🎧 Leadership Rules with Jason Van Nus

What if the biggest thing holding students back isn't a lack of skills... but a lack of opportunities to tell their story?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Jason Van Nus, CEO of the WIN Regional College and Career Academy, to discuss why career readiness is about so much more than technical skills.

Jason believes students don't just need credentials. They need confidence. And confidence is built by doing hard things in safe environments.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why Jason calls himself a "gentle disruptor"
• How the Reverse Career Fair flips the traditional hiring process on its head
• Why students need to learn how to advocate for themselves, not just build a résumé
• How work-based learning creates stronger talent pipelines for communities and employers
• Why industry should invest in developing local talent before students graduate
• How servant leadership means earning the right to have difficult conversations

Jason also shares why some of the best learning happens when students are just outside their comfort zone, where failure becomes feedback and confidence begins to grow.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people prepare for life beyond the classroom, this conversation is full of practical ideas and fresh perspectives.

📍 Learn more and connect with Jason Van Nus

💼 LinkedIn → Jason Van Nus

🏫 WIN Regional College and Career Academy

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#LeadershipRules #JasonVanNus #CareerReadiness #WorkBasedLearning #YouthApprenticeships #StudentLeadership #EducationLeadership #CTE #ServantLeadership

🎧 Leadership Rules with Dr. Heather Handler
Title: Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be

What if we've been asking students the wrong question all along?

Instead of asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", Dr. Heather Handler believes we should be asking something much more powerful:

"What do you enjoy doing?"

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, youth apprenticeship pioneer, and author Dr. Heather Handler to discuss career readiness, work-based learning, and why modern Career and Technical Education (CTE) looks nothing like many people remember.

Heather shares lessons from launching one of Maryland's most successful youth apprenticeship programs and explains why exposing students to real opportunities early can change the trajectory of their lives.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why modern CTE is not the vocational education of the past
• How youth apprenticeships help students build confidence, purpose, and career direction
• Why college and career readiness should work together, not compete
• How AI is changing the future of work and increasing demand for skilled trades
• Why exposure to careers should begin long before high school
• The importance of helping students discover their strengths, interests, and preferred ways of working

Heather also shares insights from her new book, The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships, a practical roadmap for educators looking to create meaningful work-based learning experiences for students.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people discover who they are becoming, this episode is for you.

📘 Learn More

The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships
Available on Amazon

💼 Connect with Dr. Heather Handler on LinkedIn

🎧 Leadership Rules with Kristy Volesky
Title: Finish Doesn’t Equal Ready

What if school was designed less around compliance… and more around real life?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, consultant, and CTE Reimagined co author Kristy Volesky to explore what it really means to prepare students for the future.

Kristy challenges many of the assumptions schools still operate under, including the idea that students should spend years “practicing” without ever doing meaningful work that connects to the real world.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why “finish” does not equal “ready”
• How schools can connect learning to real opportunities and real community impact
• Why durable skills cannot be taught once and checked off a list
• The danger of locking students into career paths too early
• How communities and schools can work together instead of operating in silos
• Why students crave meaningful experiences, not pretend projects

Kristy also shares practical examples of how schools can rethink partnerships, create authentic learning experiences, and help students build the confidence and adaptability they will need in a rapidly changing world.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or preparing young people for what comes next, this conversation will challenge how you think about learning.

📍 Learn more and connect with Kristy Volesky
🌐 https://valeskyconsulting.com
💼 LinkedIn → Kristy Volesky
📘 CTE Reimagined available online

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and building a future where people are truly ready for what’s next.

#LeadershipRules #KristyVolesky #CTEReimagined #EducationLeadership #CareerReadiness #FutureOfEducation #DurableSkills