Courtney Floegel’s Post

**************** "It's the climb" **************** "Not College Material" Those were the words my high-school counselor said to me ... I went to college anyways. After my first two years, I had a dismal 1.4 GPA and was on academic probation. Then, something happened. I quit believing "the story" that others had created for me. I quit buying into the victim mentality. I quit allowing others to dictate my failures and successes. MY MINDSET CHANGED! I completed my undergraduate degree, and then my master's degree. I even made it on the President's List with a 4.0 GPA. After completing my graduate degree, I opened Kansas City's original personal training center, with "the climb" in mind. Many people doubted me, even those that loved and cared about me. One of my business mentors said, "You're at a great age to fail, because if it doesn't work, you've got plenty of time to recover." A Kansas City radio legend said to me, and his listening audience, "This will never work in Kansas City, because it's too conservative of a market. You need to move to L.A. or New York City to be successful." That was way back in 1986. If you're driven by "the climb", none of the naysayers will stop you from pursuing your dreams. The Best Is Yet To Come!!!

"Timing is everything" and "if it's meant to be, it will be" are familiar sayings many of us have pondered. Last night, at 10:00 PM, everything clicked for me as I completed my first semester with Vanderbilt Peabody College. This journey is just beginning, but I'm committed for the long haul because of the program's exceptional quality and impact. - A year ago, I faced disappointment when I wasn't accepted into a local doctoral program in Business Administration. After some reflection, I resumed my search and decided to aim high by applying to Vanderbilt's Leadership and Learning in Organizations program. As Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." To my surprise and delight, I was accepted. - Last night's culmination was a testament to this program's value. My team and I collaborated with a local nonprofit in Orlando, designing a dashboard to help track metrics more effectively. This experience was both challenging and rewarding, offering me the meaningful work I'd been seeking. - Life often presents us with unexpected turns, but my path became clear last night. Trusting the process, even when it's unclear, has been invaluable advice for me. Sometimes, all it takes is faith, trust, and a little pixie dust to find your way. #vanderbilt #vanderbiltuniversity #peabody #peabodycollege #leadership #learning #doctoralprogram #doctoralstudent #development #professionaldevelopment #impact #time #faith #trust #pixiedust #disney

When to Persist vs. When to Pivot This is one of the greatest conundrums in life, it’s a dilemma and we all experience it when we hit brick walls! For the ones who are in that period of their life right now, this story is for you! Recently, at a law career day at the University of Fort Hare, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Eza Pakade, a senior from our days at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Our chance encounter sparked a journey down memory lane, we spent a few minutes reminiscing! Mrs Pakade’s story is a testament to the power of persistence. Faced with obstacles and setbacks, she remained steadfast in her pursuit of a legal career, ultimately establishing a thriving law firm in East London. Her unwavering commitment serves as an inspiration to those navigating the challenges of professional life. In contrast, my journey took a different trajectory. While initially studying dietetics, I found myself drawn to the dynamic intersection of commerce and technology. Choosing to pivot, I transitioned to a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in information systems and economics. It was a decision guided by intuition and fueled by a desire for new challenges and opportunities. Since then, I've embraced a path marked by continuous growth and exploration. Graduating with honors, pursuing a master's degree, and immersing myself in the realm of technology have been pivotal milestones in my professional evolution. Though we both left our former institution and came to the University of Fort Hare, our journeys were different! She persisted and I pivoted! Let me leave this with you! Success isn't defined by the conformity of our journeys, but by the authenticity of our pursuit. Whether through resilience or adaptability, each of us has the power to carve out our own path and define our own success. You must at all times remember that the road to success is as unique as the individuals who travel it. No one can give you a blueprint to success, you have to take from other people’s stories and build your own blueprint! Indeed, it is You vs. You #Persistence #Pivot #ProfessionalJourney #SuccessMindset #CareerReflections #WhenToPersist #WhenToPivot #CareerConundrum #OvercomingObstacles #BrickWalls #JourneyOfSelfDiscovery #IndividualSuccess #AuthenticityInAction #UniquePathways

My episode of "I Wanna Work There," on the Enrollify Podcast Network is live! I had a great time with Eddie Francis talking about: 🎙 The hurdles that nontraditional students must navigate to get into and stay in school. 🎙The expectations that nontraditional students have of faculty and staff, and 🎙Ideas for how colleges and universities acn put the best employees in place to attract and retain nontraditional students. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/eHxq_JaW

When I embarked on my mid-life journey to attain a bachelor's degree, I made a personal commitment to engage with intellectuals who would challenge my beliefs. Navigating the modern college campus can be a complex endeavor, especially given the prevailing liberal and Democrat-leaning perspectives among professors and administrators—a diversity category I wish more schools would consider when hiring. However, I'm excited to have discovered the Buckley Institute. The debates, speakers, and fellow students I've encountered have expanded my perspectives and understanding about what divides us in ways I didn't anticipate. I've come to realize that when we venture beyond the media's curated narratives and engage in substantive discussions, there's a shift—almost like an important threshold has been crossed in the divisiveness so common today. As an older, non-traditional student, I am always appreciative when my peers select me for opportunities and I'm excited to announce my selection as a participant in the Washington D.C. Fellowship alongside other Buckley Fellows this spring break! We can't just virtue-signal and talk about "embracing diversity" without acknowledging that diversity of thought is as important as all other categories of diversity that we champion. Commitment to intellectual diversity is essential; otherwise, Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I would argue that it already has. It's going to be an amazing opportunity to spend a week back in D.C. and meet "with government officials, members of Congress, judges, think tank scholars, journalists, and the people who make the nation’s capital run." Here are some past speakers: Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Senator Ted Cruz Mary Katherine Ham Guy Benson Senator Ben Sasse Senator Rand Paul George Will Peter Berkowitz Scott Walker #EducationalJourney #ChallengingBeliefs #BuckleyInstitute #OpenMinds #DCFellowship #BuckleyFellows #yale #vetsinhighered

Welcome to the Fall semester of 2023! Meet Dr. Katherine Mooney, one of the two associate chairs in the History department! Dr. Mooney is the director of Graduate Studies and researches and writes on 19th-century U.S. history. Find her in Bellamy 436 if you need assistance. Email: kcmooney@fsu.edu Q. What do you usually do in your day-to-day work life? A. I'm the Director of Graduate Studies, which means that grad students in particular should come and talk to me when they have questions or concerns about their progress in the program. Q. What's your area of interest? A. I study 19th-century U.S. History, because I think it's a time when we had passionate, violent debates about the meaning of freedom and equality, and those debates are still so important today. Q. What's a fun fact about you? A. I have a horse named Maude. If I'm not at work, I am probably either hanging out with Maude or wish I was. Dr. Mooney's advice for students: School can often seem like it's the only reality in your life, especially when you're a grad student. Remind yourself that your life is much bigger than school and that it doesn't define you. Photo of Dr. Mooney by Christopher T. Martin Post credit: Brooke #fsuhistory #graduatestudies

In this very worthwhile article, Coddy Johnson sheds light on the life and lessons of a wonderful human and leader who has had experiences very different from most of us. In it, he shares precious lessons learned and guiding principles. "Maybe all that matters in the end is the depth of the experiences we have and the kindness and care we show for each other along the way." —Coddy Johnson Thank you, Coddy, for all you do and for sharing your experiences and insights! #mentorship #growthmindset #learningzone #personaldevelopment #neverstopbecoming #PerformanceParadox

After hearing recently from several talented people who have unexpectedly found themselves in the job market, this brilliant advice jumped out at me. "Become comfortable thinking about your career in phases and as part of a broader growth mindset. Whatever goals you set won’t happen all at once. You might even take a few steps back or many steps back and make some radical changes. I certainly have, and they can be terrifying. But if you’re open to seeing each experience as a learning opportunity, you’ll likely find that your path surprises and deepens you in ways you couldn’t have imagined at the start." #leadershipcoaching #courageousclarity #mentoringmatters

A different job description needed for university presidents: Search firms and presidents say fundraising now takes up about 40% of a university president’s time, and more during capital campaigns. Day-to-day academic operations are generally handled by the provost and college deans, rather than the president, making the top spot a more outward-facing role. They must juggle alumni, business leaders and politicians who all want a say, while still being able to win over faculty, staff and students in the unique shared-governance structure of universities. #highereducation #leadership #university #education #learning #academia

We've been doing the college tours with my oldest son recently, which is so hard to believe. Here we are at the University of Pennsylvania visiting my nephew, which we stopped by right after touring Drexel. And as we're weighing all the options, it's the coolest thing to see your kid determining what their own core values are. Because that's literally what he's doing - He's making a huge life decision and having to determine: 🤔 Do I want to go to a huge school or a small school? ⚖️ How important is having a nice dorm room vs. having high quality academics? (Sometimes, you gotta make that choice.) 📖 What is this school's ideology? Does it conflict with mine? Am I prepared for that? And it's been a real pleasure for me to get to help him weigh those options. As a leader within your own company, you get to do that yourself when you choose your core values. 🏆 What matters to us as a brand? 🗣️ What do we want our customers to say about us when we're not listening? 👋 What should incoming employees know about our company, right off the bat? Your company's core values should describe the way you do EVERYTHING. Choose them wisely. #corevalues #eoslife #decisions