Episode 268

full
Published on:

30th Oct 2025

You Matter, Period: Angela Maiers on Building Classrooms and Brands People Believe In

In this episode, host Kim Olver concludes a three-part conversation with Angela Maiers, globally recognized educator, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Choose to Matter. Kim and Angela dig into the science of mattering—why securing the heart comes before earning the mind or the business, and how that truth transforms classrooms, brands, and communities. Angela explains “heart share,” the danger of treating students and customers like compliant “users,” and why the data that matters most asks a simple question: Do people feel seen, valued, and needed here? Together they explore practical ways schools can center student voice and interest (oceanography, dinosaurs—whatever the child’s “jam” is), how organizations build advocates rather than customers, and why ignoring mattering fuels disengagement, attrition, and even anti-mattering.

Learn more about Angela at https://angelamaiers.com/ and find her on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok @Angela Maiers.

Missed the earlier parts? Listen to:

Part 1 → https://life-choices.captivate.fm/episode/angela-maiers/

Part 2 → https://life-choices.captivate.fm/episode/angela-maiers-pt2/

Tip: In your internet search bar, just search “you matter Angela” to find Angela's work.

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About the Podcast

Life = Choices; Choices = Life
Making better choices for a better life
Life = Choices; Choices = Life is about learning to replace external control psychology with radical responsibility and appreciation so you can make better choices to create the life you want to have. Kim Olver is a leading expert in Choice Theory™ psychology and will share what she has gleaned from the legendary work of Dr. William Glasser, as well as sharing her unique perspective based on over 30 years of study and research.

About your host

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Kim Olver

Kim Olver's mission is to help people make better choices for a better life. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor, a nationally certified counselor and a board certified coach. She is a world renowned expert in Choice Theory™ , a highly sought after international speaker and an award-winning author. Her books include: Leveraging Diversity at Work with Sylvester Baugh (2006), Secrets of Happy Couples (2010), Choosing Me Now (2019) and A Choice Theory Guide to Relationships (2019). Kim is currently working on the forthcoming books, The Definitive Guide to Coaching and Radical Responsibility and Appreciation. Kim is the author of The Relationship Center blog; creator of Empowerment Parenting, a 25-hour parenting curriculum for court-mandated parents; and owner of Academy of Choice, a BCC (Board Certified Coach) Coaching Program. Kim worked five years as a counselor for schizophrenics in a community-based residential program, 17 years holding various positions with a specialized foster care agency, was Executive Director of Glasser Institute for Choice Theory for nine years and the Executive Director for William Glasser International for eight; and began her own company, Coaching for Excellence, in 2005. She is a model of what she teaches about taking responsibility for the things she can influence and control and finding appreciation for those things she can't. Kim believes radical responsibility and appreciation are the keys to a happy, peaceful, satisfying life.