Dying To Ask

Adrienne Bankert On Why Kindness Is A Superpower

What's your superpower?

Adrienne Bankert's superpower is kindness. She says it fuels everything in her life from personal relationships to her rise as a network news correspondent. Adrienne, or AB as I call her, is also a former colleague, a good friend and someone I've watched grow with kindness for the last 15 years.

Her new book is called "Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness That Makes You Unbeatable at Work and Connects You with Anyone" and its message couldn't be more timely.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How a reputation for being kind led to Adrienne's big break in network TV
• The difference between nice and kind and why your goal should be kindness
• Why you should schedule kindness into your calendar
• And Fitz and AB remember some crazy times on the KCRA news set and reflect on the role mentors have played in both their lives

Why Workplace Etiquette In The Age Of Coronavirus Is So Important

Nothing has changed modern manners quicker than coronavirus.

Pre-COVID-19, mastering modern etiquette could help you advance in your career. Post-coronavirus, mastering the nuances of interacting with your colleagues (especially on Zoom) and being a team player might save your job.

Diane Gottsman is a modern etiquette expert who runs the Protocol School of Texas. She helps employers and employees navigate productivity with elegance. And, let's be honest, Zoom calls aren't exactly elegant.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The link between etiquette and job security.
• The mistake you're probably making on Zoom calls.
• What to do if you had a wedding or other big event planned this summer.

Novelist Sarah Jio Finds Life Stranger Than Fiction

Sometimes life is stranger than fiction. That's been the case for all of us since stay-at home-orders went into effect.

Working from home isn't easy. But, one profession seems more suited for it than others: writers. Novelist Sarah Jio has worked from home for years. She's a former freelance journalist who wrote for publications like Glamour magazine until she wrote her first fiction book, "The Violets of March."

That was nearly 10 years ago and Sarah hasn't stopped writing since. However, she's now finishing her latest novel while being surrounded virtually 24/7 with a family that includes a husband, three sons, three stepkids and a brand new puppy! #whatcouldgowrong

In this Dying to Ask:

• The unusual challenges stay-at-home orders present for writers who crave solitude to be creative
• The impact COVID-19 is having on authors with summer release dates
• Why olive oil is THE BEST
• And Fitz and Sarah share what they're reading these days

Lisa Leonard On Entrepreneurship, Motherhood During Coronavirus

Lisa Leonard is the name behind the brand. Lisa Leonard Designs is a multimillion-dollar company specializing in handstamped jewelry.

Leonard, a former teacher, turned the company from a hobby in her house to a brand featured all over Instagram and in national magazines, including "Martha Stewart Weddings."

She's also a best-selling author. Her latest book, "Be You: 20 Ways to Embrace Who You Really Are" explores the personal growth Leonard went through after experiencing a crisis in her marriage and her belief that women can control their emotional and fiscal destinies by changing simple things in their daily lives.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How a woman with no business experience created a multimillion-dollar brand.
• How Leonard brainstorms the clever sayings and words that make it into her handstamped jewelry line.
• And Fitz and Leonard discuss the way COVID-19 has impacted what it means to be a mother.

 

How To Handle Your QuaranTEEN During COVID-19 Outbreak

It's been a longtime dream for working parents consumed with guilt for not spending enough time with their kids. "I wish I could spend more time at home." Well, the pandemic has created a lot of forced together time for families. Shocker, it's not exactly what we thought it would be!

A lot of families are fighting friction as we fight coronavirus. And, if you have teenagers stuck at home, it's likely even more challenging.

Parenting expert Katherine Reynolds Lewis is the author of "The Good News about Bad Behavior." Katherine has some great advice on how to handle conflict the stay-at-home order is creating between parents and kids. And, she explains the silver lining she's found in her own family as she holds down the fort while her husband, a physician, works the front line in another state.

How To Homeschool With Matt Beaudreau Of Acton Academy Placer

How's homeschooling going for you? It's a position many parents never would have seen themselves in, but coronavirus has thrown everything in life into flux, including education. 

Millions of American kids are home from school with no guarantee they'll return to classrooms before the end of the school year.

The only families that aren't hugely impacted by stay-at-home orders? Those who homeschooled before the outbreak started.

Matt Beaudreau is our guest on today's podcast. He runs Acton Academy Placer. The academy is a resource for homeschool families where kids meet to collaborate on projects and activities.

His TED Talk on why traditional American education needs a radical change has tens of thousands of views and launched a successful side career in professional speaking.

He's spoken before Fortune 500 companies on why America needs to educate kids differently to raise individuals better prepared to handle the modern workforce.

Well, here we are. Stuck at home, and a lot of us are turning to homeschooling experts like Matt to lead the way.

On this Dying to Ask:

• Why Matt says the first things parents need to do is not panic
• Why your kid should lead the way in education while they're home
• Where to find free online resources to keep academics moving forward
• The silver lining in this unscheduled timeout in American life

Matt's suggested online resources:

1. Courage To Grow: Free on Amazon for the time being, but about the best book you'll find for a time like this. (Audible is 99 cents right now, too).
2. Khan Academy
3. YouTube: Yup, there are actually a ton of amazing resources to learn about absolutely anything on YouTube. The key is intentionality around what you are using it for.
4. Stossel in the Classroom: Good conversations about important topics have never been more timely. Likely for kids with a little more maturity behind them, but so relevant.
5. It's a tie between Coursera, Udemy, Skillshare, Udacity and Lynda, which have a ton of free content.

How To Organize Your House Like A Professional

Feeling the urge to purge?

You're not alone. Professional organizer Kim Salisbury says she's getting hundreds of messages from people wanting organization advice during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Kim says we're drawn to decluttering because it gives us a sense of control in a time when we don't feel like we have much control over everything.

Plus, we're at home 24/7! So, those piles of junk are really getting on our nerves.

In this Dying to Ask:

• How organizing your personal space can change your outlook during the coronavirus crisis.
• Simple ways to clear the clutter and free your mind.
• And, what it's like to be a professional organizer for the stars, including celebrity chef Cat Cora.

How To Work Out At Home With Trainer Ty Rendlich-Texidor

Gyms closing was a real breaking point for a lot of us who rely on boot camps and strength workouts to manage stress and our health.

What's a gym rat to do? Get online. Personal trainers are flooding Instagram with doable home workouts using "equipment" you'll find around your house.

Personal trainer Ty Rendlich-Texidor has converted 100% of her clients to online training in just a week. And, it's working.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How to break a sweat while working out at home
• The impact exercise will have on your mental health during the stay-at-home order
• And Coach Ty gives us all a pep talk on why exercise is more about sanity than vanity these days

 

How To Handle College Students Returning Home During The COVID-19 Outbreak

Think it's tough having little kids at home during the coronavirus outbreak? Try having college students back unexpectedly. It's a huge transition for students and parents.

Kellie Randle is an expert in navigating parenting college kids. Her popular Instagram page, Empty Nest Mom Life, offers tips for parents whose kids have left the nest.

Now, however, those kids are returning to the nest in a time that's overwhelming, scary and downright maddening for families making a huge adjustment to daily life.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How Kellie rapidly adjusted to having three adult children return to her downsized home
• Why empathy may be your best tool in the days following their return home
• How she set up "spaces" around the house so that she, her kids and her husband can work and study
• And, she encourages us to look for the silver lining in forced together time

Mike TeSelle On To Help Your Kids Deal With The Loss Of Youth Sports

Kids home + canceled youth sports = nightmare. 

Our kids have gone from being scheduled to the minute to having hours with nothing to do. The loss of afternoon sports is huge for kids. Sports burn energy and provide kids with a sense of identity and social interaction.

My colleague, Mike TeSelle, is my guest on this episode. Mike is a dad of two teenage kids who are obsessed with soccer. Mike has been a coach. You've maybe seen him on the sidelines as a ref. And, most recently, he's joined the Positive Coaching Alliance as a board member.

His insight into understanding the loss your kids are feeling from the lack of sports is profound. His advice might help you smooth the transition for your kids while they're home during the coronavirus threat.