What happens when you spend a career moving from “I have to do it all myself” to “we're bigger and better together”?

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend and former colleague Jody Sommerfeldt, who now supports the next generation of clinical faculty and student teachers at Old Dominion University. Jody and I go all the way back to our days as Technology Curriculum Integration Specialists in Newport News Public Schools, and her journey since then has taken her from the classroom to instructional technology to higher education leadership. We talk about the string of people — starting with her kindergarten teacher — who tapped her into leadership before she believed it herself, how she built trust and engaged people with zero positional authority, and the leadership mistake that taught her to stop carrying the load alone. She closes with hard-won advice for anyone still waiting for their next leadership seat: make your wishes known.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Jody's path from Suffolk classrooms to instructional technology to leading clinical faculty preparation at ODU
• How she built trust and engaged teachers with no positional authority — through humility, feedback, and follow-through
• The mistake that taught her the difference between “me, me, me” and “we, we, we”

STANDOUT QUOTES

“I have to be honest, for me, it's relationships, relationships, relationships.” — Jody Sommerfeldt

“I moved from the responsibility is on me, me, me, to the responsibility as we, we, we. From the me to the we.” — Jody Sommerfeldt

“Make your wishes known... that's a level of vulnerability as well.” — Jody Sommerfeldt

CONTACT JODY SOMMERFELDT

jsommerf@odu.edu

CONNECT WITH DR. KIM RICHARDSON

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MORE ABOUT RISE UP AND LEAD: REAL LESSONS, REAL STORIES, REAL TALK

Welcome to Rise Up and Lead: Real Lessons, Real Stories, Real Talk—a podcast about the true journey of leadership and becoming. Hosted by Dr. Kim—Professional Certified Coach®, leadership strategist, and speaker—this show dives into the moments that shape us, the mindsets that sustain us, and the people who influence us along the way.

Each episode features real conversations with everyday leaders and brief coaching insights that bridge lived experience with research-backed leadership truths. Because leadership isn't about titles—it's about identity, emotional intelligence, and the daily decision to RISE.

If you're ready to grow in who you are and how you lead, you're in the right place!