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This episode of The Pickup Meeting kicks off with peak banter, including an impossible Indiana football season, shared indifference toward cars, and the kind of sports fandom that only comes once in a lifetime. Kevin and Brody then welcome an incredible guest, Jennifer Markin, Director of Advising at Henry Ford College, who brings warmth, humor, and deep insight into advising, leadership, and student success in the community college context.

Jennifer shares what pulled her back into advising leadership and how intentional staff development and mission-driven work can transform student experiences. Along the way, the conversation hits solo music festivals, parenting moments you don’t want to rush past, Metro Detroit food gems, hidden talents, and a lightning round that somehow includes Barack Obama, Janis Joplin, and cereal for dinner. Thoughtful, funny, and deeply human, this episode is a reminder that the best pickup meetings are the ones where learning and laughter coexist.

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

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This week on The Pickup Meeting, Brody and Kevin ditch the guest list and settle into a classic Just Us episode. Think less polished panel, more honest phone call between two friends who’ve seen a few semesters, a few campuses, and more than a few questionable comfort foods.

The conversation wanders joyfully through first-week-of-college memories, accidental class enrollment disasters, legendary professors, Super Bowl predictions that may or may not age well, and the real work behind student success and retention, and what no one tells you about becoming an administrator.

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

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🎙️ From Mascot Suits to Dean’s Office: Say Yes (and Hold On)

This episode of The Pickup Meeting is a full-tilt ride with Rodney Mondor, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of Southern Maine. Rodney’s career journey zigzags through academic advising, orientation, student affairs leadership, crisis response, Greek life, career services, and yes, literally being a mascot. 🐾

Along the way, Brody and Kevin unpack procrastination, graduation feels, student success, leadership, burnout, and why colleges are wildly complicated places that students are expected to magically understand. Rodney shares hard-earned wisdom about saying yes to opportunity, walking campus to stay connected, supporting the “whole student,” and how raising your hand (sometimes repeatedly) can change the entire trajectory of your career.

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

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🎙️ New Year, Same Pickup Energy

It’s 2026! In the first Just Us episode of the year, Kevin and Brody kick things off with sharp banter, real talk, and the kind of spirited disagreement that only longtime co-hosts can survive.

This episode zigzags delightfully through end-of-semester chaos and post-holiday limbo. But beneath the laughs is a powerful conversation about higher education, advising, and the quiet, life-altering magic of a single 30-minute meeting.

Press play, settle in for 30 minutes, and welcome to The Pickup Meeting in 2026. Do good. Be nice.

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

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🎙️ New Year, Same Pickup Meeting Energy (But Less “Circle Back”)

In the first Pickup Meeting of 2026, Brody and Kevin kick off the year with a conversation that spirals into resolutions, leadership, and why grocery stores might be the ultimate metaphor for exploratory advising.

They're joined by Kerry Kincanon from Oregon State University, a nationally respected voice in exploratory advising, student success, and developmental advising. Kerry brings deep insight on helping students navigate uncertainty, building advising communities, leading institutional change, and why exploration belongs to every student, not just the undecided ones.

It’s exactly the kind of Pickup Meeting you want to start 2026 with.

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

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Before the calendar flips and the ball drops, Brody and Kevin wrap up 2025 of The Pickup Meeting! In this special “Just Us” mini episode, the duo looks back on personal wins, professional highlights, and the unexpected moments that made 2025 meaningful. From record-breaking step streaks to kids publishing books to NACADA adventures and beyond. They also look ahead at the big conversations coming for higher ed in 2026 (spoiler: AI and navigating the enrollment cliff).

Light the tree, grab that leftover fruitcake (or don’t), and join us for a cozy, reflective, end-of-year sendoff filled with laughter, gratitude, and genuine connection.

✨ It’s the final Pickup Meeting of 2025. Thanks for listening, laughing, and learning with us all year. See you in 2026...Do good and be nice.

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

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Brody and Kevin are back to talk hot and cold weather, holiday traditions, and the magic of Mariah Carey season! They are then joined by Dr. Michelle Pickett, Director of the Academic Advising Center at Northern Illinois University, for a warm and insightful conversation about student success, leadership, and the power of genuine human connection in advising.

Michelle shares her journey from advisor to university leader, the secrets behind building trust and belonging on a team, and why advising should never be transactional. Plus, the Christmas movie debate (yes, Die Hard counts) and who really hates Elf.

❄️ Expect laughs, heart, and higher ed wisdom served with a side of holiday spirit and why “advising is relationships” might just be the most powerful mantra in higher ed.

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

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Connect with Brody and Kevin on LinkedIn.

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Grab your coffee (or whatever keeps you running through back-to-back meetings) and join Brody and Kevin for another hilarious and heartfelt episode of The Pickup Meeting! This week, they’re talking with Jon Mark Hall, Vice President and Director of Athletics at University of Southern Indiana.

From surviving the chaos of college athletics in the NIL era to leading with empathy and old-school values, Jon Mark shares stories of mentorship, music, and making a difference on and off the field. Oh—and there’s plenty of banter about golf, Taylor Swift, and Thanksgiving food wars (spoiler: Kevin hates turkey).

It’s leadership lessons, laughs, and a little lemon meringue pie all in one episode!

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

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

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

Connect with Brody and Kevin on LinkedIn.