The word trust is synonymous with many things. For some, trust means having confidence in something, believing in something, or having faith. For others, trust means having responsibility and accountability. No matter how you define trust, it remains an integral part of our everyday lives. Not only does trust help build connections and deepen relationships, but it supports a level of unparalleled transparency and communication in many different situations. So, how can trust change your perspecti...
Apr 18, 2023•32 min•Ep. 1
Preparing for the future has always been a main tenet of education. As the future of the workplace continues to change with advancements in technology, community workforce development initiatives are becoming a key part of local infrastructure in staying with the times and ahead of the curve. While these initiatives spark change in local communities, how is bringing back education helping to change lives? In the latest episode of Change Starts Here brought to you by FranklinCovey, host Dustin Od...
Apr 11, 2023•36 min•Ep. 1
We are creatures of habit, always have been and probably always will be. We are now also, thanks to the success and efficiency of technology, creatures of comfort. Unwinding after a hard day's work is something everyone deserves, yet it is this very unwinding that can lead to an uncoupling of our surroundings, our intentions, and ourselves. How do we fix that? In this short-feature episode of Change Starts Here brought to you by FranklinCovey, host Dustin Odham takes a deep dive into what it mea...
Apr 04, 2023•10 min•Ep. 1
In a post-pandemic world, students are playing catchup with their education, with additional needs for those in underserved communities. Educational disparities exist in all areas of education, especially in the STEM curriculum, where gaps can hurt students looking to take their careers in those directions. How can educators get students back on track? Extended learning time (ELT) is one method showing results. Extended learning time is an equation involving all education leaders creating the ri...
Mar 28, 2023•42 min•Ep. 1
Great education requires transformational leaders. What it also requires are great school boards. The Center for Public Education outlines eight characteristics encompassing an effective school board, from accountability and unification to team development and defining a vision for high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction. So, how does a school board become a great school board? The answer: by building a high-trust team. On this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin...
Mar 14, 2023•58 min•Ep. 1
The last few years of the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized how important community and togetherness are. While being alone and on your own has its upsides, so does being and engaging with others. It’s something that people who travel a lot might also recognize when they attend events that bring groups together. On this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham talks about this topic by talking on his own about his recent travels to symposiums in different cities across the USA. While understa...
Mar 07, 2023•10 min•Ep. 1
Am I, or can I be the leader my people need? This is a serious question every leader needs to pose to themselves and be able to answer with the utmost humility. There are different definitions of leadership, which can be subjective, but two quite resonate: Adeoye Mayowa defines leadership as the ability to evaluate and/or forecast a long-term plan or policy and influence their followers toward the achievement of the said strategy. Charles Handy (1992) also describes a leader as someone who shape...
Feb 28, 2023•52 min•Ep. 1
Amidst and after the pandemic, there is more pressure on teachers to produce more outputs than inputs; people call for more responsibility and standardization in teaching and learning. This pressure trauma is showcasing itself and putting immense pressure on teachers to perform effectively, leading to burnout, quitting, and losing great people in the field. According to a Wall Street Journal report, at least 300,000 public-school teachers and other staff have left the field between February 2020...
Feb 21, 2023•43 min•Ep. 1
Being an educator is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs, and nobody knows that better than Olympia Della Flora. On this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Oldham spoke with Della Flora about her experience as an educator, from teacher to principal to superintendent. They also discuss how you can best help students, including what to remember when in the classroom. Currently a superintendent for Marion City Schools in Ohio, Della Flora grew up with an elementary school mother ...
Feb 14, 2023•41 min•Ep. 1
Mental stress and burnout are becoming increasingly common issues, characterized by feelings of exhaustion, loss of motivation, and decreased job satisfaction. This can result from prolonged and intense work demands, lack of control, and an imbalance between work and personal life. It's essential to recognize the signs and take steps to manage and prevent burnout for overall well-being. But how do you contain this stress level and prevent burnout from your everyday life and work activities we ha...
Feb 07, 2023•15 min•Ep. 1
When we make decisions in life, oftentimes they are decided by our inner thoughts. But not everyone has inner thoughts despite how common it is. Experts say some 30 to 50 percent of people have an inner monologue with themselves. In having this inner monologue, it helps some people figure out a lot of things and decisions they make in life because thoughts are very powerful. But figuring out things can be a challenge. Is everything figureoutable? According to entrepreneur and author Marie Forleo...
Jan 31, 2023•53 min•Ep. 1
The health of the human brain is of utmost importance considering it is responsible for how we move, the ways in which we give and interpret information, our memories, our moods and behavior and so much more. It is also why when the brain is dealing with disorders that affect normal activities it can be a detriment to how someone functions. One of those disorders is ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, which is normally discovered in children who exhibit signs that they are unable ...
Jan 24, 2023•49 min•Ep. 1
The world of business and workplaces continues to change, and no one knows that better than Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, along with being a New York Times bestselling author and host of the 5 Questions podcast. Dustin Oldham, host of Change Starts Here, spoke with Schawbel about workplace challenges in schools, such as staff retention and what to do about it. A self-described “advisor and a champion” of workers, Schawbel has worked with many businesses and loves the ...
Jan 17, 2023•43 min•Ep. 1
Learning how to manage your time properly and effectively can either make or break your overall productivity. In fact, good time-management is said to be an extremely beneficial tool in helping someone achieve adequate work-life balance and acquiring better work opportunities for themselves, per Proof Hub. However, good time-management does not just happen overnight. It can take time to build and perfect, which is why creating systems is so crucial. How does someone determine if they need better...
Jan 10, 2023•52 min•Ep. 1
Dec 13, 2022•13 min•Ep. 1
One topic that frequently comes up on Change Starts Here concerns educator burnout and the residual effect of people choosing not to enter the education profession. According to a November 2022 Gallop poll, K-12 teachers report the highest burnout rate of all U.S. professions, with more than four out of every ten teachers noting they feel burned out “always” or “often” at work. That leads to a question: What ideal school would make people want to stay, love their job, and then attract new people...
Dec 06, 2022•48 min•Ep. 1
2022 is a year for reflection, and at Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham wanted to devote a special episode to reflect on all of the great advice from the many guests that appeared on the podcast over that past year. Throughout this episode, Odham captures moments from ten inspiring interviews from 2022, including author and Assistant Principal Joshua Stamper, Revolutionary Principal’s Amen Rahh, Principal and Speaker Linda Cliatt-Wayman, Author and Speaker Jill M. Siler, and Student Motivati...
Nov 29, 2022•16 min•Ep. 1
Trust is the foundation, or building block, of many key innovations. Without trust, new, creative ideas born from collaboration would not exist. Trust plays a key role in the evolution of companies and their technologies, but most importantly, their people. But how exactly can trust change the future? On the latest episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham chats with Mark Murphy, Senior Consultant and Author at FranklinCovey about his journey with FranklinCovey and how to reframe hidden b...
Nov 22, 2022•36 min•Ep. 1
Did you know that mentoring youth helps to increase their likelihood of graduating from high school while also decreasing the likelihood that youth will initiate abusing illegal drugs and alcohol use? Well, it's true. But building student success goes behind just mentoring. It's about creating an environment that evokes passion and curiosity. In doing this, where should you start? On this new episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham chats with a guest with many accomplishments as an Entr...
Nov 15, 2022•43 min•Ep. 1
Monday, October 24th, 2022, a school shooter killed a teacher and a student in St. Louis, Missouri. After the shooting, a letter was found in the gunman's car. A few lines stood out to podcast host Dustin Odham. The writing describes a lonely life. Odham was impacted by the letter because it shows how the shooter had fallen through the cracks. This episode does not focus on the shooting itself but on what educators and individuals working with students can do to ensure care for the pupils in the...
Nov 08, 2022•12 min•Ep. 1
Life throws many curveballs and at times people will have to work with what they know and have to get by. For educators, it's another ball game, and public school educators today are facing a lot of challenges, from budget cuts, low or stagnant salaries, and a pandemic. That also means the stakes are even higher for leadership at these schools, and principals have to be committed and dedicated because their jobs are not exactly easy, per The 19th. Principals have to make strong commitments in or...
Nov 01, 2022•52 min•Ep. 1
Do you ever think about all the minute twists and turns that led you to the exact position you sit in life? For some, that journey has more twists and turns than it does for others. Joshua Stamper, Author, Podcaster, and Assistant Principal, joined Host Dustin Odham to describe how he went from graphic design to administration in the education realm. Stamper started as graphic designer, but when the industry crashed, after some self-reflection and encouragement from his wife, he found that he lo...
Oct 25, 2022•53 min•Ep. 1
Evolution is gradual, but revolution is about changing things quickly. Change is what Amen Rahh, the Revolutionary Principal and author, aims to do within his school and ultimately, the world. Change Starts Here host Dustin Odham chatted with Rahh about his background and his goals to inspire revolution across educational culture. Rahh was straight forward, “I’m happy to…talk about how we are going to revolutionize education and ultimately the world.” As the youngest of six, a father, husband, f...
Oct 18, 2022•55 min•Ep. 1
In the latest episode of “Change Starts Here,” podcast host Dustin Odham discussed being in a leadership position in the field of education with educator and author Jill Siler. The two talked about the profession of a superintendent, and all that it entails in being one, including successes and failures. Siler is the author of “Thrive through the Five,” a book she wrote about the challenges that can come with leadership. Prior to becoming an author, Siler worked in public education for 25 years,...
Oct 11, 2022•41 min•Ep. 1
Great things can happen under the direction of great leadership. But how does one become a great leader? Host Dustin Odham chatted with Dr. Mathew Ohlson, the Director of the Taylor Leadership Institute at the University of North Florida, about the habits of a great leader and how to jumpstart that career pathway. When Dr. Ohlson first started, he was sure he would get his PhD and go back into K-12 education. However, after completing his seven-habits training, he realized there was a need at un...
Oct 04, 2022•46 min•Ep. 1
Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work is Ahead of You is the new book by Cynthia Covey Haller. Haller, a teacher, and speaker outside of her writing duties, spoke with Dustin Odham about this inspirational book, guided by the wisdom of her late father and co-author of Live Life in Crescendo, Stephen R. Covey. Haller calls herself the mother hen of the Covey family; she is the eldest of nine children. Haller’s also a mother of six and a grandmother; with this new book, she adds first-t...
Sep 27, 2022•55 min•Ep. 1
Working within a positive culture creates optimal results in any setting, and that is especially true for those in K12 educational settings. Juan Bendaña, top youth motivational speaker, joined Host Dustin Odham to dive more into how to create and define a positive culture in the classroom. Bendaña believes the first step to understanding students is to take a step back. “The most important thing is meeting them where they are, not where you think they should be,” he stated. He also emphasized t...
Sep 20, 2022•52 min•Ep. 1
Who takes care of the teachers? In the “Change Starts Here” podcast, host Dustin Odham chatted with author and associate at Marzano Resources and Solution Tree, Dr. Tina Boogren. As an advocate for the well-being and needs of educators, Boogren talked about a new shift towards emphasizing the wellness needs of teachers. In her prior studies of educators, Dr. Boogren came to the conclusion that there was a link between efficiency in teachers and their wellness. “One of the things that I found in ...
Sep 13, 2022•54 min•Ep. 1
Facing adversity from a young age, Dr. John “Push” Gaines, a professional speaker and leadership consultant, was not sure where his life would end up - but he was sure of one thing: he would persevere. On this, Dr. Gaines speaks to host Dustin Odham about his experience in persevering and the importance of leaning into the present. “Persevere until something happens,” said Dr. Gaines. Dr. Gaines grew up in the Hilltop community in Tacoma, WA, a community notorious, at the time, for the crime. No...
Sep 06, 2022•54 min•Ep. 1
Cathy Quiroz Moore is the Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System, NC, the 15th largest school system in the United States. Moore came to the U.S. from Ecuador when she was two years old. That dual culture influenced who Moore is as a person and her actions as a leader. Her roots in the Wake County Public School Stem stretch back to 1988 when she entered as a French teacher. Being engaged and seeking out leadership opportunities are traits that Moore always fostered. “Even as a be...
Aug 30, 2022•57 min•Ep. 1
