“A podcast is a great way to develop relationships with hard-to-reach people.”
(Tim Paige)
My Walk into the Future provides a viable platform to share information and my thoughts. I never imagined I would still be blogging eight years from my first article. Thanks to everyone who reads my work!
Ellucian Live 2026 was held in Denver, Colorado this year and this was my second time attending. We made an appearance last year in Orlando, Florida for the same event. Fun fact, Denver is one of my favorite cities and I was excited to get back out there. I was also a featured panelist with several of my outstanding teammates at Indian River State College.
The Ellucian team has been working with Indian River State College on implementing the Banner ERP system. We have been at this for over two years now and the Ellucian representative thought it would be worthwhile for my teammates and me to share some of our Change Management lessons learned during the implementation process.
I never turn down an opportunity to spread Authentic Leadership, and this was an outstanding platform for me to share my thoughts. The panel was moderated by our Ellucian Change Management partner and one of our internal Project Managers. Both ladies are brilliant and leaders in the field of Change Management. We were in great hands for the panel! Thanks, Cathy! 😊
Our panel was scheduled for the first day of the conference and provided us with a prime-time slot , location and access to reach a large audience. Again, we were not sure how many people wanted to hear from a small school in Florida, but our session was full. We had folks from around the country and a few international attendees as well. A nice surprise for the team.
We started the panel with team introductions, so everyone knew who we were and our roles on the team. The panel flowed into questions from our moderators so we could share our thoughts and actions to ensure we had a good Change Management program. I am proud of my teammates for their knowledge and willingness to share their expertise with the attendees. The final 15 minutes were a questions and answers session where attendees grabbed a microphone and asked questions specific to their locations. This was fun for me because it allowed us to come off script a bit and provide real-time solutions for other schools.
We all got an invite to attend another regional conference to share with other groups. I have not seen the written invitation for this request, but we are available to speak with anyone who wants us to join them. Yes, share with anyone you know looking for panelists, key notes and breakout session. 😊There were several folks who came up to speak with us after the panel was over to share contact information and ask follow questions.
My Vice President, Beth Gaskin and I left the panel and headed to our next speaking engagement of the day. We got invited to do the EdUp Experience podcast which was hosted in the lobby of the Denver Convention Center. This session was not scripted, so we fielded questions about leadership, culture building, fun in the work environment and our thoughts on the future of Higher Education. This was an outstanding experience for us, and we had a ball sharing insight with another audience. I’m not sure how many people follow this podcast, but it is a great platform to learn from professionals making positive things happen.
Give our episode a run here: https://www.edupexperience.com/calvinandbeth/. I’m looking forward to getting another invite to speak on this great platform. No pressure, Dr. Jodi Blinco! 😊
We are always looking for adventures and discovered Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube were playing at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. Beth got tickets for the show, and we were off to take in the Red Rocks sights and see two Hip Hop legends in concert. The Red Rocks venue was breathtaking as advertised. The seating is built into the rocks and there was not a bad seat in the venue. We were able to rap along with the Hip Hop legends and enjoyed the show. The entire Marley family is playing Red Rocks in June. I may have to get back there to check them out.
I was able to get in a good run session to test myself against the altitude in Denver. The thin air was a welcome change from the Florida humidity. I was able to handle the altitude without much issue, but I could tell a difference in my breathing after my three-mile journey. It would be great to have altitude training available on a regular basis.
This was a great trip for networking, sightseeing and enjoying the mountain views.
I look forward to getting back to Denver soon!
Where are you travelling this summer?
Irie!
Calvin Williams
Walk Into the Future 