361: Journalism at a Crossroads—How to Save the Beast
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Release Date: 05/06/2025
380: Digging Deeper to Find the Heart of the Story
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest None today; just me reflecting. Summary In this episode, I reflect on lessons I’ve drawn from Robert Redford’s film adaptation of A River Runs Through It and how they support my growth as a writer. At first, I loved the film for its beauty, but as a writer, I later returned to it as an instructional tool: how to go beyond the surface story of familial love to convey Maclean’s more profound meaning. The scene where Norman Maclean’s father insists he cut his drafts in half taught me that “thrift” is about essence, not just length. Like Norman, I struggle in...
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379: Lessons in Curiosity and Storytelling
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Sarah Elkins is a keynote speaker, , and the author and podcast host of Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will. She is the principal at Elkins’ Consulting. She is the organizing genius behind the annual a small business summit for those looking for a community of professionals to grow with - personally, professionally, and thoughtfully. In her work with coaching clients, Sarah guides individuals to enhance their communication by using storytelling as the foundation of their collaboration. What she’s realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority...
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378: Leading with Purpose—Reforming Locally Within an Antiquated National Public School System
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Dr. Constantino “Costa” Aguilar is a distinguished educational leader with over 29 years of transformative service in public education. Throughout his dynamic career, Dr. Aguilar has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to student success and organizational excellence, serving in a wide range of leadership roles, including Spanish Teacher, Head Baseball Coach, Associate Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Technology and Innovation, and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Merced Union High School District. He currently serves as the Superintendent of...
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377: Sitting Across From An Empty Chair
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
In this episode, I reflect on some of the "No" responses I receive from potential guests. I have hosted this show for seven years and 376 episodes, yet some of my most popular episodes are about guests who declined to be on the show. I discuss three types of "Nos": a direct "No," an initial "Yes" followed by silence, and no response at all. I note that the rejections that linger with me are from guests I desperately wanted to host. I explain that I sometimes share these stories with my listeners to create something out of nothing and to explain what sparked my curiosity in the first place. I...
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376: Leading in the Wild—Cultivating Resilience, Customer Service, and Environmental Stewardship
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Nanci Morris Lyon is a long-time resident of Bristol Bay, Alaska, living in King Salmon, where she owns Bear Trail Lodge on the famed Naknek River. She is a long-time leader in Bristol Bay conservation and has been an essential voice in the fight against the Pebble Mine. As the first female guide in Bristol Bay and one of the first in Alaska, she is an inspiration for many young women pursuing careers in the sport-fishing world. She was instrumental in the creation of the Bristol Bay Guide Academy, and 14 years later, she continues to be the lead instructor at the Academy,...
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375: Hiring Staff for What Matters Most
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Today on Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity One of the many problems that plague U.S. businesses, not-for-profits, and our U.S. education system is when and how to change. For many institutions, the process can look like fruit-of-the-month club: they try “this” until a new “this” comes along. A new something – process, way of thinking, way of leading etc. – is seen as the answer to all organizational ills . . . until a new, shinier something takes its place. As a result, employees are whipped-sawed by an unending stream of changes, and sustained results are rarely achieved....
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374: Choosing America: A Discussion on Citizenship and Our Historical Paradox
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Hannah Bratterud is a Norwegian-born writer, consultant, and real estate advisor living in Montana. Through her Substack “Finding Home,” she explores themes of identity, belonging, and transformation, particularly in times of personal or political upheaval. A leadership strategist by trade and a curious wanderer at heart, Hannah recently shared her journey of becoming an American citizen amid rising national uncertainty. Her work invites readers to question assumptions, embrace complexity, and keep choosing where and how they belong. Summary Hannah, who has now lived in the U.S. for...
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373: Managing Brand Touch Points to Meet the Organization's and Customers' Goals
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest None today; just me reflecting on recent events. Summary In this episode, I recount my recent fly fishing trip to Alaska, reflecting on how various organizations shaped my experience. Delta Airlines impressed him with personalized service and proactive rebooking. In contrast, an overpriced and unwelcoming airport hotel in Detroit left a negative impression. The Bear Trail Lodge in Alaska, however, stood out for its commitment to guest experience, environmental consciousness, and celebration of local culture, reinforcing the idea that a brand is defined by a series of customer touch...
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372: Living Your "Super Objective": Unlocking the Potential for Authentic Leadership
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest “Brave Leadership” founder Kimberly Davis champions emerging leaders and senior managers navigating today’s workplace and partners with HR professionals looking to develop talent. She shares her inspirational message of personal power, responsibility, and impact with organizations nationwide and teaches leadership programs worldwide. Kimberly is a TEDx speaker whose 2018 book, Brave Leadership, was named one of Inc. Magazine’s most impactful books, became an Amazon bestseller in the Business Leadership and Motivation category, and received the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award. She...
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371: From Emotional Eating to Eating for Nutrition: A Journey of Self-Discovery
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, Food Story coach, and author of the award-winning memoir Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict. She reveals how emotional wounds, cultural expectations, and personal history—not hunger—often shape our relationship with food. After battling emotional overeating for decades and gaining and losing over 700 pounds, Michelle discovered that the key to lasting weight loss wasn’t another diet—it was rewriting the stories behind her eating. With a background in media sales and leadership at companies like Radio One, Disney/ABC, and NPR/PBS member...
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In a career that spanned a quarter-century, Ted Czech covered crime for newspapers in three states. Disenchanted with how journalism was taught and practiced, Czech launched a second career in public relations in 2021 and began work on Saving the Beast: A Recovering Reporter Reflects on America's Broken Media and How to Fix It.
Why This Episode Matters
This episode explores the state of American journalism with Ted Czech, a former newspaper reporter and author of Saving the Beast. Czech critiques the decline of objective reporting, attributing it to sensationalism, ideological bias, and personality-driven news. He advocates for a return to balanced, fact-based journalism.
Key takeaways:
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Journalism must separate fact from opinion to maintain credibility.
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Media polarization feeds public echo chambers.
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Restoring trust will require structural and cultural change.
Referenced / Social Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-czech-815b8822/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RecoveringReporter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ted.czech/
About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
"Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.