Change Starts Here

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller dive into the pervasive and often misunderstood topic of "high expectations." While most leaders strive to raise the bar, they often see the same patterns repeat: the same students doing the thinking and the same staff carrying the load. Kim and Eve explore the research behind why this happens, revealing that high expectat...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham is joined by Kory Kogon, FranklinCovey’s Global Practice Leader for Content Development and co-author of The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity . Together, they address the mounting pressure on educators to "do it all" and the burnout that inevitably follows. Kory explains why the old "work 'til you drop" m...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller tackle a practice that is ubiquitous in education yet often misunderstood: reflection. While educators and students are constantly asked to reflect, it frequently feels shallow, performative, or exhausting. Kim and Dr. Miller explore the neuroscience behind why reflection works, revealing that without it, experience simply hardens...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham addresses the unique challenges of the "February slump", a time when fresh start energy has faded and end-of-year milestones are still out of sight. Dustin explores why behavior problems from both students and adults often spike during this period, arguing that these are rarely character issues but rather energy issues fueled by fati...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller tackle the dreaded "mid-year slump", that time when energy dips and motivation becomes scarce for both staff and students. Rather than pushing harder, they explore the neurobiology behind what actually drives us to take action. Dr. Miller breaks down the science of the "motivation switch" in the brain, the nucleus...

What if the leadership practices that once kept schools running are now holding them back? In this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham sits down with David Kasperson, co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Trust & Inspire and Director of Speaking & Business Development at FranklinCovey, to challenge the deeply rooted belief that control drives results. Together, they...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller explore the common "disconnect" between traditional school efforts and what actually drives student achievement. Dr. Miller shares insights from a deep dive into family engagement research, revealing that many widely accepted practices are more about compliance than connection. By shifting the focus from school-based event...

While the calendar promises a fresh start, many educators feel the heavy weight of expectations before their energy has fully returned. Join host Dustin Odham as he tackles the unique tension of January leadership. This episode explores why pushing harder right now might be the wrong move and how treating this month as a true reset point can prevent burnout down the road. Dustin shares personal in...

In this powerful episode, Dustin sits down with Sean Covey, President of FranklinCovey Education, for a candid conversation about why so many schools today feel overwhelmed, overcommitted, and stuck in the whirlwind of competing priorities. Drawing from decades of global experience, and fresh insights from recent district visits, Sean describes what educators are experiencing firsthand: growing st...

December has a way of highlighting the gap between the year we envisioned and the one we’re actually living. In this reflective episode, Dustin Odham explores what it means to find joy in the gap—even when the work feels unfinished and the season feels heavy. If you’re an educator who needs a moment to breathe, reset, and see your impact with fresh eyes, this episode is for you. Listen now and fol...

In this energizing episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris explores how you can retrain your brain to move from constant stress to noticing daily bright spots. She explains the brain’s filtering system (your RAS) in simple language and connects it to practical choices educators can make to see more of what’s working. You’ll hear encouraging data showing that schools can shift momentum—even in the...

Difficult conversations shape culture. In this episode, host Dustin Odham sits down with Todd Davis to unpack why relationships are the operating system of leadership and how trust grows through specific, repeatable behaviors. They translate big ideas into concrete moves, from framing purpose and positive intent to the small language shifts that make feedback clearer and more helpful. You will lea...

Behavior isn’t who a student is–it’s what they’re trying to say. In this compelling episode of Change Starts Here, host Kim Yarris, M.Ed. challenges educators to see behavior as communication, not character. Connecting national trends with real classroom realities, Kim helps leaders and teachers decode what students are truly expressing. Discover how small, intentional shifts in language, routines...

This episode makes the case for gratitude as a real leadership skill, not a seasonal sentiment. Dustin Odham explains how appreciation fuels human connection, shifts teams from performance to people, and changes outcomes when leaders move gratitude from feeling to action. Gratitude is positioned as oxygen for culture, a daily choice that multiplies trust and belonging across classrooms, teams, and...

This episode explores a research informed lens for educator wellbeing, separating the brain’s wanting and needing systems and showing how chronic stress can push teachers to ignore needs until the tank runs dry. Dr. Eve Miller and Kim Yaris connect the science to lived experience, translating the model into clear metaphors and practical, repeatable moves that help educators respond instead of reac...

This episode explores how culture actually grows in schools, not through one big initiative, but through tiny moments that build trust, belonging, and momentum. Host Ashley Carranco talks with celebrated Keynote Speaker and Program Facilitator, Phil Boyte, about practical ways leaders can connect with people first, pace culture work across the year, and design simple rituals that make staff and st...

This episode invites educators to rethink how they relate to themselves in the work, treating self compassion as a practical leadership stance rather than a luxury. The lens is simple, care for the adult nervous system, and the classroom becomes steadier, more curious, and more humane. The aim is not lower expectations, it is wiser energy, clearer choices, and a climate where mistakes are part of...

Across the country, proficiency is sliding and absenteeism is climbing, yet there is a practical path that moves the needle. In this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham makes a case for student ownership as the missing engine behind academic improvement, engagement, and long term readiness. Dustin connects national context to daily classroom reality, then shows what ownership actually...

Funding challenges often feel like the biggest barrier in education, but with the right strategy, leaders can avoid common pitfalls and unlock new opportunities. In this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham sits down with FranklinCovey Education’s Director of Funding, Dr. Jennifer Chevalier, to explore the three most common missteps districts face on the road to funding, and how to ove...

Chronic absenteeism has become one of the biggest challenges facing schools today. Nationally, nearly one in four students misses more than 10% of the school year, an alarming increase since the pandemic. In this episode of Change Starts Here, we dig into the data, the “why” behind the trend, and most importantly, what leaders and teachers can do about it. Through real stories from the field, incl...

What does it really take to build a school culture where every student can thrive? In this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham sits down with Dr. Christi Buell, an educator driven by her passion to create meaningful learning environments that every child deserves. Christi shares how leaders can put people before programs to strengthen school culture, engage students and staff in the p...

Change Starts Here: Research Conversations is back for a brand-new season! In this first episode, hosts Dr. Eve Miller Ph. D. and Kim Yaris, M.Ed explore the secret to sustaining that back-to-school energy all year long by building strong teacher-student relationships. They dive into real stories from the field, including how a kindergarten teacher transformed a crying student into a classroom lea...

Ever worry that students might slip through the cracks, unnoticed for who they really are? In this episode of Change Starts Here, host Dustin Odham shares a personal story about his son’s first days in middle school and the fear that he might become “just another face in the hallway.” Through the stories of Emily, Marcus, and Jared; three students whose hidden genius is often overlooked. Dustin ex...

Change Starts Here is back for a brand-new season! In this first episode, host Dustin Odham dives into how the way we see the year ahead shapes our leadership, our teams, and the impact we create. He explores why real change doesn’t come from doing it all at once, but from focusing on a few meaningful actions done well. Dustin challenges listeners to call out growth, name potential, and lead with...

Dustin Odom is a passionate educator, leadership development expert, and host of the "Change Starts Here" podcast, where he explores how internal transformation fuels external change in schools, communities, and organizations. As a podcast host, Dustin has conducted compelling conversations with educational leaders across the country, from superintendents transforming school districts to c...