anunconventionallife

In this episode…

Want to launch a book? Think about giving and serving, too

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Strickland has a lot to celebrate. It's our 50th episode! And, Dr. Strickland is launching his book! And, National Dissertation Day is coming up! And, Dr. Strickland is hosting a 25-Doctor summit. Oh, and there's a huge fundraiser, too. Listen in as Dr. Strickland breaks it all down, so that you can get your ticket to join in on the fun!

Dr. Strickland's philosophy of win-win-win comes through, again. Discover what it's like to help me, help you, help them.

In this episode…

What do you want to do when you graduate? Dr. Francisca Enih became a published author, and she couldn't be happier.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Francisca Enih and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss her experience in developing academically successful children. Dr. Enih is quick to point out her view that excellence is not just about academics. She relates stories, with equal pride, of the student who helped his fallen classmate up from the ground and the former student who is currently attending Harvard University. Dr. Enih has distilled her process of instilling excellence in children and poured it into her new book, 15 Minutes a Day.

Dr. Enih's infectious enthusiasm is evident throughout this episode, but never mores than we she lifts her new book for our YouTube viewers to see. Discover what it's like to truly follow your dreams, and then get back to it yourself!

In this episode…

Do you want to be a professional expert? Well, expert expert, Dr. Todd Dewett, can tell you how to get there.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Todd Dewett shares his story with Dr. Russell Strickland. They discuss the importance of utilizing each experience to target, refine, and confirm your big why. Dr. Dewett discovered his passion one piece at a time with stints in big-box consulting at Accenture and Ernst & Young, high-level research at Texas A&M, and college "professoring" with Wright State University. These experiences led Dr. Dewett to finding his calling as a speaker, author, and storyteller extraordinaire.

According to Dr. Dewett, the most important thing you should learn from your education is how little you actually know. Carrying that attitude and understanding into your career as an expert will keep you motivated, ever improving, and keep you out of untold amounts of trouble!

In this episode…

What are your goals? Do you have too many? What the reason behind each goal? Knowing your why is perhaps the single most important spect of intentionality. After all, you can't get anywhere if you don't know where to want to be.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Jennifer Gardella and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss how busy you can be "doing nothing," the power of focus, and making bunny slippers a lifestyle choice. Dr. Gardella's doctoral dream began after raising her three kids to school age and being challenged by the university's admissions to prove that she'd done anything over the past decade. Research, relationships, and resiliency took Dr. Gardella from there to graduation and beyond. She now runs her own business where is guides business owners through the straits of social media to the open seas of exposure, visibility, and profits.

According to Dr. Gardella, goal-setting muscles are great, but so are restraint and focus. When she had twenty simultaneous goals, she found it hard to be productive. Now, she has just three goals for the year and feels like her clarity and focus are much better. What are you focussed on right now?

In this episode…

What do you want to be when you grow up? When you ask a child, you expect the answer to be cute...and transitory. It's important to not stop asking yourself this question as you do "grow up," because, for most people, the answer continue to evolve throughout their lives.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Zina Jarrahi Cinker and Dr. Russell Strickland geek out on physics, the role of science in society, and the psychology of effective communication. Dr. Cinker's dream of growing up to be an astrophysicist, and Bill Gates(!), eventually settled on astrophysics. But, when she arrived at Vanderbilt, the allure of graphene seduced her to leave the very big for the very small. Dr. Cinker shares stories about Bill Gates, talking with U.S. Senators on Capitol Hill, and Tom...Somebody.

Dr. Cinker leveraged her doctoral degree into a magical ride around the periphery of science. From industry to policy and research to advocacy, Dr. Cinker's career has taken her from the Halls of Academia to the Halls of Power. Where will yours take you?

In this episode…

It's easy to see the world as black-or-white, this-or-that. But, when you have your Ph.D., it certainly doesn't have to be!

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Jasmine Escalera speaks with Dr. Russell Strickland about the identity crisis she experienced while pursuing her Ph.D. in pharmacology from Yale University. Knowing that there were two typical paths for students in her program, and not wanting to follow either of them, led her to the brink quitting her Ph.D. Fortunately, Dr. Escalera's a-ha moment came when an advisor told her that she could do anything after she earned her Ph.D.

Overcoming the tyranny of the Or empowered Dr. Escalera to experience the amazing array of opportunities her Ph.D. provides. You're just one dissertation away from being able to to do the same!

In this episode…

So, you're a lawyer, and a Ph.D.? You must be an elitist, right? Well, not if you're a kid from Muleshoe, Texas!

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Erin Kelley shares with Dr. Russell Strickland the fascinating story of her unlikely journey from small town to law school; the gentle nudge the bar exam provided, again and again; and how she ultimately found her true calling by uniting her two passions. It's easy to look at some folks and think that they've got the world on a string. Well, Dr. Kelley wants you to know that making it look easy doesn't come easy! The real search sometimes begins when you think you've reached your goal. That's OK, because the rewards far exceed the effort!

To paraphrase Dr. Kelley, think about who you were, who you are, and who you want to be. Keep striving for your goals, and before you know it, people will be wondering how you make it look so easy!

In this episode…

It's funny, the way life works out sometimes. We make plans, and reality intrudes. But, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't plan...

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Kathy Gruver lays out the breadcrumbs of her career for Dr. Russell Strickland. From massage therapist to naturopath.  Along the way she met a client working to finish her Ph.D in a field that she hated, a man who didn't "believe in Ph.D.s," and Dr. Phil! She's now a public speaker, coach, and multiple author. The journey didn't quite go as planned, but she wouldn't have it any other way!

Dr. Gruver admits that she's "one to say 'yes' for things." This proclivity has earned her a Ph.D., her own TV show, and a life at least somewhat beyond her dreams. What are you saying 'yes' to?

In this episode…

When his middle school student asked him why he was here, Dr. Detwiler thought, "You're right," and walked out of the room George-Costanza-style, figuratively, at least.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Darin Detwiler shares with Dr. Russell Strickland the heart-breaking story about the loss of his son at 16 months and how it fueled his mission in life to make our food safer for everyone. His doctoral journey began with a moment of epiphany when one of his middle school students asked why are you here. His immediate (subvocalized) response was, "I quit." But quitting was just the beginning, as is so often the case. Dr. Detwiler went on to become an assistant dean at his doctoral university so quickly that he actually hooded himself at commencement!

Dr. Detwiler acknowledges that lifelong learning, ingrained in him throughout his doctoral journey, "has served me well in terms of trying to achieve what I can for my mission." How will your doctoral degree serve your mission?

In this episode…

What's keeping you from reaching your goals? Why are you letting that stand in your way?

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Fergus Connolly and Dr. Russell Strickland get into your head!Since your are unique and special, Dr. Connolly figures that your approach to your dissertation should be, too. It's all about being intentional, discovering your "why," and then being true to that truth. But, as special as you are, you're not perfect. Coming to terms with this fact early in the dissertation process is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your sanity...and your graduation.

According to Dr. Connolly, becoming a doctor is all about learning how to learn. It doesn't mean you won't continue to make mistakes...just don't make the same mistakes twice!

In this episode…

What's keep ing you from reaching your goals? Why are you letting that stand in your way?

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Adi Jaffe and Dr. Russell Strickland blow the doors of your excuses. Dr. Jaffe was an addict, drug dealer, and convicted felon when his doctoral journey began. He went from graduating with his bachelors degree on a technicality, to convincing his master-level professors to go to bat for him when he applied for doctoral studies. Clearly, Dr. Jaffe had all of the excuses one could ever need to not earn his doctor degree and make a positive impact on the world. But, he completely wasted all of these excuses, instead becoming a doctor, an author, interviewing with Larry King, and building an amazing community to support addiction recovery.

So, don't worry that you aren't completely comfortable with what you're doing. In fact, Dr. Jaffe said, "I actually urge you to put yourself in more places where you have imposter syndrome." That's how you make a dent in the world!

In this episode…

Do you feel like you're a fraud, a sham, a pretender to your own throne? Are you sure that any day now someone is going to find you out and expose you?

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin shares her traumatizing doctoral experience with Dr. Russell Strickland. Having a difficult advisor always makes the dissertation journey longer and more perilous. But having an absentee advisor? An advisor who then threatens to sue you when you finally switch to another advisor? For Dr. Orbé-Austin, the experience added two years to her doctoral studies and sent her careening into a dead-end job that was only tenuously connected to her degree. Fortunately, an epiphanous moment at work jolted her into leaving that job behind, without knowing what might lie ahead. This leap is faith was rewarded with a more fulfilling job, that gave her time to grow her private practice, which motivated her to grow a vibrant community through public appearances, speaking, and writing.

As Dr. Orbé-Austin put it, "there are a lot of really great opportunities for academics." You simply have to get out there, "just really be human," and the opportunities will flow.

In this episode…

Most doctoral students identify as doctors in their hearts long before holding the diploma in their hands.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Sharon Belden Castonguay and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss the importance of identity when it comes to choosing your doctoral program, your doctoral advisors, and your postdoctoral career. Dr. Castonguay began advising doctoral students who choose not to pursue academia on career options while still pursuing her own doctoral degree. She shares an amazing technique for setting your career direction using comparative professional-identity introspective exercises. In our careers, and our lives, serendipity and intentionality both contribute to outcomes. Carefully reflecting on your own identity prepares you to pursue the right opportunities when they present themselves.

Dr. Castonguay advises that career success is found at "the intersection of luck and hard work." You can do it!

In this episode…

What would Indiana Jones do if the treasure map he discovered was an entrepreneur's business plan for a new start-up?

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Marlo Rencher and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss the importance of fitting in...in your doctoral program, in your village, and in your professional community. Dr. Rencher brings the unique perspective of an anthropologist to her work with businesses, particularly in the tech start-up space with Tech Town in Detroit. Entrepreneurs must cross a chasm from having conversations about making the world a better place and helping people to making money making the world a better place and helping people.

As Dr. Rencher puts it, "I'm interested in people making lots of money and employing people," because that's how a good idea not only serves customers, but lifts communities.

Katherine Anderson Rosselot, Ph.D. contends that one of the essential elements in developing nursing knowledge and critical thinking skills is today’s educational technologies. Dr. Rosselot is passionate about the integration of technologies into nursing education. As a nursing professor and online nursing tutor/editor,  education technologies are her primary tools for helping nursing students of all levels succeed in their educational pursuits. Dr. Rosselot created basic medical terminology adjunctive education for assisting nursing students in improving their academic performance.

Dr. Rosselot is driven to leverage her experience in nursing, nurse education, and extensive training in educational technology to mentor, inspire, and help develop the critical thinking skills of nursing students and future nursing educators. Her teaching philosophy is student-centered, facilitates the achievement of advanced education, instills a culture of lifelong learning, and promotes the practice of professional nursing.

As a survivor of multiple life circumstances, Dr. Rosselot always remembers to appreciate little things in life, but her two teenage children and their activities often require her to remember to just breathe! 

In this episode…

When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to suck it up and just keep going!

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Katherine Rosselot and Dr. Russell Strickland talk life, loss, and to how to outlast the challenges that come your way. Dr. Rosselot's doctoral journey began in response to am aggressive cancer that robbed her of a career she was passionate about. The journey was punctuated with suicidal ideations (not hers), a recurrence of cancer, and the loss of her husband. Dealing with this issues could bring anyone's life to a screeching halt or send it careening off a cliff. But Dr. Rosselot managed to maintain her focus on her goals while shepherding her family through the tumult.

Dr. Rosselot's dissertation research ultimately led her to help nursing students make the extraordinarily difficult task of mastering medical jargon more accessible. She has gone on to teach, write, and currently serves as peer-reviewer for articles in her area of expertise. Happy endings for those who persevere!

Jocelyn McDonald, Ph.D. is an Educational Technologist, Podcaster, Blogger, and Technology Integration Specialist for professional learning and small businesses. She is a proud advocate for social change in education and is dedicated to making a positive impact.  She holds a Bachelors in Chemistry, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in Instructional Technology, and a Ph.D. in Educational Technology.

With 15+ years in education, she is passionate about supporting the transformation of education through technology for equitable access to 21st century education. While she makes strong efforts to use her influence to impact achievement in schools and communities by building relationships with various stakeholders, she still looks forward to continuing to develop professionally as she develops and learns from others. 

In this episode…

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Jocelyn McDonald and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss the myriad opportunities available after you earn your doctoral degree. Dr. McDonald talks about starting her own podcast and how she has used it to help public educators manage technology in their classrooms during the pandemic. And, in our continuing feature, "Doctors, they're just like you," Dr. Mac discusses the challenges she faced during her dissertation journey and how surrounding herself with the right people made all of the difference.

As Dr. Mac says, "Give yourself permission to be great," by following the proven path to get your dissertation done and leverage your new title to serve those you are called to serve!

Dr. Jamie Ball, Ed.D. is a core dissertation faculty member at an online college of education where she serves as a full-time as a professor, dissertation chair, and doctoral research reviewer.  Dr. Ball is a quantitative researcher and owner of a small business that provides research services, dissertation coaching, and editing.

Dr. Ball completed all of her higher education online. Her degrees include a doctorate of education in organizational leadership with emphasis in behavioral health, a master of science in business organizational leadership, and a bachelor of science in entrepreneurship.  Dr. Ball's experience as an online student greatly informs her teaching and mentoring. She also leverages the platform provided by her doctoral degree to advocate for social issues including abused and neglected children.

Dr. Ball maintains a small hobby farm and assists in running her husband’s small business.  She has conducted research to help identify business opportunities for others and taught others how to utilize peer-reviewed research articles to aid in their decision-making processes.

In this episode…

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Jamie Ball and Dr. Russell Strickland compare doctoral students to bakers and Olympic athletes. Dr. Ball covers the types of advice students often request and what happens they refuse to follow it! She also share three major dissertation stumbling blocks that you want to be sure to avoid. Dr. Strickland reveals the most important three letters you'll ever encounter...and they're NOT Ph.D.

Discover how to make your transition to doctor, from a couple of experts who made the transition themselves, and then helped hundreds of other students to do the same thing!

Kasandrea Sereno, Ed.D. is a speaker, author, and consultant from Tampa Florida. Dr. Sereno currently works as a certified career counselor and academic advisor at USF. In 2015 she founded HigherEdSocial, the world’s largest professional society for social media managers, and enjoys collaborating with colleagues on best practices and creating trainings to help universities better leverage social media to increase their student retention and satisfaction.

Dr. Sereno has spoken at professional, higher-ed, and technology conferences around the world and regularly presents on college campuses about Generation Z, and to students on how to use social media to build a personal brand and get hired in a competitive job market. She puts those words into action as founder of MyAdvisorSays.com, an organization that helps students earn admission into college.

In this episode…

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Kasandrea Sereno and Dr. Russell Strickland wax philosophical about higher education and the educational system in the U.S. Their discussion touches on the causes of attrition in higher education, what's missing in secondary education, and how post-secondary education could do better branding itself. Dr. Sereno discusses the strange sense of grief she felt after defending her dissertation and the joy of helping her advisees achieve their own academic goals. 

Dr. Sereno is proof positive of the wonderful opportunities available and waiting for you on the other side oof your dissertation.

Dr. Russell Strickland is the founder and CEO of Dissertation Done, a company that helps doctoral students create actionable plans in order to complete their dissertations in a timely and effective manner. 

Before becoming a renowned teacher, coach, and mentor, Dr. Strickland received his master’s degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Chicago and his doctoral in Organization and Management from Capella University. Over the past 20 years, he has mentored thousands of students, and his process has been proven to vastly reduce times to graduation and significantly improve graduation rates.

In this episode…

Are doctoral students smart? Of course! Right? Well, my daughter's not so sure.

Join Dr. Russell Strickland of Dissertation Done in this episode of An Unconventional Life as he talks with Dr. Jeremy Weisz of Rise25 Media about his daughter's insights on doctoral students. He goes on to reveal his own insights as they relate to the need to create structure in the dissertation process, the opposing paradigms doctoral students follow in trying to complete their degrees, and the instinct for doctoral students to try to be heroic.

Tune in to this quick-hitting episode to make sure that you're working smarter rather than harder.

Pensacola Jefferson, Ed.D. has served as counselor, speaker, and teacher with churches in Arizona, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Japan, and Maryland - through bible study, retreats, conferences, and professional counseling sessions. She has written extensively, with over 90 books available on Amazon.

Dr. Jefferson served as the Director of Counseling and Clergy care with Nekadesh Farm Retreat Center in Maryland from 2010-2014. Her counseling style focuses on the relationship with God through Christ while helping clients process through personal issues and concerns. This kind of counseling encourages spiritual growth and development of the whole person by placing emphasis on the interior life of individuals. The Believer works on supernatural transformation through real life application by relying on the divine enabling of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Dr. Jefferson’s favorite scripture that best describe her deepest hope for herself and her brothers and sisters-in-Christ: “….They (you and I) might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ (the WORD), whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3 KJV).

In this episode…

You don't have to know it all to earn a doctoral degree...or to hold one!

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Pensacola Jefferson and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss doctoral students' desire to be influential by serving others. Dr. Jefferson reveals how her doctoral degree has empowered her to serve as a counselor and prolific author. Dr. Jeffferson credits her doctoral degree for the confidence she has developed since graduation. Her confidence has enabled her to freely admit her own limits and comfortably operate in her area of expertise.

Dr. Jefferson's humility and down-to-earth style serve as shining examples of how to earn a doctoral degree and a real shot in the arm for your own confidence.