Leaning into Leadership

Full disclosure, I checked out Notebook LM after hearing about it on social media. I was immediately fascinated by the potential it has. So, I uploaded my dissertation, linked here, to see what the fuss was all about. I am stunned at how cool this tool really is. It's a concise summary in a fun, easy to listen to podcast. In this week's special episode, I will share my thoughts, as well as the actual audio created by Notebook LM. Check it out!

Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

Dr. Ryan Donlan, Professor in the Indiana State University and Bayh College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership, served for 20 years in K–12 education, most of that time as a Superintendent, as well as a school building leader. He has served in both traditional and charter schools and school districts. Dr. Donlan has taught for years at the college and university level and provides educational program reviews, speeches, presentations, and trainings for educators. Currently, he is a Board Trustee for the Mensa Foundation and Chair of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Mensa Research Journal. He has served prior as Acting Associate Dean of the Bayh College of Education and Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Once a frequent skydiver, Dr. Donlan today enjoys more conservative, contemporary pursuits, such as cooking, reading, and walking. He has written/co-written numerous articles and books, including Gamesmanship for Teachers: Uncommon Sense is Half the Work; The Secret Solution: How One Principal Discovered the Path to Success; Minds Unleashed: How Principals Can Lead the Right Brained Way; The Hero Maker: How Superintendents Can Get Their Boards to Do the Right Thing; The School Board Member’s Guidebook: Becoming a Difference Maker in Your District; All Other Duties as Assigned: The Assistant Principal’s Critical Role in Supporting Schools Inside and Out, Ensuring Teacher Matter: Where to Focus First So Students Matter Most, and Uncommon Sense for New Teachers: A Good Beginning is Half the Work.

You can follow Dr. Donlan on X, or visit him at www.ryandonlan.com and www.mindsunleashed.net

Welcome to a special, mid-week release of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. In this episode, I want to challenge leaders to think about their day to day work and how they might benefit from some time on the balcony, re-evaluating their priorities and when they spend their time.

Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

Lauren Kaufman is an educator whose passion lies in empowering fellow educators to lead, share their gifts with others, and foster lifelong literacy practices in all learners. With nearly two decades of experience in education, she has held various roles, including elementary classroom teacher, elementary and middle school literacy specialist, instructional coach, mentor coordinator K–12, and assistant principal. Currently, she serves as a district leader and holds the position of director of literacy K–12 in Long Island, New York. Lauren has spearheaded numerous projects, including the development of seventy-three Units of Study in reading and writing for K–5, and has implemented a comprehensive approach to literacy. She is dedicated to providing educators with job-embedded professional learning opportunities and supporting new teachers in acclimating to the school system’s culture and climate. Lauren values collaboration and is committed to sharing best instructional practices with colleagues, fostering powerful professional learning communities and networks that cultivate meaningful, relevant learning and growth.

Lauren consistently shares her passion for learning by speaking at national and local conferences, blogging on her own platform, and participating in podcasts; she also contributed to Because of a Teacher by George Couros and Evolving with Gratitude by Lainie Rowell. She has authored chapters in educational journals, and her writing has been highlighted in Edutopia, Education Week, Defined Learning, and Future Ready Schools.

Connect with Lauren: Instagram, X,  LinkedIn

Buy Lauren's book: The Leader Inside: Stories of Mentorship to Inspire the Leader Within

Check out all things Lauren, including her amazing blog: https://laurenmkaufman.com/

Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Here is the blogpost I referenced in the PepTalk - Life in the Dropoff Lane

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

Greg Bennick is a world-class speaker, organizational consultant, and global event host whose ideas have inspired tens of thousands of people to take new approaches to productivity, focus, inspiration and personal development. He engages with audiences in conversations that span borders, appearing on stages in 27 countries (and counting). He is the founder and executive director of an international nonprofit in Haiti (onehundredforhaiti.org), which since 2010 has listened to Haitian people to help transform an entire region’s relationship with water, education, food, and housing. You can find out more about Greg at: gregbennick.com

Grab a copy of Greg's new book on Amazon

Follow Greg on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook

Let's get your High Performance Leadership Retreat scheduled today! Reach out to me [email protected] to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

Jason Yarusi is a charismatic communicator who electrifies every stage he graces. Jason is a Private fund manager of over $300 million dollars in commercial real estate. Since 2017 his company Yarusi Holdings has amassed over 3000 apartment and commercial real estate units. Jason has built and exited multiple companies: construction, restaurants, a brewery and multiple large apartment communities. He is an avid ultra runner and workout enthusiast. Jason is the host of LIVE100 and The Multifamily Live Podcast, runs 7 Figure Multifamily Mastermind and coaches clients on the Live 100 Principles. And most importantly a husband and a father to three amazing kids, a bulldog named Jill and fifteen chickens.

Jason brings all of his hands-on experience to you. His personal story and extensive work has made him an inspirational force, captivating audiences as a dynamic motivational speaker. With an innate ability to ignite positive transformations, Jason empowers individuals to conquer challenges and embrace change with unwavering resilience. His electrifying talks instill a renewed sense of purpose, propelling audiences to reach new heights in both personal and professional spheres.

Connect with Jason:

Website: https://www.jasonyarusi.com/

Email: [email protected]

Social Media: Instagram, X, Facebook, LInkedIn

Let's get your High Performance Leadership Training scheduled today! Reach out to me [email protected] to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

Colleen Bashar is an Enterprise Software Operations and Sales Executive with a successful record of building business units and teams from the ground up, opening new markets, and delivering consistent, YoY 20% revenue growth at Guidewire (GWRE), a multibillion-dollar public company where she serves as SVP of Enterprise Business Operations and Chief of Staff to the CEO.

Connect with Colleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenscott/

Website: https://www.basharleadership.com/

Email/contact info: [email protected]

Let's get your School Leadership training scheduled today! Reach out to me [email protected] to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

This special mid-week episode is the eighth edition of a series with Dominic Armano, Todd Bloomer, and Darrin teaming up to talk about the hot topics in educational leadership today. On this episode, we are talking about the ever-evolving role of the building principal.

Connect with Darrin: https://x.com/DarrinMPeppard

Connect with Dom: https://x.com/DominicArmano

Connect with Todd: https://x.com/bloomer_sa

Get The Blueprint on Amazon or on Todd Bloomer's website

Let's get your High Performance Leadership Training scheduled today! Reach out to me [email protected] to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

Jonathan Alsheimer is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations and works with UFC Fighters, Celebrities, and Clothing Brands. In addition to being a passionate educator, Jonathan is an international keynote speaker and the best-selling author of "NEXT LEVEL TEACHING.”

Jonathan, taught at the world-renowned Fred Lynn Middle School, which was featured in two documentaries "Relentless" and "Relentless: Chasing Accreditation,” as the teacher who forged a partnership with UFC Fighter and light-weight contender Paul Felder to bring a message of never giving up, fighting for their education, and empowering the students to believe in themselves, all principles that Jonathan promotes in his classroom.  

Jonathan Alsheimer also partnered with Fear the Fighter, MMA clothing brand to establish a stop-bullying campaign. Jonathan Alsheimer didn't stop there and established a relationship with "Drama,” MTV reality star and CEO of Young and Reckless to promote and build student leaders in his school.

Jonathan, an educator in northern Virginia, has been featured on USA Channel 9 and NBC News for establishing a national give-back movement called “A Rae of Hope,” started in his classroom to help pediatric patients in hospitals, which has now grown and been implemented in schools and classrooms across the nation. 

As Jonathan always says, "Game-changing is not a cliche motto; it is a way of life... some talk about it while others live by it!

Connect with Jonathan:

Website: https://www.jonathanalsheimer.com/

Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

School of Engagement on Amazon

Catch Jonathan's first time on Leaning into Leadership here

Let's get your High Performance Leadership Training scheduled today! Reach out to me [email protected] to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

And now...about our guest this week on the show:

Jeff Gargas is a 4-time college dropout who started an education consulting business with a buddy he met in the music industry. After building a profitable, 7-figure business in an industry he knew nothing about, he strives to share his 20+ years of experience starting and growing companies in a variety of industries. 

Jeff is currently the COO and Co-founder of the Teach Better Team (Creators of www.teachbetter.com, The Grid Method, and Teach Further) and co-author of the book, “Teach Better.” He and his team work with schools and school districts to increase student engagement and improve student success. 

Jeff leads Teach Better’s EDUcreator Club+ Community, built for educators who create things outside of their classroom or school. Through his 1-on-1 coaching and masterminds, Jeff has now helped dozens of EDUpreneurs grow to 6-figure businesses. 

Prior to co-founding Teach Better, Jeff was the owner of ENI Multimedia, an online marketing firm, where he worked with entrepreneurs and small businesses, assisting them with web design, social media, content marketing, and brand awareness. 

Prior to all of this, Jeff was an adjunctive professor at Kent State University and spent 10+ years in the music industry. He has spoken at conferences around the country, and has successfully promoted more than 500 events and launched 7 businesses in a variety of industries.

Jeff is passionate about music, and enjoys spending time with his family as often as possible.

Social Media Handles:

• Twitter: @JeffGargas
• TikTok: @JeffGargas
• Instagram: @_JeffGargas
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgargas/

Teach Better Website:  www.teachbetter.com

Email/contact info: [email protected]