IT'S TIME!

The 3rd Annual Stressed Leaders Summit is LIVE

May 09, 2026

“It’s TIME!!!” - in my best Bruce Buffer voice…

Ladies and Gentleman, IT’S TIME, we are 5 weeks away from our 3rd Annual ~~Stressed~~ Leaders Summit! June 15-16 in gorgeous Starved Rock, Illinois! Registrations are pouring in, excitement is at an all-time high for this growing event and we want YOU to be a part of it!

“There’s not enough time in the day to lead this district the way our students and staff deserve. I’m drowning.” That sentence still sticks with me.

Three years ago, a respected superintendent and friend looked across the table and admitted what so many educational leaders silently carry every single day. Exhaustion. Isolation. Decision fatigue. The overwhelming pressure of trying to lead a district, support people, manage crises, battle negativity, and still somehow be present for your own family when you walk through the front door at night.

And the scariest part?

He wasn’t weak.
He wasn’t failing.
He was simply carrying too much for too long.

That conversation became the spark behind the very first Stressed Leaders Retreat.

Now, in 2026, what started as an idea has evolved into something much bigger:
A MOVEMENT for district leadership teams ready to stop surviving leadership… and start leading with purpose again.

The 3rd Annual Stressed Leaders Summit is not another “sit-and-get” conference where district leaders sit in ballroom chairs pretending they’re not checking emails under the table while someone reads PowerPoint slides about team culture.

This is intentional leadership development. This is energy. This is connection. This is pressure-tested leadership growth.

And this year, we are calling on SUPERINTENDENTS, CABINET TEAMS, BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS, DEANS, PRINCIPALS, DIRECTORS, AND LEADERSHIP TEAMS to come experience it TOGETHER.

Because district culture does not improve accidentally.
Alignment does not happen magically.
Trust is not built through another Zoom meeting.

It is built through shared experiences.
Hard conversations.
Vulnerability.
Laughter.
Challenge.
Purpose.
And the realization that leadership was never supposed to be done alone.

At the 2026 Stressed Leaders Summit, your team will not just hear motivational speeches and head home with a tote bag and a notebook full of ideas you never implement.

You will EXPERIENCE leadership.

You will build stronger alignment around mission, communication, and culture.
You will challenge your mindset and your habits.
You will reconnect to WHY you started leading in the first place.
You will laugh harder than you have in months.
You will have real conversations with leaders who understand the pressure you carry.

And maybe most importantly…

You will leave with your cup fuller than when you arrived.

This summit was built for the district office leader trying to hold together a fractured district and community culture…
For the principal carrying the emotional weight of an entire building…
For the dean tired of navigating awkward conversations with apathetic parents instead of inspiring students…
For the superintendent exhausted from being everyone’s punching bag…
For the leadership team that wants to move from transactional survival to transformational impact…

We are not lowering the standards of leadership. We are building leaders strong enough to sustain them.

Because schools do not become exceptional by accident.
Exceptional schools are built by healthy, connected, purpose-driven leaders willing to grow together under pressure.

This is your invitation to stop drowning silently.

Bring your team.
Invest in your people.
Reignite your leadership.
Build momentum heading into the 2026-2027 school year.

You’ll from inspirational speakers, change agents, and dynamic leaders doing and leading the work across various spaces featuring Brandi Kelly Ed.D Dan W. Cox Jonelle Carter, Caden Vittorini, Craig Williams, Dan Stecken, Jake Carr, Sara Olson, Phil Januszewski, and MORE!