Raising kids, navigating teenagers and building stronger teams have a lot more in common than you may realize! This episode is for leaders who truly want to make a difference in the world. The leaders you build become your legacy!

In this episode, Crystal challenges listeners to rethink their desire to remove obstacles and step in to fix problems and instead, communicate to the people around you that you believe in them (and you have their backs).

In today’s episode, we will be talking with Kurtis Hewson. Together, we will be discussing the power of layering teams and, particularly, the collaborative team meeting. This Collaborative Response model is designed to help educators create and focus on a clear vision of what success would look like, identify insights that matter and support each other through a process that is designed to maximize student support and ultimately, success. This conversation just might be the missing puzzle piece that your school teams are looking for.

Connect with Kurtis Hewson 

Email: [email protected] 

X: @hewsonk27

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hewsonk27 

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/kurtishewson

Learn more about Collaborative Response https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tbgetTdAiA&t=0s 

Access the FREE Overview of Collaborative Response Article 

https://bit.ly/CR-overview 

Explore the book Collaborative Response by downloading the introduction for FREE 

https://bit.ly/CR-intro - if interested in ordering the book, use the code JLPodcast10 to receive 10% off!

Join us as Andrea Mishio shares her journey from burnout to learning how to prioritize self-care so she can live a vibrant life as a speaker, teacher and mom. 

Andrea challenges listeners to incorporate practical self-care strategies into their lives by providing real examples of how she is able to balance the demands she faces as a full-time professional mom!

Contact Andrea at: [email protected]

In this episode, we explore what it really means to be a resilient school leader. Not the kind who powers through without breaking, but the kind who moves through pain with purpose and becomes the glue holding their school together during the hardest days. We'll tackle the weight of leading when everyone brings their opinion of what you "should" be doing. Accountability demands keep rising while your staff drowns under competing priorities. You'll discover why your most powerful tool isn't saying yes to more. It's becoming masterful at filtering out what doesn't align with your school's goal. Give your teachers permission to focus and to stop doing the things that water down their impact. Because resilience isn't about being unbreakable—it's about knowing what to hold onto and what to let go.

What if balance isn’t about doing everything evenly — but about showing up fully where you are? In this episode, we challenge the guilt-driven version of “work–life balance” that so many educators carry and replace it with a healthier, more sustainable way to lead and live. You’ll explore how holding two truths at once and being present where your feet are can reduce burnout, strengthen relationships, and create emotionally steady adults who build vibrant school communities. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, torn between competing priorities, or like you’re never doing “enough,” this conversation will feel like a deep breath — and a practical reset.

What if the key to transformational educational leadership isn't choosing between people and data—but intentionally bringing both together?

In this episode, we explore how vibrant educational leaders can harness the power of data without losing sight of what matters most: the students they serve. Drawing from real classroom experiences, we examine the pivotal moment when a passionate teacher discovered how meaningful data analysis could enhance rather than diminish their love of teaching.

We challenge the assumption that leadership means being "all about the numbers" and reframe data as a compass that guides us toward bringing more life into our work. By starting with three essential questions—

WHO do you want to impact?

HOW will their lives change? and

WHAT do you need to know?—leaders can create action plans that unite staff and genuinely move students forward.

WHAT information do you need to help the students you’re focused on?

VIBRANT leaders are anchored in the stories, strengths and gaps of the students whom they serve.

Key Takeaway: To be vibrant means to pulsate with life. Your data analysis should serve as a compass to guide how to bring life into your results—starting with the human, then letting the numbers illuminate the path forward.

Not every leader changes lives—but vibrant ones do. In this episode, we explore the "V" in the VIBRANT Leadership Framework: Vision. Discover why your school's vision can't be a compliance statement that lives in a drawer, and learn the three essential components every powerful vision must have: who it impacts, why it matters emotionally, and why it's urgent right now.

If your staff can't repeat your vision, it doesn't exist. If your SMART goal doesn't excite you, it won't survive the year. This episode challenges educational leaders to move beyond uninspiring targets and craft a vision so compelling that your staff sees themselves in it—and can't help but want to be part of bringing it to life. Because our students deserve leaders who are all in, and it starts with clarity about what matters most.

You can be the most knowledgeable expert in your field, but when you step into leadership, success is no longer about having the best lesson plan—it's about understanding and connecting with people. This podcast explores the powerful world of non-verbal communication and how mastering it can transform your leadership.

Building on our previous series about expressive language and the four dominant communication styles, we now dive deep into what your body is saying when your mouth isn't moving. Learn how to read the room, mirror effectively, and use your physical presence to build trust and connection. Discover practical techniques for shifting energy—from chaos to calm, from apathy to empowerment—and commanding attention without saying a word.

Whether you're leading a team meeting, delivering a presentation, or navigating a difficult conversation, your pitch, posture, and presence speak volumes. Join us as we uncover the subtle cues that matter most and explore actionable strategies to help you lead with confidence, authenticity, and impact. Because in leadership, what you aren't saying often matters more than what you are.

The Soft Language Problem

Soft language—words like "maybe," "try," "might," and "could"—sounds polite but creates confusion and undermines your leadership. When you communicate without confidence, your team loses confidence in you. Clear is kind, always.

Make the Shift

Replace weak language with absolute messages:

The second phrase acknowledges you were clear while still inviting dialogue, rather than questioning your own clarity.

Personal Example

The host's mom often opens calls with "I'm sorry to bother you but..."—stemming from insecurity and people-pleasing. But to the receiver, it's frustrating because some people always matter and should know it.

Digital Boundaries

Golden rule: if you don't want it posted or shared, don't say it—and definitely don't write it.

Don't engage in online wars. Instead, invite keyboard warriors to your office for a face-to-face conversation. Clear is kind.

Let's connect!

LinkedIn

[email protected]

Being a confident and supportive leader isn't just possible—it's necessary. In this episode, we explore how to create genuinely safe spaces in your school while maintaining the clarity and confidence your team needs from you.

What if the way you've been approaching difficult conversations has been missing a critical foundation? What if there's a better way to handle conflicts that moves beyond "he said, she said" and into meaningful resolution?

In this episode, you'll discover four practical steps that transform how you lead through challenging moments. Learn how collectively created values can anchor every conversation, why naming the difficulty actually makes hard conversations easier, and how to empower your team to find their own solutions instead of waiting for your answers.

Through real stories from the classroom and office—including a game-changing approach used at a junior high where staff and students alike could recite their core values years later—you'll gain concrete language and strategies you can implement immediately.

Whether you're a principal, assistant principal, instructional leader, or anyone leading educational teams, these four steps will help you build the confident, supportive leadership culture your school deserves.

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Let's connect!

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Vibrant Leadership Blog

[email protected]