Author: Paul Gichia

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Choosing Meaning

Anita Cavrag: Choosing Meaning

Anita was thriving on paper—building a successful career in HR and climbing steadily upward—until a realization stopped her cold. She recognized that the work she was doing no longer aligned with her values, talents, or sense of integrity, forcing her to confront a truth she could no longer avoid.

Bio

Anita Cavrag is a Psychologist and executive coach who specializes in helping tech founders rediscover their purpose and reignite their passion for their businesses, or find a new soul-aligned venture that lights them on fire.

After spending a decade climbing the HR corporate ladder in fast-growing tech companies, Anita realized that the view from the top was not something she wanted to keep looking at for the next 30 years. That realization opened the path to her true mission: guiding high-achieving leaders back to their purpose, clarity, and sense of aliveness in their work and lives.

She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology, a Bachelor’s in Philosophy, an ICF ACC accreditation, a Business Coaching Diploma from PwC, an NLP Master certificate, and a certification as a Career coach.

Anita had the privilege to study in two international colleges, in Costa Rica and in the United States, alongside students from more than 100 countries. That experience expanded her worldview and played a central role in shaping her identity as a citizen of the world.

Outside of work, Anita loves to explore new places in Europe, from charming cities and villages to the coastline of her home country Croatia, finding cozy coffee shops to read in, and deepening her fascination with human nature and what makes us feel alive.

Topics

  • Losing meaning in a successful career
  • Values misalignment at work
  • Integrity vs. comfort
  • Burnout that isn’t about overwork
  • The future of work
  • Why employee engagement is collapsing
  • Radical honesty in leadership
  • Self-managed organizations
  • Redefining success
  • Designing life instead of defaulting into it

Guiding Questions

  • What was happening in your career when you first felt something was “off”?
  • How did you realize the impact you were making wasn’t meaningful to you anymore?
  • What did that end-of-life reflection reveal that surprised you most?
  • Why do so many accomplished founders end up unhappy with the business they’ve built and how do you get that spark back?
  • What does it mean to live out of integrity at work?
  • Why do you think people avoid facing these realizations?
  • How did seeing the truth make things harder before they got better?
  • What’s the difference between a comfortable life and a meaningful one?
  • Why do traditional corporate structures fail people today?
  • What ultimately pushed you to change your life’s trajectory?

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Leadership for Impact: Coaching High-Responsibility Executives Through Growth and Change

Leadership for Impact: Coaching High-Responsibility Executives Through Growth and Change

This kit highlights Yocheved’s executive coaching work with education, nonprofit, and business leaders. She talks about clarity coaching, reducing overwhelm, navigating competing demands, and building influence. This is ideal for business podcasts that want leadership insights rooted in real K–12 and nonprofit experience.

Bio

If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.

Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.

Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.

Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.

Topics

  • Coaching leaders through overwhelm
  • Managing competing demands with clarity
  • Building leadership influence
  • The difference between knowing and executing
  • Lessons from coaching executives across sectors
  • How leaders can build a “clarity operating system”

Guiding Questions

  • What signals tell you a leader needs clarity coaching?
  • How do you help leaders navigate competing priorities?
  • What separates high-impact leaders from high-intensity ones?
  • What’s one practice leaders can adopt to reduce overwhelm?
  • How does your experience in education inform your coaching in other sectors?
  • What is a “clarity operating system,” and how can someone build one?

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Demystifying Federal Regulations: How to Speak Human in a World of Acronyms

Demystifying Federal Regulations: How to Speak Human in a World of Acronyms

Yocheved is known for “bringing clarity to the complex.” This kit focuses on simplifying federal regs, compliance rules, and jargon-heavy funding requirements for educators, nonprofits, and school leaders. She shows how to break down dense policy into step-by-step process — a skill that sets her apart in both consulting and coaching.

Bio

If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.

Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.

Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.

Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.

Topics

  • Why federal regulations feel intimidating — and how to decode them
  • Cutting through jargon and acronyms
  • Structuring information for overwhelmed leaders
  • Turning regulations into step-by-step plans
  • Surprising opportunities hidden in policy
  • Examples of simplifying complex rules for clients

Guiding Questions

  • Why do federal regulations feel so overwhelming to schools and nonprofits?
  • What’s your method for turning compliance language into plain English?
  • How do you structure information to make it digestible for leaders?
  • Where do organizations usually misinterpret requirements?
  • What does “translating policy into strategy” actually look like?
  • Can you share an example of a time clarity changed a client’s results?

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Designing Education Programs That Actually Work: What Schools Get Wrong About Implementation

Designing Education Programs That Actually Work: What Schools Get Wrong About Implementation

Leveraging 20+ years in K–12 systems, Yocheved breaks down how schools can design programs that are compliant, fundable, AND effective. She talks about implementation pitfalls, how to align program design with actual teacher capacity, and examples of schools that improved outcomes by redesigning their support structures.

Bio

If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.

Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.

Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.

Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.

Topics

  • What schools misunderstand about program design
  • Why implementation fails even when the funding is available
  • Aligning program design with staff capacity
  • Building feedback loops with teachers
  • Using compliance as a tool, not a barrier
  • A case example of a redesigned school support program

Guiding Questions

  • What’s the most common flaw you see in school program design?
  • How does poor implementation sabotage even fully funded programs?
  • How can leaders design programs teachers can realistically deliver?
  • What role should feedback loops play in program development?
  • How can schools use compliance requirements to strengthen program quality?
  • Can you share an example where redesigning a program changed outcomes?

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The Insider’s Scoop: What Vendors Get Wrong About Selling to K–12 Schools

The Insider’s Scoop: What Vendors Get Wrong About Selling to K–12 Schools

Drawing from her experience as superintendent, CAO, consultant, and advisor to both schools and service providers, Yocheved reveals why most EdTech and vendor pitches fall flat. She outlines what decision-makers really care about, how budget cycles actually work, and the difference between a vendor and a long-term partner. Includes examples from her work advising nonprofits and EdTech startups.

Bio

If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.

Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.

Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.

Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.

Topics

  • Why most vendor pitches fail before they begin
  • What school leaders want but rarely say
  • Understanding budget cycles and purchasing windows
  • Translating product features into student outcomes
  • How vendors can become true partners
  • Mistakes EdTech founders consistently make

Guiding Questions

  • What’s the number one mistake vendors make when approaching a school leader?
  • How can vendors better understand the priorities of CAOs and superintendents?
  • What should vendors know about budget cycles that they usually don’t?
  • How can an EdTech company translate features into real instructional value?
  • What separates a “vendor” from a trusted partner in K–12?
  • What’s an example of a vendor shift you coached that changed their outcomes?

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Inside the Funding Maze: How Jewish and Private Schools Can Tap Into Public Dollars

Inside the Funding Maze: How Jewish and Private Schools Can Tap Into Public Dollars

Many Jewish and other non-public schools assume public funding “doesn’t apply to us.” Yocheved demystifies programs like EANS, Title services, and other equitable service streams. She explains how M² Learning supports faith-based schools in accessing supplemental services without compromising identity, sharing examples such as a Jewish school that expanded literacy support after uncovering multiple overlooked funding options.

Bio

If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.

Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.

Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.

Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.

Topics

  • Common misconceptions Jewish/private schools have about public funding
  • What EANS really is — without jargon
  • The role of M² Learning in non-public school support
  • Maintaining school identity while using government dollars
  • Real examples from Jewish and faith-based schools
  • How to find “hidden” public dollars most schools overlook

Guiding Questions

  • Why do so many Jewish and faith-based schools assume government programs don’t apply to them?
  • What is one myth about EANS that you wish you could erase?
  • How does M² Learning bridge the gap between regulations and real classroom needs?
  • How can schools maintain religious identity while navigating public funding?
  • Can you share an anonymized example of a school that accessed new services successfully?
  • What steps should a school take if they’ve never tapped into government-funded support before?

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From Superintendent to Funding Architect: How One School Leader Unlocked Millions for Underserved Communities

From Superintendent to Funding Architect: How One School Leader Unlocked Millions for Underserved Communities

Yocheved shares her journey from urban charter CAO and superintendent to building an early online schooling program, then founding ClearSquare Group, which has secured more than $15.6M in government and foundation funding. She explains why so many schools and nonprofits leave money untouched, how to translate regulations into real programming, and how systems thinking from the principal’s chair shaped her unique consulting model.

Bio

If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.

Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.

Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.

Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.

Topics

  • What school leaders misunderstand about government funding
  • The “systems lens” she gained as superintendent
  • Building one of the earliest online school programs
  • Why schools leave money on the table
  • Turning dense regulations into step-by-step strategy
  • Real examples: funding wins that changed student outcomes

Guiding Questions

  • What did you see as a superintendent that most people outside the seat never realize?
  • What made your online schooling program so ahead of its time?
  • Why do even high-performing schools regularly miss major funding opportunities?
  • How do you translate a 200-page regulation into a program schools can actually run?
  • What’s one example of a school transformation unlocked by new funding streams?
  • What is the first step leaders should take if they suspect they’re leaving money unclaimed?

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From Chaos to Clarity: How Leaders Can Make Grounded Decisions When Everything Is Moving

Yocheved Belsky:

From Chaos to Clarity: How Leaders Can Make Grounded Decisions When Everything Is Moving

Yocheved has led through major transitions: from transforming charter networks to running Clear Square Group during shifting funding cycles and leading M-Squared Learning during the pandemic. She now helps leaders navigate uncertainty with clarity and conviction. In this episode, she shares how to make decisions amid pressure, competing priorities, and rapid change. She walks through her “clarity framework” for aligning head, heart, and mission, and how leaders can stay anchored when everything around them is moving.

Bio

If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.

Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.

Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.

Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.

Topics

  • Leading with clarity in uncertain environments
  • How to pause before reacting and still move fast
  • Decision-making frameworks for high-stakes moments
  • Lessons from pivots and reinvention
  • Communicating calm and conviction to teams
  • Re-centering on mission when everything feels urgent

Guiding Questions

  • You’ve navigated multiple reinventions: what helped you stay grounded through each?
  • What’s your process for making clear decisions when the pressure is high and the data is messy?
  • How do you help leaders slow down enough to see the real problem before they act?
  • What did you learn about clarity during the intense policy and funding swings of COVID?
  • How can leaders project calm and direction when their teams are overwhelmed?
  • What’s one simple clarity practice leaders can start using today to make better decisions?

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The Discipline of Scent

John Launius:

The Discipline of Scent

When John discovered the link between incense and martial arts, he began to see fragrance not as perfume, but as presence. His journey explores how ancient practices can unlock modern clarity, calm, and connection.

Bio

John Launius follows the path of many disciplines. He is an accomplished business executive, educator, fragrance expert, martial artist, and healer, whose work bridges the worlds of media, mindfulness, and human transformation.

As President and CEO of Shihan Wellness, John guides individuals and organizations toward balance, clarity, and purpose through his signature modalities The Incense Journey™ and Fragrance Hypnosis™, both rooted in neuroscience, the Japanese Way of Incense (Kōdō), and modern hypnotherapy. Trained for more than a decade under a Japanese Kōmoto, he brings ancient fragrance wisdom into contemporary settings to support emotional regulation, peak performance, and deep self-awareness.

In parallel, John serves as Director of Community Outreach for the Special Operations Charity Network (SOCN), leading the Find Your Tribe Initiative, which provides mental health and wellness support for veterans and first responders through experiences that restore connection, calm, and resilience. His work with SOCN, The Kaufman Fund, and the Grunt Style Foundation reflects his lifelong commitment to service and healing for those who serve others.

John is also Director of Strategic Operations at Lifetime Media, a national production company based in St. Louis. There, he merges creative vision with strategic leadership, supporting high-profile media and corporate storytelling projects that inspire audiences nationwide.

As an Adjunct Professor at Webster University, he teaches Media Business & Entrepreneurship, equipping the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs with the mindset, structure, and strategy to build meaningful enterprises in today’s media landscape.

An author, speaker, and master storyteller, John wrote The Life and Times of Missouri’s Charles Parsons: Between Art and War and is currently developing Love and Letters in World War II, a narrative nonfiction based on the correspondence of his grandparents, a timeless exploration of love, resilience, and humanity.

John’s unique background spans government, education, technology, media, and healing arts. His teachings emphasize the refinement of perception, mastery of mind, and harmony with the way life is. Whether in a studio, classroom, or an incense ceremony, his presence invites transformation.

Topics

  • The Ancient Connection Between Incense and Martial Arts
  • The Neuroscience of Fragrance and Focus
  • Mind Like Water: Lessons from Eastern Philosophy
  • How Ritual Creates Mindfulness in Modern Life
  • The Samurai’s Secret: Fragrance and Battle Readiness
  • Discipline as a Path to Inner Stillness
  • Sensory Awareness and Conscious Leadership
  • Restoring Focus in a Distracted World
  • Martial Arts as Spiritual Practice
  • Fragrance as a Bridge to the Divine

Guiding Questions

  • What first drew you to both incense and martial arts as a child?
  • How did those early experiences shape your understanding of focus and discipline?
  • What have you learned about the connection between scent and the human mind?
  • Why did ancient warriors use incense before battle—and what can we learn from that today?
  • Can fragrance really change our state of mind in moments?
  • What does “mind like incense” mean in your philosophy?
  • How do you help modern professionals or soldiers find stillness amid chaos?
  • What are the parallels between physical training and spiritual awareness?
  • How has your understanding of discipline evolved over four decades of practice?
  • What role do ritual and fragrance play in helping us reconnect with what’s sacred?

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Closure Without Revenge

Tina T. Meeks:

Closure Without Revenge

That one phone call with her childhood bully changed everything. What began as an honest conversation about pain evolved into a journey of forgiveness, faith, and finding peace in the most unexpected places.

Bio

As a Fractional Finance & Systems Controller with her own business since 2022, SCOREE Services LLC, my expertise lies in enhancing profitability through financial software systems and strategic organizational advice.

Our team has successfully consulted with single family property management firms nationwide to foster growth and efficiency. The skill set I’ve honed includes IT data analysis with focus on financial control, which are integral to the success of small businesses in the competitive real estate landscape.

 

At Bottom Line Property Management, I revamped accounting operations, managed communications with over 500 investors, and collaborated on annual budgets and compliance with focus on evictions during Covid and steered the team in the retrieval of over $750k in assistance to keep residents in their homes and investors mortgages paid.

This experience has equipped me with a deep understanding of investor relations, value of tax compliance, ensuring accuracy and harnessing strategic financial planning. My mission is to leverage technology and financial acumen to empower businesses, driving sustainable growth and success.

Topics

  • Forgiveness and Healing from Bullying
  • Understanding the Psychology of Bullies
  • Finding Closure Without Revenge
  • Adult Bullying in the Workplace
  • Empathy as a Path to Freedom
  • Turning Pain into Purpose
  • Signs, Symbols, and Spiritual Healing
  • Teaching Children Compassion Through Example
  • Reclaiming Personal Power After Trauma
  • The Fine Line Between Bullying and Abuse

Guiding Questions

  • How did your friendship with your former bully begin?
  • What surprised you most about understanding the “why” behind bullying?
  • How is adult bullying different from what we experience as children?
  • What role did forgiveness play in your own healing journey?
  • You mentioned the “dimes” — what do they symbolize for you now?
  • How did that conversation with your bully shift your view of control and power?
  • What advice do you have for people seeking closure they may never get directly?
  • How can leaders recognize and address bullying behaviors in professional settings?
  • What lessons did you learn about compassion—even for those who’ve hurt you?
  • How do you hope your story can prevent others from reaching a point of despair or suicide?

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