🎧 Leadership Rules with Katie Regan
You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network

What if networking isn't about meeting more people?

What if it's about being more intentional with the people you already know?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Katie Regan, founder and CEO of Kirkpatrick Group and author of Intention: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network.

And spoiler alert: we loved this book.

Katie takes something that can feel awkward, transactional, and intimidating and makes it surprisingly simple and human.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why you may be only one or two connections away from the best connection of your career
• How introverts can turn curiosity and listening into networking superpowers
• Why your friend's parents might be an overlooked part of your network
• How to build a diverse personal "board of directors"
• Why great mentoring relationships work in both directions
• The importance of consistency, authenticity, and simply staying in touch
• Why networking isn't about asking, "What can you do for me?"

Katie also introduces us to the idea of "builders", people who invest in relationships, make connections, help others, and find ways to show up even when life gets busy.

Whether you're searching for your first job, chasing a promotion, considering a career pivot, building a business, or helping a young adult figure out what's next, this conversation will change the way you think about your network.

Because chances are, you already know more of the right people than you think.

You just need a little more Intention.

📖 Learn More

Pick up Intention: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network on Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or at kirkpat.com.

💼 Connect with Katie K. Regan on LinkedIn
📸 Find Katie on Instagram
📧 [email protected]

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#LeadershipRules #KatieRegan #Intention #Networking #CareerDevelopment #Leadership #Mentorship #PersonalBrand #CareerGrowth

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jeremy Smith
Title: Practice Beats Credentials

What if we've been preparing people for work... the wrong way?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with entrepreneur and Pega6 founder Jeremy Smith to challenge one of society's biggest assumptions:

Does earning a degree actually prepare someone for a career?

Jeremy argues that mastery doesn't come from lectures, textbooks, or exams.

It comes from doing the work.

Again and again.

Drawing from his own experience in startups and product development, Jeremy shares why he believes experiential learning is the future of career preparation and how Pega6 is reimagining higher education by treating students more like employees than traditional learners.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why so many college graduates still feel unprepared on day one
 • How experiential learning builds both technical and professional skills
 • Why repetition and variety are the keys to mastery
 • How AI is reshaping the skills employers are looking for
 • Why "year one of employment" might be the best classroom ever created
 • Jeremy's leadership philosophy: hire great people, then get out of their way

Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, parent, hiring manager, or student, this conversation will challenge how you think about learning, work, and what it truly means to be ready.

📍 Learn More

🌐 Pega6 (High School Program)
 https://pega6.com

🎓 Pega6 Fellowship (Recent College Graduates)
 https://pega6fellowship.com

💼 Connect with Jeremy Smith on LinkedIn

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#LeadershipRules #JeremySmith #Pega6 #ExperientialLearning #CareerReadiness #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HigherEducation #AI #Entrepreneurship

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jason Van Nus

What if the biggest thing holding students back isn't a lack of skills... but a lack of opportunities to tell their story?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Jason Van Nus, CEO of the WIN Regional College and Career Academy, to discuss why career readiness is about so much more than technical skills.

Jason believes students don't just need credentials. They need confidence. And confidence is built by doing hard things in safe environments.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why Jason calls himself a "gentle disruptor"
• How the Reverse Career Fair flips the traditional hiring process on its head
• Why students need to learn how to advocate for themselves, not just build a résumé
• How work-based learning creates stronger talent pipelines for communities and employers
• Why industry should invest in developing local talent before students graduate
• How servant leadership means earning the right to have difficult conversations

Jason also shares why some of the best learning happens when students are just outside their comfort zone, where failure becomes feedback and confidence begins to grow.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people prepare for life beyond the classroom, this conversation is full of practical ideas and fresh perspectives.

📍 Learn more and connect with Jason Van Nus

💼 LinkedIn → Jason Van Nus

🏫 WIN Regional College and Career Academy

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#LeadershipRules #JasonVanNus #CareerReadiness #WorkBasedLearning #YouthApprenticeships #StudentLeadership #EducationLeadership #CTE #ServantLeadership

🎧 Leadership Rules with Dr. Heather Handler
Title: Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be

What if we've been asking students the wrong question all along?

Instead of asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", Dr. Heather Handler believes we should be asking something much more powerful:

"What do you enjoy doing?"

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, youth apprenticeship pioneer, and author Dr. Heather Handler to discuss career readiness, work-based learning, and why modern Career and Technical Education (CTE) looks nothing like many people remember.

Heather shares lessons from launching one of Maryland's most successful youth apprenticeship programs and explains why exposing students to real opportunities early can change the trajectory of their lives.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why modern CTE is not the vocational education of the past
 • How youth apprenticeships help students build confidence, purpose, and career direction
 • Why college and career readiness should work together, not compete
 • How AI is changing the future of work and increasing demand for skilled trades
 • Why exposure to careers should begin long before high school
 • The importance of helping students discover their strengths, interests, and preferred ways of working

Heather also shares insights from her new book, The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships, a practical roadmap for educators looking to create meaningful work-based learning experiences for students.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people discover who they are becoming, this episode is for you.

📘 Learn More

The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships
Available on Amazon

💼 Connect with Dr. Heather Handler on LinkedIn

🎧 Leadership Rules with Kristy Volesky
Title: Finish Doesn’t Equal Ready

What if school was designed less around compliance… and more around real life?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, consultant, and CTE Reimagined co author Kristy Volesky to explore what it really means to prepare students for the future.

Kristy challenges many of the assumptions schools still operate under, including the idea that students should spend years “practicing” without ever doing meaningful work that connects to the real world.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why “finish” does not equal “ready”
 • How schools can connect learning to real opportunities and real community impact
 • Why durable skills cannot be taught once and checked off a list
 • The danger of locking students into career paths too early
 • How communities and schools can work together instead of operating in silos
 • Why students crave meaningful experiences, not pretend projects

Kristy also shares practical examples of how schools can rethink partnerships, create authentic learning experiences, and help students build the confidence and adaptability they will need in a rapidly changing world.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or preparing young people for what comes next, this conversation will challenge how you think about learning.

📍 Learn more and connect with Kristy Volesky
 🌐 https://valeskyconsulting.com
💼 LinkedIn → Kristy Volesky
📘 CTE Reimagined available online

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and building a future where people are truly ready for what’s next.

#LeadershipRules #KristyVolesky #CTEReimagined #EducationLeadership #CareerReadiness #FutureOfEducation #DurableSkills

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jeff Utecht
Title: AI Can Predict. Humans Must Decide.

AI is moving fast. But are we moving thoughtfully?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Jeff Utecht, educator, speaker, and author of Human Still Required, to explore what leadership looks like in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

Jeff brings a powerful reminder: the real risk is not that AI replaces us. It’s that we stop thinking for ourselves.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why “cognitive surrender” is a growing concern in the age of AI
 • The difference between prediction and true understanding
 • Why judgment is the one skill AI cannot replace
 • How leaders should rethink effort, productivity, and performance
 • What it means to lead through a double transition in the workplace

Jeff also shares why listening may be the most underrated leadership skill right now—and how staying curious is the key to navigating rapid change.

If you care about leadership, education, or staying human in a tech-driven world, this episode will challenge how you think about both AI and your role in it.

📍 Learn more and connect with Jeff Utecht
 Website → https://jeffutecht.com

Book → https://humanstillrequired.com

Podcast → Shifting Schools

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, learning, and what it takes to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

#LeadershipRules #JeffUtecht #HumanStillRequired #AILeadership #FutureOfWork #CriticalThinking #StayHuman

🎧 Leadership Rules with Matt Miller
Title: Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

AI is everywhere. So what actually matters now?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Matt Miller, educator, author of AI Literacy in Any Class, and creator of the Ditch That Textbook movement, to talk about how teaching and leadership are evolving in an AI saturated world.

Matt challenges the idea that we need more tools and instead focuses on something more important.

Better thinking.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why “ditch the textbook” is really about ditching passive learning
 • How AI literacy shows up in everyday classroom moments
 • Why students don’t need to master the tech, but must learn to question it
 • The risk of going all in or all out on technology
 • Why critical thinking, discernment, and creativity matter more than ever

Matt also shares practical ways to bring AI into the classroom without losing the human element, including how to use imperfect AI outputs to spark deeper thinking and discussion.

If you care about education, leadership, or preparing students for a future we cannot fully predict, this episode will reshape how you think about both technology and teaching.

📍 Learn more and connect with Matt Miller
 Newsletter → https://ditch.link/join

 Book → AI Literacy in Any Class available on Amazon

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, learning, and what it takes to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

#LeadershipRules #MattMiller #AILiteracy #EducationLeadership #CriticalThinking #DitchThatTextbook

🎧 Leadership Rules with Scott Martin
Title: Success Isn’t the Goal. Flourishing Is.

What if the goal of school wasn’t just success… but flourishing?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Dr. Scott Martin, Executive Director of the Odyssey Leadership Academy, to talk about how leadership can create environments where both students and educators truly thrive.

Scott believes that leadership is both art and science, and that great leaders carry a deep responsibility to care for the people in their community. He also challenges many traditional assumptions about school, including grades, agency, and what real learning looks like.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The difference between leadership and management
 • Why the leader sets the “nervous system” of an organization
 • How flourishing can become a school’s North Star
 • What happens when students are given real agency in their learning
 • Why resilience grows when students create learning instead of just consuming it

Scott also shares how Odyssey Leadership Academy empowers students to design projects, teach classes, and even build real-world solutions like a student-built tiny home.

If you care about leadership, education, and building cultures where people thrive, this episode will challenge the way you think about success.

📍 Learn more about Odyssey Leadership Academy
 https://OdysseyLeadershipAcademy.org

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, character, and building organizations where people flourish.

#LeadershipRules #ScottMartin #EducationLeadership #HumanFlourishing #SchoolLeadership #StudentAgency

🎧 Leadership Rules with EJ Carrion
Title: Think in Decades, Not Days

What does it mean to lead in a world where students are living three lives at once?

Personal life.
School life.
Phone life.

In this high energy conversation, EJ Carrion challenges us to rethink education, leadership, and what it means to prepare young people for a future that looks nothing like the past.

EJ is the co founder of Student Success Agency, a first generation college graduate, Gates Millennium Scholar, and someone who believes schools must evolve from Blockbuster to Netflix if they want to stay relevant.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why the phone is not just a distraction but a door
• What a “digital YMCA” could look like for students
• How to build agency in young people
• Why leadership is art, not science
• What it means to be a pirate ship leader instead of the Navy
• And why selflessness is compound interest

EJ also shares three principles that guide his leadership:

Think in decades instead of days
Selflessness is compound interest
Choose we instead of me

If you care about student success, digital culture, human connection, or the future of public education, this one will stretch your thinking.

📍 Connect with EJ Carrion
LinkedIn → EJ Carrion

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#LeadershipRules #EJCarrion #StudentSuccess #EducationLeadership #DigitalAge #ThinkInDecades #WeInsteadOfMe

🎧 New Episode: Leadership Rules with Dr. Doan Winkel
Title: Say No More Often

What does it take to be a bold, curious, values-driven leader in today’s world of education and entrepreneurship?

Dr. Doan Winkel joins Marnie and Nick for a powerful conversation about disrupting the status quo, helping students find their voice, and saying no to anything that doesn’t serve your mission.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ Why "titleless" leadership might be the most powerful kind
 ✅ How higher ed trains students to wait for permission
 ✅ How AI can free teachers to focus on what really matters
 ✅ What tiny acts of courage do to build momentum
 ✅ And why authenticity is the new authority

If you’ve ever wanted to lead with more clarity, curiosity, and purpose — this one’s for you.

📍 Connect with Doan Winkel
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/doanwinkel/

Substack → https://howtoteachwithai.substack.com/

🎧 Listen, rate, and follow for more leadership conversations that blend insight, inspiration, and a little bit of rebellion.

#LeadershipRules #DoanWinkel #EntrepreneurshipEducation #SayNoMoreOften #HigherEdInnovation #AuthenticLeadership #AIinEducation