The Bright Morning Podcast with Elena Aguilar

Details can make or break a learning experience, yet are too often overlooked or deprioritized as “logistics.” It’s time for that to change.  In this episode, Elena shares why attending to the details is one of the 7 habits that transform professional development, provides a couple of strategies you can start using right away to better attend to the details, and offers reflection questions to help...

There are 20 minutes left in your session, and you have an hour's worth of content. What do you do?  Adaptive facilitation is the key to staying calm and skillfully adjusting course when things don’t go according to plan. On today’s episode, Elena brings you along on her adaptive facilitation journey and provides two sets of reflection questions to support you on your own. If you lead teams,...

If you want to lead transformative learning experiences, you must tend to your own transformation. In this episode, Elena dives into one of the 7 habits that transform professional development: knowing yourself as a facilitator.  Mentioned in this episode:  Blog post: How I’m Preparing My Leadership Team to Lead The PD Book Two sets of reflection questions:  What gets under your skin? What are you...

Resolutions don’t work for the overwhelming number of people, but we know what does! Today we’re replaying one of the most listened-to episodes in 2023 to help you kick off 2024. In this episode, Elena shares the simple, research-based strategy she used to support her in making 2023 one of the best years yet. Listen in, grab your free resource, and take the first step in making 2024 a great year. ...

Here’s the secret to ending the year feeling fulfilled and accomplished: reflect and adjust along the way.  Today we’re replaying a listener favorite episode, The End of Month Routine You Need, in which Elena shares what you can do at the end of each month to help you fulfill your goals and vision for the year. We encourage you to take time over break to establish a new habit that will nourish you...

This week the Bright Morning Podcast is on break so we’re replaying timely episodes. Today we’re replaying the first episode in a four-part mini-series on cultivating emotional resilience and coaching emotions. In this episode, Elena is sharing four things that will help you coach for resilience and discuss the power of "self-care" for educators (spoiler alert: it's not all bubble b...

Dreading some of your potential holiday conversations? If you’re anticipating resistance to your ideas, activities, or beliefs, this is an episode for you!  Today we’re replaying the first episode in our 3-part mini-series on coaching resistance. Listen in as Elena shares her 5-step process to eliminate resistance in your coaching conversations (...and really, in any conversation) and be prepared...

In today’s episode replay, Elena once again becomes the coach in your ear, providing some guidance for how you can think about winter break to ensure it serves you and your needs.  Prioritize learning with a Bright Morning membership! Visit https://brightmorningteam.com/podcasts/ for links to everything we mention on the show.  Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram Receive weekly...

In this final episode of our Try it On Challenge mini-series, Elena shares the three questions you need to engage in a 10-minute post-coaching conversation reflection that will supercharge your learning.  Mentioned on this episode: Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop ) Leave a review on Apple Podcast   Visit https://b...

In this episode of our Try it On Challenge mini-series, Elena shares the coaching question you need if you’d like to trust the coaching process and more fully center your coachee and let them take the lead in your conversations. She models what this looks like in action, and provides tips for how to navigate the conversation if things turn unproductive. Mentioned on this episode:  Become a Friend...

We are popping up on your feed to share some exciting news and a special giveaway that we will run for the next two weeks to thank all of your for helping us hit this milestone. Mentioned on this episode:  Special Giveaway *closes on December 1, 2023* Opportunities for continued learning:  Become a Bright Morning Member   Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram (we also have accounts on Facebook , Twi...

In this episode of the Try It On Challenge mini-series, Elena shares about the power of holding silence in a coaching conversation and provides you with the tips you need to do so with confidence.  Mentioned on this episode:  Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop ) Visit https://brightmorningteam.com/podcasts/ for links...

In this episode of our Try It On Challenge mini-series Elena shares a question that can support your coachee to make a choice to release a belief that isn’t serving them. Listen in to learn the power of the sentence stem and hear Elena model what this looks like in action. This is an episode you can’t afford to miss.  Mentioned on this episode:  Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 20...

In this mini-episode of the Try if On Challenge, Elena shares a question that will help you and your coachees surface underlying beliefs. You’ll learn when you might want to use this question, what it sounds like in action, and how to be prepared to make the most out of the powerful learning that will result.  Mentioned on this episode:  Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and r...

In this Try it On Challenge mini-episode, Elena is sharing one of her favorite questions to ask a coachee. You’ll hear her model it, share how you might modify it, and be prepared to try it on in your coaching practice.  Mentioned on this episode: Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop ) Visit https://brightmorningteam.c...

In this episode of our current mini-series, the Try It On Challenge, Elena shares what you need to know to reduce the talk time you’re taking up as a coach in your conversations. She also provides a few key sentence stems you’ll want to make sure to keep handy to help your coachee take the lead and reap the benefits of your time together.  Mentioned on this episode:  Attend The Art of Coaching wor...

This week’s try it on challenge focuses on what you can learn from your client’s non-verbals. Listen in to hear Elena explore the strategy you can use and also model how you might respond in a few more challenging situations.  Mentioned on this episode:  Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop ) Visit https://brightmornin...

Welcome to the “try it on challenge!” This episode kicks off a new mini-series that will provide you with a tool or strategy in each episode guaranteed to improve your coaching. This first episode tells you what you need to know (and try!) related to your non-verbals.  Mentioned on this episode: Attend The Art of Coaching Workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational Coac...

What’s the purpose of taking notes in a coaching conversation? What notes should I take? Should I send notes that I take to my coachee?  Elena answers these questions and more in this final episode of our beginning-of-the-year mini-series designed with new coaches in mind - but relevant to anyone who engages in coaching.  Mentioned in this episode:  The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024...

Elena shares a minute-by-minute breakdown of how you should spend the five minutes before you walk into a meeting where you will be coaching. These five steps provide you with the greatest potential for that meeting to be transformative for both yourself and your client.  Mentioned in this episode:  Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational...

In this episode, Elena shares the key to setting impactful goals with your coachees, and the secret to making goal-setting, and accountability, a healthy and productive approach. This is a must-listen episode for every coach, and anyone who is responsible for a coaching program.  Mentioned in this episode:  Episode 175: How to Introduce Coaching  Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2...

In this episode, designed for new coaches at the beginning of the school year, Elena demonstrates how she introduces herself to new coachees and pulls back the curtain on the moves she makes.  Opportunities for continued learning:  Attend The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop ) Episode 134: Considerations for Starting a Thrivi...

In this episode, the third in a series designed to support new coaches in the beginning of the school year, Elena demonstrates how she introduces coaching to new coachees and then pulls back the curtains on the moves she makes.  Mentioned in this episode:  The Art of Coaching workshop (retired July 2024 and replaced by The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop ) Visit https://brightmorningteam...

Today’s episode is arguably the most important Bright Morning Podcast episode to date. Elena provides the foundational knowledge that you need if you aspire to be a Transformational Coach: the six elements that define her approach to coaching.  Mentioned in this episode:  Books by Elena The Art of Coaching (retired July 2024 with the release of Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching ) The Art...

It’s back-to-school season so we’re kicking off a mini-series that will help new coaches have an excellent start to their coaching practice. In this episode, Elena shares the six most important things to know if you’re a new coach.  Veteran coaches, you’ll also benefit from some timely reminders. And those of you who oversee coaches and coaching programs will want to listen in - some of the things...