At 14 years old, Kat Salazar walked into her very first classroom at a local community college. She was about to start college when most her age were just beginning high school.  For some this might have been an awkward or overwhelming experience, but having been homeschooled for her entire life, Kat was completely UNDER-WHELMED instead. She thought, “How is this learning? You haven’t asked me to think or do anything but simply regurgitate information.”  Unfortunately, this traditional and common structure, one that was created to spit out factory workers, is the one we have all come to know as formal education. Kat has since spent the last 10 years focusing on identifying the skills that optimize the way people learn and perform, especially on teams. Her unique life experiences have allowed her to see much of the world from a different vantage point and identify a massive problem in the traditional approach to education. This tapped into her passion and inspired her to start weThink, an intelligence software platform built to help people and organizations thrive in team based environments. In today’s episode, Kat asks some bold questions and helps us understand several key points: How to measure skills like communication, problem solving and critical thinking (32:30) Why we need to change the way we think about education (39:10) Ways we can and should practice the skill of learning (45:30) Why context is the key to more successful interactions (48:50) If you’d like to find out more about Kat and weThink, you can visit wethinkteams.com or find her on LinkedIn: Katrina Salazar. Today’s episode is brought to you by our very own Art of Coaching Speaker School, as well as our loyal partners Dynamic and Momentous. Whether you’re pitching investors for more money, asking supervisors for a raise, presenting at a national conference or coaxing your kids to bed, your ability to refine a message, understand your audience and deliver information in a way that will not only captivate but move them to action is one of the most important skills you can cultivate. We’re keeping this event small and intimate to facilitate practice, repetition and feedback. Spots and limited and going fast-  Check out artofcoaching.com/speaker for more details.  Dynamic: Our go-to equipment partner. Fully customizable and manufactured in the heartland of America- if you’re looking to outfit your home gym or weight room visit mydynamicfitness.com to get started. Tell them Brett and the Art of Coaching Team sent you! Momentous: Whether you’re an elite athlete, weekend warrior or just looking to improve your everyday health / performance, check out their entire line of protein and supplements at livemomentous.com and use code BRETT15 at checkout for 15% off! My personal favorites are their fish oil and magnesium, both of which I attribute to my better sleep and recovery.