Forrest Gump's momma said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." That's true, but it can also be said that, "Life is like a box of dental floss. Your habits predict your future."

Life extending benefits in the box

Stephanie is a precocious two year old. She loves getting into everything she can. Mom certainly knows that when the house is quiet, something is going on. So when Mom comes in to help Stephanie get dressed in the morning, naturally Stephanie’s independent spirit takes over. “No, I do it,” Stephanie protests, yanking her shirt from Mom’s hand. She doesn’t want help. Stephanie is a big girl and can do it all by herself.

Georgia's Board of Education decided to exercise the state's right to determine how the children in its schools will raise money and eat. No "damn Yankee" nor anyone from D.C. is going to keep these Peach State students from participating in the sale of unhealthy foods during the school day. (Dadgumit!)

Word-of-mouth marketing is the number one source of leads for enrollment and fundraising for every school. Expanding your network of influence is the most powerful way for you to accelerate and sustain growth. Below are a few ways to accomplish this goal.

Like so many others I was saddened to read about the death of actor/comedian Robin Williams. As a long time fan of his many characters over the years, it struck me how such a talented person struggled in so many ways. Though his bouts with depression and addiction have been written about, I was more knowledgable about the roles than the reality.

The School Growth Webinar series theme this month is Think BIG!

If you're implementing some new innovations this year, especially with technology, think about how to make this change a motivating experience for your faculty. Great teachers remain the core of any great school.

The keys to transition for teachers

As you're crafting your school design consider ways to stand out by creating a distinctive value proposition. No matter the size of your program, you can construct an effective innovation strategy that enables you to more quickly and economically offer a new combination of services in your market than the other schools around you.

Yesterday Rory McIlroy won the British Open golf tournament. It was the fulfillment of a dream he had envisioned and practiced at least 15 years ago.

Executive leaders, including school chief administrators, overwhelmingly agree that, "It's lonely at the top." According to a study conducted by Stanford University's Center for Leadership Development, over 60% of the top leaders do NOT receive outside coaching or mentorship. The twist in this survey is that nearly all of these people WANT IT!