Greener Shepherd

Last week, we had the honor and privilege to present to 12 sections of Business 1000 in the Wilson College of Business at the University of Northern Iowa. We shared about the power of perception and how our perception can impact our communication with others. We also discussed the importance of giving and receiving feedback and shared with students our "secret tool" to improve their ability to communicate effectively in challenging and difficult circumstances. The students were engaged, motivated, and very receptive to sharing and improving on this topic. As we all know - all great leaders continue to hone their ability to communicate effectively and receive (and give) feedback with grace. These students are no exception. We are excited for the many great leaders who will be entering the workforce from UNI in the next 3 years. Get ready to see them shine in your places of work! - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

What do you get when you improve teachers' and school leaders health and well-being? An improved culture. Cary Wieland at Expo Alternative Learning Center in Waterloo said, "Before training with Nick and Kayla from Greener Shepherd, our culture and climate survey indicated a score of approximately 77%. After their intervention, our staff satisfaction increased by over 15%." That is a statistically significant improvement over one school year. If you are looking to improve the culture of your school or organization, we can support you in this initiative. - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

October is National Principals Month 🤝 Help us celebrate the principals and administrators of your schools, or those of your children/grandchildren 👩🏫 👏 >> Principals can bring transformation and change to every student, teacher, and staff member We celebrate the work that principals do on a daily basis and are especially grateful for all those principals who see the transformative power of their teachers/staff improving their health and well-being, so they can be their best selves for the students in their classrooms and schools At SAI (School Administrators of Iowa event) this past August, Nick saw one of his former student teachers who is now a principal with the Van Buren County CSD; it's so rewarding to see these leaders take root in supporting our students Join us in thanking your principals, and please continue to encourage them to pursue health and wellness coaching for their staff, so everyone can be their best selves for our students who deserve the best - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

On Monday, we spoke to teachers, administrators, and school leaders at the 2nd annual CVNE conference. Our breakout sessions focused on improving one's physical, mental, and emotional well-being, so educators can be their best selves in and out of the classroom. Denver Community School District hosted, and the following districts attended a day of leadership, learning, and personal/professional development: Clarksville, Denver, Dunkerton, Jesup, Nashua-Plainfield, Tripoli Community School District, and Wapsie Valley. The instructional coaches at these 7 districts did an astounding job, once again, curating an impactful and motivating day for educators. We tip our hats off to the 410 educators who attended for all they do to support our students in and outside the classroom! And we applaud all those who are invested in improving their own well-being, so they can lead their students and staffs even better -- And finally, remember: It's always a great day to thank a teacher 👨🏫 - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle 

Food has a profound impact on our health - And does more than just "fill our bellies." It nourishes us, sustains us, and helps us rebuild our bodies As we experience our day-to-day life. Here's a bill that is advocating for better school lunches for students. Why? 43 public school lunches from 15 states were tested in 2022 and results found: 95% of items had detectable levels of glyphosate (carcinogenic pesticide that has been linked to gut disruption, kidney, liver, and hormonal challenges), 74% contained at least one other pesticide, and 100% tested positive for the presence of heavy metals 😲 NOT the food that we should be feeding to anyone, including our children in schools. To read the full article, visit: https://lnkd.in/gCU8AMiW - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

In what area of your health and wellness journey, are you willing to go "ALL IN"? 🥑 Your diet? 💤 Improving your sleep? 🤽♀️ Making sure you make time for things that bring you joy and happiness? 🚲 Doing some type of movement that you love? Because here's the truth -- It doesn't matter where you start. What matters is that you START. Because once you start to make improvements in one area of your life (diet, sleep, happiness, or movement) -- It will spill over to every other area of your life. It's the domino effect. So just start and be ready for your "ALL IN" shift to make a profound difference in other areas of your life as well. - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

Yesterday, officially marked the start to the fourth quarter. ⏰ 📅 Now - for some of us - this date goes by unnoticed, And for others - we think in terms of the school year calendar And the end of quarters, trimesters, semesters - When we need to have assignments graded, students' grades submitted, and big projects completed. Regardless of how your brain "thinks" about the year - Now is as good of a time as any to hit the "reset" button if there are changes you want to make in your professional or personal life. We don't need to wait until the start of a new grading period, The start of a new week, Or even wait until January 1, To recommit to the "stuff" (aka priorities) that would improve the quality of our life, namely -- Better communication (with ourselves and others), Vocalized (and enforced) boundaries, Improved sleep and hydration, Prioritizing quality meals (and lessening sugar and processed foods), and Maximizing opportunities for movement. Your #1 asset is your health And either you will make your health a priority, Or it will be forced upon you (as many of us have likely witnessed with loved ones in our life) But, like most people - We want to have the opportunity to choose... So today is your day - Make today the day that your health becomes your #1 priority for yourself and your family. If you need help and guidance to make this a priority, Reach out - We're here to support you on every step of your journey towards improved well-being and health. - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

How do you have difficult conversations, Without leading with your emotions? This is the topic that we shared with students at the Wilson College of Business at the University of Northern Iowa Often difficult conversations are riddled with emotions on both sides of the street. One question we asked students was to raise their hands if they ever witnessed two adults in their life having a difficult conversation in a healthy manner, I.e. not letting their emotions getting the best of them, staying calm, no name calling, no jabs, etc. Less than 5% of the students raised their hands. That means - 95% of the students in the room have never seen a "healthy" difficult conversation by adults in their lives. ^^ Reflect on this for yourself. Have you ever participated in a "healthy" difficult conversation? One of the most important skills we can model to our youth is how to engage in difficult conversations while communicating calmly and openly, removing the emotion that typically charges these conversations, and instead being aware of our own perception and beliefs as we engage. It's not easy. It's always very fun. But it is an important skill for us to model to the youth within our classrooms, and within our homes, Because how else do we learn? We're never too old to learn something new. Your life, your relationships, and your community will be better because of it. - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to present at University of Northern Iowa's Wilson College of Business for the Professional Readiness Program 👏 Our session was titled, "Stress, Perception, and Feedback: The Golden Link" Whether you are new or a seasoned business professional, you know how important the above ^^ topic is ... And that is why we were so excited to help these students get a "leg up" early on in their career, so they could start off on an even better note. We're looking forward to being back at UNI at the end of October for two full days to continue the conversation with these remarkable students and to see the hard-working PRP advisors who are difference-makers, such as Regan Pals 👏 Thank YOU for all you do! - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle

Why do you think it is that many of the leaders we talk to are -- 😕 burnt out, 😕 exhausted, and 😕 barely keeping it together? ^^ And these are the words they use to describe themselves. Is your guess because we have a cultural expectation to do more, be more, achieve more? Is it because we have lost sight of our own values and replaced them with the values of others? Or, because we live in a society where saying "no" is frowned up, even when we silently cheerlead the person who does? What's your take on this? From our experience - Too often, we're focused on everything outside ourselves (think everyone else, aka "All") that we can't even hear our own needs (think "I"). When you focus on the needs of everyone else, it will automatically drown out the individual (aka you) ... We'll share more on this in the upcoming weeks, but we'd love to hear your insights. Comment below and join the conversation. - Kayla Becker and Nick Kuhle