Notice the light.
Protect your light.
Be the light.

I'm not asking you to follow my light.
I'm inviting you to discover your own.

Stories that make you think. Creativity that helps you see differently. Practical ideas that help you protect your light, lead with courage, and leave people brighter than you found them.

A story, first

The Keeper of the Jar

When I was little, my Aunt Judy handed me a Mason jar and together we chased fireflies through warm summer evenings.

I thought we were simply catching tiny lights.

Years later, I realized we were collecting something much more important.

Wonder.
Hope.

The reminder that even the smallest light can change the way the darkness feels.

That little Mason jar became more than a childhood memory.
It became a way of seeing the world.

Today, every keynote, every book, every conversation, and every person I encourage is another chance to help someone protect their own light — and perhaps help someone else find theirs.

That's why I still carry the jar.

Because there is always enough light left...
to begin again.

Follow the light
Why fireflies?

Small lights. Whole rooms.

A firefly is an unlikely thing to build a philosophy around.

That’s exactly the point.

Because history has never been changed only by the loudest voices.
It has always been changed by people willing to keep their light on.

Protect Attention

Attention is the rarest resource of modern life.

Protect it intentionally.

Where your attention goes, your life follows.

Protect Creativity

Creativity isn't reserved for artists.

It belongs to anyone willing to stay curious.

Wonder is where innovation begins.

Practice Courage

Courage rarely arrives all at once.

It usually begins with one small brave decision.

One spark. One conversation. One step.

Help Others Shine

One firefly is beautiful.

A field of fireflies changes the night.

The brightest leaders don't create followers. They create more light.

Everything I create begins with one question…

Does it add light?

Jerri Kemble sitting on a San Diego beach at golden hour beside a glowing mason jar of fireflies
Speaking

Experiences That Illuminate Leadership

Through storytelling, creativity, laughter, and interactive experiences, every keynote is designed to help audiences think deeply, reconnect with purpose, and leave carrying ideas that last long after the event ends.

LEADERSHIP

Leading with Light

Leadership begins by noticing. This interactive keynote helps leaders reclaim attention, reconnect with purpose, and rediscover the courage to lead authentically. Participants leave with practical ideas—and a renewed sense of why their work matters.

✨ Keynote • 60–90 Minutes
CREATIVITY

The Firefly Effect

The smallest sparks often create the biggest change. Through reflection, creativity, and shared experiences, this keynote helps audiences discover how one conversation, one idea, or one person can illuminate an entire room. Every audience brings its own light. No two experiences are ever the same.

✨ Keynote • Interactive Experience
ATTENTION

Protect What Matters

Attention. Creativity. Belonging. These are leadership skills for today's world. This keynote invites participants to slow down, think deeply, and discover practical ways to protect what matters most—in themselves and in the people they lead.

✨ Keynote • Leadership Development
WELL-BEING

Packing Cubes & Power Moves

Great leaders don't carry everything—they carry what matters. Using the simple metaphor of packing cubes, this engaging keynote explores how to organize priorities, release unnecessary baggage, and create space for what fuels your best work and your best life. Participants leave with practical strategies to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and intention.

✨ Keynote • Leadership & Life Balance
WOMEN WHO LEAD

Life Hacks for Women Who Lead

Presented by Jerri Kemble & Hanna Kemble-Mick

A high-energy, interactive workshop created by a mother-daughter leadership team. Together, Jerri and Hanna share practical life hacks that help women lead with confidence, protect their energy, strengthen relationships, and create lives that are both successful and sustainable. Participants leave with a personalized toolkit of small changes that create lasting impact at work and at home.

✨ Workshop • Half-Day or Full-Day
LEADERSHIP & CHANGE

Ctrl + Alt + Delete

When the world feels overloaded, great leaders don't simply work harder—they reset with intention. This interactive experience helps participants identify what they can control, choose healthier responses, and delete the habits, distractions, and assumptions that no longer serve them. It's a practical framework for leading with clarity in a distracted world.

✨ Interactive Keynote • Audience Participation
I never believe I have all the answers.
I believe the room already holds remarkable wisdom.
My job is simply to create the space where people discover it together.

When we leave… we all carry a little more light.

The Badass Firefly Effect — illustrated book cover by Jerri Kemble
The cover — hand-illustrated, hot pink, unmistakable.
Original hand-drawn page from the book: pink boots and fireflies, captioned 'stepping into my third act'
A page from inside — "stepping into my third act."
The Field Guide

The Badass Firefly Effect

Some books teach.

Some books entertain.

This one invites you to remember.

The Badass Firefly Effect grew from years spent collecting ordinary moments that quietly changed my life — stories from classrooms, conversations, family, leadership, failure, courage, and wonder.

Every chapter is a reminder that the brightest transformations rarely begin with grand gestures. They begin with someone choosing to protect one small light.

Part memoir. Part leadership guide. Part creativity journal. Part permission slip.

And unlike most books… I illustrated every page myself. The sketches, handwritten reflections, and artwork are woven into the stories because creativity isn't something I teach — it's how I think.

My hope is that when you close the final page, you'll begin noticing your own fireflies.

"I didn't just write this book.
I drew it.
Every illustration was created to help the ideas feel personal, playful, and unforgettable."
"Every firefly in this book was real.
I simply wrote down what it taught me."
Jerri signing copies of The Badass Firefly Effect at a seaside book event
Signing copies at sunset — one reader at a time.
From My Desk

Every signed copy reminds me that books are really conversations waiting to happen.

Nothing makes me happier than knowing these stories will find their way into classrooms, homes, leadership teams, and hearts I may never meet.

Continue the Journey

If this spark resonated with you, I'd love to share the rest of the journey.

Every chapter explores another firefly — moments of courage, creativity, resilience, and joy that remind us that even the smallest spark can change everything.

The Badass Firefly Press

The Firefly
Field Guide

7 Practices for Staying
Lit at Work

A free printable guide

Free monthly letter

Stay Lit—Even When Work Feels Heavy

Work can be meaningful and still drain your energy. Join The Firefly Jar, my occasional letter with one story, one practical idea, and one reminder that your light matters.

Inside, you’ll find practical ways to protect your attention, recognize what dims you, make room for creativity, and keep leading without losing yourself.

No spam. No noise. Just useful ideas and a little light.

The Firefly Jar

Join the Firefly Jar

A quiet community for people who believe small lights matter.

Every month I'll send you one story, one practical idea, and one reminder that your light matters.

No spam. No noise. Just one spark worth keeping.

Just your first name and email. Unsubscribe anytime.

Jerri Kemble and Jamie Saponaro, co-hosts of the LinkedUp Podcast
Jerri Kemble & Jamie Saponaro
Co-hosts · LinkedUp Podcast
Celebrating200Episodes
LinkedUp Podcast
Celebrating 200 Episodes

More Than 200 Conversations.
Countless Ideas. Endless Possibilities.

For more than 200 episodes, Jerri Kemble and Jamie Saponaro have been amplifying the voices of educators, innovators, students, and leaders who are making a meaningful difference in education.

Powered by ClassLink, LinkedUp explores the ideas, challenges, and breakthroughs shaping schools today. Every episode is rooted in curiosity, authentic conversation, and the belief that sharing great ideas helps all of us grow.

Whether you're driving to work, preparing a presentation, or looking for a fresh perspective, LinkedUp offers conversations that inform, inspire, and connect.

"Every conversation is another firefly — small on its own, but together illuminating the future of education."
— Jerri Kemble
Celebrating 200 Episodes

As we celebrated our 200th episode, we reflected on many of the conversations that have informed, challenged, and inspired educators throughout the years. Here are a few highlights from the journey.

Conversations That Continue to Inspire

To celebrate our 200th episode, Jamie Saponaro and I recognized some of the remarkable guests and conversations that have helped shape the LinkedUp journey. Together, these voices reflect what LinkedUp has always been about: amplifying the people, ideas, and stories making a meaningful difference in education.

LinkedUp Podcast — EPIC Design Thinking Curriculum with Susan MaynorEpisode 43
EPIC Design Thinking Curriculum
Susan Maynor

How design thinking helps students solve authentic problems with creativity, empathy, and innovation.

Watch the Conversation
LinkedUp Podcast — Implicit Biases and Their Ramifications with Dr. Alan PhanEpisode 63
Implicit Biases and Their Ramifications
Dr. Alan Phan

A thoughtful discussion about recognizing bias and creating more equitable learning environments.

Watch the Conversation
LinkedUp Podcast — EduGuardians with Alyssa Faubion · Larisa Black · Heather Brown · Aileen WallaceEpisode 142
EduGuardians
Alyssa Faubion · Larisa Black · Heather Brown · Aileen Wallace

Helping schools create safer, healthier, and more supportive digital environments.

Watch the Conversation
LinkedUp Podcast — The Future of Learning & Work with Dr. Julie Albright
The Future of Learning & Work
Dr. Julie Albright

A thoughtful look at how technology, connection, and identity are reshaping the future of learning and work.

Watch the Conversation
LinkedUp Podcast — The Power of Design Thinking with Jessica ArtilesEpisode 77
The Power of Design Thinking
Jessica Artiles

Practical strategies for developing creative problem-solvers and innovative classrooms.

Watch the Conversation
LinkedUp Podcast — A New Way to Teach People to Read with Narda PitkethlyEpisode 69
A New Way to Teach People to Read
Narda Pitkethly

Exploring research-based approaches that help more students become confident readers.

Watch the Conversation
Firefly Field Notes

An artist's notebook, kept in public.

A slowly-growing collection of articles, reflections, prompts, quotes, downloads, and things I'm reading. No feed. No schedule. Just the notebook.

✨ New Resource·12-page field guide·Free PDF

The Firefly Field Guide

7 Practices for Staying Lit at Work

A practical and reflective guide for protecting your energy, reclaiming your attention, and leading without losing your light.

↓ Get the Printable PDF

The printable PDF arrives by email — one signup, the whole guide.

The Badass Firefly Press

The Firefly
Field Guide

7 Practices for Staying
Lit at Work

A free printable guide

Free monthly letter

Stay Lit—Even When Work Feels Heavy

Work can be meaningful and still drain your energy. Join The Firefly Jar, my occasional letter with one story, one practical idea, and one reminder that your light matters.

Inside, you’ll find practical ways to protect your attention, recognize what dims you, make room for creativity, and keep leading without losing yourself.

No spam. No noise. Just useful ideas and a little light.

A Room in the Notebook

The Scribble Studio

"Every great idea begins as a messy sketch."

This is where ideas are born before they become books, keynotes, workshops, or conversations. Welcome to my creative notebook.

✏️ Jerri's Margin Notes

Most of what ends up on a stage started as a scribble in the corner of something else. This room is for the corners.

— J.
The Notebook · Reading Life

On My Nightstand This Month

Books making me pause, underline, scribble in the margins, and see things differently.

I rarely read only one book at a time. There is usually a stack beside my bed, another in my travel bag, and at least one filled with sticky notes and underlined passages. Some books teach me. Some challenge me. Some arrive at exactly the moment I need them. Here is what is capturing my attention this month.

Capes Optional, Communication Essential
Dr. Chantell Manahan
The Octopus Mindset
Dr. David Aderhold
Deep Work
Cal Newport
Digital Minimalism
Cal Newport
Cover of Capes Optional, Communication Essential by Dr. Chantell Manahan
page 40
Book 01

Capes Optional, Communication Essential

Leading Out Loud in the Era of School Choice

by Dr. Chantell Manahan

Chantell reminds educational leaders that doing meaningful work is not enough if no one knows the story. Strong communication is not vanity or self-promotion. It is part of building clarity, connection, and trust. This book is timely, practical, and especially important for leaders who want their communities to understand the extraordinary work happening inside their schools.

✏️ Jerri's Margin Note

"Good work does not always speak for itself. Sometimes leaders have to give it a microphone."

Explore the Book
Cover of The Octopus Mindset by Dr. David Aderhold
page 67
Published by X-Factor EDU
Book 02

The Octopus Mindset

A Framework for Educational Leadership

by Dr. David Aderhold

The octopus is intelligent, adaptable, observant, and able to respond through an interconnected system rather than relying on a single center of control. David uses that fascinating metaphor to explore distributed leadership, resilience, and the flexibility required to lead schools through constant change.

✏️ Jerri's Margin Note

"Leadership was never supposed to mean carrying everything with only two hands."

Explore the Book
Cover of Deep Work by Cal Newport
page 94
Book 03

Deep Work

by Cal Newport

This book continues to influence how I think about focus, creativity, and the conditions we need to do meaningful work. In a world that continually interrupts us, protecting our attention may be one of the most important leadership decisions we make.

✏️ Jerri's Margin Note

"Attention is not just something we spend. It is something we protect."

Explore the Book
Cover of Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
page 121
Book 04

Digital Minimalism

by Cal Newport

This is not about rejecting technology. It is about becoming more intentional in our relationship with it. The ideas connect deeply with my work around attention, distraction, creativity, and making room for wonder in lives that have become increasingly noisy.

✏️ Jerri's Margin Note

"Technology should support the life we want—not quietly become the life we live."

Explore the Book

What's on your nightstand?

I'm always looking for the next book that will challenge my thinking, light a spark, or become covered in sticky notes. Tell me what you are reading.

Contact

Come say hello.

For speaking, podcasts, collaborations, or just to tell a story about a firefly you once saw — the door is open.

“There was one firefly I never let leave the jar… because no matter how distracted life becomes, there is always enough light left to begin again.”
— Jerri Kemble · Badass Firefly
© 2026 Badass Firefly · Lead with light.