Welcome to season 2 of Sakina from Best Brains! We are kicking off this season by discussing the connection of education and confidence with Namita Prasad, mother, author, fellow franchisee, and confidence educator. Namita's book The Power of Why Not came out January 2022 and is already a #1 Amazon Bestseller for parenting! Tune in to learn all about how to incorporate courage, character, and commitment in your parenting.

In celebration of the upcoming holidays, Sakina has asked two members of the Best Brains of Algonquin family to take over the podcast this week! In this surprise episode, teachers Danielle and Katherine talk all about their fondest memories regarding their time at Best Brains, along with a few of their funniest experiences that contribute to making their jobs so rewarding. P.S. Be sure to tune in to find out who the extra special guest star, Gary, is...

Dr. Alice Ward-Johnson is certainly the CEO of our hearts with her wise insights about education and small business ownership. Alice and Sakina speak today about their experiences curating Best Brains curriculum, choosing to become teachers, and owning their own franchises. We are so grateful to have had such a lovely conversation with such an intelligent and inspiring woman and we hope to see her again on Sakina from Best Brains soon!

Dr. Alice Ward-Johnson: I am an educator and small business owner passionate about education. Wife and mom of four adult children. I’ve defied the odds against me as a child to live a life I am proud of.

Balancing life is a huge challenge -- but in the midst of a pandemic, the struggle is multiplied. Several times. In today's episode, Sakina speaks with fellow franchisee Caryn Ross about how to maintain balance in all aspects of life. Additionally, they discuss how they have found balance in their lives over the past year and a half.

Retired teacher of 25 years, avid reader of anything that will help me learn and grow, passionate about education, speaker and part of the Detroit planning team of the National Dropout Prevention Conference, Featured Speaker at the National Youth-at-Risk Conference, author credit for French 1,2, and 3 curriculum through Oakland Schools, owner of Best Brains Learning Center of Bloomfield Hills for 5 years and Best Brains Learning Center of Mason for over 1 year.

Today's episode is all about the golden rule: teach others the way you want to be treated. Sakina and fellow Best Brains franchisee Nicole Savick discuss understanding other points of view, being kind and respectful despite obstacles, and the urgency to continue education through the pandemic. Together they confer that wisdom comes from experience and learning blooms from mistakes, which is something to be celebrated! Nicole Savick: I am a small-business owner who has a passion for helping kids reach their full potential. I graduated summa cum laude in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. When I’m not teaching, I love traveling and being outdoors. I have many passions and my current favorites are cooking, learning the piano and reading.

In today's episode, Sakina and Bethany Goossen discuss the blossoming of the Coding program at Best Brains. Together they go over the importance of allowing children to find ways to captivate their own minds, creating space for women in STEM, and the importance of computer literacy in today's climate. Bethany (along with her awesome LEGO earrings) has some serious wisdom up her sleeve!

In today's episode, Sakina speaks with fellow small business owner Julie Bevel. Julie is a MedSpa owner and operator, mother of 4 girls, community supporter and lover of music. They share their accounts of their experiences trying to keep their businesses engaged in the community through the trials and tribulations of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sakina speaks today with Hana Adas, the Vice President of Best Brains Corporate in order to dive deep into how Best Brains works to be our best. From carefully crafted workbooks to specially selected teachers, Hana and Sakina delve into how consistency and patience help to better serve the education of the next generation.