Clear is the NEW Confident with Casey Watts

Remember your first business card? Carley Crose handed hers to everyone, including the waiter at Chili's. Years of chasing titles and promotions later, a job where she could name her own title led to a revelation: all of this is made up. In this episode, Casey sits down with Carley, a program manager at an incentive meeting planning agency (and Casey's cousin), to talk about why so many of...

When Casey showed the women she interviewed for her upcoming book its table of contents, almost every one of them said, "I would open up to the chapter Interrupting Contagious Narratives." In this solo episode, Casey shares why negative narratives spread so much faster than positive ones, and how to keep from catching them. Two types of contagious narratives: 1. Projections: borrowed bel...

When things get messy, do you tighten your grip? Karla Reinhardt, principal and author of From Control to Connection, knows that instinct well. Early in her leadership she planned every meeting, printed every step, and answered every question, until she noticed her team had stopped bringing ideas to the table. In this episode, Casey and Karla talk about what control costs us at work and at home, a...

What happens when you hand a dozen women a microphone and one unfinished sentence? In this special episode, Casey sits down with women at a recent conference for quick micro conversations, each built around a single prompt: “Let me be clear...” You’ll hear from a business owner, an ER nurse, a three-time CEO and breast cancer thriver, a widow leading her family forward, a high school sophomore, an...

Many high-achieving, impact-driven women wait until they feel credible, ready, or qualified before taking action. In this episode of Clear is the NEW Confident, Casey makes the case that confidence shows up after the bold move, and then names what has to come before it. It starts in a conference room full of people waiting on a presenter who never arrived. What Casey did next, and everything that...

Always Be Coaching: How Your Mindset Shapes Every Conversation with Chrissy Beltran If you lead, mentor, or support others, you are coaching far more often than your calendar shows. It happens in the hallway, in the last two minutes of a meeting, and in that quick "I don't know how I'm going to get all this done." In this episode of Clear is the New Confident , Casey sits down wi...

Meta description: Casey and author Phil Januszewski talk about how high-achieving, impact-driven women can flourish through small daily choices that stay within their control. What if the happiness you keep putting off until the weekend has been in your hands the whole time? Casey welcomes back fan favorite Phil Januszewski. Phil taught high school chemistry and physics for 20 years before becomin...

Do you deflect compliments, feel the urge to repay every kind word ten times over, or keep a gratitude list that reads the same every night? This episode is for you. Casey sits down with bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and award-winning educator Lainie Rowell. Lainie was in the room when Steve Jobs launched the iPhone, has been called "very gritty" by Angela Duckworth, and proudly owns the title...

My husband came home late from a meeting that, in his words, half of which could have been an email. Someone showed up late. Tangents were welcomed. The hour on the calendar stretched well past the hour. I have been in that meeting, and I am guessing you have too. In this episode I share five boundaries I use to get clarity before, during, and after a meeting, including the ones I did not schedule...

Casey shares the moment her pride finally tumbled and uses it to name something high-achieving, impact-driven women recognize immediately. You can spend years becoming a victim of other people's insecure behaviors, and then quietly become a victim of your own limiting beliefs. Casey walks through the signs of both, pushes back on all of us with three beliefs about victimhood, and introduces th...

You know the question that needs asking. You just don't ask it. Maybe you've been called difficult before, or maybe you're just trying to keep the peace. So the question stays in your head, and the confusion stays in the room. Casey unpacks why your gut usually knows what to ask before you find the words, and why the clearest person in the room becomes the leader. She shares how to ask...

Victims of Furgency and How to Escape Furgency: the fake urgency that convinces you your next idea has to happen right now. Casey breaks down where it comes from, the three situations where it shows up most, and the questions that get you out before it burns you out. Mentioned in this episode: The Whole Educator podcast and The Resistance Solution by Becca Silver: https://www.thewholeeducator.com/...

Are You Asking "Why"? If you're chasing a title, a goal, or a version of yourself right now, this might be the "why" check you need. I have a friend more disciplined than anyone I know. 5am workouts. A budget she never breaks. Actual willpower against "remind me in 15 minutes." Recently she mentioned wanting to tone her thighs just a little more. So I asked the qu...

Does training alone make someone a great leader, or is there a deeper shift required? Principal and author Joyce Conley-Hemmings will dive into why mindset is the ultimate determining factor in true leadership development. Discover why skill-building is only half the battle and how cultivating the right perspective transforms management into genuine impact. Learn actionable strategies to unlock yo...

I once threw a full hissy fit — jumping, stomping, the works — with my boss in a foyer. Another time, my job description was changed midyear by my boss 🫣. As a high achiever, I always said yes to the next leadership opportunity, even when I didn't feel ready. I just figured it out as I went. Turns out, you can't lead well without leadership skills — and most "leadership training&quot...

Resistance Isn't the Enemy — Here's How to Work With It, Not Against It New staff. New initiatives. New curriculum. And right alongside all of it: resistance. Every school leader hits it heading into a new year — the question is what you do with it. In this episode, I sit down with Becca Silver, author of The Resistance Solution , who drops a line that reframes the whole conversation: &quo...

This week, you'll hear what reframing negative feedback actually looks like. I share a snippet from a real coaching call with a seasoned English teacher who's carried one critical note from a previous principal for ten years. Listen for the questions, the reflective stems, and the pauses — that silence is the reflection doing its work. New here? Start with last week's episode, " Y...

One critical comment. That's all it takes to overshadow everything else that went right. In this episode, we explore why negative feedback carries so much more weight than it deserves, what that habit costs us, and how to stop giving a single red mark so much power over how we see ourselves and our work. Based on the article Personifying the Red Mark , this conversation gets honest about what...

Do you struggle to make your message heard or gaining the confidence to state your message boldly? Former Hollywood actor and RADA teacher Dominic Colenso joins us to share the core ingredients of "cut-through," helping leaders and sales teams perform when it matters most. He reveals simple ways to distill your thinking and bring immediate clarity to your message, ensuring your leadershi...

Do you have a clear roadmap for your leadership journey? Julia Bialeski and I explore why every woman needs a personal career mission and vision to navigate the complexities of leadership. Join us to have a candid and clear conversation! Connect with Julia here: Julia Bialeski is a leadership practitioner, author, and speaker with more than 20 years of experience leading people and organizations t...

Are you avoiding the high-stakes discussions that your school community needs most? Join Tiffany Burns and Erika Bare as they share about their practical playbook for navigating tough conversations, de-escalating tension, and ensuring every interaction leads to a successful resolution. Gain the tools you need to overcome communication barriers and lead your team with greater confidence. Connect wi...

In this episode, Casey sits down with Kim Gameros — educator, author, and founder of SELebrate Good Times and Teaching Inside Out — to talk about reimagining how teachers grow, connect, and thrive. In this episode: How Kim's VIBEDU conference (Educators Defining Unity) throws out the slide decks and creates real, collaborative connection Why inclusion means making space for every voice — inclu...

I used to second-guess everything. Not just menial decisions like what to wear, but big, life-changing things—my ability to lead a workshop, write a book, or even be a good friend or mom. If you’ve ever found yourself questioning if you're experienced, qualified, or worthy of a new opportunity, you know how exhausting that self-doubt is. In this episode, I'm sharing the three powerful trut...

I'm sharing the honest story behind the rebrand — what the old name got right, what it missed, and why my audience is the reason everything is changing. Same mission. Bigger clarity. Your teams are itching for CLARITY!  That can be a complex thing to provide.  But I have a framework that guides you to do just that– gain and create clarity!  w ww.catchingupwithcasey.com/claritycycleframework  ...

You can feel the moment slipping. The room is distracted, disengaged, and nobody's saying why. In this episode, Casey shares the real story of the day she stopped her own training — and what happened when she said out loud what everyone was already thinking. What are you waiting for permission to say? Read about this episode here on Substack! Your teams are itching for CLARITY!  That can be a...