What if leaving the classroom didn’t mean leaving teaching behind?

In this episode of Speak Feed Lead Conversations with Jackie Bailey, Jackie sits down with educator, literacy specialist, and entrepreneur Alyssa Althouse to talk about her journey from the traditional school system to building a tutoring business centered on helping struggling readers.

Alyssa shares what parents and educators should understand about how children learn to read, why early intervention matters, and how educators can use the skills they already have to create meaningful opportunities beyond the classroom.

• Why leaving the classroom doesn’t have to mean leaving teaching

• The importance of early intervention for struggling readers

• How speech-to-print can support literacy development

• Why tutoring is a growing opportunity for educators

• How teachers can turn their expertise into a tutoring business

• Why finding a niche, delivering results, and building referrals matter

• How educators can work through fear and imposter syndrome when starting something new

Alyssa Althouse is an educator, literacy specialist, tutor, and entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience in education. After working as a preschool and second-grade teacher, supporting a countywide literacy initiative, and serving as a reading specialist, Alyssa transitioned into private tutoring and created Learn With Alyssa.

Today, she also leads Tutor Launch, a 90-day coaching program that helps educators turn their teaching expertise into sustainable tutoring businesses.

🌐 Learn With Alyssa: learnwithalyssa.net

🌐 Tutor Launch: tutorlaunch.biz

📱 Instagram: @learn_with_alyssa

#SpeakFeedLead #ConversationsWithJackieBailey #AlyssaAlthouse #LearnWithAlyssa #TutorLaunch #TeacherEntrepreneur #TutoringBusiness #LiteracyEducation #ReadingSpecialist #TeacherTransition #Education #Literacy

What does it really take to lead people through change—and set them up not just to adapt, but to succeed?

In this episode of Speak Feed Lead Conversations with Jackie Bailey, I sit down with Amanda Van Der Heiden, Chief Learning Solutions Consultant at Global Talent Development Solutions (GTDS), for an energizing conversation about leadership, organizational change, personal growth, and the importance of turning what we know into action.

Amanda has spent more than two decades helping people and organizations navigate large-scale transformation. From starting her career as a high achiever willing to challenge the status quo to eventually building her own company, her journey is filled with lessons about leadership, burnout, limiting beliefs, and what it means to create environments where people can truly excel.

One phrase Amanda uses to describe her work particularly stood out to me: “organizing the chaos.” Whether an organization is implementing new technology, transforming its culture, developing leaders, or navigating another major change, Amanda believes success comes back to understanding the goal, putting the right people and processes in place, and making sure everyone involved is actually set up to succeed.

During our conversation, we explore:

✨ What servant leadership looks like in practice

🔄 How leaders can help people successfully navigate change

🎯 Why clarity around your goals matters before creating the plan

💡 How limiting beliefs can keep us waiting for the “right time”

👥 Why leadership isn’t reserved for extroverts or people with impressive titles

🚀 The importance of taking action instead of endlessly thinking about what you want to do

🌱 How our experiences, habits, and environments shape the leaders we become

💼 Amanda’s journey from corporate leadership to founding GTDS

📚 How Amanda is helping entrepreneurs and subject-matter experts turn their knowledge into professional learning experiences

We also tackle an interesting question: Are great leaders born, or can leadership be learned?

Amanda’s answer reminds us that leadership isn’t about being the loudest person in the room. Some of the best leaders may be introverts. What matters is your why, your willingness to care about the people you lead, and your desire to help others become better.

And perhaps my favorite takeaway from our conversation comes near the end, when Amanda offers a simple challenge:

Go do.

Don’t spend years waiting to begin. Take one small step today. Progress doesn’t require having everything figured out—it requires action.

If you’re a leader, entrepreneur, business owner, professional navigating change—or simply someone with a goal you’ve been putting off—there’s something in this conversation for you.

🎧 Join Amanda and me for From Chaos to Clarity: Leadership, Habits, and Lasting Success and discover how greater clarity, stronger leadership, and consistent action can move you—and the people around you—forward.

🎁 FREE GIFT FROM AMANDA

Amanda is also sharing a FREE Goal Development Workbook with our audience! This resource is designed to help you dig deeper into what you really want, identify the right goal for you, create a clear step-by-step plan, and start moving toward it.

👉 Get Amanda’s free gift here: gogtds.com

🌐 Learn more about Amanda and Global Talent Development Solutions: gtdscorp.com

#SpeakFeedLead #JackieBailey #AmandaVanDerHeiden #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ChangeManagement #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #GTDS #Entrepreneurship #TakeAction #Podcast