The Bright Morning Podcast with Elena Aguilar

Sometimes, the people we love the most get the version of us we like the least. That’s normal, and we can do better. Our summer break series will help make that a reality by showing you how to apply your coaching moves in your everyday life. Minimal investment, big payoff. That’s our kind of summer!  Keep learning:  Get more micro-learning at your fingertips with our Coach Learning Library and PLC...

Sometimes, the people we love the most get the version of us we like the least. That’s normal, and we can do better. Our summer break series will help make that a reality by showing you how to apply your coaching moves in your everyday life. Minimal investment, big payoff. That’s our kind of summer!  Keep learning:  Get more micro-learning at your fingertips with our Coach Learning Library and PLC...

In this episode, Elena tackles a challenge you're likely facing right now: the frantic race to complete year-end responsibilities while a crucial growth opportunity passes you by. Through an authentic coaching conversation, she shows you how to create an intentional summer learning plan when you're the one who always develops others.  Notable moments:  01:19 Context for coaching conversa...

Elena reveals how those moments when you suddenly lose composure—whether from a colleague's comment or an unexpected email—aren't signs of weakness but powerful opportunities. Discover how understanding your emotional activation points can actually be the unexpected key to greater job satisfaction and professional effectiveness. Notable moments:  00:31 Exploring Emotional Triggers at Wor...

Tired of end-of-year celebrations that only recognize a select few? In this episode, Elena reveals how inclusive celebrations that honor everyone's growth—not just achievement—can transform school culture and build resilience. Through practical examples and actionable advice, she shows how meaningful recognition fills resilience tanks and strengthens communities, especially after challenging...

Want to improve your self-awareness, strengthen your relationships, and refine your ability to make choices that align with your values? That’s what this episode will help you do. Elena shares five questions from her end-of-year reflection for coaches that will help you soak up all of the learning from this year and help you head into summer with clarity and self-appreciation.   Notable moments: ...

Have you ever been frustrated in a conversation with a manager? If so, this episode is for you! Elena shares how you can use your coaching tools to “coach up,” resulting in more empowered and impactful conversations.   Notable moments:  00:41 Understanding the Concept of Coaching Up 01:57 Benefits of Taking a Coaching Stance 03:34 Personal Experiences with Coaching Up 04:56 Challenges and Possibil...

The peak-end rule tells us that how a person experiences an ending matters tremendously– that people judge an experience based on how they felt at its peak and its end, rather than the total sum or average of an entire experience. That means that your final conversation of the year is arguably one of the most critical for your coaching relationships. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to faci...

Do you have a client who failed to make meaningful progress towards their goals this year? In this short episode, Elena guides you through how to navigate these painful situations and provides specific techniques and questions to facilitate productive and compassionate end-of-year reflections. Notable moments:  00:19 Navigating Client Progress Challenges 01:25 Facilitating End-of-Year Reflections...

Coaching emotions is a foundational ability of a Transformational Coach…and one of the hardest things for many people to do. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to use the Core Emotions tool in an especially challenging situation–when a client is struggling with external factors like the state of the broader world– but is resistant to talking about their experience.   Notable moments:  00:23 T...

Cultivating our way of being—how we show up—is the most important work we can do. In this episode, Elena shares the five Transformational Coaching dispositions that will change your conversations—and your life.  Notable moments:  01:18 The Power of Setting Intentions 04:37 Transformational Coaching Dispositions 11:19 Affirmations for the Five Dispositions Keep learning:  Join the Coaching Learning...

Not being present is a recipe for unproductive conversations and relationships. Unfortunately, it’s a hard state for most people to be in–especially in a world where much is designed to distract us! In this episode, Elena offers practical strategies to help you return to presence when distracted so you can have the type of impact you hope for in your coaching conversations.  Notable moments:  01:1...

Coaching the problem, not the person, is the number one trap that coaches fall into. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how you can use expansive listening to unlock possibilities and empower your client.  Notable moments:  01:12 The Power of Expansive Listening  02:49 Role Play Demonstration: Default Listening 11:10 Role Play Demonstration: Expansive Listening 22:09 Conclusion and Resources Keep...

How can we bring some creativity and levity to our coaching conversations? What about helping our clients access their needs? Or connecting them to their power?    A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. These short episodes will teach you how to incorporate one resilience-boosting question into your conversations to help your clients get through the spring slump.  In addition to prov...

How do you kindle a sense of power and agency in your coachee when they are feeling deflated or overwhelmed?   A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. These short episodes will teach you how to incorporate one resilience-boosting question into your conversations to help your clients get through the spring slump.  In addition to providing you with a new question each week, Elena also w...

How can we instill our clients with confidence in their potential to learn and grow?  A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. These short episodes will teach you how to incorporate one resilience-boosting question into your conversations to help your clients get through the spring slump.  In addition to providing you with a new question each week, Elena also walks through how to intro...

A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. These short episodes will teach you how to incorporate one resilience-boosting question into your conversations to help your clients get through the spring slump.  In addition to providing you with a new question each week, Elena also walks through how to introduce this new type of question, models what that might look like, pulls back the curta...

What does it look like to incorporate Transformational Coaching into everyday instructional coaching practices? Get ready to see it in action. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to transform lesson plan feedback from transactional to transformational.  Notable moments: 01:27 Role Play Demonstration Setup 03:35 Feedback on Lesson Plans 07:15 Reflecting on Independent Work 10:02 Planning and Tr...

Standardized testing season is upon us, and that means you’re likely to experience some big feelings in your schools and coaching conversations. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how you can skillfully coach a teacher to consider how they want to approach this season.  Notable moments:  01:26 Role Play Setup  03:18 Diving into the Role Play 05:56 Exploring Beliefs and Emotions 14:03 Shifting Per...

How do instructional coaching and Transformational Coaching work together?  This is a question we hear a lot. In this episode, Elena demonstrates some of the many ways that Transformational Coaching compliments and enhances instructional coaching, resulting in tangible benefits for students and teachers alike. You’ll hear Elena coach a current 6th-grade ELA teacher who has been teaching for 17 yea...

Working with a focal student is one coaching strategy that works just as well with clients who are completely overwhelmed as it does with those who are competent and confident in their role–and it’s pretty darn easy. Listen in to hear what you need to know to try this out in your coaching practice.  Notable moments:  01:52 Introduction to Focal Students 03:03 Step-by-Step Guide to Working with Foc...

Student surveys can help close knowledge gaps about students' backgrounds, close emotional intelligence gaps regarding the experience their students are having in their classroom, and build relational trust. If you have a client who isn’t connecting with their students, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.  Notable moments:  00:32 Introducing a Powerful Coaching Tool 01:03 Case Study: C...

Change is why we coach. And it’s why working with a client who is stuck, resistant, or has hit a plateau can be so frustrating. In these moments, you need to be prepared to take a confrontational stance. That’s what Elena will show you how to do in this episode.  Notable moments:  00:44 Introduction to Today's Roleplay Demonstration 04:12 Exploring Emotions and Reactions 09:41 Considering Nex...

There is no coaching without trust. But how do you know if your clients trust you?  In today’s episode, Elena demonstrates how to do a trust check-in with your clients so you don’t have to guess or make assumptions. She also masterfully navigates learning that there has been a breach of trust. This episode is a must for every coach and leader.  Notable moments:  01:06 Roleplay Demonstration Setup...

If you are coaching someone who is struggling to learn how to do something new, today’s episode is for you. When growing our skills, the stages of learning are completely predictable, but most people aren't aware of that, and as a result, they can suffer. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to use the Conscious Competence Ladder, a tool created by Noel Burch, to transform how your clients...