Welcome to my website REAL. Feel free to navigate through the tabs above to learn a little more about me. Writing the blog REAL is an outlet for me to pay it forward by sharing ideas, influences, lessons learned and exposing a little vulnerability while encouraging others to maximize their “REAL” potential, as well.

Click the BLOG link above to view the latest post.

*R.E.A.L. explained below (also mentioned in my first post )

R

Relatable and Reflective

As I was reading Austin Kleon’s book Show Your Work, I immediately was able to relate to his artwork and writing style. It was as if we were having a live conversation. At the onset, he claimed,

“The world is changing at such a rapid rate that it’s turning us all into amateurs. Even for professionals, the best way to flourish is to retain an amateur’s spirit and embrace uncertainty and the unknown.”

As I reflected on this notion, Austin couldn’t be more right. I thought–I can do that! I can retain an amateur’s spirit and embrace the unknown. That precisely describes what I am experiencing right now by jumping into blog writing. Kleon along with many of my educator contacts have a relatable personality with a reflective lens. 

The R in REAL is a biggie. I strive to build relationships by sharing reflections. I want those I come in contact with (personally or virtually) to know that I am relatable and am always reaching to attain new levels of personal and professional growth by reflecting on and tweaking my practices.

E

Expose Vulnerability – Show Empathy

I would venture to say that exposing vulnerability may have been the most haunting “what if” that I had to overcome when considering this leap of blog writing. I finally decided to listen to the writers who have influenced me.

“Forget about being an expert or a professional, and wear your amateurism (your heart, your love) on your sleeve. Share what you love, and the people who love the same thing will find you.” Austin Kleon

Dave Burgess says it like this in his book Teach Like a Pirate, “…any endeavor that doesn’t hold the possibility of failure can’t accomplish anything meaningful.” He later says, “be encouraged to push the edge and reach new heights. Just bring lots of bandages for the knees you are going to scrape along the way.” 

Dave also shared the below image with me along with this link to his The Critical Importance of #127. If you are worried about exposing your vulnerability, check out this link. Dave is quite the encourager and motivator. Thank you, Dave, for coaching the coach. 

By exposing vulnerability, I can anticipate the possibility of criticism but still view each experience as a learning opportunity. There are certainly parts of my life I’d never reveal publicly, but on this blog, I will be sharing some raw spots and allowing others to see my REAL humanism.

A

Approachable 

Being approachable and sharing ideas that are applicable is what educators want–at least most that I’ve met. There is nothing more exciting than meeting a VIP and realizing they are completely approachable. I felt this way with George Couros. He was totally fine with me stopping him in the parking lot to take a selfie. Later, he even offered to walk me through setting up my WordPress blog page via FaceTime. After getting over my author-struck state of mind, I realized…this guy is just REAL! He may be a public figure to many, but at the core, he is a leader desiring to share ideas with others and help them reach their full potential.

 I try to model approachability and sharing applicable ideas in my everyday living. One can expect to see these reflections on my blog. Thank you, George and Dave, for reminding me that the VIP status hasn’t tainted your REALness and ability to be approachable. I am ever grateful.

L

Learning Through Life

How many times have you learned from someone else’s mistakes? Revealing lessons learned might save someone else the heartache you had to overcome. Time and experience can be incredible teachers! As an instructional coach, educational leader and mom, I have often found myself modeling this characteristic. Sharing lessons learned is a powerful tool for building trust and fostering sustainable relationships. In life, I’ve observed that most people want to know they are NOT alone and are willing to learn from the mistakes of others. Sharing lessons learned will occur on this blog–it’s a valuable characteristic of being REAL.

So, be REAL! It’s easy to do. Be YOU.