Episodes

Have you noticed how the value of education is being questioned by everyone - students, parents, even some of your staff? Since the pandemic, there's been an explosion of change in how people view school. Students question wh...

Have you ever felt so exhausted that even a full night's sleep doesn't help? Maybe you're dragging yourself to school each morning, fighting back tears in the parking lot. Or sitting in your car for an hour after work because...

Veteran principals sometimes share a secret that newer leaders might not expect: the work can feel repetitive, uninspiring, even boring. When you've mastered the routines of observation cycles, behavior investigations, and IE...

Have you ever lost sleep over that one teacher who seems to disagree with everything you do? Or found yourself obsessing over why certain staff members just don't seem to like you? I get it. I've been there. In fact, I rememb...

Does your heart rate spike when your superintendent’s name pops up in your inbox? As an educational leadership coach, I've noticed a universal pattern - that nervous feeling around authority figures. Whether it’s a fear of cr...

As you make your classroom rounds this week, I want to ask you something: when was the last time you focused not just on what you saw, but what you felt when you walked into a classroom? We've all had that experience - walkin...

I recently had a client schedule a one-on-one after a particularly challenging incident where a student admitted to a behavior during the investigation, then went home and adamantly denied everything to their parents. The par...

As educators and school leaders, we often pour our hearts into our work, only to sometimes feel that our efforts aren't fully appreciated. This tension between service and appreciation reveals a deeper truth about where we se...

When was the last time you thought about your emotional fitness? Just like physical muscles need regular exercise to stay strong, our social-emotional skills require consistent practice to serve us when we need them most. But...

School leaders everywhere know the feeling – you've been pushing the boulder up the mountain since August, giving 200% to launch the school year successfully. The adrenaline that carried you through the first weeks starts to ...

Here's something that might surprise you: Some of the most innovative educational leaders come from unexpected backgrounds. This week, I'm speaking with Deepali Deshmukh, a school leader whose journey from biochemist to head ...

I just returned from hosting my first-ever EP Alive event, and let me tell you, it was nothing like your typical education conference. I'm joined by three remarkable principals, Erin, Kay, and Sherry, who attended EP Alive 20...

As a school leader, do you often feel responsible for everyone's happiness, success, and challenges? If you're nodding your head, you're not alone. Many principals carry the weight of their entire school community on their sh...

School leadership often brings us to our knees in ways we never anticipated. When everything feels like it's falling apart, when the blame feels justified and the pain feels unbearable, that's precisely when our true leadersh...

The beginning of a new school year brings a familiar flood of tasks, responsibilities, and mental chatter that can make you feel like you're drowning in urgency. In this episode, I'm exploring the reality that you are only ev...

Have you ever found yourself caught in an endless back-and-forth with a challenging staff member? You know the type - where no matter what you say or do, it feels like you're being pulled into a defensive game of "prove you'r...

The business of education is the business of creating impact. School leaders step into their roles with dreams of transformation, yet impact doesn't automatically materialize with credentials or titles. It emerges through con...

School leaders everywhere face a critical decision as they plan for the upcoming year: tackle every problem that needs fixing or focus on what truly matters. The pressure to improve student attendance, boost test scores, enha...

Are you caught in the endless cycle of deadlines, to-do lists, and meetings? If you're like most school leaders, you probably measure your success by how many tasks you complete and deadlines you meet. But here's the truth: t...

School leaders constantly face situations where they need to expand their skills, build new systems, or navigate challenging conversations. The natural response is often to look outside ourselves for answers, seeking the exac...

The chaos dial in your mind is turned all the way up. Your nervous system is hijacked by the latest crisis, your thoughts are racing through solutions that feel impossible, and your body is vibrating with an intensity that no...

When parents storm into your office demanding that you eliminate all conflict from their child's school experience, they're operating from a place of fierce love and limited perspective. They see their kindergartener struggli...

Disclaimer: Please be advised that this episode contains content related to crisis situations. If these topics are challenging for you, you may wish to skip this episode or seek support. When students are struggling with ever...

Leadership requires processing both professional and personal experiences, particularly when faced with injustice. As school leaders, we encounter unfairness in various forms - from promotion decisions to resource allocation ...