This week, I’m tackling one of the biggest challenges principals face at the start of the school year: how to align a fractured staff. Whether you’re dealing with a wave of new hires, lingering resistance, or a team that just doesn’t feel cohesive yet, I’ll show you how to quickly get everyone moving in the same direction—not through team-building gimmicks or compliance measures, but by anchoring your team in a shared vision, mission, and core values. If you want practical, powerful ways to turn fragmentation into focus and confusion into clarity, this episode will help you start the year #LikeABuilder.

Every August, we make “school year resolutions”—we’re going to give better feedback, protect our time, stop doing so much. But most of those resolutions fall apart by September, not because we’re undisciplined, but because we made them in a vacuum. In this episode, discover why even good principals find themselves slipping back into old habits, and how one shift makes resolutions unnecessary. If you want this year’s goals to actually stick, don’t make another resolution. Build a 100% Vision #LikeABuilder.

The secret to a successful school year is to F.O.C.U.S. - Follow One Course Until Successful. And while that may ring true, HOW do you determine which course to follow? And, how can you stay the course in the midst of so many demands on your time, energy, and attention. We’ll tackle these questions today on this episode and I’ll share a really simple ONE plan you can use to identify the right things on which to focus, and drown out the other distractions #LikeABuilder. 

If you’ve been doing everything they told you to do—giving feedback, supporting teachers, holding people accountable, working on culture—and still not seeing real change in your school, I made this episode for you. I’m breaking down why it feels like you’re doing all the right things and nothing’s moving and showing you the hidden trap that’s keeping you stuck. So, if you’ve been feeling tired, discouraged, or like nothing’s moving no matter how hard you work, this episode will help you see what’s really going on and how to shift. You don’t need to do more. You need to do it differently. It’s time to stop doing leadership chores and start doing the work that actually moves your school  #LikeABuilder.

In this episode, I’m talking about the double isolation that so many principals silently carry: First, the weight of being the only one in their building who can’t show weakness, who’s expected to solve everything, and who rarely gets support in return. And second, the loneliness of being a Builder in a district full of status-quo thinking where no one else seems to believe that 100% student success is even possible. If you’ve ever felt like you’re the only one who wants more for your school, this episode is for you. I’ll share what’s really behind that isolation, why it’s not your fault, and what can happen when you stop trying to do this work on your own.

It’s go-time. The halls are getting decorated, the PD agendas are set, and you’re knee-deep in first-day prep. But here’s the hard truth: all that effort? It won’t build alignment. And if you’re not intentionally building alignment from Day 1, the best you can hope for is short-term compliance—and even that fades by fall.

In this episode, I’ll unpack:

• Why alignment feels impossible during the back-to-school scramble (and why it’s not your fault)
• The hidden trap even good principals fall into this time of year
• 3 simple shifts that can turn your staff from compliant to committed—even before school starts

If you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder than ever and still not getting the traction you want, this episode will show you what to do instead #LikeABuilder.

Preservice week comes with a lot of pressure. You’re expected to set the tone, cast the vision, get everyone excited—and somehow make it all stick. But if you’ve ever walked into the year full of energy only to feel it unravel by October, this episode will show you why.

I’m breaking down the three subtle mistakes that quietly sabotage alignment before the school year even begins, and how to avoid them. These aren’t about working harder or delivering the perfect motivational message. They’re about making small but powerful shifts that take the weight off your shoulders and set your staff up to stay aligned long after the first week hype fades.

If you want to start the year with more clarity and less pressure, this episode will help you prepare like a Builder.

For years, I believed that staff buy-in was the key to real school transformation. I thought that if I could just get everyone excited, inspired, and on board, the work would take care of itself.

But I was wrong.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why buy-in isn’t just ineffective, it’s actually a trap. Because if someone can buy in, they can also sell out. And that’s exactly what’s happening in schools everywhere. One minute your team’s nodding along, and the next they’re doing the opposite of what you agreed to.

You’re not crazy. You’re not doing it wrong. You’ve just been chasing the wrong goal.

I’ll show you what to aim for instead and why it’s the only path to a staff that moves with you, not against you.

If you’re tired of begging people to care and ready to lead with clarity, this episode will show you how.

Let’s stop selling the vision and start building it #LikeABuilder

We tend to treat people problems as if they are all different and require different solutions for each situation. But in today's episode, I’m going to make the case that every people problem you face -- whether it’s a resistant teacher, a toxic culture, or a broken relationship with your team -- are all different versions of the exact same problem: A lack of Alignment. And, I’m also going to show you how the solutions we’ve been taught to apply -- writing people up, having tough conversations, working on the relationship, etc. -- won’t solve these problems.

However, there is a solution and I’m going to break it down in today's episode.

By the time you’re done listening, you’ll know how to stop wasting time dealing with these type of challenges one-by-one and apply the ONE solution that will solve them all #LikeABuilder.

At their best, PLCs are a space where teachers solve real instructional problems, grow together, and make a measurable difference for students. But for too many schools, PLCs have become rigid, compliance-driven meetings that leave teachers disengaged and frustrated. In this episode, we unpack why most PLCs have lost their way—and what it takes to bring them back to life. You’ll discover the one thing every successful PLC does differently, the hidden reason your teams may be going through the motions, and a smarter way to reboot your PLCs so they actually improve instruction. If your teams are stuck in checklist mode or you’re tired of pretending your PLCs are working when they’re not, this episode is your wake-up call. If your PLCs feel like busywork instead of a powerful engine for student success, this episode will challenge you to see them in a whole new way—#LikeABuilder.