Episode 126 | Leadership Growth: Knowing When It's Time for a Change

LWH Podcast Recording: Welcome back to the Lead with Hope podcast, where we explore the power of hope in leadership and in life. In this episode, we will be joined by Dr. Dawn Bridges. She is the Director of Professional Learning at IASA. And we're going to discuss her journey through leadership, the mindset shifts that she needed to take in order to turn purpose into practice. And she's also going to talk to us about how we build a Lasting confidence in challenging times. So you don't want to miss this episode. Join us as we uncover key strategies for leading with impact. To get started, Dawn, I want to learn more about the path that brought you to the Director of Professional Learning at IESA.

Dawn Bridges: Well, it was a winding. I like to say it's like the game of shoots and ladders. I'm not gonna lie.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: I knew I will just start by saying I knew at a very early age that I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be in the field of education. I mean, from fourth grade on, like Miss Kelly, there's the the connection here. A Miss Kelly really was sort of who set me off in that direction. I have a sister also with Down syndrome who turns 50 this year. And both of those. people were instrumental in me wanting to get an education. And so I started off being an eighth-grade reading language arts teacher. And I loved it. And I will say like my path was very influential by people around me. So I had a superintendent, she was principal and then became superintendent in that district who really encouraged me to go back and get a master's in in reading. And that's sort of where I started that leadership journey and so became a reading specialist. And I went from being at the middle school level to going to the primary level of children under the age of eight.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: And it was there that I really learned how to teach. And so from there, did that. And she became superintendent. And from there, I was able to become a coordinator. We really believed in this wraparound all hands-on-deck support. And you weren't pulling kids out. It was how do you really push in to provide. Good tools are good tools, good strategies are good strategies. And so I really learned how to teach there. And from there, I became elementary school principal and went up and had another amazing influential female, they're both females in in my life, who was the curriculum director in a school district at the top of the state. And and she was about how do you invest in people? And so we put all of our money and and I remember doing budgets and everything I could to make sure that I had money to provide professional learning for my staff. And I had a staff of wow, I had eight hundred and fifty kids. I probably had a staff of over a hundred and fifty people in my building and and loved it was there and then went and transitioned back to another principalship in a very affluent district. And worked my way up to being assistant superintendent of teaching and learning and working at the district level. And all along I had thought that I wanted to be so I get my master's in reading, and then I get my type 75, and then I know that I want to become a superintendent. And so I really worked to do that and did my doctoral work to become a superintendent and Did my dissertation defended that in 2015 and was on my way to sort of work towards what I thought that's what I wanted. and in the district that I was in central office, it was very political. There was the big peas and the little peas. And

LWH Podcast Recording: yeah.

Dawn Bridges: I was also a leader at that time who was like, we're gonna do things what's best for kids,

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: for all kids. And they were asking. me to do things that were illegal and not in the best interest of of everyone. And so I knew I needed to get out and was looking for a superintendency. And I went through several rounds of different districts and finally landed one and ended up walking away before it even started.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: I had an opportunity at that point. I knew it was one of those like scrambling moments that I needed to get out of that district and get somewhere. but this opportunity to go into the private sector came up. And so I took a leap of faith

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: and did that and ended up working at the national level and doing some side work for AASA, the National Superintendent's Organization. I worked for two different organizations during that eight-year, ten year. And really got to see the world, get to see how just different districts do things, how different states do things. took all of the skills that I had around like I was very progressive in my I still am, very progressive in my thinking, but a very a systems thinker. How do we really affect practice? How do we affect outcomes for kids? What does that look like? And I got to be that consultant that I that I really wanted. And was very good at. And so I enjoyed my time there. And one day I got a phone call and was asked to come and consider coming to IAASA. And so I've now been here for three years and I love it. Absolutely

LWH Podcast Recording: Wow.

Dawn Bridges: love it. It's gotten me an opportunity to I want to say slow down a little bit, but I think we started this conversation this afternoon by saying that I'm not slowing down. But

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: it's so it's been a lot of shoots and ladders and there's the in in the middle of all of what I just shared, there's some failure and some tough things that happened and in the Phoenix rising every time. But yeah, that's that's my thirty-four year career journey.

LWH Podcast Recording: thirty four years. That's remarkable. And you're still going strong.

Dawn Bridges: Yeah, I would probably say stronger now than ever.

LWH Podcast Recording: it all starts with the power of relationships. Somebody believed in you. They saw greatness inside of you before you saw it in yourself. And you know what I believe our responsibility is now that we are of an age to mentor and to coach and to pour all of our expertise into the younger generation, we need to be doing that for people coming up behind us. And so I'm curious, Don, how are you doing that in your role at ISA?

Dawn Bridges: One of the first things I said to Dr. Clark when I started was I asked him, I said, I know this new thing is around executive coaching. And

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: I want to be able to be like, I know how to mentor. I feel like, you know, I can give support, I can lend a good ear, I can be a great sounding board, but I really want to be able to have the skill set around the question asking, around how do I help somebody dive a little deeper into their thinking.

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: and so I asked if he would support me in getting training in that. And so I spent a year and my first year and a half going through training to become an executive coach. I I don't want to say that I'm amazing at it because I I I like to dabble in the mentor part of that sometimes in giving my advice. Just that's just the nature of who I am. but I do believe that you do have to take time. I'm always, I think the One of the best things about that I've believed in myself is I'll pick up the call, I will answer the call. Like you call me and I will answer that call. I had a

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: call today. Somebody was like, Do you just have two minutes? And I was like, I really only have two minutes. And I

LWH Podcast Recording: Uh-huh.

Dawn Bridges: really shouldn't be making that phone call because I have to be on a call at one o'clock. But it's 1248 and I'm gonna call that person. And I'm like, I have five minutes. Like, yes, what can I do for you? And that that's

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: people know that. It's just a support. It could be little, it could be big, but it's su it's support and I think that that's where we have to give back.

LWH Podcast Recording: I think now in education, we need hope more than

Dawn Bridges: This is

LWH Podcast Recording: probably any other time in history. And there's a lot of principals and superintendents that are struggling. And so if we can provide the support, even if it is just two minutes, they know that they can reach out to you. They know that they can call you. They know that they can count on you. We all need those people in our corner. I call them grace givers and truth tellers.

Dawn Bridges: Mm.

LWH Podcast Recording: And I think it's essential for our success. And by doing that, we're not only helping the person that receives that, we are also helping ourselves.

Dawn Bridges: Yeah, I think that's true.

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. Absolutely.

Dawn Bridges: I wish I had more grace givers. As I as

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm yeah.

Dawn Bridges: you said that, like I I wish I had more of those.

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. I think that's what resonated with me when you gave your talk at the Well Summit this past pr spring when we were there together doing our presentations. You walked away. I walked away, Don, and people texted me. And yes, I had some health issues, but I had decided that it wasn't a good fit. It wasn't aligned with who I was or with who I wanted to become. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that I know what my values are. I know the value I bring to the room. And when that alignment isn't there. My health was not going to get better. The stress was feeding the illness, And so I had to separate myself and I had to surround myself around better people. and I don't mean better people in terms of the quality of the people, just better aligned with where I want to go in my life, what I want, the life I want to live. And so As we're thinking about those people, specifically in the superintendency, many of those leaders are struggling right now. They're struggling to bridge that gap between their past experiences, their calling. And so for those superintendents, what mindset shift would you recommend that they consider in transforming their pain into purpose.

Dawn Bridges: I think recognizing that as you as you think about that mindset, it's something that isn't that's going to happen instantly. Like that that change happens over time. And the change only happens when you take the time to look back in the in the rearview mirror. And And it was that that's hard. I think that's one of the hardest things because I feel that I had to work on my s you can you're only as good, you know, internally how you are. And if you're not well yourself, you can't help others. So you can't help those that are are struggling in that. And it took a long I mean, I started saying today, like this is my 34th year, and

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: and this all happened ten ten years ago now for me. And so It's taken s the betterment of six, seven years to overcome some of the hurt. But I also think that in the shame and the

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: recognizing that my value, like being able to see my value, because I think in some of those moments you get so beaten

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: down that you beat you're harder on yourself than others. And so I think

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: that it's I think when you can sort of take the time to do the work, that that that helps you get out of that, I guess, that that's the mindset shift that you want to make is having the confidence that you that you are great at what you do, that you can stand tall. And sometimes you need people around you to to

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: tell you that.

LWH Podcast Recording: And not everybody's gonna see your value, some people, no matter what you do, they're not going to see your value. But make no mistake about it, we all bring value. We just have to find the right tables, the right rooms, the right people. To surround ourselves with, And so I think that's probably one of the reasons why you value executive coaching so much. bringing that out in people and and having them evaluate the way they look at the world. I do a little bit of counseling and I do a little bit of executive coaching. And they're both very different. The the counseling heals the hurt, it goes to a root level, but the coaching. What I love about the coaching is yeah, we're gonna self-reflect and look at ourselves, but then we're gonna create a plan to move forward and to grow both personally and professionally. And the better you can lead yourself, the better you're gonna be able to lead your family and the better you're gonna be in the workplace.

Dawn Bridges: And I think see possibility and opportunity. And I think that's where for a while I I you could I couldn't see that.

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm.

Dawn Bridges: And and I think that once you see possibility and opportunity and you can keep going, that's when the light just opens, that the the skies open and you can go in any direction and you are powerful beyond belief. when you believe that you you you have that so I think that's that's that shift that when that when you can cross that chasm to get to that

LWH Podcast Recording: Absolutely. And it all starts in the mind, like you said, that mindset piece and that shift is so powerful. And Don, I know that you are a person in pursuit of excellence. And so when you think about that word excellence, how do daily habits act as a foundation for you in building lasting clarity and confidence?

Dawn Bridges: Hmm. Again, I think that when you think about confidence, it's something again that happens over the course of time. And I

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: don't think it's like one big thing. I think when you take the time to reflect and you can look at the evidence of the small things that you're doing over the course of time, that's important. When you think about how you commit yourself to something, how you show up every day, what that looks like, sounds like, feels like matters. What are you working on? What are you working towards? How are you learning? How are you bettering yourself? and I feel like sometimes I I I when I think about that, it's like I I love looking at my daughter, right? She's in her young twenties. They're so formidable and and what and and it's like you can say something little, but it's that push, that nudge that gets them to think, like, wow, I I'm I'm helping her create the space that she needs so that she can have that confidence, that she can build on that foundation to speak what she values, what she believes in, and what

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: her truth is.

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm, I love that. And I'm a I'm a mother of a daughter as well. And my daughter is in her early 30s now. It flies by. my goodness, Dawn, does it fly by? But one of the things that I have noticed as she entered the workforce, she was a high achiever. So many things that I did in my career. just trying to climb higher, trying to do more. I saw that in my daughter. And I think that's one of the other reasons that I made that conscious decision to step back, because my mother was also a high achiever. Her path looked completely different than mine. But she passed away at 44. Stress played a huge role in her illness. She push through and push through and push through. And when she was diagnosed with cancer, she lived about five months after the diagnosis. And so when my health started to take a turn Don, I was scared. But when you think about the adversity that we face in our life, it can either make us better or it can make us bitter. And I can choose what it what it produces within me. And I choose to use that to bring about good in the world. Because I can. And so for you, is there an adversity that has shaped your leadership? And how has it provided you maybe the fuel to make your life and the lives of others better?

Dawn Bridges: I think for sure. I think that looking back at my career in two separate instances of incidents that had happened in a school district, one happened to do with my son, and it was horrific. And but I lived in the community that I served and I was a single mom. So

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: I think first and foremost, being that single mom like already put this extra layer of I needed to protect and I needed to provide. And so the paycheck was so important to ensure that I could provide for my my three kids. And always standing, I I'm I've always been someone who stands on principle. And so and almost in to the detriment of some points, because in this particular instance that happened with my son, it was with a staff member in another building in the community in which we lived. And that staff member's mother-in-law was a principal in that school. And the right thing would have been to automatically put the teacher on administrative leave, that teacher should have been let go, that teacher

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: no longer now actually has a teaching certificate. But

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm.

Dawn Bridges: in the moment, because I was being vocal and standing on my tall of

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: what I know what was right and what how my child was wronged.

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: cost me my job. It was you gotta go and you need to shut up and you need to zip that lip and you're not saying anything. I'm like that, that it it might not just happen to my kid, it could happen to others. And

LWH Podcast Recording: Right.

Dawn Bridges: unfortunately, that's what happened.

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: And it you know, and again, in that moment I had enough strength.

LWH Podcast Recording: Uh-huh.

Dawn Bridges: To then go and find elsewhere, to go somewhere else, right? And then rinse and repeat, I get to the the next district and I'm there for eight years, and it's a burn and churn district where

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: superintendents and assistant superintendents and people are leaving left and right because of the politics and and the type of district that it was. But the same thing, being asked to do things that are illegal, not best for kids. And so the adversity of like you have to go. I'm like, wait, what? We're here doing what's best for kids.

LWH Podcast Recording: Right.

Dawn Bridges: So there is that level of shame of where I I had to s take a step back and say, Is it me?

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: and to be able to walk out the door and and say, it yeah, it is me. It's me, because I'm standing call on what I know is true, but I didn't have the confidence then. And so it took me to be able to really in some ways, I would say, rebuild my entire career to

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: then and and then be work at the national level and rebuild my name and and all all the things that I'm so proud of today. But I'm the same leader.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: I'm the same person that you all smashed down, that you all like I'm the same person. But

LWH Podcast Recording: Right.

Dawn Bridges: I can now, now I have enough credibility. I have enough national a reputation nationally as being an exceptional leader, you know, an influential educator, you know, recognized like I I have that.

LWH Podcast Recording: Right.

Dawn Bridges: And I don't know if that's what allows me to stand a little taller now. Cause I am the same person. I am the same

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. Absolutely.

Dawn Bridges: person.

LWH Podcast Recording: And the interesting thing to me is how we define exceptional leadership in some circles. Not all. Because I will tell you, Don, starting my own business, I talk to leaders every day. And there are some truly amazing leaders out there, people that stand on value, on principles. they are strong leaders because it starts with who they are and they know who they are. there are also a lot of leaders who are struggling, they want to do that, but they're struggling to do that because of something you kind of mentioned earlier: the paycheck.

Dawn Bridges: That's right.

LWH Podcast Recording: They cannot walk away. My husband and I are not wealthy by any means, Don, but That's something that we had going for us. When I decided to walk away, I could walk away because we could afford to. Not everybody is in that situation. And then there are leaders who are toxic for a number of reasons. And I want to talk about one other thing in terms of that toxicity, because in your position, you see all three kinds of leaders. You see districts that are doing it well and districts that are highly toxic. And so, in your position as the director of professional learning and IESA, I'm just curious what can we do? What can you do? What can we do to make that better? Because our kids deserve better. Our kids don't deserve any toxic school districts.

Dawn Bridges: I agree. and it's hard. It there the human factor is part of is part of all of this, unfortunately. And I don't necessarily want to make this about female leaders or not, but I do know that oftentimes it's tougher for women. I it was tougher for me. It was i it just is. And I think that we are our own worst enemies sometimes. We are. there is a thing as mean girls. There we're we're mean to each other and we're not lifting each other up. And we're not also taking the time to say, Hey, are you okay? Hey, I'm checking in on you. It's a simple thing. It it goes back to kindness. And I think that, and I my husband's a superintendent. I I live it as a first lady all the time. It's awful. It's awful to have to sometimes walk in the streets of your community and see or hear people who are saying things that you know are not true. But unfortunately, we live in a world and a society outside of education that is mean. And you can see I'm getting emotional. It's mean

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: and it's people want what they want. People are hurting. And

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm. They are.

Dawn Bridges: I think that to your question. The only thing that we can do is we have to start with ourselves. We have to hold ourselves accountable. And we have to have a commitment that says every day I'm going to try to do better. Every day I'm going to do one thing that's going to brighten somebody's day. I'm going to do one thing that's going to make someone else's light shine a little brighter. And I'm not going to dim somebody else's light. And in a space that I don't know the answer, I'm not going to give my opinion. Because that's what creates toxic toxicity in school districts. It's giving people voice that shouldn't have one. And it's it's hard. And I think too, the standard of I think back in the day, you know, as a child in the neighborhood, it was Mrs. Smith or Mr. Johnson or whatever it was. You you you spoke to your, I don't want to say elders because now I'm the elder.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: But you but there was there was a a level of respect that is no longer in

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: our society. And that is that's what has to shift and change. And we have to be better about how we how we are treating people.

LWH Podcast Recording: As a school leader, whether it was principal or superintendent, I always said, change starts with me. That's where it starts. And if we would just start there, so many things could improve in not just our schools, but in our society, in our world. And so, Dawn, that that kind of brings me to the next question. And that is, you know, in education today. It can get toxic. It can get dark and hateful and ugly. a lot of people listening to this show have had their own keyboard warriors or people whispering behind their backs, saying things that weren't true, and you can't defend because it just feeds that fire. But I also believe that if we focus on the good, we're gonna see more of that. that's not ignoring. the negativity, that's not ignoring the bad. We've still got to address that. But if we focus on the good, so that's one of the reasons I love this question. What is giving you hope in the world in education today?

Dawn Bridges: a possibility, I think, and not to, you know, make this about the fact that we have a a a conference coming up about the 200, this is the 250th year of America.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: But we are filled with possibilities of how education could look differently. I think that I am the leader today. And I said I was very progressive in my thinking because I do see better tomorrow. I do believe that if we came together as a small trailblazing group that that we could make systems better for our students. We could make outcomes better for our students. We just have to think differently. And unfortunately, I don't know what what people hide behind or what dims that light for them other than hurt or their own shame or just not knowing, like feeling inadequate. But it it makes me think of the Marianne Williamson quote that that that for me during my darkest, darkest time, having the belief like I I have to be able to stand tall. I it was like I had to tell myself over and over and over again that this isn't going to determine what the future's going to be, that today's darkness doesn't have to be what three months from now is going to look like. And I and I and I have to Give myself the permission and the opportunity to stand tall and be bright and that we are meant to shine as as humans. That's what she talked about. And because I felt like so many people, I mean, I was told I was too pretty

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: to be in this superintendent search. Really?

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: Like I and I know and I've seen some of those, I don't want to say generalized or whatever, but women in school districts, parents that I had in the community that I served that just one day loved you and the next day, the personal attacks are just And I think that's what makes leaders who who become toxic in their own ways, they've been beaten down. I want to believe that that they went into this field to do great things for for for kids and that it

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah. Absolutely.

Dawn Bridges: they just got beaten down. And I've I've seen I've seen others even close to me who've gotten beaten down and they just get worn. And that's sad because the I think the most important profession

LWH Podcast Recording: Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: is this.

LWH Podcast Recording: what you're talking about is the fact that hurting people hurt people. And

Dawn Bridges: Mm-hmm.

LWH Podcast Recording: when you just take the attacks over and over again, you develop that thick skin. You know, I had somebody early in my career, Don, and that's what they said to me. They said, if you're gonna be a school leader, you just need to have a thicker skin. No thank you. No thank you. I lead for my heart, for my values, and I don't want that to change because I think the leaders that lead with heart are the best leaders because they never get that thick skin.

Dawn Bridges: Thank you for saying that. I mean, I think you see me. Like I'm sitting here and I have tears in my eyes. And I've been told by so many people, like, you have to stop that. I'm like, I'm a passionate leader. I'm not apologizing. I'm not apologizing for having tears in my eyes, for my voice quivering because I'm emotional for what I'm passionate about.

LWH Podcast Recording: when you have that passion, it fuels your purpose. It keeps you connected with your purpose. there was a time when everybody was talking about find your why, find your why, and that's kind

Dawn Bridges: Mm-hmm.

LWH Podcast Recording: of big become a buzzword in education, but it just reminds us we have to know why. We went into leadership in the first place. And and for me, it was because a wonderful group of people in my hometown, in my home school, when I was a child, really cared for me when my brother Brandon drowned. And I'm gonna connect with that and I'm gonna be reminded that those people are gonna make me better. And if I consistently surround myself. with people that are encouragers, that are grace givers and truth tellers, we're gonna get better together and that small group of people can change the world.

Dawn Bridges: I believe that. I wholeheartedly believe that.

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LWH Podcast Recording: Don, this has been an amazing conversation. You know, we went from talking about those relationships to political, toxic school districts, and then back to leading with her. So as we wrap up this episode of the Lead with Hope podcast, is there any words of encouragement that you want to leave the the listeners with?

Dawn Bridges: Sure. I think I just be you, be authentically you. And I will say sometimes that's hard.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah.

Dawn Bridges: It's it it's it is really hard. And I I just said this to my daughter. she's struggling because she's seeing that people are letting her down. Right. And I talked about showing up earlier today, and and I am someone who will always show up, and that's exhausting. And I had

LWH Podcast Recording: It is.

Dawn Bridges: to say to her. You know, Addie, I see you as someone who's always showing up. Like I know that that's something you get from me. You saw me model that, which is amazing. But you can't expect that from others because not everybody has that capacity to give and don't fault them for it. That's not their gift.

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Dawn Bridges: That this is your gift. You you're somebody who but who always shows up. Great, be that person. But other people have other gifts, and that's what makes the world great is recognizing everybody else's strengths. They're not always the same. And so I think that's what I would say is, you know, a 34-year career is a journey. And I I didn't, it wasn't perfect, and it was rough, but the reflection and the time and the pursuit of my passion made it. Amazingly glorious. I I c it I I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be.

LWH Podcast Recording: Absolutely. And that is a beautiful thing. It truly is. And so if somebody wants to get in touch with you and they want to talk more or they want to learn more about what you do, can you let them know what the best way would be to reach out to you?

Dawn Bridges: Sure. They can email me dbridges at Isaedu.org. they can find me on LinkedIn. I'm on X not so often anymore. But

LWH Podcast Recording: Yeah, yeah.

Dawn Bridges: yeah, reach out to IAA. They people will get in contact with me. I will share my number and that way texting is the easiest way for me to respond.

LWH Podcast Recording: Right.

Dawn Bridges: But yes, I would love to connect with anyone and help you a sounding board or give somebody some inspiration. So thank you. Randy, this is amazing.

LWH Podcast Recording: Thank you for coming on the show. Thanks for giving your time and your wisdom, your expertise. I really have enjoyed this conversation and I look forward to staying connected with you.

Dawn Bridges: Same to you. Thanks, Brandy.

LWH Closing: That's a wrap for today's episode of Lead with Hope. ⁓ Remember, ⁓ the world needs your leadership and change starts with you. ⁓ Fuel your life with HOPE, embrace your purpose, and shine your light for others. ⁓ If this episode inspired you, I'd be so grateful if you could take a moment to give us a five-star rating and share it. ⁓ Every review helps spread HOPE ⁓ and empowers more leaders to rise. ⁓ Thanks for listening ⁓ and until next time, ⁓ keep leading with HOPE.