Homecoming is in the Air

This week is all about gearing up for Homecoming.

We have been planning this event for over 6 months now (although other people have been working on it even longer) and now that we are a week out it still seems like there is so much to do! Homecoming is very different here at life than the event that most people think of from their undergrad experience. Homecoming is more than a sporting event and tailgating (although we do that too). Homecoming is a big party, spread over four days, where not just our alumni return to experience the culture of Life University all over again.

It's kind of like just getting a "fix" of what it is like to be part of the Life University culture. There are amazing seminars so the doctor can get some CE credits for license renewal. There are workshops on leadership and entrepreneurship and other values the institution holds dear.
There are demonstrations and workshops from various undergrad departments like nutrition (healthy cooking workshops) and sports health science (Straighten Up America Program). There are tailgating parties, BBQs (this is Georgia, after all!) and fireworks. There is a Rugby match and a Students vs Faculty basketball match-off (guess who usually wins?). There is an opening ceremonies event in which Dr. Riekeman gives a "State of the University" address. And most importantly, there is a lot of awesome opportunities to network and learn something new.



We are expecting a group of 30-40 prospective students (plus their guests) to join us as we enjoy the festivities. They will be interacting with all our current students (who get to go to Homecoming instead of class for two days!) and all the field doctors and other graduates who will be attending. Erica and I usually get to hang out and spend a lot of one on one time with the prospective students, which is our favorite part of our jobs. We meet their families and answer all the questions that don't alway come up in a regular tour. This weekend is really what my job is all about: Getting to know our future students and helping them find their inner potential.

Man, I love this job!

It's not too late. I still have a few opening left. Call me if you are interested (1-800-543-3202). If you can't do this year...SERIOUSLY...start planning for next year. It will be the fourth weekend in October again. And it will be even bigger and better!

The behind-the-scenes you'd never see

I'm in Minneapolis for the last leg of this Power of One. The hotel staff has been very helpful, the room looks great, our stage is set, the audience is excited & the show is underway. On the surface, everything looks well-practiced and efficient. You'd never know that 7 1/2 hours prior to showtime, Dr. Riekeman's flight was canceled, all the rental cars in Cedar Rapids were sold out, and he had to take a taxi 30 min back to Iowa City before he could make the 5 hour drive to Minneapolis. (Remember story problems in math? You can do the math on that one.)

We love doing the tour. When we go, there are 4 of us that travel together - Dr. Riekeman, Brenda Boone (Tour Coordinator), Dr. Deb King (Director of Development), and a Student Recruiter (either Jenny Cotton or me). We get to see people we know and meet so many more. The Tour is fun, hard work, tiring, and fulfilling. It will sound trite, but every city is different - there's a different feel to the venue, set of logistics challenges, number of attendees, vibe to the crowd, and a new set of stories of our adventures.

Putting on this show in city after city has provided a great lesson for me in how to 'show up'. Every city has its challenges - the event rooms are far apart and we don't have enough signs, the LCD projector doesn't work, the room is too small (or too big) for the crowd we're expecting, the ceiling is so low that when Dr. Riekeman is on stage he has a 4 inch clearance, the directions to the hotel are incorrect, or in the case of this past trip, Dr. Riekeman's canceled flight.

The point is that despite these obstacles, we followed the basic rule "Always do your best." (Any Four Agreements fans out there?) In doing so, we raised our energy and intent to the next level, and have impressed audiences across the country. It is a rare case that anyone other than us knows about the small amounts of chaos behind the scenes.

What are the small, circumstancial things that are 'behind your scenes'? What kind of difference would it make in your day if you could keep yourself from focusing on the negative & move towards the positive? How good would you feel & how much would it impress those around you?

I know, it's easy for me to say, but I just want to let you know that I'm working on minimizing and controlling how my behind-the-scenes chaos affects my interactions with others & my daily life. (How's that for making a public notice of accountability?)

Jumping Right In

I'm going to skip the introduction at this moment, because I am in Iowa City & have 51 minutes until my event.

I am currently traveling with the Power of One Tour, to host a Prospective Student Reception before the main presentation "Make Your Life Extraordinary". Last night was fantastic! We were in Madison, WI (ok, I'm a bit biased, as I consider Madison my hometown of 17 years). I met with several students, half of whom applied & will be starting Life next year. The crowd was energetic, and of course filled with so many people I know - doctors, patients from the offices I worked in, and friends.

So today we do it all over again, but what's cool is that every crowd, venue, and city brings a new experience & adventure. I love traveling with the Power of One Tour - there is such an amazing synergy between the event staff, doctors & attendees. We actually listen to the event music as we set up & it never fails - we end up dancing & singing along as we put up banners, arrange chairs, check the av, and make sure everything is just right. (Yeah, we're a bunch of passionate, fun-loving geeks.)

... 47 minutes & counting - I'm going to change my clothes & get ready to have some fun! We've got a 5 hour drive to Minneapolis tomorrow morning, but I'll try and come up with a proper introduction before tomorrow night's event.

Here's the plug - if you know anyone in Iowa City or Minneapolis who would like to attend an amazing, inspirational, life-changing event, then have them give me a call 770-354-3667. And after they meet with me, they'll also enjoy seeing Dr. Riekeman present "Make Your Life Extraordinary".

Welcome

I'm so excited to finally launch this blog. Life University's recruitment team has been reaching out into more and more "untraditional" venues to find our target student groups (facebook, myspace, etc) but we are finally ready to get real with you guys via our own blog.

This blog will be a window into the inner workings of the recruitment and admissions world. We will be keeping you updated as to where we are going, both physically (fairs, events, presentations) and where the university is headed academically.

Sometimes the posts will be serious and fact filled. Sometimes the posts will just be fun and (hopefully) interesting ramblings and insights as to what really goes on here.

So, welcome to the recruitment blog. Bookmark us right now and tell your friends...because there will be lots to talk about!