Podcast

Dr. Lucas Dyer reflects on his journey amidst many challenges. This experience has allowed him to share his talents on a broader level and add value personally and professionally.  He reminds students, that the experience of earning your doctorate will take you out of your comfort zone and it is important to remember: This is your program, your pace, your goals, and your reasons. Small steps = great outcomes! Listen Now. 

Dr. Jennifer Zuchowski reflects on her journey to completing her doctorate amidst many challenges. This experience has allowed her to share her talents on a broader level and add value personally and professionally.  She encourages others to show up and learn, absorb, and contribute, you deserve to be there; enjoy the experience. You'll end up where you are supposed to be. Listen Now. 

Dr. Mike Hackney reflects on his journey. The first year can be daunting as you adjust to the volume of work, like training to run a marathon, those first few months the efforts to train are exhausting, but capabilities improve over time with practice. Getting your research academic doctorate is pretty cool. Don’t get so overwhelmed by the process that you don’t also take the time to enjoy it. Listen Now. 

Dr. Bonnie Mulkey shares how she navigated her doctorate, getting married in 2020, a new puppy, and health challenges. Emotionally draining situations can feel overwhelming, give yourself grace and reprioritize, it is important to take care of yourself. If you find yourself in the drift, seek support from writing and focus groups to get back on track. When writing your dissertation, be selfish with your time, don’t be perfect, editing is part of the process. Listen Now. 

Dr. Helena Seli reflects on her experiences as a faculty member and shares advice for students. Her message centers on trust, trust yourself, you were selected from a competitive pool to be in this program, and trust the process. When faced with writer's block, she encourages students to use the five-minute plan, get out of the gate, move forward, and take the first step. Listen Now. 

Dr. Kate Alegado reflects on her journey. Life surprises you and managing stress will challenge you, when you want to give up, dig deep, lean on your support system, take self-care seriously, and believe in your research topic. Some people say that a good dissertation is a done dissertation, but don’t think it’s the end of the book because sometimes it's just the beginning. This episode contains valuable advice for students. Listen Now. 

Stephen Blake reflects on his decision to start the program in the fall of 2020 amidst the pandemic, leading him to explore his paradoxical dissertation topic on remote employee burnout. He encourages others to find a partner in the journey to be a pacesetter, and work with them to set deadlines, and share advice. Similar to a Formula one racecar experiencing air resistance, when cars draft (line up behind the lead), they create a vacuum that results in both cars reaching higher speeds. Listen Now. 

 This week's episode is a little different, this short episode is all about gratitude. Looking back on doctoral experiences and the past year launching the podcast with appreciation and celebration for how far we've come. Listen Now. 

Dr. Jessica Walter reflects on her journey returning to school as a mid-career professional. She shares how she negotiated a career trajectory plan with her employer, going back to school is a huge investment both financially and also in time, because of this she had a sense of security and they were also invested. She encourages others to find their people, set goals, and practice writing. You're not going to finish until you begin. Listen Now. 

Dr. Eric Canny reflects on his journey in higher education. He encourages students to get organized early, rethink time commitments, learn APA (resistance is futile), and cultivate their rhythm of writing whether in silence or listening to Taylor Swift. You are standing on the shoulders of giants, don't forget to cite your sources. When you question if you are going to make it through or want to do this, let your passion drive you. Listen Now. 

Dr. Erica Silbiger reflects on her doctoral journey, a career change from higher education to industry, her display of strength writing her dissertation in New York City during the global pandemic, and the importance of well-being and mental health for students. An avid runner, she shares valuable insight, "when you're running a marathon, unless you plan to win, you are always racing against yourself, always trying to improve, trying to see if you can run faster… similarly when you are in the program, you are just racing against yourself, you are just trying to prove yourself to yourself, no one else cares about your time, or about your marathon more than you do, this is you doing what you need to do, stopping at any rest stops you need to stop at, fueling the way you need to fuel, your race is yours and nobody else's." Give it time and space. Process what you went through and be open to opportunities. Listen Now. 

Dr. Tony Cerella reflects on his journey through the Army, the USC program, living overseas, coaching, and transition from the Army after 22 years. He encourages others to collaborate, share the lift, be vulnerable, and intentional about building deeper more meaningful relationships. Beyond the dissertation that sits on a bookshelf, the connections endure. Pick a dissertation topic you are excited about, and don’t forget to celebrate yourself and all you have accomplished. This episode is a story of growth, transition and advice for students. Listen Now. Leadership and development coaching.

Dr. Brent Obleton shares his journey to earn his doctorate while navigating career changes from higher education to DEI work in biotech/pharma and commercial real estate. He encourages others, "nowhere in life did they take a chance on you, you had everything you needed, to do what you are going to do, and what you are doing, dig in", when considering a dissertation topic, research is me-search. You might be in a weird space after graduation, reflect on what brings you joy and meaning, the degree and title bring a level of respect, and also a duty to put into practice what you learned. This episode has valuable advice for students. Listen Now.

Dr. Patricia Gonzalez, shares her journey to earn her doctorate as a first-generation Latina. She discusses her career aspirations, and how she is using her degree to become the best leader she can be in her role as a higher education administrator. She encourages students to find their circle of folks who are going to empower them, you are there to not just warm up a chair, instead, take up space, speak up and make genuine, meaningful connections. Listen Now.

Dr. Daniel Ahlgren shares his journey to earn his doctorate while he and his wife were both going to graduate school at the same time. Finishing the doctoral program and completing your dissertation is hard. He reminds the importance of creating a conducive environment for work, and the power of routine. He shares advice on picking a dissertation topic and demystifies the dissertation process.  Listen Now.

 Dr. Lisa Bagby discusses how she overcame her confidence challenge, the value of connecting with other bright minds for thought partnership, encouragement, and support, and the importance of knowing your committee and how they can help you. She stretched in ways never expected, jumped feet first into the deep end of the ocean, and didn’t look back and it was the single best education decision she made in her life.   Listen Now.

Dr. Pablo Otaola, shares his journey as an immigrant coming to the US from Argentina when he was ten years old, to being a CEO, the challenges he faced, and advice for other students. He discusses the importance of timing (considering kids, family, and work), identity development, and the value of starting the program with a dissertation topic/theory in mind. He remembers the beginning of the program feeling that he was at the precipice of something really big, and he was right, the journey changed who he is and his framework to life. His company for DEI and org development consulting: www.ThrivingCultureLLC.com Learning DEI tech company: www.MerakiDEILearning.com      Listen Now.

Michelle Johnson shares her journey to earn her doctorate while navigating illness, a new job, a move for her family across the country, and helping an aging parent. Personal life challenges are hard and can impact your plans to finish. She reminds us that everyone's journey and timeline are different, it's okay to pause and take a breath.  Listen Now.

Dr. Ammar Dalal shares his journey of moving from the Bay area to LA, changing jobs, and welcoming his second child all while pursuing his doctorate. His classmates' talented, rich diversity encouraged him and it was an awesome group to be a part of.  He encourages others to lean into the experience, embrace all of it, take it all in and you will be inspired to do more in life. Listen Now.

Dr. Jenai Ali Emmel shares her journey to earn her doctorate as a solopreneur of a K-12 consulting practice. She was motivated by a desire to do more, make an impact, and lead real change. She reminds us that being a doctoral student is a bit like a swan, you're always working really hard, but looking very graceful. You are there to be a learner, embrace the things you don’t know, and realize there is a lot more you can do to truly be excellent and it will raise your game. Listen Now.

Dr. Danette Nelson, shares her personal story of growth and transformation while pursuing her doctorate. She pushed herself to stick with it and stick it out, and she grew through her journey and learned how to be a better person.  She reminds us that "opportunities are all around us, are we looking at them or are we so focused on whatever else is going on." Listen Now.

Dr. Monique Bates, shares how she managed to survive grief, student loan debt, & being 'the world's biggest introvert' all while pursuing her doctorate. She navigates life with a new perspective after graduation and reminds us that comparison is the thief of joy, where you are in the process is where you are supposed to be and that's perfectly ok. Listen Now.

Dr. Cary Ashworth, change leader, Chief People Officer, and USC doctoral grad shares his journey returning to school after a 20 year break, challenges he faced, and advice for other students. He explains the value of the degree for HR executives, and how it cultivates creativity, drives innovation and builds change leaders. Don’t be discouraged, the journey can feel overwhelming, connect with your cohort, dial-in and compartmentalize your time. Your academic journey will positively impact your career. Listen Now.

Dr. Gretchen Jameson, change leader, Chief Learning Officer, mom, and USC doctoral grad shares her reasons for returning to school during a time when she was face to face with her own mortality.  Her mindset is to go for it, push yourself, and prove that you can do it. If not now, when? This episode is an inspirational story with valuable advice for students. Listen Now.

Dr. Amit Mohindra, people analytics leader, board member, advisor, and executive coach, shares how he puts his training and experience to use after graduation. He explains the importance of preparing for your doctoral journey, the benefits of knowing your dissertation topic early, and bringing your loved ones on your journey Listen Now.

Dr. Jenn Wells, change leader, DEI champion, and USC doctoral graduate shares why she chose an EdD over a PhD and shifted her career out of higher education and into K-12. She encourages others to take a bold step forward, your degree and credential will open doors. Listen Now.

Dr. Erik Hollander, change leader, business professor, and former healthcare administrator shares his journey to earn his doctorate. He reminds us as a student, you will be served a slice of humble pie, work through and persevere, reflect and improve, when you get done- doors are going to open you just don’t know that they are there yet. Listen Now.

Dr. Jamie Bone, people developer, former K-12 administrator, and USC doctoral grad, shares her journey from K-12, promoted to various roles throughout the program to her current position in consulting.  She delivers a unique perspective as a teacher and concurrently a learner and was inspired by the program's new awareness and tools to take on new roles and experiences while a doctoral student. She was drawn to the community of the Trojan family, network, alumni, and presence, and reminds us a student you are living it, the sense of belonging is not a pot of gold at the end of your journey, and you don't need to wait until the end to pursue a new career. She took additional classes on a 60-unit, 4-year track and entered the program with a bachelor's degree to earn her doctorate. Listen Now.

Dr. Linh Nguyen, leadership developer, IT professional, and recent doctoral grad, shares his journey; thirty-five years ago, he fled Vietnam to Cambodia on foot, Thailand on a boat, and finally Americas to pursue higher education. After finishing his Master's degree, he stopped school, went to work, and raised a family with his wife and three children. He was inspired to earn his doctorate when helping his firstborn son plan for his four-year degree and career. They both graduated this May 2022, and his son will start his Ph.D. this fall. This week's episode is an inspirational story with lots of advice for students. Listen Now

Dr. Jonathan Eldridge, change leader, college administrator, and USC doctoral grad shares how he uses his degree after graduation and the benefits of "slowing down the game," focusing on what you are doing at the moment; the time and attention you put in correlate to the value of what you get out. Listen Now

Dr. Tiffany Kim, Los Angeleno, former university administrator, and USC doctoral graduate, shares how she knew it was time to go back to school to pursue her doctorate, the challenges she faced including an unexpected health crisis at the end of her program, and advice for new and current students. This week's episode is an inspirational story of strength and resilience. Listen Now

Dr. Abel Guzman, education executive, and USC doctoral graduate shares his journey of resilience, and real-life experience of "crazy" events during his first year and how he was able to push through and still finish on time. Listen Now

Dr. Michael Grace, healthcare administrator, and USC doctoral graduate, shares his journey of completing his degree while being CEO at three different hospitals during the pandemic. His message provides an encouraging reminder that the doctoral journey will have challenges; trust the process; it is worth it.  Listen Now

Dr. Amy King shares her journey from being a first-generation college student to a leader in executive education. When her son graduated from high school and went to college, she decided it was time to go back too. Before her final defense, she started a new job and relocated across the country. Her message is, "If you can dream it, you can do it!" (Walt Disney).  Listen Now

Dr. Maria Silva- Palacios, author, entrepreneur, and USC doctoral graduate shares her journey from immigrating from Ecuador when she was 6 years old, the challenges she faced, and how she overcame them through hard work, being intentional, and her love of learning. Her message provides an encouraging reminder that the doctoral journey is transformative, and it's never too late to achieve your dreams. Listen Now

Dr. Colleen Leigh, former journalist, higher education administrator, and USC doctoral graduate, shares her real-life experience of grief and healing, advice for other students, and the importance of support from classmates, student success advisor, chair, and professors when faced with unexpected tragedy during her doctoral journey. Listen Now

Dr. David Allan-Matheson, military officer, healthcare leader and USC doctoral graduate shares the importance of enjoying learning as a passion. Listen Now

Dr. Robert Ramirez, change leader and USC doctoral graduate shares his journey of resilience and the importance of mindset when facing obstacles. Listen Now

Dr. Tom Hurtado, higher education leader and USC doctoral graduate shares his journey and the importance of finding meaning and purpose when pursuing a doctorate. Tom is also the host of the RealMD podcast, by the University of Utah School of Medicine. Listen Now

Dr. Erika Page, former corporate executive, now higher education administrator and USC doctoral graduate shares encouragement and advice for prospective and current students.   Listen Now

During this episode, "almost doctor" Susan Fant shares her journey to her EdD at USC, passion for entrepreneurship and the power of mindset and mindfulness when pursuing a doctorate. Susan is the Co-Founder of eMarketing Director

Listen Now

Join host Dr. Sheryl Guse as she shares her journey to going back to school for her doctorate, challenges she experienced, advice for prospective and current students, and reasons for creating this podcast. Learn her three important lessons, and gain inspiration and encouragement to continue your journey.  

Listen Now