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One frustrated moment with a parent turned into a leadership habit that lasted for years: Todd Bloomer walked out of his office, sat on a literal red bench, and finally had space to breathe. That small reset became a bigger idea about sustainable educational leadership and it eventually became his new book, Finding Your Red Bench. We’re catching up with Todd after his first year as Director of School Leadership for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, where he supports principals across different school settings and learns firsthand that a job title doesn’t equal trust.

We dig into what changes when you move from running one building to coaching leaders across many. Todd breaks down why influence beats authority, how to build rapport in a new system, and what he learned when he stepped in as an interim K–8 principal and had to cover everything from instruction to maintenance. We also talk about presentations that respect educators’ time, leadership lessons learned the hard way, and why “putting yourself first” isn’t selfish when principal burnout is pushing good people out of the profession.

The red bench concept ties it all together: a practical way to reclaim joy on campus, quiet the noise of criticism, and lead with purpose. Todd explains his month-by-month guide built around school operations, campus culture, and self-care for educators, plus reflection questions you can use all year. If you’re a principal, assistant principal, or district leader trying to stay grounded, this conversation is your reminder to protect what matters. Subscribe, share this with a fellow leader, and leave a five-star review if it helps you find your own red bench.

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The Blueprint: Survive and Thrive as a School Administrator:

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School leaders spend all year pushing professional development, coaching cycles, and growth plans but the hardest mirror to face is our own. We dig into what it really means to “Be The Change” as educational leaders: not with slogans, but with daily behaviors that shape school culture, protect staff morale, and influence how the community experiences education.

We start with the reality that your presence sets the tone. The attitude you choose, the language you use in difficult moments, and your ability to stay calm under pressure all model the culture you’re trying to build. We also talk about raising your capacity through the “Law of the Lid” so your leadership doesn’t cap the growth of your teachers. From there, we make a practical shift from management to development, from compliance to coaching, and from oversight to true investment in people.

Then we move beyond the school doors. If you don’t tell your school’s story, someone else will and it usually won’t be charitable. We share strategies for shaping public perception through consistent school communication, social media highlights, staff spotlights, and transparent problem-solving. We also get direct about education advocacy: building networks through regional and state associations, and inviting legislators into your building so policy decisions connect to real classrooms and real kids.

You’ll leave with concrete next steps, including writing a personal mission statement and choosing one change you’ll make immediately in how you lead. Subscribe for more educational leadership and principal development conversations, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with the one leadership habit you’re committing to next.

Personal Mission Statement Guide:

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Can you be a public school principal and openly follow Jesus without crossing the line into pushing beliefs on others? We’ve been sitting with that tension for a long time, because public school leadership demands fairness, trust, and service for everyone, including students, staff, and families with completely different faiths or no faith at all. What we’ve learned is simple but challenging: our beliefs matter most in what people experience from our leadership.

We tell a personal story of growing up in church, drifting, and then coming back to faith in a way that reshapes purpose, career, and calling as an educator. From there, we get practical about what “living your faith” can look like in a public school setting: listening well, speaking with care, forgiving, showing grace, holding boundaries, and treating people with dignity even when you disagree. That’s not a sermon. That’s school culture.

We also connect the dots between everyday educational leadership and the principles many of us already teach and use, including servant leadership, integrity, and consistent care. If you’ve read authors like John C. Maxwell, Stephen Covey, or John Gordon, you’ll recognize how often strong leadership overlaps with values that shape how we coach teachers, support students, and restore relationships after mistakes.

If you’re heading into a new school year and want to lead with conviction and compassion, press play. Subscribe, share this with a fellow educator, and leave a review so more school leaders can find it. What’s one way you’re setting the tone in your building this year?

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