What actually shifts a school?

In this episode, Stacy sits down with lifelong educator and superintendent Jon Konen to talk about what it really takes to change school culture—from the inside out.

This conversation goes far beyond strategies and into the heart of education: relationships, regulation, accountability, and the courage to lead through resistance.

Together, they unpack what happens when schools stop focusing only on academics and begin to support the whole child—and the adults responsible for them.

If you’ve ever felt the tension between “what works on paper” and “what actually works with people,” this episode is for you.

🔥 “If we don’t address what’s happening beneath the surface, it doesn’t matter what we do with math or reading—nothing sticks.”

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why culture always outweighs strategy in schools
• The shift from academic-only interventions to whole-child approaches
• What it really looks like to lead through staff resistance
• How to build buy-in without forcing it
• The role of accountability in a healthy culture (it’s not just “fluffy”)
• How relational practices impact:
  • Behavior referrals
  • Staff burnout
  • Student success
• Practical strategies for addressing “toxic” dynamics in schools
• Why connection must come before correction—for both students and staff
• How to re-engage parents as partners, not outsiders
• The importance of co-regulation for leaders

💡 Key Takeaways

• You don’t need everyone to buy in—just enough to create a tipping point
• Relationships are not soft—they are structural to success
• You can’t build culture from behind a desk—leadership must be visible
• “Toxicity” isn’t a label—it’s a signal that something deeper needs attention
• Real change happens through consistency, not intensity

🛠️ Practical Strategy Highlight

The Daily “Thermometer Check”

Jon shares a powerful leadership practice:

• Check in with staff daily
• Ask: “How can I support you today?”
• Build relational “deposits” before making “withdrawals”
• Address concerns privately, with connection first

Simple. Consistent. Transformational.

🌱 About Jon Konen

Jon Konen is a lifelong educator, superintendent, and consultant focused on transforming school culture through intentional, relationship-driven leadership. With experience spanning classrooms to district leadership, Jon brings practical, real-world strategies that help schools move from dysfunction to connection. He is the founder of Jon Konen Consulting and host of the Moving Mountains podcast, where he explores strategies to reduce toxicity and build thriving educational environments.

🔗 Connect with Jon

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jon.konen.2025
• Instagram: @jon_konen
• Website: (soon to be released) www.jonkonen.com

In this first-ever listener question episode of Chitty Chats with Stacy, we’re diving into something so many of us quietly carry:

👉 How do you start taking care of yourself when everyone else is used to you taking care of them?

Heather asks a powerful question about navigating self-care as a midlife mom, partner, and eldest daughter—and what it means to shift long-standing patterns of overgiving.

We also explore:

• Why your nervous system feels “stretched” (the rubber band effect)
• How self-care is actually modeling, not selfishness
• What it looks like to reclaim time without guilt
• The power of predictability and communication when setting boundaries
• How to begin saying “no” when you’ve never been shown how

PLUS:
A second listener question on how to stay grounded when your kids’ emotions feel like a rollercoaster—and what co-regulation actually looks like in real life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to recognize when you’re over-functioning
• Why boundaries feel uncomfortable (and why that’s normal)
• Practical ways to “dose” regulation into your daily life
• How to stay steady when others are not

Key Takeaway:
Taking care of yourself doesn’t take away from others—it allows you to show up safer, steadier, and more present.

Have a question you want answered on the podcast?

📩 Email me: stacy@gobeyou.org

In this episode of Chitty Chats with Stacy, I’m taking you inside one of the most powerful professional experiences I’ve had in years—the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium.

After four days immersed in learning from leaders like Dr. Bruce Perry, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, and Dr. Dan Siegel, I walked away with insights that don’t just apply to clinicians—they apply to all of us.

We’re talking about:

• The connection between trauma and what you consume (yes, even food)
• Why some of your habits may actually be protecting your nervous system
• The truth about ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and why this is a public health issue
• What therapists get wrong—and what actually helps people heal
• How dissociation shows up in everyday life
• Why relationships—not techniques—are the real drivers of change
• The hidden cost of over-functioning and burnout
• Two powerful questions to ask yourself:
  • What am I tolerating?
  • Where am I over-functioning?

This episode is both personal and professional—pulling back the curtain on what I’m learning, how I’m applying it, and what it means for you.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, clinician, veteran, or just someone doing the work of becoming more aware—this conversation is for you.

Key Takeaway:
You don’t need to be in therapy to have healing experiences—but you do need to understand your nervous system.

Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast?

📩 Email me at: stacy@gobeyou.org