more than 25 years of experience as a school principal and teacher backing her up, Margaret will comment on how she worked with her staff to increase the likelihood of implement successful complex changes.
How can organizations and individuals experiment with change in a way that reduces risk and prevents the “fixedness” monster from keeping them stuck? In this episode, we focus on the experimentation phase of change for both organizations and individuals. Midway through, we’ll hear from master experimenter, Alyssa Boehm. She describes the various methods she and her team use to prototype, test, and adapt new product concepts so as to increase the likelihood that the customer will like and benefit from them.
New ideas are often met with criticism and concern. In this episode, Kirsten and I review a number of strategies individuals and leaders can employ to overcome obstacles to change. Midway through this episode, we talk to author and leadership expert Lyle Kirtman who has worked extensively with business, government, and educational leaders. In this far ranging interview, Lyle explains why change initiatives often fail and explains how leaders can increase the likelihood of change success.
Our lives are rarely linear. Most of us start out “here” and then make a series of twists and turns. In this series we’re calling “Transformation Stories,” we interview one individual about how they came to be where they are now – aligned with who they really are and where they want to be in life. In this episode, we talk with Mike Johnson. Mike's work life began in the corporate world, but he exited that highway for a series of careers without which, he says, wouldn’t have allowed him to retire at age 52.
You or your organization are stuck. How do you break free and come up with new ideas to help you move forward? Dr. Esmilda Abreu, Getting Unstuck's producer, interviews hosts Kirsten Richert and Jeff Ikler to share a few systematic methods for helping teams and individuals generate break-through ideas. Kirsten shares six key steps toward creating an effective Innovation Lab. Jeff closes the show with a coaching technique to break fixedness and shift thinking by adopting multiple perspectives.
Here, Kirsten is interviewed by Joe Kwon, our friend and host of the uniquely formatted "Why It Works" podcast. We'll learn what motivated Kirsten to give up the relative safety of a full time position and step out on her own as an innovation consultant. Kirsten and Joe will discuss common misconceptions people have around innovation, what holds us back from innovating, and how we can move beyond our “fixedness” to creatively engage ourselves and employees to increase the likelihood of reaching our goals.
Here, Jeff is interviewed by Joe Kwon, our friend and host of the uniquely formatted "Why It Works" podcast. We'll learn why Jeff chose coaching as a follow-up to his career in educational publishing, the main challenges he faced in shifting from that career to coaching, and some foundational coaching principles such as being stuck in the first place, having a hidden commitment not to change, and how our inner critic can hold us back from leading the life we really want.
Effective change leaders acknowledge what is holding them back. Hosts Jeff and Kirsten explain how individuals and organizations can recognize how systemic and self-imposed obstacles – the inner critic, bad habits, and self-defeating stories – can stand in their way of moving toward their desired goals. Jeff interviews expert storyteller Sarah Elkins, who shares her experiences, and challenges us to take control not only of which stories we tell ourselves, but how we tell them.
Unlock your potential to get unstuck by actively envisioning your ideal future state. Host Jeff Ikler interviews educator Dr. Melissa Hughes, author of Happy Hour with Einstein. Dr. Hughes shares her insights on how the brain works and how to harness what we know about neuroscience to build cultures of learning and leadership. Co-host Kirsten Richert offers brain-friendly methods you can use with groups to visualize a successful future and capture key elements to activate change.
In this podcast, we look at how those exploring a potential change can ready themselves and or their organization by learning more about the broader external environment, including trends in society, economics, new technology, and other parts of the big picture. "Getting Unstuck" co-host Kirsten Richert is joined by our producer Dr. Esmilda Abreu and special guest Carl Fengler who runs the Ignition Lab at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
In this episode, hosts Kirsten Richert and Jeff Ikler recommend the counterintuitive strategy of pausing – intentionally slowing down to conduct an internal scan to fully grasp what’s underlying the state of being stuck. For individuals, Jeff Ikler suggests asking powerful questions, taking personal assessments, and engaging in specific activities as ways to unlock greater understanding. For organizations, Kirsten Richert recommends gathering customer and staff input through observations, interviews, questionnaires.
In this episode, hosts Kirsten Richert and Jeff Ikler review the “why” behind their respective practices of serving as an innovation catalyst for organizations, and a career and leadership coach for individuals. They then dive into the world of being stuck and the phases that one goes through to get unstuck. The critical first stage is accepting that you are stuck in the first place. At this stage, you acknowledge your discomfort and begin to contemplate change.
In this first episode, innovation catalyst Kirsten Richert, and career and leadership coach, Jeff Ikler, explain their mission – to help individuals and institutions think differently about change, not as something to fear, not as something they constantly have to react to, but as something they can initiate to have the impact they desire.
Through these podcast episodes, they will introduce listeners to different ways of thinking through tools and thought-leaders to help them move toward their desired goals