Do kids even want to learn a skill like playing the guitar? This week we sit down with Matt Gerry, the guitar and music teacher at South Middle School in Salina, whose 24-year journey has taken him everywhere from a Weezer-sponsored trip to Chicago to a Radio Disney commercial — and even a Grammy Music Educator Award nomination. Before we get to Matt, Sydney shares a heartwarming (and a little ironic) story about a Kansan TikToker helping out a fellow Kansan stranded far from home, and Gus reminisces about the Hanks and Joshes of the world who keep our cars running. Then Matt takes us through how he fell in love with guitar via his dad's old Gibson, built a guitar program from scratch against school-system red tape, won contests with Weezer and Mozart-inspired performances, got his students backstage with Collective Soul, and shared the stage with his own wife and daughter in Theatre Salina's School of Rock.  Highlights: A Kansan TikToker (Weston, from Winfield) pulls over to help a stranded fellow Kansan in Colorado — without realizing it at firstMatt Gerry shares how he fell in love with guitar playing his dad's Gibson from Kalamazoo, Michigan while performing in a school production of GreaseThe step-by-step story of building South Middle School's guitar program — from a grant-funded classroom set of guitars in 2003 to a dedicated guitar class in 2010, now serving 250 students a yearWinning a Weezer video contest that led to a trip to Chicago and new classroom instrumentsWinning the Midwest region of a Mozart-themed contest, earning $7,500 for new guitars, followed by a Radio Disney Channel visit and commercial shootMatt's involvement with the Stiefel Theatre's School of Music and getting students backstage with bands like Collective SoulSharing the stage with his wife and daughter in Theatre Salina's production of School of RockBeing nominated for the Grammy Music Educator Award and making the quarterfinalsWhy Matt believes learning guitar in a group setting beats learning solo from YouTubeMatt's big goal: becoming a clinician who trains other guitar teachersA nostalgic tangent about Salina radio stations, Weird Al Yankovic fan mail, and shared music memories from middle school Chapters: 0:00 – Scrolling TikTok Finds Weston0:45 – Kansans Helping Kansans2:32 – Brake Pads and Hank Stories3:23 – Ask a Kansan Intro4:52 – Meet Music Teacher Matt6:04 – How Matt Found Guitar7:42 – Choosing Music Education9:04 – First Classroom Memories11:47 – Building a Guitar Program14:07 – Why Guitar Hooks Students18:06 – Weezer Contest Goes Viral19:30 – Fame and Disney Tease20:16 – Mozart Contest Win20:51 – Disney Channel Visit21:42 – Family Support Grounding22:18 – Stiefel Music School24:03 – School of Rock Family25:01 – Awards and Humility25:52 – Church Music and Benefits27:40 – Middle School Mindset28:47 – Guitar Program Expansion31:38 – Big Goals and Training34:01 – Radio Nostalgia Tangent35:41 – Teaching Dream Job37:31 – Stories from a Hat Twist42:22 – Episode Wrap and Merch Resources Mentioned: Salina Education Foundation: https://www.salinaeducationfoundation.com/ Teaching Guitar Workshops: https://teachingguitarworkshops.org/Stiefel Theatre: https://www.stiefeltheatre.org/KMEA (Kansas Music Educators Association): https://ksmea.org/ Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

What if the way you think about self-trust is actually keeping you from it? Audra breaks down a coaching conversation that flipped her thinking on self-trust — and shares the real definition that's helped her stop abandoning herself every time she falls short of a goal. Then she walks through five practical habits she's built over the past few years to strengthen that trust from the inside out. Highlights Why self-trust isn't about always making the right decision or hitting every goalA reframe: trusting yourself to make the best decision with what you have right now — and not abandoning yourself when it doesn't work outFive ways to build self-trust: self-compassion, knowing how you operate, tracking your wins, surrounding yourself with mirrors, and coachingWhy forgiving yourself and giving yourself grace is the foundation of confidenceThe power of a weekly practice of recording 3–5 winsHow working with a coach helps you access answers you already have Chapters 0:00 — Back to School Setup0:22 — Redefining Self Trust1:40 — Self Trust Means Staying3:08 — Five Ways Overview3:34 — Self Compassion First4:59 — Know How You Work6:46 — Track Your Wins8:09 — People Who Mirror You9:08 — Coaching Builds Trust10:13 — Quick Wrap Up Resources Mentioned Emily StevensSusan DavidAshley Watkins Want to learn more?The Thread Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network. Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

Are you stuck doing everything in your business — and wondering why you never seem to have any time left over? If you feel like busyness has become your full-time job, it might be time to take a hard look at where your effort is actually going. I break down a simple framework called the "Easy Ates" — eliminate, delegate, and automate — that helps you find the 20% of your work that's driving 80% of your results, and cut or offload the rest. By the end, you'll have a clear, ten-minute exercise to start freeing up real capacity in your business. Highlights The 80/20 rule (Pareto's Principle): 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort — find that 20% and double down.The "Easy Ates" framework: Eliminate, Delegate, Automate.Eliminate non-revenue-generating busywork like endless website tweaks and excessive content consumption.Delegate tasks to freelancers, admins, coaches, or a CPA — even if they only do it 80% as well as you, that frees you up for higher-value work.Automate repeatable processes: scheduling links, email templates, and intake forms can turn multi-step tasks into a single click.A real example of using a website form + Zapier automation to pre-qualify leads before ever getting on a call.Use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to help identify what in your business could be automated.The assignment: take 10 minutes to list what you did this week, then sort it into eliminate, delegate, or automate. Chapters 0:00 — Stop Doing Everything0:48 — 80/20 Focus1:38 — The Easy-Ates Framework3:15 — Eliminate Busywork5:21 — Delegate for Growth10:02 — Automate Repeats12:02 — Forms and Zapier15:37 — Recap and Assignment17:17 — Use AI to Streamline18:37 — Final Takeaways Resources Mentioned Calendly — scheduling tool mentioned for automating meeting bookingsZapier — used to automate email responses based on form submissionsChatGPT — recommended for identifying automation opportunitiesClaude — recommended for identifying automation opportunitiesGemini — recommended for identifying automation opportunities Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dad Remember, build the business, but be the dad! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.

In this bonus episode, we’re transitioning from Part Two in the book Leading Health and setting up Part Three, which introduces nine mindsets that the 30,000 need to hold if Kansas is going to lead the nation in health.  In Part One, we describe the symptoms of Kansas, ranked #29 at the time of writing this book. In Part Two, listeners learn that the diagnosis isn’t a health challenge, but a leadership challenge. Now, in Part Three, we give the prescription through nine mindsets that help develop the culture we need to get Kansas to #1 in America’s Health Rankings.  Highlights Part one covered the health reality in Kansas and introduced the "30,000" — the Kansans in key civic roles who can move the needle.Part two revealed that the real issue isn't a health challenge; it's a leadership challenge.Part three shifts to nine mindsets (not nine solutions) because closing the health gap is an adaptive challenge, not a simple problem to solve.The 30,000 don't need to generate the solutions themselves — communities facing the greatest health disparities often already know what's needed. The job of the 30,000 is to create the conditions for those solutions to emerge.The book's three-part structure is explained simply: Part one = symptoms, Part two = diagnosis, Part three = prescription. Chapters 0:00 – Intro1:15 – Recap Parts One and Two2:09 – Why Mindsets, Not Solutions3:59 – Adaptive Challenge and ALICE4:54 – Conditions for Community Solutions7:07 – Mindsets in Practice8:12 – Creating Collaboration9:17 – Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prescription10:16 – Wrap Up and Next Episode Leading Health is an invitation to move the needle on Health in Kansas, and we invite you to join us in leading the way.  Don’t have a copy of Leading Health? Claim your copy and learn more about the movement at kansashealth.org/leadinghealth And be sure to subscribe, and drop a comment to let us know what you think.

Ever wonder why you made three hundred thousand dollars last year but don't have three hundred thousand dollars anywhere to show for it? That gap between what you earn and what you keep trips up more business owners than you'd think — and it usually comes down to confusing profit with cash flow with actual wealth.  I break down where the money really goes: taxes, debt payments, and owner's draws you don't even notice creeping up on you. Plus, I share the framework that finally made this click for one of my clients, and a book that lays it all out in simple terms. Highlights Why "profit" and "cash in the bank" are two completely different thingsThe layers of taxes that quietly eat into a business owner's incomeHow paying down debt can make you feel broke even when you're profitableThe owner's draw trap: how personal spending drains cash without touching taxable profitA simple framework for separating profit, cash flow, and wealth so you can actually track your numbersHow working with a tax strategist can turn expenses into real tax savings Chapters 0:00 – Why You Feel Broke1:27 – Profit Versus Cash2:41 – Taxes Eat Cash3:57 – Debt Payments Drain4:54 – Owner Draw Trap6:13 – Fixing The Formula7:28 – Profit First Method8:53 – Closing Thoughts & Resources Resources Mentioned Profit First - Amazon Want to keep more of what you earn? If you’re a 7-6-5 business owner ready to move from financial chaos to CFO-level comfort, visit www.simplifymynumbers.com to schedule a call with our team.  Subscribe and leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help us grow the community, and be sure to share this episode with a fellow founder. This show is designed to be used for educational and informational purposes. For your own situation, be sure to contact a tax professional directly. This show is part of the ICT Podcast network. For more information, visit ictpod.net