Alright, I’d really like to try something out with you all — the Speaking Engagement community. Many of you will quickly decide my idea isn’t for you. Others might need a little time to think it over.
I’m looking for a few SE folks who might be willing to make me their AI Agent.
Backstory: I just met a fantastic alumni pro on the West Coast last week. She mentioned to me that, as a consultant, I should be aware that I’ve almost certainly published enough content on LinkedIn and now Substack that someone could easily train Claude or ChatGPT on how I think, how I might lead in certain situations, and then use AI-Ryan to get advice or workshop ideas.
I’ve been thinking about AI-Ryan ever since. Is this a good idea? I don’t know. But I’d really like to see. It sounds pretentious to suggest that I could be a valuable AI agent. And it is, but I think this is the direction we’re all headed. Soon, most of us will add different types of AI agents trained on the personalities and ideas of the people around us.
So someone should actually test what happens when you do it, and I am volunteering to be the guinea pig. Plus, I think it would be fun to test this as part of Speaking Engagement.
I am looking for a small group of SE folks who would be willing to make me their AI agent for the next three to four months. I will gather all my articles and give you what you would need to train an agent that thinks the way I do. From there, you decide how and when to use it. A few things people might try:
Pressure-test a strategy before you bring it to your team
Workshop a new program idea and poke holes in it
Draft talking points before a board or leadership meeting
I do not want to over-instruct you. Part of the experiment is seeing what you reach for on your own.
Two things to be clear about. First, this is a paid experiment for a few people (not sure exactly how many): I will compensate you for your time and for writing or vlogging about the experience along the way, because your reflections are the whole point. Second, the commitment is real. I am asking for three to four months and a willingness to share what it has been like, the useful moments, and the awkward ones. I’d also be interested in any one that might like to give AI-Agent Ryan a try but as volunteer, and without the content creation part.
If AI Ryan is super annoying, I apologize in advance, and you should also keep that possibility in mind.
About Speaking Engagement
I’ve realized that the Book Club idea has a gap: depending on the book, it asks everyone to purchase a copy. I think that’s a significant enough barrier that I’m going to make a change. After finishing The Generosity Crisis at our final event on July 31 (for members, but reading the whole book isn’t necessary for the discussion), we’ll switch to reading popular books available through the Libby app or your local library like Adam Grant or Malcom Gladwell.
This means I might not be able to get the authors on the podcast, but that’s ok.
An addition is that, in mid-August, we’ll be rolling out our Faculty-in-Residence experience, featuring six-week residencies on SE with authors and researchers who have studied various aspects of engagement. We’ll share articles, podcasts, and events featuring our special contributor.
I’m excited to announce we’ll kick off the Faculty-in-Residence with Mallory Erickson beginning August 17th and running through September 25.
About the next Keynote
I first met Christine Cruzvergara at a meeting of career services directors from Virginia public universities. I was new to my role at Longwood at the time, but could tell Christine was a rising star in the room.
Fast forward ten years, and Christine is coming off an amazing stint at Handshake as their Chief Education Strategy Officer. We discuss the future of career services, her take on higher ed, what we do best, and where we can improve.
Ryan Catherwood is the Publisher of Speaking Engagement, a platform exploring how organizations build relationships, community, and connection at scale. He is also Executive Vice President at Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting (CMAC) and Senior Consultant with Washburn McGoldrick, advising colleges and universities on alumni engagement, donor pipeline development, and integrated advancement strategy.
Register for our Next Agora
Topic: Talent Development
Title:
Starting With Yourself: Set Mini-Boundaries to Preserve Your Capacity
Date & Time:
Thursday, June 16 from 12-1 pm ET.
Event Type:
TED-style presentation plus small-group networking and discussion
Speaker:
Ellen Whitlock Baker - Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant
Big Themes This Week
We train expert fundraisers but rarely train leaders, and that gap is what holds teams back. Invest in the people and the results follow.
Networking is service, not transaction. The joy is in understanding what matters to someone else and helping create opportunities for them.
Visibility is part of the job. Leadership opportunities are not handed to you, they are created by you, which means making your contributions known.
Self-advocacy is not bragging when you connect your work to the organization’s goals and outcomes. Good work does not speak for itself.
The strongest leaders have the courage to say “I don’t have it all figured out” and to ask their teams what they are missing.
Team Discussion Questions
Where on our team are we developing fundraisers but not developing leaders, and what would it take to change that?
Whose contributions on our team are going unseen because we have been taught that good work speaks for itself?
What stops us from being visible about our wins, and how could we frame them around institutional outcomes instead of ego?
When was the last time a leader here admitted they did not have the answer and asked for input? What happened?
How do we make room for people to be fully themselves, even “too much,” in service of the mission?
