Transform Shadows: A Personal Journey
Transform Shadows began as a personal journey. After a lifetime of struggle, Dr. Tania Lyon lost half her weight and gained something far more lasting: clarity, health, and the deep understanding that change—real, sustainable change—is one of the most complex processes a person can undertake.
Driven by her background in transformational learning and systems leadership, Tania designed Transform Shadows as an educational system to help make that process more visible, livable, and learnable—for herself and for others.
At its heart, Transform Shadows blends storytelling, systems thinking, best practices in educational theory, and a recognizable brand—one that captures the emotional, behavioral, and neurological realities of change in today’s food environment. It was always intended to be a leadership system expressed through a brand that honestly reflects what this type of transformation can mean for some of us.
The core framework—Name, Face, Understand, Reframe, Fight, and Transcend My Shadows—centers the lived experience of struggling with food, weight, and health in a world not built for long-term success. One of its central tools—the Transform Shadows Venn diagram—offers a visual and impactful lens for understanding what it takes to Eat When Hungry. It has resonated deeply with others navigating complex change.
Tania has intentionally treated this work as an unmarketed public service project. Her YouTube channel is nearing 100,000 views, and her free Eat When Hungry course, her video series with Dr. Doug Lisle, and her small, values-based social media presence have reached a wide range of viewers—primarily highly educated professionals seeking depth, clarity, and resonance with a liberating (and sometimes frustrating) truth:
“I was not broken, and I am not fixed.”
She is currently writing a book grounded in this framework and rooted in lived experience. It’s slow, steady Saturday work—made possible by a career spent studying what it takes to change, teach, and lead.
From Classrooms to Communities:
A Systems Impact
Dr. Tania Lyon brings nearly four decades of experience as an award-winning teacher, district leader, and systems strategist in K–12 public education. Her work has consistently centered on transformational learning—shaping policies, programs, and instructional models that create real access and impact for students.
A recognized thought leader in systems-level educational design, Tania has led initiatives in gifted and talented education, curriculum development, virtual learning, and equity-focused service models. She is known for building tiered, inclusive systems that expand who is served—and how learning reaches them.
Now serving as Director of Strategic Learning Systems at the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC), Tania leads the development of educational systems that span PK–12 schools, senior living communities, and intergenerational models. Her current work focuses on building access to real-time, human-centered learning by connecting learners to cultural institutions, artists, scientists, historians, and storytellers around the globe.
Throughout her career, she has collaborated with national publishers, partnered with external researchers, and worked across public and nonprofit sectors to build educational structures that last. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership, a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, a K–12 principal license, and two advanced certificates in gifted, creative, and talented education.
Her work reflects a simple but powerful belief: education should be designed with both intention and humanity.
Explore My Work. Reach Out.
Whether you’re a systems leader, an educator, or someone navigating change in your own life, I invite you to explore the resources I’ve created.
If something here resonates with you, feel free to reach out. I believe in real-time, human-centered connection—and I always welcome thoughtful conversation.