Brave on Purpose with Samantha Hamilton

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Samantha Hamilton, an award-winning principal, national education consultant, speaker, and author. Samantha shares insights from her career, discusses her book 'Brave On Purpose,' and emphasizes the importance of courageous, empathetic leadership in education. The episode also touches upon the challenges of leadership, the role of faith in leadership, and tips for preventing burnout among educators.

• Brave on Purpose means choosing courage
• Intentional leadership when it’s easier to not have that.
• LISA Academy - be seen
• Leaders can’t rely on titles to have trust.
• Help people feel seen, safe, and valued.
• Don’t have access to what happens day-to-day in schools
• Leadership on paper is different than leadership in real life.
• Can’t assume we know what happened right before.
• People first paper second. More info from Erika Garcia-Niles
• Power of delegation & perfectionism - sign up for Jethro’s email list.
• Interweaving faith into leadership.
• How to help principals who feel burnt out or stuck.
• What defines success today?
• How to be a transformative principal? Give yourself permission to be human, pick one thing that you want to get better at tomorrow. Progress over perfection.

About Samantha Hamilton

Samantha Hamilton (BarefootPrincipal.com) is an award-winning school principal, national education consultant, speaker, and author of non-fiction leadership books that inspire courage, connection, and culture change. With over two decades of experience in early childhood education and K-12 school leadership, she’s known for transforming vision into action and heart into strategy.

Born in Joplin, Missouri to two lifelong educators, Samantha began “teaching” both real and imaginary students by the age of five. That early calling grew into a career defined by faith, humor, and an unshakable belief that relationships—not rigid rules—are the foundation of lasting success. Whether she's leading a school community, coaching new leaders, or navigating chaos with compassion, Samantha brings grit, grace, and just the right amount of sparkle to shift the atmosphere.

She has served in both public and charter schools, taught multiple grade levels, and led schools through tornado recovery, staffing crises, major cultural transformations, and systemwide change initiatives. Her leadership philosophy is simple: people first, always. Her impact? Anything but simple.

Beyond the school walls, Samantha mentors aspiring leaders, develops curriculum, and trains educators nationwide on topics such as leadership resilience, school culture transformation, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable servant leadership. She is a doctoral candidate in Organizational Leadership and a proud wife, mom of three, and Christmas enthusiast who blends fun and focus into everything she leads.

Her debut book, Brave on Purpose: How Courage, Culture, and Connection Create Lasting Impact, is a love letter to educators and leaders navigating the real trenches of change. It invites readers to lead with clarity, courage, heart, and a little sparkle.

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• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.