Send us a textToday’s show is a unique one as my good friend, colleague and fellow podcaster, Jorge Rodriguez, takes control of the host seat in today’s episode. In our discussion, we take a dive into the wonderful Winter Enrichment Program held at our university KAUST here in Saudi Arabia in January and what we learned from interviewing some of the amazing keynote speakers and featured presenters. Jorge served as my sound producer for these episodes and also jumped in to ask a few questions. However, in today’s show, Jorge flips the script and interviews me about some of the presentations that I gave during the conference and what it was I wanted each audience member to think more deeply about in regards to the main themes of my presentations. At this conference, I was able to present about peak performance and the necessary conditions needed for humans to flourish and live more productive, fulfilled lives. In my conversation with Jorge, we take a dive into these themes and talk about how these ideas and strategies resonate with each of us based on our own unique contexts. Jorge was a gifted athlete in university and was on a track and field scholarship while attending the university of houston, so he was able to speak about what high performance meant to him during this time and what it was that he had to focus on to be his best. I also share what high performance means to me and what I’ve come to learn through my training as a performance coach. This conversation was very enjoyable to me as Jorge is not only a good friend and colleague but someone who I have developed deep respect for over the years based on his own life’s work and passion he has as an educator. Hope you find value in this discussion and share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Connect With JorgeTwitterPodcastWebsite

Send us a textIn today's episode, Raha Moharrak and I have a discussion about her life as a mountaineer and what she learned from scaling Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world at 29032 feet. When I think of Raha’s story, a quote from Nelson Mandela comes to mind. What Mandela said was this: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers his fear"Raha exemplifies what it means to be courageously bold in one’s life and to take the risks needed to leap into the unknown. For Raha that leap into the unknown led her to scaling some of the most difficult mountain tops in the world. What makes Raha’s story even more inspiring is that she was able to achieve all of this during a time when many young Saudi woman were discouraged from dreaming big and taking on difficult challenges. Having grown up in Jeddah, Raha had never been exposed to mountaineering but she lived a very adventurous and athletic life early on which propelled her on to dreaming big. In order to prepare for her journey to the top of Everest, Raha was required to get as much climbing experience as possible. In the year prior to summiting Everest she challenged herself to be able to scale 7 of the highest peaks in the world, as well she worked on her technical skills in mountaineering at a climbing school in Seattle, Washington. Her story is amazing as is her passion for inspiring all people to better understand that within each of them are limitless possibilities. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Raha Moharrak and share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Connect With RahaInstagramFacebookTwitterRead CNN's Article on Raha

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Dr. Paul Sutter. Paul is a theoretical cosmologist, award-winning science communicator, U.S. Cultural Ambassador, author, essayist, podcaster, speaker, TV host, and a globally recognized leader in the intersection of art and science. Paul is a research professor at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University and a guest researcher at the Center for Computational Astrophysics with the Flatiron Institute in New York City.Paul has authored two books, Your Place in the Universe and How to Die in Space. In addition to his books, he writes for Space.com, Ars Technica, Nautilus, Undark, Live Science, and more, with his articles syndicating to news outlets worldwide.Paul hosts a variety of science shows across all platforms, including How the Universe Works on Science Channel, Space Out on Discovery, and Edge of Knowledge on Ars Technica. He also writes and hosts his own shows, including his hit Ask a Spaceman podcast, which has been downloaded over 7 million times.Paul earned his PhD in physics in 2011 as a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellow at the University of Illinois. He then spent three years as a research fellow at the Paris Institute for Astrophysics followed by two years at the Trieste Observatory in Italy. Prior to his current appointment, he held a joint position as the chief scientist at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio and as a cosmological researcher at the Ohio State University.This conversation dives into the role of curiosity, imagination and the importance of keeping an open mind when it comes to learning. Hope you enjoy it and share it with anyone who will benefit from listening. Connect With PaulPaul's WebsiteTwitterYoutubeFacebook

Send us a textIt was an honor to interview Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Fålun Strøm in my latest podcast episode. Sunniva and Hilde are both courageously bold expeditioners, and citizen scientists who just over two years ago became the first women to live unassisted at the North Pole for what was supposed to be 9 months, but due to covid ended up being 21 months. Sunniva and Hilde's work to raise global awareness around climate change is remarkable as is their journey itself. They chose to live for two winters in total isolation on the Norwegian Arctic island of Svalbard to raise awareness of the massive impact climate change is having on our polar regions. In our interview we will unpack what that journey was like for them, how they learned to deal with fear, and what their biggest learning and takeaway was from that experience.This interview is one of 3 interviews I conducted as part of the Winter Enrichment Program 2023 at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. You will learn more about the amazing Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) in today's episode. Sunniva and Hilde are truly inspirational in the work that they do to raise global awareness around the issue of climate change. Hope you enjoy this episode and share with anyone who you feel will benefit from tuning in.  Connect with Sunniva and HildeTwitterLinkedInInstagramWebsiteBuy their book Hearts in the Ice here

Send us a textThis week's conversation is with the inspiring New York Times best-selling author and internationally renowned speaker Daniel Pink. Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into this episode based on his decades of writing and research. Although the main purpose of our conversation was to unpack the themes related to his latest New York Times best-seller The Power of Regret- How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, we spend a fair chunk of our discussion initially talking about:Early days in Daniel's life and the type of learner he wasHow his experience living and researching in Japan led to him writing one of his books (The Adventures of Johnny Bunko- The Last Career Guide You Will Ever Need)Life lessons he has come to learn through his work and researchTalking about the above themes in Daniel's life helped to pave the way for an in-depth discussion about his latest best-seller. In the second half of this podcast we dove into the following themes: What sparked his desire to write his latest best-seller The Power of Regret- How Looking Backward Moves Us ForwardThe four core regrets that this book is structured aroundThe three-step process he shares in his book to help people proactively work through regrets in their livesWhat he is most proud of having given to the world through his workWhat strikes me about this conversation is Daniel's authenticity and personable way in which he communicates and connects. He has devoted his life to helping provide clarity to people around some of life's most challenging obstacles by consistently sharing, in his books, very useful, practical, researched-based strategies that are applicable in every day life. According to Daniel Pink:"Regret is not dangerous or abnormal, a deviation from the steady path to happiness. It is healthy and universal, an integral part of being human."Hope you enjoy my discussion with Daniel Pink. Thank you for tuning in and for sharing this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening to it. Daniel Pink Short BioDaniel H. Pink is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. His other books include the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. He lives in Washington, DC, with his family. Connect With Daniel PinkTwitter: https://twitter.com/DanielPinkWebsite: https://www.danpink.com/Daniel Pink's BooksA Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the FutureAdventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You Will Ever NeedTo Sell Is HumanDrive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates UsWhen: Scientific Secrets of Perfect TimingThe Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Helps us Move Forward

Send us a textIn today's episode, Jennifer Abrams and I unpack her latest book Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing Up at Work. We take an in-depth dive into the 5 facets of personal and professional growth as outlined in her book. We discuss how these 5 facets apply to our improvement as an individual and as a workplace colleague in order to be able to show up as our best self with consistency both personally and professionally. As well, we also look at how the best leaders continually plant the seeds for adult development in their organizations in order to promote deeper well-being and productivity in the workplace. This is a thought-provoking discussion that will help all leaders to reflect more deeply on their role and responsibilities.  Jennifer Abrams for a part 2 of a conversation that began in September of 2022.  Jennifer is an international educational and communications consultant for public and independent schools, universities and non-profits.  Jennifer’s publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicating, Collaborating & Creating Community and Hard Conversations Unpacked – the Whos, the Whens and the What Ifs, Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives, and her newest book, Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work.Hope you can share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Thanks folks. Connect With JenWebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookPrevious Episode with Jennifer Abrams

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Rasmus Hougaard, the CEO/Founder of the Potential Project and best-selling author (Compassionate Leadership, The Mind of the Leader, and One Second Ahead). In the conversation, we cover such themes as living a mindful life, leadership,  dealing with trauma and helping organizations to thrive. Rasmus brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the field of leadership development around the world and continues to make a difference every day in the work he does. It was a pleasure and honor to have him on the podcast. Please share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Rasmus' BioRasmus Hougaard is the Founder and Managing Director of Potential Project, a global research, leadership development, and consulting firm on a mission to create a more human world of work. His prescient views on the critical qualities of future leaders got him recognized by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s most influential business thinkers. He has partnered with forward-thinking organizations like IKEA,Unilever, and Cisco to create a more human world of work by helping individuals, leaders, and teams to unlock the full potential of the mind. Rasmus is an experienced, authentic, and engaging speaker, having led morethan 1,500 keynotes and workshops. Rasmus is the co-author of Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way (Harvard Business Review Press, 2022). Using data from thousands of leaders, employees, and companies in nearly 100 countries, the book finds that when leaders bring the right balance of compassion and wisdom to work, they foster much higher levels of employee engagement, performance, loyalty, and well-being. Rasmus also co-authored The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results and One Second Ahead: Enhance Your Performance at Work with Mindfulness. In addition, he writes for leading publications such as Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes, and Business Insider.Connect With Rasmus:WebsiteTwitterLindkedInRasmus' BooksCompassionate LeadershipThe Mind of the LeaderOne Second AheadForbes Article Mentioned in EpisodeOther Forbes Articles Written By RasmusMindfulness For Well-Being at Work Talk

Send us a textDr. Jim Knight has been on my show two times previously and, in these episodes, we took a deep dive into the work he has done in the field of instructional coaching for the past two decades.In both of these episodes, Jim shared great insight into what instructional coaching is and how coaches work alongside educators to bring out their very best in order to have a positive impact on student learning. Although Jim and I will do a review of instructional coaching in our episode today, the focus of our conversation is more about Jim’s recent learning in relation to his own research, what he feels most compelled to share with the world through his work and how schools and their leaders can best support coaches in order to help them thrive within their roles. I hope you tune into today's episode and share it with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening to it. Thanks. About Jim:Jim Knight, Founder and Senior Partner of Instructional Coaching Group (ICG), is also a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying professional learning and instructional coaching. Jim earned his PhD in Education from the University of Kansas and has won several university teaching, innovation, and service awards. The pioneering work Jim and his colleagues have conducted has led to many innovations that are now central to professional development in schools. Jim wrote the first major article about instructional coaching for the Journal of Staff Development, and his book Instructional Coaching (2007) offered the first extended description of instructional coaching. Jim’s book Focus on Teaching (2014) was the first extended description of how video should be used for professional learning. Recently, writing with Ann Hoffman, Michelle Harris, and Sharon Thomas, Jim introduced the idea of instructional playbooks with their book on that topic. Jim has written several books in addition to those described above, including Unmistakable Impact (2011), High-Impact Instruction (2013), Better Conversations (2015), The Impact Cycle (2018), and The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching (2021). Knight has also authored articles on instructional coaching and professional learning in publications such as Educational Leadership, The Journal of Staff Development, Principal Leadership, The School Administrator, and Kappan. Jim is also a columnist for Educational Leadership.Through ICG, Knight conducts coaching workshops, hosts the Facebook Live series, “Coaching Conversations,” and provides consulting for coaching programs around the world.Connect With Jim:WebsiteTwitterOur Previous Two Podcasts:January 2021September 2021

Send us a textRick was first on my show back in 2017 and, in this initial conversation, we explored the work he had done up until that point training teachers around the areas of assessment, feedback, and differentiated instruction. Rick’s work has received numerous media coverage over the years. Some examples include The Good Morning America Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, The Washington Post, the National Geographic and Good Housekeeping magazines (among many other publications).In today’s episode, Rick and I explore early days in his life and how this journey went on to shape who he became as an educator and ultimately the work he has done as a writer, presenter and trainer of teachers, principals, superintendents, school boards and business organizations. Rick shares deep insight into what it takes to be a great teacher and what the best leaders do to empower all stakeholders in their organizations to thrive and flourish within their roles. As well, he shares some valuable resources and ideas to help improve pedagogy and leadership practice. You are sure to enjoy this discussion with Rick. Connect With RickTwitter: https://twitter.com/rickwormeli2Website: https://www.rickwormeli.com/The 2017 episode I recorded with Rick can be found here.

Send us a textIn this episode, we will explore the power of personal narrative and the impact that mindset training has on sparking the very best within ourselves. We will double click on how we can all pursue our own level of excellence and in this episode, I will share snippets from interviews I’ve done on my podcast with three very uniquely talented and inspiring individuals who have carved out their own path of excellence in life. We will hear from world renowned performance psychologists Dr. Michael Gervais and Dr. Jim Loehr, as well as 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Andrea Proske. Through the conversations I have on my podcast, I love nothing more than to pull back the curtain on optimal performance and the conditions necessary to perform at our best, regardless of what it is we do. Maybe it’s being the best parent we can be or the best partner or spouse. Maybe it’s being the best in the workplace or even being the best in our sport. Regardless, it’s about pursuing personal and professional excellence and how the best in the world do this with consistency in their lives. I hope you enjoy this episode and it inspires you to pursue your best self. Thanks so much for listening and for sharing with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Shine on and thrive!Connect with Michael GervaisTwitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgervaisWebsite: https://findingmastery.net/category/podcasts/Online Training Course: https://competetocreate.net/Connect With Dr. Jim LoehrWebsite: https://www.jim-loehr.com/Leading with Character Book: https://www.jim-loehr.com/booksAndrea Proske: Website: https://andreaproske.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/andreaproskeAndy Vasily: Website: https://andyvasily.com/Twitter: https://andyvasily.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-vasily-07b551157/