Soledad O'Brien is an award winning journalist with a reputation for being tough, fair, and factual. So it was no surprise when she candidly talked about politics, truthful reporting, the changing culture of "truth," and why some of this "political correctness" has been helpful in changing the tide of inappropriate behavior.We also get into what ro…

Episode 5: Empowering and Developing Team MembersIn this episode Jamal and guest host Dr. Zac Shutler discuss how leaders empower and develop team members, the role of coaching and mentorship, and strategies to support the growth of team members.By Don Wettrick

Episode 4: Real-world Examples of Transformational Leadership.In this episode Jamal and guest host Dr. Zac Shutler get practical with real world examples of transformational leadership. They discuss several case studies and reflect on lessons that can be learned from the examples.By Don Wettrick

Episode 3: Developing Your Transformational LeadershipIn this episode Jamal and guest host Dr. Zac Shutler discuss the importance of self-awareness and self regulation, techniques for building trust and credibility with your team, and strategies for improving communication and collaboration as it relates to developing as a transformational leader…

Episode 2: Leading Change and InnovationIn this episode Jamal and guest host Dr. Zac Shutler discuss how transformational leaders lead change and innovation. They go into detail on how leaders foster a culture of continuous improvement, techniques for leading change initiatives, and the importance of taking calculated risks in driving innovation.…

Episode 1: The Transformational Leader's MindsetIn this episode Jamal and Zac discuss the mindset of a transformational leader. They discuss the importance of mission and values, how transformational leaders motivate and inspire others, and the role of emotional intelligence.By Don Wettrick

In this episode Jamal and the Principal guest team jumps into the importance of emotional stability.By Don Wettrick

In this episode, Jamal and Guest host Dr. Nate Francis, Jaclyn Rowehl, and Corey Jackson discuss the importance of principals providing great constructive feedback to teachers.By Don Wettrick

In this episode, Jamal and Guest host Dr. Nate Francis, Jaclyn Rowehl, and Corey Jackson discuss how to deal with push back, and why great leaders respond and thrive on feedback.By Don Wettrick

In this episode, Jamal and Guest host Dr. Nate Francis, Jaclyn Rowehl, and Corey Jackson discuss the importance of developing a strong leadership team and some pragmatic strategies school leaders can leverage to be successful.By Don Wettrick

This is a four part series led by Jamal Crook and three of Florida's finest principals!In this episode Jamal and his guest hosts, Dr Nate Francis, Jaclyn Rowehl, and Corey Jackson discuss practical ways to avoid burnout as a principal and the importance of self-care. Follow these Principals on LinkedIn: Jamal Crook https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamal…

"It's not what you know- it's WHO you know" is a cliche that most people think might be a criticism. But who are we building relationships of collaboration & mutual value? Jamal & I discuss this any why teachers are well suited for building a great network.By Don Wettrick

Today Jamal & try out the new Open A tool "Chat GPT." What we found kind of scares us, and we try to unpack the implications.By Don Wettrick

Today Jamal and I discuss the importance of building communities of leaders and leadership opportunities.Have a suggestion for Jamal and I to cover? Want to be a guest on the show? Email Jamal at: [email protected] Don Wettrick

What does "self care" mean to you? How and why should you set boundaries?Do the holiday's make things worse?By Don Wettrick

Lauren Prager is the Chief Strategy Officer for Synapse Florida. Her career has centered around building community through cultivating personal connections. Lauren spent more than a decade working in and around Washington, D.C. as a lobbyist, educator and community organizer building bipartisan support for foreign policy issues. She joined Synapse …

Holy wow its been too long!After a two month break- I turned 50 and Jamal became a Principal- we return to talk about milestones and new beginnings.By Don Wettrick

Avantis has just launched "The Eduverse" – a ground-breaking new online platform that gives students access to a K-12 metaverse. In the Eduverse, students can access immersive, educational content and amazing VR experiences. They can interact with each other as avatars, all in a secure and controlled environment, inside and outside of the classroom…

Blake Hall is the founder and CEO of id.me- but he is also an Army Ranger and knows a thing or two about critical missions. In this interview we talk about cyber warfare, identity theft, and the future of social media (and social media bots and trolls).Moreover, we get into how ID.me is saving US businesses and our Government literally billions in …

Jason Calacanis is a tech entrepreneur, angel investor, and author. However, his two podcasts: "This Week in Startups" and "The All- In" podcast have gained a lot of notoriety. In fact, this interview aired in 2017 and we really talked a lot about education, and how young people could get a practical education by working for a startup. So when I ca…

Devin is another co-founder and the current Chief Executive Officer of Kennected - an Indy-based SaaS company with over 16,000 users. He is a serial entrepreneur, an inspiring leader, and an adept marketer. In this episode we dig into how flipping shoes started a passion of entrepreneurship, and the urgency of success to help his sister get cancer …

Dr. Jose Moray is one of the most accomplished persons I've interviewed. His passion to help serves others centers around his intense curiosity to not just learn, but find ways to help others. His bio reads like a Nobel Prize winner, and his drive matches. From his website (drjosemorey.com):CEO and Founder of Ad Astra Media LLC; providing role mode…

"Doing the work" and staying busy. Is it important- or killing you?By Don Wettrick

Jacques M. Jean is the Founder & CEO of TechFides, and I met him at the Festival of the Diaspora. Jacques is an accomplished business professional with over 20 years of experience in planning and implementing global technology strategies. Prior to forming TechFides, Jacques held an executive position where he served as an IT Business Stakeholder fo…

People want to be "led." But what is the difference between motivation and leadership. Moreover, how do we take motivation and turn it into self-discipline?By Don Wettrick

Cordell Carter is brings 20 years of experience to his leadership of the Aspen Institute Socrates Program, a global education forum for leaders and Expectant Advisory, a privately-held leadership consultancy. He also is the catalyst behind the Festival of the Diaspora. This podcast is a three part series each Wednesday about the Festival. I was so …

Andrea Pontremoli is the CEO and General Manager of Dallara Motorsports in what is known as the "Italian Motor Valley." His passion for racing and innovation is what has driven this company to be the innovation fuel for top brands and collaborators like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, among others. For more information about Dallara, go to: https://w…

Jamal and I discuss "the slap." Actually we don't really- I rant on how little I care about celebrities, and the death of comedy. Will Smith and Chris Rock are at the center, but this represents something bigger. Per usual, Jamal and I had slightly different takes, but agreed on many things. Enjoy.By Don Wettrick

Dallara is a company that powers the most famous brands in the world: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Ducati, Maserati- just to name a few!So it was with great anticipation to kick off a relationship with this amazing company as we will be hosting college students to go over to Italy and collaborate with some iconic brands!…

Dreamer, Disruptor, and Creator. Ashley is on a mission to create a company that gives busy women valuable time back in their day for the people and projects that matter most.She has built MySherri to be a premium, boutique in-home management company that employs and deploys an excellent in-home workforce. She helps women normalize getting support …

In this episode we talk about the impact that executive leadership coaching has on the school culture.By Don Wettrick

In this episode author Jimmy Soni not only discusses his new book, The Founders, but he also goes into the "DNA" of the legendary founders of PayPal. Names like Elon, Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, David Sacks, and Reid Hoffman certainly draw attention, but the behind-the-scenes people that make it happen are given credit. We also go into ecosystems lik…

My friend Harrison Painter on Amplify Prosperity posed a question: Can comfort and growth exist? Jamal and I really thought out loud on this one...Origional post from Harrison found here: https://www.facebook.com/harrisonpainter/posts/10227344206778771?comment_id=10227344280580616¬if_id=1646705785399994¬if_t=comment_mention&ref=notif…

Johnny Crowder is a 29-year-old suicide/abuse survivor, TEDx speaker, touring musician, mental health and sobriety advocate, and the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that provides daily support to users in nearly 100 countries around the world. Armed with 10 years of clinical treatment, a psychology degree from the U…

Jamal and I discuss whether there will be a teacher shortage, and what might re-shape education.By Don Wettrick

Today Jamal and I:*Celebrate 1 Million downloads!*Give our Top 3 things Schools need. There has been a national dialogue on what we are doing wrong or what schools are trying to ban- but today we examine what we need. Now.By Don Wettrick

On this episode, Jamal goes into what "transformational leadership" is with Superintendent Zachary Shutler. More importantly, how transformational leadership can build a culture at your school.By Don Wettrick

Tracy Bullock brings over 30 years of business development experience at Procter & Gamble to her Sandler Training business. She builds and delivers Sandler professional development programs in Leadership, Management, Sales, and Customer Service for companies of all sizes. In this Podcast, Tracy touches on:The 5 E’s of Leadership: Envision, Enable, …

In 2017, Vivian Shen founded Juni Learning, an online education platform for 7-18 year olds, to be the educational opportunity she wished she had growing up. As a kid, Vivian had an interest in courses her school didn’t offer. When learning to code, Vivian remembers feeling insecure and learned best in personalized settings compared to lecture styl…

Today Jamal and I go into clarity- setting expectations on not only outcomes in performance, but also in long term success.By Don Wettrick

Today Jamal and I discuss jealousy, and how social media has taxed our brains in comparing ourselves to others on social media.By Don Wettrick

WE ARE BACK!!! After an almost two month break, Jamal and I discuss aligning actions to goals. We also talk about taking time to reflect and focus on priorities.Oh, and you should TOTALLY follow "Life with the Crooks" on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lifewiththecrooks/?hl=enBy Don Wettrick

Devin Butler is the Founder & CEO of Arizona Entrepreneurs, a community created to help entrepreneurs build genuine business relationships and get access to key resources to assist them in growing their business. In this episode we talk about community, collaboration, and fellowship. You can learn more (and connect with Devin) at: https://arizonaen…

In this episode, Abby and Megan chat with one of their greatest influences: Daniel Schultz! Schultz shares his personal experiences with launching his own venture and gives some insight on his observations as a high-school entrepreneurship teacher.By Don Wettrick

Jamal dives into why THIS school year is YOUR year!By Don Wettrick

It's the start of school! BUT PLEASE- do NOT start off with a list of things you cannot do. Get them excited about possibilities, not limitations.By Don Wettrick

Tracy Bradshaw is the Executive Director of YESCarolina- a nonprofit that provides curriculum and pitch competition for South Carolina's high school students. In this episode you will learn how YESCarolina got started, but also the impact it is having on the students AND the state. Learn more at: https://www.yescarolina.com/From the website: YESCar…

In this episode, Abby and Megan focus in on their personal journeys as young innovators. They share insight on the challenging yet empowering transition from high-school to college while identifying the reasons that they remain committed to entrepreneurship.By Don Wettrick

Andralyn is a student at West Lafayette Jr./Sr. High School. Her passion for art and innovation led her to found Youtheum, an online Museum specifically tailored for the youth. Visit Youtheum at youtheum.comMusic by Northwest: NorthwestBy Don Wettrick

Much has been discussed how the "Name, image & likeness" will change NCAA sports. But what will do to high school sports?By Don Wettrick