Look between the slices of rye bread of a traditional Jewish deli sandwich, and a time capsule of Jewish life in America emerges. The Jewish deli is the story of migration from Eastern and Central Europe and the struggle between wanting to retain Jewish culture and assimilate into American life. The story of Jewish life begins in the crowded tenements of New York City, migrates to the other boroughs, the nearby suburbs, and eventually throughout the U.S. Author Ted Merwin details the history of this uniquely American institution.

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Some of the most interesting writing on leadership has come from active and former military personnel, but USAF Colonel Lee Ellis ret. has the added dimension of learning leadership lessons the hard way as a five and half year Prisoner of War in the infamous Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War.

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For good reasons and bad, we surround ourselves with things. In this episode, we look at how "things" occupy our space — not just in terms of the physical world in which we exist, but how that physical space reflects what’s going on in our heads and hearts. Decluttering expert, Laura Staley, provides her insights.

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Generally speaking, our philosophy in the Western world is to ignore death and pretend that it's not going to happen. There’s another way to look at things. Planning advocate, Jane Duncan Rogers, explains.

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How do we strike a balance in education today between the content that needs to be covered and encouraging student voice and choice? Jeff Carver and Nia Decoux, teachers at New Harmony High School in New Orleans, offer their thoughts.

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Water is the most common physical property found on Earth, but its spiritual properties — its ability to soothe our souls, nurture us, and facilitate deep personal reflection — are just as important. John Dietsch, fly fisher, guide, film producer, author, and teacher, helps us wade into it.

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In this episode, educator, author, and futurist, Rhonda Broussard and I touch on various reasons for our K 12 system of schooling. Is it to prepare students for a career, acquire knowledge and skills, or develop creative thinking and problem solver abilities? And what about student agency? How much voice and choice should we allow students to determine want and how they want to learn?

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Confidence is a disciplined state of mind achieved through training, choosing to focus on select positive experiences, and telling oneself a story based on a belief in a positive future. Dr. Nate Zinsser, an expert in the application of sport psychology, gives us the details.

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In this episode of “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity,” I talk with Bill Whiteside, software salesman turned lay historian, about the process of writing, which he’s detailed in a new book, Everybody Knows a Salesman Can’t Write a Book.

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Reflecting on past decisions, actions, and accomplishments can be a springboard to future action or a recurring regret for what we didn’t do, impacting our ability to focus on the present. In this episode, I briefly discuss one of mine.

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Debbie Danielpour, an award-winning writer, and I examine how screenwriters and leaders use objects to grab their audiences' attention at a particular moment and for a particular reason.

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Like the powerful question organizations need to ask — “Why do we exist?” — “Why do I do what I do?” is a powerful question we should all ask ourselves periodically.

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Steve Miletto is the Executive Director of North Georgia Regional Educational Services Agency, which provides professional development services and support for five school systems in North Georgia. He is a professional leadership coach, a classroom teacher mentor and coach, a speaker on better instructional, leadership, and social media practices, and the host of the very popular “Teaching Learning Leading K12” podcast.

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“Own Your Awkward,” And Vargo, is no stranger to change! If you’ve ever felt awkward about yourself, then you can understand how Andy lived the first forty years of his life. Coming out of the closet at forty doesn’t define him; pursuing his passion for helping others does.

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Dr. Caroline Brookfield, is a veterinarian, stand-up comic, and passionate believer that we can courageously welcome creativity into our lives. She is the author of THE RELUCTANT CREATIVE: 5 Effortless Habits to Expand Your Comfort Zone.

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My brother, Leon, (right) and me the night before the incident on the river. What’s been your tendency in the past when confronting an obstacle? Paralysis? Immediate action? Pause and reflect, and then act?

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Nate Hassman is on a quest: seize every possible opportunity to position students as leaders and experts, and partner with students to find a path that is individualized to their skills and interests. He wears several hats for Maine Township School District 207, northwest of Chicago. By trade, Nate is a science teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, facilitating workshops in action research and classroom culture, sponsoring Maine West’s student mentor-leader organization, and coaching track and cross country.

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Someone who knows more than a thing or two about brave leadership is Kimberly Davis, author of the best-seller Brave Leadership, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Brave Leadership University.

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Brooke Erol is a corporate dropout who pursued her dream of having more meaningful work for herself and others where we are not only seeking money but also contributing to a more significant cause. All her life is spent on writing, speaking, coaching, and consulting on this topic of having a life of fulfilling and purposeful work. She works with individuals- YourBestLife and organizations - Purposeful Business, Inc.

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