Podcast Summary: The CEO Teacher Podcast

Episode: Teaching in a New Season
Host: Kayse Morris
Date: September 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In "Teaching in a New Season," host Kayse Morris shares a vulnerable and transformative account of her personal and professional journey over the past two years. This episode marks a raw and honest rebirth for Kayse and her audience, diving into the realities of navigating life's hardest seasons, overcoming shame and grief, and rediscovering joy—both in life and in teaching. Kayse also introduces practical strategies for teachers ready to reinvent themselves, whether that means finding fulfillment after burnout or launching an online business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Authenticity & New Beginnings

• Kayse opens by embracing a more genuine tone, discarding the performative "podcast voice" to reflect her true self.

  “What if I just stop doing the podcast voice? … I just feel like this is a time where I am called to just be who God created me to be and follow the path that he's put me on.” (01:20)

• She frames the episode for listeners who might be experiencing or approaching their own "new season," whether through personal upheaval, career changes, or burnout.

  “Fresh starts aren’t just for New Year’s resolutions. They can happen on a random Wednesday in September when you finally say, you know, this isn’t the life that I want to settle for as a teacher.” (04:04)

2. Navigating Loss, Guilt, and Healing

• Kayse discusses the emotional fallout from her divorce, emphasizing how the reality of loneliness and grief overtook the assumed freedom.

  “What I didn’t expect was how lonely I would feel walking through the front door of my house. The house that used to be a home suddenly felt like just walls, memories, floors, silence.” (05:08)

• She describes the struggle of maintaining her role as a business leader and mentor when she felt personally unwell and disconnected from her purpose.

  “How in the world am I supposed to guide somebody else when I couldn’t even face my own reflection?” (08:05)

• Kayse candidly addresses the layers of shame, particularly tied to her faith and personal standards around marriage.

  “I carried so much shame from my decision. It felt like a backpack full of these heavy, heavy bricks.” (09:10)

3. The Long Road to Renewal

• Healing was gradual, characterized by small, unremarkable moments—such as noticing her children’s laughter once again.

  “I remember a couple of months ago…I started hearing my kids laugh again. And I realized that I wasn’t just watching them, I was feeling it.” (11:13)

• A turning point involved a spontaneous trip to a local Bible store, purchasing a new Bible, and slowly reconnecting with her faith through journaling and self-reflection.

  “It took me months to put these tabs on my Bible. But like, once I did, it was like I completed this beautiful project. Kind of like God was working on me.” (13:46)

• Kayse emphasizes the importance of creating an environment—internally and externally—where new joy and purpose can take root.

  “I am wanting to make my house a home again. A new home, a fresh home. One…full of love and light and happiness and joy that leaves behind guilt and resentment and failure.” (16:06)

4. Lessons for Listeners: Reinventing Your Teaching & Life

• Kayse uses her story to encourage teachers to see their unique skills as "seeds" that can grow into new and fulfilling roles, both inside and outside the classroom.

  “Your teaching gift—it isn’t limited to just one format.” (20:06)

• She reassures listeners they don’t need to hit rock bottom to embrace change.

  “You don’t have to wait to hit rock bottom. Actually, I don’t want you to hit rock bottom. Cause it’s a really rough place. …You can start today.” (21:15)

Featured Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On loneliness after divorce:

  “The house that used to be a home suddenly felt like just walls, memories, floors, silence.” (05:13)

• On professional burnout:

  “Teaching others, whether it was in the classroom years ago or now, what I do as an online business coach…in that season, it felt so impossible.” (07:35)

• On rediscovering joy:

  “I started hearing my kids laugh again. And I realized that I wasn’t just watching them, I was feeling it.” (11:18)

• On releasing shame:

  “For me, releasing the old meant I had to ask for God’s forgiveness for something that I did not technically believe in, which was divorce. And I had to believe that I was truly forgiven in order to move on with my life.” (24:08)

• Encouragement for reinvention:

  “You can reinvent yourself any day of any hour. …They’re seeds that can grow into so much more.” (19:10)

The Three R’s for Teaching in a New Season

[24:00] Kayse introduces a practical framework for anyone experiencing transition:

1. Release:

   • Write down something you need to let go of—guilt, shame, perfection, or the notion that teaching is limited to the classroom.
   • Practice stillness, meditation, or prayer to help with releasing these burdens.

2. Reimagine:

   • Spend 10 quiet minutes envisioning new possibilities—tutoring, creating resources, starting a membership, podcasting, etc.
   • Recognize that your teaching gifts can take many forms.

3. Refocus:

   • Choose one exciting possibility and commit to exploring it in a small, low-pressure way this week.
   • Shift your mindset from survival to growth.

   “These three Rs, they aren’t complicated, but if you practice them, they’re going to anchor you into a life that doesn’t feel like it’s just a huge spiral.” (27:45)

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• Kayse warmly invites listeners to see “reinvention” as accessible at any time, not just at socially-expected milestones.

  “Reinvention doesn’t have to start on New Year’s Day. It just has to start whenever it feels good.” (29:25)

• She points listeners to her new (free) book, “10 Steps to Reinventing Life as a Teacher,” and a forthcoming Facebook group for further support and community.

• Closing Reminder:

  “As always, remember, your best is yet to come.” (31:10)

Useful Timestamps

• 01:20 – Kayse embraces her true self and introduces the episode’s intent
• 05:08 – Reflections on divorce and grief
• 09:10 – Coping with shame and disconnection from faith
• 13:46 – Reconnecting with faith: The Bible project story
• 19:10 – The “seeds” metaphor and expanding a teacher’s skills
• 21:15 – Encouragement to change before reaching rock bottom
• 24:00 – Introduction of the Three R’s: Release, Reimagine, Refocus
• 29:25 – Reinvention can start any time—a motivational call to action
• 31:10 – Episode wrap-up and invitation to new resources

For teachers at any stage—whether feeling lost, burned out, or simply ready for something new—this episode offers empathy, actionable reflection, and hope for renewal.