Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

Today on Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity One of the many problems that plague U.S. businesses, not-for-profits, and our U.S. education system is when and how to change. For many institutions, the process can look like fruit-of-the-month club: they try "this" until a new "this" comes along. A new something – process, way of thinking, way of leading etc. – is seen as the answer to all organizational ills . . . until a new, shinier something takes its place. As a result, employees are whipped-sawed by an unending stream of changes, and sustained results are rarely achieved. One who wrote at length about this problem was Jim Collins in his landmark book, Good to Great. There he looked at what great performing organizations do that good performing organizations typically don't do. One of the habits that great organizations instinctively employ is something Collins called "the flywheel" – a process involving 4-6 elements with each element impacting / driving the next. The thinking went: "If we do "A," then "B" will happen, which will cause "C" to happen, which will cause "D" and so on. Each element is a consequence of the element that came before it. As Collins wrote: "Pushing with great effort, you get the flywheel to inch forward. You keep pushing, and with persistent effort, you get the flywheel to complete on entire turn. You don't stop. You keep pushing. The flywheel moves a bit fast. Then as some point —breakthrough! The flywheel flies forward with almost unstoppable momentum." Guest The book was written about U.S. business, but the question was quickly asked, "Would this thinking work for not-for-profits and specifically, education?" One educator who was immediately intrigued is Dr. Deb Gustafson. Now retired, at the time of this interview, Deb was the Executive Director of Student Services for the Geary County Unified School District 475 based in Junction City, KS. She is the former principal of Ware Elementary School, and that's where she started turning a flywheel that still turns today. Listen for • What the situation like at Ware Elementary when Deb became principal. • What it was about Collins' book that most impacted Deb. • Why the first practice Deb installed as part of her flywheel – see the illustration – was "select teachers infused with passion." • What Deb saw as the ultimate goal – the why, the purpose, the cause – behind what they we're trying to accomplish at Ware. • The distinction we draw in the interview around "urgency." There was "urgency" in needing to do something to resolve the pain that students and teachers are experiencing, but it wasn't an urgency of pace or timing; it was an urgency around the imperative to take the right action where none had been taken before. • How Deb saw it as critical to "align, apply and enhance" any new initiatives and practices to the existing ones. • The impact the flywheel experience had as Deb trained new administrators. For reflection At one point in the interview, Deb noted "You just have to get to the root causes of what you need in your environment to sustain performance." How often does your current organization actually identify root causes or the real problem to be solved? For more information Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins

Guest Hannah Bratterud is a Norwegian-born writer, consultant, and real estate advisor living in Montana. Through her Substack "Finding Home," she explores themes of identity, belonging, and transformation, particularly in times of personal or political upheaval. A leadership strategist by trade and a curious wanderer at heart, Hannah recently shared her journey of becoming an American citizen amid rising national uncertainty. Her work invites readers to question assumptions, embrace complexity, and keep choosing where and how they belong. Summary Hannah, who has now lived in the U.S. for 30 years, explains her decision to seek American citizenship now. She discusses the "paradox of America" – a nation founded on freedom but marked by historical injustices and inequality. Hannah is drawn to the U.S. for its opportunities and individual freedom, yet acknowledges the need to address systemic inequities and support marginalized groups. Her desire for civic engagement and to actively contribute to a more inclusive society drives her decision. Key Takeaways: Hannah's decision to seek U.S. citizenship now was, in part, influenced by the strong anti-immigration sentiment so prevalent today. If she were to leave the U.S. to visit relatives in Norway, would she be able to re-enter if she were not a citizen? She describes America as a paradox, valuing its promise of freedom and opportunity while acknowledging its historical foundations of genocide and slavery, and ongoing inequality. Hannah's motivation for becoming a U.S. citizen stems from a desire for civic engagement and to actively work towards creating freedom and opportunity for historically oppressed groups in America. Social Media Previous interview on Getting Unstuck: Learning to Invest in Yourself – A Transformation Story with Hannah Bratterud Substack article: Becoming American

Guest None today; just me reflecting on recent events. Summary In this episode, I recount my recent fly fishing trip to Alaska, reflecting on how various organizations shaped my experience. Delta Airlines impressed him with personalized service and proactive rebooking. In contrast, an overpriced and unwelcoming airport hotel in Detroit left a negative impression. The Bear Trail Lodge in Alaska, however, stood out for its commitment to guest experience, environmental consciousness, and celebration of local culture, reinforcing the idea that a brand is defined by a series of customer touch points, not just its primary service. Key Points: A successful vacation, and by extension, a positive organizational experience, depends on mindset, handling unexpected issues, and interactions with external organizations. Organizations like Delta Airlines and the Bear Trail Lodge demonstrate an understanding that their overall brand and reputation are built upon numerous customer touch points, not just their core service. Personalized service, attention to detail (like a handwritten note or addressing customers by name), and embodying a brand's values contribute significantly to customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Guest "Brave Leadership" founder Kimberly Davis champions emerging leaders and senior managers navigating today's workplace and partners with HR professionals looking to develop talent. She shares her inspirational message of personal power, responsibility, and impact with organizations nationwide and teaches leadership programs worldwide. Kimberly is a TEDx speaker whose 2018 book, Brave Leadership, was named one of Inc. Magazine's most impactful books, became an Amazon bestseller in the Business Leadership and Motivation category, and received the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award. She lives in San Diego, CA, with her husband, Tim, and cat, Sulley Magee, while their son, Jeremy, is living his brave in college. Summary Kimberly asserts that effective business leadership is inextricably linked to strong personal leadership, emphasizing that individuals must first believe they are leaders. She emphasizes the crucial importance of understanding one's impact on others and being intentional in interactions. A key tool she introduces is the "super objective," which, in part, emerged from her training in the theater. The super objective helps leaders clarify the desired outcome—what they want others to do, think, feel, say, or believe. By applying these techniques, individuals can develop self-belief, cultivate the potential for authentic leadership, and consciously shape their influence, ultimately transforming their impact on both their professional and personal worlds. Three Important Takeaways Personal Leadership is Foundational: True leadership begins with self-awareness and self-belief; without personal leadership, effective business leadership is unattainable. Intentional Impact: Leaders must be acutely aware of the impact they have on others through their energy and actions, and should define a "super objective" to intentionally guide their desired influence. Unconventional Development: Leveraging techniques from outside the traditional business environment, such as theater's "super objective," provides powerful, unique tools for cultivating self-belief and the potential for authentic leadership. Social Media/Referenced https://brave-leadership.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlydavisonstage/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgCBVGBHGx4

Guest Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, Food Story coach, and author of the award-winning memoir Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict. She reveals how emotional wounds, cultural expectations, and personal history—not hunger—often shape our relationship with food. After battling emotional overeating for decades and gaining and losing over 700 pounds, Michelle discovered that the key to lasting weight loss wasn't another diet—it was rewriting the stories behind her eating. With a background in media sales and leadership at companies like Radio One, Disney/ABC, and NPR/PBS member stations, Michelle now uses storytelling as a tool for transformation. Through workshops, retreats, and her ebook Mind Over Meals, she helps others uncover their food truths, rewire their thinking, and create lasting change from the inside out. Summary Michelle's pivotal "watershed moment" occurred when she realized, after decades of struggling, that food's true purpose is nourishment, not fulfilling emotional needs. This insight, coupled with a powerful family story about inherited food memories, profoundly transformed her relationship with eating. Michelle emphasizes that sustainable weight loss stems from deep internal, mental work—unpacking thoughts, emotions, and beliefs—rather than focusing solely on diet or exercise. Three Important Takeaways Processed Food Addiction: Processed foods are deliberately designed to be addictive, making it extremely challenging for individuals to exert willpower against their engineered palatability and leading to cycles of overeating and weight gain. Beyond Emotional Eating: Eating can be driven by a wide array of emotions beyond stress or comfort, including curiosity, jealousy, the desire for status, or people-pleasing, which often go unrecognized as triggers for unhealthy food choices. Mental Work for Lasting Change: True and sustainable transformation in one's relationship with food and weight loss comes from addressing underlying thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, and viewing food as a source of nutrition. Social Media/Referenced Website: https://michellepetties.com/ TEDx Talk, A Food Addict's Lesson: Confusion. Clarity. Recovery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLr53XlIV4 Portfolio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bwxhm8KbbjtfsjEc1w8qD7Qqe8LJ4EEj/view YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIbMxXOSCNH--MCNru4WuLw Instagram: https://instagram.com/iambrandnewnow Facebook: https://facebook.com/iambrandnewnow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-petties/ Essays:https://vocal.media/humans/loving-your-self Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@iambrandnewnow?lang=en

Guest Irene Stern Frielich is the daughter of a German Jewish Holocaust survivor—but for much of her life, the story remained unspoken. In 2017, after rediscovering her father's testimony, Irene set out to physically retrace his escape route from Nazi Germany through his survival in Holland. The result was a journey of reconciliation and healing. Her award-winning memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts, explores trauma, courage, and connection across generations. Why This Episode Matters In this deeply moving conversation, Irene discusses the memoir that retraces her father's footsteps across Germany and Holland during World War II. Sparked by the 2017 Charlottesville rally, she embarked on multiple research trips to understand her father's wartime experience, including his escape during Kristallnacht at age 12 and being hidden for two-and-a-half years in an attic. Through visiting actual locations and meeting descendants of both rescuers and perpetrators, Irene discovered the concept of inherited family trauma and began her own healing process. The conversation explores themes of courage, historical memory, and the power of standing where history happened. Three Important Takeaways Inherited family trauma affects multiple generations - Both descendants of Holocaust victims and perpetrators carry psychological impacts from their family histories, often without fully understanding these influences until later in life. Physical presence at historical sites creates a profound connection - Standing where events occurred provides emotional and spiritual experiences that reading about history cannot replicate, offering deeper understanding and healing opportunities. Human connection transcends historical divisions - Meeting descendants of both rescuers and those who harmed her family allowed Irene to find common ground and begin healing conversations across historical divides. Referenced Website, including available presentations: www.shatteredstars.org About the book: Book trailer Follow the journey: https://www.facebook.com/ShatteredStarsHealingHearts Stolpersteine laying video with English subtitles: https://youtu.be/XZkZx6ynJls Chapter-by-chapter Book Notes, including photos: https://shatteredstars.org/book-notes/

Guest Byron Edgington is a retired commercial helicopter pilot, writer, a graduate of The Ohio State University, and a dedicated cook using only plants. His other interests include a daily crossword puzzle, meditation, and a four-year association with BizCatalyst 360 and its weekly Friendship Bench. Edgington lives with his wife Mariah in North Florida. His Substack essays, titled "Passing Thoughts," can be found at byronedgington.substack.com. Summary: Why this discussion matters Byron shares his journey to a whole food, plant-based diet after a heart attack and a life-changing exposure to nutritional research. He and his wife transitioned overnight and experienced dramatic health improvements, including weight loss and the elimination of prescription medications. The conversation expands to explore the environmental impact of meat production, animal cruelty in factory farming, and how food choices can shape personal health and global sustainability. Three Takeaways A plant-based diet can lead to significant health improvements, including weight loss and the reversal of chronic conditions such as heart disease. Animal agriculture has a substantial negative impact on the environment, including excessive water usage and land occupation. Many common misconceptions about diet, such as the necessity of meat for protein or milk for strong bones, are challenged by scientific research. Social Media Substack: byronedgington.substack.com The Substack article we reference. References / additional background info on moving to a plant-based diet This is a 7-page doc that Byron created that fleshes out various benefits of moving to a plant-based diet.

Guest None today; just me reflecting on recent events. Summary After participating in New York City's "No Kings" march, I reflect on the urgency of defending democracy, drawing parallels between the current political climate and 1930s Germany. A conversation sparked by a protest sign leads me to contemplate his father's World War II contributions. Later, a chance visit to a bookstore uncovers Remember Us by Robert M. Edsel, deepening my appreciation for those buried at Margraten Cemetery in the Netherlands. The essay ultimately underscores how freedom is built on sacrifice—and how remembering the dead is a civic responsibility, not just a historical ritual. As you'll hear, this episode is a wonderful example of serendipity. Three Important Takeaways: Historical Memory Is a Call to Action: The march and its signs, especially those invoking fascism, reveal the importance of remaining vigilant against authoritarianism by remembering history and those who resisted it. Freedom Is Not Just a Word: The author challenges the overuse of "freedom," urging a deeper understanding of its cost—measured not only in lives lost but in the potential and beauty those lives might have created. Remembrance Is a Moral Duty: Inspired by Dutch citizens who adopt and care for the graves of fallen American soldiers, the author reaffirms the responsibility of the living to honor those sacrifices through both remembrance and action.

Guest Cindy House is the author Mother Noise, a memoir in essays and a regular opener for David Sedaris on his tours across the country. She teaches nonfiction in the Lesley University MFA program and memoir writing at the Gotham Writers Workshop. She also offers private writing classes. Summary This podcast episode explores the art of memoir writing with Cindy House, my memoir writing coach. My conversation with Cindy delved into the memoir's rising popularity and its essential elements. Cindy emphasizes curiosity as the foundation of writing—be still my curious soul!—and how memoir differs from autobiography by focusing on specific aspect of one's life rather than a comprehensive account. Our conversation also covers the major elements of memoirs, including the importance of a central dramatic question, its supporting thematic framework, and the structure that holds everything together. Cindy shares insights on overcoming writer's resistance and self-doubt, offering practical strategies for perseverance. The episode also tackles the complex nature of truth in memoir writing, highlighting the significance of personal perspective over historical accuracy. Three Key Takeaways: Curiosity drives the writing process and is essential for personal and creative growth. Memoir writing focuses on specific life aspects and requires a central dramatic question and thematic framework. Truth in a memoir is often subjective, relying on personal experience and memory rather than historical accuracy. Social Media Website Writer Noise Substack Email

Guest Bill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned lay historian turned writer of narrative non-fiction, specifically a forthcoming book about an incident in Winston Churchill's tenure as Britain's Prime Minister during World War II. Summary In this episode of "Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity," I talk with Bill about the process of writing the book on Churchill, which he's detailed in a new book, Everybody Knows a Salesman Can't Write a Book. As Bill has written, "My book is for anyone who dreams of turning a creative idea into commercial reality, especially anyone who wonders how to manage the intellectual and the business challenges of writing a book while working a traditional job." Bill was a previous guest in episode 203, where we discussed the forthcoming Churchill book. Takeaways √ Bill's forthcoming book is a story about Winston Churchill and a deadly incident in the early days of World War II of which most people are not aware; a clash between the British and French, who up to the time of the incident, had been allies. √ The book is an intersection of "how to write," the content of the incident between Britain and France, and a memoir of Bill's life during a specific period. √ One of the key questions an aspiring writer has to ask themselves is "Do I have a deep enough passion for this topic to sustain me over a long period of time?" √ In addition to passion, to motivate your readers, it's important to have a sense that you can bring something different to your account of the story, especially with nonfiction. √ One of the challenges of writing is deciding what to leave in, what to leave out. √ There's always a reason not to do something. And most people find that reason and embrace that reason not to do something And it's the people who ignore that and say, I'm going to find the reasons to do something for the people who break through who are successful. Links/References Website: www.perfectlytruestory.com Sign up for Bill's monthly newsletter: https://www.perfectlytruestory.com/background-and-newsletter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-whiteside-lancaster-pa/ Twitter: @PerfAdequate Email: bill.whiteside@perfectlytruestory.com