Burnt Out Educator Podcast

Educators care about their students. But what happens when the demands of the job make staying harder?

On this episode of The Burnt Out Educator, Coach Joe Marino sits down with Dr. Ryan Bodensteiner of the University of Kansas to discuss teacher burnout, the shrinking school leadership pipeline, and what it takes to support the people supporting our kids.

Drawing on his experience as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent, Ryan shares why relationships and measurable student progress both matter. He and Coach Joe also debate AI in education, where it can save teachers time, where it falls short, and why human judgment needs to stay involved.

An honest conversation about keeping great educators, preparing new leaders, and making sure students and families remain at the center of the work.

In this episode of Burnt Out Educator, Coach Joe sits down with Aaron Schwen, founder of Charter Select, to discuss why he walked away from a successful career in the insurance industry to build a company centered around service instead of sales quotas.

Aaron shares how growing up around farms in Iowa and Minnesota shaped his work ethic, why helping charter schools became more important than maximizing commissions, and what it was really like launching a business with four children under four years old. The conversation explores entrepreneurship, burnout caused by broken systems, relationship-first sales, and why doing what's right for people is still the best business strategy.

Whether you're an educator, school leader, entrepreneur, or someone questioning your next career move, this episode is a reminder that burnout isn't always about working too hard. Sometimes it's about working in a system that no longer matches your values.

Coach Joe Marino sits down with Derek Tranchina to break down the real impact of AI in schools. This isn’t just about ChatGPT—it’s about outdated systems, broken assessments, and the pressure on educators to adapt faster than ever. If AI can do the assignment, was it ever effective to begin with? A raw conversation on what needs to change and what’s coming next.

In this episode, Aaron Coalson, CEO of Visionary Ventures, shares how he went from losing his job and DoorDashing to building a $3M business in two years. It’s a conversation about mindset, betting on yourself, and creating a life that actually feels fulfilling.

At CCSA, we sat down with Daniel Caselli from BUYQ to talk about something most educators don’t see… but definitely feel.

Behind every school is a small team juggling procurement, compliance, budgeting, and systems that were never designed for charter schools. And that invisible workload? It’s a major driver of burnout.

Daniel breaks down how BUYQ is helping over 4,000 schools nationwide save time, cut costs, and take pressure off already stretched leaders. From eliminating weeks-long RFP processes to acting as an extension of a school’s team, this conversation dives into the operational side of education that rarely gets talked about.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing five jobs at once just to keep things running… this one will hit.

What actually changes a life?

In this episode, Coach Joe sits down with Diamond Dallas Page to break down the mindset, discipline, and daily habits required to turn things around.

From rebuilding his body after a broken back to helping others overcome addiction and reclaim their lives, DDP shares why success isn’t about talent. It’s about consistency, belief, and doing the work most people avoid.

In this episode of The Burnt Out Educator, Coach Joe Marino sits down with Morgan Nugent, Superintendent of Fall River Joint Unified School District, to explore what education should really look like in today’s world.

From the rise of AI in classrooms to the decline of foundational skills, this conversation challenges the idea that more technology automatically leads to better outcomes. Morgan shares how his district is taking a different approach—focusing on hands-on learning, career pathways, and real-world skills that meet students where they are.

Serving a rural Northern California community, Morgan is leading innovative programs in construction, heavy equipment operation, EMT training, and more—while also addressing equity gaps and increasing student engagement across diverse populations.

Coach Joe is back, and this time he’s calling out one of the biggest problems in education: broken systems.

Live from Long Beach, he sits down with Noah Fichter and Scarlett Sobo from Scout (YC W25), an AI-powered student information system built for the realities of modern schools.

From charter and hybrid learning to compliance and data overload, today’s educators are juggling more than ever—and the tools aren’t keeping up. Scout is changing that by centralizing everything into one flexible platform built around each student’s unique journey.

What does a UFC Hall of Famer have to teach educators, coaches, and anyone feeling burned out? A lot more than you’d think.
In this episode of The Burnt Out Educator, Coach Joe sits down with former UFC Lightweight Champion and Hall of Famer Frankie “The Answer” Edgar to talk about grit, lifelong learning, and what happens after the dream career.

From wrestling mats in New Jersey to the world’s biggest fight stages, Frankie shares how education, mentorship, family, and humility shaped his path.

Coach Joe sits down with Boddle co-founder Edna Martinsson, customer success leader Rachel Stout, and educator Cathleen White to explore how Boddle turns K–6 math, ELA, and science into a game kids actually want to play. They discuss engagement, safety, adaptive learning, and why this platform is changing how students experience screen time and learning.

This episode is for informational purposes only. The guest’s statements and opinions are their own and do not constitute official positions of BrightThinker. BrightThinker does not endorse, verify, or assume responsibility for any claims made by the guest.