About this episode
Jan 10
364. From Surviving to Flourishing Together: Featuring Mitch Weathers and Kim Gameroz
In this special conversation on Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper, Kim Gameroz, and Mitch Weathers share everything you need to know about the Thriving Educators Summit 2026 and how it was born from a desire to help teachers move from surviving to truly thriving after years of runni ... Show More
19m 49s
Jan 3
Aspire Mailbag: Communication, Culture, and Conflict in School Leadership
How do you lead staff who seem stuck in their ways, resist new ideas, and quietly shut out new colleagues? In this New Year episode of the Aspire Mailbag, Joshua Stamper and longtime co-host Jeff Gargas dig into anonymous listener questions from the Aspire Voxer community about c ... Show More
32m 12s
Dec 28
363. Teaching with the Seasons for the Whole-Child: Featuring Walter McKenzie, Heather Lageman, and Leigh Alley
What if social-emotional learning, culture, and instruction could move in rhythm with the real seasons of a school year instead of feeling like “one more thing” on everyone’s plate? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Walter McKenzie, Heather Lageman, and Leigh Alley introduce the ... Show More
37m 4s
Jul 2024
The Pursuit of Wealth: Barista to Billionaire - Andrew Wilkinson
I’ve built a brand new community for like-minded people called Productivity Lab. We’ll have online classes, workshops, and coaching to help you double your productivity. You can find out more here 👉 https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0b1Wpd0Check Out My New York Times Bestselling Book Feel-Go ... Show More
1h 48m
Aug 2024
Life’s Meaning Outside of Work - Simone Stolzoff
Sponsored by YNAB - visit http://www.ynab.com/abdaal Sponsored by Brilliant - visit https://brilliant.org/DeepDive/ for a 30-day free trial and 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscriptionIf you want to start or grow a channel, check out my Part-Time YouTuber Academy here 👉 h ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2024
Chasing Success vs True Fulfilment - Nat Eliason
Sponsored by YNAB - visit http://www.ynab.com/abdaal Sponsored by Brilliant - visit https://brilliant.org/DeepDive/ for a 30-day free trial and 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscriptionIf you want to start or grow a channel, check out my Part-Time YouTuber Academy here 👉 h ... Show More
1h 23m
Jul 2024
Lessons from 17 Years of Podcasting - Jordan Harbinger
If you want to start or grow a channel, check out my Part-Time YouTuber Academy here 👉https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0bg4jn0 GIVEAWAY: We've hit 500,000 subscribers 🎉 To say thank you we're giving away a bunch of special prizes 🎁 To enter hit the link (it's free!) 👉 http://aliabdaal.co ... Show More
1h 56m
May 2022
Episode 21: Don't Be Afraid to be AWESOME with Chuck Moss
Chuck Moss has 25 years of experience in education. Forming meaningful relationships and bringing out the best in others have been the driving forces in his career. He has been a teacher, a coach, an assistant principal, a principal, and now serves as Director of Innovation and D ... Show More
45m 32s
Sep 2022
Coming Soon Teaser: The Unteachables Podcast
<p><b>Coming Sunday October 2nd: The Unteachables Podcast!<br/><br/>Welcome to The Unteachables Podcast, where your host Claire English is NO stranger to challenging classroom behaviour. And if you’ve found your way here, it’s likely you aren’t either. Teaching the Unteachables i ... Show More
1m 12s
Oct 2024
How Jamie Siminoff Built Ring: 6 Lessons for Startup Success | EP 523
<p>In today’s episode of Passion Struck, I dive into the incredible journey of Jamie Siminoff and <i>how Jamie Siminoff built Ring</i> after facing a public rejection on Shark Tank. What started as a million-dollar idea dismissed by investors turned into a billion-dollar acquisit ... Show More
18m 13s
Nov 2024
Bo Eason on How to Transform Your Lowest Moments Into Power | EP 529
<p>In this impactful episode, former NFL player, acclaimed actor, and motivational powerhouse Bo Eason shares his distinctive approach to transforming life’s lowest moments into catalysts for personal growth. Renowned for his resilience and determination, Bo draws from his own ex ... Show More
1h 23m
Dec 2020
100: Jamie O’Banion on the secret to her success in business and motherhood
<p>Boss Babe Jamie O’Banion launched BeautyBio in 2011 with one mission, Truth in Beauty. After working alongside her father in their family-owned cosmetic lab and learning to speak beauty as a second language, Jamie witnessed prestige brands using minimal concentrations of activ ... Show More
48m 25s
What if you could actually see the hidden influencers on your campus and use those connections to move culture forward instead of fighting it?
In this energizing Aspire to Lead episode, Joshua Stamper sits down with Dr. Ben Johnson, assistant superintendent and executive coach, and award-winning principal Bobby Dodd to unpack their new book, Intentional Influence, Harnessing Cultural Mapping to Build Commitment. Together, they introduce cultural mapping as a practical way to “make the invisible visible,” helping leaders identify formal and informal influencers, understand levels of commitment, and design intentional moves that build trust, belonging, and buy-in across a school or district.
Ben and Bobby walk through their three-phase process—mapping your people, reflecting on commitment and connections, and planning next steps—while sharing real stories of shifting disengagement, navigating resistance, and turning isolated talent into aligned teams that carry initiatives forward instead of waiting for top-down directives. Whether you lead a classroom, a building, or a system, this conversation offers a human-centered roadmap for using relationships as your strongest currency and building a culture where people feel seen, supported, and ready to commit to the work that matters most.
About Dr. Ben Johnson:
Dr. Ben Johnson serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools in Bismarck Public Schools, North Dakota. A leader, author, and executive coach, Ben has a passion for developing innovative systems that align culture, leadership, and learning through his Cultural Mapping framework. His work centers on building commitment through relationships and purpose—helping leaders transform compliance into authentic engagement. Ben is also the author of Intentional Influence: Harnessing Cultural Mapping to Build Commitment.
Follow Dr. Ben Johnson
About Bobby Dodd:
Bobby Dodd (JD) is an award-winning educational leader, speaker, and principal known for his focus on organizational culture and innovative leadership. He brings decades of experience helping schools and leaders build capacity through trust, collaboration, and reflection. Bobby’s leadership philosophy blends servant leadership with practical strategy—empowering leaders to develop high-performing, connected teams where everyone leads with purpose. Bobby is also the coauthor of Intentional Influence: Harnessing Cultural Mapping to Build Commitment.
Follow Bobby Dodd
