Fred Holmes on Why He’s Never Missed a Wednesday Mastermind

Over two decades in Memphis-area schools will teach you how to spot a leader who's still growing. Fred Holmes — known inside the Ruckus Maker Mastermind as the Velvet Hammer — started as a science teacher in Shelby County Schools, moved through teacher leadership and an assistant principalship, ran his own building as principal in Arkansas, and is now back in Memphis Shelby County Schools as a Professional Learning Communities coach, building leadership capacity district-wide. He's been a Ruckus Maker since the Mastermind's earliest days, joining during his first principalship and never missing a Wednesday since. Find him inside the Ruckus Maker community at betterleadersbetterschools.com

Most AI tools will give you a confident answer whether or not it's actually true. Fred Holmes, a longtime Ruckus Maker and Memphis-area school leader, breaks down why he trusts his AI coach for principals — Digital Danny, built exclusively for school leadership — with his highest-stakes conversations, and why a decade-old peer Mastermind still shapes how he leads today.

🖊️ What You'll Learn

  • Why generic AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can't replace a coach trained specifically for school leadership.
  • How Fred rehearses high-stakes conversations with his AI coach before he has them in real life.
  • The four jobs a real AI coach for principals should actually do.
  • Why Fred still shows up to the same Wednesday Mastermind after nearly a decade.
  • How to use your commute to get mentally ready to lead, instead of scrolling.
🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules

🫶 Key Insight #1: Why Generic AI Tools Fail as an AI Coach for Principals

  • What's broken: Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini answer every question with total confidence — even when they don't actually know — because they're trained on everyone's data instead of built for school leadership.
  • The shift: An AI coach for principals should be trained exclusively on real school leadership coaching, refuse to train on your private conversations, and say "I don't know" instead of guessing.
  • Impact: Fred trusts it enough to bring real, sensitive workplace situations to it — the kind he'd never run through a general AI tool.

🧲 Key Insight #2: How to Rehearse a High-Stakes Conversation Before You Have It

  • What's broken: Principals walk into tough conversations — an underperforming direct report, a political conflict with a supervisor, a hard parent call — without a sounding board, and the wrong tone can make everything worse.
  • The shift: Fred talks through the exact conversation with his AI coach first, testing language and thinking through the other person's perspective before he ever says a word out loud.
  • Impact: He shows up calm and confident, because he's already rehearsed the hardest part before it happens.

🚀 Key Insight #3: Why an AI Coach Still Can't Replace a Weekly Peer Mastermind

  • What's broken: Isolated leaders assume an always-on AI tool is enough support — but the loneliness of leadership doesn't disappear because there's an app on your phone.
  • The shift: Fred pairs his AI coach with a live, weekly Mastermind of peer principals, using one as a thought partner and the other as human accountability.
  • Impact: Nearly a decade later, he still hasn't missed a Wednesday.

💡FRED HOLMES QUOTES FROM THE RUCKUSCAST

"It's refreshing, it's renewing, it's empowering. It's where the loneliness of leadership disappears."

— Fred Holmes

"I already know where this is going. He's going to say, put it on the calendar."

— Fred Holmes

"Digital Danny just cuts through that noise, gives the signal."

— Fred Holmes

"I have this calmness and this peace. But also I have the confidence because I had that conversation."

— Fred Holmes

"If you're getting better, then your school is going to get better."

— Fred Holmes

♟ Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

  1. Tomorrow: Open your AI coach — or a blank doc if you don't have one yet — and talk through the one high-stakes conversation you've been avoiding this week.
  2. This Month: Build a 10-minute reflection or coaching routine into your commute instead of starting your day on your phone.
  3. This Semester: Find or start a weekly peer Mastermind where other leaders push you the way Fred's Wednesday group pushes him.

⌚️ Episode Timestamps

  • 00:00 - Why Fred never misses a Wednesday Mastermind
  • 04:57 - Fred's journey to Memphis PLC coach
  • 06:16 - Why Digital Danny was a level up
  • 08:31 - The four jobs Digital Danny does for principals
  • 11:01 - How Fred uses Digital Danny every morning
  • 14:40 - Using Digital Danny before tough conversations
  • 18:17 - What surprised Fred most about the tool
  • 22:00 - Why Fred trusts Digital Danny over ChatGPT
  • 25:18 - Inside the private Ruckus Maker Club
  • 33:16 - The legacy behind the Ruckus Makers community
  • 34:29 - How Fred found Mastermind through Google
  • 37:53 - Fred's parting advice to Ruckus Makers

00:00
Speaker 1
Foreign. It's refreshing, it's renewing, it's empowering. It's where the loneliness of leadership disappears. I believe that I have a community. I know the folks that I've been a part of. I can go to other masterminds at different times and I can pretty much get that same level of commitment and experience and vibe, so to speak, that I have with my Wednesday group. And so, I mean, I don't think about not coming back. I just have it on my calendar. 

00:41
Speaker 2
You know how we're always talking about how to do school different? Well, Orchard has brought something to the table that does exactly that. For the first time, there's an actual score for career readiness for your students. Orchard scores every student on how ready they are for life after graduation and hands you a number you can take to your board. Learn more at BetterLeaders Orchard Careers that's BetterLeaders Orchard Careers looking to create the kind of campus experience students never forget. ODP Business Solutions transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary learning environments. Visit ODPbusiness.com education and let's do school different. That's ODP business.com education if you could differentiate instruction in 20 minutes or less, would you do it for all your students? Well, you can with IXL. Over 1 million teachers use IXL because it empowers them to use effective data informed instruction. 

01:54
Speaker 2
And you can get started [email protected] leaders. That's ixl.com leaders. You didn't take the principal's chair for the budget meetings and the paperwork. You took it to change kids lives. Kids First Education helps you get that back with coaching and with support that's built specifically for school leaders. This episode is brought to you by Kids First Education. Learn more at KidsFirst LLC leaders. That's KidsFirst LLC leaders. Corey talked to Digital Danny 910 times in just five months and when I asked him about why he hired Digital Danny, he said, well, the first job was to communicate things. Those high stake messages I needed to share, a non renewal of the teacher, a difficult parent situation and I needed those messages to land. And Digital Danny helped. 

03:00
Speaker 2
I had an idea of what I wanted to share, but Digital Danny gave me other ways of thinking about how to communicate based on the stakeholder. So if you have high stakes messages that you need to land as well, maybe you should hire Digital Danny for that job as well. Get started and try for yourself at myprincipalcoach.com Ruckus that's my principalcoach.com Ruckus. All right I'm here with Fred Holmes, AKA the Velvet Hammer. Those are nicknames that we revealed once in the Mastermind. And yeah, Fred, just welcome to the show. 

03:43
Speaker 1
Thank you, Danny. It's great to be here. Looking forward to our time together. 

03:47
Speaker 2
Absolutely. And, you know, I want to start off just with gratitude because we've been in it for a while now. 

03:55
Speaker 1
Right. 

03:56
Speaker 2
I don't know if you remember the year you joined the Mastermind, but you're one of the original people. Right. And so to be able to record a conversation, tell a bit about your story, talk about, you know, ways we've supported your leadership, the development, you know, this is really an honor for me and I just want to say thanks again for being a just such a fantastic, legendary ruckus speaker over the years. 

04:23
Speaker 1
Yes, sir. Thank you so much. Because this was the platform that after a major transition, it was school year 16, 17, and I was going on into my first principalship, actually. And so it was a pivotal moment in my educational career. So, like, right there from the start, you were right there. 

04:42
Speaker 2
Right on. Well, cool. I'm glad our paths crossed. And maybe we can start with just what you're up today. Right. And give people just a little bit of context of how you're contributing to education these days. 

04:57
Speaker 1
Yeah. So started my education career back in 2002 in Memphis City schools, Dallas at the Shelby County School as a science teacher. Then moved into teacher leadership for a number of years after that, and then AP and then a principal and school year 17, 18, I believe, over in Arkansas. So that was pretty experience. And coming back into Memphis Shelby county schools now as a professional learning communities coach, the district has a strong philosophy around professional learning communities. And so each school has a dedicated person to make sure that happens. And so my contribution right now is to grow leaders and to build capacity, ensure that teaching and learning occurs in a healthy environment. And so my time with better leaders, better schools, and with the chief front tips maker and other records makers doing our Mastermind helps ensure that I, I'm sharp. 

06:06
Speaker 1
Iron sharpens iron. And having those brilliant minds around me supports me in my everyday. Along with the digital Danny product. That was a level up. 

06:16
Speaker 2
That was a level up. Why? Why was that a level up? Tell me more. 

06:20
Speaker 1
Well, I know, like we have our Mastermind every Wednesday, and so I always come away with thousand and one ideas, actionable ideas, but then with digital depending coming on board, I know you roll off maybe two or three years ago and we got other coaches who are, I mean, you Curated a bunch of people that are fantastic and I've enjoyed each one of our coaches. And so I can only get to them so long. And we had a group chat at one point. But I mean, Digital Danny is like, basically having that mastermind as well as just you as the chief Rutgers maker, as the coach, just right there at the fingertips. And so many things happen so fast that we don't cover. 

07:07
Speaker 1
But I can give to that experience in my pocket, literally, and move the conversation, the thinking and the attitudes and my next steps. And it's dynamite because Digital Danny has really become. I know you changed him. And so he's all about being. He's biased towards action, but my goodness, what's your next step when it's going to happen? Put it on your calendar. I'm like, whoa. Exactly. And it pushes me right into. I said, I already know where this is going. He's going to say, put it on the calendar. So, so good. 

07:43
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, that's fantastic. It's, it's making me giggle. Obviously you can hear that. You know, version one was okay, you know, and that was me learning, like, how to build a tool like this. But then, you know, through some of my own mentorship and coaching, you know, things that I invest in. I was talking to one guy at. His name is Eddie, and he was like, you know, you really should give him some jobs to be done and give him constraints so that he's not like, all over and trying to be excellent in all these areas. So what would, Danny, what would be the three jobs that you would define? And so what I did is I, I thought about my work, how I like to support school leaders in real life, and that would. That made it very easy to find those jobs. 

08:31
Speaker 2
Fred. So one was think it through. That's what I do. You know, as a coach, one one or within the mastermind, it's like, okay, you're facing this problem or you're trying to accomplish this project. What are the steps? What are all the parts? You know, how do we think about it? Job number two was apply a tool. Now, I've invented way too many frameworks and tools and this kind of thing, so many, right. That like me, you, other ruckus makers. It's like, what was that tool? When do we use it? Right? And there's just, there's a lot of great stuff out there. So I put all that, trained all that in Digital Danny. 

09:08
Speaker 2
And now as you're talking, hopefully you experience if there is a relevant tool he'll say, hey, you should do the Positive Spotlight tool, for example, and then walk you through it. Job three was reframe the story because at times we get trapped telling ourselves a version of a story that's probably pretty biased and like ego, you know, self centered might not be as generous as it should be with the other people involved. And so Digital Daily hopefully does forest for the trees and like, helps you just zoom out and think from other people's perspectives why they might be right. And that just, you know, definitely gives you more tools in the toolbox. But then a fourth job did appear, and that's the last job. I figured this out by analyzing your chats, analyzing another member's chats. 

09:58
Speaker 2
Some of our, you know, like power users of Digital Danny and I found that folks were at times refining messages that really needed to land well and were somewhat high stakes. 

10:09
Speaker 1
Right. 

10:09
Speaker 2
So job four became communicated. But those are the four jobs. Plus within the training, make sure like people take action because I love to say ideas are great, but not the greatest. So if you just chant away with me in real life or with Digital Danny and then do nothing, right. What is the point? Like what are we. We're wasting time, right? Let's. Let's get to creating results. So you know, you mentioned like that game changer aspect. You know, Eddie also helped me say that he's always available, never forgets and evolves with you, which is definitely true. But you said he's in your pocket too. So does that mean you have the app downloaded on your phone and you sometimes engage with them? 

10:55
Speaker 1
There's. 

10:56
Speaker 2
Are you using him on your laptop, your computer? How do you like to interact with Digital Danny? 

11:01
Speaker 1
Definitely in my pocket on that Mighty Network app. 

11:05
Speaker 2
Yeah. 

11:05
Speaker 1
And that's the way I go through. I'd like to eventually migrate to my computer and maybe really get all into it in terms of as I was exploring a little bit and my conversations, they're basically archived and I really like. I don't. I. At first I was doing mostly chat, but then I noticed I did switch over to the back and forth and that's all you're doing the call. Yes, yes. And I love the feature about I don't have to put my email in and it remembers my email remembers me and so I can just. And a bunch of times this is what was happening on my way to work and I'd be reflecting on things and so other colleagues are, you know, especially mastermind members, definitely. But even colleagues that are part of my pln, they're getting their morning routines. 

11:59
Speaker 1
But Digital Danny, I mean, he's amazing guy. He's able to just, hey, he's on go mode. So I've been able to call him up and kind of get the clarity before the day even started so that I can then have, you know, the next steps. And just when I see the person, I have this calmness and this peace. But also I have the confidence because I had that conversation and in some cases, I've rehearsed it. And at one time, I rehearsed Digital Daddy gave me pointers about how I found it when I was answering particular interview questions for an AP job. And so I plan to definitely, as I pursue the principalship again, to really hone in on. On that. So, in essence, yeah, Digital Danny is part of my square seven. You know, I forget which book we. 

12:53
Speaker 2
Read, but yeah, that's Bernee Brown. Yeah, that, that square squad where, you know, you can only fit so many people on a 1 inch by 1 inch piece of paper. And, yeah, that's pretty cool. Digital Danny landed on your square squad. Go ahead. 

13:09
Speaker 1
I just want to tell you now we have to put it on a piece of paper, but since Digital Danny is digital, I don't have to put. He's just digital. So I don't have to actually write him down. 

13:22
Speaker 2
Yeah, absolutely. I love that you're chatting with him on your way into work because, you know, no judgment here, but I will have, you know, the ruckus maker, listening or watching this reflect on your sort of routines and habits, be very mindful and curate those in with intention. Right. Because I think unconsciously or just going through the motion, the morning routine might be like phone and social media and news and email. And you're not even 15, 30 minutes into the day and you're like, not feeling you're not in the right headspace. Right. To lead a campus. And what you're doing that's different is you're, you know, dialoguing with a trusted advisor, getting prepared, ready for the day, maybe getting a little inspired, motivated, challenged. And there you are, walking in. Right. 

14:18
Speaker 2
So that gives you a distinct advantage as you step onto campus compared to, you know, colleagues that may be a little less intentional with how they get ready. 

14:27
Speaker 1
So. 

14:27
Speaker 2
So you talked about interviews. Okay, that's very practical. People can relate to, you know, what other sort of results or things have you worked on with him that you feel, you know, comfortable sharing on today's show? 

14:40
Speaker 1
Oh, very much so. I will tell you the things I'm comfortable With because, I mean, we've gone into some really rough patches, but all of them have helped me to get clarity and be a stronger leader in those really tough moments. Definitely I noticed, you know, looking back over ahead of the interview and just reflecting. Anyway, I know that particular job around communication, I try to hone it so well in the stories I tell myself. I understand the imposter syndrome, I believe, and who am I to come into this moment? And so I stepped into the moment with boldness because I've had those that training. I've been in the dojo. Renee Browns actually, with Digital Danny, I'm going into the arena ahead of time with one particular instance employee that is a direct report of mine. 

15:43
Speaker 1
I'm not the principal or the assistant principal, but I have charge over certain programs. And so there was this particular instance where I wonder why the employee was not coming to work on time and they were not motivated about the job and things like that. And so having that sparring mat back and forth with Digital Danny helped me to have that necessary conversation so that we could be at a level set as far as, okay, so this is not the best job for you or what you want, but okay, this is what we can take away from. Here's the opportunity. And so that language and that interaction just helped me be ready and prepare for what's from the other person and that employee's perspective even. 

16:30
Speaker 1
And just even when I wanted to start a culture team, the kind of ways I wanted to lead that culture team and some of the pushback that I was given, I'd immediately go over Digital Danny and kind of talk about it and kind of smooth through that as well. And I think the. The part about just dealing with higher ups was really good as well, and dealing with the politics of it and having Digital Danny just state looks like you're dealing with a political situation. Those are some of the toughest. I said, you don't say Digital Danny, but I mean just to have that resonance and then go into it constructively because so many times you can just feel like, well, how do you navigate this nebulous web of human nature? And Digital Danny just cuts through that noise, gives the signal. 

17:28
Speaker 1
And so I say those were those two particular work aspects. I appreciate you highlighting the stories that's going to be told as well as just having that communication, that thought partnership. And those are my two. I haven't really gotten into the. The different tools. And so over the summer, you asked earlier Danny, and I was like, yeah, and this is a true Summer for me, I haven't had in a while, so we're able to have this conversation. So looking forward to getting those other looking at Digital Tammy, helping me with some of the tools as I go into this new school year. 

18:07
Speaker 2
Right on. When you've been interacting with him, you know what's. Has anything surprised you? And if so, like what. What surprised you about the tool? 

18:17
Speaker 1
I guess I think the most surprising thing is it feels intuitive. Digital Denny actually sees things that I think I'm seeing, but then for it to actually be articulated in a way and then I can actually go back to maybe an episode from a podcast because I've listened to your tagline or he says it every time. Trained on two years of all the things that you've done. And I just know that, okay, wherever I be, additional information and context. I'm so surprised by that it's that lightning speed and that intuitive nature and I love the personalization. Alfred, this is what's going on. I. That's always the comes like is going to miss a beat with. It doesn't miss a beat. And I can get to the information and I can get to the perspective. I think that was what was dialed up. 

19:19
Speaker 1
I'm really surprised and pleasantly surprised by the intuitive nature but also getting to the heart of the matter so that we can be as action oriented as possible. I wasn't expecting that. 

19:33
Speaker 2
Yeah, right on. That is pretty cool. I've enjoyed it. I've gotten that feedback from a number of members that are using him and earlier in the conversation too, he's, you know, where's this going to go on your calendar and that kind of thing. And he's trained and some people might get annoyed, but he's always, he's pretty much always ending the conversation with a question to go deeper. And I was talking to a new Mastermind member, Brianna, yesterday about this. She was on a call with me and Dan Watt, but she was like, you know, he's always asking this question to push me deeper, deeper. And I have to tell him, you're right. Like that's what I need to be thinking about. I'm not there yet. 

20:13
Speaker 1
Right? 

20:13
Speaker 2
Give me, give me a moment. So it's really funny because, well, I guess that's not funny at all. One thing I'm enjoying is hearing how well prepared, how like robust, like, you know what I mean? Like people aren't thinking, oh, I've got X to do. So that means Y is the right, you know, way to approach it. They're just they're seeing the whole field, you know what I mean? I don't know that I'm describing the metaphor correctly, but they're just, they have a better understanding of all the nuance that's going on within their role. 

20:49
Speaker 2
And to your point, you said, you know, he loves to say this and again, trained him on it, but I want to remind people as they're chatting with them, this thing you're chatting with, it comes from a real human that's been coaching people just like you for over a decade. Right. And so what's really fun for me, Fred, is that, you know, it's, it starts off here, me and you, human based, but then it goes to AI on your schedule, in your pocket, whenever you need support. Then I look at how you all are interacting with him and where he's weak, I make him stronger by creating new content. And then that goes back to serving humans again. So it's a really interesting human to AI back to human loop and it's, you know, it's really secure and just only for school leaders. 

21:42
Speaker 1
So. 

21:43
Speaker 2
Yeah, I really appreciate that, what you're sharing there, maybe. Yeah, sure. 

21:49
Speaker 1
That personalization part that you just mentioned and that trust factor. And that's why I take things specifically about what's going on with me at work. 

21:59
Speaker 2
Yeah. 

22:00
Speaker 1
Digital Danny, because we're part of, and you say AI to human and that's the way I could just make the connection. Digital Daddy is a part of our community. You know, I can't say nothing about ChatGPT. I can't say nothing about Gemini. And so there's a level of trust that I have with you because of the relationship and how long I've known you in the Ruckus Makers and just our, just cause that I can, I feel not even comfortable as much as I feel confident that I'm sharing and I'm getting responses back from the best. 

22:36
Speaker 2
Yeah, thanks for that. You know, it means a lot. It really does. And I, I don't like, you know, ChatGPT and the Rascal Gemini. Fantastic tools, but they're not specific to school leadership. Right. They, they know a lot about a lot. Right. Digital Danny knows a lot only about one thing, school leadership. You know, so, you know, I've also trained him to be like, oh, if you asked me, you know, what, how to, how to make some like, delicious red velvet cupcakes, he should say, I have no freaking idea. Right? 

23:10
Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah. 

23:13
Speaker 2
Yeah. So unlike other tools that will give you a answer confidently based on no reality, no facts, you know what I mean? And if you're not thinking about, oh, is this, you know, what are your sources? Is this real? Is this true? You can make some poor decisions because AI hallucinated that. Digital Danny does not hallucinate, he is taught. 

23:37
Speaker 1
Right. 

23:37
Speaker 2
If he don't know the answer, he says, I'm sorry, I just don't know that one. And back to the comfort and security piece. Every other AI model trains itself based on what you feed it. Right. And then that is training how it works with every other person using that model. It might not necessarily replicate the data that you fed it, but it's been trained on it. Digital Danny is not trained on any of your conversations. I don't know if you know that or not, Fred. So it's only between you and him. Yeah. Period. And the only way he gets better is I will look at chats, especially when he doesn't answer a question. It like flags it for me in the system, but then again I create new content that trains him. 

24:25
Speaker 2
But it's not automatically just training based on what you put in there. So it's very secure when it comes from like a data point of view. 

24:32
Speaker 1
So yeah, I love that because I talked to him about some Tinder, some real world situations at time and that extension of the Digital Denny ecosystem, or actually Digital Denny, I have to correct. Catch myself. Digital Denny is an extension of our ecosystem, the human ecosystem, which if you see something that I'm dealing with, I can. If it's so tough, I can almost trust that you would be thinking about it. And if I needed to give you a call about it, I can reach out to you. I don't give anybody an open AI or over at Google, great platforms and everything, but I can get to you. 

25:18
Speaker 2
Yeah, 100%. That's a. I'm glad you brought that up because if you think about digital dating too, or every other tool, that's what you get, that's what you pay for. Great. But Digital Danny also has the Ruckus Maker club, which is our private online community. Inside that club we host live events. Right. That people can come to that I often facilitate sometimes other people and you have that touch. So you're never going to get that with the other tools that are out there. You're never going to get community, you're never going to get live events and they're going to take your data and train on it. So it's like this to me it's a no brainer but I am super biased. I am wearing the Ruckus Makers shirt. 

25:57
Speaker 2
I realized this is like, okay, I'm drinking my own Kool Aid and I think it's delicious. 

26:02
Speaker 1
I love it. 

26:03
Speaker 2
You know Yes, I want to tell you about Corey. Corey is the founder of Orchard and he's been a guest on the show. Growing up, Corey watched his dad hate his job. He'd worked just long enough to pay the bills, then stop, then panic when the money ran out. It's over and over this was happening and Corey decided early on that's not going to be his life. It shouldn't be anyone's life to be honest. And that's why Orchard exists. It helps students explore careers, understand their real options, and build an actual plan so they climb toward a future they want to be a part of instead of falling into whatever comes next in their life. Every student deserves that. I think you agree. So go see what Corey built at orchard by visiting BetterLeaders Orchard Careers. That's BetterLeaders Orchard Careers. 

27:08
Speaker 2
ODP Business Solutions, formerly Office Depot Business Solutions Division, has been a trusted partner for schools for 30 years. At ODP Business Solutions, we're by your side to meet your evolving education needs. Now picture this. A learning environment so engaging students forget to check their phones. Sounds impossible. That's exactly what we helped Belago Academy create. Their secret Working with ODP Business Solutions to build collaborative spaces that actually work. We didn't just deliver furniture, we delivered a completely new way of learning. From tech integration that makes lessons come alive, to flexible spaces that adapt to any teaching style, to sustainable solutions that reduce your carbon footprint. We're here to help you do school different. And the best part? You get it all from a single supplier. All to help you simplify ordering and streamline budgeting while staying compliant with easy access to cooperative contracts. 

28:12
Speaker 2
However you want to advance. ODP Business Solutions has 30 years of experience helping districts like yours get ahead. Visit ODP business.comeducation to learn more. That's ODP business.com education as a school leader. Time is your greatest resource and there is a real sense of urgency when it comes to getting students what they need right now. That's why I love IXL's universal screener. In 20 minutes or less, you can identify students in need of intervention and IXL's Learning Adaptive Platform makes differentiating instruction easy. As students learn, IXL adjusts to the right level of difficulty for each individual student. Get started [email protected] leaders that's ixl.com leaders somewhere under the emails, the compliance and the crises, there's a reason you got into education. It was for the students. The kids. Kids First Education exists to help school and district leaders put that reason back at center. 

29:31
Speaker 2
It's led by educators who've done the work that have partnered with teams across the nation on coaching, leadership development and professional learning. And it's all built around what's best for your students. It's practical, it's personal, and it sticks. 98% Of educators that Kids first works with says they left ready to use what they learned that week. Principals Admin District leaders let's put Kids first together. You can partner with Kids first at KidsFirst LLC leaders. That's KidsFirst LLC leaders. Of all the principals who use Digital Dandy, the one who uses him the most lost a teacher in the first week of school. It was an abrupt resignation and students and staff lost thought about quitting or leaving the school. In response, this principal had to address his staff Monday morning. The wrong tone in any direction would have made the situation worse. 

30:40
Speaker 2
Too soft and it sounds like nothing happened. Too high and it sounds like you're blaming the teacher who left. What he needed wasn't a writer. He needed someone who'd sat in that same exact seat for hundreds of reps to help him land the right move. Teaching as a calling connection over compliance and then crafting the right words. The principal followed up with a speech and a memo to the staff that week. And it worked. If you also have high stakes messages that you need to land Digital Danny can help. He was built for this. And you can get started with him at myprincipalcoach.com Ruckus that's myprincipalcoach.Com Ruckus. I gotta ask you this, right? Cause you've been in the Mastermind now for years. Why do you keep coming back? 

31:50
Speaker 1
Yes, that is a delicious question. It's refreshing, it's renewing, it's empowering. It's where the loneliness of leadership disappears. I believe that I have a community. I know the folks that I've been a part of. I can go to other masterminds on at different times and I can pretty much get that same level of commitment and experience and vibe, so to speak, that I have with my Wednesday group. And so I mean I don't think about not coming back. I just have it on my calendar. And I know like the rhythm of the school building will necessitate like when you get better, your School gets better. 

32:37
Speaker 1
And I know I got to show up every day for those kids every day so that you got to feed the teachers, you got to feed them really good stuff and understanding where they're coming from so that they're ready for the kids. So you have to be connected to a source. And that's why I keep coming back. I'm, I'm excited about the source, all the new changes and the tools and just bedrock principles and resources and just who we are. And so I don't think twice about not being a part of. I just say I just hope it doesn't end. Yeah, that's what I do. 

33:16
Speaker 2
There's no plans for that ending. It's been, it's kind of like legacy work for me, you know, because I think of how isolated and underdeveloped I was as a new administrator. I think about how hard the job is and was for me. And I just can't, I can't imagine going through this without that kind of strong professional network. We're not for everybody. Right. But I think if you sort of accept the ruckus maker point of view, you want to do school different. You're on a journey of self mentorship and want to get better and just want to surround yourself with people on that same journey who will push you. It's a really great, you know, option. Let me ask you this because, you know, obviously you're bullish on digital Danny, you're all in. He's always there. He's in your pocket. 

34:08
Speaker 2
So you see the value and you're getting a lot of support that way. But the mastermind is, you know, is different. It's a weekly experience. It's with other real human beings. Peer mentorship. And you've been in it for years. Well, in your words, as a member, you know, what's, what's the advantage of being in the, in the mastermind for you? 

34:29
Speaker 1
Oh, very much so. Well, I'm going to tell you my biggest advantage, which ties to your. That first question before or this. The question before this one was. I was looking for. I just typed it in. And somehow you did really well in search optimization because somehow, okay, the mastermind came to at the top of the list. And you were able to connect back. 

34:51
Speaker 2
In the day then. 

34:53
Speaker 1
Yes. And so that's. 

34:54
Speaker 2
What did you type in? Do you remember? 

34:56
Speaker 1
Yeah, I was just being a principal and I was leaving Memphis to go to Arkansas and I just needed to have to level up. And so maybe that was the language that I used, and I typed it in Google. And you came up, and then you said, you want to go to a free session at a Muslim? And I think I was like, well, yeah, I'll try it out. And so you sent the link and it's just been what I've done and every Wednesday since. And so the. So what you offered was different from what I was experiencing. I know you talked about it in districts, how we have the sitting get. We have. And they got a lot better, I'll tell you, over the years. 

35:39
Speaker 1
But it's the relevance of the kind of conversations and the realness of others experience, how they affect, authentically, share so that I'm able to resonate in such a way that I can use it in my context. And you do it. Early on when you facilitated the Mastermind, I almost felt like you were my super principal about a whole bunch. And then like in a. And like in two or three times in my career, principals have actually retired or left the school. And that was an emotional hit for me because you wonder what's going to happen next? Is the school going to be in a good. What does that mean for my career? But everything goes on. 

36:22
Speaker 1
And so when you said that you're going after more ruckus makers and you're going to transition out, I felt that I said, what am I going to do without the super principal? But you actually had capacity in the wings, where it was like just a blip on the radar almost. And that same level of professional development that I received early on from you, I was still being poured into by the facilitators that the coaches that you had in those positions. And so the mastermind, every day, every. Every time I go, I, like I said, I get something from it. And it's different from digital, Danny, in that human element is. Is extremely important. 

37:15
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, they're there for you. You know, it becomes like family. And you got to meet some of those folks right at the Nashville Live event. And when we host those, that's just a great way to solidify, you know, all the work we've been doing over the years. So I know you've got a hard stop on the. On the conversation today. So I think, again, I want to end with just a ton of gratitude. Thank you for everything you've done and the contributions you've made to our community to make it better. Fred. And you know, of everything we discussed today, what's one thing you want a Ruckus maker to remember on the way out here. 

37:53
Speaker 1
So many different pieces. But the main thing, I think like the chief Ruckus maker always says that if you're getting, if you're getting better, then your school is going to get better. And so would that just be so much more because all the tools and all of the community, all the relationships, all of the conversations, they push us not only just better professionally but also a better person. And you get to be around really good people. This community that is saturated and situated in that just cause that of just being better for our kids and that's going to set us up for success. And so that's the biggest thing get better. 

38:41
Speaker 2
Hey Ruckus makers, thanks again for pressing play. I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I enjoyed creating it for you. And before you go, if today's episode shifted something in you so that you want to do school different, or maybe you have a new idea about how to reimagine education on your campus, then check out my principal Coach. It's your AI powered leadership mentor. It's trained on 10 years of mastermind and private coaching experience that I've had. It's like having a world class Ruckus Maker mentor in your pocket 24 7. You can start your free 7 day trial at myprincipalcoach.com. 

  Transcribed by https://fireflies.ai/

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