Lens of Leadership: A Ted Lasso Rewatch Podcast

Carol of the Bells S2 | Ep 4

• Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio • Season 2 • Episode 4

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Wondering how Ted Lasso's holiday episode can teach us about leadership and community? Tune into this episode of the Lens of Leadership podcast as we delve into "Carol of the Bells" from Season Two, Episode Four. Joining Marnie and Nick is Amy Wieland, who brings a treasure trove of insights from her extensive background in education and ed tech.

Here's what we'll explore:

* Ted’s experience away from family during the holidays and the universal longing for connection.
* Roy and Keeley’s creative problem-solving as they tackle Phoebe’s humorous yet touching dilemma.
* How these stories from the episode reflect our own holiday challenges and the deeper quest for community and well-being.

Amy will share her personal holiday traditions and the unexpected joys of her unique Black Friday surprises, illustrating the profound impact of community support during the festive season. Through engaging stories and thoughtful discussion, we highlight how the themes of generosity and connection in Ted Lasso are not just seasonal but foundational elements of effective leadership. Join us for an episode filled with heartwarming tales and leadership lessons wrapped in holiday cheer.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Lens of Leadership, our Ted Lasso rewatch podcast. Before we dive into this episode's leadership lessons, let's watch a quick recap.

Speaker 2:

Season two, episode four. Carol of the Bells starts off with the AFC Richmond team swapping secret Santa gifts. Nate gives Ted a memorable photo. Keely's planning for sexy Christmas. Higgins invites Ted to join his open house for anyone from out of town, but Ted is planning a FaceTime Christmas with Henry. Sexy Christmas has to be postponed when Phoebe joins. Facetime Christmas is a bust. Roy thinks Phoebe might be dying of bad breath. Higgins' house is filling up with guests. Rebecca rescues Ted for the day. Roy takes Keely and Phoebe to his posh neighborhood to find a dentist. Higgins' table is full of family, friends, food and laughs. Good news for Phoebe the selfie guy's mom is a dentist and Roy pays off a pharmacist to help Phoebe, who has the tough conversation with Bernard poster board style and gets an apology. Higgins toasts all the players in their homelands. Ted and Rebecca surprise them with carols and that ends the best Christmas episode ever.

Speaker 3:

Hi everyone, I'm Nick Coniglio.

Speaker 1:

And I'm Marnie Stockman, and this is Lens of Leadership, a Ted Lasso rewatch podcast. We're the authors of Lead it Like Lasso, a leadership book for life, your life.

Speaker 3:

This podcast is an extension of many of the elements outlined in our book. We invite you to join us as we take a deep dive into each episode and explore the leadership principles as they play out in the series. And for today's episode, we're diving into season two, episode four, Carol of the Bells. We're excited to jump into a number of different topics with our special guest and special friend, Amy Wieland.

Speaker 1:

Yay, we're so excited. We have known Amy for a long time and as much as really any human that Nick and I know. Amy lives the LASSO way. She's a rock star in the education space. She started her career, like me, as a teacher and went on to fill many other roles in the school district instructional coach, curriculum specialist and then moved to the private sector, became one of the most sought after leaders sales leaders in the ed tech space. Amy's currently and correct me if I'm wrong VP of sales at Education Advanced, an ed tech company that builds software for K-12 school districts that ultimately improve efficiency for educators, allowing them to dedicate more time to student needs. So how'd I do?

Speaker 4:

Did we get that right? Yeah, you're hired. Spot on. It was great.

Speaker 1:

Amy's front picture Hype folks.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Amy welcome. Thanks for joining us.

Speaker 4:

Well, it's so good to see both of you, so glad to be a part of this.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, yeah, you ready to get started? Yeah.

Speaker 4:

You're ready to get started.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, all right, we're going to start with three rapid fire questions. You know we sometimes refer to them as biscuits with a boss. It's our icebreaker, so you're ready.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

All right, first one.

Speaker 1:

Favorite secret Santa gift either given or received. Ooh.

Speaker 4:

We? Ooh, I don't have an answer. Hold on.

Speaker 1:

I know I have certainly had things in my mailbox before that an Amy Whelan has delivered to my children or to me.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I just ooh, should have been ready for that one. Can we do the other rapid fire, and I will like nurture that We'll get back to that one. We'll come back, you would think that would be one of my easiest questions.

Speaker 3:

All right. So in this episode we had Sexy Christmas, which was a new holiday tradition for Keely and Rory right, what is your favorite holiday tradition?

Speaker 4:

Well, I would say, just getting family together. I do force family pictures on everyone, so that's fun, especially with my brother and trying to get him in on all the family pictures. But just getting everybody together, getting a picture with my dad, with all the great grandchildren, those kinds of things, and usually hanging out at the beach, because I live in Florida, so holiday tradition is to have a big meal, and usually hanging out at the beach, because I live in Florida, so holiday tradition is to have a big meal together, hang out at the beach, just enjoy each other. Another one, though, which is a little more creative, I think you'll like, because it's close to Thanksgiving.

Speaker 4:

One year I thought, well, I'm going to save myself some time. We have six kids together and four grandchildren. So I gave everybody a hundred dollars for Black Friday. I said go shop, okay, get yourselves what you want with your hundred dollars, come home, I don't want to see it. I want you to wrap it and put it under the tree. And that saved me a ton of time because they got what they wanted. They spent some of their Christmas money and they even forgot what they bought themselves. So it's really fun. We call it Black Friday surprise, so they do have to wrap it themselves. So not only did I save time shopping, it's very creative Save time wrapping that is a holiday tradition.

Speaker 3:

I will start to uh implement.

Speaker 4:

Yeah yeah, they are trying to increase the dollar amount. I've kept it flat at 100 bucks for about 10 years now, but it was the best thing I ever did yeah, yeah, I'm a fan.

Speaker 1:

We're always about life hacks. I talk about sending my kids grocery shopping in the book. Even so, I like it.

Speaker 4:

So, true or false, carol of the Bells is the best holiday episode ever.

Speaker 1:

True, yeah, such a good one, yeah, true. So in the episode for those that haven't watched it say as recently as yesterday, like we have there are three kind of major storylines that go on. One, rebecca's making sure Ted's okay on his first Christmas away from Henry, to Roy and Keely are on a mission to diagnose and fix Phoebe's a bad breath. The subplot is Keely is also taking care of Roy, who is taking care of Phoebe, and then Higgins is hosting the team for a Christmas meal, knowing they would be missing their families. So of those three, is there is one of those? Do you have a favorite storyline of those three?

Speaker 4:

Oh, they're also good because I just love the way Roy takes care of you know his knees.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, and and. But I would have to say, uh, Rebecca, uh, taking care of him being alone without a son, you know, and thinking he was going to have the whole day on FaceTime, only having 20 minutes and then sitting there watching. It's a wonderful life with, with, with a lot of us do, but her timing perfect uh, and just everything they did, uh from beginning to end, and the journey they took uh, and how it all came together. In the end, I loved it. But you know, I of course liked all three streams because the higgins expecting two and getting so many and then just watching them play and be like children and just show so much love. So it was good. Oh yeah, hard to pick a favorite, but I would say Rebecca's taking care of 10.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I, I, I hear you and I, I would agree, Best, best Christmas holiday episode ever created in any sitcom. But you know, marty and I we kind of have this shtick which is, you know, we like to watch these episodes and pull out a theme through the lens of leadership, because kind of that's what we do, you know. So, you know, when we were first talking about this episode, we're like, oh my gosh, it was kind of an outlier episode, right, it really wasn't planned, and I think Apple ordered some extra episodes and they kind of threw it in there and we were a little nervous at the time that we're like, huh, you know, I wonder what we can pull out of this episode, cause you know it's full of that warm and fuzzy holiday type thing. But then we watched it and we said, oh my gosh, you know, we're going to start bringing on guests this season and for this particular one, after we watched it a couple of weeks ago, we were like Amy Willand is like the perfect guest for this, for this episode, because the theme that we thought of, we thought of Simon Sinek, right, and he says, you know, leadership is not being about, it's not about being in charge, it's really about taking care of those in our charge.

Speaker 3:

That's see, even the phone agrees with that. But but, amy, that's our interaction with you, our experience with you. I mean this, just this resonates, amy, whelan, right? So I was hoping that you could. You could maybe talk a little bit about how you've embodied this philosophy, both as an educator and in the tech space, about really taking care of those in your charge. Is that that's something that resonates with you? Clearly, right?

Speaker 4:

At least it's our that it means a lot to me, because I think I've always felt that people that are taken care of and that are understood actually perform better and enjoy work more. Are metrics important? Kpis important? Sure, but if people aren't motivated both intrinsically to do well and feel a part of a team or a family, those metrics are meaningless to anybody. So I think I'm not the kind of sales leader that ignores the heavy hitting metrics. But what's more important to me is that people are excited about their work, they're excited and passionate about what they're doing and that they feel understood and heard, and I think that's part of why I enjoy working with people so much.

Speaker 4:

So, you know, I'm constantly sort of walking in other people's shoes and trying to be curious, not judgmental, is one of my favorite lines, because it's important. Don't jump to conclusions. I've certainly grown over the years where I might have been, you know, in my younger years of management, a little more. You know quick to judge. And then I just started to realize if you ask a couple questions and understand motivation and understand how people tick, you actually work better together. People are happier, we're laughing and we're getting a lot done.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you know, it's funny. You say that you talked about family, right, and there was one scene in this. I mean, there's so many scenes in this episode that I love but I remember at the very end, when, you know, all the players were lined up in Higgins' house, right, and he did his toes.

Speaker 1:

To the family we're born with and to the family we make along the way, and, most importantly, to Richmond.

Speaker 3:

And I thought that was so powerful and why I love having you on this episode. I don't know for those that aren't very familiar, both Marty and I worked together with Amy and I was at a company that was a really good company before Amy joined and came on board and the difference that Amy made joining our organization took us from a good to a great company, and I think one of the reasons why that happened is because you created such a culture of family and getting to know people and building relationships and taking an interest not only on the people down the stream but also upstream, and that culture became contagious. And I think everything that you just said you know, thinking about things from everybody else's perspective, getting to know them it's I've seen that success and work out firsthand and and you do it really well.

Speaker 4:

So well, I guess that's pretty big kudos. Yeah, thank you. That's amazing. You did bring tears. I don't know if that was your goal, but that is absolutely worth checking the box.

Speaker 1:

Try to make our guests cry if possible. So I mean, I've worked for you and with you and I can attest to that for sure. We have all kinds of experiences, some of which we won't repeat on the air, some of which we will. Some bonding is odder than others will say. I know what you're thinking. I was like. Now I know you know what I'm thinking of. Yeah, so Higgins is really being intentional with the toast. So know, mr Nick's talking about him at the end of the table. And one thing that I think is really important in that was first he welcomed everybody in, everybody brought food from their homeland and then he specifically called out where they were from To you and all your families back in Lagos, guadalajara, lagos, guadalajara, cronigan, cordon, montreal, benin City, harare, kingston and Santa Cruz de la Sierra Yay, oh, from Lagos, from here, there and everywhere. And everybody was smiling and really appreciated that he had made that connection.

Speaker 1:

When you taught, I loved, I loved reading your like this week in the class. You know things happen. So I know you're all about relationship building and again, having worked with you and for you, I know for a fact that you do this everywhere. So what advice would you have for a leader who's looking to build strong relationships with folks and with their teams, especially in a high-pressured environment. Because I will add to what you said you 100% hit, slash, crush the KPIs in a way that still makes folks feel like family, right, I mean, I've worked for some gross leaders. You're not on that list, right, and you killed all that need, that balance.

Speaker 4:

That's a great question. I would say the first, when you started to ask that, the first thing that came to mind was being authentic. Trust was a huge, huge value. With my family growing up, I think I once lied to my dad about actually going to swim practice when I went to the beach instead and came home with wet hair and the coach. I had never missed practice. So the coach called him. So I'll never forget how I felt the minute I told him I was at practice and then the way he handled it and trust was ingrained.

Speaker 4:

I was probably nine, 10 years old and not that trust didn't matter prior to that, but it was just this amazing feeling about being truthful, ethical, saying the news, the good news, the bad news when, so having integrity about it.

Speaker 4:

So sometimes we we have to deliver not so good news to our teams, but doing it with our authentic approach to things. I think is important. I'm rambling a little, but trust, integrity, you know, and being authentic. You know, not saying, hey, I see in the background you have a boat. You know like it's being real about your conversations with your staff, giving good news and bad news quickly so that people can adjust and using anything that you know that needs improvement being able to say you know, let the person you're talking to also provide the solution. Don't go with a problem and a solution, but go with an observation and a suggestion of brainstorming how to fix it. So that was kind of a roundabout way to answer the question, but I would say the best way to build relationships and I think it's almost kept in obvious you know, be authentic, be be trustworthy and say what needs to be said. Don't beat around the bush, you know. Have good, honest, clear conversations.

Speaker 1:

You say, captain, obvious, we put in the back of the book like this seems like a lot of what we put in there is well packaged common sense, but, as Ted said, common sense ain't all that common Sometimes. I think it's important for people to reflect on that for sure. So I bet also in this episode when Roy finally finds a dentist in his posh neighborhood. When he shows up, the dentist's son is the ussy guy, the selfie ussy guy from the airlines. And I think it's important that I know you connect with. I've been to many airports with you right Like you've never met a stranger type of thing.

Speaker 1:

And sometimes you never know what will get political capital, what small act of goodwill, what act of kindness you know along the way may come back and circle back. You know when you're looking for a dentist on Halloween to fix Phoebe's breath type of thing. So, um, any any kind of story of a relationship, whether it's with a teammate or a colleague or or someone that transformed like a tricky situation where you having that relationship made you change it into a success because you had built a relationship with someone.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I've got you know a couple good examples where just being, you know, true to who I am helped me. I was in a situation once where we had hosted a dinner for superintendents and the superintendents that attended the dinner were from all different size districts and my manager at the time came up to me and whispered in my ear I'd like you to talk to the superintendents of the larger districts. Now I was having a very meaningful conversation with a superintendent of a mid-sized district and his wife. So I nodded and smiled and thought it was whispered, but it was loud enough that he heard. So he said it's okay, aim. He called me AIM. It's okay, aim, go talk to the big districts. I said no, no, no, let's finish. So finish the conversation. You know I did eventually. You know he encouraged me like I'd like you to still have a job, like you should go mingle with some other superintendents. So I did, but I stayed at the table, I didn't hop up and leave, I stayed finished, sort of that great dialogue we were having.

Speaker 4:

He ended up being the commissioner of education for the state. So you know he always said the fact that I was real made a big difference in his ability to trust me as a vendor, if you will, at the state level, because he knew that I was really about what's what's right for districts, what's right for districts what's you know? Because we were talking about solving problems at districts, not selling software. It was what are you facing, what are you doing? You know, what do you see in other districts? Those kinds of things.

Speaker 4:

So his comment to me was that that dinner, as eventful as it was for me being in that situation, had an impact on him too, on him too. And I think we hit situations like that all the time, where we are forced to do something that might be uncomfortable, but if we do it again with integrity and you know, sometimes being uncomfortable gets you where you need to go it's not always, it's not always an easy path to get to success, but I'm not sure I'm connecting those dots, but I think, like that relationship, which was important to me, took priority over talking to a district with 400,000 students. Not that I didn't care about that district, but I was going to meet the people in my own way and mingle in a way that made sense to me.

Speaker 1:

And imagine if you hadn't had that relationship and it was a brand new person you were talking to. And then someone basically says he's not worth your time in your ear. And he hears it, yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, it was just like he knew. You know exactly what she said, and that was challenging. I've had a number of things like that where, you know, I think you've heard the story of me getting on a plane, sitting next to somebody who was getting all kinds of selfies, and so I said I had upgraded because I traveled so much, so I was in first class. He sits next to me, he's clearly got security behind him and I'm trying to remember his name. This is horrible. So I lean over and I go, hey, you're clearly famous. And he kind of chuckled. I said, so what's your name? And he said Denzel Washington. And I said no, you're not Like super quick. So we chat a little bit about that. We're laughing.

Speaker 4:

It ended up being the attorney general, eric Holder, yeah, and he was the keynote speaker at the council of great city schools. So he said, let me have your card. I'm going to mention you in my keynote. And sure enough he did. But you know, I, I and I have a selfie with him. Of course I asked his permission and even a selfie with his security guard, but you know, it was just that real situation with him that ended up. That's kind of that amyland thing. We talked about barney in the past, where it just sort of worked out that he mentioned me five times in his keynote amy, you know, and he made me five times in his keynote Amy you know, and he made me stand up and wave and it was pretty cool, pretty cool.

Speaker 1:

We talk about. That character is what makes you stand out in this world, and I think that that is a good demonstration of that.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, yeah, and and I think it's safe to say that I mean, first of all, you had asked the question. I'm not sure if I answered your question correctly and I think you nailed it right, and I think the story about your success is there's such a significant correlation to the relationships you build. I mean, is that safe to say? Yeah?

Speaker 4:

I think so. I think it's what is success without relationships, to me, like that's empty and lonely. I think relationships is the success. The leadership roles and the things we do, those are just pluses. I think the relationships is actually the key part of the success and it just happens to lend itself well to other things.

Speaker 3:

Love that, love that. Thank you. So, switching gears a little bit, we in the show I mean, another theme of the show is really the magic behind charity and gift giving, right, and that plays out, you know, the gift giving plays out throughout all the storylines, right, but from the charity perspective and the generosity perspective, really it's the Rebecca Ted storyline, whereas we mentioned earlier, you know, and you mentioned, that this was one of your favorite storylines of the show. You know, ted was in a really bad place First Christmas without Henry, and Rebecca understood this and really felt like he shouldn't be alone. But even more than that, you know, she felt like she needed to get Ted back to the place where Ted needed.

Speaker 2:

Hey boss, How's FaceTime Christmas with Henry going Well? I lost him to an overpriced guilt gift. Hubris, thy name is Ted. Grab a coat, You're coming with me.

Speaker 3:

Right, which is helping others, giving to others, and she took him on this tour and they acted as elves, right, santa's helpers, delivering gifts, and it was really awesome. But it really it made us think about the whole notion of generosity and I'm curious have you ever witnessed or been part of a moment where an act of generosity or care had a transformative impact within a school or a business environment or anything that you've kind of worked in? Does that resonate with you?

Speaker 4:

It sure does. I think you know I could think of my teaching. You know I went back to the classroom for a year to get to get vested in retirement. But then just having such a rewarding experience and, you know, reaching out on Facebook saying, hey, these kids literally have nothing, I have nothing to put in my classroom, received almost 800 books from colleagues to put in my classroom library Like makes me cry. Marnie was a big part of that. You know you probably did too, nick. It was hard to keep track. I still have a stack of gift receipts to go through. I just never got all the thank yous.

Speaker 4:

And then at Christmas I just said hey, if you'd like to sponsor a kid? Marnie was the very first, very first person to sponsor a kid and I said I have just the kid for you. It was a multiplication fly swatter game and she watching her open. So it was a. You know Marnie's math if you don't know her background. And I taught third grade and multiplication tables were a big thing. So I'd found this fly swatter game. When I asked her, the kids I did little private sessions with little note cards what would you like? And she goes I want the multiplication fly swatter game. That's my girl. I was like, okay, like you know, you can pick a book and a toy. So to her that was her toy. So they all got a book and a toy.

Speaker 4:

So the generosity for each of the kids in my classroom who really would get very little, there was so much. I was able to give every family $50 for Christmas dinner and every student got two presents to take home. And there were so many volunteers that also sponsored my neighboring teacher. So 48 kids were impacted by one single post on Facebook and it just shows that everybody wants to help. But to see the joy on their faces when they saw the gifts, I wouldn't let them open them, but I made them write it down and come back and tell me. So it was really. It was really. It was cool to see that.

Speaker 4:

Very cool yeah.

Speaker 3:

Very cool. So you've, you've started up, you know, you've, you've, you've built organizations. You've built sales organizations, you've built sales organizations. You know, does you know? Are you ever explicit in focusing on how generosity can build a positive team culture? Is that something that you explicitly, you know, think about when building teams, or is it more through action and you know, kind of hey, this is how I approach things. I'm curious about that Is is how do you handle that?

Speaker 4:

I don't think it's intentional, Like when you, when you were saying that, I was like do I do that? Because it's not? Yes, you do.

Speaker 3:

The answer is yes, and I'm just more curious is it intentional? It's really a great way to wrap it up. It's intentional.

Speaker 4:

I think it's more like this happened a lot in the last as I was sort of in the classroom, you know. Then, getting back into ed tech, I would say, how did I do that? Because, you know, my new CEO, Krista, who's phenomenal, would ask a question. Krista, who's phenomenal, would ask a question. I'd have to sit back and say, well, like it was more of a natural doing what's right kind of building of a team and generosity builds on generosity. I think I don't. I, it was never like. It's not like a playbook I have, if that answers your question, it's more of a, it just happens.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, it goes directions, like in all directions. I did this. I thought I'd get a kick out of this morning the girl who sold the most Test Hound, which is one of our products, and so I put this on. I said in honor of you, the queen of Test Hound.

Speaker 1:

Nice.

Speaker 4:

Sierra action. I got to send you the tiara but she, you know, she cracked up and you know, in honor of test town. Now you have to train other people to sell test town because you're so successful. We got to spread the love and you know.

Speaker 1:

Your reward for good work is more good work. But what a great way to do it with the crown and everything. So I know why that is your answer. It's because I think I know what you're going to say. We always like to ask what the Amy Whelan trick play, If there was a trick play, a life hack called the Amy Whelan.

Speaker 4:

What?

Speaker 1:

would it be? Is it the Amy?

Speaker 4:

land.

Speaker 2:

Do you think?

Speaker 4:

that's what you're asking. So I have always had a positive attitude. It's just sort of who I am. I get through illnesses, I defy odds. I'm not supposed to walk, I walk, just fine. You know, I just have a positive attitude. So my family has called that Amyland, which actually came from a friend of mine who has since passed, but she called it Michelle land and she kind of named it for me. She said you have Amy land, just like I have Michelle land. You think positively and things happen. And I said, like what she goes, like you don't feel like walking in a parking spot comes open. Marnie and I were, we're traveling and it has to do with positive attitude. I think we had what? 14 minutes from parking to gate. Yeah, yeah, I thought it was 12, but yeah, maybe 12. And I said, marnie, we can do it. And you probably thought she's a nut, because we still had to return the rental, we had to get through security, we had to get there so Marnie can run faster than me. So I'm like go, I'll get the car.

Speaker 1:

Like you got a hot one here. We got to be at the gate in four minutes. He said get back in that car, I'll get you there, right. So it was the positivity that we were both enthusiastic right out of the gate that he decided he was going to help. And then in the car you said, okay, you're going to do it Marnie way and I'm going to do it Amy way. So you're, you were like diamond, platinum status, whatever the top is everywhere. Like you used all of that to get me points and things like switch my ticket when I couldn't.

Speaker 1:

And you're like I'm going to go and use the you know and get like the grace of of all of my statuses, uh, and go through this way and get a cart. And you run like a banshee, right, my strategy is cause mayhem and smile the whole time. And I can remember like people are undressed, like taking water bottles out of my bag and helping me take jackets off and things. And and I start running, they're pointing me in directions and someone yells are you running to be 22? Cause I'm just sprinting. And I shout back yeah, they're like your friends waiting with a cart, right, and I come around the corner and you're sitting in the cart going run, marnie run, marnie run. And I dive into the back of the cart.

Speaker 1:

It would have made a great like Home Alone episode. It would have yeah, two gates before our gate the driver starts yelling, hold the door. Like the entire airport's cheering us on and we're like we get there right before they shut the door. But it was only because you're like we got this and we're going to do it our way and my way is to go get superior elite status carts driven for me.

Speaker 1:

Marnie, you just run like a lunatic.

Speaker 4:

You're so fat. Well, and Marnie, you've got that same positive energy that creates an atmosphere where people want to perform for you and help you, and both of you were those kinds of leaders too. So I'm honored to be with the two of you because I have such great respect for both of you and the way you led your teams and the way you inspire people. But yeah, amy, land's a real thing, like it's a real thing.

Speaker 1:

I 100% agree. And just so Nick gets the props on the call too. The folks that work for Nick would say I would run through a fire for him.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, true.

Speaker 3:

I'll tell you we don't call that Nick Land, though I don't even know what we call it, but I'm trying to figure out what Nick Land is.

Speaker 4:

But land though we call I don't know what we call it, but I'm trying to figure out what nick land is um, but I am a bigger fan of both amy and marty land. Let me just say that, uh well, even then, on all the customers too, uh, loved both of you so much and probably continue to do so in the years, so when I see a former customer they often will ask about uh, you too, woody james, etc. I like. So impact, you mean a huge standing impact.

Speaker 1:

And that's the family culture that you brought to that to the business. Like Nick said, right, it was already a good business and you brought the great culture to level it up. I think that's awesome.

Speaker 4:

I did think about my white elephant gift.

Speaker 3:

You what? Oh yeah, we're going to circle back to that.

Speaker 4:

You might have forgotten, but I did think of it. So that's when you saw me grab a little notepad and I'll just do it here because it will leave my brain quickly. We saw this little pasta thing and it was shaped like a pasta man and it held pasta. So I gave that to in our family white elephant thing and nobody wanted pasta man, but the two-year-old my, my nephew, who's now probably 30. And we have a pasta man joke that has been going on for about 25 years now that if you see one, you take a selfie with a pasta man. It could be life-size, it could be small Every once in a while.

Speaker 4:

My brother couldn't get rid of his fast enough. The next year everybody got pasta man and he would walk around the house going pasta man. He loved it. He was too loved it. So it's still sort of something that gets passed along. There is a pasta man Facebook page that hasn't been updated in 10 years but you'll see that pasta man traveled. He had a seatbelt on, he paid the toll Like we did, like this whole thing for a few years. So look him up. That's fantastic.

Speaker 4:

Anyway, that's my favorite one that I gave. So okay, what other questions do you have?

Speaker 3:

Well, I think we're through our questions. I'm curious is there anything else you wanted to share about what you're doing now or, you know, learn more about Education Advanced or Amy Whelan, Anything?

Speaker 4:

else. You want to share with our audience a school district out there and you'd like to save time and be more efficient and help empower educators to do what they're born to do. Take a look at Education Advance. Follow us on, you know, linkedin all the social stuff. Follow us everywhere Right, link up with me on LinkedIn too. I would love to get to know more people, but we're really it is like a cult. I shouldn't say cult following, but it is kind of like a.

Speaker 1:

I think in the Ted Lasso world you can say that, because we mean it in the best possible way.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, yeah, I do so just knowing you know. They had a Texas conference recently and the booth was swarmed with happy customers who absolutely love the solutions. They would never get rid of some of the solutions we have. So if you don't know about us, look into us, because there's a couple of things. We have a lot of educators in the company not unlike some of the work we did together previously who built things for educators, so built by educators for educators, for administrators with a real passion to do what's right, and an amazing CEO who believes in doing the right thing for our customers and our employees. So it's just a great company to get connected to.

Speaker 1:

So look us up. It's never the wrong time to do the right thing, I think that's awesome.

Speaker 4:

I like that yeah.

Speaker 3:

Amy, we can't thank you enough for giving us the time and talking to us today. You truly have a superpower around relationships. This was the perfect episode around building relationships and keeping them. This was the perfect episode to bring you in, so thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate your time.

Speaker 4:

Well, thank you, and I want to thank you for your book, and how I spread the love with that book is to give it to as many people as I can and lead it like glass. So it's a phenomenal, phenomenal piece of work and the work you're doing ongoing is just inspirational. So thank you, thank you for having me on this.

People on this episode

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Marnie Stockman

Host
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Nick Coniglio

Host