All Posts

Social media didn't become more complicated overnight. The work evolved gradually, one new responsibility at a time. The problem isn't that digital communications needs a better brand—it's that organizations never redesigned the roles as the profession matured.

After 10 years, 11 months and 13 days at Fanshawe College, I found myself reflecting on what I'll carry into my next chapter. It wasn't the campaigns, the platforms or the projects that defined my experience—it was the people. This is a thank you to the students, colleagues, mentors, partners and friends who shaped my journey and left an impact that will last far beyond my final day.

Higher education has spent decades building websites, viewbooks, FAQs, and content designed to help students find information. But as students increasingly expect answers instead of navigation, institutions may need to rethink how knowledge is managed, governed, and delivered across people, platforms, and technologies.

Organizations reveal how they view communications long before they say it out loud. From unrealistic job descriptions and reactive workflows to strategic inclusion and operational trust, the way organizations structure, resource, and involve communications teams says everything about how mature their communications culture actually is.

Good communication does more than share information. It reduces uncertainty, builds trust, and helps people move through stressful or unfamiliar situations with greater clarity and confidence. From onboarding and organizational change to customer journeys and crisis communications, the best communicators understand that empathy, structure, and reassurance are just as important as the message itself.

Communications teams should never operate in isolation. The best communicators don’t just create content — they build relationships, reduce friction, create alignment, and develop systems that help organizations communicate with greater clarity, consistency, and trust.

After nearly twenty years in communications and social media, I know that the part of the work that energizes me most has never been content creation. It is the strategy behind it — the systems, audience journeys, campaign planning, and integrated communications thinking that connected everything together.

“Do less with less” sounds simple, but without clarity and support, it can create confusion, burnout, and frustration. A look at what this shift actually requires to work.

Starting your career isn’t always as straightforward as you expect. A personal reflection and practical advice for new grads on building skills, creating opportunities, and navigating the early stages of their careers.

This role wasn’t the one I expected — but it gave me the chance to go deeper into email communications than I ever had before. And while none of it was entirely new, it reinforced something I’ve seen again and again: the small decisions — your data, your structure, your focus — are what make or break your results. Here’s what six months in email taught me.

What do you do when the future you were working toward quietly disappears? This past year has been a lesson in navigating uncertainty — balancing stability, identity, and the reality that sometimes the path forward isn’t clear. This is a reflection on that in-between space.

A brand isn’t your logo or colours — it’s your mission, vision, and values in action. Drawing on insights from Sinek, Kahneman, Aaker, Neumeier, and others, this post explores how purpose, emotion, and trust turn visuals into values and brands into belief systems.

Managing decentralized social media teams doesn’t have to feel impossible. Learn how Fanshawe College built a thriving community of 90+ content creators by focusing on empowerment, collaboration, and shared tools — not control.

Reddit remains one of higher education’s most overlooked platforms — yet it’s full of candid conversations, student feedback, and engagement opportunities. Here’s how colleges can turn Reddit from a missed opportunity into a powerful community space built on authenticity, support, and belonging.

Moving from a reactive to a proactive content strategy starts with clarity, collaboration, and planning. This framework helps communications professionals shift from last-minute posting to purposeful storytelling — with practical steps for setting goals, mapping audiences, and creating sustainable, strategic content that truly connects.

If you’ve ever inherited a patchwork of social accounts that all “sort of” represent your institution, you know the challenge: lots of channels, lots of energy, not a lot of cohesion. When I joined Fanshawe College as Social Media Communications Officer, that was our starting point—and this is how we built alignment and momentum.

Social media is only about 20 years old, still in its adolescence. Yet, despite the evolution of platforms and strategy, many organizations treat social media as an entry-level task rather than a strategic function.

Crisis communication isn’t just about reacting — it’s about preparing your organization to speak with empathy and purpose when it matters most.