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Kevin Thomas and Brody Broshears reflect on the energy and renewal that spring brings before exploring the complex and timely topic of graduation. Their conversation examines graduation rates, institutional responsibility, and the policies and practices that support student persistence and success as they work toward completing their degrees.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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From March Madness hot takes and overrated things to FERPA, advising, and finding balance in higher ed life, this episode of The Pickup Meeting has a little bit of everything. Kevin and Brody welcome Dr. Rebecca Hapes, Associate Registrar at Texas A&M University, for a lively conversation about her journey from academic advising to the registrar’s office, the hidden complexity of higher education systems, and the messy art of doing meaningful work without losing yourself in the process. Along the way, they swap stories about burnout, purpose, progress, Aggie football, and yes, even top cereal rankings. It’s thoughtful, funny, and packed with wisdom for anyone working to support students while keeping their own humanity intact.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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Have a question? Want to chat? E-mail us at thepickupmeeting@gmail.com!

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What if faculty are the secret sauce in student success? In this episode of The Pickup Meeting, Kevin and Brody kick things off with sports hot takes, Olympics nostalgia, and the kind of job stories that include delivering newspapers in the 80s and bringing “sports salvation to the airwaves.” This conversation unpacks why great teaching is not just about content delivery but connection. The kind that lingers for 25 years. The kind that changes trajectories. The kind that makes students believe they belong.

Plus:

• Why bad advising is just bad advising, no matter who does it
• How faculty development can elevate advising impact
• The magic of lunch conversations and chicken strip diplomacy
• And why this stretch of the semester matters more than we realize

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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Have a question? Want to chat? E-mail us at thepickupmeeting@gmail.com!

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What happens when you mix student success, Disney debates, video game nostalgia, and one of the most respected advising professionals in the field? You get an episode that’s both fun and full of substance.

Kevin and Brody sit down with Tyler Phelps, Assistant Dean of Advising at Washington University in St. Louis, to unpack what truly helps students thrive: authentic presence, listening beyond the obvious, community among practitioners, and a strengths-based approach when plans fall apart. Tyler talks about the “magic” of advising, how technology can support (but never replace) human connection, and what higher ed owes students in a world that’s side-eyeing the value of a degree.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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Have a question? Want to chat? E-mail us at thepickupmeeting@gmail.com!

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March has arrived, and with it comes fake spring, real allergies, bracket dreams, and that annual daylight savings debate we all pretend will be resolved someday. In this "Just Us" episode, Kevin and Brody pull back the curtain on public speaking, storytelling, and why even seasoned presenters still get butterflies. Spoiler alert: the nerves never really leave, they just learn how to behave.

Along the way, they debate what makes a keynote soar or sink, share their rituals for surviving presentations, and confess to some truly vintage first music purchases. It’s higher ed meets March Madness meets mixtape memories.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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Have a question? Want to chat? E-mail us at thepickupmeeting@gmail.com!

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Kevin and Brody welcome Jerel Benton, Assistant Provost for Student Success at Radford University, for a conversation that travels from the tutoring rooms to the leadership table. Along the way, Jerel shares how a nursing major became a student success leader, why empathy is not the same thing as softness, and how consensus can sometimes slow progress instead of strengthen it.

They dive into the mentors who quietly change the trajectory of our careers, building trust as a new leader (care, reliability, competence, sincerity), why relationships and culture of care are universal truths in higher ed, what it really takes to lead student success work without burning out, and yes, a spirited Kentucky vs. Indiana basketball detour.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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Have a question? Want to chat? E-mail us at thepickupmeeting@gmail.com!

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Winter is (almost) over, spring break is playing hard to get, and The Pickup Meeting is back with a classic “Just Us” episode. Brody and Kevin kick things off with birthday gauntlets, daylight savings time grievances, and a spirited debate over the Winter Olympics. Speed skating? Hockey? Iconic.

What does it really mean to lead when leadership isn’t popular? How do you make tough calls, pivot initiatives, and have hard conversations with compassion? Kevin and Brody dive into the quiet weight of leadership in higher education, the importance of modeling self care, and why building a trusted professional network might be the most strategic move you make.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook! Also, subscribe to the Adventures in Advising YouTube Channel!

Have a question? Want to chat? E-mail us at thepickupmeeting@gmail.com!

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In this episode of The Pickup Meeting, Brody and Kevin welcome Cecilia Olivares, Director of Academic Advising Initiatives at the University of Missouri and former NACADA President, for a conversation that zigzags delightfully from Easter candy to change management to the existential question of academic advising itself.

Fresh off the Administrators Institute, the trio dives into:

• Tech implementation without losing the human touch
• Decentralization dilemmas and the art of staying curious
• Why “What’s the worst that could happen?” might be leadership’s most underrated question
• Exploratory students, major changes, and decision-making on the daily
• Dissertation marathons, dust-covered books, and the power of just finishing
• And yes…Criminal Minds vs. NCIS

There are road trip playlists. There is Garth Brooks. There is a brief and unexpected detour into Breaking Bad territory. The rails are left. The rails are found again.

*The Pickup Meeting is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook! Also, subscribe to the Adventures in Advising YouTube Channel!

Have a question? Want to chat? E-mail us at thepickupmeeting@gmail.com!

Connect with Brody and Kevin on LinkedIn.