{"id":112404,"date":"2021-02-15T14:49:22","date_gmt":"2021-02-15T20:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=112404"},"modified":"2021-02-16T10:17:05","modified_gmt":"2021-02-16T16:17:05","slug":"alumna-kortney-peagram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/from-the-magazine\/alumna-kortney-peagram\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumna Kortney Peagram, Ph.D., isn’t over"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"headshotLast March the words quarantine, social distancing, and self-isolation had little to no meaning. Kortney Peagram, Ph.D., a professor and alumna at The Chicago School, was in the thick of building her social enterprise Bulldog Solution and had just worked with two students from The Chicago School to publish her first book, Dear Bully.<\/p>\n

So much can change so quickly.<\/p>\n

Five months later in August, Dr. Peagram shut down Bulldog. <\/em>While a painful choice, it was also a deliberate decision.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a tale facing millions as COVID-19 shuttered businesses, changed life as we know it, and shook the economy. Dr. Peagram has nothing but sage words to share after losing so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that work is a big part of our identity. So closing down Bulldog, I really came to terms. I\u2019m not closing down who I am,\u201d Dr. Peagram says. \u201cI\u2019m still an educational consultant. I\u2019m still an expert when it comes to emotions. That is still part of me. The only thing that is not is the Bulldog part.\u201d<\/p>\n

The adjunct professor has pivoted to focusing solely on her consulting practice, Peagram Consulting. Instead of doing the brunt of all the work\u2014like she was with Bulldog\u2014she can now be the expert and help others try new things, grounded by 15 years in the field, accumulated hours, and stories from her time working in different schools and organizations.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t mean this pivot has come without challenges\u2014but she has used this time to focus on her life, trying some of her own tried-and-true practices on herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent a lot of time working through my own anxiety so that I could train on it, so I can understand what is driving me. Uncertainty is such a huge factor that drives anxiety and fear,\u201d Dr. Peagram says. \u201cThere\u2019s a real difference between perceived fear and real fear. Instead of thinking of the worst-case scenario for everything that happens, play it out as a best-case scenario. These are simple things to change your mindset because typically the perceived fear won\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

This practice helps Dr. Peagram keep things in perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the worst thing that can happen? For me, it was Bulldog shutting down. And it did, and it wasn\u2019t the worst thing,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn these times, for parents, educators, and professionals, understanding the emotions that come up in uncertainty and how to process them to reduce your anxiety is key to persevering. Because a bunch of anxious people can\u2019t solve anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

While her mission for years was to eradicate bullying, she discovered she can do that in different ways. Bulldog was a vehicle, but she herself is one as well. Her mission now is to educate people on the power of emotion and how it drives and fuels success and behavior.<\/p>\n

In addition to consulting educators and companies, Dr. Peagram is working on her second book, The Emotional Dictionary. While Dear Bully was geared toward children, this project focuses on adults and expanding their emotional vocabulary to help them start processing their feelings.<\/p>\n

The world has changed, her life has changed, but one thing that hasn\u2019t is her need to change what no longer or never really worked. It\u2019s why she sees the trainings she does with Peagram Consulting as so important. By helping professionals help themselves, they can in turn help their families. This takes on added meaning with COVID-19 planting kids at home all day with adults. It\u2019s helped her in her professional life and her personal life as a mom to an at-home 7-year-old. The change that has come in 2020 doesn\u2019t have to be viewed as a bad thing\u2014more so, it is hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cChange won\u2019t happen without hope,\u201d Dr. Peagram says. \u201cChange happens when you\u2019re challenged.\u00a0 A lot of things are changing because they aren\u2019t working. We should all take this as a collective learning opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more about The Chicago School<\/strong><\/p>\n

Explore more information about our programs available at The Chicago School today by filling out the form below to request more information. You can also apply today through our\u00a0application portal.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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