Member Podcasts

Dr. Moreno, the founding principal of Las Americas Newcomer School in Houston, TX, is an internationally and nationally recognized expert with over 30 years of experience in education. She assists administrators, teachers, and directors in enhancing their support for immigrant and refugee students. Her focus includes examining school-wide systems, accountability, leadership training, language acquisition, and the social-emotional aspects of learning for immigrant students.Dr. Moreno has traveled the world, visiting refugee camps in Uganda, schools in Kenya and Israel, and various countries in Central America, Cuba, and Tanzania, to understand the challenges faced by newly arrived students.She earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX. Dr. Moreno is the recipient of the 2022 TIME Top 10 Innovative Teacher Award and the World Affairs Council - Houston Global Leaders of Influence. She is also a published author, speaker, national panelist, and mother of two.

This episode is a choose-your-own-adventure of chaos and clarity. We let ChatGPT tell us what it’s learned about us (👀… some truths were LOUD), unpack the Ashley Tisdale mom-group drama that has the internet spiraling, and gush over our current obsession—The Traitors .We also make our very official, absolutely debatable Super Bowl prediction and wrap it all up with a rapid-fire round of Would You Rathers that proves—once again—we should probably not be left unsupervised.Pop culture, leadership lessons, hot takes, and laughs… all in one episode. Press play and buckle up.

What does leadership really look like when the awards are handed out and the spotlight fades?In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Nick Polyak, 2026 Illinois Superintendent of the Year, joins us to talk about the journey behind the title. We dive into his leadership path, the impact of the Aspiring Superintendent Academy, and lessons learned across five books—and even more years of leading in real time.Nick gets honest about legacy, decision-making, and what he hopes people remember long after the role is gone. He shares meaningful advice for aspiring and sitting superintendents and leaders, reflects on the responsibility of mentorship, and offers thoughtful insights on the importance of supporting and elevating women in leadership.This episode is equal parts wisdom, humility, and truth—no scripts, no platitudes, just a real conversation about what it means to lead well and leave things better than you found them.

It’s our final episode of 2025, and we’re officially shedding skin and picking up speed. We’re closing out the Year of the Snake—the year of reflection, reinvention, and releasing what we hate—and getting ready to gallop into the Year of the Horse with momentum, confidence, and zero apologies.In this episode:What the Year of the Snake taught us—and what we’re shedding before midnightKate is deep in her 50 Cent era (energy: bold, unbothered, and highly quotable)Courtney is fully in her 50’s era—clarity over chaos, boundaries over burnoutThe wins, the wounds, the wild moments, and the lessons of 2025Why 2026 is about movement, courage, and going all inHit play. Shed the skin. Saddle up. 2026 isn’t waiting—and neither are we.