Magic in the Room #117: Purpose Profile: Symon Hajjar and Hot Toast Music Co.
August 30, 2022
Symon Hajjar is the founder and creative mind behind Hot Toast Music Company. In this episode of Magic in the Room, Symon sits down with Hannah and Ben to talk about how music, creativity, and learning can all be rooted in purpose. Symon’s music is focused on kids but is full of “opportunity for wide-eyed innovators of all ages to join in the fun of self-discovery and creativity.”
Hot Toast Music Co. is the product of dad, educator and musician Symon Hajjar who writes irresistible kids’ music, all with purpose. Hajjar, or Mr. Symon as his students call him, draws inspiration from the way children often find magic in the mundane parts of life that are hidden in plain sight. For Hajjar, Hot Toast is not just "kids music" but an opportunity for wide-eyed innovators of all ages to join in the fun of self-discovery and creativity. Hajjar's stellar songwriting skills bring an easiness to talking about difficult or serious topics with kids, as well as delighting in the pure joy children find in simply being silly. Songs are anchored with creative activities that combine the tactile with the message of each song, turning each song into an opportunity for discovery!
Listen now on your favorite platform!
Find Symon and Hot Toast Music Company all over the Internet:
Links mentioned in this episode:
Get a free Magic in the Room hat by posting a review and sending a screenshot to:
info@purposeandperformancegroup.com
Music by evangrimmusic.com
Recorded at AUIDEO studio
in Bozeman, MT
Support from techblogwriter.co.uk

In this episode of Magic in the Room, Chris Province, Hannah Bratterud, and Luke Freeman reflect on six years of conversations and explore a foundational leadership question: why leadership is ultimately an inside game. Drawing on personal growth, facilitation experiences, and organizational leadership lessons, they argue that effective leadership cannot be reduced to frameworks, checklists, or techniques alone, but instead depends on the ongoing work of self-awareness, discernment, courage, and wisdom. They explore the relationship between courage and conviction, the importance of responding rather than reacting, and the role of personal development in creating positive impact for teams, organizations, and communities. The episode presents leadership as a lifelong practice of leading oneself first, emphasizing that meaningful change begins not with external systems, but with the internal work of becoming more intentional, hopeful, and aligned with one’s values.

In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke and Hannah explore the concept of polarities. Tensions like purpose and performance, stability and change, or accountability and grace that are often mistaken for problems to solve rather than dynamics to manage. Drawing on insights from Barry Johnson’s work, they explain how these opposing forces are interdependent and must be balanced over time to achieve sustained success. Through practical examples and personal reflections, they show how over-relying on one side of a polarity leads to predictable “shadow sides” such as stagnation, chaos, inefficiency, or burnout, while effective leadership requires recognizing where you are on the cycle and intentionally recalibrating. The episode emphasizes that many recurring organizational frustrations are not failures, but signals of imbalance, and offers a more nuanced approach to leadership. One that replaces rigid either/or thinking with flexible both/and awareness to improve decision-making, team dynamics, and long-term performance.
