Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

Guest B ob Reece has worked as a full-time educator with at-risk teens and as a successful small business owner over the past two decades.  He now works as a Clinical Counselor and Personal Coach.  He holds Master of Natural Science and Master of Clinical Counseling degrees as well as Life Coach Certification from the Tony Robbins/Madanes Training School.   Summary In this episode, Jeff Ikler talk...

Guest Tamsin Astor: Tamsin Astor is a Chief Habit Scientist. She helps her clients shift their mindset, organize their vision, and improve their habits, creating productivity and joy! Dr. Astor's clients reduce their decision-making, increasing their time and energy for fun! Tamsin is a mother, a traveler and foodie. She believes travel breeds tolerance and cultivates gratitude and reflection. Tam...

Summary An artist's rendering of Apollo 8 as it photographs "Earthrise." This episode reflects on the Apollo 8 mission's iconic "Earthrise" image in late December 1968 and the turbulent year that preceded it. It highlights enduring lessons on inequality, collective problem-solving, and environmental stewardship. The episode urges renewed respect for history and a commitment to addressing modern ch...

Summary In this episode, I reflect on how books have impacted my life and why standing up to book censorship is essential. Given my interest in books, I was curious to know what some of my colleagues, friends, and family members read in 2024 and what they will read in 2025. So, I contacted more than 40 of them, asking them for a brief bio, their books of choice, and why a given title found its way...

Summary Next February, Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity will start its seventh year. I try to offer timely and, I trust, interesting guests and content on leading effective change in education and business and cultivating curiosity about a wide variety of topics, including space exploration, art, history, the environment, personal development, purpose setting, writing, racism and anti-Semitis...

Guest After completing an undergraduate degree in history and political science at Simon Fraser University, Paul McNicholls spent a career in insurance claims investigation. When nearing retirement, he was approached by the UK publisher Helion and Company, and the result was his first book Journey Through the Wilderness. He is now writing the story of Donald Montgomery who served with the Canadian...

Guest Luann Horobin is one of 1700 ICF Master Coaches who serves clients as an Executive and Leadership Transformational Coach and Consultant. Having been raised on a farm, the core values of work and community have been her guiding life principles. Yet, when facing life and career transitions, a pivotal point was learning how to achieve ambitions, not by working harder but by adopting a different...

Guest Laura Bakosh, Ph. D.,   is a mindfulness teacher, published researcher, and co-founder of Inner Explorer, an organization that brings stress resilience, attention, and mental well-being skills to K-12 schools and early learning centers. She earned a Ph. D. from Sofia University and a Bachelor of Science from Boston College. Laura was trained as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) ins...

Guest Elizabeth Keating, Ph. D. , is a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas, Austin. A linguistic anthropologist who studies culture and communication, she has been a Fulbright Scholar in Ireland and a visiting scholar at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies in Germany and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands. Summary In this episode, I chat with...

Guest Dr. Sarah Bennison is an adjunct professor at New York University and founder of Trinity School (NYC) Office of Public Service, a thought-leading service learning initiative engaging students, faculty, families, and alumni in ongoing, meaningful community engagement work and social impact curriculum. She started her career in New York City public schools in the South Bronx and has thirty yea...

Guest Frank Zaccari is a TV/podcast host and keynote speaker with a background in the U.S. Air Force and over 30 years as a high-tech executive & business owner. A five-time Best-Selling and two-time Award-Winning Author, he has written nine impactful books and co-founded the "Trust the Process" Book Marketing Program. Frank mentors at Arizona State University and the University of California Entr...

Guest Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching . "Quetico" (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government. Jeff has h...

Guest Award-winning cookbook author, blogger, fermenter and sourdough baker Anne-Marie Bonneau has lived plastic-free since 2011. Through social media, her blog and her book, The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet , Anne-Marie shows others how reducing their trash not only benefits the planet but also satisfies their taste buds, improves their well...

Guest With skills developed initially through training for the ministerial priesthood and over 25 years of continued professional development, Seamus Corry has a unique set of talents and abilities to engage, mentor, support, advise, and guide people of all backgrounds and experiences to be the best they can be and realize their true potential. This is achieved by building authenticity, trust and...

Guest In January 2015, Dana Sardano picked up a paintbrush for the first time since childhood, which was the catalyst for a major shift in her career. In June 2017, she decided to retire from her career in education to fully embrace an artist's life and to model for her daughters the importance of listening to your soul's purpose by following your bliss. She has since opened Ubuntu Fish Gallery in...

Guest Dr. Erwin Garcia is the Superintendent of Billings Montana Public Schools, the largest district in the State of Montana. During his tenure, he has pioneered the establishment of three public charter schools: the Billings Early College School, the Opportunity School, and the Multilingual Academy. Dr. Garcia has broadened access to college, career, and military pathways. Before his role in Bil...

Guest Sylvia Huron has had a deep love for fishing from an early age, a passion instilled in her by her father. Her son Ian introduced her to fly fishing. For Sylvia, this was a welcome challenge, and the introduction to the fly-fishing community was just what she needed. Sylvia has been in recovery since 2018 and is passionate about supporting the recovery community. Fly fishing has been a source...

Guest Canadian author Patti Shales Lefkos celebrated her creative nonfiction debut with Nepal One Day at a Time , an adventure travel memoir with a humanitarian twist. Her second book, Grounded by Granite, highlights her childhood on a remote island in a pristine lake in the Canadian Shield. In 2023, at the age of 77, Patti and her husband, Barry Hodgins, completed a 500-mile trek on Nepal's Great...

Guest Dr. Oleg Konovalov is named among the top eight global experts in leadership and shortlisted for the Distinguished Award in Leadership by Thinkers50. He is the #1 Global Leading Coach named one of the Global 100 Inspirational Leaders 2022, along with Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey. Having been named 'the da Vinci of Visionary Leadership' by many leading authorities of our t...

Guest Gail Harris is a Certified ghostwriter specializing in women's memoirs. She is an IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England) Book Award Finalist for the memoir FINDING ZOE. She collaborates with authors who have risen above life's challenges and have a journey to share. Gail values the cathartic nature of storytelling in that our reflections and takeaways are life-changing, both for the au...

Guest Following 4 ½ years of dedicated research about the World War II experiences of his father, pilot Howard Snyder, and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth, Steve published his book SHOT DOWN. Steve is president of the 306th Bomb Group Historical Association and on the board of directors of the 8th Air Force Historical Society. Summary This podcast episode explores the air war over Europe during Wo...

Guest Lorenzo Rodriguez has been a math educator for the past eight years, joyfully honing his craft and developing a pedagogy that works to convince students that a mathematician can be anybody, with any background, who thinks in any language. He has served as the Math Department Chair and Activities Director, worked within our cross-curricular Cybersecurity pathway, and hosted "math labs," colla...

Guest Dr. Peter Liljedahl  is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and author of the best-selling book,  Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning . Peter is a former high school mathematics teacher whose work emphasizes collaborative learning for a more effective mathematics educat...

Guests Dr. Ken Wallace recently retired as the longest-serving Superintendent in Maine Township High School District 207's history, which dates back to 1902. During Ken's tenure, District 207 was named one of America's most innovative districts multiple times for advances in technology, adult learning, and career advisement. Ken is currently an educational consultant for multiple organizations. Da...

Guest Angela DiMarco is an intuitive design leader with 30+ years in branding, marketing, and advertising. As Chief Creative Officer at Phenom Publishing, she collaborates with authors to create impactful book designs. Co-host of "Going Commando with Angela & Dana," she champions authenticity and honest conversations. Angela's expertise helps businesses express their unique brand with creativity a...