10 Mar The Leader Connection: Christopher Padilla on The Journey from Parent to Leader
Introducing the 2026 Leader Connection Series
Welcome to the first installment of our 2026 Leader Connection series! We are thrilled to kick things off by sharing Parenting Educator success stories that highlight the incredible work of our Active Parenting leaders and share their real-world impact in supporting families.
🎬 Video Duration: 12:26
Host: Micole Mason, Active Parenting Publishers Training Manager
Guest: Christopher Padilla, Turning Point Recovery (New Active Parenting Leader)
In this episode, Micole Mason, Sales and Training Manager for Active Parenting, sits down with Christopher Padilla, a dedicated new leader from Turning Point Recovery in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Christopher’s journey is a powerful example of the “parent-to-leader” pipeline; after experiencing the transformative effects of the Cooperative Coparenting program during his own divorce, he was inspired to bring these life-changing tools to his community.
Throughout this interview, we explore:
- The Impact of Cooperative Coparenting: How the program changes the trajectory of families navigating coparenting.
- Real Parenting Educator Success Stories: The moving account of a father’s reunification with his daughter through the skills learned in class.
- Practical Leadership Strategies: Christopher shares his “validate and redirect” technique for managing diverse personalities and his grassroots outreach methods.
- The Future of Parent Education: A vision for a world where parenting education and resources are as common and accessible as prenatal vitamins.
Join us for this insightful conversation on building stronger families through education, empathy, and effective coparenting.
Inspiration for Parents & New Leaders
Micole Mason: Hello everyone. I am Micole Mason, the Sales and Training Manager for Active Parenting, celebrating my 20th anniversary with the organization. I am very excited to start the 2026 Leader Connection videos with one of our new leaders, Christopher Padilla. Christopher, tell our fellow leaders a little bit about yourself.
Welcome New Leader Christopher Padilla [00:06]
Christopher Padilla: My name is Christopher Padilla. I am 41 and I am currently in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I’m a parent of two. I recently just took this class [Cooperative Coparenting through Separation and Divorce], and I’m excited!
Micole Mason: What brought you to Cooperative Coparenting? [00:30]
Christopher Padilla: Well, let’s see. So, I was going through a separation and divorce myself and opted to take the class [Cooperative Coparenting]. It was so helpful that it changed the trajectory of the direction I was going with the separation and divorce into a positive direction. From there, I brought it to my company, and I was like, we could probably really utilize this information at Turning Point Recovery. And so, I wrote a proposal for them to fund the program. And so that’s how it all started.
Micole Mason: Yes, it is. That’s when I met you during a Cooperative Coparenting webinar, and I knew then that you were going to be a success at this and so I’m very happy to start this year’s sequence with you.
Implementing Cooperative Coparenting at Turning Point Recovery
Micole Mason: Have you led any Cooperative Coparenting classes? [01:18]
Christopher Padilla: Yes, I’m on week five, so I’ve done five. I’ve done five Cooperative Coparenting classes as a leader, after taking the Leader Training Workshop to become a certified leader. And so, I have run five group classes and am also working with five individuals. So, I’m getting six in a week, working with the material.
Parent Feedback and Program Experience
Micole Mason: How do parents feel about the material? [01:45]
Christopher Padilla: I would say that because of the material and how it’s presented, it is very well received. We just finished a lot of the hands on stuff, but we just finished the some of these really cool activities that are bringing perspective to some of the situations, and so they really leave the class with hope and a little bit more experience on how to handle some of these very difficult situations that we could be put in.
Micole Mason: Yeah, great. Are they finding the Parent Guides helpful? [2:27]
Christopher Padilla: Definitely. What I’m learning is working out of the presenter’s guide [Leader’s Guide], we’re not looking like working hand in hand with the Parent Guides. So, I’ll just switch to the pages, and then they come back, and then we review what they’ve learned, and they are all coming back with knowing what we’re talking about. So, I would say, yes.
Micole Mason: Good. How do parents respond to the videos? [02:57]
Christopher Padilla: So, the videos are for me, they’re still intense. I get a reaction from them, and I’ve been doing this quite a bit. And so, the reactions are real, and they’re genuine reactions, which is powerful when we’re in those moments, being able to have those genuine feelings and being able to talk about them and express them from a child’s point of view and from a parent’s point of view.
Micole Mason: Yes, definitely, I found it the same way when I first saw the videos here. There were a couple that were kind of triggering to me from my own family history. Well, we’re glad that they’re getting the point across. [Sample of videos from Cooperative Coparenting]
Overcoming Challenges
Micole Mason: What do you think has been the biggest hurdle in teaching the class so far? [03:31]
Christopher Padilla: I feel that time is always an issue for me. So, the way I’m running it is, I have a 12 week it’s going to be a three month program, two hours a week, from 8am to 10am and I’m thinking that I might make it longer. But I also don’t know if parents are going to be willing to. So I guess the biggest issue is time, and what are the parents willing to do with that time. Because there’s so much information, and I want to go through all of it. I don’t want to miss any because it’s all valuable.
Micole Mason: Exactly, that’s right, and sometimes you do have to make it a little longer, or find some way to follow up, you know, even if you make that part optional, so parents don’t feel obligated, but any way that you can do it. Are you leading Your classes in person or virtually?
Christopher Padilla: In person, every Tuesday.
Real Parenting Educator Success Stories: Family Reunification and Conflict Resolution
Micole Mason: Okay, that’s my webinar day, too. What has been the most rewarding positive outcome you’ve witnessed? [04:14]
Christopher Padilla: Definitely it’s been working with a parent that’s been going through, didn’t have the skill sets and going through a very difficult case. Recently, was reconnected with his daughter, and that was a big deal. I think that’s like reunification, especially if they haven’t seen each other for a while, it’s like a really big deal, and everybody’s taking it serious. And I think that’s the biggest win is he’s taking it serious. He’s understanding. His daughter is allowing him back in due to his actions, you know, making some different steps in the right direction. And it like really has made an impact on the whole class including myself.
Micole Mason: Wonderful! That makes me happy. I love to hear it. I love it great. And then especially in this type of course, because you’ve got the subject matter, you’re not only dealing with the children, but you also have to now deal with the coparent.
Strategies for Success: Keeping it Positive & Outreach
Micole Mason: How do you handle diverse personalities or challenges during your groups—how do you keep the environment positive? [05:02]
Christopher Padilla: So right now, in the situation I’m in, I don’t have both coparents in there at the same time, but it can get a little heavy, and I validate. I validate what’s happening, and I redirect into a direction that is going to be towards resolution and not sticking in any kind of negative area. And it happens, this can be a very difficult topic to tackle, which is why I feel there’s not much of it happening in our community, at least, and so definitely validate and redirect is, is the best with resolution.
Micole Mason: Wonderful. Those are great ideas for sure. What has been your most successful outreach—how do you get parents to sign up and commit? [05:51]
Christopher Padilla: I had the company make me about 15 posters. I posted them in different areas within our company. We do have, you know, a bunch of different
I guess you can say we have different roads you can take with our company. And so I go to all of the different programs. I post what cooperative coparenting is. I also speak to the people who are doing the intake process. Then if there’s anybody that they see that this might be up their alley. I just reach out to them personally, and I say, hey, you know, this is something that we’re offering at Turning Point Recovery. And then just kind of just do an intake process with them, and if they feel it’s a fit for them, then we’ll get them signed in.
Micole Mason: Okay, wonderful. And so do you feel like that way of advertising did you find that easy or convenient?
Christopher Padilla: [06:42] Yes, I had this in motion, so I was already getting a feel with is this something that’s needed. And I found that it was so before I wrote the proposal, I like, really had some good data to show this would be, I think this would be a successful class. And with all the research I was doing and putting together, I think all that collaboratively came and I was able to reach the people I needed to. And in the hopes of maybe doing a night class as well, a morning class, and then maybe a night class, once I start to grab traction, this is just the first class, and I think that I’m learning, they’re learning, and the more I learn, the better I feel I’ll become at presenting and from my own experience. And so really my goal is to have a morning and a night class with the parents, sharing it with other parents. And that being the way of Avenue, the best way of avenue.
💡 Pro Tip: Boost Your Class Enrollment
Christopher’s success started with a proactive outreach plan—from posters to personally connecting with intake staff to identify families in need.
You don’t have to start from scratch! List Your Class for Free on our website—just fill out this form and email it to APPmarketing@ActiveParenting.com. Plus, we’ve developed a full suite of ready-to-use resources to help you fill your seats.
Visit our Cooperative Coparenting Promotional Tools page to download:
- Customizable Flyers & Posters to hang in your office or community centers.
- Social Media Toolkit to spread the word online.
- Program Descriptions for your website, emails, or newsletters.
- Introductory Videos to show parents exactly what to expect.
Future Growth
Micole Mason: That is definitely the best avenue is a parent starting just like you did. You started as a parent. It touched you. It resonated so much. You took it to the next step to be the leader, and hopefully I could talk you into the next step of becoming a trainer, maybe. So where you are actually training others to implement this, because you have a very great grasp of the implementation of the program, and so that would be great to be part of the Active Parenting team, so we could definitely work on that. Which curriculum would you add to your program? What’s next? [07:44]
Christopher Padilla: I have a couple—ah really cool stuff going on now, so I’m becoming a family peer support worker as well. And so what I’m thinking of is because I work where I’m working at is kind of just taking the lead, and just working with family and parents and people in active parenting. So I’m really looking for working with people that are going through a separation and divorce or are having, you know, a hard time, maybe learning how to navigate that situation, to parents that are in active parenting and maybe still together, and are just looking for skill sets on how to parent or maybe work together for the child’s well-being and learning to work as a unit. So my goal is to have maybe in the near future, maybe after I do a couple groups of the Cooperative Coparenting, and I got that down in maybe like six months doing an active parenting [Active Parenting 4th Edition].
Micole Mason: Yeah, wonderful. I think you’re going to do great. And because you’re 100% right, you know you still have to parent, you’re learning to coparent, to build that that new relationship, which is the business relationship, putting the child first and now, but you still have to parent the child. And so that also leads us to stepfamilies. So we do have an Active Parenting for Stepfamilies program, because more than likely, one or both coparents are going to enter into another relationship, and so now you’ve got to learn how to coexist in that too. So would you be interested in looking at Active Parenting for Stepfamilies? [08:50]
Christopher Padilla: Yeah, definitely. I think talking with you, I had some ideas. I was putting together some ideas to bring to you to the cooperative coparenting and kind of get your guys’ expertise, because it is like a working unit. Sometimes I’m like, I don’t even you know. I need guidance to know where to go with this, and I’m teachable. I’m willing to do what’s best for my community, and if that’s what the direction is going, I know it’s needing something. I just need to navigate a little bit more of like, what programs there are to offer and what programs are needed here at this time. And so I think with a little bit more research and a little bit more talking with you guys and some of my mentors. I could probably find what’s going to work, what’s going to work best for the clients and for us as a company.
Micole Mason: 100% yes, and I definitely would pair you with a mentor to assist you, but please know that I—and the entire Active Parenting family—are here to support you. If I’m not available, reach out to anyone else on the team until you find the help you need; we can even take it directly to Dr. Popkin if necessary—I have him on speed dial! So don’t worry. And you are the type of parent, the reason I stuck around for 20 years. I was only going to give five years, and then, as we started doing these webinars, and I started actually seeing people and hearing their stories, is what made me want to stay so I can still see and help leaders like you, because I can see and feel the positivity that you’re bringing to the program, and we’re really excited that you’re representing us. Looking ahead, would you be interested in becoming a trainer yourself to help others lead these classes? [09:45]
Christopher Padilla: Definitely, I’m interested. I’m interested in growing and learning and leading. I just think, like the biggest issue I’m having right now is time, not with just this, but in general. We’re expanding as a company, and this is my way of getting in, bringing this in. I’m like able to present it as, like, hey, look, we’re expanding. We’re dealing with a lot more parents, and we’re dealing with a lot more conflict. And I’m also the one that’s writing the proposals and doing all of these, like behind the scene things that can be a little bit taxing on top of my regular job. So I’m just really, I’m motivated. I just need to make sure that I’m not overdoing anything. So I think in time is like more than anything, is just once I get established. The first group is like learning and growing and once that happens, I really feel like there’s going to be a little bit more time for me to not put so much into the first because I’ve already learned it and have more time to put towards other things.
Micole Mason: Gotcha, yes, I tell you, build a village, somebody to help put things together for you. So a lot of the administrative things, you know, if there’s somebody that can help you, once you get going, like you said, you know, maybe even if one of your parents want to volunteer to help. So, yes, use all your resources to make your life better and value your time, because that’s the only thing you can’t get back. So right, I’m with you. So whatever we can do to help you to do that, we would love to do that.
The Future of Parent Education
Micole Mason: One final question, in the perfect world, what would you like to see in the future for parents? [10:56]
Christopher Padilla: I mean, the more I’m in this field, and the more I’ve been here in this field, is I’m realizing it starts with the children. And including myself, I think awareness from any direction we can come in, I would love to see. My mom was a young parent, I was a young parent, and I didn’t have a lot of resources at the time, and just having as much resources, having maybe less divorces and less conflict. And so we’re so, I guess in the future, in the perfect world, would be awareness, maybe more education before getting married, just more education. And I think that’s what I think about now, I was like, Man, I really feel, before getting married again, I’m going to learn, and I want to educate myself. And what does this look like, and just going through the process the right way, rather than jumping into something. I guess education, education, education.
Micole Mason: Yes, it would be great. You know, people always say babies don’t come with a handbook—everything else comes with a handbook. And Active Parenting has debunked that; we do have handbooks to go with it. So we could start with the prenatal vitamins and a Parent Guide. So, they could start off that journey with the two P’s—prenatal vitamin and Parent Guides. Yes, I’m with you. I’m going to be on that team with you.
Conclusion: Positive Outcomes
To wrap up this installment of the 2026 Leader Connection series, we want to thank Christopher Padilla for sharing his inspiring journey and for the incredible work he is doing in Albuquerque. His success stories—from witnessing family reunifications to managing group dynamics with empathy—highlight the profound impact that dedicated leaders and quality parent education can have on a community. At Active Parenting, we are committed to providing the mentorship and resources needed to help our leaders thrive, whether that means one-on-one support or guidance from our extended family of experts. As Christopher moves toward expanding his programs and potentially becoming a trainer, we invite you to join us in our shared vision of making parent education as fundamental and accessible as prenatal care. Stay tuned for our next episode as we continue to celebrate the work that you do and the stronger families it builds.
Inspired by Christopher’s story? Leaders, learn more about the Cooperative Coparenting curriculum or register for our next Leader Training Workshop. Parents, discover how a Cooperative Coparenting class can help you or find a coparenting class near you.
We hope you enjoyed the first of our Parenting Educator Success Stories for 2026. Christopher’s journey is just one example of the incredible impact our leaders have every day. Do you have your own Parenting Educator Success Stories to share? We would love to hear how Active Parenting programs are transforming families in your community. Reach out to us at The Leader Connection to share your story, and you could be featured in our next vlog!”
Active Parenting Publishers has been providing research-based education programs with an emphasis on nonviolent discipline, mutual respect, and open communication for over 40 years.
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