Moving Forward - Change, Purpose and Possibility

Linda Anderson

After 32 incredible years in education as a teacher, coach, principal, director and mentor-I’ve stepped into a new chapter. My journey has been shaped by personal and professional transformation: leading schools, navigating loss, advocating for equity and raising a bi-racial family. Welcome to the Moving Forward Podcast. Each episode will be a safe space where honest voices will explore real topics in education, identity, mental wellness, leadership, and everything in between. We’ll have courageous conversations and reflect on how we can all keep moving forward, no matter the path we’re on.

  1. 2d ago

    Ep. 40 - Peter Cuneo

    "Technology will continue to change, but the human qualities that matter most remain timeless." — Peter Cuneo  In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, Linda Anderson sits down with Peter Cuneo — acclaimed business leader, turnaround expert, Navy veteran, and former Vice Chairman of Marvel Entertainment — for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, resilience, purpose, and the human qualities that matter most in times of change. Peter's journey spans decades of leadership across industries, including roles at Clairol, Black & Decker, Remington, and Marvel. Best known for helping guide Marvel from bankruptcy to becoming one of the most successful entertainment companies in the world, Peter has spent his career helping organizations navigate uncertainty, rebuild trust, and create a vision for the future. But as Peter shares throughout this conversation, successful leadership is rarely about strategy alone. Drawing from experiences that began at Alfred University and continued through military service and the corporate world, Peter reflects on the values that shaped him long before the titles and accomplishments arrived. He discusses the importance of character, integrity, relationships, and the lessons learned from both successes and setbacks. Together, Linda and Peter explore: • The experiences and values that shaped Peter's leadership journey • Why culture and trust are often more important than strategy • What people misunderstand about the Marvel turnaround • The leadership lessons that took the longest to learn • How adversity and setbacks can become powerful teachers • Why relationships are often the true measure of success • The importance of creativity, teamwork, and collaboration in today's world • How young people can balance technology with curiosity, learning, and human connection • The skills that will remain essential no matter how much technology advances • What it means to build a life of purpose beyond titles and accomplishments Throughout the conversation, Peter offers practical wisdom gained from a lifetime of leadership while reminding us that success is not defined solely by what we achieve, but by how we treat people, the trust we build, and the impact we leave behind. This episode is a powerful reminder that while industries, organizations, and technologies continue to evolve, the qualities that make great leaders -  character, curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and service to others — remain timeless. If you have a comment or question please email us at themovingforwardpodcast@gmail.com Follow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    41 min

  2. Jun 22

    Ep. 39 - George Anderson

    Creativity, Courage, Authenticity, and the Relationships That Matter Most What defines a successful life? Is it the titles we hold, the awards we earn, or the accomplishments others can see? In this heartfelt conversation, George Anderson shares a journey that began in a small town in New Jersey and led to a remarkable career helping shape campaigns for some of the world's most recognizable films and entertainment brands. But this episode is about far more than Hollywood. George reflects on growing up in Rockaway, the influence of a young and resilient mother, the complexities of family, the discovery of his artistic gifts, and the courage it took to live authentically at a time when acceptance was far from guaranteed. Together, we explore identity, belonging, creativity, leadership, love, and the relationships that sustain us through every season of life. As George prepares for retirement after more than four decades in the entertainment industry, he shares a powerful realization: in the end, it isn't the campaigns, titles, or accomplishments that matter most—it's the people whose lives we touch and the relationships we build along the way. This episode is a reminder that our greatest legacy is not what we create, but how we show up for others. In this episode, you'll hear about: • Growing up in Rockaway, New Jersey and the people who shaped George's life • Discovering artistic talent and following a creative path • Lessons learned from a career in the entertainment industry • The importance of authenticity and finding the courage to be yourself • Love, partnership, belonging, and chosen family • Why relationships matter more than achievements • Reflections on retirement, purpose, and life's next chapter Whether you're navigating a career transition, embracing your authentic self, reflecting on your own journey, or simply wondering what truly matters in the end, this conversation offers wisdom, warmth, and hope. Because moving forward isn't about leaving the past behind. It's about carrying forward the people, lessons, and love that helped shape who we are. If you have a comment or question please email us at themovingforwardpodcast@gmail.com Follow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    46 min

  3. Jun 15

    Ep. 38 - Karen Sakata

    In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, I sit down with Karen Sakata, former Superintendent of the Contra Costa County Office of Education, whose career in public education has spanned more than four decades and nearly every level of educational leadership. Karen reflects on her journey from Speech Language Pathologist to Superintendent and shares how her early experiences supporting students with learning challenges shaped her lifelong commitment to advocacy, belonging, and strengths-based leadership. Throughout our conversation, she speaks about the importance of seeing the whole child and keeping relationships, empathy, and humanity at the center of education. We also discuss what it meant to break barriers as one of the first Asian American administrators in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, the first Asian and first woman in cabinet-level leadership within the Contra Costa County Office of Education, and the first Asian County Superintendent in California. As a third-generation Japanese American (Sansei), Karen also shares reflections on her family’s experience with the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and how those experiences shaped her understanding of resilience, identity, justice, and belonging across generations. In addition, Karen talks about the importance of mentorship, professional community, and the evolving challenges facing public education today. She also shares how coaching basketball and playing traditional taiko drums continue to bring joy, rhythm, and connection into her life beyond leadership. This conversation is a thoughtful reflection on leadership, service, identity, history, and the responsibility of helping others feel seen, valued, and supported. If you have a comment or question please email us at themovingforwardpodcast@gmail.com Follow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    43 min

  4. Jun 1

    Ep. 36 - Joaquin Noguera

    Today’s episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope invites us to think more deeply about leadership—not simply through policies, systems, or structures, but through the human experiences that shape the way people feel seen, valued, and supported within them. My guest is Joaquin Noguera, an educator, scholar, and practitioner whose work centers on how schools and communities can respond to poverty, marginalization, and inequity through culturally and locally responsive approaches. Joaquin earned his Ph.D. in Social Science and Comparative Education from University of California, Los Angeles with a specialization in race, ethnic, and cultural studies. He later served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Black Studies Research and as a Visiting Professor in Black Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at Loyola Marymount University. His professional journey spans roles as a social worker in Harlem, a K–12 teacher and school leader in New York City, and now a scholar preparing future educators and leaders. Across each of these experiences, Joaquin’s work has remained grounded in a central question: How do we create systems that not only serve people—but truly see them, understand them, and honor their humanity? In this conversation, Joaquin reflects on the experiences that shaped his understanding of culture, identity, and leadership responsibility. Together, we explore what it means for schools and systems to move beyond surface-level acknowledgment of culture and toward genuine responsiveness and accountability to the communities they serve. We also discuss the impact on students when they feel unseen or misunderstood, the role healing plays within education, and what leadership requires in this moment—not through grand statements, but through the everyday choices that shape belonging, opportunity, and human connection. Thoughtful, reflective, and deeply grounded in both scholarship and lived experience, this conversation reminds us that leadership is ultimately relational. It asks us to examine not only the systems we build, but the humanity we bring to them. Thank you for joining us on Moving Forward. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    42 min

  5. May 25

    Ep. 35 - Joann Jansen

    In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, Linda Anderson sits down with JoAnn Jansen — renowned film choreographer, producer, acting coach, speaker, and transformative mentor — for a deeply honest conversation about resilience, creativity, reinvention, and the courage to keep rebuilding your life when circumstances change unexpectedly. JoAnn reflects on her early years in the vibrant New York dance world, where movement became more than performance — it became identity, storytelling, and self-expression. She shares how those experiences shaped her creative voice and later influenced her work in film and television, including the real-life experiences that inspired part of Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. But behind the success is also a story of profound challenge. At just nineteen years old, JoAnn became the single mother of a severely disabled child — an experience that forced her to navigate hardship, uncertainty, and the question of whether her own dreams could still survive alongside overwhelming responsibility. Together, Linda and JoAnn explore: How creativity can become a source of healing and survival The connection between identity and self-expression What adversity teaches us that success alone cannot Why so many people struggle to believe they are “enough” The courage required to reinvent yourself across different seasons of life How hardship can eventually become a source of wisdom, strength, and purpose Throughout the conversation, JoAnn speaks candidly about motherhood, resilience, reinvention, and the importance of helping others reconnect with their own value and possibility. This episode is a reminder that even when life forces us to rebuild ourselves, we are still capable of growth, creativity, healing, and hope. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    28 min

  6. May 18

    Ep. 34 - Richard Zapien

    Today’s conversation explores leadership, access, identity, and the systems that shape opportunity—especially in a moment when technology and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the world around us. My guest is Richard Zapien, an educator and leader whose work spans more than 25 years across teaching, instructional coaching, site leadership, and district administration within the San Francisco Unified School District. He currently serves as Professional Learning Coordinator with the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) Bay Area Regional Academy at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education, where he supports equity-centered leadership development across schools and districts. Throughout this conversation, Richard challenges us to think more deeply about who gets seen, who gets access, and how leadership decisions shape opportunity—not only in education, but across society. Together, we discuss the importance of representation in leadership, the lasting impact of deficit narratives, and the ways systems can unintentionally reinforce inequities. Richard reflects on the moment early in his career that shifted his work from a profession to a purpose, and how that experience continues to ground his leadership today. We also explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence and computer science in schools and communities. Richard offers thoughtful insight into what AI literacy really means, why access matters, and how bias can show up in both technology and leadership systems. Rather than viewing computer science simply as coding, he reframes it as a pathway toward problem-solving, critical thinking, civic awareness, and opportunity. This conversation also highlights the importance of belonging and affinity spaces for leaders of color, particularly through Richard’s work with the Latino Leaders Affinity Network. He speaks candidly about the pressures many leaders carry, the realities of systems-level leadership, and the responsibility leaders have to approach both technology and people with intention, compassion, and critical awareness. At its heart, this episode is about leadership that sees humanity clearly—leadership rooted not only in strategy and systems, but in dignity, representation, relationships, and hope. If you’ve ever thought about who gets access to opportunity, how systems shape identity and belonging, or what responsible leadership looks like in a rapFollow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    39 min

  7. May 10

    Ep. 33 - Lindsay Lazar and Linda Anderson

    The Generations That Shape Us: A Conversation on Motherhood, Loss, and What Carries Forward Episode Description: This episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope is a deeply personal one—shared on Mother’s Day. For the first time, the roles are reversed. Linda Anderson sits on the other side of the conversation—interviewed by her daughter, Lindsay. What unfolds is more than a conversation between mother and daughter. It’s a reflection across three generations of women—how they shape one another, what they carry forward, and what remains long after moments have passed. Together, they explore the reality of becoming a mother for the first time—the expectations, the surprises, and the quiet lessons that only come through lived experience. Linda reflects on the influence of her own mother, the values she hoped to pass on, and the ways those values continue to show up in her daughter today. The conversation also holds space for loss. Linda shares how losing her mother shaped her understanding of time, presence, and what truly matters—and how that loss continues to inform the way she loves, leads, and lives. As Lindsay steps into motherhood herself, the conversation deepens—offering an honest look at what it means to witness your child become a parent, and how identity shifts in that transition. This episode is about: The reality of motherhood—beyond expectations The influence of the women who came before us The values that quietly shape generations The impact of loss on how we live and love What it means to carry a family forward The transition from mother to grandmother And how we define “moving forward” across seasons of life At its core, this is a conversation about legacy—not as something distant, but as something lived every day. In the choices we make. In the way we show up. In what we pass on—intentionally and unintentionally. A reflection to carry with you: What are you holding from those who came before you… and what are you choosing to carry forward? Follow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    31 min

  8. May 4

    Ep. 32 - Michaeline Fernandez & Kelly Daab

    Building Something Together: Design, Identity, and the Meaning of Home What does it mean to build something beautiful together? In this episode of Moving Forward, Linda Anderson sits down with sisters and co-founders Michaeline Fernandez and Kelly Daab of butter+velvet HOME · DESIGN for a conversation about creativity, partnership, and the journey of growing something over time. Michaeline began her career more than twenty years ago with a passion for family-friendly interior design—creating spaces that feel both elevated and livable. As her business evolved, so did a vision: to open a boutique that could bring her design perspective to life in a more personal and community-centered way. That vision expanded when her sister Kelly joined the business, bringing her own strengths in curation and merchandising. Together, they built butter+velvet HOME · DESIGN into a full-service home design studio based in Denville, New Jersey and one that now serves clients across the country. But this conversation goes beyond design. It’s about what it means to: Build a business with someone you trust Hold onto your individual identity while creating something shared Navigate growth, uncertainty, and change over time Create spaces, not just physically, but relationally - that feel warm, inviting, and deeply personal A powerful thread throughout this episode is the balance between individuality and partnership.Talking about how two people can move forward together without losing themselves along the way. As Michaeline and Kelly reflect on their journey, they offer insight into the quiet, steady work of building something meaningful—rooted in trust, shaped by experience, and guided by a shared vision. A line that captures the heart of this conversation: “Moving forward isn’t about becoming something different—it’s about growing into who you already are, while building something alongside someone else.” In This Episode, We Explore: How a passion for interior design grew into a full-service business The transition from solo work to sister partnership Defining roles, voice, and identity within a shared vision Designing spaces that balance beauty, functionality, and real life The importance of trust—in relationships, in business, and in the process What it means to keep moving forward through growth and uncertainty A Reflection for ListenersWhether you’re building something with someone else, or finding your own path forward…What does it look like to stay grounded in who you are while growing into something more? Follow us on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

After 32 incredible years in education as a teacher, coach, principal, director and mentor-I’ve stepped into a new chapter. My journey has been shaped by personal and professional transformation: leading schools, navigating loss, advocating for equity and raising a bi-racial family. Welcome to the Moving Forward Podcast. Each episode will be a safe space where honest voices will explore real topics in education, identity, mental wellness, leadership, and everything in between. We’ll have courageous conversations and reflect on how we can all keep moving forward, no matter the path we’re on.

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