Podcast
Making the Grade Podcast
Hosted by Christine and Georgia · EN
Making the Grade is a podcast about executive function—how we manage time, energy, emotions, and goals in real life. Hosted by former educators turned executive function coaches, we explore the brain-based skills that drive success both personally and professionally.
Each episode features real stories from entrepreneurs, overwhelmed professionals, parents, and experts in executive function. We dive into the habits, challenges, and strategies that help people build (or rebuild) motivation, focus, organization, and emotional regulation.
Why do so many of us feel stuck, even when we’re trying our best? What does success really look like—and how do we get there on our own terms?
The pressures of modern life are real, but so are the solutions. Making the Grade offers honest conversations, practical tools, and a reminder that success isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up for yourself every day.
Subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear!
https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-function
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
From Overwhelmed to Organized: Building Better Habits with Abel Castaneda
Apr 1500:32:40Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn this episode of the Making the Grade Podcast, Georgia sits down with Abel Castaneda, owner of APEX Advantage Bookkeeping, who brings over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Based in Nebraska, Abel shares his journey from working in corporate finance to building his own bookkeeping business, driven by his passion for helping others understand and take control of their finances.This episode is part of Season 4, where MTG Frameworks highlight clients who transform through 1:1 coaching. Each guest shares how executive function systems, goal-setting, and mindset have helped them grow personally and professionally.Abel talks about the realities of running a business, balancing client work, productivity, and personal habits while continuing to grow. He shares how working with MTG Frameworks helped him reduce distractions, improve focus, and create systems that support both his business and daily life.Throughout the conversation, Abel emphasizes the importance of relationships, listening, and simplifying complex financial topics so business owners can feel confident and supported. He also shares practical habits that have helped him stay productive and avoid burnout.We talk about:Building better habits to reduce overwhelm and stay focusedThe impact of screen time and simple ways to stay more productiveWhy relationships and listening are key in business growthHow executive function systems support consistency and clarityThe value of simplifying finances for business ownersSmall daily habits that improve workflow and reduce stressWhether you’re a business owner, high-performing professional, or someone looking to improve your productivity and organization, this episode offers practical insights on habits, mindset, and creating systems that actually work.Guest SpotlightAbel Castaneda | Owner, APEX Advantage BookkeepingA bookkeeping professional with 20+ years in the financial industry, Abel helps business owners stay organized, understand their numbers, and grow with confidence through simple, clear financial systems and support.Website: apexadvantage.proInstagram: apex_advantagebookkeepingllcFind us Here!🌐 Website | makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcast/📸 Instagram | @massteacherprep & @mtgframeworks 🎧 Apple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Season 4 Episode 49: Real Estate, Discipline, and Long-Term Success
Mar 1800:37:37Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn this episode of the Making the Grade Podcast, Christine and Georgia sit down with Maryanne Betso, a Certified Global Luxury Specialist with over 24 years of experience in real estate. Based in Connecticut, Maryanne shares her journey from corporate finance to becoming a successful real estate professional while raising three young children and building a long-term career in a highly competitive industry.This episode is part of Season 4, where we highlight clients, we’ve worked with through MTG Frameworks coaching. Each guest shares how executive function systems, structure, and mindset have helped them grow personally and professionally.Maryanne talks about the realities of working in real estate balancing constant client demands, managing uncertainty, and staying productive in a field where success depends on long-term effort and organization. She shares how working with MTG Frameworks helped her refine her systems, stay accountable, and continue leveling up after decades in the business.Throughout the conversation, Maryanne also shares practical habits and lessons she’s learned from over two decades in real estate, including the importance of listening, staying adaptable, and finding systems that work for you.We talk about:The realities of working in real estate and why it requires long-term disciplineHow executive function systems help entrepreneurs stay organized and consistentWhy accountability and structure matter when you work for yourselfThe importance of listening and problem-solving in client-focused careersWhat small personal habits (like taking calls on walks or writing quick notes) support productivityWhether you work in real estate, run your own business, or are simply looking for ways to stay more organized and productive, this episode offers practical insights on mindset, systems, and building sustainable success over timeGuest SpotlightMaryanne Betso | Certified Global Luxury Specialist Real Estate Professional with 24+ years of experience serving clients across Connecticut. Maryanne specializes in helping clients navigate complex real estate decisions with expertise, organization, and personalized service.Website: maryannebetso.comInstagram: mare_real_estateFind us Here!Website | makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcast/Socials | @massteacherprep & @mtgframeworks Apple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Season 4 Episode 48: Plan Smarter, Stress Less with Will Young - Executive Function Strategies
Feb 1800:33:53Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn Season 4, Episode 48 of the Making the Grade Podcast, Christine sits down with Will, a financial planning and wealth management professional who helps individuals and families approach retirement with clarity and confidence. Will began working with MTG Frameworks through executive function coaching and has since extended the support to a team member, integrating EF systems more fully into his business.Will shares how he simplifies complex financial decisions, minimizes tax stress, and helps clients align their money with what actually matters to them. Drawing from behavioral finance, Stoicism, neuroscience, and his training as a superforecaster, Will explains how mindset, emotional regulation, and executive function plays a huge role in long-term financial success.They talk about:How executive function impacts financial decision-makingReducing financial anxiety through clarity and systemsWhy behavior matters just as much as numbers in wealth planningUsing foresight and discipline to navigate uncertaintyAligning money with personal values and long-term goalsWhether you’re planning for retirement, managing financial stress, or trying to make smarter long-term decisions, this episode offers practical insights and a fresh perspective on money, mindset, and planning for the future.Guest Spotlight: Will | Financial Planning & Wealth Management Professional Focused on retirement planning, tax efficiency, and values-based financial strategiesInstagram: unstoppawillFind us Here!🌐 Website | makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcast/📸 Instagram | @mtgframeworks 🎵Tik Tok l @mtgframeworks 🎧 Apple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Season 4 Premiere: Behind the Scenes of Luxury Travel Planning & Executive Function
Jan 2800:39:39Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn the Season 4 premiere of the Making the Grade Podcast, Georgia sits down with Catherine, a luxury travel advisor specializing in honeymoons, destination weddings, and thoughtfully designed leisure travel.Catherine shares how she transitioned from mental health therapy into luxury travel, what really happens behind the scenes of travel planning, and why executive function skills like organization, flexibility, and emotional regulation are essential in high-demand, client-facing businesses.In this episode, we talk about:Why travel planning takes 40+ hours for the average personHow executive function impacts entrepreneurs and service providersAvoiding burnout while managing constant task-switchingSystems and brain hacks that actually workThe truth about working with a travel advisorHow Katherine flew around the world 3.6 times in one yearWhether you’re a business owner, planner, overthinker, or someone dreaming of stress-free travel, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-life strategies you can apply immediately.Guest Spotlight:Catherine | Luxury Travel Advisor Specializing in honeymoons, destination weddings & custom leisure travel Instagram: @buns_onthe_run Website: Catherine Whitehouse | Wanderlust JetsetterFind out more about Making the Grade hereLearn more about Executive Function: https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-functionFind us Here! 🌐 Website | makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcast/ 📸 Instagram | @massteacherprep & @executivefunctionfix 🎧 Apple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Rewiring Routines, Expanding Impact: Executive Function in Real Life & Season 3 Finale
Dec 1700:44:22Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailRewiring Routines, Expanding Impact: Executive Function in Real Life & Season 3 Finale As MTG wraps up Season 3 of Making the Grade, Georgia & Christine reflect on just how much has grown, shifted, and expanded over the past year as they enter their 4th season of the show.This season explored practical executive function skills including time management, motivation, emotional regulation, planning, and follow-through. One core takeaway emerged again and again: most challenges aren’t about doing more - they’re about how we manage our energy, systems, and brains.Big ideas from Season 3:🧠 Understand your brain: Executive function awareness changes how people approach work and life.🔄 Simple systems matter: The most effective strategies are often unglamorous - but sustainable.⚖️ Balance is built: Support, flexibility, and self-awareness are essential in every season.Season 3 also marked major growth for The Making the Grade Project, including the launch of the Hack Your Brain course and the completion of the team’s first executive function coaching cohort, with more planned for 2026 across multiple industries.What’s next:🚀 Expanded with 9 new partnerships & renewals👥 A new instructor supporting children and teens🎧 Client stories coming to the podcast in 2026On a personal note, Georgia welcomed a new baby and took maternity leave, while Christine traveled internationally for the first time since becoming a parent - all while making progress on their reading goals✨ With a growing community - now 3,685 new subscribers across social and email - the MTG team is deeply grateful to every listener, learner, client, and partner who made this season possible.Find out more about Making the Grade hereLearn more about Executive Function: https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-function-for-educators/Follow Making the Grade!Website | https://makingthegradepod.com/#homeInstagram | Making the Grade IGApple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Unleashing Curiosity in Classrooms with Olivia Odileke
Dec 300:24:01Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailS3 EP 45 | Season 3 Episode 45: Unleashing Curiosity in Classrooms with Olivia OdilekeHow do you spark curiosity, inspire engagement, and create those unforgettable “aha!” moments in learning?On this episode of Making the Grade, Georgia sits down with Olivia Odileke, CEO of Kampus Insights, curiosity coach, professional development designer, and author of Unleashing Curiosity: Empowering Fearless Educators to Engage and Inspire. Olivia believes that wonder is the secret sauce to joyful, meaningful learning. She’s trained over 20,000 educators and created more than 100 micro-inquiry tasks—all to help teachers bring curiosity to life in their classrooms.Olivia shares: ✨ How curiosity can transform classrooms and professional learning experiences 🧠 Her insights on executive function skills in practice, including:Task Initiation – the hardest first step for kids and adults alikeFlexible Thinking (“MacGyver Mindset”) – making magic out of unexpected momentsEmotional Control – using curiosity to de-escalate and re-engagePrioritization & Planning – leading with inquiry instead of instruction 💡 How she built her business and designed Spark Day PD, a curiosity-driven professional learning experience that brings joy, imagination, and impact to schools 🌴 Fun facts about Olivia: living on three islands, moving to a new country with four kids, and turning leaps of faith into a thriving businessWhether you’re an educator, school leader, or lifelong learner, this episode is full of actionable strategies, inspiring stories, and a reminder of the power of curiosity in every classroom.Learn more about Olivia and her work:Book: Unleashing Curiosity: Empowering Fearless Educators to Engage and InspireSpark Day PD: www.kampusinsights.comInstagram: @fearless.educatorConnect with Making the Grade:Learn more about Executive Function: https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-function-for-educators/Website: makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcastInstagram: @executivefunctionfixApple Podcasts: Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and leave a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →The Executive Function Guide to Teaching Multilingual Students: Trauma, Communication, and Brain-Based Learning
Nov 1900:29:43Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailS3 EP 44 | Season 3 Episode 44: The Executive Function Guide to Teaching Multilingual Students: Trauma, Communication, and Brain-Based Learning What does it really take to reach, teach, and connect with English Language Learners and their families?On this next episode of Making the Grade, Georgia sits down with Andrea Bitner - EL Teacher, Author, Professor, and PD Partner - who has dedicated 25 years to helping educators and multilingual learners build bridges through communication, confidence, and compassion.From her early days as a high school ELA teacher to her current role teaching English Learners in Philadelphia, Andrea has taught every grade level and worn many hats: Title I Reading Specialist, Teacher Mentor, College Professor, and National Presenter. She now travels the country partnering with schools and universities to help educators strengthen their skills in teaching, reaching, collaborating, and confidently communicating with English Learners and their families.Andrea shares: ✨ The challenges and solutions to effectively connecting with multilingual students and families 💬 The hidden traumas that many EL students face, and how educators can recognize and support them 🧠 How English learners acquire language and the neuroscience behind the process of becoming bilingualShe also opens up about her book, Take Me Home, the true story of 11 of her former EL students who share what it’s really like to learn English and adapt to life in America. Drawing from her own experiences - including traveling to El Salvador and learning what it feels like to be a language learner herself - Andrea offers powerful insights for any educator striving to create classrooms where every student belongs.🔗 Learn more about Andrea’s work: www.andreabitnerbooks.com Connect with Andrea: LinkedIn: @AndreaBitner | Instagram: @andreabitnerbooksFind out more about Making the Grade hereLearn more about Executive Function: https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-function-for-educators/Follow Making the Grade! 🌐 Website | makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcast/ 📸 Instagram | @makingthegradeproject 🎧 Apple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Why Multilingual Learners Struggle with Executive Function: A Conversation with Dr. Dana Goodier
Nov 500:38:35Tap to summarizeSend us Fan Mail🎙️ S3 EP 43 | Season 3 Episode 43: Why Multilingual Learners Struggle with Executive Function: A Conversation with Dr. Dana GoodierIn this episode of Making the Grade, hosts Christine and Georgia sit down with Dr. Dana Goodier, an accomplished educator, author, and podcast host with over 25 years of experience in the field.Dr. Goodier has taught World Languages and English, served as an administrator at both the middle and elementary levels, and completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) in 2020. She is passionate about equipping educators with strategies to minimize off-task behavior and increase time on task, helping classrooms run more efficiently and with greater engagement.Currently serving as the President of the Colorado Congress for Language Teachers (CCFLT), Dr. Goodier also contributes regularly to the Teach Better Team and is the author of Out of the Trenches: Stories of Resilient Educators (2022). She hosts the popular “Out of the Trenches” podcast, where educators share stories of resilience and growth in the ever-changing landscape of education.In this conversation, Dr. Goodier joins Christine & Georgia to explore: 🧠 Resilience in Education — what it truly means to persist through the challenges educators face today. 🌍 Supporting Multilingual Learners — why so many students struggle to exit ELD (English Language Development) programs and what schools can do differently. 💡 Instructional Practices that Empower — actionable ways to build inclusive classrooms and boost engagement for all learners.Follow Dr. Goodier on Facebook, X (Twitter), and BlueSky: @danagoodier Instagram, Threads, BlueSky, and YouTube: @outoftrenchespc Visit her website: www.danagoodier.comFind out more about Making the Grade hereLearn more about Executive Function: https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-function-for-educators/Follow Making the Grade!Website | https://makingthegradepod.com/#homeInstagram | Making the Grade IGApple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Honoring Our Brains: Iris Wong on Executive Function, Neurodivergence, and Growth
Oct 1500:39:04Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailS3 EP 42 | Season 3 Episode 42: Honoring Our Brains: Iris Wong on Executive Function, Neurodivergence, and GrowthWhat does it mean to honor your brain, your body, and your story while raising a family and supporting others? For Iris Wong, it means blending her work as a bilingual SLP, executive function coach, and author with the lived experience of being a neurodivergent adult and parent.On this episode of Making the Grade, Georgia sits down with Iris Wong, a bilingual Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), Executive Function Coach, author, and storyteller. Iris’s journey has taken her from public schools in the U.S. to expat life overseas, and now into the deeply personal work of supporting others while honoring her own neurodivergence (AuDHD).Iris shares how rollerblading and breakdancing in her kitchen as a child gave her an early way to meet her sensory needs - and how that thread of self-understanding now runs through everything she teaches and creates. From publishing A Kids Book About Executive Functioning to exploring representation in YA fiction, Iris brings heart, humor, and lived experience to the conversation about accessibility, identity, and growth.Together, they talk about:The realities of being a caregiver while navigating her own late diagnosisWhat working overseas taught her about alternative education and inclusionHow storytelling - both in children’s nonfiction and YA fiction - can shift representation and belongingThe connection between sensory needs, creativity, and executive functionWhy executive function is not just about productivity, but about honoring our brains and bodies💡 Iris also shares practical insights from her coaching practice, and why embracing neurodivergence in both kids and adults can unlock new ways of thriving.🔗 Learn more about Iris’s work:A Kids Book About Executive Functioning: Penguin Random House linkInstagram: @eftoolkitFind out more about Making the Grade hereLearn more about Executive Function: https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-function-for-educators/Follow Making the Grade!Website | https://makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcast/ Instagram | Making the Grade IGApple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →Executive Function Skills for College Success: Howard Freedman on Planning, Organization & Financial Aid
Sep 1700:30:42Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailS3 EP 41 | Season 3 Episode 41: Executive Function Skills for College Success: Howard Freedman on Planning, Organization & Financial AidHave you ever felt like the stress of planning and paying for college is too much to organize, prioritize, and manage - leaving you wondering if higher education can ever feel affordable and achievable?On this episode, Georgia & Christine sit down with Howard Freedman, financial aid consultant, author of Making College Happen, and longtime leader in financial management. Howard shares how executive function skills like planning, organization, and prioritization shaped his journey—from being a detail-oriented student, to careers in payroll and process improvement, to reinventing himself as a financial aid consultant helping families make college possible.Howard also reflects on lessons from leadership, including a memorable payroll story that taught him the importance of preparation and problem-solving under pressure, and how he applies his ABC Model (Acknowledge the problem, Build teamwork, Commit to doing it better) to guide both organizations and families.Together, they discuss persistence, reducing stress in the financial aid process, and practical strategies families can use to stay grounded and focused on what matters most when planning for college.🔗 Learn more about Howard’s work and find his book, Making College Happen, at Amazon.com.Find out more about Making the Grade hereLearn more about Executive Function: https://makingthegradeproject.com/executive-functionFollow Making the Grade!Website | https://makingthegradeproject.com/blog/category/podcast/ Instagram | Making the Grade IGApple Podcasts | Making the Grade Podcast (Listen and give us a rating!)Support the show
Transcribe →