Living in Joy, Empathy and Imagination with the Co-Creator of Kid President

Change Starts Here and host Dustin Odham, Thought Leader for FranklinCovey Education, are back with another thought-provoking and inspiring episode – this time featuring a bona fide legend in the field of education.

 

In 2013, a video swept through the internet, bringing joy to all who viewed it. It featured then-11-year-old Robby Novak, dressed to the nines in a suit, tie and sneakers, delivering a pep talk as the now fabled “Kid President.”

Brad Montague, Novak’s brother-in-law, was part of the dynamic duo that made that video happen. Since, Kid President’s videos have been viewed over 100 million times.

Montague, whose stated mission these days is to “create stories that cultivate empathy and imagination in kids and former kids,” joined host Dustin Odham on this episode of Change Starts Here to explore how he and his family are “joyfully rebelling” against the way things are to craft a better world.

Since Kid President, Montague has authored “Becoming Better Grownups” and helped bring to life “Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome,” and his conversation with Odham centered on ways to focus on love and your “why” as opposed to the simple “what” of your day-to-day journey through life.

Montague told a story about how he and Novak met Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who sidestepped Montague’s most-dreaded question, “What do you do for a living?,” with a new one – “What do you love about what you do?”

“It’s really cool when you hear somebody put words to their love,” Montague said. “I’m a words person, so I need to hear those things. I think for any team, anywhere to hear from their fellow team members why they love being with them, why they love the little things about their work. … That breathes life to even more good.”

The opinions in this episode do not necessarily reflect those of FranklinCovey or the Change Starts Here Podcast. You can access the full notice and disclaimer at this link: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:e498c459-cdca-4a53-80c5-33d53c9a1359

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Mission
Why Is the Mission of Benchmark So Important
December 23, 2025

As pharmaceutical innovation accelerates, the margin for error narrows, making quality assurance not just a regulatory necessity but a public good. Benchmark’s mission sits at the intersection of progress and protection—helping manufacturers stay aligned with FDA standards so life-saving therapies reach patients faster and safer. By keeping cleanrooms compliant and companies out of trouble, Benchmark…

Read More
Benchmark
What Is It Like for You to Be Part of the Benchmark Products Teams Now
December 23, 2025

Being part of the Benchmark Products team today means working at the intersection of precision manufacturing and deeply human collaboration, especially in the high-stakes world of cleanroom and sterility assurance solutions. As the organization grows, employees describe a culture that still feels familial—one where clear communication, personal accountability, and genuine care for customers drive…

Read More
Cleaning
Do Your Friends Ever Ask You For Cleaning Tips
December 23, 2025

In a media landscape increasingly shaped by privacy constraints, data clean rooms have emerged as a quiet but powerful way for brands to collaborate without exposing sensitive information, even if, as Will Sepsis quips, some partners would still prefer that “ignorance is bliss.” That tension—between curiosity and caution—captures the moment we’re in, where understanding…

Read More
Clean
Do You Friends Ask You For Cleaning Methods or Clean Their Home
December 23, 2025

At Benchmark Products, where cleanroom precision is part of everyday work, professionals often discover that specialized knowledge doesn’t always translate neatly into casual conversations—especially when friends jokingly wonder if you’ll critique their homes or turn them into germaphobes. The reality is that cleanroom science is about controlled environments and risk mitigation at an industrial scale,…

Read More