Willie N. Brewster is an educator, researcher, and wellness advocate who transforms how professionals approach burnout and sustainable success. As the founder and CEO of InterconnectED LLC, Willie brings a unique perspective born from lived experience. A former highly effective teacher who achieved 100% student proficiency and successful principal who led transformational school improvements, Willie seemed to have it all figured out. But behind the accolades and achievements, he burnt out. "I was highly effective at my job, but I became a persona, not a person," Willie reflects. After leaving the principalship in 2022 while pursuing his doctoral studies at Teachers College, Columbia University, Willie made a pivotal decision: instead of just recovering from burnout, he would dedicate his life to helping others identify, recover from, and prevent it.

Willie's research revealed a critical gap—there were few tools specifically designed to address educator burnout using coaching principles. This discovery led to the creation of BalancED, a wellness-focused planner that democratizes coaching support for educators and working parents. What sets Willie's approach apart is his focus on wellness over mere productivity. BalancED isn't just another planner—it's a system that helps people glow without burning out and flow even with life's twists and turns. "I realized education celebrated educators being 'martyrs' and 'saviors' when their ultimate calling is to be good stewards," Willie explains. "BalancED helps people centralize and center themselves because balance is only one part of sustainable living."

The heart of BalancED lies in Willie's JAR framework—Joy, Adventure, and Restoration. Through his research and personal journey, Willie discovered that sustainable well-being requires intentionally filling your metaphorical jar with three essential elements: moments that bring lightness and laughter (Joy), experiences that spark growth and curiosity (Adventure), and practices that truly restore your energy (Rest). "What I found is that people often deprioritize these very things that sustain them," Willie notes. "The JAR framework helps them put these higher in their priorities and find them in their day-to-day, rather than having them be an afterthought."

Willie's doctoral research focuses on how coaching supports educators in managing emotional job demands, combining academic rigor with practical wisdom. His signature workshops—including "Boundaries or Burnout" and "Restoring Joy, Renewing Possibility"—have reached educators across the country, consistently achieving 96-100% participant satisfaction. A Teach for America alumnus and graduate of the Teleos Leadership Institute where he was trained as a coach, Willie is a proud member of the National Fellowship of Black and Latino Male Educators and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Based in Detroit, Willie practices what he preaches by filling his own JAR through hiking, seeking new adventures, playing tennis, managing his fantasy football team, and intentionally reclaiming hobbies and memories that burnout once stole from him. "Above all, I want to help people understand that prioritizing yourself isn't selfish—it's essential," Willie says. "BalancED is a way of helping people give themselves permission to fill their JAR, setting healthy boundaries to protect it and create sustainable rhythms that honor both their calling and their well-being.