The Empowered Educator Show | Building Systems That Create Success for School Principals

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I missed Friday’s episode — and instead of ignoring it, I’m modeling what we expect from our staff: ownership and reflection.

In this short Presidents’ Day message, we’re talking about what building leaders can learn from presidential leadership — not about politics, but about presence, resilience, and sustainability.

You may not sit in the Oval Office, but you set the tone for your entire building.

Today’s reminder:

• Leadership is about steadiness, not perfection.
• Your nervous system sets the climate.
• Rest is not weakness — it’s strategy.

As the weather warms up and the sun starts shining, this is your cue to step outside, move your body, reset your energy, and protect your stamina for the long haul.

You don’t have to lead perfectly.
 You just have to keep showing up.

Go lead well this week.

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Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

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Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

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Professional development doesn’t have to feel draining or disconnected. In this episode, Dr. Mel breaks down the biggest disconnect between what teachers are tired of and what they actually want when it comes to PD. Using a simple side-by-side comparison, this conversation offers clarity for teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders who want professional learning to feel purposeful, practical, and respectful of time.

If you’ve ever left a PD session feeling more exhausted than inspired, this one will feel like a breath of fresh air.

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Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

email: [email protected]

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Confidence in leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room—it’s about being grounded in who you are and why you lead.

In this midweek Power Surge, we’re talking about the difference between confidence and arrogance and why true leadership confidence doesn’t need to perform, prove, or overpower others. When leaders lead from clarity instead of ego, their presence becomes steady, trusted, and impactful.

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Loaded Tea Shop

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Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

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Have you ever walked away from a leadership conversation thinking, Why did I say all of that?

Over-explaining is one of the most common—and sneakiest—leadership traps.

In this episode, we’re talking about why leaders feel the pressure to justify decisions, how over-explaining quietly weakens leadership presence, and what it looks like to lead with clarity instead of commentary.

This conversation is for leaders who care deeply about people but are ready to stop managing reactions and start leading with confidence.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why strong leaders still fall into the over-explaining trap
• The hidden cost of explaining decisions too much
• The difference between clarity and justification
• Simple language shifts that build trust and authority
• How to lead calmly without apologizing for your decisions

If you’re ready to lead with more confidence, less emotional labor, and clearer communication, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen in and remember: clarity doesn’t need a long explanation.

Support the show

Loaded Tea Shop

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Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

email: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Loaded Tea Shop

Million Podcasts List

Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

email: [email protected]

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In this episode of Empowered Educator, you’ll hear from Cheryl Wells Collins as she shares the power and effectiveness of group coaching for educators and parents. Cheryl explains why group coaching works—how open conversations around challenges and wins create space for growth, clarity, and confidence for everyone involved. You’ll get a glimpse into the types of topics explored in these coaching groups and how participating in community has helped others feel more fulfilled and effective in their roles.

Cheryl brings over forty years of experience serving under-resourced communities, including sixteen years as a classroom teacher across grades pre-kindergarten through eighth and leadership as a principal and nonprofit CEO. Now, through her coaching and consulting work, she supports leaders who want to grow from the inside out by focusing on personal development before leading others.

This episode is for you if you’re looking for meaningful support, shared learning, and a reminder that leadership growth doesn’t have to happen alone.

Website: cherylwcollins.com 

LinkedIn

Substack

Email:  [email protected] 

This episode includes a referral for Upside—a free app that gives you cash back on gas, groceries, and dining. I use it myself and have been saving that extra cash for a vacation. If you want to try it, download Upside and use promo code MELINDA35278 to earn and extra $17 on your first purchase.

Support the show

Loaded Tea Shop

Million Podcasts List

Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

email: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Feeling buried by your to-do list? In this Power Surge episode, Mel introduces a simple but powerful leadership filter—Delay, Delete, or Delegate—to help leaders reduce overwhelm, protect their energy, and focus on what truly matters. Grounded in faith and leadership research, this episode reminds you that effective leadership isn’t about doing everything—it’s about doing the right things well. 

Support the show

Loaded Tea Shop

Million Podcasts List

Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

email: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Loaded Tea Shop

Million Podcasts List

Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

email: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Casey Watts is a dynamic speaker, author, and expert in team leadership with over 20 years in education and 10 years of experience coaching educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. She is the creator of the Clarity Cycle Framework, helping leaders bridge gaps, foster commitment, and create sustainable alignment. Casey is also the founder and host of The Catching Up with Casey podcast, where she and her guests bring clarity to the seemingly small things in leadership that make a big difference. 

Casey talks about how clarity precedes capacity, She hits on three types of clarity. She discusses how leaders can transfer ownership to teachers and hold them accountable without micromanaging.  But it requires clarity– clarity of direction, clarity of collaboration, and clarity of identity. 

This episode is perfect for aspiring leaders. 

Website: Catching Up with Casey

LinkedIn
The Craft of Clarity Book

Free Preview of The Craft of Clarity

This episode includes a referral for Upside—a free app that gives you cash back on gas, groceries, and dining. I use it myself and have been saving that extra cash for a vacation. If you want to try it, download Upside and use promo code MELINDA35278 to earn and extra $17 on your first purchase.

Support the show

Loaded Tea Shop

Million Podcasts List

Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase!

Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points.

Calling All Educators! 

I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more.

• I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources.
• I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant.

Join here: Empowered Educator Community

Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance Success

email: [email protected]