EDUCATION > HIGHER ED
Connection. Courage. Growth. For every corner of your campus.
From student leadership conferences to staff development days — and everything a campus community needs in between.
Austin works with colleges and universities to deliver programs that move people — student leaders stepping into who they are becoming, first-years searching for belonging, and the campus professionals whose energy and purpose make it all possible.
Who I Speak To
Keynotes designed for the unique needs of college and university audiences
Student Leaders
Student organization officers, orientation leaders, resident assistants, emerging leaders, advanced leaders
Greek Life
Fraternities, sororities, across all councils and organization types; including officer training, Greek Week programming, and recruitment/intake
All Students
Campus-wide leadership programs, conferences, training series, leadership certificate programming
First-Year Students
Orientation, New Student Convocation, Welcome Week, First Year Experience Programming
Professional Staff
Division all-staff days, departmental retreats, professional development programming, new manager training
Choose Your Program Type
SPEAKING PROGRAMS
Keynotes for Every Corner of Campus
Every program is fully customized to reflect your campus, your people, and your goals — and built around clear learning outcomes so you can measure impact and build on the experience. Programs can be paired with pre- or post-event workshops, consulting, or coaching for an even greater return on your investment.
STUDENT PROGRAMS
ALL STUDENTS → Most Requested
The Balancing Act: Finding Balance as a College Student
College is more complex than ever — academics, involvement, friendships, family, and everything happening off campus all competing for the same hours. This keynote gives students a practical framework for carrying it all with intention, protecting their energy, and leading in a way that lasts.
Austin was that student. Involved in everything, always raising his hand, constantly adding more. He thought doing more meant being more — and the habits he built around that belief followed him beyond college too.
In The Balancing Act, Austin addresses how students can stay engaged and successful on campus while managing the demands of their personal lives — without losing themselves in the process. Through humor, personal storytelling, and practical strategies, students walk away with tools they can use right away and a clearer sense of what sustainable leadership actually looks like.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO
Recognize the common habits in student leadership that quietly lead to burnout — including difficulty saying no, lack of delegation, and unhealthy competition — and understand why so many normalize them
Develop person-first practices that protect personal wellbeing while honoring responsibilities as a student and student leader
Prioritize key commitments with intention while managing their mental health and staying on track academically
Create a culture of sustainable, positive leadership in their organizations — utilizing advisors, mentors, and supervisors as real partners in that work
Build a personal action plan for showing up consistently — for their organization and for themselves
-
Leadership conferences, student organization training, welcome week, orientation, all-campus programming, and any student audience at any point in the year
FRATERNITIES & SORORITIES
Make Your Founders Proud
It’s time for a direct, honest conversation about what it means to live out your organization's founding values — not just in theory, but in how your chapter actually shows up day to day. If your community is ready to take an honest look at where they are and build toward what their founders always hoped they'd become, this is your program.
Through honest dialogue and real conversation, this program encourages student leaders to look beyond competition and ego, take accountability as a community, and understand what it means to build something worth being proud of. Make Your Founders Proud challenges leaders to get to the root of what their community is actually doing — and create real solutions that honor their founding purpose and serve their members well, but in a way that is more authentic and diverse to the current reality of being a college student.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Identify the real challenges facing their community — and understand how those issues affect the health and culture of their organization
Move beyond competition and individual ego toward genuine collective accountability and action
Address concerns around diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that is specific, honest, and community-driven
Build stronger relationships with one another that form the foundation for real, lasting change
Create a concrete plan for building the community their founders always intended
-
Greek Week programming, FSL leadership conferences, IFC, PHC, MGC, NPHC council retreats, chapter officer training, fraternity/sorority advisor and staff days
FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, & STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Ready. Set. Recruit.
Recruitment has changed — and the tactics that used to work are no longer enough. This program helps student leaders build a values-driven, relationship-centered approach to membership growth that actually reflects who they are and what they stand for.
For too long, recruitment has centered on events, marketing, and numbers rather than values, relationships, and fit. Today's students are looking for something real — a community they can see themselves in and a process that respects who they are.
Ready. Set. Recruit. helps student leaders reimagine their approach: building a strategy that attracts members who are genuinely ready to be part of what you are building — and moving organizations from transactional to transformational.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO
Assess current recruitment tactics and identify what is and isn't working — and why
Build more inclusive recruitment experiences that honor the identities and values of all potential new members
Create a culture of collaborative recruitment where all members are invested in the process and the outcome
Develop a relationship-centered approach focused on authentic connection — not just filling a roster
Design a values-focused growth strategy that attracts members who are genuinely ready for what your organization offers
-
Recruitment or intake preparation, council-wide recruitment training, chapter officer retreats, fraternity/sorority life conferences, student organizations navigating membership growth
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
Your First Year Advantage
Your first year of college can be filled with both challenges and excitement. You want to find your people, explore your interests, and get settled into your major—but it can feel overwhelming before it feels exciting.
Through his own difficult-turned-rewarding college journey, humorous stories, and practical tools drawn from everyday experience, Austin helps students realize that they already have what they need to make the most of this moment. They just need to know how to use it.
In Your First Year Advantage, students walk away with a toolkit they can apply right away — to explore without overcommitting, find belonging, and create an action plan for a successful year.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Recognize and address the common feelings and fears that hold first-year students back from fully engaging in their new environment
Build a personal first-year action plan that integrates wellbeing, academics, and involvement in a realistic, sustainable way
Develop a clearer understanding of how to identify opportunities that are genuinely the right fit—based on their interests, identities, and goals
Learn how to build and lean on campus relationships—with peers, advisors, and resources—early and often
Leave with a concrete commitment to one action they will take in the next 30 days to strengthen their college experience
-
Orientation programs, welcome week, first-year experience (FYE) courses, new student convocation
STAFF PROGRAMS
ALL STAFF
The Balancing Act: Staff Edition
Higher education professionals pour themselves into this work. And this program is built to give something back.
Here is what does not get said nearly enough: the students you are pouring yourself into are often navigating the same pressures you are. The overcommitment. The difficulty saying no. The feeling that rest has to be earned. The patterns look different across the table — but they are more similar than most people in this field want to admit.
Using humor, personal storytelling from his years in their shoes, and grounded practical strategies, Austin helps staff reconnect with their why, reclaim their energy, and build sustainable habits that prevent burnout before it takes hold. And when you do that work — when you actually start showing up differently for yourself — something shifts in how you see and serve your students too. You recognize the signs earlier. You model something real. The way you handle what is hard becomes one of the most important things you offer your students all year.
In The Balancing Act: Staff Edition, we learn this is not just about taking care of yourself. It is about what becomes possible for your students when you do.
-
STAFF LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Recognize the patterns and habits that quietly lead to burnout in higher ed — and understand why so many normalize them
Develop person-first practices that protect personal wellbeing while honoring professional responsibilities and commitments
Reconnect with the purpose and values that brought them to student affairs in the first place
Build practical strategies for setting limits, delegating with confidence, and asking for support without guilt
Recognize the parallel between their own balance challenges and those of their students — and use that insight to show up more fully for both
-
Faculty, staff, senior leadership across divisions and departments; ideal for divisional kickoffs or retreats, training days
CUSTOM PROGRAM
Need a different topic for students or staff? No Problem!
We can brainstorm the best keynote program to best meet your students and teams where they are at. Building a program together can help drive deeper impact!
-
![Baldwin Wallace University logo with yellow text on a brown background.]()
"He was amazing to work with because he customized his keynote to include specific relevant issues to the FSL community at BW. His presentation style was natural, engaging, and entertaining. The audience was extremely impressed and really enjoyed the honest conversation we had. I would highly recommend bringing in Austin."
Baldwin Wallace University
-
![University of Michigan Spartan logo with a blue helmet and crest on a white background]()
"Austin was so incredible to work with - he made a point of catering his program to what would truly resonate with the men here at SJSU. He provided a much-needed articulation of issues, and provided a space where the fraternity men where challenged to reflect on how their recruitment tactics could progress.
San Jose State University
-
![Blue background with white text and logo of a maple leaf, reading 'Indiana State University'.]()
"Austin is a true professional and a pleasure to work with. He was very intentional about customizing his keynote for maximum impact with our Indiana State Greek leaders and challenged them to really consider the current state of their organizations. I would have no hesitations about inviting Austin back to campus in the future."
Indiana State University
WORKSHOPS & RETREATS
Hands-On Programs That Build Skills and Shift Culture
Workshops are where the real work happens. Every program is fully interactive, grounded in practical application, and designed so participants leave with tools they can use right away.
STUDENT WORKSHOPS & RETREATS
WORKSHOP → STRATEGIC PLANNING
Refocus Your Board
The hustle to make it all happen can cause student boards to lose sight of their purpose—and the people they serve.
Refocus Your Board helps your most prominent student-serving organizations sharpen their focus around purpose, strategy and each other.
Through an interactive workshop experience, organizations will be challenged to RECALL what they're actually here to do, RETHINK how they're approaching their work, and RECREATE their strategy for programs, outreach, and community engagement.
Leaders walk away with a clear-eyed view of where their organization stands, a stronger shared sense of purpose, and practical tools they can put to use immediately.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO
Recognize the common habits in student leadership that quietly lead to burnout — including difficulty saying no, lack of delegation, and unhealthy competition — and understand why so many normalize them
Develop person-first practices that protect personal wellbeing while honoring responsibilities as a student and student leader
Prioritize key commitments with intention while managing their mental health and staying on track academically
Create a culture of sustainable, positive leadership in their organizations — utilizing advisors, mentors, and supervisors as real partners in that work
Build a personal action plan for showing up consistently — for their organization and for themselves
-
Leadership conferences, student organization training, welcome week, orientation, all-campus programming, and any student audience at any point in the year
WORKSHOP → TEAM DYNAMICS
Say What You Mean
Whether you're navigating a tough conversation with a co-chair, trying to get your whole chapter on the same page, managing conflict within your organization, or figuring out how to communicate with an advisor - communication is the foundation of everything you do as a student leader.
Say What Your Mean helps student leaders sharpen how they communicate with intention, flexibility, and care.
Through self-assessment, practical frameworks, and interactive exercises, participants leave with a clearer understanding of their own communication style and concrete strategies for working better with the people around them.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Identify the real challenges facing their community — and understand how those issues affect the health and culture of their organization
Move beyond competition and individual ego toward genuine collective accountability and action
Address concerns around diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that is specific, honest, and community-driven
Build stronger relationships with one another that form the foundation for real, lasting change
Create a concrete plan for building the community their founders always intended
-
Greek Week programming, FSL leadership conferences, IFC, PHC, MGC, NPHC council retreats, chapter officer training, fraternity/sorority advisor and staff days
RETREAT → ORIENTATION LEADERS & PEER MENTORS
The Welcome Effect
Orientation leaders carry more responsibility than their job description suggests. They're often the first real connection a new student makes on campus—and that first impression matters more than any brochure or welcome email ever will.
The Welcome Effect prepares your OL team to show up ready: grounded in purpose, equipped with practical skills, and genuinely excited about the experience they're about to create.
Sessions cover team cohesion and shared culture, understanding the first-year and transfer student experience, how to build authentic connections in short windows of time, peer mentorship best practices, and how your OLs can take care of themselves while taking care of everyone else.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Build a shared team culture and sense of purpose among the OL cohort before training begins
Develop a deeper understanding of the common challenges, needs, and experiences of incoming first-year and transfer students
Apply practical skills for building genuine connections in the time-limited, high-energy environment of orientation
Practice peer mentorship approaches that prioritize student belonging, wellbeing, and successful transition
Identify personal strategies for sustaining energy and wellbeing throughout orientation—so they can keep giving to others
-
Orientation leaders and peer mentors who staff your student onboarding events and first year experience programs.
WORKSHOP OR RETREAT → CUSTOM
Custom Leadership Retreat
The best retreats don't just take your group somewhere different—they help your group think differently.
A Custom Leadership Retreat is a fully designed experience built around your organization's specific goals, challenges, and desired outcomes.
Whether you're a student government preparing for a new year, a programming board rethinking your approach, or a Greek governing council working through difficult questions, Austin partners with you through an intake process to design a retreat that fits your people, your campus, and what you actually need to accomplish. No recycled agendas. Every retreat is built from scratch. A pre-retreat call is included with every engagement.
-
STUDENTS LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Establish shared organizational goals and priorities for the year ahead
Build team cohesion, trust, and communication among the leadership group
Develop clarity on organizational purpose, values, and the decisions that should drive the year
Create an action plan with clear ownership, timelines, and accountability structures
Leave energized, aligned, and genuinely ready to lead together
-
Specially designed for programming boards, student government, fraternity/sorority governing councils, multicultural student boards, and homecoming committees at colleges of all sizes
STAFF WORKSHOPS & RETREATS
WORKSHOP OR RETREAT → STRATEGIC PLANNING
Charting the Course
Strategic planning works best when the whole team is in the room — and everyone leaves with the same map. This workshop helps staff teams and departments align around a shared direction and build a roadmap they can actually follow.
Whether you are entering a new planning cycle, navigating a leadership transition, or building on a period of growth — Charting the Course gives your team the structure and space to clarify your priorities, reconnect with your purpose, facilitate strategic event and program planning, create a roadmap your whole team helped build.
The outcome of Charting the Course is not a binder that sits on a shelf. It is shared clarity, shared language, and a plan your team is genuinely invested in.
-
Pre-work intake to understand your team's current state, priorities, and goals
Facilitated team building, skill development programming, and planning sessions
Goal-setting and priority alignment across the team
Team culture and norms conversation
Strategic roadmap with clear ownership and decision-making structures
Post-session debrief and follow-up summary
-
STAFF LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Clarify your team's mission, vision, and shared values in language everyone can use
Identify your highest-priority goals and the specific actions that will get you there
Build alignment across your team around roles, responsibilities, and shared expectations
Leave with a working strategic roadmap your department can act on immediately
-
May/June: before fall planning begins
Early August: before the academic year starts
WORKSHOP → TEAM DYNAMICS
Say What You Mean
In education, communication is the work.
Whether you're navigating a difficult conversation with a student, collaborating across departments, managing a complex team dynamic, giving performance feedback, or figuring out how to communicate up the chain—how you communicate shapes every outcome.
Say What You Mean is built for staff teams exploring the communication styles, patterns, and blind spots that show up in professional settings and giving participants practical tools for communicating with more clarity, confidence, and care in the workplace.
-
STAFF LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO:
Identify your personal communication style and understand how it shows up in professional relationships, team dynamics, and leadership interactions
Recognize and adapt to the communication styles of colleagues, supervisors, and direct reports
Navigate difficult professional conversations—feedback exchanges, disagreements, and performance discussions—with more confidence and less avoidance
Build more effective cross-departmental communication and collaboration across your division
Leave with a personal communication plan to apply directly in your current professional context
-
Any size professional staff or leadership team
“People will never be replaced by machines. In the end, life and business are about human connections.”
Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation
CONSULTING & ASSESSMENT
Organizational Consulting for Higher Education
Great campus communities are built with intention. These offerings give you a clear picture of where you are — and a practical plan for where you want to go.
SPECIALIZED ASSESSMENT
Program & Community Assessment
A qualitative and quantitative look at the health, effectiveness, and direction of your student programs, organization, or campus community. Designed for student affairs teams, FSL offices, and student organizations that want clear, actionable insights they can actually use.
Includes stakeholder interviews, surveys, data review, and a written recommendations report built around your specific context and goals.
Full assessment details available upon request.
TEAM ASSESSMENT
Organizational & Cultural Assessment
A structured assessment of your team's culture, communication patterns, and organizational health. Available at three tiered levels based on your scope, timeline, and what you need to walk away with.
Tier 1: Foundation
Surveys, one team debrief session, and a written summary report
Tier 2: Comprehensive
Surveys, individual stakeholder interviews, full analysis, and a presentation of findings
Tier 3: Culture Deep Dive
Full assessment plus facilitated action planning and 90-day implementation support
Full assessment details available upon request.
