I absolutely loved the Empowering Women in Leadership episode. I have been trying to take on additional leadership roles within my district and this was incredibly helpful in offering me some suggestions as to how to balance between work and home while also maintaining a strong and confident voice. Definitely worth the listen. Relatable and honest.

Incredible listen! Love getting to hear and learn from so many wonderful educators and leaders!

I enjoy listening to the CharacterStrong podcast because it highlights the importance of equity and access in schools. When this is in place, it can lead to transformational change!

I keep referring people to the 12/6 episode. So epic Pottstown high school with such great ideas. Thank you for keeping the focus where it should be!

focused - practical and so relevant for all desiring to positively impact students !

Thank you for bringing both research based and practical information to us to support us and our students!

So thankful for the work that is being done at Character Strong. I listen to each episode on my way to work in the mornings, and the episode today is just so relevant for our school. We are absolutely trying to prepare students for jobs that have yet to be created. Thank you for providing such useful content!

Thank you to Character Strong for inviting me to be a guest on this podcast. I has been a honor and privilege! It is my hope and prayer that through my story others will share theirs.

Wow! Some great ideas to reflecting on what we can control, community building exercises, and giving us a place for ample resources! As an elementary we are going from hybrid/cohort model to being at the school full time and teachers have been wanting community building activities. This episode had SIMPLE and meaningful examples for both staff and students. And yes, I have been more intentional about taking care of myself but still need those reminders to stay on track. THANK YOU!

This podcast is outstanding. The topics and guests provide quick hits of thought-provoking ideas and discussion surrounding SEL to inspire and empower staff and students. I love that the host John Norlin takes notes to document what resonates with him and then shares that with the guest and audience. Norlin also provides information for the listener to go deeper after the podcast. Truly exceptional, top quality content.

Hi, I was a student of Ryan Healy and I recommend this podcast to all ages and groups. It has influenced my views and options on many different things. Thank you for taking the time to make people’s days!

This is awesome and hits on topics that educators should listen to in order to build their capacity in a variety of interest areas. Short enough to keep attention!

Not a podcast fan (I say that for anyone who is hesitant to start this podcast), but I LOVE this one! CharacterStrong takes away EVERY excuse. Each podcast is quick (10-15 min) & offers only the background info you need to know AND gives you 1-2 insanely practical ideas you could implement same day. They not only address student needs, but make sure to take care of teachers/staff/admin as well. And while they strive to make everything as easy as possible, they don’t pretend like our world is a “one-simple-skill-fix;” they respect our hard work. I always feel hopeful and empowered when I’m done listening. Side note: while I use CharacterStrong with my Leadership kids, I only started listening to the podcast this summer (2020). It’s fascinating to start with their first and work your way to the newest episodes. They were addressing ALLLLL the things everyone is suddenly scrambling to fix from the very start. Every time someone says, “our world is changing so fast we need to prepare kids for the unexpected” it makes me laugh and think, “oh if we only knew how true those words were ...” 😂😂😂

Enjoyed the episode with Johnathan A! Can’t wait to listen to more episodes.

I love the 15 minute timeframe and the wonderful ideas jam-packed into each episode! I hadn't heard of the Character Strong program, though I'll definitely be tuning in to learn more about it. I just listened to the Monday Morning Huddles episode and have so many great ideas to share with my building leaders- I already sent our middle school principal a link to the episode! :) Great podcast to support the social-emotional needs of our students- As Houston says, it's not one more thing added to our plates- it IS the plate. Highly recommend!

I started listening to this after my district adopted Character Strong/PurposeFULL People. I have a H A R D group of students this year, but listening to this podcast on my morning commute (of 10-12 minutes) encourages my heart, envisions me for the day, builds hope in me for my students, and shifts some paradigms giving me more “low burden, high impact” ideas. I can’t recommend it enough!

Every bite sized episode leaves me inspired and gets me thinking about how to be a better educator. It’s fun and energetic and also offers some big insights and paradigm shifts. It’s great for when you’re driving to work!

I recently started listening to the Character Strong podcast and I love it. They keep it short and sweet but really cut to the heart of what matters. They’re great for the drive home and practical to consider as we are working to be a Character Strong school. Thanks!

Today's podcast with John Alsheimer "Making a Difference in Our Schools Starts in the Classroom" was awesome,#NextLevelTeaching ! I'm so thankful for these podcasts as well as the CharacterStrong team and resources. #BeTheDifference #MakeKindnessNormal

Just what educators need from PD! You want to be inspired and ready to create learning in just 15 minutes, this is the podcast for you!

I love the content and length of the podcast. The list of ideas I have from just a few episodes is amazing; things that I can do today- right now! And when you feel like you’re the only one trying to build culture on your campus, it’s so nice to know there is a huge community out there supporting you.

Super excited for Season 2; when the bells rings in the middle of an episode, you know it's the REAL deal! Thank you, Jonathan A. for your passion, energy, and engagement; you amaze and inspire. John and Houston, LOVE these soundbites. Thank you for positively influencing our {heart} work. Not subscribed yet? Do yourself a favor and tune in today!

Thank you character strong team for making my drive into work meaningful everyday!

As a teacher and avid podcast listener, this one great! It’s short and sweet but gives great practical tools and ideas to start implementing at my school site. Their principles of kindness, compassion and building character shine through in every episode. Keep up the great work! I am sharing frequently with my staff!

Straight and to the point they get right after it and have really cool guests on! Loved the Jonathan Alsheimer episode especially!

This podcast gets better and better! I look forward to listening to every new episode that comes out and take something new away w wwwwwww

I really am not a fan of podcasts. Having said that, I was challenged to listen to this podcast on the way to work weekly. I’ve listen to a few so far, and had to tell my husband (also an educator) to listen to them. They give you those nuggets that you can use immediately at school. So glad I tuned in!

I tell everyone I know about the Character Strong podcast! There are little nuggets of goodness in every episode! I love this extra way to glean even more awesomeness from the Character Strong team!

As an educator you are always looking for things you can use right away! Character Strong has the immediate use bits! I love all that they have to offer! Everything Character Strong gives you are things you can use immediately and forever! I always feel invigorated after listening to them!

Everyone can benefit from this podcast! not just people in education. I love how they cut the fluff and get right to the stuff. I have shared many strategies and have the played the podcast in many principal trainings to help support our whole child initiative.

Every single episode makes me better, not only as a human, but also as a teacher. They just get straight to the point and make it meaningful! I’m so thankful for this resource!

This podcast has become a favorite of mine. I love that it is short and focused enough for me to get some great inspiration on my way to work in the morning. Your choice of guests has wonderful. Each one brings a unique, wonderful gift to their episode. Will keep being a raving fan of yours!!

I’m so grateful to have discovered your podcast and website! I started making weekly videos in January based on twelve different character traits (one trait per month) and in listening to your podcast, I hear you saying the same things I do (“love is a choice”). I am slowly working my way through all your episodes and will dig into your website. Sounds like you have a wonderful and much needed program for schools. Many blessings to you in your endeavors. Thus is awesome! Tara Hoke Schiro

Cant get enough of this! Great stuff and what a great way to get inspiration before walking into my own school building.

As a busy educator, time is of the essence. This 10 minute model is a great way to tap into weekly inspiration for helping model servant leadership in our students. Listen on the commute to work to kick off your day in a positive way or conclude your day with impactful character practices to take back to school the next day!

Grateful for this resource! I am surrounded by a lot of educators that I can’t wait to recommend this podcast to! We tend to forget about giving aide to our educators and this is exactly just that!

Houston and John go deeper than education! The guests are fantastic, the info is practical, and the energy is contagious.

I am a educator of 15 years. I started my career in a charter middle school, moved into high school, stepped away for two years to work with curriculum and teachers, and have come back to the high school classroom. The intention in leaving the classroom was to reestablish purpose while possibly even introducing it into another teacher’s life. It wasn’t the experience I’d sought, but meaningful nonetheless, and brought me back to the classroom. It’s been a ROUGH year. Though nearly at its end, I’m still looking for ways to refocus on MY purpose. There enters the Character Strong podcast. I am reinvigorated. I almost want to cry because THIS is the work I want to do. I’m so grateful to have found the podcast and organization, and can’t wait to move deeper into my purpose as an educator.

A focused and succinct mental boost. Listened while my young kids were napping and came away feeling lighter. “The goal is [still] to get everyone dancing.” Love that!

This podcast is a gem of real conversations on how to help youth become good people. A must listen for educators who are focused on character development & emotionally healthy teaching and learning in schools. The quick tips, ideas & philosophies are reasonable, down to earth & easy to implement. Each episode I walk away with a reminder about what I value most or an idea to improve my practice or school. Great listen, thank you!

So happy to have a podcast that is emulating what we actually need! It is evident that this was birthed out of passion and a true need for kindness. Thank you!!!

A great lesson though conversation from great leaders to empower others to do great things. If you’re an aspiring leader looking to grow you’re going to want to listen in!

I have been wanting true professional development training like this in a podcast for so long and here it is!!!

Love everything about this organization and all the programs they offer. Everything that is created by CharacterStrong is centered in intention and compassion. Love hearing from the co-founders and learning from their guests and them! Excited that the growth of SEL and character development is on the rising and that we have amazing leaders to pour our faith in for the future of our children.

I’m so glad this podcast exists. It’s such a great way to get new ideas.

I feel very fortunate to have had John as a teacher in high school. He’s a remarkable leader and teacher and the lessons he taught are ingrained in me. I’m so glad he has a podcast.

Love this podcast. Houston is such an inspiration. Legend 🙌

Real passion behind this. Love love love it!

No one teaches leadership, emotional skills, and culture like John and Houston. Love that I have all this game-changing content right here. This is FREE COLLEGE!!!

I first learned about CharacterStrong by a simple act of fate at an educational leadership conference last year. Houston Kraft led one of a myriad of workshop options that day. The session still stands out to me as one of the most transformative and inspiring experiences I have had as an educator. The ways in which Houston and John have crafted lessons and experiences around the traits of empathy, kindness and community powerful yet simple to connect to. I have been weaving much of the CharacterStrong leadership and advisory curriculums in my ASB class here in San Diego and, in huge part to CharacterStrong, my students have evolved and grown in so many ways that make me so proud as a teacher. This is the first SEL curriculum I have ever dove into that authentically connects with my students. The conversations that we have in class are real, they are honest, they are light hearted, and often times they are raw and vulnerable. My students feel safe in sharing their thoughts and personal stories and they feel supported by each other. The themes allow students of all ability levels and backgrounds to develop a sense of belonging to the classroom community and practice skills of kindness and support for one another. Whenever I “talk shop” with my friends and family (as we educators often do) I find many of my philosophical and practical ideas revolving around the foundational principles of CharacterStrong. I am so looking forward to following yet another facet John and Houston’s passion to share their powerful philosophies on meaningful and intentional character development with this new podcast. I highly recommend subscribing! Keep it coming my friends!