Ever wonder what it really takes to help first-year students thrive in college? Or what happens when old high school rivals reconnect in higher ed?

On the latest Higher Ed Breakfast Club, Chris & Brian are joined by Kim Sousa Peoples—Senior Director for First Year Student Engagement at a North Carolina university (and fellow high school alum from back in the Kettering Fairmont days!).

We talk the joys and chaos of welcoming new students, surviving college as a “townie” kid, higher ed’s work/life balance crisis, and the hard truths of student affairs—plus: hash brown preferences, vegan breakfast hacks, and a live American taste test of Australia’s mysterious Vegemite.

Listen in for real talk, honest laughs, and maybe a few hot sauce recommendations.

Higher Ed Breakfast Club New Episode Drop!

The beads are flying, the Diet Coke is spilling, and Brian’s becoming a New Orleans legend (whether he wants to or not). In Part 2 of our convo with Kenneth Johnson, we go full storytelling mode—from shuttle mishaps and Mardi Gras mayhem to awkward poolside plantation debates and breakfast taco wisdom.

🥯 Plus: the crew digs into hot takes on donuts, energy drinks, and the controversial cereal rankings you didn’t know you needed.

🎓 And we don’t stop there. Kenneth gets real about the future of higher ed—DEI audits, shifting political winds, and how student leadership is evolving in the face of it all.

🔥 Oh, and did someone say Vegemite taste test and Australian shout-out? It’s coming.

Tap in now. Laugh, learn, and maybe rethink your next breakfast taco order and find out Brian's nickname.

👉 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
🍳 #HigherEdBreakfastClub #NewEpisode #BrianSpillsAgain #DonutsAndDEI #BreakfastTalksRealTalk

🔥 NEW EPISODE ALERT! 🔥

Brisket for breakfast? Fighting okra? Waffle House wisdom? Yeah, this episode has everything.

Join The Higher Ed Breakfast Club Podcast as hosts Chris Taylor & Brian Van Brunt sit down with Kenneth Johnson (Texas A&M) to talk:
🍳 His journey from student affairs to strategic partnerships🏈 Great stories from his days as a college athlete 🥑 Why Texas breakfast tacos changed his life

Also, we finally answer the big question: Are you extraordinary? (Hint: Kenneth has a legendary speech for that.)

#HigherEd #Podcast #BreakfastTalk #WaffleHouseWisdom #BrisketForBreakfast #StudentAffairs #FightingOkras

Welcome back to the Higher Ed Breakfast Club Podcast—where we serve up hot takes on higher ed with a side of crispy hash browns.

This week, we’re back with Part Two of our episode featuring Robert Scholz, and it’s a breakfast deep dive like no other.

• Shocking revelation: Robert has NEVER eaten at Waffle House. Should we be concerned? Should we stage an intervention?
• We unpack the art of cereal mixing, the psychology of breakfast choices, and the undeniable truth that Bob Evans is just Waffle House for people who don’t like to fight.

PLUS: It gets personal when we reveal which Breakfast Club character we identify with most. Who’s the misunderstood rebel? The brain? The basket case? The jock? The verdict may surprise you (or maybe not).

Don’t miss this hilarious, insightful, and slightly judgmental discussion.

What happens when a licensed therapist and two higher ed pros walk into a podcast? You get deep conversations about masculinity, therapy, and… the ultimate breakfast burrito.

Join Chris Taylor & Brian Van Brunt as they sit down with Robert Schultz, a marriage and family therapist who works with men navigating big life transitions.

• How therapy helps guys open up
• Why motivational interviewing is a game-changer
• What makes up a really good breakfast burrito
• And wait—a HUGE Waffle House revelation!

Listen now and join the Higher Ed Breakfast Club!

#HigherEdBreakfastClub #Podcast #MentalHealth #Therapy #MotivationalInterviewing #BreakfastDebates #WaffleHouse

This week onHigher Ed Breakfast Club, we’re sitting down for part 2 withDave DeNino—crisis response expert, counselor, and all-around breakfast aficionado.

What doWaffle House hash browns,New Orleans brunch, andhelping people through disasters have in common? More than you’d think.

Breakfast Takes You Need to Hear:

• The bestand most overrated breakfast spots in New Orleans
• Waffle House—is stopping at every exit a valid strategy
• The ultimate syrup debate—restaurant brand, real maple, or a secret syrup flask?

Serious Topics You Can’t Ignore:

• How higher ed professionals can support students & staff through crises
• The biggest mistakes schools make when responding to mental health emergencies
• Why self-careisn’t optional when working in student affairs & crisis response

This episode is packed with wisdom, humor, and (of course) strong breakfast opinions.

#HigherEdBreakfastClub #HigherEd #CrisisResponse #MentalHealth #StudentSupport #Podcast #BreakfastCulture

On this episode of the Higher Ed Breakfast Club, we’re joined by Dave Denino, a seasoned college administrator, counselor, and crisis response expert. Together, we explore what it takes to support both students and staff in high-stress environments, the importance of mental health first aid, and how to create more trauma-informed campuses.

We discuss:
🍳 Supporting students facing stress and trauma
☕ How supervisors can look out for their staff’s well-being
🥓 Why comfort matters—whether it's leadership style...or breakfast

And yes, we talk breakfast: grits, bagels, toast hierarchies, and peanut butter preferences.

It’s an honest, insightful, and tasty conversation you won’t want to miss. Available now wherever you get your podcasts!

Do you like it when the syrup touches everything else on your plate or no? In part two of our episode with Chris Usher, we tackle the ultimate breakfast debates—McDonald’s Big Breakfast vs. Burger King Croissanwich, the underrated magic of Waffle House, and even Chick-fil-A’s bagel sandwich, AKA "sin chicken." We also talk bodega breakfast sandwiches, why French toast just might reign supreme, and a few hilarious breakfast blunders. But this isn’t just about breakfast—Chris dives into the complexities of campus policing, security, and the challenges of keeping communities safe while fostering trust. It’s bold, insightful, and the perfect way to kick off your day.

Stream it now wherever you listen to podcasts and join the conversation!
#HigherEdBreakfastClub #BreakfastTalk #FrenchToastWins #WaffleHouse