Leaning into Leadership - podcast cover

Leaning into Leadership

We all want to see successes in both our personal and professional lives. Often, that requires strong leadership. In a time when leadership can be more challenging than ever, this podcast is dedicated to cultivating leaders by elevating the voices of leaders and promoting positivity. Join Dr. Darrin Peppard, lifelong educator and best-selling author, for this mixed platform podcast (some solo, some guest interview) for inspiration and insight, and some great leadership stories from those are living it, excelling at it, and celebrating it. Together, let's lean into leadership.
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Episodes

Episode 71: My First Steps into Leadership (A Special Edition)

This episode is sponsored by Peer Driven PD - Visit peerdrivenpd.com and request a quote. Tell them the Leaning into Leadership podcast sent you , and they’ll give you a free trial access so you can check out all of their content and decide for yourself and 10% off your first year’s subscription. May is a very special month here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast. The entire month is dedicated to aspiring, new, and rising leaders. Whether you're a leader moving from the classroom into their ...

May 03, 202312 minSeason 1Ep. 71

Episode 70: A Place the Love with Elijah Carbajal

Elijah Carbajal is a teacher who followed in the footsteps of teachers in his family. He has served as an educator in the state of New Mexico since 2014 and is currently a Title I Reading Interventionist. Along with being the host of The Shut Up and Teach Podcast , he is the author of the book A Place They Love . Elijah works hard to make school and his classroom a place that students love! He loves to spend time with his wife, Tracey, and his cat, Nala. Check out Elijah's book, A Place They Lov...

Apr 30, 202348 minSeason 1Ep. 70

Episode 69: Playful and Courageous Classrooms with Jed Dearybury

This episode is sponsored by Peer Driven PD - Visit peerdrivenpd.com and request a quote. Tell them the Leaning into Leadership podcast sent you , and they’ll give you a free trial access so you can check out all of their content and decide for yourself and 10% off your first year’s subscription. Get your copy of I'm Autistic and I'm Awesome here Jed Dearybury began his education career in 2001. He was featured in GQ Magazine as Male Leader of the Year, met President Obama as the South Carolina ...

Apr 23, 202353 minSeason 1Ep. 69

Episode 68: When Calling Parents isn't Your Calling with Crystal Frommert

Crystal Frommert, M.Ed , has over 20 years of experience as an educator, mostly in middle school. Crystal has taught math in public, parochial, and international schools. In addition to math, she has taught computer science and social justice. Beyond teaching, she has served as an instructional coach, school board member, adjunct college instructor, technology coordinator, and assistant head of middle school. She has presented at local, national, and international educational conferences on topi...

Apr 16, 202344 minSeason 1Ep. 68

Episode 67: You Matter with Angela Maiers

This episode is sponsored by Peer Driven PD - Visit peerdrivenpd.com and request a quote. Tell them the Leaning into Leadership podcast sent you , and they’ll give you a free trial access so you can check out all of their content and decide for yourself and 10% off your first year’s subscription. My guest is Angela Maiers: Leader. Visionary. Entrepreneur. Disruptor. Change Maker. Angela Maiers embodies each of these descriptors with passion, commitment, and fierce determination. She has been cre...

Apr 09, 202355 minSeason 1Ep. 67

Episode 66: Surviving and Thriving with Andrew Marotta

Check out When Calling Parents Isn't Your Calling by Crystal Frommert from Road to Awesome publishing. Andrew Marotta is an energetic and enthusiastic leader who has put his positive imprint on his beloved Port Jervis HS, in Port Jervis, NY. With the release of his first book, The School Leader: Surviving and Thriving, Andrew is expanding his impact on the educational leadership community. Andrew is the author of four books, most recently completing Dads, Leaders, & Father Figures. In his pe...

Apr 02, 202342 minSeason 1Ep. 66

Episode 65: Ending the Martyr Mentality with Elizabeth Dampf

Elizabeth Dampf is the director of professional learning at Round Lake Area Schools 116 in the Chicago area. She holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as a Master of Arts in School Improvement Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University. She has worked in education for thirteen years. Here are link to the articles on martyr mentality , quiet quitting , and imposter syndrome in school leadership Check out all of Elizabeth's wo...

Mar 26, 202353 minSeason 1Ep. 65

Episode 64: Seen, Heard, and Loved with Dr. Phil Campbell

Dr. Phil Campbell, known to his students and staff as PC, is a veteran educator with a passion for loving kids and motivating educators. His goal is to assist schools in becoming the best learning environment they can possibly be for students to learn and for teachers to teach. His philosophy to accomplish this is simple: put relationships first, genuinely love and protect one another, and create a sense of family within your school setting. With educational experience as a teacher, coach, athle...

Mar 19, 202342 minSeason 1Ep. 64

Episode 63: Solving Problems & Preventing Tragedies with Maria Barrera

Maria Barrera is the founder of Clayful , a company on a mission to help kids build the skills and resilience to tackle anything that comes their way. Clayful is saving some pilot spots for the Leading into Leadership Podcast community! To learn more go to clayful.co/leadership . Throughout her career in education, technology, and human resources, she has always been focused on solving big problems in complex systems. Now, she is tackling the biggest problem of all - the mental health crisis. Ma...

Mar 12, 202341 minSeason 1Ep. 63

Episode 62: Four Pillars of Leadership with Aaron Keith Hawkins

Want PD that's like a Master Class for Teachers? Connect with Peer Driven PD at Connect with Peer Driven PD at https://peerdrivenpd.com/ to learn more. Make sure you tell them the Leaning into Leadership podcast sent you and get your FREE trial access! Aaron Keith Hawkins is an author, motivational leadership and success keynote speaker, and personal performance mentor. He's an internationally recognized podcast host, and has been featured as a subject matter expert on dozens of podcasts, radio ...

Mar 05, 20231 hrSeason 1Ep. 62

Episode 61: Magic in Margaretville with Michelle Osterhoudt

Michelle Osterhoudt is a wife, mother, and 24-year educator and community leader. Active in civil rights work within her community, Michelle serves as the Vice President of the Oneonta Area NAACP. Michelle has also served on the Commission on Community Relations and Human Rights for the City of Oneonta and was the first African American Council member for the city of Oneonta serving the 4th Ward. A project Michelle is most proud of is her Collaboration with Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown a...

Feb 26, 202350 minSeason 1Ep. 61

Episode 60: The Radical Truth with Brian T. Miller

Brian T. Miller is a husband, father of five, reader, writer, blogger, public speaker, podcaster, and proud principal of Chief Joseph Elementary. Samwise Gamge is his hero. Check out Brian's Schurtz & Ties podcast here Connect with Brian: Website: Millerbrian.com Facebook: Brian T. Miller Twitter: @Miller_brian_ or @SchurtzandTies TikTok: miller_brian_ Get your autographed copy of Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader here Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here ...

Feb 19, 202345 minSeason 1Ep. 60

Episode 59: 3 Tips for Aspiring Leaders (a mid-week special)

Welcome to a special mid-week episode of Leaning into Leadership. I was once an aspiring administrator and know how challenging the job search process can be. As someone who believes so strongly in supporting and coaching early career leaders, I think these mid-week episodes (and yes, there will be more) can have a great impact on those just starting or getting ready to start a career in leadership. On this episode, I will share three tips for aspiring leaders to consider. Think about the opport...

Feb 15, 20238 minSeason 1Ep. 59

Episode 58: Mountains and Marathons with Jamin Heppell

Jamin Heppell is the a co-creator and leadership coach of Mountains and Marathons, which is a revolutionary leadership development company that focuses on holistic transformation and completes each program with an epic physical challenge, such as running a marathon or climbing a mountain in iconic locations around the world. Jamin’s clients have included senior executives of Fortune 500 companies, leaders of international non-profits, founders of multi-million dollar start-ups, leaders in Networ...

Feb 12, 202352 minSeason 1Ep. 58

Episode 57: The Grass Fire Analogy with Hal Bowman

Hal Bowman can see the future, and he is determined to do all he can to change it for the better, one life at a time. He is certain that schools are the key to a better world down the road. “Every school can be a phenomenal school” is his mantra, and it shows in his actions. Most days, you are likely to find him with his shirtsleeves rolled up and doing at least one thing to make it so. He is constantly mulling over the possibilities while designing programs, road maps, and materials to help mak...

Feb 05, 202352 minSeason 1Ep. 57

Episode 56: The Career Toolkit with Mark Herschberg

Mark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You and creator of the Brain Bump app . From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia, with over a dozen patents to his name. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success ...

Jan 29, 202346 minSeason 1Ep. 56

Episode 55: The Leader You Always Wanted with Thomas Annunziata

Thomas Annunziata is the Director of Student Activities at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, Virginia. Mr. Annunziata is a 3-time Teacher of the Year and recent addition to the Freedom Eagles Administration team. In the short time since accepting the role as Freedom’s Activities Director in August , Mr. Annunziata has brought Wrestling, Swim, Golf, and Baseball back to the school expanding the opportunities available to the students. He continues to look for ways to increase opportunities for s...

Jan 22, 202338 minSeason 1Ep. 55

Episode 54: Leadership Lesson 1 with John VanDusen

John VanDusen is currently an 8th grade U.S. History teacher in Kingsford, Michigan where he also enjoys coaching football and being involved in his church along with his wife and son. John served as a military police and infantry platoon leader in Baghdad, Iraq. When he returned, he began his teaching and coaching career while continuing with the military. He is also an instructor in the Army reserves where he teaches Army Majors masters level courses as part of their professional military educ...

Jan 15, 202341 minSeason 1Ep. 54

Episode 53: The Empowered Educator with Jen Rafferty

Jen Rafferty is an educator, author, and international public speaker, who started as a middle school music teacher for 15 years in Central New York. She is known for bringing her energy, humor and expertise in her presentations while inspiring educators to stay connected to their " why ." Jen is a certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. Since its inception, the Empowered Educator has reached teachers and school leaders all ove...

Jan 08, 202346 minSeason 1Ep. 53

Episode 52: Right Leader, Right Time with Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan is the CEO of InterimExecs , which matches top executives with companies around the world. Based on research with thousands of leaders and companies, he and Olivia Wagner wrote Right Leader Right Time: Discover Your Leadership Style for a Winning Career and Company , and have launched the FABS Leadership Assessment, a free assessment at RightLeader.com designed to help leaders and organizations perform better. Jordan also authored How They Did It: Billion Dollar Insights from the H...

Jan 01, 202354 minSeason 1Ep. 52

Episode 51: Goals, Transparency, and #OneWord for 2023 with Darrin Peppard

Let's reflect on 2022, our goals, our successes, and our short comings. Great leaders are the ones who are willing to be open and transparent about their work. Great leaders are the ones who are aware of their failures and look at failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. As my friend Wade Stanford shared this week, "It is nearly impossible for you to have your best idea the first time you think about something. The most likely way to uncover important insights is to frequently revisit a prob...

Dec 25, 202245 minSeason 1Ep. 51

Episode 50: Bridges to Heal Us with Erin Jones

Erin Jones has been involved in and around schools for the past 26 years. She has taught in a variety of environments, from predominantly Black to predominantly White to some of the most diverse communities in the nation. Erin received an award as the Most Innovative Foreign Language Teacher in 2007, while teaching in Tacoma and was the Washington State Milken Educator of the Year in 2008, while teaching in Spokane. She received recognition at the White House in March of 2013 as a "Champion of C...

Dec 18, 202252 minSeason 1Ep. 50

Episode 49: Leveraging Teacher Expertise with Mike Alpert

Mike Alpert founded Peer Driven PD in 2019 with the goal of bringing streamlined, private sector solutions to public education. Mike’s corporate experience as a project analyst for an international renewable energy firm (Iberdrola Renewables) and as a financial services specialist (employee credit union of Intel and Microsoft) led him to realize the importance of education across all fields. Mike earned his MBA at Portland State University, with focused coursework in finance and innovation manag...

Dec 11, 202248 minSeason 1Ep. 49

Episode 48: Finding Your Fit with Dr. Larry Dake

Dr. Larry Dake has served in leadership positions for over 12 years as a curriculum coordinator, principal, and assistant superintendent. He attended King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and Binghamton University, in Binghamton, NY. Beyond spending time with family, Larry is an avid fan of baseball history and spends way too much time looking up stats on baseball-reference.com. Professionally, Larry has served as a school leader for 13 years spanning three districts and roles as a curriculum coor...

Dec 04, 202258 minSeason 1Ep. 48

Episode 47: An Outsider's Inside Perspective with Rick Morton

Rick Morton has been a Jostens representative in Tacoma, WA for the last 21 years. Rick grew up in San Diego and has been married to his High School sweetheart for 34 years. Rick has 3 adult children and 1 grandkid. His passion is to help every school he serves improve their environment with proven strategies and programs. Rick believes that Jostens Renaissance plays a significant role in helping schools go from good to great. Rick says, "I am who I am today because of the heroes in my life that...

Nov 27, 202243 minSeason 1Ep. 47

Episode 46: A Next Level Conversation with Jonathan Alsheimer

Jonathan Alsheimer is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations. He currently teaches at the Chancellor Middle School in Spotsylvania County, VA. In addition to being a passionate educator, Jonathan is an international keynote speaker and the author of "NEXT LEVEL TEACHING," a #1 new release in education on Amazon in March of 2020. Jonathan worked at the world-renowned Fred Lynn Middle School, which was featured in two documentari...

Nov 20, 202250 minSeason 1Ep. 46

Episode 45: The Leader of Learning with Dr. Dan Kreiness

Dr. Dan Kreiness is an instructional leader, podcast host, author, and speaker who constantly searches for the most effective ways to advance education and produce high student achievement. Dr. Kreiness has worked in education for over 16 years as a school administrator, instructional coach, intervention specialist, and classroom teacher while working in districts in the New York City metro area in New York and Connecticut. Dr. Kreiness holds a doctorate degree in leadership and master’s degrees...

Nov 13, 20221 hr 1 minSeason 1Ep. 45

Episode 44: Leading Behind the Scenes with Dr. Amy Mathews-Perez

Texas-born & raised, Dr. Amy Mathews-Perez is currently in her 30th year of public education where she has served as a General Ed. Teacher, SLP, Diagnostician, SPED Supervisor, Principal, Assistant Principal and a Director of Special Education. Dr. Mathews-Perez has worked in the private sector as an Education Coordinator at a County JJAEP and in both home health & nursing home settings as an SLP. As a learner, she considers herself an “Experience Expert.” Amy lists passions as communica...

Nov 06, 202258 minSeason 1Ep. 44

Episode 43: Poking the Bear with Katelynn Giordano

Katelynn Giordano is a Middle Level Language Arts and Social Studies educator and co-author of Poking the Bear: A guide for engaging in the conversations that matter most . Katelynn is a dynamic educator who is passionate about student voice and empowerment, promoting equity, and valuing teachers as professionals. It is her belief that what we teach goes far beyond our content—we are teaching our students to become active members of their society who have a positive impact on the world. She cont...

Oct 30, 202257 minSeason 1Ep. 43

Episode 42: SEEing to Lead with Dr. Chris Jones

Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from 8th - 11th grade working in an urban setting. He is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts. He is the author of SEEingtoLead , a book that provides strategies for how modern leaders can and must support, engage, and empower their teachers to elevate student success. Chris is also the host of the podcast SEEing to Lead . A finalist for t...

Oct 23, 202251 minSeason 1Ep. 42
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