Josie and the Podcast

Surprise! It has been so long since you may have seen this show in your feed, so I'm sending lots of hugs and hellos. After an 18-month podcasting hiatus, I am popping in, sharing what's on my mind, what I've been up to, and how I'm thinking differently. Tune in to hear how I've talked to my astrologer about podcasting, how turning 40 has changed the way I work (or not work), and how I have a most...

In the midst of a global crisis (or two), an intense lead-up to the U.S. presidential election demands for racial justice, and ever-dwindling resources on many college campuses, you might be tempted to tune out your social media channels. But this is when we really need your leadership. Do not go dark. But I don't mean filling your feed with canned campus announcements and promotions. This shorty...

Michael Sorrell is in a constant process of evolution - and he's doing it before our eyes, on social media, and on campus. He leads the impressively innovative Paul Quinn College, a once-struggling school that is now a model of urban revival. Michael is so optimistic about the future – despite the pandemic – that he expects Paul Quinn College will be even better off on the other side of the crisis...

The book – my book – is finally here! To celebrate, this shorty episode is a peek inside Digital Leadership in Higher Education: Purposeful Social Media in a Connected World. You'll learn about the digital leadership framework, which is grounded in research and practiced on-screen by higher ed leaders who will inspire a personalized and values fueled approach to building relationships online. You'...

How are we teaching higher ed/student affairs graduate and doctoral students about technology - and especially social media strategy in higher ed? I've been teaching a summer graduate course called Technology in Higher Education at Florida State University for several years - one of the very few (if any) courses of its kind. Every semester I invite higher ed leaders, practitioners, and scholars to...

How are we teaching higher ed/student affairs graduate and doctoral students about technology - and especially social media strategy in higher ed? I've been teaching a summer graduate course called Technology in Higher Education at Florida State University for several years - one of the very few (if any) courses of its kind. Every semester I invite higher ed leaders, practitioners, and scholars to...

Jenny Li Fowler is the director of social media strategy at MIT, and authenticity is the name of her game. Whether she's tweeting advice to fellow social media practitioners, sharing proud mama pics on Instagram, or consulting with members of her campus Social Media Working Group, Jenny is keeping it real. Listen in for Jenny's thoughts on overcoming doubts, managing the ongoing crisis that is 202...

Humans are hardwired to connect with others. With social media we can engage authentically, build community, and foster belonging. That is, if we prioritize People and Purpose before Platforms. Otherwise, social media is just busywork. This episode provides a Purposeful Digital Engagement Model that will help you form deeper relationships with the students you serve – and anyone else you invite in...

I've been connecting with campus leaders who, even before COVID-19, have embraced social media and a variety of other digital communication tools in my Leading Online webinar series. In this episode (recorded the first week of June 2020), four Vice Presidents for Student Affairs provide insight on how digital storytelling can connect and transform communities. Mayra Olivares-Urueta, Mordecai I. Br...

Dr. Daria J. Willis became president of Everett Community College at the impressive age of 34. This episode follows her meteoric rise from first-generation college student and student parent to campus executive and social media role model. She discusses the importance of family, faith, authenticity, social justice, and self-care. Additionally, she shares how she's leading through a pandemic, advoc...

We're back! In this shorty episode, I'm walking you through the framework for a digital community that is transformative even in the time of COVID. You'll hear about institutions using digital community building platforms and the purpose behind these choices. Listen for the four I's that can help an online community exist and persist in a positive way. Walk away with the blueprint for connecting e...

Stakes and emotions are high for prospective students, and all those emojis are playing out online. This between-a-sode brings you straight into the research lab with our favorite social listening partner, Campus Sonar. I welcome returning Josie & the Podcast guest, Stephen App, as well as Rebecca Stapley - both part of the Campus Sonar team. We're dissecting the findings of their most recent rese...

The land of social media can feel vast and overwhelming, almost like a big city. Well, this podcaster just happened to grow up in a tiny Wyoming town - which influences how I teach and coach about digital engagement and leadership. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram are as jam-packed as the Los Angeles freeways I'm now surrounded with. So in this Fall finale episode, I talk about how you can tur...

Are you ready to get decoding advancement?! Ashley Budd is a Digital Strategist and currently serves as Director of Digital Marketing for Alumni Affairs and Development at Cornell University, but she wasn't always on that career path. She shares about her transition from enrollment to development - from one side of university moneymaking to the other, filling us in on the warm sides of philanthrop...

Even without social media, serving in an executive position in higher education has become extremely taxing. Add on social media and sustainability gets even more strained. While vast opportunities and excitement exist to get a campus president or Dean on Twitter or even TikTok - the question must be asked, is it sustainable? In this shorty episode, I offer a simple and even soulful approach that...

Josie & the Podcast welcomes Dr. Mordecai I. Brownlee, Vice President for Student Success at St. Philip's College, to the show. At the top of the episode, Mordecai quickly highlights his mission statement, which shines throughout our conversation. He shares how his digital philosophy is rooted in empowering others and making unique connections with his community- especially students. We even get a...

Halloween is definitely not at the top of my "favorite holiday" list. To be honest, I'm just a huge scaredy-cat! But one thing I am not afraid of is destigmatizing the negative perceptions of tech, digital platforms, and social media. College students today have been haunted by the "new" age tale that social media is the Boogeyman under your bed, ready to spook away any job prospects or future opp...

In this episode, I talk with La'Tonya "L.T." Rease Miles, Director of the First-Year Experience at UCLA, about her journey from golden child in her family to first-generation college student to golden leader paving a way for first-gen students and the professionals that support and empower them. LT was a latecomer to identifying as "first-generation" but when she learned about it while she was in...

The word branding has a lot of emotion behind it - with some feeling very strongly against the word and application. When you add on the concept of authenticity online - there is even more debate and sometimes confusion. SO how dare I combine the concept of authentic + branding for real people, especially those that work in higher education?! The reality is that branding doesn't have to feel icky!...

Dr. Terisa Riley is the newly appointed Chancellor of The University of Arkansas Fort Smith, but is already changing the landscape of what being chancellor looks like - online and on campus. Terisa is the first female Chancellor of the university and in this episode shares her journey from being a first-generation student. We discuss how her strategy behind her executive transition, including the...

With millions of members and hundreds of posts per minute - many social media platforms can feel too vast and fast. How can we make it feel a bit more manageable and intimate? In this season four kick-off episode, Josie shares why and how she created a micro-community on GroupMe to get to the finish line of her book, which happened to fall on the same week as completing a triathlon! You'll also he...

For the season finale of the podcast I sit down with t wo-time Emmy nominated co-creator of Epic Rap Battles of History (ERB) , EpicLloyd - who also holds of the title of my husband. This episode is a little different because you all came up with many of the questions and topics we talk about! With that being said, we dive into the details of how Lloyd and I met and how we currently maintain our r...

In this episode, we have an authentic conversation with Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, the second President of Texas A&M University's youngest campus in San Antonio (TAMUSA). She shares about her experience thus far being a leader of a young campus in the digital age, and how she uses technology to build the history and brand of TAMUSA. Cynthia and her students are "founders" as they create and achi...

In this episode, we have an authentic conversation with Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, the second President of Texas A&M University's youngest campus in San Antonio (TAMUSA). She shares about her experience thus far being a leader of a young campus in the digital age, and how she uses technology to build the history and brand of TAMUSA. Cynthia and her students are "founders" as they create and achi...

What could a two-time Emmy-nominated YouTube series, with 14 million subscribers, four billion views, and 12 gold records teach educators about innovation and student learning? What if you paired the co-creator of Epic Rap Battles of History with a higher education digital engagement and leadership scholar? In this special birthday edition shorty episode, I'm thrilled to edutain you with an epic r...