Episode 206: Lead with HOPE - A Conversation with Dr. Brandi Kelly

Darrin Peppard (: 00:01

Alrighty my friends, welcome back into the Leaning Into Leadership podcast. is May 4th. May the 4th be with you. Yes, I to channel my inner Star Wars nerd just a little bit right there. But yes, here on May the 4th, episode number 206. Man, wild to believe 206 episodes already here on the podcast.

And away we go with this one, folks. You know I love conversations that tap into the heart of what it really means to be a school leader. And today's guest absolutely brings that forward. Dr. Brandy Kelly is on the show and she's not only a nationally recognized leader, but also the author of a brand new book, Lead with Hope, which releases tomorrow, May 5th. In this episode, we dig into Brandy's personal story.

the framework that she developed to help leaders build self-efficacy, and how reflection and intentional habits can shape our leadership from the inside out. As always, just want to remind you the work that I do, whether it's through this podcast, speaking engagements, or leadership coaching, is all about helping school leaders gain clarity, get aligned, and be intentional with their work. If that's something you or your team need right now, let's connect. Get over to RoachAwesome.net.

click on Contact Us and let's get in touch. Now, let's dive into this conversation with Dr. Brandy Kelly on the Leaning Into Leadership podcast.

Darrin Peppard (: 00:00

All right, my friends, welcome back into the Leaning Into Leadership podcast. My guest on the show today is Dr. Brandy Kelly. I'm so excited to have this conversation with Brandy. She's got a new book that is coming out. As you are listening to this, if you're listening on Sunday, May 4, May the 4th be with you. And this of course is the day before her book is going live, which is so exciting.

We're going to talk about the book. We're going to talk about, just some of Brandy's experiences and just what building a system of hope really means. But before we get that Brandy, welcome into the podcast.

Brandi Kelly (: 00:42

Thanks for having me, Darren. I appreciate you having me on the show today.

Darrin Peppard (: 00:46

Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, I'm excited about this conversation. you know, certainly over the last couple of years, you and I have had a chance to get to know each other, have even had some point in time where we were together in the same location. So, you know, we've had that face to face time with each other, but there's a chance that maybe folks here listening to the podcast or watching on the YouTube version don't know Dr. Brandy Kelly. So maybe share a little bit about you, your background.

that type of thing to give them a little orientation into Brandy Kelly.

Brandi Kelly (: 01:22

Sure, sure. I've been in education for over 20 years, started out as a school social worker, got my licensure in clinical social work along the way, became a principal and served as a principal for 10 years, and then I went into the superintendency. Through that time, as we'll talk about more later today, I've developed this system of hope. And it is a system of self-efficacy that helps leaders, helps equip us.

with the things that we don't learn in school. Just bolstering that sense of self-efficacy for resilience and mental fortitude to do the hard work that that leadership requires.

Darrin Peppard (: 02:06

Yeah, absolutely. And I definitely want to get into that and learn a little bit more about that. And I know you talk about this quite a bit through the course of the book, that development of self-efficacy, that development of self-worth, and just really taking care of the individual. Now, I want to get into that in a minute, but first I want to talk about this. So we hear about hope in a lot of different ways.

Brandi Kelly (: 02:26

Yeah.

Darrin Peppard (: 02:35

a good friend of mine has taken on the moniker of being a hope dealer. And his thing is more about just inspiring others that, you can go and do great things. Your system of hope a little bit different than that. So maybe talk a little bit about why hope, why that system came about and maybe start to take us down the road.

sharing what that system's all about.

Brandi Kelly (: 03:06

Yeah, before I do that though, you talk about being a dealer.

in hope and Napoleon Bonaparte, he's one of the quotes that I reference in my book. That's his quote. A leader is a dealer in hope. And I think that is a very important thing to really point out because as leaders, we have a lot of power in building other people up, building that sense of self-efficacy. But for me, self-efficacy, as I have reflected, because I do believe all this comes through an intentional

of self-reflection to build our self-awareness and then our self-efficacy.

I have to go back to when I was 15. It was a rainy May day and I was at home getting ready for prom. Kind of felt like Cinderella excited to clean the house that day before I could get ready to go to prom. That was my weekly chore and my little brother Dustin ran into the kitchen and he had mud on his feet. I had just mopped the kitchen floor and he told my dad. Bub fell in the creek.

Well, Bub was the middle brother and the two boys had went on a horseback ride that day and Bub fell in the creek. Dustin ran home to get help. My mom sent me on to prom and little did I know.

but a search kind of was going on at that time. And the next day was Mother's Day, and then the divers pulled Brandon's body out of the creek on Monday afternoon. And our family was forever changed, but that trauma, it didn't end there. There was a lot of goodness that came from that. Our community rallied around us from the search to all of the support that they gave after.

that tragedy happened in our family, specifically our school community. Brandon was a seventh grader and he was that child. He was the kid that was the class clown. He was mischievous. He was ornery, but he had a heart of gold. And the classmates did a little memory book and they talked about the stories of Brandon. And I still have that memory book at my house and I pull it out from time to time.

reminisce, go down memory lane and think about all of the things and all of the stories that they shared with our family. But the community rallied and they really supported us. because of that experience, I believe I went into education. I felt like it was a calling, a calling to give back and to help other people when they didn't feel like they had light or when they didn't have hope. I wanted to be that beacon of hope. I wanted to be that dealer in hope.

And so from that tragedy, I became an educator and over time through a variety of experiences, I developed a system of hope. H is for habits. O is for optimistic outlook. P is for purpose, passion and perseverance. And E is for excellence. And when you put all of those things together, it fosters that sense of self-efficacy. Albert Bandura.

really coined that term self-efficacy. And he talks about that in terms of mastery experiences, social persuasion, effective states, and vicarious experiences. And when you put all of that together with that frame of self-efficacy, that is how we build people up, ourselves included. And I believe it's an inside job. It starts from the inside out. And we have to build from the inside out to

reach our full potential and help other people do the same.

Darrin Peppard (: 06:56

So let's maybe take that a little bit more granular and really dive into the role of the leader. So I mean, you've been in a handful of different leadership roles, and most of our listeners certainly are in or aspiring to be in leadership roles. And let's be honest. I I would argue that, and I know you would too, being in the classroom in front of children, you're in a leadership role. So why, as a leader,

Brandi Kelly (: 07:03

Mm-hmm.

Darrin Peppard (: 07:26

should I be focusing on my own self-efficacy? Why should I be leaning into that self-reflection? You talked about that a lot. I know you talk about self-reflection in literally every chapter in this book. Why is that important as a leader to be engaging in our own self-reflection, our own self-efficacy?

Brandi Kelly (: 07:51

When you think about education today, the landscape of education today, I would argue that it's...

one of the most worthy and important professions that you can have, but it's also increasingly difficult. And in the book, I talk about the statistics for depression. I've also done some research on the statistics around anxiety. Education is stressful. And if we don't understand who we are, what our core values are, what our purpose is,

and why we do what we do, we'll lose our way. And I think that through an intentional practice of self-reflection, can continually, because nobody's arrived, Darren, we're becoming. And so that practice of self-reflection isn't a one and done proposition. It is continual. And we have to build that into, I believe, our daily schedule so that

we can understand who we are and who we are becoming and make sure that that aligns with our purpose, with our core values and who we, not only who we are, but who we aspire to be in this world.

Darrin Peppard (: 09:13

I love that. think that's I think that's outstanding. know. I mean, certainly is something I've talked about a lot here on the podcast. So this is probably a lot of listeners are like, yeah, you know, Darren, that's exactly where you like to go with that whole focus on self reflection. I think it's it's just really important. But you're taking it to a whole nother level with this book because you're actually developing a system around it. You know, some of us might have some practices. Some of us might have some habits. Some of us might even put it on our calendar.

self reflect. You're taking it to a whole nother level. So let's let's get into that. Let's talk about what this system is what the system looks like. And what are some things that people can be looking for and expecting to come away with from from checking out the book, leading our lead with hope.

Brandi Kelly (: 10:04

Yeah, so in the book, there's a whole chapter. It's an action guide, essentially. It helps you to build your system of hope. And when you're doing that, and we'll just start with H for habits, it's specific things that are unique to you. In the book, I talk about my experiences, about the trauma that I faced when I was 15.

And unfortunately, many of us have those kinds of stories. And it's not just one story, you know, in our life. I've talked about several instances, both personal and professional. And when you're building a system of hope and you're looking at, say, specifically habits, for me, the habits that really serve me are things like mindfulness, exercise, journaling, fostering that.

attitude of gratitude and it's helping me to be the best that I can be. And the habits that you eventually build within your system of hope may look the same as mine, may look different than mine, but they're going to be unique to you and they're going to help you to optimize your potential. And that's what I really want people to do. I want them to build in habits, build in a mindset, build in

that that rationale for their purpose so that they can truly lead with excellence in whatever it is that they're doing, whether they're in the classroom or they're in the boardroom or they're a principal or a superintendent. It's just so incredibly important that you know who you are and you stay true to who you are and you are striving to be the best version of you for the world and for the people that you serve.

Darrin Peppard (: 11:57

Yeah, so let's dive in a little bit more. So you talked about habits. Let's hit these other three pieces to give people a little bit more in what they would be discovering with Lead with Hope.

Brandi Kelly (: 12:04

Yeah. Okay.

Yeah, so I talked a little bit about habits, also optimistic outlook. So for me, that's mindset. And I think mindset is so incredibly important. In the book, I talk a little bit about my values around that piece, optimistic outlook. And it makes me think about my mom. My mom had cancer. And unfortunately, she passed away. But...

It was during the time that she was diagnosed that she was really looking at the world through a different lens, right? And so I think because of our experiences in life, it really shapes the lens that we look at the world through. And like I've said before, my values are faith and family and community. And depending on what your values are and the lens you're looking through the world,

That's really going to inform your mindset and how you lead. And it's important, think, Darren, that you are a good fit for the organizations you lead. In the book, I talk about a young lady and kind of leading into the purpose piece. Her name was Addison. And Addison was such an inspiring kid to me. She was bold, she was spunky, she was full of grit. And Addison was one of those kids.

that really struggled in school. She knew everything that she couldn't do by the time I met her in junior high, but she really didn't know where she fit. She didn't know what her purpose was and where she was going in this world. And one afternoon, I remember Addison and myself and her mother, we sat down and we just talked it through. And we determined that she would go to...

school she went to and I ended up going to an alternative school. And you know that is that was the best decision that we could have made for Addison because in that change in environment she found her people. found her sense of belonging. She found a good fit and she found her purpose. I believe and her story is just one of grit and growth and I think that it's important for us to remember as we are leading with hope.

that these kids and sometimes these adults in our schools, they need somebody who believes in them and that articulates that and shares that. And I think that the power of our words, what we say, how we interact and connect with people and how we build the community and the culture that we have in our schools is so incredibly important. And Addison's story is just one that I really...

I really love because it shows grit, shows growth, and it shows a kid who when she found her purpose, she was able to thrive.

Darrin Peppard (: 15:13

I love that so much and I want to stay on that for just a minute longer. know, one of the things that you said there that really resonated with me was that, you know, every kid, but also every adult, you know, needs that person who sees the best in them, that helps them to discover their purpose. And I think as leaders, you know, sometimes the thing that we lose sight of, whether we're superintendent, principal,

Brandi Kelly (: 15:28

now.

Darrin Peppard (: 15:42

whatever our title might be, is that often the thing that our adults need the most is just a great big cheerleader, somebody to to lift them up to tell them they're doing a great job. And, you know, just to let them know, hey, I'm in your corner. When we think about, you know, that optimistic outlook, when we think about helping people find their purpose, go a little bit more there. In terms of just

Brandi Kelly (: 15:51

Yeah.

Darrin Peppard (: 16:11

why it's important that we are continuing. mean, especially right now, it's the beginning of May. Most schools, they can see the finish line right now. And in many cases, they just start counting it down instead of making those days count. Talk a little bit more about just really leaning in and supporting your people right now.

Brandi Kelly (: 16:17

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

absolutely. Yeah, we have so many critics in education right now. You know, we have our keyboard warriors. We have those individuals who they went to school so they think they know how it is. It's done, you know. But our people, our students and our staff.

They need that encourager. They need those people who are in their corner. They're unconditionally supporting them. That doesn't mean that you're not providing the feedback and the constructive criticism, but I believe that we need to do that in love. We need to have supportive accountability in our schools. And as you said, you know, it's May, we see the light at the end of the tunnel, summer's right around the corner and

I think the best thing that we can do for our students and our staff right now is just to remind them why they're there. We're there for the kids first and foremost, but even more than that, each one of us has a story or a teacher or that purpose behind why we went into education in the first place.

And I think that this book really reminds us of what that is. What is the reason that you went into education in the first place? For many of us, it's a calling. It's not a career. It's a calling. in understanding why we're doing what we're doing, it really just makes all the difference. For me, thinking back about my brother, Brandon, you know, I always had a soft spot for those at risk kids because

That was my brother. He was ADHD before it was really a known, you know, a common diagnosis. He was never diagnosed with that, but he was definitely a kid with ADHD. He was hyper. He didn't want to be in school.

The love and the support that he received and the love and and support that our family received during that difficult time is exactly what so many of our kids and our teachers and our staff members need in education today because it's hard.

Darrin Peppard (: 18:56

Yeah, I completely agree with you. Yeah, I mean, certainly. Yeah, there's, you you mentioned the keyboard warriors. mean, certainly the political landscape has shifted tremendously in in education and not just in the last four months. It started shifting well before that. And yeah, it's a challenging time. So certainly, leaders, this is a great, great time to to get out, let your staff know that you care about them. And as this episode is is

Brandi Kelly (: 18:57

time.

Darrin Peppard (: 19:24

launching and in your ears, it is teacher appreciation week. So make sure that you're getting out and giving them the love and the props that they deserve. So Brandy, I want to talk about this because if somebody were to jump on the computer and start searching about Lead with Hope, they're going to find that it's much more than just a book.

Brandi Kelly (: 19:44

Mm-hmm.

Darrin Peppard (: 19:51

I mean, certainly the book is out now. The book is wonderful, folks. We'll have a link down in the show notes where you can go and grab a copy of that. But you've actually launched an entire movement, if you will, around this with your website and with everything to do with Spark Hope EDU. certainly, I mean, there's the podcast, there's the blog, all kinds of cool stuff. So.

Talk a little bit about what people would find when they go to your website and then also just maybe some of the work that you are doing connected to helping people lead with hope.

Brandi Kelly (: 20:30

Yeah, like you said, I've got a podcast called Lead with Hope. The book, like you said, is out now and I'm super excited about that. I write a bi-weekly blog just giving some...

motivational, inspirational, practical strategies for leaders on how they can continually lead with hope. And I also do some speaking engagements. I really enjoy connecting with leaders across the country in terms of just talking to them about what this looks like for them personally. And that's where we start. We've to start with you. And then from there, we can build this into a culture of hope.

Because every school is different, every district is different, but in every district, the adults create the culture and the culture is created by all. And I believe that culture is so incredibly important. It makes and breaks our schools. It really makes all the difference in optimizing those outcomes for students. And that's why we're all here.

But you can really find me on any social media outlet. You can go to leadwithhope.net. I've also got sparkhopeedu.com. And I would be very interested in connecting with you and just hearing from the listeners too. What does hope mean to you? And what are the things that you need? Where do you need hope in the landscape of education today? Because I think we are.

better together and we can always learn from each other.

Darrin Peppard (: 22:11

Yeah, outstanding, outstanding stuff right there, folks will make sure again, all the links are down in the show notes. So you can go and check all of those things out. So Brandi, we're at that point in the podcast where I'm gonna ask you the same question I ask everybody here on the show. This is the leaning into leadership podcast. So Dr. Brandy Kelly, how are you leaning into leadership right now?

Brandi Kelly (: 22:32

Right now I'm leaning into leadership as I'm embarking on launching a whole new side business, which the side business is probably going to end up being a full time business next year. I'm looking forward to it and I'm looking forward to leaning into supporting more and more leaders on a national scale as we build culture and we build hope in our schools. And when you

Look at the statistics around hope. High hope environments yield better outcomes for our students and our staff, and that is exactly what we need in education today is more hope.

Darrin Peppard (: 23:13

outstanding stuff right there, folks. Definitely, we need to be building and championing hope in our schools, we need to be leading with hope without question. Wonderful stuff. I appreciate you being here on the podcast, Dr. Brandy Kelly, thank you so much for being on Leaning into Leadership.

Brandi Kelly (: 23:31

Thank you, Darren, for having me. I appreciate it.

Darrin Peppard (: 01:39

All right, folks, super, super awesome conversation with Dr. Brandy Kelly. Brandy is somebody that I've gotten to know over the last maybe two years or so, and just really appreciate her perspectives and just that amazing focus on self-efficacy, on self-reflection and leading ourselves first in order to lead others. Wonderful conversation. Make sure you get down there in the show notes.

Hit those links folks. The link to the book is actually a live link So even if you're listening on May the 4th and the book doesn't come out until the 5th folks You can actually hit that link and go pick up a copy of that book

Darrin Peppard (: 05:21

And now, it's time for a pep talk. This week on the pep talk, just very short, very sweet, and very to the point. Be kind. Be nice. Be patient. Be somebody who is willing to accept others for who they are, whether you agree with them or not. Whether you have the same political affiliation with them or not. Whether you have the same religious background. Whether you have whatever.

I can list a thousand things that right now are separating us as a country. Kindness and patience are what we have to have in order to bring us back together. And every single one of us has that in us. We just have to make the conscious choice of being kind and being patient. That's what I've got for you this week, folks. Be kind and be patient. And get out there and have a road to awesome week.