Sarah Tucker is a force. She's an impact maker to the highest degree. A dedicated public servant who has spent years navigating political minefields and coming out the other side as a trusted voice pushing for yeses in a room much more known for nos. When Dr. Tucker, the Chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia, finds a problem, particularly a problem for the students she is called to serve, she doesn't shrug it off as an unfortunate part of life. She and her team find a solution. It's not always the right fix. It doesn't always last. But the state, and the kids within, are lucky to find her when they go looking for help.
That dedication - the protectiveness that has made her such an effective educational leader - also permeates into her personal life. You'll find in this Walk a couple of professional parents, in different stages of motherhood, perpetually learning to balance the work they love with the ones they love a whole lot more. The 24-hour-a-day, nose-to-the-grindstone priority shift. You'll hear the ebbing and flowing of impostor syndrome, the grief of loss and the impact it has on future decisions, the uncertainty of the next step with July 1 always on the horizon...and the joy of coming home.
What a walk. Thanks, Dr. Tucker.
#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #Chancellor #Action #Motherhood #Loss #WVPol #FoodInsecurity #HigherEd #WestVirginia #CommunityCollege

When Ed Lando enters your orbit, whether as a trusted teenage safety net or a friend heading for a walk, he is locked in. He is presence in every sense of the word. He's looking you in the eye...direct, decisive, and warm. And he's ready to talk. Such was the man who walked for more than an hour, speaking to philosophies of business that more than doubled as philosophies of life and certainly carried more depth than their base mantra of 'keep it simple.'

Ed spoke about his key pillars of leadership: sincerity and trust, but also adds a bit of faith in the future and agency in the present to reinforce those beliefs. These are evident in this discussion and any other you may be lucky enough to have with the man. Call it ego ('there's a difference between ego and arrogance') or faith ('it's going to work out in the end'), but he believes in his...your...everyone's ability to make it work ('and if it's unworkable, then fix that') through positive actions based on two small words.

Not much simpler than that. Thanks for the Walk, Ed.

#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #Culture #Simple #Trust #Sincerity #SimonSinek #Business #Recruiting

Last week we talked about not sweating the big stuff by accepting and appreciating the fact that life always moves on. The sun will come out tomorrow and all that. This week, we're talking about the small stuff. The first thing in the morning, easy but sometimes annoyingly tedious tasks that make the world the slightest bit more welcoming at night. You know, the stuff that makes 12 and a half year old Jadon ask, 'but why?' and makes his mother, Jessica say the words she swore she'd never say...'because I said so.'

But these small wins aren't important just because someone said so. Or just so you get into a clean bed at night. Or just for the sake of passing the time. They are important because they give us hope, they prepare us for the road ahead, and they offer a hint of success when we feel like we're 'doing literally everything wrong'.

As this Walk stretched beyond the parent and gave the child a voice too, we found the words 'big and small' popping up in a variety of ways. Of course, making your bed as soon as you wake up is a small way to set the tone for the day. But finding your voice and embracing your faults are small ways to help you feel big. Or at least keep you from feeling small. Trying and failing and learning and trying again help establish 'keystone habits' and resiliency from the pressures of perfectionism. And accepting the vision of yourself from the eyes of your children...well that can change the whole game.

Here's to small wins and growing big. Thanks for Walking, Jessica and Jadon.

#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #MakeYourBed #Preteen #Anxiety #WendyMogel #PanicAttacks #HockeyMom

You can't prove a negative and life isn't lived in the rearview mirror, so it's hard to say what path we 'stepped off' in order to find the experiences that make us who we are. But it sure feels like a blind leap of faith when it's happening. Whether you're burnt out and need a refresh in the Old World, or just not interested in looking for it, life can find a way of giving you just what you need, just when you need it. Such was the case for Sharon, a former college roommate and one of Liz's first examples of chasing what feels right above what seems next.

From new mantras like 'don't sweat the BIG stuff' to finding the beauty in the meandering nature of life, Sharon is a source of comfort, of grace, and of the courage it takes to step off the treadmill whenever it's meant to be.

Have you ever heard of 'Rubber Ducking'? (scroll to the bottom for a quick poll) While it sounds like a classic Kenan Thompson bit from the 90s, it's a term used by computer programmers like Justin Hinerman to help them break down their code and find flaws. It's kind of like mixing the phrase 'explain this to me like I'm a 5-year-old' and talking to yourself, except you use an inanimate object...like a rubber duck...to remove the issues clouded by your own understanding. By explaining complex problems to someone, or something, that has no context for what you're talking about, you often find hidden bugs and flaws in logic.

Now, we're not saying Liz is a rubber duck...quite the contrary. She was the 90s-era computer teacher, just when the Internet was taking education by storm and terrifying the old guard. And she was the one who saw the future in her students (one in particular) and the power in trusting them. But as she and Justin talked, the parallels from the mid-90s became clearer and clearer...a new, overwhelming tech spilling into classrooms and scaring everyone, students starting miles ahead of the old guard, and Justin's 13 year old child at the center, a kid the same age he was when he met 'Miss H'. It was like rubber ducking the code of 2025 and it even made Justin take pause. 'I'm thinking I need to adjust my posture a bit when it comes to my kids and technology...less 'restriction and limitation' and more 'teaching and trust...with safeguards'.

Rubber Duck Debugging at its best. 🦆

⁉️📱PARENTS: What is your strategy when it comes to emerging tech like smartphones, social media, and AI?

#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #Linsly #Softball #Editing #AI #Tech #Alumni #RubberDucking

As we round into the final stretch of this project, we're going to offer a few 'bottle' episodes, as it were. Some side conversations or special videos that don't quite fit the format of our Walks, but add context or flesh out the series...or maybe they'll just be silly and fun.
Today, we take our first little detour on our path to 50 to share a special Q&A with Carole Ann Al-Din, a counselor with unique knowledge of EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. EMDR is a technique for treating trauma that focuses on the darting movements of the eyes, and something we've noticed may be helping facilitate the deep conversations with our walkers.
It's a fascinating look into the mind and the connection we seem to have stumbled upon (pardon the pun...). We hope you enjoy!

There are often only a handful of people in our lives who get to see us in all our glory, or non-glory, as it were. So, poetically, when Anne first set out on this Walk, the mics failed to record. Then the voiceover recording failed. In fact, even the video we originally planned to promote this Walk failed too. One of those weeks, I suppose. But with every setback, there was this little voice saying, 'well, at least it's Anne.' Not because she matters less, quite the contrary, but because she's been there for you before and she'll be there again. Plus, who couldn't use an excuse for another stroll with a true friend?
On this re-walk, Anne discusses a new project, something that's been quietly bubbling for some time now. Something that, with the help of a partner who amplifies her strengths, may just transform the market for affordable housing in urban areas. When a private passion serves a public purpose, you discover a calling, and we're so fortunate to have recorded (this time) a snapshot of how it feels right at the start.
So enjoy two friends talking, sometimes over each other, in short hand, for support, for accountability, and to share the excitement in realizing a idea and taking a big, bold leap.
...and get excited because she is about to change some things.
#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #Architect #Business #ManufacturedHousing #Urban #YesAnd

As kids and families around the country wrap up another school year and prepare to dive headlong into summer, Liz took some time to walk with a few of those kiddos and discuss it all...learning, failures, teaching, friendships...giving us a snapshot into the minds of elementary-aged children at such an important part of their growth and development. Some of it was surprising, some of it was...age appropriate, and some of it was downright profound.
These Walks with children weren't on the list when this project began, but they've quickly become some of the most poignant and meaningful of all. Take the time to ask the questions and listen to the answers, because they have more to say about who they are and what they need than you might think.
#WalkwithMe #WalkwithLiz #GENed #Parenting #Childhood #Leadership #LearningDifferences #Inspiring #Playground #schoolsoutforsummer #wheeling