Radio Show Transcript - Stories from Webb - Todd Nesloney - Recorded February 9, 2018

Stories from Webb - Todd Nesloney - Recorded February 9, 2018

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FULL TRANSCRIPT (with timecode)

00:00:26;22 - 00:00:37;12

M12: And welcome to another Friday edition of the Work Life Balance couldn't be more excited to speak with everybody again this Friday afternoon. I'm coming to you live from Memphis Tennessee.

00:00:37;13 - 00:01:59;02

Rick A. Morris: We've been here in Memphis working with clients over the past week. And next week of course we're getting prepared for the International Maxwell certification. So we'll be in Orlando doing the show live from Orlando at the Maxwell certification as we take that next Friday and be in Orlando through the following Thursday. So all of my IMC fans in Maxwellites and John Maxwell team members I look forward to seeing you guys in Orlando. But today I just want to jump right into the show and as a matter of fact I was just looking at show numbers and this is the second highest rated show this person generated. But we only did the show in September. So describe how the numbers work. Obviously, there's a cumulative download effect. So we've been doing the show a little over two years and we started the show December of 2015. So as people download the show and subscribe to the podcast and you know catch on to the show obviously older shows have the opportunity to have better numbers. Right. Just depends on when we drop the show. This gentleman appeared in September of 2017 with so just a few months ago and it's already racked up to the second most listened to show that we've ever done on the Work Life Balance. We had to have him back. It couldn't be more excited to have him back just to reintroduce him to the audience.

00:01:59;02 - 00:03:09;13

Rick A. Morris: He's the principal and lead learner at Webb Elementery school in Texas and he is an award winning author who's worked in coauthoring Kids Deserve It and Flipping 2.0 which is practical strategies for flipping your class. And then he now has a brand-new release which he teased her on that last episode called Stories from Webb. He's also published a children's book called Spruce and Lucy. He's been recognized by the National School Board Association as one of the 20 to watch in education. He's also recognized by the Center for Digital Education is one of their top 40 innovators in education by the Bambis as the national Elementary Principal of the Year International Elementary Teacher of the year. And by the Texas Computer Education Association as their Texas elementary teacher of the year. And finally by the White House as a connected educator and Champion of Change and I've I've talked to in reference to show many many times and I think the quote that I left with the last time that we talked in September is if we had more educators like this gentleman that we would just be fine our kids would absolutely be fine. So let me welcome back Todd Nesloney need to the show Todd how are you doing sir.

00:03:09;15 - 00:03:14;29

Todd Nesloney: I'm doing good. Enter I hope. Thanks for having me back. We had such a blast last night. I was super pumped to be asked back again

00:03:14;29 - 00:03:51;12

Rick A. Morris: We were we're blessed to have you. I mean you're blown up Tedx stages everywhere. You know we've got a little podcast we're doing so we're the ones that are honored to have you. And you feel free to take that recording of that lead in and you do just have it.. So listen let's dive right in. Stories from Webbb, you were teasing us with that a little bit but now it's really I see you know all the reviews coming in on Amazon are just stellar. Hopefully sales have been just as stellar for you. Talk to us a little bit of how the book's doing.

00:03:52;17 - 00:04:23;07

Todd Nesloney: Well you know the book has been such an exciting thing and it was fun putting it together. So for those who don't know stories the web is my second book officially and it is a book that I wrote completely with my staff over at web elementary at Navasota Texas. And when I finish Kids Deserve It I said I would never write again. Ended up getting the idea from Stories from Webb talking to teachers at my school one day and just hearing how brilliant they were and then that phrase came to my mind that I remember someone telling me and that was when you're given a platform.

00:04:23;07 - 00:07:09;14

Todd Nesloney: It's important that you amplify the voices of others more than you amplify your own. And so that's always been the back of my mind when I thought about the next book I thought why don't I write a book with my staff. Do you know when you work at a school. The joke always is oh we should write a book about all the stuff that happened that all the things that go on. And when I thought of the idea I was like but nobody ever has. And so I brought the idea to my team. They loved it and I was like OK well at least I'll have some teachers and staff members who will be willing to write and 51 52 stories later from the first secretary to the music teacher to the instructional aide the classroom teachers. It was such a special book a true labor of love and the whole process I got involved my staff and none of them have been published before. And just to bring them in and the funny thing about the books for me though was that I didn't let anybody on the staff read the entire book until it came out. I only let their chapter as their chapter was being edited because I wanted it to be a special surprise for them too. And so I hired a professional photographer who came out and took professional head shots of all of them for the book. It took a really nice photo of all of us to the back cover of the book. And I made all these little special infographics and beams of all the teachers with their a quote from their story and I've been sharing those out as promo material. But we got our books about a week or so before the public did and it was a really powerful moment. Watching those teachers hold that in their hands for the first time makes me emotionally about talking about it just to see that you know so many educators are working tirelessly in their classrooms with no recognition at all. And for one book one piece of literature just to get to let them tell a piece of their story and know the world is going to read it. It was it was powerful and you know one thing I didn't expect from the book release was just how much it would bring my team together because after they started reading the book they came to me and they were like oh my gosh I didn't know so-and-so had to do with this. I didn't know so-and-so dealt with this in my life because the Stories from Webb book is more than just an education book. Yeah about 50 percent of it deals with kids and instructional ideas. But the other half is just life stuff like we have a chapter called. It's OK to grieve. That just deals with. How do you work through pain in your life. How do you deal with that sorrow and and know that you can move forward in life. And we have a chapter about faith the role that faith plays in our lives just all over the place kind of thing. And one of my favorite stories after the book was given to my staff was one of my teachers in the book she shared a story about suffering several miscarriages and how it was just really difficult on her.

00:07:09;14 - 00:07:50;03

Todd Nesloney: Better question a lot of things that led to her having two daughters today. And when I was talking to her after the book after the staff had it for a day or two she said tight the most amazing thing happened. And I said what she said one of the staff members came up to me and she said and we just cried together because she looked to me and she said I just want to come by and tell you thank you for telling that story because you made me feel like I'm not alone and I'm not the only one that went through that. And to know that moments like that are coming out of these stories I'm just I'm so excited to get this in the hands of others outside of our school family just to see the power that these stories will hopefully have it affecting other people's lives as well.

00:07:51;20 - 00:08:13;19

Rick A. Morris: And what are to it. You know I just published a book with with 11 other authors. So to get 12 people to collaborate on a book I know one had 12 people to collaborate on a business book to get 52 people. The amount of work that you have to put in I applaud the effort for sure.

00:08:13;26 - 00:09:29;22

Todd Nesloney: See they finally. Yeah it was interesting. Putting all that together because you know I wrote every single chapter in the book but every single chapter has little inserts from the staff. And so people like to ask me like how do you get them to know what to write. Where to go. The first thing I did was I just told you that if you have a story that you want to tell send it to me I will find a way to fit it in or I'll write a chapter around that story. And then after I got those then I went and I said Here are some chapters that I've written that I don't have a story for yet. If you think you can come up with some of that to fit in here send that to me and then the third are people I went to. If I had to go to some of the staff and go you were in this story about this because you know teachers are the worst at doubting themselves and feeling like they don't have a voice and they don't. And that what they think is as good as what other people are doing because especially since the rise of social media you see so many amazing educators works online or on Pinterest and you feel like your stuff is crap in comparison. And so when we got to work with a lot of my team two of empowering them and saying No you've got something great to tell. And that's the whole point of the book. That's what we want people to take away from this book is when they finish the book. We want them to feel like their story matters too.

00:09:29;28 - 00:11:02;12

Rick A. Morris: And now they could go out there and tell their and I mean the whole your story matters. I'm bringing back that. If the audience has not gone onto YouTube and seen your tax talk they have and you need to go to YouTube. You need to search. Todd Nesloney  in his Tedx talk in. I'll tell you you probably don't know this is even coming and I haven't even had a chance to talk as a show for this one. The way that you challenge men to be involved in schools at that time I was coaching you know youth league football and I would volunteer for day every once in a while. For junior achievement whom I have taken that to heart personally and become an uber volunteer at the high school level now that you nodding off and your achievement. One of the things that you know I've been blessed to be able to do is teach DISC profiles of personality profiles in on Wednesday lead 53 high school seniors through learning about themselves and how to communicate with each other and what this means and all those types of things as well as being on the board of several different of the academies now at the high school. And I don't I honestly don't think I would be that involved if the connection that you and I made in September didn't happen. I want to thank you for that challenge because when I saw your Ted x talk it it became a call to action for me.

00:11:02;14 - 00:11:15;19

Todd Nesloney: Wow. I don't know what does it feel to be because of the work already done is going to be changed get live TV and that's what it's all about for a and I couldn't thank you more.

00:11:17;07 - 00:11:40;07

Rick A. Morris: Amazingly it's given me insight more to what the educators go through which I don't like. I don't think anybody will have a full appreciation for unless they see it for themselves. And I completely agree on that day going through a classroom trying to teach the same thing to the same kids. You just absolutely have no understanding about these incredible educators go through. Right.

00:11:42;05 - 00:11:56;07

Rick A. Morris: And we're going to take our first break right here and we're going to come back and I love to hear some of your favorite stories stories from what. So we're going to take a break. Let the commercials play let them pay as from our sponsors. We'll be right back here with Todd Nessel any on the Work Life Balance. Listen to Rick Ross.

00:14:51;29 - 00:14:58;16

Rick A. Morris: Now back to the Work Life Balance and welcome back to the Work Life Balance on this Friday afternoon.

00:14:58;19 - 00:15:13;14

Rick A. Morris: Visiting with Todd Neslonley he is a multi time author an incredible educator and now a multi time guest of the show here on the Work Life Balance. And as we were going to great job. We were talking about your latest book stories from when you have a I don't I hesitate to say favorite quote so I'm going to say it's a favorite quote because you'll read the whole book to us and we get that I understand but what is one of those quotes that kind of comes to the top of your mind

00:15:14;10 - 00:16:03;02

Todd Nesloney: You know that there's a quote in the book and I say this one often when I present to you and it's about educators and it's the fact that I believe in educators job is 50 percent academic and 50 percent emotional. And the moment you put your efforts into more than one or the other I don't think you're doing your job anymore. And the whole point of that is to tell teachers that the content is extremely important. That's why you were hired to do that job. But the heart of that child is equally as important because it goes back to that phrase that people say all the time you can't reach their heads until you reach their heart. And so just that 50 50 kind of idea is one of my one of my favorite quotes from the book for sure.

00:16:04;19 - 00:17:05;07

Rick A. Morris: Yeah. What was interesting and a great finding that happened this past Wednesday I had a couple of teachers in the room as I was leading the seniors through and the recognition of the four different communication styles you could see the realization from a couple of the educators of why they weren't reaching certain students it was and they had started to be like well that's just not a good kid or I can't reach him or whatever versus recognizing that there was just a communication gap that they could so that they could just learn differently than the way that they were presenting but to see the impact of that to them. Because I can see the emotional connection that that really can form and create as an educator. Exactly. And so you know one of the biggest things that touched me in what you did and I took the topic here for a second but talked to to me a little bit about your what you talk in your Tedx in the community project that you do the cookout.

00:17:05;29 - 00:18:30;12

Todd Nesloney: Yeah. You know I've always thought as an educator like all we do is schools is these events at our school and then we invite people to come into them that you hear educators all the time that there are not many parents showed up or are we don't know what to do to get them involved. And I've always pictured education like mission work. And when you think of missionaries for a church they don't sit in church and beg you to come in. They go out serve you. So as educators if we really want to reach our kids and our families we have to go out and serve them and do it in a way where we don't even have a hit budget. And so I thought you know we've got an apartment complex in our community that a large chunk of my kids come from. And I thought why don't we go there and serve those families hotdogs just show up one day grilled for them and pass it out for FREE. We're not going to pass out pamphlets we're not going to tell them to make sure they're doing their homework. We're not going to check it. We're just going to go out and connect and have fun and you know we partner with our local businesses here who helped fund it all for us. But we went once a semester minimum and we just roll a girl out there we partnered with the junior high. They come out to and we set up and each time we were hotdogs for about 350 people. And it's a powerful moment. And you know I've done it for four years now and every single time that we do it somebody comes the line it says Why are you doing this again. And I loved to look at them and say because we love you and have that really be the only reason we're there is because we want these families to see that we care about their child more than a butt in the chair or a number on the page

00:18:30;13 - 00:19:13;17

Rick A. Morris: Every time you see that I get chillbumps to know that you know I see a lot of people that talk that talk right but to see an organization leader like you truly being the servant leader. It's amazing to see you walk the walk. No doubt that's why the success has come your way because I believe you're leading with your heart more than anything else. And the success becomes ancillary. It's it's it's a byproduct because of what you are achieving in the first place. And not only that but I think you create so much content. I mean you've got a blog as well where you've got podcasts like Kids Deserve It and Sparks in the Dark. I mean talk a little bit about those things.

00:19:13;17 - 00:20:25;15

Todd Nesloney: Yeah. I don't have much of a life. I really do need to step outside of education and the educational world. But yeah I do have a blog that I try to keep updates on under them as I'm in the middle of writing a book. The blog kind of takes the back seat a little bit but I do have two podcasts. I do a podcast called kids with my co-author Adam welcome. And we just interviewed different educators and people who aren't educated to just get to share a little glimpse of their stories and that I have a newer podcast that I started with my buddy Travis Crowder. He has been an incredible English teacher in North Carolina. One of the most brilliant man I've ever met in my life. And we do a podcast called Spark from the dark and it deals with reading and writing books all that kind of stuff. We love advertising stuff that we're reading because we're both voracious readers and we've done a couple episodes. It's been kind of dormant for a few months as we finished our book but we are bringing it back this week so we're going to do a show with some new book recommendations that a show with a lady named Jennifer Lugard who is another brilliant amazing hilarious educator.

00:20:25;18 - 00:20:30;00

Rick A. Morris: You just threw something out there. You said you just finished the book. So there's another book coming.

00:20:30;28 - 00:22:31;20

Todd Nesloney: Yeah. You know I guess I guess I was on a roll and couldn't stop. That's amazing. Seven years I was in the classroom and I was a math teacher before I became an administrator. And over the last couple of years as an administrator I have fallen in love with reading and writing and reading and writing instruction and I've really been getting educate myself about it. At that time that Travis was through social media we actually got the book deal and started writing the book before we even met in person. We both have really passionate views on the power that lies and finding that book that will change your life because both of us believe that there is no such thing as somebody who doesn't like reading. It's just somebody who hasn't found the right book. And so when we were just sharing ideas and sharing resources we thought you know I think we've got a book idea here where we can really share some great reading and writing instructional practices. But from an elementary perspective from a secondary perspective as a whole campus outside of reading and writing teachers likely really will they cover everybody. And so we spent about eight months together writing that book we've met up a couple of times in person to do some writing to then it comes on June and I am so proud of that book. It's different than my other two would but I can't wait for the world to check that one out because it's got a lot of research in it too. And you know Travis is one of the most lyrical and visual writers that I've ever read. And so the opportunity to write with him was just such an honor on my behalf that he agreed to want to write with me because he's been a writer that I have truly respected his work for a while. And so it's kind of like you're getting to write with one of your education heroes. It's kind of like with Stories from Webb my education hero camp Bearden's wrote the foreword and it was kind of one of those dream people that I never thought would write the foreword for a book. And she agreed to it. It's what social media does it tears on those walls and gives you some great opportunities to connect with people I would have never thought I could have.

00:22:31;23 - 00:22:45;21

Rick A. Morris: I couldn't agree more. As a matter of fact March 23 on this on this radio show I get to interview the author of the book that changed my professional career. So obviously I had a love for reading way back when as well.  And by the way the book portrays my life as a kid was Where the Red Fern Grows, it is not the Animorphs series but it's pretty good to me

00:22:46;08 - 00:23:55;18

Todd Nesloney: I don't know if you ever get it to Animorphs or me because I did such a special place in my childhood and the fact that I got to meet the author of that book this summer in November I crave that I felt like an idiot really you know. Yes she was at a conference that I was that and I knew she was going to be there because I tweeted or if she'd actually respond. I was already banned Gerling because she responded but I brought my original number one Animorphs book in hopes that I would get to meet her and have her sign it. And I ended up getting to meet her and the best part was as soon as I told her I wish she was like oh my gosh we've been tweeting and I thought I don't say why. You know that's what got me started it really made me believe that I could be a reader. It was my escape from difficult moments. All those and more books and just getting to have that moment where you meet somebody who plays such a big role in your childhood without ever realizing they did it was so overwhelming for me.

00:23:55;21 - 00:26:19;16

Rick A. Morris: But it was such a great experience. Absolutely. So yes so my book was where the Redfern grows and then in my professional career I was actually struggling at one point being a project manager. I started it not like the job and that you know things just weren't going out. I had a newborn baby that I wasn't getting to spend time with. And you know I just I went into a Barnes and Noble and I was looking in the business section and looking at job titles thinking of you know what career could I switch to. There is a book on the shelf called Radical Project Management by Rob Thomsett. And I just picked it up and flipped through it ended up reading the book cover to cover that night. And the insight that he provided changed my entire career and how I managed projects and really became much more successful. But just like you reached out he ended up writing the forward in my second book. We've never met and we had a phone conversation and I get the opportunity to interview him on this show March 23. So same thing. Right. I can promise you that this is going to fall all over the guy. That's what I'm good. It's essentially what is doing. Brad tell us tell everybody why you're so great. Anyway so I know that's an amazing story that animal story I was just doing that to tease you. But that's a fantastic story that you got to be there. Yeah it was it was a really cool and so you've got sparks in the dark now you've got the pod. So spartan ducks coming out June Stories from Webb. When did that release sorries from web released January 24. January 24th. So it's still I mean hot off the presses. Oh I don't know baby that's the reviews that I'm reading on it on Amazon are fantastic and by the way you can find all these books and everything you want to know about Todd find him at ToddNesloney.com. You can find them at Tech ninja Todd on Twitter. But also all of his social media is sitting right there on his Web site. You can find us. You need to buy his books. Read his books and understand why we think he's one of the greatest educators we've ever met right here on the show.

00:26:19;16 - 00:26:36;20

Rick A. Morris: So we're going to take a break right here we'll be right back with Todd Nesloney on the Work Life Balance your listening to Rick Morris

00:29:29;04 - 00:29:45;15

Rick A. Morris: Now back to the Work Life Balance and we're back to this Friday edition of the Work Life Balance. We're visiting with Todd Nesloney the author of Stories for web also his service in an upcoming book Sparks in the Dark going to be releasing in June.

00:29:45;15 - 00:29:53;18

Rick A. Morris: So what do you have any upcoming speaking engagements anything that you're going to be promoting soon.

00:29:53;18 - 00:30:29;11

Todd Nesloney: Yeah you know I travel and speak once a month. I've been you know as a full time principal so I can't be gone from my school too much. I love being at school. I hate being away. I travel about once a month. I just got back from Nashville Tennessee on Wednesday so I was near you I guess doing the largest keynote I've ever done. One of the scariest moments of my entire life seeing a room that size. But then I've got my second head ex coming up at the end of this month. I have no idea why I agreed to do a kydex again. The first time was so terrifying experience for me but I'm excited to get do a second one.

00:30:29;17 - 00:30:38;06

Rick A. Morris: A terrifying experience but is it terrifying and just the sense that you're nervous going on and then once you get into your flow you're feeling better. Talk to me a little bit about that

00:30:38;07 - 00:31:34;18

Todd Nesloney:. You know I get nervous before every presentation and it's so funny because people will tell me like oh well you're such a good presenter or you're so natural or good that's so easy for you. And I'm like No it's really not because I feel like I want to throw up before every single presentation whether I'm doing a session keynote at X it doesn't matter. I feel like I'm just going to throw up everywhere. Did I get together. And you know once I get started I'm ok then I can I can get into my groove I can start because I'm a storyteller. So I don't have to memorize facts or this other I just go and tell a story. So once I get it by giving get started started fine but my natural personality is an introvert and so I'm actually an extrovert introvert by definition and so I can turn it on and I can't make it look like this amazing outgoing person that I look like that on stage at the ball presentation bovver I'm like find me a chair on the back of the room give me a bottle of water and let me disappear.

00:31:35;07 - 00:32:03;19

Todd Nesloney: Like you've got a hug Yeah yeah it's I'm like No I'm not really a crazy as I see on stage other things because that's why I bring out. And you know as a principal I've got to do the same thing I've got to be this personable outgoing person because of who I deal with and I go home and it's like OK I just want to turn on Netflix. Get on my couch and just chill I don't want to be Mr. personable. So the great thing about social media is I could turn it all off as I need to.

00:32:04;28 - 00:33:35;20

Rick A. Morris: I think what's funny about that. So I've been speaking for many many years now and I'll tell you the nerves don't ever go away. Yeah but it's actually a good thing because there have been a couple of times where I wasn't nervous but those were my worst presentations that fire that drive was great but who what you just didn't keep me on their toes. I'm like nothing after the presentation, like I'm done. It's over. Yeah. So it just made me laugh. I'll tell you though watching your first Tedx and talking about that watching you talking about your grandmother and in the battle there. But we almost say it word for word because I lost my father to lung cancer at 19 and that became the drive for my book. No day but today a lot of the things that I speak about watching you say the strongest person in your life battle this horrific disease. I say that almost word for word from stage as well. Right. In describing that and I just you know that that touches me when I watch you go through that in here about what an incredible woman she was.

00:33:37;09 - 00:34:17;26

Todd Nesloney: Well you know and I went back and forth about telling that story too because I include in the book and when I wrote the book it was such a cathartic experience for me. But I said I will never be able to tell this story out loud and get through it and I'm not a like with my presentations. I'm not a practice or like I'll go through once or twice but I just kind of play it on in my head. I don't stand in front of a bear of practice practice practice because in my brain overthink everything and then I'm all over the place because my A.D.H.D just goes wild and so I knew I was going to include her story and I was just going through my head like OK I got to tell this and I can tell it without crying because it's going to be live streamed and record.

00:34:18;10 - 00:35:56;03

Todd Nesloney: So I told this story I barely got through it and I did it because I knew my grandma would want me to tell her story. And you know when I did the text last year I said that's it I'm never going to tell this story again publicly. I just I can't. It's too emotional. It's too personal. And you know out of everything I hear from kids deserve it. Number one the most conversation starter that I have with people is the story about my grandma. And it just reminds me you know even going to stories are. The importance of not keeping our stories within ourselves no matter how hard they are to tell. And so I've been kind of going through my head and been contemplating you know including the story itself like I look at I keep it up there yet. I want to tell it but I'm not there yet. So it's one of those goals of quietus at some point this year to be able to physically tell that story to people face to face just a show. And the reason I want to share the stories first just talk about my grandma but to just to show that you know when you are somebody that shows that you care about the child it makes a world of difference and everybody needs that cheerleader in their life who is going to support them and cheer them on so many of our kids don't have that. And that's where educators fill that role so often for the kids. And I just think it's so important people to remember that you can change your life just by showing someone you care.

00:35:56;09 - 00:37:23;19

Rick A. Morris: When I think what's special about the story and how you tell it. First of all you know it takes great humility on the stage. First of all to do. Second of all it. It is what people remembers. That's what they will connect to them. The message that you're hoping they'll take home right in the act that the kids need to be needed cheerleader and have that impact. But I think I think when you're when you're going through and telling it it's happy forever to be honest. To my father the way I speak onstage now with him. And just like the nerves it doesn't get easier with time. You know the story flows better but it doesn't get easier to tell it exactly but you know the people that have that same connection to you. There is a moment in which I think in the social media world right everybody kind of puts out their best face. And when you're doing that from stage and saying this is life but this is how it can be good even though we share you know stuff that's hard to bring that humility that comes through you on stage when you do that you're just you're a different storyteller when you're talking about your grandma well that means a lot.

00:37:23;21 - 00:37:36;14

Todd Nesloney: Let me tell you why I didn't think I was going to be able to make it through that. And you were talking about how they did it and it's so funny because it's been so many years ago you like you say you know the story flows better but it never gets easier to tell.

00:37:36;14 - 00:37:59;12

Rick A. Morris: No. What a beautiful tribute to her. And you know I would encourage you to continue to tell this story because it's a way to keep how special he really is in the hearts and minds of everybody else because right you know as I think of you I think of her as well. Right. And I think that the greatest tribute you can give to her as well.

00:37:59;20 - 00:38:16;12

Todd Nesloney: Well that's the goal. So thanks for saying that. Absolutely. Absolutely. So it's livened it up a little bit since I took you. That was a joke or somebody would let out you know social media.

00:38:16;12 - 00:39:01;13

Rick A. Morris: And you know you and I got on the subject of millennials are preparing the kids and that kind of stuff in our lives time that we were together. One of the things that you know people contract me all the time to talk about you know how do you motivate millennials and all that stuff. You know my answer always you don't motivator generation you motivate people you motivate individuals but at the same time I think this whole social media thing we're robbing your generation of an opportunity to be awkward. Does it make sense like going up and asking somebody for a date and getting turned down going up. And you know I have a hard time seeing shoes that don't go well. Right. Right. Right. Talk to me about your feelings around them.

00:39:01;13 - 00:40:33;01

Todd Nesloney: You know I'm kind of toward on that because I see what you're saying and I understand how that changes things. But I mean I think if that's going to be part of the conversation that I also have to think about myself and go OK but let's look at the progression in our generation period because that's just like before the invention of the telephone and being able to have those conversations openly face to face. You had to travel hours to go see somebody. But then with the invention of the telephone you were able to reach people from far away through your voice. And then you know I think it's different for sure. And I think you know in some ways we might be robbing them. But like you said the opportunity to make some of those awkward moments in life. But I think this has created a few awkward moments because one thing that I think social media has done is it's given a voice to people who have never had a voice before. And I think it's allowed kids to connect in ways that are connected and to find people who understand and value them when they may be in communities that don't. And I also think that it's provided new ways to screw up and to learn from your mistakes. And yet now with the advent of all the technology is there are so few mistakes are very public and they're very hard to erase. But it's a new era that we're living in and figuring out the new ways to live in that era.

00:40:33;05 - 00:40:41;12

Rick A. Morris: I do. The greatest insightful thing that that I've not yet make the connection to I love that telephone comment.

00:40:41;22 - 00:41:08;02

Rick A. Morris: I absolutely love the telephone comment in contrast to you know that's just you're right. People also used to take people I'm not sure who the tweeting is I'm not speaking to hope but so that you know it used to take weeks to go from New York to California. It would be a different family that would arrivee. People would operate through family members would be born to be like a whole different group of people that would get there.

00:41:08;29 - 00:42:05;18

Todd Nesloney: And I in my Yeah I was talking about that my keynote of you know when I was in the classroom trying to do innovative things. I get so much pushback from parents who would say things like you know chalkboard works good enough for me. Why is it good for you. Look I didn't love to learn it that way and I turned out just fine. And my calling has always been yeah you turned out just fine. But you turned out just fine. The different generations were living it now. And that's just like saying What would you a growing up dial up was just fine you had no problem with it. But now I dare you to go back to dial up and try to do something. It'll drive you insane. And so we can't use that experience. Well for me this is how I turned out. I turned out great. My kids need all they need do is the same thing. I want to live in the same world. So it's not a fair comparison to say that the other sample I use is air conditioning. Before air conditioning nobody would sit around and go. I wish there was air conditioning. But now that we have it we don't want to go back and have it taken away.

00:42:05;23 - 00:42:17;11

Rick A. Morris: We were especially in the south that we're going to have is that we're going to take our final break here we'll be right back with Einasleigh. You're listening to Rick Archer Work Life Balance.

00:45:18;16 - 00:45:28;18

Rick A. Morris: And we're back on the final segment of the Work Life Balance for at 20 and you know Todd I'm sitting here hearing your stories and you know I can only imagine what you have to go through sometimes.

00:45:28;19 - 00:45:57;06

Rick A. Morris: Is that educator. Well it's weird for me as you know as a parent as I go to my children's classroom almost have to give them permission to do their jobs not right. I go through a whole list. It's ok to tell my you know get on to my kids misbehave and it's OK to send them to the principal's office. And please let me know when they're not doing their homework and I can you can kind of see them visibly relax you know because it doesn't it seems like that's not the norm like you have to have permission to do your job.

00:45:57;06 - 00:46:17;10

Todd Nesloney: Now you know and that's something that has changed especially in the last couple of years. I've watched the shift myself because I think what's happened is you know we've got a good sized group of parents that are just like you who will say you know let me know what they need when you need help let me know what they're struggling with and what they're not behaving and I'll deal with it.

00:46:17;12 - 00:46:50;21

Todd Nesloney: We've also got another group of parents that have risen up where it's always the child is the victim or the child didn't do anything it was somebody else it couldn't have been my baby. And it's been difficult for educators with that kind of thing happen because then you say well what leverage do I have because in those kind of situations oftentimes the parent is telling the teacher that in front of the child. So this child goes oh great mom does think I did it. So I definitely will get troubled. And so it's learning new ways to kind of still work with kids to deal with that even when sometimes a parent isn't as supportive as you wish they would be.

00:46:52;02 - 00:47:08;11

Rick A. Morris: Yeah. And you watch some of those parents that just deny deny deny deny that that's just that that's hurting my child. Opportunity for success in the future always at some point you're going to recognize. You know there are things you do and do. It's your fault. Exactly.

00:47:08;29 - 00:47:12;23

Todd Nesloney: You're an idiot only second to struggle later when they don't think anything is their fault.

00:47:14;06 - 00:47:20;23

Rick A. Morris: Yeah for sure. So you know we always love to ask this question of all of our guys. So what's some of the greatest advice you've ever been given.

00:47:22;29 - 00:47:39;11

Todd Nesloney: You know I talked about the top of the show what somebody once told me which led to the creation story through and that is if you were ever given a platform and people are listening to you make sure that you amplify the voices of others louder that you amplify your out.

00:47:39;14 - 00:49:29;17

Todd Nesloney: And as I've done so much research over the last couple of years about the power of diverse characters of literature and building empathy and others and amplifying the voices of others I'm just consistently reminded and of just that simple idea of if you have a voice and people are listening to it don't just be the only one talking. Use that platform to let somebody else talk whether it's those marginalized groups or those people who don't believe in themselves or don't feel like their story is important. Use your platform to make sure that they realize that they have a voice and their voice matters too. And by doing that not only do you empower that person you also have power others who are watching who are going wow OK let me let me maybe I could say something tuque if he's calling on these people to speak and we will even know who they are because the whole idea of it like fame or whatever. Even in the education world people say oh Todd you're such a big deal or you have this many followers on Twitter. I'm like I don't know how that happened because I'm no better than any other educator out there and I screw up a lot. Like every day if not every hour. I'm not the perfect principal. I make a lot of mistakes. My school is not the perfect school with a lot of things we still want to fix on but what I do do is I constantly learning constantly admitting that I know I'm not perfect and I want to be better and I'm just showing that real side of me and not just using that site that is fluffy let me show all the shiny stuff that show how amazing I am. You can go through my blog and see there's many blogs where I talk about the amount of doubt that I deal with with just my own skill set. What I meant to do it just the struggles that I face internally. And so I think that it's just a constant reminder of don't just share your story but encourage others to share theirs and give them your platform when you have one.

00:49:30;28 - 00:50:14;18

Rick A. Morris: Well I think you just said thank you for that. That was beautifully said and you bring up a great point as a speaker. The humility side of it as we were referring to in the last segment as well as the strongest side. You know when I get going I was telling stories of project success and looked like a complete egomaniac from stage fright and it wasn't until I started saying here is everywhere I failed in how you can stop you know the same mistake that the career actually started going somewhere and it was such a valuable lesson that people want to hear more about your failures and reduce your success.

00:50:15;00 - 00:51:16;12

Todd Nesloney: And it's not because people want to hear that you feel it's that they want to know their normal and just like you as well when you know and I think that's a perfect point of when I feel like I relate to the audience because I share myself personally and those failures. And you know I've heard some speakers who share some great information. I take good note. I take back ideas but I don't have a connection with them at all. And so I never think of their name again. But I may use their idea and I always hope that when I speak no matter where I speak that I leave that more than just the ideas. But that connection that I am just like anybody else I know better just because I'm getting an interview or I've written a book or it doesn't make me better than anybody else and that's constantly something I'm having to tell people because they always want to put you on a pedestal. And I have never thought that I was better than anybody else in my field because every educator out there is doing such hard work and deserves to be celebrated and so often they don't get to be celebrated.

00:51:18;06 - 00:51:49;02

Rick A. Morris: Well I certainly appreciate your perspective. I know I've said that you're one of the greatest educators I've had. You're saying that there are no better. I can just say I wish more people had your heart in humility when they dealt with the children in their lives and for me that so I'm not going to say that's what makes you better but I am going to say that I been a great thank you. So anything else you'd like to share with the audience for reclose.

00:51:49;10 - 00:52:05;27

Todd Nesloney: Honestly you know I just I just keep thinking about the book that came out stories for Wahhab. And you know I'm so passionate about what that book can do for people's lives and just opening things up and you know that's been the best feedback we've gotten.

00:52:06;02 - 00:52:16;24

Todd Nesloney: It's so funny because as people read the book they've gone to our Web site like looked up some of the teachers e-mails. E-mail them at such people as a teacher to come up to me and go I got the e-mail this weekend.

00:52:16;26 - 00:53:44;08

Todd Nesloney: But this teacher in Nebraska who launched Dorian's said it meant this this and this and I'm like Is he your words you're impacting others. And you know and one of my favorite things from the book is you know I talked about dreaming big and I couldn't believe Kim beard and wrote the foreword. One of the endorsers of the book is award winning music artist and singer songwriter Nicole. And the last chapter in the book I wrote completely based after a song I heard of hers and I've loved her since I was a teenager. Followed her entire career had every song ever. All her albums of better concert twice I've tweeted or god like one or two responses randomly every ballot. And I thought I wrote a chapter all about a song. I'm going to reach out to her see if she'll write the endorsement. Don't lie she responded back and said I'm going to Diệm you and let's talk about it. So I said are the book. She loved it and she said I am writing an endorsement today and she wrote one and it's in the book. And every time I read it I cried several times. Just like with a book like this artist that I put on a pedestal that there are music and lyrics have played such a big part in my life because music is so forth to me that to it is just that concert binder reach out to anybody don't ever be afraid to reach out and connect with someone and see what they're all about. Because the worst thing you're going to hear is either no absolutely nothing at all. I should never stop you from reaching out anybody.

00:53:44;12 - 00:53:51;12

Rick A. Morris: That's what's great advice. That's fantastic advice. And Todd listen we've certainly appreciated having you back a second time.

00:53:51;13 - 00:53:56;03

Todd Nesloney: I can't wait to have you back because I would love to.

00:53:56;28 - 00:54:24;09

Rick A. Morris: All right well let's certainly keep in touch. We're going to keep watching that certainly when the when sparks in the dark drops in June. We've got to have you back Richard. Keep in touch with us let us know otherwise for the rest of the audience. I will be right back here same time same channel next Friday. Live from the John Maxwell sort of a case in Orlando Florida. Until then we'll talk to you next Friday. Been listening to the Work Life Balance with Rick Morris.

00:54:24;12 - 00:54:42;08

Rick A. Morris: Thank you for joining us this week. The Work Life Balance with Rick Morris can be heard live every Friday at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Voice of America business channel. Now that the weekend is here it's time to rethink your priorities and enjoy it. We'll see you on our next shell.