The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

Michelle Sera is a Certified Freedom Formula Facilitator and Certified Happiness Coach. She’s the founder of ElevatedMind, a company focused on helping people manifest their greatest self and highest potential.

Her book, The 7-Minute Shift, helps readers get out of their own way and manifest their greatest selves.

Ross and Michelle discuss:

• What does a happiness shift have to do with professional growth?
• All results are vibrational
• What is the 7-minute shift?
• “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” - Rumi
• Manifesting and values
• How Imposter Syndrome kills your marketing
• Recommended book: The Tools by Phil Stutz

Find The 7-Minute Shift at https://michellesera.com and https://www.theelevatedmind.com 

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About our guest

Michelle Sera, author of The 7-Minute Shift™ is a Certified Freedom Formula Facilitator and Certified Happiness Coach. She’s also the founder of ElevatedMind™, a company focused on helping people manifest their greatest self and highest potential.

In addition to writing the book, Michelle has spent over 15 years as a copywriter and marketer. Her work in the online marketing space has helped many 7, 8, and 9 figure entrepreneurs excel. Her words have made an impact on millions of people, generating millions of dollars.

Her work focuses on helping people get out of their own way to grow a massively successful business.

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn and her website. 

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry and beyond clarify their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn. 

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

Dawn M. Barclay is an award-winning author who has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry. Her book, Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse, helps parents — including those whose children have Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or mood or distraction disorders — soothe their child’s travel anxieties. 

Dawn and Ross discuss:

●      The challenges of traveling with children

●      How parents can overcome their worry about traveling

●      How parents can begin to introduce the concept of traveling to their children

●      How to start small with mini-experiences

●      Child-centric vacations and how to create them

●      How to keep children safe while traveling

●      Valuable resources to consult

Learn more about the book and get it here: http://www.travelingdifferent.com 

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About today’s guest

Dawn M. Barclay is an award-winning author who has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry. After spending ten years working in sales and marketing for her parents’ two firms, Barclay Travel Ltd and Barclay International Group Short-Term Apartment Rentals, she branched out into travel trade reporting with senior or contributing editor positions at Travel Agent Magazine, Travel Life, Travel Market Report, and most recently, Insider Travel Report. She is a mother of two and resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley. A member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Family Travel Association (FTA), she also writes fiction as D.M. Barr and holds leadership roles in several writer organizations.

Connect with Dawn on social media:

●      Twitter: www.twitter.com/@travelingdiff 

●      Facebook: www.facebook.com/travelingdifferent 

●      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traveling_different/ 

●      LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/dawnbarclay 

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

We’ve got a great guest for the week of Independence Day!

David Fleming is a senior writer at ESPN who has been one of the industry’s most prolific, versatile, and imaginative longform writers over the last three decades at Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, and ESPN. He has reported on everything from the Super Bowl and Steph Curry to the Musical Chairs World Championship and the NFL’s obsession with glutes. 

His new book, Who's Your Founding Father? One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence, was just released. 

David and Ross discuss:

• The clues that led David toward writing this book
• The Mecklenberg Declaration of Independence (the MecDec!) — what it is who wrote it, and who signed it
• John Adams accuses Thomas Jefferson of plagiarism — the evidence and thee defense
• Why May 20, 1775 is such a noteworthy date
• Traveling to London to uncover an international conspiracy and discovering North Carolina’s Freedom Spring, previously lost for a century
• If 11 US Presidents along with Ken Burns, David McCullough, George Will and others acknowledged the MecDec, why haven’t we heard more about it?
• The South’s critical role in the American Revolution
• Thomas Jefferson…shockingly awful
• Captain James Jack, the Paul Revere of the South (only braver)
• One takeaway today’s students should learn in their history
• The playlist at the Musical Chairs World Championship, and more!

Who's Your Founding Father? is available from Hachette. Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your books: https://bit.ly/43Wt6F6

Read David’s 2013 ESPN story about the Musical Chairs World Championship here.

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About our guest

David Fleming is a senior writer at ESPN. During the last three decades at Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine and ESPN he has been one of the industry’s most prolific, versatile, and imaginative longform writers, traveling the globe while penning more than 35 cover stories and numerous groundbreaking pieces on everything from the Super Bowl and Steph Curry to the Musical Chairs World Championship and the NFL’s obsession with glutes. Fleming’s unique work has earned numerous national awards as well as a handwritten note from the White House. 

He is also the author of two previous books, Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship and Noah's Rainbow: A Father’s Emotional Journey from the Death of his Son to the Birth of his Daughter. A native of Detroit, Fleming and his wife, Kim, live in North Carolina with their daughters.

Follow him on Twitter @FlemESPN 

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry and beyond clarify their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn. 

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

DC Glenn is an American musician, film actor, and voice-over artist. He is known as one half of the 90’s rap group Tag Team, who created the multi-platinum classic stadium anthem “Whoomp! There It Is." Tag Team was also part of the award-winning GEICO commercial, Scoop There It Is!

In this special episode of The Authority, DC and Ross discuss:

• DC’s career in music and beyond
• How Tag Team came together and recorded their breakout hit
• How early DC knew he wanted to pursue music
• Lifelong learning through paralegal courses, digital marketing and more
• Scoop There it Is – AdWeek’s #1 ad of 2021. “Delirious daydream that belongs in the Smithsonian.”
• What DC has learned about entrepreneurship
• What’s left to conquer?

Learn more about DC Glenn on Twitter @DCGlennATL or online at https://www.tagteambackagain.com 

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About today’s guest

DC Glenn is an American film actor and voice-over artist residing in Atlanta, GA. He is also known as one half of the 90’s rap group Tag Team who created the classic stadium anthem “Whoomp! There It Is." And recently the hit SAG National Commercial Ad by GEICO, Scoop There It Is!

DC has been training tenaciously for film, tv, and commercial acting since 2017. Enjoying this fruitful journey sharpening his craft with L.A. acting coach Crystal Carson (Auditioning by Heart), ATL acting coach Natalia Livingston (Actor Boutique), and improv veteran Ray Bengston. DC has relished the process of auditioning and training with the aid of all his talented actor colleagues on WeAudition to become a successful working actor. DC has also enjoyed training vigorously for years, seeking mastery in the arts of voiceover. His magnetic presence and rich, textured voice have been nurtured by VO coaches Rudy Gaskins and Joan Baker (S.O.V.A.S.), as well as Denise Woods (author of The Power of Voice), dialect coach to the stars. With the continued support of The People Store agency in Atlanta, GA. as his representation. This partnership is achieving goals only dreams are made of.

Connect on Twitter @DCGlennATL or online at https://www.tagteambackagain.com  

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

Jennifer L.W. Fink is an award-winning freelance journalist whose work has been published by the New York Times, Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, FOX News, Parents, Parade, and more. 

She is a mom of four boys, the creator of BuildingBoys.net, cohost of the podcast On Boys, and author of the new book Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World that Misunderstands Males. 

In this conversation, Jennifer and Ross discuss:

• How Jennifer got into writing and then onto this journey of writing and talking about parenting boys 
• How different are boys and girls? 
• What do most parents (and teachers) misunderstand about males?
• Gender stereotypes and sexism
• Introducing and modeling healthy relationships
• “Redshirting” or delaying formal education
• What is the best thing about raising boys?
• And more

Learn more about the book and get it from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XpkdBx 

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About today’s guest

Jennifer L.W. Fink is the creator of BuildingBoys.net and cohost of the podcast ON BOYS: Real Talk about Parenting, Teaching, & Reaching Tomorrow’s Men. She’s a freelance journalist whose work has been published by the New York Times, Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, FOX News, Parents, and Parade. Fink is also the author of The First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys: Practical Advice for Your Son’s Formative Years. She lives in rural Wisconsin and is the proud mother of four sons. Connect on Twitter @jlwf 

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a consulting and coaching firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

We're so grateful to our sponsor AI Coach by Edthena.

AI Coach enables your teachers to go through coaching cycles based on their own needs. The virtual coach guides teachers to reflect on their teaching, set a goal, and create an action plan… all based on gathering classroom evidence. It gives support between PD days  and other coaching cycles.

Get a free trial for your teachers here.

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, bestselling author, and world-renowned thinker on human leadership and human transformation. 

His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years. Since the success of his first book, focusing on his experience in frontline education, Richard has devoted himself to advancing society’s thinking on learning, change, and how best to realize our full potential.

He has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s biggest stages, including TED, the RSA,, and the BBC.

Today, it’s our pleasure to welcome Richard to The Authority for an enlightening discussion based on his international bestseller, Change: Learn to Love It, Learn to Lead It.

Richard and Ross discuss:

• What is change and what makes it meaningful?
• How the pandemic necessitated change and changed Gen-Z’s perspective on the inevitability of change. 
• “We are living in the first age where we no longer determine the rate of change.”
• How Richard navigated the change from teacher to three-time UK Business Speaker of the Year. 
• Overcoming the fear of change caused by “imagined consequences.”
• What the innovation of “Total Football” shows us about embracing change. 
• Is loving and embracing change necessary for leading it?
• Fear of the unknown and how authority figures will react to our own efforts at change. 
• Overcoming artificial complexity and self-constructed barriers. 
• CQ — the Curiosity Quotient. 
• Richard’s next endeavors. 

Find Change, Simple Thinking, Creating Tomorrow’s Schools Today, and all of Richard’s other books and work at www.richardgerver.com     

Find Richard’s LinkedIn Learning courses, Overcoming Complexity and Developing Mental Toughness for Leadership, here.

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About today’s guest

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, bestselling author and world-renowned thinker. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Since the success of his first book, focusing on his experience in frontline education, Richard has devoted himself to advancing society’s thinking on learning, change, and how best to realise our full potential. He has since written several books on leadership and innovation, including the bestsellers Change and Simple Thinking

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

With his unique insight into our development from infants to adults, Richard helps us understand the nature of our personal and professional responses to risk, change, creativity, and development. His ability to connect experiences across many, often seemingly different, environments help individuals’ companies and organisations expand their thinking and their perception of their own potential.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn. 

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

Carol Ann Tomlinson is one of the most admired, accomplished, and influential authors and leaders in education. Today, we’re honored to have her on The Authority!

Carol is the William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development; author or co-author of over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials for K-12 teachers and school leaders; and has won numerous awards and been named to Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Presence rankings many times. 

So Each May Soar: The Principles and Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms is available from ASCD. 

Carol and Ross discuss:

• George R.R. Martin’s two types of writers, the architect and the gardener. How the journey of writing this book was something different.
• A “dues-paying member” of innovation in education.
• A learner-centered classroom dignifies students and honors each learner. What else does it look like? 
• "Learner-centered classrooms rely on teachers who are willing to change and grow, and on school leaders who are willing to intelligently support them.”
• What does quality mean and what does it ask of teachers?
• How teachers can honor themselves. 
• So each may soar beyond K-12. What are our ambitions for students?
• Carol’s book recommendations: An Ethic of Excellence and Leaders of Their Own Learning by Ron Berger

Learn more about the book and get it from ASCD: https://bit.ly/45TeBDM 

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About today’s guest

Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development where she served as Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, and Co-Director of the University’s Institutes on Academic Diversity.  Prior to joining the faculty at UVa, she was a teacher in public schools for 21 years, where she taught students in high school, preschool, and middle school, and administered district programs for struggling and advanced learners. She was Virginia’s Teacher of the Year in 1974.

At the University of Virginia, she taught and advised doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students with a focus on curriculum, instruction, and differentiation. During her time at UVa, she authored or co-authored over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials for K-12 teachers and school leaders including: How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms (3rd Ed.), The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (2nd Ed), So Each May Soar: The Principles & Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms, and Everybody’s Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Learners Her books are available in 14 languages.

Carol was named Outstanding Professor at UVa’s School of Education in 2004 and received an All-University Teaching Award in 2008.  In 2023, she was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings of the 200 “University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling,” and as the #4 voice in Curriculum. She works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who seek to create classrooms that are effective in reaching diverse student populations.

Carol is also serious dog-lover and these days enjoys (most of the time) the antics of Bella, Beau, and Banjo. Follow her on Twitter @cat3y

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

In today's bonus episode, we're sharing a panel discussion I hosted for #SameHere Schools Month, focused on mental health awareness in education. All sessions from #SameHere Schools, originally recorded as Twitter Spaces, are being published by the Be Podcast Network. For more content like this, listen and subscribe here. 

This session looks at the multiple definitions of community and its importance in establishing the right conditions for learning. Especially in the digital age, professional learning communities can take place on social media and via podcasts like this one. Likewise, classroom learning is rooted in community. 

The discussion includes:

• The elements of a supportive community
• The upside of accountability
• Building a professional network that supports wellness and growth
• What it means to receive permission to teach
• The relationship between community in professional learning and classroom learning
• How engagement with diverse perspectives and experiences supports learning and mental wellness

Speakers:

Ross Romano (@RossBRomano)

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry and beyond clarify their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on LinkedIn. 

Rola Tibshirani (@rolat)

Rola is Vice Principal of St. Benedict School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Read her blog at https://learningprogression.blogspot.com/ 

Tracy Mergler (@TracyMergler)

Tracy is a special education teacher and founder of Safe Space Organization, a non-clinical, community safe space that strives to change the conversation around mental health by educating, connecting and supporting others through a peer-to-peer network. Learn more: https://www.safespacecny.com/ 

Marisa Jackson (@MarisaLVJackson)

Marisa is Principal of Woodbridge Elementary School in Rhode Island. She is passionate about all things SEL. 

Elizabeth McDonald (@MrsEM_McDonald)

Elizabeth is a middle school principal who will soon transition to the role of Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. 

Make sure to subscribe to this series to hear more panel discussions focused on mental health awareness. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn about 20+ shows covering education and learning at all levels. 

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

Carlo Mahfouz is a Renaissance man. An intrapreneur and product development executive in the healthcare ed-tech space with a deep understanding of technology, he works developing products to help improve patients’ outcomes and driving change in organizations, teams, and individuals.

In this episode, we discuss Carlo’s book, Reality Check: In Pursuit of the Right Questions. 

The conversation includes:

• The right questions direct our attention to the problems that matter most. The wrong questions are aimed at distractions.
• How to perform a reality check on competing priorities
• “Priority is a function of context.”  - Stephen Covey
• Context, time, and the observer: each can be used as an excuse or impediment — or as a guide and a tool
• “To be in the moment, we need to be prepared.” 
• “To ask the right questions is not to look for an answer.”
• Valuable competencies: comfort with ambiguity, patience, collaboration, reflectiveness, openness, and listening

Learn more about the book: https://www.realitycheck.institute/reality-check 

Subscribe to Carlo’s newsletter: https://www.realitycheck.institute/drc-newsletter 

Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.

About today’s guest

Carlo Mahfouz is a firm believer in tech’s power to create positive global change, a novice opera singer who heads innovation at a classical music non-profit company, and a published author. Carlo grew up in Lebanon, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame University. He also holds an Executive MBA from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. In addition to his busy career, he enjoys hiking, drawing, photography, and playing his classical guitar. You can find Carlo elsewhere on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Ross is a performance and leadership development coach, marketing and communications strategist, and thought leadership expert. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

Today, we're pleased to share an episode originally recorded for Big Ideas in Small Windows with host Mike Gaskell.

In Mike's interview with best-selling education author Todd Whitaker (1.5 million books sold and counting), you'll hear about topics ranging from imposter syndrome to "shifting the monkey" back where it belongs (toward difficult people).

Whitaker is author of dozens of books, including the most well-known, What Great Teachers Do Differently. Find it on Amazon.

This episode contains part 1 of an extended conversation with Todd Whitaker. Listen to part 2 here. 

For more author interviews from across the Be Podcast Network, make sure to subscribe to The Authority: https://authoritypodcast.net

Learn about the Be Podcast Network here: https://bepodcast.network 

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.