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What happens when a school leader becomes the answer to every problem? Tyler Comeau sits down with Kurtis Hewson, co-founder of Jigsaw Learning and co-author of Collaborative Response, to explore the shift from solving problems for people to building a team that can work through them together. They discuss the relationship between trust and structure, how to make meetings more useful, what shared ownership looks like in practice, and why listening matters even when you have years of experience. Along the way, Kurtis reflects on family and resilience, ranks difficult leadership challenges, and makes the case for teachers working in teams. Take one question into your next meeting: What would help this team move forward without me taking over? Guest: Kurtis Hewson Host: Tyler Comeau Show: The Elemental Educator Explore Kurtis’s work: https://www.jigsawlearning.ca/who-we-are/our-team/kurtis-hewson Collaborative Response resources: https://www.jigsawlearning.ca/collaborative-response/overview Follow The Elemental Educator and share this episode with a colleague who is building a stronger team. 00:00 The leadership trap 00:18 Meet Kurtis Hewson 01:19 Grounded Moments: family, resilience and leadership 05:39 From solving problems to building systems 16:46 Headwinds & Tailwinds: ranking leadership challenges 38:48 Ripples of Change: how effective teams work 54:48 Spark or Burn: should teachers work in teams? 01:01:25 The Guest Vault 01:04:29 Listen, then listen more

Getting someone’s attention is only the beginning. David Babcock explains how humour, trust and the right next question can turn a passing interaction into a meaningful conversation. He arrives as Ron Burgundy—but the man behind the character has a much bigger story. A professional Will Ferrell impersonator and experiential marketing specialist, David joins Tyler on The Elemental Educator to explore what trade shows teach us about human behaviour, why a crowd is not the same as a business result, and what rebuilding after 2008 taught him about trust. We put his ideas to the test through Principle or Preference, a live rebuilding tier list, and a final choice between attention and trust. Along the way, David explains why confidence can follow action, how to welcome people without trapping them in a pitch, and why the next 60 seconds matter so much. IN THIS EPISODE • Turning attention into a useful introduction • Humour, hospitality and reading the room • Rebuilding after losing a business and a home • Confidence, expertise, adaptability and relationships • What a trade-show robot reveals about human connection • Why trust became David’s foundation CHAPTERS 00:00 Episode trailer 00:55 David arrives as Ron Burgundy 04:17 From costume contest to a business 11:01 Grounded Moments: attention versus impact 13:56 What trade shows teach you about people 18:21 The question that creates a warm introduction 24:13 Hospitality: make the other person the main character 30:15 Choosing the right character for the room 34:58 Principle or Preference 40:05 Headwinds & Tailwinds: starting over in 2008 44:20 Ranking what it takes to rebuild 53:26 Why confidence comes after action 55:41 Ripples of Change: selling an outcome 56:55 Turning curiosity into a real conversation 1:04:16 AI, human connection and the robot story 1:07:04 Spark or Burn: when gimmicks become strategy 1:10:00 Final Answer: attention or trust? 1:12:21 Why trust became non-negotiable 1:13:30 The previous guest asks about gratitude 1:15:38 What happens after the attention? EXPLORE DAVID’S WORK https://ronburgundyimpersonator.com/ Subscribe to The Elemental Educator for more conversations about values, adversity, change and decisions. What would you put in the “Necessary” tier when rebuilding? Tell us in the comments. #TheElementalEducator #DavidBabcock #HumanConnection

What does it cost to lead when teachers are under pressure—and everyone is watching? Alberta Teachers’ Association President Jason Schilling joins Dr. Tyler Comeau for The Weight of the Chair. In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, Jason shares his perspective on Alberta education, classroom conditions, teacher advocacy, and the difficult decisions behind the ATA presidency. He also opens up about the moments the cameras don’t capture: frustration, grief, isolation, criticism, and the effort it takes to show up again. Through the show’s Earth, Air, Water, and Fire segments, Tyler and Jason explore the values that ground a leader, the pressure of representing a profession, the courage to ask for help, and why gratitude keeps coming out on top. There’s humour here, too—from Jason’s first job selling ice cream to the story behind “Shill dog.” This conversation is for teachers, school leaders, aspiring educators, and anyone who carries responsibility for other people. IN THIS EPISODE • Why Jason connects teacher working conditions with student needs • What happened before he faced the cameras following Bill 2 • His mother’s advice: don’t panic and don’t give up • The emotional toll of public leadership • Learning from criticism and keeping classroom needs in focus CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: The weight of leadership 01:13 The Weight of the Chair — introduction 01:24 How did Alberta education get here? 05:08 Representing 51,000 teachers 07:23 Why Jason puts teachers first 08:18 EARTH: Values and grounded moments 09:21 The first-job challenge 13:21 Getting fired—and finding opportunity 16:01 The person behind the ATA presidency 16:55 Bill 2: The moment before the cameras 19:45 “Speak again”: A lesson from King Lear 24:00 Principle or preference? 28:02 AIR: Pressure and difficult moments 31:17 His mother’s advice: Don’t panic, don’t give up 34:16 What actually helps you reset? 42:22 Acting quickly without losing perspective 44:01 WATER: Asking for help and leadership isolation 47:58 Stage fright and preparing to perform 53:02 FIRE: Why gratitude wins 56:33 Decisions people judge without the full picture 58:23 When the criticism is right 59:47 Why leaders need people they can trust 1:00:37 Keeping the focus on classroom needs 1:03:15 The question passed from guest to guest 1:04:22 Closing reflections GUEST Jason Schilling — President, Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) Learn about the ATA: https://teachers.ab.ca/ HOST Dr. Tyler Comeau The Elemental Educator Podcast

Phil Januszewski returns to The Elemental Educator after making one of the biggest decisions of his career: leaving the classroom after 20 years to become a full-time speaker. This time, we go much further than the usual conversation about happiness, self-care, and avoiding burnout. Phil believes we have more control over our ability to flourish than we sometimes admit. So I put that belief under pressure. What if the workload keeps growing? What if your boundaries are quietly punished? What if leadership tells you to “protect your energy” while refusing to fix conditions within their control? And eventually, what happens when the environment begins affecting safety, health, or your ability to do work you can ethically stand behind? Phil’s new book, Too Damn Happy: Flourishing in a Tired and Uninspired World, explores how small, intentional choices can build a life with more joy, energy, connection, and purpose without pretending the difficult parts of life do not exist. Get Too Damn Happy: https://TooDamnHappy.com Connect with Phil Januszewski: Website: https://philjanuszewski.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilJanuszewskiSpeaks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philjanuszewski YouTube: https://youtube.com/@philjanuszewski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philjanuszewski TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@philjanuszewski X: https://x.com/philjanuszewski Positive Growth Clothing Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PositiveGrowthStore Join the Positive Growth Lounge email list: https://mailchi.mp/efbb1914fa7b/join-the-positive-growth-lounge-email-list Chapters: 00:00 Who owns your wellbeing? 00:30 Was leaving teaching actually worth it? 04:03 Phil returns and Too Damn Happy 06:30 Happiness when nobody is watching 08:40 When positivity feels fake 11:46 Why giving something matters 14:10 An Old Fashioned at 6 AM 24:17 What leaving the classroom actually cost 27:04 “What if I made the wrong decision?” 31:34 Learning to control the controllables 33:57 Acceptance vs resignation 36:28 Ranking the advice exhausted people hear 55:06 Ripples of Change 55:22 The tiny decisions that change a life 57:35 Are you busy or is your life full? 1:01:42 Why givers struggle to receive 1:03:10 The biggest lie about burnout 1:04:51 When personal responsibility goes too far 1:08:04 Who owns employee wellbeing? 1:09:07 The five-level stress test 1:13:18 Level Five: when the system crosses the line 1:13:55 What Phil still gets wrong 1:14:30 The question designed to ruin relationships 1:19:36 What flourishing actually means

What happens when commitment becomes so strong that changing course feels like betrayal? Colin is pursuing an outcome nobody can guarantee: becoming an MMA champion after beginning the journey at 28. But this conversation isn't really about fighting. It's about what happens when something matters enough that you're willing to commit without being able to control the result. We explore the line between conviction and rigidity, instinct and evidence, dedication and self-destruction. Colin opens up about fatherhood, faith, ambition, pain, sacrifice, rebuilding his life around an uncertain goal, selling part of what represented his financial backup plan, and learning how to surround himself with people capable of telling him when he's wrong. And underneath it all is a question every leader eventually faces: When should you stay the course, and when should new information change your mind? Because refusing to quit and refusing to learn are not the same thing. The Elemental Educator explores leadership and decision-making under pressure through conversations about values, adversity, change, judgment, and the choices we make when there is no perfect answer. Chapter: 00:00 What Are You Actually Certain About? 02:16 Why This Is Bigger Than Becoming Champion 07:28 The Hidden Safety of Starting Over 09:45 Can You Actually Trust Your Gut? 13:15 When Fatherhood Changes Success 13:48 Principle or Preference? 16:36 When the Problem Can't Be Fixed by Working Harder 22:38 Learning to Hit and Be Hit 28:56 What If the Dream Stops Being Realistic? 31:10 The Beliefs We Stop Questioning 35:43 What Going All In Actually Costs 37:26 Building a Team That Can Tell You You're Wrong 39:57 Dedication or Self-Destruction? 41:28 Selling the Backup Plan 43:02 100% Alignment Without 100% Certainty 44:05 When the Mission Starts Feeding on Sacrifice 45:27 What If He Never Becomes Champion? 46:58 Instinct, Courage, Humility or Faith? 49:59 The Question Beneath the Entire Conversation Follow Colin's journey through Impossible: impossibledocumentary.com Learn more about Elemental Educator and Tyler Comeau: https://www.tylercomeau.ca

Leadership culture tells us to finish what we start. Push through. Stay disciplined. Keep the commitment. Don’t quit. But what happens when continuing is no longer the courageous decision? In this episode of The Elemental Educator, Tyler Comeau sits down with writer David Deane Haskell for a raw conversation about boundaries, change, perseverance, discomfort, identity, and the difficult moment when a plan that once made sense stops fitting the reality in front of you. One story becomes particularly important. David had made the plan. He had booked the flight. He had every logistical reason to continue. Yet something about the decision no longer felt right. Eventually, the entire plan changed. That raises a much bigger leadership question: How do you tell the difference between discomfort you need to endure and information that should cause you to reconsider the decision? Because resilience matters. So does judgment. And mature leadership sometimes means having enough courage to keep going, while other times having enough courage to change course. In this conversation: • Why boundaries matter • When persistence becomes unhealthy • Why changing a decision is not necessarily failure • How reflection changes judgment • The role of discomfort in difficult decisions • Why leaders should pay attention when circumstances change • How to stay grounded without becoming rigid Chapters: 00:00 Why We’re Terrified of Not Knowing 05:58 When Pushing Harder Starts Hurting You 09:23 The Relationships You Stop Chasing 12:42 Principle or Preference? 19:36 The Stories We Build to Survive 27:56 Why Awareness Can Take Decades 30:12 Self-Help Advice Worth Questioning 36:49 When Something Has to Change 37:34 The Flight He Almost Forced Himself to Take 41:33 Is This Discomfort or Information? 45:40 The Risk of Being Completely Seen 50:09 What You Can Actually Control 51:05 Surrender, Boundaries, Stillness, Truth 53:56 What Were We Really Solving? 57:15 The Question for the Next Guest Connect with Tyler tylercomeau.ca Connect with David https://www.daviddeanehaskell.com/

In this episode of the Elemental Educator podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with LaVonna Roth, the creator of the globally recognized SHINE framework, to untangle a profound human paradox: How do leaders build massive platforms helping others recognize their value while simultaneously battling deep internal struggles with self-worth? LaVonna opens up about her personal journey of growing up without her biological father and how that foundational absence unintentionally weaponized her psychology. For years, she chased accolades, joined every club, and achieved elite educational milestones—not out of pure passion, but as a defense mechanism to prove her worth to someone who wasn't there. Through a life-altering car accident and years of radical self-reflection, LaVonna learned how to rewrite her internal narrative and re-architect her organization's core philosophy around a single umbrella value: a Heart for Humanity. This conversation delivers a masterclass in shifting from external validation to intrinsic confidence, optimizing team dynamics, and navigating leadership through structural empathy. The Excellence Trap: Most high-achievers believe their perfectionism and intense work ethic are their greatest strengths. In reality, these are often deep-seated trauma responses designed to protect you from abandonment and rejection. True leadership scale doesn't come from proving people wrong; it comes from healing the need to prove anything at all. Watch Next (Playlists & Videos) 📺 Leadership Masterclasses: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Connect With Guest (LaVonna Roth) Website: http://www.igniteyourSHINE.comLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lavonnarothLinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igniteyourshine/Instagram Personal: http://instagram.com/lavonnarothInstagram Business: http://instagram.com/igniteyourSHINEnowFacebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/lavonnarothFacebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/igniteyourSHINEEmail Contact: [email protected] With Host (Tyler Comeau) Website: https://tylercomeau.caSpeaking & Consulting Inquiries: [email protected] Guest Inquiries: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/elemental_educatorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555973948902&mibextid=JRoKGiYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducatorAudio Podcast Feed: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/Read "The Elemental Leader" Book: https://www.routledge.com/The-Elemental-Leader-Unlocking-Your-Potential-Through-Values-Perseverance-Adaptability-and-Innovation/Comeau/p/book/9781041006084LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-comeau-961a49310/Timestamps 0:00 - The Paradox of Worth and Achievement 3:40 - Grounded Moments: The Hierarchy of Core Values 7:34 - Deconstructing the SHINE Framework 15:54 - Game: Principle or Preference 20:30 - Headwinds & Tailwinds: Overcoming the Biological Father Narrative 28:49 - Game: Flip the Script 31:31 - Ripples of Change: From Framework to Movement 44:03 - Spark or Burn: The Constant Risk of Entrepreneurship 47:13 - Game: Word Versus Word 50:04 - Advice to My 5, 13, and 20-Year-Old Self Are you leading from your strengths or from your historical wounds? In this data-driven and emotionally resonant episode, Tyler Comeau breaks down the psychology of validation with international speaker and educational consultant LaVonna Roth. LaVonna exposes how the trauma of abandonment can masquerade as high-achieving perfectionism and people-pleasing. She shares the exact architecture of her famous SHINE framework (Self, Heart, Inspire, Navigate, Exceptional) and explains how shifting organizational culture away from rigid credentials toward intrinsic human gifts can dramatically minimize people problems and accelerate company growth. Perfect for educators, corporate executives, and anyone looking to reclaim their personal narrative.

Beat My Score From This Episode: https://www.whattimeswhat.com Most people think the education crisis is about funding, technology, or curriculum. They're wrong. After spending three decades leading enterprise technology teams and engineering large-scale software systems, Chris Roberts stepped into a high school classroom and discovered a problem that few people are willing to talk about. Many students aren't struggling because they lack intelligence. They're struggling because foundational skills were never fully built in the first place. In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, Chris shares what happened when he left corporate leadership and inherited classrooms filled with students who couldn't access higher-level math because basic number relationships, multiplication facts, and foundational thinking skills had never become automatic. What followed challenged many of the assumptions educators, parents, and policymakers hold about student achievement. This conversation explores cognitive load, mathematical thinking, accommodations, technology dependence, educational equity, leadership, and what it actually takes to help students succeed. Chris brings a unique perspective shaped by decades of executive leadership, systems thinking, mathematics education, and firsthand classroom experience. If you're an educator, school leader, parent, policymaker, or anyone concerned about the future of learning, this episode offers an uncomfortable but necessary conversation. Contrarian Insight Many people believe the solution to struggling students is more technology, more accommodations, or easier access to information. Chris argues that the real solution may be rebuilding foundational knowledge and cognitive fluency so students can think deeply without exhausting their mental bandwidth on basic tasks. Watch Next Elemental Educator Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Guest Links Chris Roberts: Social: https://facebook.com/whattimeswhat https://instagram.com/whattimeswhat https://youtube.com/@classicaleducationfoundation https://www.tiktok.com/@whattimeswhat Web: https://whattimeswhat.com https://classicmathgames.com https://classical-education.org Email: [email protected] Host Links Tyler Comeau Website: https://tylercomeau.ca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercomeau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylercomeau YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Timestamps 0:00 - The Hidden Education Crisis 1:20 - Why Students Freeze During Math 4:00 - Leaving Corporate Leadership for Teaching 7:10 - The Afghan Refugee Student Story 11:45 - Why Foundational Skills Matter 18:20 - The Cognitive Bandwidth Problem 25:05 - Education as a Pathway Out 34:00 - Calculators, Accommodations & Learning 42:15 - What Schools Are Missing 51:30 - Leadership Lessons from the Classroom 59:00 - Building Better Thinkers 1:05:00 - Final Reflections SHOW NOTES What happens when a corporate technology executive trades the boardroom for a high school classroom? After 30 years leading enterprise IT teams, Chris Roberts entered education and discovered a troubling reality: many students are struggling not because they lack intelligence, but because foundational skills were never fully developed. In this episode, Chris and Tyler explore mathematical thinking, cognitive load, technology dependence, student motivation, educational equity, and why rebuilding foundational knowledge may be one of the most important challenges facing modern education. A powerful conversation for educators, leaders, parents, and anyone concerned about the future of learning.

In this powerful episode of the Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with veteran educator, former school head, and curriculum coordinator Terri Walker to dissect the real reason teachers are leaving the profession in droves. The conventional blueprint of modern education is obsessed with giving teachers more: more tech, more professional development, and more checklists. Yet, the data and raw reality reveal that teachers aren't leaving because they lack skill—they are leaving because they are completely out of breath. Terri shares her raw, personal journey from feeling dry and drained by top-down administrative mandates to launching "Dance to Your Own Drum," a thriving global community designed explicitly to give educators the sacred space they need to heal, reflect, and restore. We pull back the curtain on the "do it for the kids" trap, exploring why this self-sacrificing narrative has caused massive psychological damage to modern educators. Terri breaks down her core framework—that your thoughts create your feelings, your feelings drive your actions, and your actions dictate your results—offering a highly practical anchor for educators navigating environments that feel entirely out of control. If you are an administrator looking to fix a toxic school culture, or a classroom teacher holding your breath until the next school break, this conversation delivers the exact paradigm shift required to transition from systemic survival to autonomous fulfillment. One of the most provocative revelations in this episode completely upends the traditional view of professional development. While school divisions spend millions on new literacy strategies and curriculum workbooks, Terri’s research and global community data prove that teachers are actually drowning in strategies. The most impactful, life-saving intervention for a burning-out educator is not a better teaching tool; it is the radical introduction of unscheduled space. True fulfillment cannot be institutionalized from the top down—it must be reclaimed from the inside out by stopping the urge to carry the weight of an entire system on your shoulders. 🔄 Watch Next (Playlist) Maximize your leadership impact. Watch the full Elemental Leadership playlist here: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/ 👥 Connect with Guest Terri’s Newsletter: https://www.dancetoyourowndrum.co/subscribeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-walker-coaching/ 🎙️ Connect with Host (Tyler Comeau) For Speaking and Consulting Inquiries: Email: [email protected]  For Podcast Guest Inquiries: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://tylercomeau.caInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental_educator Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555973948902&mibextid=JRoKGi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Podcast Platforms: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/ Buy the Book ("The Elemental Leader"): https://www.routledge.com/The-Elemental-Leader-Unlocking-Your-Potential-Through-Values-Perseverance-Adaptability-and-Innovation/Comeau/p/book/9781041006084 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-comeau-961a49310/ ⏳ Timestamps 0:00 - The Obsession with "More" in Education 1:25 - Terri Walker’s Global Journey 3:10 - Accountability vs. Core Values 4:15 - Grounded Moments: Controlling Your Thoughts 6:25 - The Scripted Initiative That Broke the Camel's Back 9:55 - Game: Principle or Preference 12:35 - Reclaiming Agency and Teacher Confidence 16:15 - The Dangerous Weight of "I'm Just a Teacher" 20:30 - Building a School Culture of Trust 23:50 - Game: Flip the Script on Limiting Beliefs 27:00 - Deconstructing the Total Self-Sacrifice Myth 28:15 - Launching Dance to Your Own Drum Without Certainty 30:40 - Why Educators Need Sacred Space Over More PD 36:55 - One Tiny Prompt to Create Breathing Room Next Week 40:10 - Keeping the Corporate World and Coaching Space Separate 45:00 - Game: Final Answer (Finding the North Star Value) 48:30 - Overcoming the Lifelong Fear of Failure 50:15 - Final Question: What Are You Carrying That Isn't Yours?

In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with veteran, ironman finisher, and best-selling author Scott to dissect the ultimate paradox of achievement: why reaching your highest external goals can actually hide your deepest internal wounds. Scott shares his raw journey from chasing "scoreboard moments"—like completing an grueling 140.6-mile Ironman or engineering patented inventions—to losing everything in a life-altering "lightning strike" event that forced him to look inward.  The breakthrough moment happens when Scott pulls back the curtain on the grueling reality of his 11-month Ironman training and a bloody country-road bike wreck that radically shifted his perspective on pain. Instead of offering sugar-coated internet solutions or a generic seven-step formula for happiness, this conversation provides a data-driven, deeply moving masterclass on navigating what Scott calls the "fiery middle"—the uncomfortable space where you are too far from where you started to turn back, yet too far from your destination to see the way forward. If you are currently feeling numb, stuck on a treadmill of endless production, or struggling to find your true center mass, Scott’s framework will teach you exactly how to stop running, face your past, and embrace the beautiful reality of sacrificing who you thought you had to be.   🧠 Contrarian Insight (Our Distorted Reality)Most self-help gurus tell you that if people don't recognize your value, you simply need to work harder until they do. This episode completely flips the script. Scott argues that chasing external validation is a trap, and that true success is entirely non-transactional. If you are hanging trophies on your wall to convince other people who you are, you are operating out of emptiness. True alignment means becoming completely self-sufficient and realizing that "success teaches you nothing, while failure gives you everything you need to move forward."   🔄 Watch Next Maximize your leadership journey by diving into our dedicated growth playlist:https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/ 👥 Guest Connections & Resources Scott's Best-Selling Book: Wake Up to Die Again 🎙️ Host Connection Block (Tyler Comeau) For Speaking and Consulting Inquiries: Email: [email protected] For Podcast Guest Inquiries: Email: [email protected] Website: https://tylercomeau.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental_educator Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555973948902&mibextid=JRoKGi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Podcast Platform: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/ Book: https://www.routledge.com/The-Elemental-Leader-Unlocking-Your-Potential-Through-Values-Perseverance-Adaptability-and-Innovation/Comeau/p/book/9781041006084 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-comeau-961a49310/ ⏱️ Timestamps  0:00 - The Paradox of Achievement & Scoreboard Moments 1:54 - Reaching Internal Fulfillment Through Subtraction 3:16 - High School Lightning Strikes & Choosing the Army 5:16 - Finding Clarity in the Quiet Absence of Noise 7:25 - Entering the Four Elemental Segments 8:00 - Grounded Moments: What Iron Man Taught Scott About Sacrifice 11:48 - Dissecting True Self-Correction vs. Outward Identity 14:38 - Behind the Bestselling Book: Wake Up to Die Again 18:05 - Game: Principle or Preference Rapid Fire 21:10 - Redefining Success: Why Accolades Are Garbage 25:01 - Headwinds & Tailwinds: The Reality of the Hardest Day 26:30 - The 64-Mile Bike Crash & Pushing Through Stitches 29:26 - Rejecting Broken Promises & Choosing Yourself 31:48 - Flipping the Script on Pain, Vulnerability, and Worth 35:54 - Navigating the Fiery Middle Without Giving Up 38:40 - The Cost of Creation: Overcoming the Internal Critic 43:30 - Warning Signs of Disconnection & Clearing the Office Walls 46:55 - Tyler’s Counter-Perspective on Trophies vs. Memories 49:15 - How to Guard Your Nuance: Who Are Your Medals For? 50:35 - Spark or Burn: The Road to Security Without Applause 51:40 - Lessons From the Atlanta Airport Security Line 56:10 - When Did We Stop Noticing Each Other? 57:40 - Elemental Game: Final Answer 58:50 - The Intimate Dedication to Family 1:01:35 - Answering the Leadership Vault Question 1:02:40 - Question Left for the Next Podcast Guest 💬 Community Question QUESTION - What is the one non-essential habit, belief, or metric you need to subtract from your life this week to get closer to who you actually are? Drop your perspective in the comments below! ⚖️ Affiliate Disclaimer This video is not sponsored. Some links in this description may be affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to make a purchase, the channel will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Elemental Educator network!🎧

Learn how to successfully lead massive AI implementation in education while protecting staff well-being and maintaining data privacy in this exclusive interview with veteran school district leader Dr. Tom D’Amico.  In this episode of the Elemental Educator podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with Dr. Tom D'Amico, the recently retired Director of Education for the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Tom successfully scaled artificial intelligence across an entire school district, but his core thesis challenges the entire EdTech industry: change management is a human leadership problem, not a software problem. Throughout this masterclass on educational leadership, Tom breaks down how to navigate the rise of "shadow AI" in K-12 systems, resolve internal friction between IT departments and teaching staff, and establish clear guiding principles that protect student data privacy without stifling rapid innovation.  Drawing from his unique background transitioning from a Master of Physical Education and NHL off-ice official into a national voice for educational technology, Tom brings a refreshingly practical coaching mindset to institutional change. He shares the sobering professional failure early in his career that solidified his value-based framework, why mandatory district-wide training sessions rarely build authentic capacity, and his exact three-step playbook for school principals to roll out AI literacy starting tomorrow. Whether you are a superintendent, principal, or forward-thinking educator, this conversation provides the blueprint for building an innovative school culture where human relationships always take precedence over technology.   Connect with Dr. Tom D'Amico Website/Consulting: Contact via Tyler Comeau speaker inquiries. 🔗 Connect with Tyler Comeau (Host) For Speaking and Consulting Inquiries: Email: [email protected] Website: https://tylercomeau.ca For Podcast Guest Inquiries: Email: [email protected] Podcast: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/ Social Media & Video Content: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental_educator Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555973948902&mibextid=JRoKGi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-comeau-961a49310/ Grab Tyler’s Book, "The Elemental Leader": Book Link: https://www.routledge.com/The-Elemental-Leader-Unlocking-Your-Potential-Through-Values-Perseverance-Adaptability-and-Innovation/Comeau/p/book/9781041006084 Timecodes 0:00 - Leadership over tools in change management 1:06 - Introducing Dr. Tom D'Amico 2:05 - Operationalizing "Use the group to change the group" 4:08 - The real meaning of delegation and trust 5:21 - From physical education to EdTech leader 7:23 - The summer schedule choice: Spanish or programming? 9:53 - Game: Principle or Preference 11:33 - The balance of data privacy standards vs. shadow AI 13:26 - The Ottawa checklist model for trust and innovation 16:21 - A career-defining failure: The online calculus course 17:42 - Establishing the "Why" behind district AI implementation 21:52 - Hot Seat: High-profile data breach protocol 23:39 - Hot Seat: Navigating staff anxiety and tech pushback 24:41 - Hot Seat: Handling a principal moving too fast 25:48 - Hot Seat: Overcoming a split senior leadership team 28:07 - Game: Flip the Script on AI replacing leaders 31:48 - Preventing emotional exhaustion through coherence 33:17 - How to spark ripples of change at scale 35:12 - Setting up monthly interdepartmental leadership monitoring 36:31 - The single biggest EdTech mistake senior leaders make 37:12 - 3 practical actions to build AI literacy tomorrow 39:46 - Launching a consulting company after retirement 42:28 - Game: Final Answer (Why culture always wins) 45:21 - Bringing authentic student voice and agency to the table 46:36 - The grade 12 physical education teacher who sparked a legacy

Most leaders wait for the perfect conditions to lead, but true impact happens when you learn to thrive in the cracks of the sidewalk. Episode Summary: In this deep dive, leadership consultant and retired Associate Superintendent Corrine Thorsteinson reveals why trust is the "oxygen" of any successful organization. Drawing from over three decades in the education sector, Corrine breaks down the four dimensions of trust—care, reliability, sincerity, and competence—and explains why "care" is the ultimate trump card in leadership. We explore her "Dandelion Metaphor" for resilience, the courage required to "run toward the fire" of difficult conversations, and her radical approach to building leadership cultures that include everyone from caretakers to division office staff. Whether you are a new principal or a seasoned executive, this episode provides a masterclass on navigating "headwinds," repairing broken trust, and the vital importance of daily reflective practice. Watch Next: The Elemental Educator Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Connect with Corrine Thorsteinson: Website: https://agiliteams.caLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corrine-thorsteinson-398615118/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agiliteams/Books: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/Corrine-Thorsteinson/author/B0GHSWJM8REmail: [email protected] with Tyler Comeau (Host): Get the Book (The Elemental Leader): https://www.routledge.com/The-Elemental-Leader-Unlocking-Your-Potential-Through-Values-Perseverance-Adaptability-and-Innovation/Comeau/p/book/9781041006084Website: https://tylercomeau.caPodcast: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducatorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-comeau-961a49310/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental_educatorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555973948902&mibextid=JRoKGiSpeaking & Consulting: [email protected] Guest Inquiries: [email protected]: 0:00 – The hardest part of leadership: Doing what’s right. 5:32 – "Trust Yourself": The journey to believing your intuition. 7:42 – The Dandelion Metaphor: Leading wherever you are planted. 13:53 – Trust as Oxygen: What happens when it’s pulled from the room. 17:03 – The 4 Dimensions of Trust: Care, Reliability, Sincerity, and Competence. 20:30 – Modeling Leadership: Building capacity in the small moments. 24:44 – Headwinds vs. Tailwinds: Leaving a 27-year career for a new challenge. 31:44 – The Hot Seat: Rapid-fire leadership scenarios. 42:04 – Building a Leadership Culture: Why leadership is for everyone. 54:14 – The Cat on the Woodpile: Why you can’t unsee a problem. 57:24 – Pause, Reflect, Lead: The power of daily reflection guides.

Learn how high-achieving leaders burn out and how to rebuild your identity, health, and purpose beyond success in this powerful leadership conversation. In this conversation, Tyler Comeau sits down with Howard Stribbell, global educator and leadership expert, to unpack the hidden cost of success and why so many high performers feel empty despite achieving more than they ever imagined. After building and scaling international schools across Asia, Howard shares how chasing achievement led to burnout, identity loss, and a breaking point that forced him to rethink everything.  Together, they explore the internal pressure leaders carry, the fear of never being “enough,” and how performance-driven identities slowly disconnect us from who we actually are. This episode dives deep into leadership, mental health, and the uncomfortable truth that many leaders are succeeding externally while struggling internally. If you’ve ever felt like success isn’t delivering what it promised, this conversation will challenge how you define leadership and what it really means to live well while leading others. Key Takeaways  Why success without self-awareness leads to burnout and identity loss  The hidden pressure high-performing leaders carry every day  How the “never enough” mindset drives overwork and dissatisfaction  What happens when leaders prioritize performance over well-being  How to rebuild your identity beyond titles, roles, and achievements  The difference between being successful and actually being healthyA Moment That Might Shift Your Perspective Howard shares a hard truth: Many leaders learn how to be successful…  but never learn how to be healthy. That gap quietly destroys careers, relationships, and personal fulfillment long before it shows up in performance. Chapter Markers 00:00 The hidden cost of success and burnout  01:00 “I was successful, but not happy”  02:30 The fear of never being enough  04:00 Building a performance-based identity  06:30 When leadership success starts to collapse  09:00 The breaking point most leaders don’t talk about  12:00 Why leaders sacrifice health and relationships first  15:00 The moment work finally gets impacted  18:00 Rebuilding identity beyond achievement  22:00 Leadership, pressure, and internal struggles  26:00 What true success actually looks like  30:00 How to lead without losing yourself 🔗 Connect with Tyler Comeau 🌐 Website: https://tylercomeau.ca 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental_educator 🎙 Podcast: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-comeau-961a49310/ 🎤 Connect with Howard Stribbell 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howardstribbell  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardstribbell  🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@howardstribbell  🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howardstribbell 📘 Book:  The Loneliest Seat: Truths About Authentic Leadership  https://www.amazon.com/LONELIEST-SEAT-Truths-Authentic-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0D933W7TZ

Learn how to avoid leadership burnout and build a strong team culture by leading with trust, values, and clarity instead of trying to fix everything yourself.  In this conversation, Tyler Comeau sits down with Jimmy Casas, educator, speaker, and author of Culturize, to break down one of the biggest leadership traps: the “fix-it” mindset. With over 30 years in education and decades as a school leader, Jimmy shares how leaders drift from what they know is right into reactive habits that slowly erode culture and trust.  Together, they explore what it really means to lead at a high standard, how to recognize when you or your team have “lost your way,” and why trust is the foundation that determines whether your organization thrives or fractures. This episode moves through real leadership scenarios, practical coaching moments, and the internal mindset shifts required to lead under pressure, aligning directly with the Elemental Educator framework of returning to core values when things get hard.  If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, responsible for everything, or stuck carrying more than you should, this conversation will recalibrate how you lead.   Key Takeaways How “fix-it mode” quietly destroys leadership effectiveness and team growth Why leaders drift from their values and how to reset before culture suffers The difference between coaching, delegating, and enabling underperformance How to identify early signs that a leader or team has lost alignment A practical approach to handling conflict, resistance, and overwhelm Why trust is the foundation of culture, performance, and long-term impact  A Moment That Might Change How You Lead  Jimmy challenges a common leadership rule: “Don’t come to me with a problem unless you have a solution.”  His take flips it completely. If people already had the solution, they wouldn’t need you.  That single shift turns leadership from control… into coaching.    🔗 Connect with Tyler Comeau  🌐 Website: https://tylercomeau.ca 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental_educator 🎙 Podcast: https://elementaleducatorpodcast.transistor.fm/ 📘 Book: https://www.routledge.com/The-Elemental-Leader-Unlocking-Your-Potential-Through-Values-Perseverance-Adaptability-and-Innovation/Comeau/p/book/9781041006084 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-comeau-961a49310/ 📩 Speaking & Consulting: [email protected]    🎤 Connect with Jimmy Casas  🌐 Website: https://www.jimmycasas.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casas_jimmy/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-casas-bb863432/ ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGyi3yFrk09V0w9C18H8qWA  Chapter Markers 00:00 Episode trailer  00:45 Leadership drift: why we don’t do what we know is right  04:15 Signs a leader or team has lost alignment  06:45 The hidden danger of frustration in leadership  08:45 Fix-it mode vs building capacity in others  11:45 Coaching vs solving problems for your team  13:45 Jimmy Casas’ leadership background and credibility  14:45 “Not every problem is yours to fix” explained  17:45 Recovering from burnout and resetting as a leader  19:35 The interview chair mindset and self-reflection  21:15 Principles vs preferences in leadership decisions  23:25 When leaders feel pressure to carry everything  25:45 What “carry the banner” really means in culture  32:15 Early leadership lessons from a paper route  35:45 Real leadership scenarios: conflict, resistance, overwhelm  42:05 The moment Jimmy almost left leadership  48:35 What leaders get wrong about culture  52:45 Why people resist change (and how to fix it)  55:35 Why trust beats everything in leadership  58:15 Putting students first in real decisions  1:00:05 The turning point that reshaped Jimmy’s leadership

Kree Govender explains why indecision quietly destroys momentum, confidence, and growth, and how choosing wrong is often far more powerful than choosing nothing at all. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, mindset, and high performance: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Connect with me:  https://www.elementaleducator.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercomeau/ Ways to work with me:  https://www.elementaleducator.com Connect with Kree Govender:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kree-govender-12b2651b/ In this episode, Kree Govender breaks down one of the most overlooked performance killers: indecision. He explains why waiting for the perfect option often leads to stagnation, missed opportunities, and loss of confidence. The conversation explores how action creates clarity, why wrong decisions are rarely as costly as people think, and how high performers build momentum by committing, adjusting, and moving forward. If you’ve ever felt stuck between options, overthinking your next move, or waiting for certainty before acting, this episode will challenge that pattern and give you a different way to think about progress. If this episode challenged your thinking, don’t wait to feel ready. Make a decision and move. Question for you: Where in your life are you choosing indecision instead of action? Timestamps: 0:00 Trailer 2:10 Why indecision is more dangerous than the wrong decision 4:32 What fear is really doing behind hesitation 7:05 Why action creates clarity faster than thinking 10:18 The hidden cost of waiting too long 13:47 How high performers make decisions under pressure 17:22 When a wrong decision becomes the right move 21:05 Building momentum through imperfect action 25:40 Why confidence comes after commitment 29:15 The role of environment in decision-making 33:08 How to stop overthinking and start executing 37:12 A simple framework for making faster decisions 41:26 What to do when you feel stuck 45:03 Final thoughts on action vs hesitation