Cream Soda Thursday Rundown

Good evening everyone. I frequently say that the hardest part about the Thursday Rundown is writing the introduction. So, let’s kind of bypass it and just get started with tonight’s five topics…

In the Doghouse – Last Saturday, a play date was organized for a group of young children with CCU parents. Outside, the toddlers had a large backyard with several activities to engage with. Inside, there was a playroom and Playdoh station. What did they want to play with? The dog crate! The kids all conspired to climb inside and shut the gate. Should be a good picture in 20 years.

These #CCU little kids worked together to climb into the crate and slam the door.

The Best Remedy – I have suffered from canker sores my whole life. I even wrote about my problem and asked for remedies. Last week, I developed the most painful canker sore I have ever dealt with on the inside of my lip. Just when it started to heal, I developed approximately 10 smaller ones on my tongue. It was absolutely brutal. Earlier in the week I tried Orajel for the first time. It provided some relief but it wore off so fast. After my tongue outbreak, I tried Orajel mouthwash and it was incredible. Within a day of using it, the annoyance was gone. Where had this been all my life?! If you are prone to canker sores, I highly recommend Orajel mouthwash.

This Orajel mouthwash is the real deal!

The Derby – For three out of the past four years, Sidney and I have attended a Kentucky Derby party in full regalia. The gathering is organized by Lindsi Glass, our associate vice president for marketing and branding at CCU. Although Lindsi is a Chanticleer now, she used to do marketing for the Kentucky Derby before coming to South Carolina. She plans the bash way in advance and goes all out! From official Kentucky Derby plates to cigars to famous Derby drinks, the party has it all. This year was another great time and Sidney picked the winning horse…before he was disqualified. Serves her right for picking the favorite I guess.

Sidney and I in our 2019 Kentucky Derby costumes.

Smooth Taste – Cream soda. That is all. What do you think? Although it didn’t make my list of top five favorite sodas in a post I published two years ago, I have grown to really enjoy it. I find it pleasant to drink with a different taste from most other sodas. It goes down easy and has an old-fashioned vibe to it. Don’t think I am drinking the good stuff either…no A&W for me, it is all about Great Value. You can buy this stuff for cheaper than water and it hits the spot.

These Great Value cans of Cream Soda have been calling my name lately.

Ranky Tanky – What a way to close out my Thursday! Our campus invited nationally acclaimed band Ranky Tanky to perform a free outdoor concert on Prince Lawn and they delivered. I wish I could have stayed longer because the conditions were perfect for a May evening concert and the music was incredible. Ranky Tanky, a group that specializes in funk, is rising each day in profile. The band members recently appeared on the Today Show and are traveling all around the country. If this is the first time you are hearing about them, it won’t be the last.

Ranky Tanky filled the air with soulful music this evening. Wish I could have stayed for more!

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We have another fun weekend on tap. After I finish working spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday morning (congrats to all #CCU grads), I will focus my attention on a party we are helping to throw for my sister-in-law and her fiancée. Hopefully we can do half the job that Lindsi does. Enjoy your evening my friends. Don’t Blink.

The Perfect Type of Mother’s Day Gift

You know what is coming this weekend, right?

Stop, don’t answer that, it was meant to be rhetorical. Of course we all know that Sunday is Mother’s Day. Aside from Easter and Christmas, I don’t know if there is a more necessary date on the calendar. Moms are absolutely invaluable and underappreciated. But don’t get me on my soapbox because I could go on and on (besides, I have written about this before, especially how it relates to one very special mom).

Some memories from Mother’s Day 2017.

This blog post is simply intended to steer you in the direction of how to show your appreciation to the moms in your life, especially those with young children.

For those husbands with wives who are mothers, sometimes it is tough to think of an original gift idea. With Christmas, her birthday, and even possibly an anniversary present (excluding Valentine’s Day because once you are married you don’t worry about that anymore), the pressure to get something unique for each one definitely exists. However, in my mind, a starting point is to identify the type of gift that is appropriate for each occasion. In my world, I think Christmas is great for a material gift (think jewelry, gadget), birthday is ideal for everyday items (clothes, sunglasses, etc.), and an anniversary is perfect for an experience that involves both husband and wife (fancy dinner, weekend away, etc.).

Mother’s Day fun in 2018.

But when it comes to Mother’s Day, I think you can never go wrong with a gift that allows your wife to have some time to herself. It only makes sense to use the day that honors all the hard work moms put forth to give something that encourages them to take a well-deserved break. Last year, I gave Sid a gift card to AR Workshop, a place that lets customers make custom home décor pieces. The amount on the card allowed her to bring a friend as well. When she decided to use it, I took care of Sloan for the night and Sid went out and had a great time with no worries or distractions. With all of these DIY places that now exist, you have a wide variety of options to empower your wife to express her artistic side. A free pedicure is also a go-to gift that your wife will be grateful for. Or think about salon credit for a haircut or a ticket to an upcoming wine tasting event. Speaking of tickets, get her one for a concert that she has interest in attending with friends or perhaps even a play she wants to see (but you don’t).

Sidney and Sloan holding the lazy Susan that was made at AR Workshop. Sid did a wonderful job!

The key is to let your significant other use the gift whenever she wants and to be excited for her to enjoy it. Show interest in her “night out” and ask her to send a photo of her having fun. Whatever you do, don’t bother her when she is doing the activity and give her no concern for the care of her child(ren).

Gifts focused on experiences for moms to enjoy without the whole clan make perfect Mother’s Day gifts. If you go in that direction this year, you won’t be botching it. Don’t Blink.

Another Season of #CCUfamily in the Books

Quite frequently, I accept invitations from professors to speak to their classes about social media. Often, a student will ask me why I love my job. I will reply that I enjoy formulating a social voice for CCU, that I embrace working in an industry that is growing each day, and that I thrive off the pressure of communicating clearly and effectively when it matters most. I will usually end my answer by saying that, best of all, I get to work with college students daily.

I enjoy speaking to CCU classes about social media.

Today we wrapped up filming the third season of #CCUfamily, a social media campaign that I pitched way back in 2014 when I interviewed for my job. The current incarnation of #CCUfamily debuted during the 2016-17 academic year and over the course of those three years, we have featured 270 students.

#CCUfamily has been a very successful social media campaign for our University.

Ah yes, the key word is students. Out of all the ways I have the privilege of connecting with students on campus (internship program, social media advocate council, speaking engagements, etc.), nothing introduces me to a larger or more diverse group as #CCUfamily.

The goal of #CCUfamily is to develop engaging digital profiles of our student body. We publish three profiles per week that are published in unique ways on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram channels – an integrated campaign at its best! But of course the content doesn’t create itself. In order to be successful, we need full cooperation from the students we feature. There is a lot of coordination that goes on with the students prior to filming but the interview day is definitely the most satisfying part. This is when we meet our talented Chanticleers and catch them at their best. Connections are always developed that last until they graduate and beyond. It is rewarding.

I would not be able to do #CCUfamily without Geoff Insch. This afternoon we took the below photo after our final shoot to celebrate the end of a great season.

Notice how I keep referring to “we” in context of this project? Aside from our subjects, I don’t do this alone. Geoff Insch, one of our production managers, is the guy who keeps this campaign afloat. He films the interviews and then edits each one into an enticing package. This semester, a third member joined our #CCUfamily team. Anthony Bowser, our social media specialist, does behind-the-scenes work and writes some of the student profiles.

The three of us really enjoy doing these shoots. As I mentioned, meeting the students is awesome. However, it is also fun for our little production gang to converse about the students after they leave. We marvel about how talented they are and how further along (at least compared to me) they seem to be at that age than us (me). Students are nominated to participate in #CCUfamily, thus ensuring that those profiled are high quality individuals. It is a pleasure to meet the best and brightest of Coastal.

It has been a pleasure working on #CCUfamily. Here is an example of one of the profiles we did last month.

After three years of interviewing 270 students, Geoff and I have a lot of stories! Every now and then, we reminisce about the unique moments of our #CCUfamily journey. Good memories have been made and even better work has been produced. On Friday we will release the final #CCUfamily profile of the 2018-19 academic year but don’t get too sad – it will be back in 2019-20. Don’t Blink.

May 2019 Thursday Rundown

Is it really May already? Our family has a packed month and we can’t wait for all the fun that is to come. But for now, let’s just concentrate on the Thursday Rundown. I present to you this evening’s five topics…

Bling, Bling – For those who are curious about the ring my brother got for his fiancé, here it is. I know absolutely nothing about rings (Sidney picked her ring out for me) so don’t expect any commentary from me other than it looks really nice! 

This is the ring that my brother gave to Carrie.

Outdoor Fun – A couple items to report on Sloan. She has progressed nicely with her jungle gym since it was gifted to her about a month and a half ago. Sloan will now go down the slide without needing to hold one of our hands. More impressively, she can now climb up the rock wall with no assistance whatsoever, a feat of coordination and strength! But the biggest current spectacle in our back yard is a rabbit. The critter has been making regular early evening appearances in our lawn, sending Sloan into a frenzy. She likes to call out to it by yelling “Mr. Bunny, come here!” She will sit on our patio and wait for it to re-appear and she loves to leave carrots out for it.

Sloan can climb her rock wall with ease and go down the slide without assistance. She loves “Mr. Bunny” who lives in our back yard.

What’s the Big Deal? – Last night, Sid and I watched the Billboard Music Awards. We enjoy watching the performances and digesting a slice of pop culture. However, I had a tough time putting my finger on the absolute mania reserved for a group called BTS. The cameras switched to them in their seats every minute, celebrities on stage gave them shout outs, and the #BillboardMusicAwards Twitter hashtag was so inundated with BTS references that anything else about the show was practically invisible. Did these kids cure cancer or something? Please, fill me in.

I tweeted out my confusion last night.

Another Five Year Anniversary  My five year anniversary working at Coastal wasn’t the only milestone I was celebrating yesterday. May 1 also marked my five year anniversary of working out at CCU’s gym, the HTC Center. I had nervous jitters my first day of work so what better way to ease them than with exercise? I was blown away by the cleanliness and amenities of Coastal’s facilities. But aside from the state of the art equipment and scenic views, the CCU gym has allowed me to connect with students and staff who I normally would not have the chance to during my regular job.

The photo of me in the top left is from May 1, 2014, and the photo of me in the top right is from May 1, 2019.

Cool Story – Early this morning I was pumping gas. Once I started to refuel, the pump television screen flickered on and started to give a history lesson. This particular segment taught me that frozen treats such as popsicles and ice cream were only consumed by nobility back in the Middle Ages. Because devices equivalent to modern day freezers weren’t widely available, only the upper class had access to them. So, if someone was walking the streets with a frozen confection it meant they were a pretty big deal. I started laughing to myself thinking of an old king with a large crown sucking on a firecracker pop. Ha!

I took this photo while pumping gas today. How does the gas price in Myrtle Beach differ from where you live?

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A weekend that includes the Kentucky Derby and Cinco De Mayo, huh? Sounds like a good time to me. Be safe and enjoy. Don’t Blink.

A Half Decade at CCU

On May 1, 2014, I started a new stage in my life. That morning I reported to work at a different college campus, thousands of miles from my previous one. A half decade later, that “different” college campus isn’t so different anymore – it is home.

I took this photo the morning of May 1, 2014 — my first day at Coastal Carolina University.

As I celebrate my fifth anniversary at Coastal Carolina University, I can’t help but feel fortunate that I found #TEALnation. Wanting to manage the social media program of a university at the flagship level, I graciously accepted the opportunity given to me by CCU and said goodbye to the athletic department at the University of Montana.

These are some of the kind bosses/co-workers who greeted me with such open arms when I arrived at CCU in 2014.

I couldn’t have asked for a better situation to come into. Working out of the Office of University Communication, my bosses gave me the freedom to build CCU’s social media program according to the vision I presented during the interview process. When I arrived, my main objective was to establish a social brand (#CCUSocialMedia) that told the stories of #CCU. Because of the support I received, social media at CCU flourished. #CCUSocialMedia has won over a dozen national awards, earned recognition as one of the top higher education social media programs in the country, enjoyed exponential growth, and generated extensive media coverage.

Because of the freedom to take chances and because of the talented co-workers around me, #CCUSocialMedia has won over a dozen national awards in five years.

But this blog post isn’t about individual accomplishments. In fact, the accolades above were only possible because of the people I work with (more on them soon). Rather, the purpose of this post is to recognize how proud I am to be associated with this institution. In the five years I have been here, I have seen our University open up multiple academic buildings, roll out doctoral programs, produce Fulbright Scholars, set records for fundraising, undergo a complete website redesign, grow at a strategic pace, make the major athletic move to the FBS, and win a baseball national championship…just to name a few. To have a front row seat for all these defining moments has been a pleasure.

The day CCU announced plans to join the Sun Belt Conference was a lot of fun!.

These CCU triumphs over the past five years paved the way for a constant stream of excitement that rushed through this entire campus. I tried to grab hold of this energy and make my own CCU moments. During my time as a CCU staffer I have appeared in a Darius Rucker music video, attended national conferences, traveled with the men’s basketball team to the NCAA tournament, hosted my own social media segment, wrote a cover story for our alumni magazine, followed our CCU-sponsored NASCAR driver to a few races, experienced an eclipse at complete totality, covered the baseball team’s national championship parade/stadium celebration, and much more.

I have had so many memorable times while working at CCU.

Again, just like with the industry accomplishments, I would have been deprived of the memorable moments without my bosses and co-workers. If not for Bill Plate, Martha Hunn, and Matt Hogue I would not be here at Coastal. Those three comprised the hiring committee that ended up granting me the opportunity of a lifetime. If not for my incredible supervisor, Lindsi Glass, I would not have been able to grow as a professional and feel so comfortable coming to work each day. If not for Kim Harper, the best administrative assistant to ever walk the planet, many of our fun social media promotions would be derailed by red tape. And, if not for my talented and selfless co-workers, the success of our #CCUSocialMedia program would be non-existent. Because of our graphic designers (Rob, Jeanne, Regis, Ron, Scoops, Jady), photographers (Judy, Scott, Tad), video wizards (David, Geoff, Richard, Dennis, Josh), web personnel (Brentley and Marty) and writers (Caroline, Mel, Doug, Mona), we have incredible content to share each day. They take our social media presence to the next level and make me look good. Even more importantly, they are all humble people and trusted friends.

I have had the pleasure of working with so many great people in the Office of University Communication at CCU.

Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the final joy of working on this campus: the students. In five years, I have had many motivated and savvy students work for me and I have met countless others who have participated in many of my wacky social media campaigns/promotions. It goes without saying that I am beyond appreciative – without students, I don’t have a job.

I have been blessed to be around some amazing students. This photo is of me with Eddie and Monica, two of my former student interns.

A lot has changed in five years. My title has changed, the name of our department has changed, and our top leader has changed. But one aspect has not: Coastal Carolina University is a great place to work. I am thankful to the CCU administration and the state of South Carolina for employing me. I look forward to the next five years. Don’t Blink.