Our careers have experienced some “setback” in 2020. Perhaps you have been furloughed or laid-off. Maybe you are still gainfully employed, but work is very different and possibly, even more stressful.

There are moments like these in 2020, where we are called to #SHOWUP and make the most of our situations. It’s where we learn to be resilient and tenacious.

John gets on the mic with professional bowler and TEAM USA member, Liz Kuhlkin. In 2018, Liz achieved a major milestone winning the U.S. Women’s Open — one of four majors on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association’s Tour. And as her career progressed, 2020 was set to be a great year.

And just like all of us, COVID-19 put a stop to so many things. For Liz Kuhlkin, the PWBA Tour was canceled, bowling centers in New York were closed for months, and she couldn’t do what she loved. Thankfully, Liz had a job working as a produce clerk at a local grocery store, and 2020 meant it was time to double down on those hours as a front-line worker.

John talks with Liz about how she worked on her game when bowling centers were closed, what’s next for her professional bowling career, the upcoming PBA League and bowling with the Miami Waves, and working as a front-line worker.

You can contact John with your career story & more at www.johnneral.com/contact or email him at john@johnneral.com. 

You can also follow him on LinkedIn @JohnNeral, Twitter @john_neral & Instagram @JohnNeralCoaching, or join his Facebook page @JohnNeralCoaching. 

Contact Liz Kuhlkin on her Facebook Fan Page - Liz Kuhlkin - PWBA, follow her on Twitter @liz_kuhlkin24, and Instagram @lizkbeth.

Check out Liz’s player profile at https://pwba.com/Players/Player-Profile?PlayerID=46

Check out Liz’s Team USA player profile at https://www.bowl.com/Team_USA/Members/Liz_Kuhlkin/

This week my guest is Liz Kuhlkin, the 2018 U. S. Women’s Bowling Open Champion. Listen to this promo and be ready for this week’s episode.

In the next few weeks, every school district will be welcoming students to begin the school year. While some have started already, we have seen some campuses reverse course and some school districts see an uptick in COVID cases, having some students and staff quarantine.

I share some thoughts and reflections on what returning to campus and reopening schools looks like for the fall, as well as summarizing my conversations with four fantastic guests - J. Renee Gordon, Ismael “Ish” Zamora, Dr. Aviva Legett, and Ryan Miller.

Know that there were several people whom I invited to be on the podcast that gracefully and respectfully declined for various reasons. Whether they were not allowed by their districts to speak about this issue or they didn’t want to for fear of their jobs, their input and perspectives have added greatly to this conversation.

How do we find the balance between remote learning and working parents? How can businesses #SHOWUP and provide greater support to their employees who need greater flexibility during this time? How will school districts reopen as this year comes to a close and 2021 begins? Do we see another year of virtual graduations and more remote learning? What about school programs that address food insecurities and after care programs? There are too many questions left unanswered.

The goal must be to get everyone back to school safely. We don’t have that plan without a vaccine.

You can contact John with your career story & more at www.johnneral.com/contact or email him at john@johnneral.com. 

You can also follow him on LinkedIn @JohnNeral, Twitter @john_neral & Instagram @JohnNeralCoaching, or join his Facebook page @JohnNeralCoaching.

Our career paths are defined by those moments when we welcome a new opportunity and great things happen. When we know our value and how best we can serve, we #SHOWUP in ways that create fantastic opportunities.

As schools reopen virtually or in-person, the strength of our teaching community is vital their success. While 2020 continues to present challenges for reopening our schools safely, there are teachers making a notable difference.

John gets on the mic with science teacher, meteorologist, and the host of WLJA’s Outside The Classroom, Ryan Miller. They talk about how Ryan got the idea for Outside the Classroom along with his passion for teaching. Plus, they talk about how one email greatly impacted his career.

You can contact John with your career story & more at www.johnneral.com/contact or email him at john@johnneral.com. 

You can also follow him on LinkedIn @JohnNeral, Twitter @john_neral & Instagram @JohnNeralCoaching, or join his Facebook page @JohnNeralCoaching. 

Connect with Ryan Miller on Instagram @miller_weather, on Twitter @RyanMiller_WX, and on Facebook @OutsideTheClassroom. You can email Ryan at remiller@sbgtv.com. You can watch Outside the Classroom on NewsChannel 8 in the DMV area and you can catch episodes of Outside the Classroom anywhere by downloading the STIRR app.

Listen to the promo for my conversation with Ryan Miller, science teacher, meteorologist, and host of WJLA’s Outside the Classroom.

2020 is the year where you can land your dream job. While situations and circumstances have changed about how we network, connect, and interview, your hopes for that new job aren’t shattered. Many people have landed their dream jobs during a pandemic.

As an executive and career transition coach, John coaches his clients to tell their career story. He says that you must find a way to build a relationship with the organization and the hiring manager and #SHOWUP authentically from a place of VALUE and SERVICE.

John gets on the mic with the new Director of the Newark Public Library, Joslyn Bowling Dixon. They talk about her process and mindset as she refused to put her goals on hold and went after a fantastic new opportunity to level-up her career and serve more people.

You can contact John with your career story & more at www.johnneral.com/contact or email him at john@johnneral.com. 

You can also follow him on LinkedIn @JohnNeral, Twitter @john_neral, Instagram @JohnNeralCoaching, or join his Facebook page @JohnNeralCoaching.

Connect with Joslyn Bowling Dixon on Instagram @justjos41 and visit the Newark Public Library’s website at https://npl.org.

Promo for my conversation with Joslyn Bowling Dixon

Continuing my series on “Reopening Schools,” August is that time of year when college students are returning to campus and freshmen are nervous and ready to start their next chapter. However, it’s 2020 and things look a bit different. The usual excitement is now compounded with questions about whether students are returning to campus or their homes to begin this semester.

.

.

Colleges and universities are making the difficult decision to begin this semester in-person or virtually. College students are not going to get the same experience. And, as always, we must bring back students and teachers, safely.

.

.

John gets on the mic with Dr. Aviva Legatt. They talk about what college looks like this year, how the admissions process has changed because of COVID, and explore the benefits of taking a gap year.

.

.

You can contact John with your career story & more at www.johnneral.com/contact or email him at john@johnneral.com. 

You can also follow him on LinkedIn @JohnNeral, Twitter @john_neral, Instagram @JohnNeralCoaching, or join his Facebook page @JohnNeralCoaching.

.
.

Connect with Dr. Aviva Legatt through her website: www.ivyinsight.com, email - info@ivyinsight.com, and on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook - @avivalegatt

A short preview of my conversation with Dr. Aviva Legatt from Ivy insight.

Continuing my series on “Reopening Our Schools,” the national debate continues. While some districts have adopted a virtual return, there are some school districts, particularly in Georgia, where they see spikes in Coronavirus cases among students and staff. Still, Chicago Public Schools recently reversed course and are now beginning their school year, entirely online. 




Students need teachers, and we all have a favorite teacher who has left an indelible mark on our educational experience. Who was your favorite teacher? What do you remember most about her or him? 




John gets on the mic with Ismael “Ish” Zamora to talk about his educational career, his passion for teaching and teacher leadership, and what it was like when he got word that he, along with his students, were moving to a virtual format. We also talk about what a return to school looks like for him and his staff this fall. 

You can contact John with your career story & more at www.johnneral.com/contact or email him at john@johnneral.com. 

You can also follow him on LinkedIn @JohnNeral, Twitter @john_neral, Instagram @JohnNeralCoaching, or join his Facebook page @JohnNeralCoaching.


Connect with Ish Zamora at ishmath@aol.com.