A Very Fulfilling Final Four Year

Posted on April 3, 2017 by brent

Never before have I enjoyed a Final Four so much. In fact, never before have I enjoyed TWO Final Fours so much.

The storylines were thick for me this past weekend.
1. I had my hometown team going up against the team of the state I now live in.
2. I had my favorite college basketball team going up against my father-in-law’s favorite college basketball team.
3. The chance for another major state university in South Carolina to join Coastal Carolina (school I work at) and Clemson as national champions was on the table…twice.

In the end, it all seemed to work out perfectly. Well, I should probably wait until later tonight to say that. But as of right now, things are about as good as they can be.

Gonzaga defeated South Carolina in the men’s basketball national semifinal round on Saturday night. To be honest, I was cheering for the Bulldogs all the way. I have roots with Gonzaga and I have cheered for the Zags my whole life so I couldn’t help it. However, if the Bulldogs did stumble, it wouldn’t have completely destroyed my life. I would have taken solace in the fact that my wife (who openly cheered for the Gamecocks during the game) and my father-in-law would be happy campers. I also would have delighted in the fact that it would set up South Carolina to win a national championship and make our state look really good. If you remember, CCU won the baseball title in June and Clemson took home the football trophy in January. For the University of South Carolina to complete the trifecta with a basketball title would have been huge.

Turns out that even though the Gamecock men ended up losing, a basketball national championship for the state was still won. The women’s basketball team at the University of South Carolina cruised through the women’s Final Four to achieve glory. The Gamecock ladies defeated giant slayer Mississippi State to bring the third major NCAA sanctioned national championship to the Palmetto State in nine months.

Don’t think the Chanticleers and Tigers wanted to see the Gamecocks falter on the national title stage. Both fan bases of CCU and Clemson enthusiastically cheered for the University of South Carolina, a sentiment that was shared on social media by both schools. I had the pleasure of working with Robbie Fitzwater, Clemson’s social media director, to engage in a good natured Twitter dialogue that left no doubt that our schools stood behind our rival in Columbia. The conversation was a huge success as it was heavily retweeted and picked up by the media.

We ended the dialogue with GIFs wishing South Carolina good luck. The GIF rotated between a CCU baseball national championship graphic, a Clemson football national championship graphic, and a South Carolina Final Four graphic.

So with Gonzaga advancing to the national championship and with the state of South Carolina already capturing its third national title in nine months, there remains just one thing left to do: The Bulldogs need to win!!

It would be a huge deal if the little Jesuit school in eastern Washington pulled off the win tonight against North Carolina. It would make me extremely happy and it would cap the most memorable Final Four year of my life. Let’s see how it all plays out. Go Gonzaga! Don’t Blink.

An Original and Impactful Holiday Video

Posted on December 7, 2016 by brent

To watch the 2016 #CCU Holiday Video, click here.

Today, we released an annual piece of content here at Coastal Carolina University. At noon, the 2016 #CCU Holiday Video premiered on our social media channels and our website. Although it has only been live for roughly seven hours, analytics and reaction from our social media users seem to prove that the video is already a smashing success.

The #CCU holiday video is outstanding. (This is a screenshot from the video).

Although a holiday video at Coastal is an annual tradition, this year’s edition is anything but traditional. That was by design. Our senior marketing director, Lindsi Glass, and our production manager, Geoff Insch, set out to create something that was completely original. The duo worked extremely hard to put something together that was not only creative but also embodied the Coastal Carolina University #TEALnation spirit. To say they succeeded is an understatement.

The premise of the video is this: the President of our University observes the performance of a traditional choir singing a traditional song. He steps in and suggests that the group might benefit by adding “more cowbell.” From there, the video takes off…

The video starts with a subdued choir scene but then takes off. (This is a screenshot of the video).

The video starts with a subdued choir scene but then takes off. (This is a screenshot from the video).

Using the talents of both students and faculty, a rocking track begins that includes witty rap lyrics, powerful vocals, and killer guitar playing. While the song is performed, different groups on campus are captured jamming out. A wide variety of Coastal entities from our national champion baseball team to our financial aid office to our housing staff to our deans to even our CCU NASCAR driver are all showcased getting their rock on. In the end, well over 200 Chanticleers were featured.

A scene from the video. This took place on Prince Lawn. Can you spot a “Don’t Blink” author trying to dance? (This is a screenshot from the video).

But I will stop there and just let you watch it. Seriously, it is worth three minutes of your time. Lindsi and Geoff took a big chance with creating this type of holiday video and I think the risk paid off immensely. As people have already echoed on social media and elsewhere, this production makes you proud to be associated with Coastal Carolina University. In my opinion, it does an outstanding job at showing that we are a close knit, creative, and big time institution.

What makes this year’s holiday video so unique is that actual students performed the vocals to the original song that was written (this is a screenshot from the video).

Once again, great work to Lindsi, Geoff, and everyone else who helped out on creating something that represents Coastal Carolina so well. Also, awesome job to the Coastal community for coming together to make this work. The bar is set high for next year. Don’t Blink.

The Special Ornaments on our Tree

Posted on December 4, 2016 by brent

Last week, I mentioned that Sidney and I had to start from the ground up when it came to stockpiling Christmas decorations. We took our first step toward this goal by purchasing a bunch of Christmas tree ornaments from Target.

However, not all of the ornaments that adorn our tree are of the major box store variety. Believe it or not, we have some items that hang on our tree that bring more of a sentimental value with them. Don’t get me wrong, Target ornaments still outnumber more personal ornaments by at least 5:1, but over the years this ratio will start to close.

Today I want to share five of the more unique and personal ornaments on our tree. I hope you enjoy.

5. CCU Ornament – Coastal Carolina University holds a special place in the hearts of both Sidney and I. As my employer and as Sid’s alma mater, our Coastal Carolina ornament is very much valued. Making it extra special is that it once belonged to Sidney’s grandma.

It is a no-brainer that we have included a Coastal Caorlina University ornament on our tree.

4. Toddler Sidney – This ornament just tugs at my heart. It is of Sid as a little girl over 22 years ago in 1994. Such a sweet decoration to put on the tree. My mom asked me if I wanted her to send a similar ornament of me from my early years to hang right by Sidney’s but I told her to hold off for the time being.

I love looking at this ornament that depicts a young Sid.

3. First Tree Stump – Sidney saw this brilliant idea somewhere (probably Pinterest) and wanted to make sure to replicate it for us. When we purchased our tree, we had the guy cut off the bottom of the stump for us. Sidney then wrote on it and converted it into a creative ornament. You know, as a kid I always felt a bit sad when we would throw out our Christmas trees. The bonding, the joy, and the fun we had with the tree seemed to go with it to the dumpster. For the two of us, I am thrilled that we will always have a piece of our first tree together.

This was a brilliant idea by Sid to make this ornament using the stump of our tree.

2. Wedding Ornament – As part of the wedding gift that our sponsor couple gave us, they included this special ornament. It has two figures that look like Sidney and I along with our names and the date of our wedding. After our special day in June, we had been waiting to finally hang this up on our tree.

Our sponsor couple, Tim and Kathy McCormick, gave us this ornament as part of the wedding gift they graciously gave us.

1. We Are Expecting Snow People Family – Sidney and I saw this at our local mall and couldn’t resist but have it customized. The woman snow person with the “snow bump” stole our hearts. We had the bump customized with the name of what we will call our daughter but for the sake of this blog post I am “white washing” it.

Needless to say, this is a very precious ornament and it will be a treasured part of our tree for years and years to come.

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There is a quick look at some of the finer ornaments on our tree. This is a big weekend for purchasing and decorating trees, so if you are on this bandwagon, I hope you picked a good one and have lots of special/pretty ornaments to hang on it. Don’t Blink.

An Exciting Opportunity to Get Better

Posted on November 1, 2016 by brent

This afternoon I traveled up north to the great American city of Boston. I am here to attend the Social Media Strategies Summit for Higher Education. The conference will take place over Wednesday and Thursday. I will return home on Friday. To put it bluntly, I am stoked to be here!

Why am I so excited? Well, let me translate for you what the SMSS Higher Ed exactly is. Basically, it is two days of workshops, meetings, and networking geared specifically to social media professionals working at colleges and universities. Over the next 48 hours I will be in company with fellow social media coordinators and directors at higher education institutions across the nation. I will be with my true counterparts, men and women who run their university’s primary social media accounts and head up the social media programs on their respective campuses. Although I have connected with some of the people who will attend this conference before, I have never met any of them in person.

As social media is still a relatively new profession, there aren’t a lot of conferences dedicated solely to the subject, especially pertaining directly to the higher education level. This conference in Boston is basically the sole opportunity for people like me to learn and discuss strategies with others who are in the exact same position that I am.

I am incredibly grateful to Coastal Carolina University for allowing me this opportunity. I plan to get as much out of this conference as possible. It is my hope that this will allow me to improve both #CCUSocialMedia and my own professional skills. Don’t Blink.

Interviewing An Olympian

Posted on September 26, 2016 by brent

Today at Coastal Carolina University we kicked off a social media event called #CCU Facebook Live Week. It all started this morning when our social media team interviewed a three-time Olympian. The event will continue throughout the week as we interview a different person on each of the next four days.

This week is our #CCU Facebook Live Week (graphic is from Facebook page and is accessible to all).

Wanting to take advantage of Facebook Live, I lined up interviews with some big shot Chanticleers for this last week in September. Who are these prominent Chants we will be interviewing over the next four days? You will have to wait and follow our Facebook page to find out. However, I have no problem chatting about the all-star I met today…

Leading off our #CCU Facebook Live Week was track and field superstar Amber Campbell. This past month she finished sixth in the hammer throw at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the highest finish ever for an American woman in the event. But Rio wasn’t her first rodeo. Amber also competed at the Beijing (2008) and London (2012) games. She has a laundry list of other accomplishments at the national and world level as well.

As you might guess, Amber Campbell is a Coastal Carolina University alumna. Our #TEALnation community is extremely proud of her so it made sense to ask if she would want to participate in our #CCU Facebook Live Week. Despite a hectic schedule, Amber graciously accepted our invite and traveled down to our studio for today’s interview. She brought a lot of energy and a glowing smile to campus.

Our social media team with three-time Olympian Amber Campbell today (from l-r: Me, Amber Campbell, Eddie, Lauren).

The interview went well as I had my two hardworking interns, Eddie and Lauren, helping out. Our assistant director of Media Services, David, filmed the interview with equipment just a tad bit nicer than my iPhone. We all enjoyed the opportunity to be around Amber and share her thoughts/insight with our large #CCUSocialMedia audience.

A little behind the scenes action for you. I asked the questions and Lauren filmed the interview. Eddie covered the interview on Snapchat and Instagram Stories. David was behind us all.

I hope you drop in on one of our Facebook Live broadcasts this week. Thanks so much to Amber Campbell for starting us off in grand fashion. Don’t Blink.

Working In Tennessee

Posted on August 16, 2016 by brent

This evening I find myself in the lovely state of Tennessee. Specifically, I am in the town of Johnson City. This is ironic because four years ago I found myself here when I was working for the University of Montana. I was part of the travel advance unit for our football team and we spent the night in Johnson City as we waited for the players and coaches to arrive the next day. We then made the trip to Boone, North Carolina, for a game against Appalachian State.

To be honest, I never thought I would see Johnson City again.

But I thought wrong. I am once again in Johnson City and I couldn’t be more excited as I am here to represent Coastal Carolina University. Earlier today I drove over from South Carolina with our Vice President for University Communication and one of our production managers. We made the trip to cover and support the driver of the NASCAR Truck Series that our university sponsors. But he isn’t just any driver, he is an actual student at Coastal Carolina. Tomorrow we will get in the car again and drive to Bristol, Tennessee, where we will watch and cover Brandon Brown as he competes in the UNOH 200 Camping World Truck Series Race. If the weather cooperates, and it should, it will be my first ever NASCAR race (I went to the Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May but the race was rained out). I am ready for this experience!

As we will be at the track all day tomorrow leading up to the evening’s race, I won’t be publishing a Wednesday blog post. Don’t get sad though because Sidney will. Yes, my wife has gracefully accepted to fill in during my absence and provide a special middle of the week guest blog post. Look for that tomorrow night.

So from Johnson City, Tennessee, I wish all of you a great night. Thanks for your support of this blog. Don’t Blink.

What the Coastal Baseball Team’s National Championship Means

Posted on July 5, 2016 by brent

I took the Fourth of July weekend to recharge from the two weeks of fun and craziness that resulted from the Coastal Carolina University baseball team’s victorious College World Series run. Over the last couple days I tried to pin down what I thought was the biggest story of this remarkable feat. With the local and national media already covering all the angles from the impact on the university to the legacy of Gary Gilmore to the legendary Cinderella story to the memorable cast of fun student-athletes and quirky dugout props, I looked for something a little different.

It turned out that the “something” I mentioned above is really two things for me. Yes, when I remember the College World Series run 20 years from now, I will remember a couple key things.

1. A national championship was won
2. A community was recognized

In regards to my first point, I don’t even think about the underdog aspect of it. You see, numerous powerhouse programs compete for the baseball national championship each and every year. Many more average programs and mid-majors do as well. At the end of it all, 294 Division I college baseball teams come away disappointed. Only one team stands atop that mountain as champions. It doesn’t matter if you are a favorite, a Cinderella, or a dark horse, winning a national championship is the prized goal.

The Coastal baseball team attained it.

When you open up a book of baseball history 100 years from now and look at the list of champions, you won’t see any information on whether a certain school was supposed to win or not. Rather, you will just see that school’s name.

So what I am trying to say is that I realize the fact that a medium-sized, mid-major university winning the College World Series is a big selling point right now. However, over time that part of the story might fade but Coastal’s achievement as the best team in college baseball in 2016 never will. Let that soak in. Coastal Carolina University is home to a national champion and nothing will ever take that away. I love an underdog story but to me they are just the champs.

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The other part of the College World Series experience I will remember is the remarkable support and pride that swept over the whole Grand Strand area and much of the state over the past few weeks. Now I know any community will embrace a team when it brings back a championship but this situation is just a little different.

Our state is home to two giants in higher education, Clemson and South Carolina. Sometimes a young institution such as ours with a smaller enrollment and alumni base can get overlooked by others. The run to baseball glory brought national attention squarely on Coastal Carolina University and #TEALnation shined. Just as our student-athletes exhibited passion and pride on the diamond each night, the Conway community represented itself with the same principles as well. Other Palmetto State citizens saw this and jumped on.

Covering the welcome back event at the airport on Thursday night was insane. There was an energy in the air that was unmistakable. Although my career has been short, it was one of the coolest moments I have ever experienced. When the student-athletes ran off that plane they brought some leftover Omaha mojo and combined it with the hunger and desire that was brought by the crowd, producing an unbelievable scene. The atmosphere was awesome and our Coastal Carolina community was fostering it.

The same show of support was on display a day later at the ceremony in Springs Brooks Stadium. The place was packed with teal and it was almost a surreal moment. However, with the national championship trophy resting comfortably on the podium it reminded us all that it was in fact reality and that the Coastal Carolina/Conway community was alive and well.

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I may never be associated again with a school that wins a major Division I national championship. Most people never are. I would sincerely like to thank our student-athletes and coaches for taking Coastal Carolina University on this unforgettable ride. Don’t Blink.

The Coastal Baseball Team National Champs Thursday Rundown

Posted on June 30, 2016 by brent

It is tough to punch the keys on my keyboard now. Coastal Carolina University is home to the baseball national champions. Social media is completely bonkers at this moment and my adrenaline is through the roof but I wanted to take a quick breather and write. In the near future I will reflect on what this Coastal baseball team actually did. However, since it is a Thursday, I thought I would talk about the finer moments of the experience for me in tonight’s Thursday Rundown.

Fun On Twitter – In most professions, people are aware of and keep in touch with their counterparts in similar positions at different companies. This holds true for higher education social media professionals. I am friends with the person who heads up the social media program at the University of Arizona. When it became official that our schools would play each other in the College World Series Finals, we were excited for the social media possibilities. Over the past several days the @UofA and @CCUChanticleers Twitter accounts have gone back and forth in friendly dialogue. For our most memorable exchanges, click here and here.

My Own Media Circus – Over the past couple of days, I have made the rounds on the major three local news stations here in Myrtle Beach. On Tuesday, WMBF interviewed me. Then yesterday I sat down with reporters from WPDE and WBTW. All of these stations visited me to talk about the impact the baseball team’s success has had on our main social media program as a whole and just our entire university in general. Although I can’t say my interviews were stellar, I really appreciate the coverage Myrtle Beach media outlets are giving to our university.

Me during my interview with WMBF on Tuesday.

Bonding Time With My Wife – When the Chants were playing the games, I covered them right from my living room. I had my electronics in front of me but my wife right beside me. Sidney is not a big sports fan but she watched every College World Series game that CCU played in with me. That means over the course of six nights and one afternoon we bonded together over baseball. We ate dinner, commented on the action, and rooted on the Chants. It was a lot of fun.

Sidney and I are true Chanticleers.

No Surprise – It was well-documented that Coastal Carolina Chanticleers merchandise flew off the shelves in Omaha. This fact didn’t shock me. I have said since I arrived at CCU that our colors are unique and fun. Teal stands out and is inviting. With the exposure our baseball uniforms have received on ESPN for several different nights, I have a good feeling that a lot of people not just in the Grand Strand area and Omaha are going to be getting their hands on Chant gear.

You can’t beat our school colors.

Celebration Time – Now comes more fun. Over the next 24 hours we will celebrate our baseball team. This evening I will be at the airport at 11 p.m. when the team comes back home after two weeks in Omaha. Tomorrow we will hold a parade for the team in downtown Conway. Following the motorcade we will have a ceremony at the baseball stadium. Great opportunities for memories and social media gains.

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Congrats to the Coastal Carolina University baseball team on a remarkable achievement. It is a great time to be the guy who is running the social media program for the school but an even better time to just be a Chanticleer. Don’t Blink.

An Historic Night for Coastal Carolina University

Posted on June 27, 2016 by brent

With my wedding posts now done and my honeymoon posts up next, I wanted to give you all a break and offer something different tonight. I think you will excuse me for the quick change in pace…

This evening, Coastal Carolina University will be represented in a major national championship. Our baseball team put together a record-breaking, clutch-performing, highlight-generating postseason to earn a spot in the College World Series Finals. Starting at 7 p.m. eastern, the ball team of the university that I work for will square off against the University of Arizona in a best-of-three series. The winner will take home the big trophy.

In my life, between both the colleges I cheered for growing up and the universities I have worked for, I have never had a team make it to a national championship. To have this first time come on the sacred ground of Omaha in the College World Series is thrilling.

Sidney and I at a Coastal Carolina baseball game this season.

Watching the team over and over on ESPN has brought me pride (teal looks so great on TV). Talking with friends and family who have contacted me about the championship-bound Chants has brought me joy. Feeling the community pride all over the state of South Carolina has brought me goosebumps.

Tonight is a huge deal. All eyes will be on the Chanticleers. The national spotlight will be shining on TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.

With this exposure for our baseball team comes exposure for our whole university. Because Chanticleer Athletics has done all the right things in leveraging this College World Series run, it has brought even more opportunities our way. Of course one such opportunity has been social media.

I always envied counterparts at other universities who had their social media program catapulted onto a national stage because a team made it to a major championship. To now have it happen at the school I am working at is pretty cool.

It is also very nerve-wracking.

I would be lying if I said I haven’t felt the pressure of trying to provide our audience and the rest of the nation with quality social content. But because our athletic department is already leading the way in masterfully chronicling this experience on social media (amazing job to Alex Souza) and because we have such a passionate fan base, I know we are going to come out okay.

Best of luck to the Chanticleer baseball team! Make sure to follow the baseball Twitter account (@coastalbaseball) and of course our main account for Coastal Carolina University (@ccuchanticleers). Don’t Blink.

A Thursday Rundown from the Speaking Circuit

Posted on March 24, 2016 by brent

Hope everyone is enjoying a nice Holy Thursday. Speaking of Thursday, it is time for my latest Thursday Rundown blog post…

Speaking at an Elementary School Career Day – I spent the morning serving as a guest speaker at the Palmetto Bays Career Day. I had the privilege of presenting to various classes of second, third, and fourth graders. I had never talked about my job with such a young group of students before so I spent some time stressing over how I would deliver my message. As is usually the case when I enter a classroom, I had a great time. I brought a couple Coastal students with me to chat with the students about the importance of college and they were a bigger hit than I was! It was a fantastic morning.

A photo of me speaking to Palmetto Bays second graders today.

Speaking to a College Class – Talk about a major contrast! After speaking to kids in the second grade who knew little about social media, I hustled back to campus and talked to college students enrolled in a social media class! I was invited by Dr. Mark Flynn to discuss social media ethics with his social media in health contexts class. I spoke for an hour and answered some great questions asked by the students. It was a strange adjustment going from an elementary audience to a university audience but after the first couple minutes it was smooth sailing.

Publix – In the southeast there is a very popular grocery store chain called Publix. It is one of those places that takes freshness, amenities, and item selection to a whole different level. A store recently opened up in the Myrtle Beach area and I had to check it out. Sidney and I walked around our area’s new Publix this past weekend and I must say I was impressed. Although multiple items made my mouth water, nothing called my name more than the peanut butter pie ice cream I spotted. I love peanut butter, I love pie, and I love ice cream…how amazing must peanut butter pie ice cream be?! Soon enough I will know!

I took this photo of the peanut butter pie ice cream when we visited Publix this past Saturday.

Television Dilemma – In last week’s Thursday Rundown I mentioned that I have two new favorite television shows, “Race for the White House” and “The Family.” Those who read this blog know I also have a longstanding favorite TV show, “Bar Rescue.” What are the chances that all three weekly programs would be on at the same time on the same day?! Such was the case this past Sunday when “Race for the White House” was moved to the 9 p.m. Sunday slot. Keeping in mind that the new “Bar Rescue” episode would be replayed throughout the week and knowing that Sidney and I could just watch “The Family” on Apple TV the next night, I opted to watch “Race for the White House.”

Wedding Update #25 – I detailed our meal at our rehearsal dinner venue earlier in the week, but I saved the most important wedding development for this update. This past Saturday, Sidney and I went to Zales in the mall and bought our wedding rings for each other. It was a nice outing and much, much easier on my wallet than the engagement ring experience. Sidney’s ring was in stock and we took it home but mine is being ordered.

A photo of Sidney’s wedding ring up top and then on the bottom is a photo of Sidney and the Zales associate.

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I wish you a very blessed Easter weekend. Thanks for reading my blog, I appreciate your interest and time. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Tag Archives: Coastal Carolina University