Run Your Life Show With Andy Vasily

Send us a textToday’s conversation is with Pino Di Ioia, the CEO/Owner of BeaverTails, a one of a kind, very well-known, Canadian pastry chain. The chain started in 1978, but has spread widely throughout Canada and also has locations in 6 other countries around the world including France, Mexico, and Japan. With over 170 franchises and more opening each month, Beavertails is a massive success story that has been built on the vision of Pino and his amazing team working behind the scenes over the years. In this conversation, we’ll unpack some of the success principles that Pino has put into action over the years to help Beavertails thrive as an organization, but more importantly, we’ll take a dive into Pino’s life and learn how he was able to develop his world view from a young ago and capitalize on early strengths that he possessed that helped to give him the mindset of a champion. And I do not use the phrase ‘mindset of a champion’ lightly. To me a champion is someone who has the ability to impact those around them in a way that brings out their absolute best. Whether it be a professional athlete, best-selling author, or gold medallist in the Olympics, a champion mindset is not only about tapping into one’s own unique strengths in order to perform one’s best, it’s also about how they give back to the world in a way that helps others thrive. As you will see from this conversation, Pino, even at a young age, had a deeply entrepreneurial spirit and you will hear specifics on how he was able to consistently engage with the world in a way that tapped into his natural abilities to be curious, creative, innovative and resourceful and it’s these strengths that would later go on to help him build his hugely successful business. Pino’s capacity to put people first and focus on developing strong relationships is firmly rooted in his belief in the importance of autonomy in the workplace. Pino’s  encourages his employees in a way that not only feel supported but to contribute to the company’s success based on the strengths and abilities that they bring to the organization. You’ll learn specifics about Pino’s philosophy as we dig deeper into this episode. Beaver Tails has been enjoyed by many including former US president Barrack Obama, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, and has even been featured as a question/answer on the game show Jeopardy hosted by the late Alex Trebek. It was awesome to be able to sit down with Pino on Zoom to have this discussion. It was a fun and insightful chat and I hope you enjoy it. Connect With PinoWebsite: https://beavertails.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeaverTailsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/beavertails/Special thanks to Bronx band Conversing with Oceans & Alex Bondarev for creating the podcast music.https://www.conversingwithoceans.com/

Send us a textAs a young boy, Simon Whitfield loved playing team sport. In particular, soccer and ice hockey, and through these pursuits, he was able to develop important skills that would go on to serve him well in the future. However, it was the sport of running that really captured his interest, inspiring him to think about what was possible in his life.He has nothing but fond memories when he reflects on his first time being introduced to triathlon, getting his start in the Sharbot Lake kid’s triathlon which was an informal, family friendly community-based event.He fell in love with triathlon and in order to become the very best he could be, he said his good byes to his family and friends and left his home in Kingston, Ontario, to travel alone, as a 16-year old, more than halfway across the world, to Sydney, Australia to complete high school and to train amongst its top-ranked triathletes. This decision would ultimately pay off for Simon and help spur him on to Olympic greatness. You’ll hear how in our discussion today. In this episode, Simon shares the role that visualization played in the process of winning his gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as well how it always helped him to create and play out different scenarios in his head in order to always be ready for anything that happened in competition. Simon is a deep thinker, and in our discussion, he shares what he feels he has learned about himself, not only through success, but also through hardship and adversity. It’s these life lessons that continue to propel him on in his own journey, inspiring him to find meaning and purpose in his life that extend far beyond his identify as a world class athlete and Olympian to something that means so much more to him; the ability to always remain open and curious about the world and to always connect with nature, be out on the ocean as a certified paddle board instructor and to give back to his sport and to the younger generation of athletes striving to follow in his footsteps. Simon's BioSimon Whitfield, triathlete (born 16 May 1975 in Kingston, ON). Simon Whitfield is a four-time Olympian and Canada's first-ever Olympic gold medalist in triathlon. Whitfield won gold at the 2000 Olympic Summer Games in Sydney, the first year that the triathlon was an Olympic event. Although he did not medal at the 2004 Games in Athens, he sprinted to a silver medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Whitfield was the Canadian flag-bearer at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London but crashed during the bicycle portion of the triathlon and was forced to pull out of the event. Whitfield has also amassed a total of 12 World Cup wins in addition to his gold and silver Olympic medals. He retired from competition in 2013 and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.Connect with SimonTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonwhitfieldSpecial Recognition to: Special credit to CBC Sports for their video of Simon's Olympic Victory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg2SKW69AY0As well special credit to Hawksley Workman for their 'Beauty as Anger' song used in this episode: https://hawksleyworkman.com/Special credit as well to  the Tragically Hip and Jordi Savall for their music

Send us a textAlan Tait first picked up a club at 5 years old. His love for the game was evident from this very early age and it was always his dream to pursue a career in golf. By the time he was 17 he was playing off plus 2 and in 1986 he won The Scottish Boys Championship, before going on to win The Doug Sanders European and World Junior Championships in the same year. During his amateur career he represented Scotland and Great Britain and Ireland and became only the 5th player in Scottish Golf history to be capped at boys, youths and senior levels in the same year.Alan turned professional in 1990 and is probably best known for being the first player ever to shoot 64 (8 under par) at the Championship Course at Carnoustie in 1994 at The Daily Express 72-Hole Pro Am Championship. This record stood for 23 years until none other than Englishman and Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood went one better shooting a 63 in The 2017 Dunhill Links. In this episode Alan shares a marvelous story about being pair with 15-time major champion Tiger Woods and 2-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw for a practice round at Carnoustie in 1995, a memorable round of golf that gave him the opportunity to teach Tiger and Ben about how to play Carnoustie to help them prepare for playing the 1995 Scottish Open being held at the course. Although success was hard to find on the European Tour Alan looks back at his experience with fond memories. He enjoys working for BBC Radio Scotland, commentating at events such as The Open, Scottish Open, Ryder and Solheim Cups.Currently Alan is Director of Operations for the UK working for GolPhin. GolPhin is a company focused on growing the game from grass roots through their education programme, MyPathway2Golf coaching initiative and also their award winning equipment, designed for 3-14 year olds.Connect With AlanWebsite: https://usa.golphin.com/Email: alan@golphin.co.uk 

Send us a textFrom an early age, Oshiomogho Atogwe focused on the micro-steps needed to continually grow and learn and constantly refine and improve his skills as a football player. And as Atomic Habit’s author James Clear says, it’s the ‘aggregation of marginal gains over time’ that leads to long term lasting success. Little did Oshiomogho  know it at the time, but he would go on to be one of the best high school players to ever come out of Windsor, Ontario and also go on to receive a scholarship at Stanford University and be a defensive standout on the team. This would lead him to be drafted in the 3rd round of the NFL draft by the St Louis Rams and play 8 years in the NFL. 5 years with the Rams, 2 years with the Redskins and then finish his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. In our discussion, Oshiomogho and I talk about his journey in the NFL and what it was he came to better understand about himself through this experience. He has always been guided by his faith and the deep spiritual framework that he puts into action in his life to honor the talents and strengths that he feels he has been given and the responsibility to give back to the world in special ways to serve others with the gifts that he has been blessed with. Oshiomogho believes that a great coach has the power to change a persons life and that it is a role that cannot be taken lightly. Using his own experiences as an example, he speaks about the impact that his high school coach Harry Lumley had in his life and the difference he made. As a college football player myself and being from the same hometown, Windsor Ontario, it was great to connect with Oshiomogho  and have this discussion on my podcast. Wherever you are in the world listening to this, I hope you enjoy the conversation and share it with at least one person you feel with benefit from listening to it as well. About Oshiomogho Oshiomogho Isaac "O.J." Atogwe (born June 23, 1981) is a Canadian former professional American football free safety who served most recently as the secondary coach for the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford. Atogwe was also a member of the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.

Send us a textMy guest today, Ann-Renee Desbiens, exemplifies what it means to show grit and to have a never give up attitude. As the youngest of 5 kids, she learned a lot from her older siblings and it was through her exploration of sport that she ultimately found a love of ice hockey.Although she had opportunity to play a variety of positions, she would settle into the role of goalie early on in her ice hockey career. Due to her talent, hard work and effort, Ann Renee played only in boy’s leagues up until she was 19 at which point she accepted a full-ride scholarship to play ice hockey for, Wisconsin Badgers, one of the best female ice hockey teams in the NCAA. As she states in this podcast, she had many great memories playing in the boy’s leagues back in Quebec, but there were a number challenging moments she experienced that forced her to be strongly independent and develop a resilient mindset that allowed her to get through these difficult times. She speaks about these experiences in our conversation in this episode. Ann-Renee would go on to have an amazing career in the NCAA breaking numerous records and ultimately winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award which is given to the top female college player in the United StatesShe represented Team Canada in the 2018 Winter Olympics as starting goalie winning silver medal and will begin training in a few months time for the 2022 Winter Olympics being held in Beijing. As you will see in this episode, Ann-Renee has the mindset of a champion and everything she does is aligned with the thoughts, words, and actions necessary for constant growth and learning.  Connect With Ann-ReneeTwitter: https://twitter.com/adesbiens30Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anndesbiens/

Send us a textIn 2013, Dr. Steven Katz and Dr. Lisa Dack published their book Intentional Interruption based on highly intensive field work that they had done attaching themselves to a number of schools to work closely with educational leaders and teachers in different districts in order to create long term positive impact on teaching and learning, as well as organizational improvement. Steven and Lisa have deeply committed themselves to helping schools to thrive and to increase student learning, achievement success and well-being. As the biggest predictor of student success is the quality of classroom practice, what teachers are doing with students in the classroom on a daily basis has the largest chance of making a positive impact on their learning. In their book Intentional Interruption, Steven and Lisa set out to identify barriers that get in the way of professional learning and to focus on what schools can do to not only identify these barriers but how they can put specific strategies into action to ‘interrupt’ these barriers to help maximize the impact that teachers can have on student learning. In this conversation, we do a quick tour of each chapter, highlighting the key points written about and discuss what educational leaders and teachers can do to deeply foster an professional learning environment where everyone can thrive and flourish. Both Steven and Lisa unpack the different between being a ‘lead knower’ and a ‘lead learner', as well the important difference between professional development and professional learning. They give us a brief look into strategies to interrupt habitual thinking that holds teachers back and share protocols that can be used to facilitate collaborative meetings in more meaningful and purpose ways. I highly encourage you to get your hands on a copy of this book if you are interested in knowing more about these important ideas and how they can be applied with consistency in a school setting. Thanks for tuning into this episodeAbout Steven Katz Dr. Katz's research interests include program reform in teacher education; building capacity through collaborative learning networks; the relationship between the psychological foundations of learning & development and classroom assessment; building capacity in evidence-informed decision-making for school improvement; teacher belief about mind and learning; impactful professional learning in school and system improvementConnect With Steven: STEVEN.KATZ@UTORONTO.CA  About Lisa DackMy interests lie in bridging Developmental Psychology and Education to better understand the learning process in children and adults. In particular, I am interested in what it takes for children and adults' learning opportunities to have a lasting impact. My research focuses on teacher and leader professional learning and in understanding what professional learning opportunities look like when they truly change thinking and professional practice.Connect with Lisa: lisa.dack@utoronto.ca Special thanks to Bronx based band Conversing with Oceans and Alex Bondarev for creating the podcast music.https://www.conversingwithoceans.com/ Opening music written and performed by New York-born musician Scott Ferrare. You can find his work at: https://scottferrare.hearnow.com

Send us a textWhen reflecting back on early days in his life, Guy Claxton considered himself to be an unadventurous, unexceptional learner in school. Although well-liked by his teachers and well-behaved, Guy felt as though he was a middle of the road type of student. During this time his parents moved from London to a very rural area in the west midlands of England. As this was a very isolated area, Guy had no kids his age to hang around with which helped to create the conditions for him to become much more self-sufficient, imaginative and resourceful in many different ways, ultimately leading him to develop a deep love of reading and interest in exploring the countryside. It was in his mid-teens that Guy had to take some high stakes exams to help prepare for higher education. As Guy states in his own words, “Much to everybody’s surprise including mine, I did unexpectedly well’. As a result of his performance on his O-Level exams, Guy experienced, as he calls it, a personality shift within himself spurring him on to believe that it was possible for him to be bright and to become intellectually and educationally successful. Little did he know it at the time, but Guy would go on to earn a double-first in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and a Doctorate in Experimental Psychology from Oxford and eventually become an internationally renowned cognitive scientist. He is also a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, the Academy of Social Sciences, and the Royal Society of Arts. Guy’s interest in writing early on in his life led to him become a prolific author in education having written or co-written nearly 30 books. He is best known for developing the concept of ‘learning power’: a collection of skills and attitudes that underpin someone’s ability to tackle complex matters with confidence, capability, and relish. Guy’s come on the podcast today to really unpack his latest book The Future of Teaching and the Myths that Hold it Back and two important questions he poses are: What is the purpose of school? What does the future of education hold?Guy has a natural ability to connect with others and despite all of his accomplishments in life, he is not only down-to-earth, but also a very kind and caring person striving to impact the world through his work and advocate for every young person’s right to learn in a psychologically and emotionally safe environment that not only helps them achieve success in school but also supports them to develop the skills and dispositions needed to thrive in this ever-changing, complex and uncertain world. I highly encourage to get your hands on a copy of Guy’s latest book and to share it with other educators wanting to make a difference in the work they do. Guy’s Bio: Guy Claxton is a cognitive scientist specialising in the nature of real-world intelligence and ways in which it can be improved through education of all kinds. He is Visiting Professor of Education at King’s College London.Connect With Guy: Website: https://www.guyclaxton.net/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GuyClaxtonGet Guy’s Latest Book at: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-future-of-teaching-guy-claxton/1138501805Explore Guy’s other books at: https://www.guyclaxton.net/booksOpening music written and performed by New York-born musician Scott Ferrare. You can find his work at: https://scottferrare.hearnow.com

Send us a textIn this episode, Trevor and I take a look back at early days in his life, the type of learner he was and what it was he most needed from his teachers to thrive in his own unique ways.  We unpack his journey through school and pathway into education as a career. Trevor firmly believes all students can flourish given the right conditions, provided autonomy and inquiry are at the heart and core of teaching and learning. In our conversation, you will gain valuable insight into inquiry-based learning practices that have a proven impact on student performance regardless of discipline. Trevor gives us a glimpse into his first two books, A Dive Into Inquiry written in 2016 and his second book An Inquiry Mindset written in 2018. We dive deeply into his latest book Inquiry Mindset Assessment Edition which is being released on May 15, 2021. The process of writing he went through putting this book together was a rewarding but difficult endeavor as it took a lot of time and energy, but was well worth the effort. Hope you find meaning and purpose in this episode and ideas/strategies that are applicable to the work you do in education. Thanks for listening. About TrevorTrevor MacKenzie is an experienced teacher, author, keynote speaker and inquiry consultant who has worked in schools throughout Australia, Asia, North America, South Africa and Europe. Trevor’s passion is  supporting schools in implementing inquiry-based learning practices. He is a highly regarded speaker known for his heartfelt storytelling, kind demeanor, and student-first philosophy.  Trevor’s graduate research focused on identifying and removing the barriers to implementing inquiry-based learning in the K-12  setting. He is an inquiry practitioner currently as a teacher with the Greater Victoria School District in Victoria, Canada. He has two publications: Dive into Inquiry and Inquiry Mindset, both published by Elevate Books Edu. He has vast experience supporting schools across several years in implementation strategies in public schools, international schools, and International Baccalaureate programs (PYP/MYP/DP).As a classroom teacher in Victoria, BC, Canada, Trevor uses technology to enhance his teaching as he leverages blended learning, inquiry-based learning, iPad Ed, and student blogging as a means to reflect on learning.  He strives to make learning public and meaningful and support innovation and connection amongst educators.Connect With TrevorWebsite: https://www.trevormackenzie.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/trev_mackenzieTrevor's Books:A Dive Into Inquiry: https://www.amazon.com/Dive-into-Inquiry-Amplify-Learning/dp/1945167149An Inquiry Mindset: https://www.amazon.com/Inquiry-Mindset-Nurturing-Curiosities-Youngest/dp/1945167432Inquiry Mindset Assessment Edition: https://www.trevormackenzie.com/inquiry-mindset-assessment-edition

Send us a textWhen Dr. Katie Novak was a student early in life, she did what was required by her teachers, handing in her work on time and following rules and expectations set by the school, but she never genuinely developed a deep love of learning. She didn’t feel that she really had what it took to be a great student, but all that changed when a teacher that she had truly believed in her capabilities and pushed for Katie to be moved into advanced classes in high school. This genuinely changed the trajectory Katie’s life and she learned to believe in herself and she began to develop the habits and skills needed to thrive academically. This led Katie on a path that would have her eventually become a teacher herself wanting to reach all of her students and help them to find success in their own unique ways. Katie would journey into educational leadership and ultimately become the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. She would go on to earn a doctorate in curriculum and teaching, and publish 8 books. She now designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally focusing on the implementation of inclusive practices, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), multi-tiered systems of support, and universally designed leadership. In today’s episode you will hear Katie talk about what Universal Design for Learning is and how it can be implemented successfully in schools. She shares many examples of what UDL looks like and what educational leaders need to think about when considering this framework and how it might be embedded within their school in authentic ways. Hope you find some valuable takeaways from this discussion with Katie. About Katie: Katie Novak, Ed.D., is an internationally renowned education consultant, author, professor at UPenn, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. Dr. Novak is the author of the best-selling book, UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classrooms. Her book, Innovate Inside the Box, with George Couros, explores how to create innovative and purposeful learning opportunities for students within the constraints of educational systems. Let Them Thrive was endorsed by the PACER Foundation. Two additional publications, of which she is a co-author, have been endorsed by leading professors in the field of education and state departments of education. UDL in the Cloud was endorsed by the Executive Director of The Initiative on Learning and Teaching at MIT while Mitchell Chester, the late Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), endorsed Universally Designed Leadership.Novak’s work has been highlighted in many publications including Edutopia, Language Magazine, NAESP Principal, ADDitude Magazine, Commonwealth Magazine, The Inclusion Lab, Think Inclusive, School news, the Huffington Post, Principal Leadership, District Administrator, ASCD Education Update, and School Administrator.Connect With Katie: Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatieNovakUDLWebsite: https://www.novakeducation.com/UDL Guidelines: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/Opening music written and performed by New York-based musician Scott Ferrare. You can find his work at: https://scottferrare.hearnow.comSpecial thanks to Bronx band Conversing with Oceans & Alex Bondarev for creating the podcast intro music.https://www

Send us a textAs a child, Anthony Calvillo absorbed himself in sport. Whether it be baseball, basketball, track and field or football, sport provided Anthony with an escape from a troubling home environment that was plagued by domestic violence and alcoholism.He grew up in a tough neighborhood about 20-minutes from central Los Angeles and knew that choosing sport over a life of street gang crime was his only way out. The natural gifts and abilities that Anthony possessed allowed him to thrive in sport, giving him the confidence needed to think bigger and have a dream of playing football at the college level. Through the support of important mentors in his life, Anthony knew that playing elite level sport was a way that he could have a better life. The path he took led him to be the starting quarterback at Utah State. It was here at Utah State, where Anthony was mentored by  his quarterback coach, Jim Zorn, the well-known left-handed QB who led the Seattle Seahawk offense for 8 seasons in the NFL. The outstanding success he had at Utah State led directly to a career in the CFL. Little did Anthony know it at the time but he would go on to play 20 seasons in the Canadian football League to become the league’s all-time leader in passing yardage at 79,816 yards, all-time leader in touchdowns thrown with 455 TD passes, He won Grey Cup championship 3 times and was voted the CFL’s most outstanding player 3 times which ties him for second behind Doug Flutie. As you listen to this episode, you will hear firsthand from Anthony, the way he approached the game and the physical and mental preparation he committed himself to throughout his career to improve and get better each season. Anthony admits that at certain points in his career, he had to hold the mirror up to himself in order to identify exactly what he needed to focus on to continue to show up and be the best version of himself possible to help guide and lead the Montreal Alouettes to greatness in the CFL. What defines Anthony the most in my opinion is not the records he holds, his Grey Cup wins, or his MVP awards, but more so his resilient spirit and his ability to overcome hardship and adversity in his life to carve out his own path of greatness. What we don’t talk about in this episode is the struggles that both he and his wife battled in overcoming cancer. This experience helped Anthony and his family to recognize what is most important in life- love, connection, and living with authenticity and purpose. The work that Anthony has done raising awareness about domestic violence is hugely important and he’s using his voice and platform to shed light on this issue in order to make a difference. It’s rare that we can get such a glimpse into the mindset of a champion. So many lessons shared in this episode. I hope you enjoy it.Connect With AnthonyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonycalvillo13/?hl=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/acalvillo13?lang=en