No Doubt, Let's Go! - Sandra

On This Episode of No Doubt, Let’s Go! Coach Reggie interviews Sandra Brower an educator, remote scholar, piano teacher, and distance runner. From chairing academic committees and directing PhD residentials to teaching music and training for half-marathons, Sandra breaks down how clear structure, consistent routines, and iterative feedback loops keep massive workloads moving forward without burnout. Key Takeaways from the Interview 1. Building Mental Toughness and Agility Through Running * Scheduled Consistency: Sandra logs roughly 20 miles per week, training four days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) and competing in two half-marathons each year. * Automated Routines: She relies on structured training programs synced to Strava rather than waiting for daily inspiration. * Active Problem-Solving: Whenever she hits a mental wall or gets stuck on a project, stepping away from the desk to go for a run serves as her reset to clear mental clutter and restore focus. 2. Managing Complex Academic Portfolios in Tight Time-Boxes * Focused Working Windows: Operating remotely from the United States for Cliff College in the UK, Sandra time-boxes her core administrative hours to four mornings a week (8:00 AM – 10:00 AM US / 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM UK). * Coordinating Distributed Stakeholders: In her role leading PhD residentials and chairing research degree committees, she balances independent student projects by liaising directly with faculty supervisors and managing administrative tracking systems. * Energy via Collaboration: Rather than succumbing to isolation or analysis paralysis, she maintains frequent communication across Zoom and Teams with colleagues to stay energized and keep initiatives active. 3. Real-Time Feedback and Cadence in Piano Instruction * Meeting Learners Where They Are: In the afternoons, Sandra shifts from academic coordination to teaching piano. She approaches beginner students with grace, pairing music theory and scales with pieces the students genuinely enjoy playing. * Incremental Progress: Just like iterative sprints in Agile, mastering musical technique relies on short, targeted practice loops, real-time feedback, and building confidence measure by measure. 4. Getting Unstuck by Reframing the Narrative * The Power of External Perspective: When stuck writing a sermon for First Congregational Church in Montclair about the Israelites under Pharaoh, Sandra unlocked the message by drawing on philosopher James K. A. Smith’s concept that humans are “liturgical animals” shaped by daily habits. * Changing the Story: She pivoted the sermon around the idea that “in church, we hear a different story” of grace and transformation—highlighting how reframing the core narrative helps people process change and break through obstacles. 5. Structure and Formative Assessment Over Perfectionism * Architecture First: For anyone overwhelmed by a complex paper or deliverable, Sandra advises establishing clear structure before diving into detailed drafting. * Iterative Formative Feedback: She champions regular “formative assessments”—sharing outlines, drafts, and sources with mentors early and often—reinforcing Coach Reggie’s core philosophy of failing fast and learning faster through small batches No Doubt Let’s Go! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rvhoss.substack.com/subscribe