Hi there, I’m Karen Dudek-Brannan!

I’m a Professional Development Specialist, SLP, and founder/owner/operate of Dr. Karen, LLC, a company focused on empowering therapists and educators to design interventions that support language, literacy, and executive functioning. In my current role, I develop engaging professional development and products that help school teams work together to get better results.

On the De Facto Leaders Podcast, I share up-to-date evidence-based practices, my own experience, and guest interviews designed to help pediatric therapists, educators, and aspiring school leaders design services that support social, emotional, and academic growth and set kids up for success in adulthood. Whether you want to learn effective strategies for your therapy session or classroom, be an influential leader on your team, or find creative ways to use your skills to advance in your career, I’ve got you covered. You can listen to the De Facto Leaders podcast on most popular podcast directories, and can scroll through past episodes on this page here.

Latest Episodes

Clinical Leadership Series Part 1: Claiming Your Seat at the Table

In this episode, we address the common experience of being overlooked in crucial conversations about the students we serve. Whether you're a clinician or educator who ...

Embracing Cross-Pollination, High-Quality Tutoring, and Agile Leadership for Student Success (with Dr. Kate Anderson Foley)

In this episode, we dive deep with educational consultant and innovator Dr. Kate Anderson Foley, who challenges conventional wisdom about student support systems and o...

The School Leader's Guide to Executive Functioning Support

In this episode, I’m excited to announce the release of my new compression course, “The School Leader’s Guide to Executive Functioning Support.” You can learn more abo...

Executive Functioning Summer Camp (with Eric Smith)

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Smith from GrowNOW ADHD, to explore innovative approaches to social skills and executive functioning through the lens of a commun...

A Speech Pathologist's Journey Through Brain Surgery and Recovery (with Ana Hernandez)

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Ana Hernandez, a speech pathologist who found herself on the other side of the therapy room after undergoing brain surgery. A...

More Episodes »