Episodes

  • 130: Catch You On The Flipside with Issac Abbs

    130: Catch You On The Flipside with Issac Abbs
    Jan 28 2026
    Isaac Abbs returns for week two and the conversation leans hard into the human side of senior leadership: how an introvert survives a job that demands constant presence, how you build buy in like a coach building a locker room, and how you create real moments of recognition when your team is the one taking the calls and absorbing the heat. Along the way, Isaac shares what he has learned about getting comfortable being uncomfortable, why delivery matters more than content when you are on stage, and why storytelling is the skill that makes the message land.

    It is also a Tucson flavored episode in the best way: Isaac’s path from California to Maine to the University of Arizona, a love letter to Fourth Avenue, and an extremely specific answer to the best sandwich question that will make every Tucson listener nod instantly. The wrap up lands with a leadership gut punch that comes up again and again on this show: the question people almost never ask leaders, even though it might be the one that matters most.

    Topics Discussed
    1. Introversion in extroverted leadership roles, and building the muscle to show up anyway
    2. Practice as the real unlock for public speaking and high visibility leadership
    3. Coaching mindset in IT leadership: vision, mission, trust, and buy in
    4. Defining wins in IT when the impact is often on everyone else, not you
    5. Creating intentional celebration rhythms: strategic plan reviews, win stories, and acknowledging the grind
    6. Customer service as a frontline reality, and why recognition needs to be specific and frequent
    7. Changing perspective on AI: from caution to strategic momentum, and the risk of falling behind
    8. Tucson culture check: Fourth Avenue, Bison Witches, and the U of A tournament memory lane
    9. The underrated power of storytelling in leadership communication
    10. The question leaders wish people asked more often: How are you doing, and meaning it

    Connect with Isaac Abbs
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-abbs

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    28 mins
  • 129: Trust Drips In and Pours Out with Isaac Abbs

    129: Trust Drips In and Pours Out with Isaac Abbs
    Jan 21 2026
    Ryan Gray is joined by Isaac Abbs, Chief Information Officer at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Isaac walks through what the CIO role really demands in higher ed—leadership, clarity, and the ability to solve problems at a level that changes outcomes for the institution. He reflects on his career path (public sector to higher ed and back), why the CIO role appealed to him early, and what it means to lead technology in a way that helps people get somewhere they didn’t think was possible.

    From there, the conversation gets practical: the modern CIO job as a “people business,” the need for visibility and relentless communication, and how trust is built through responsiveness and relationships. They also dig into AV strategy and room experience—right-sizing classroom tech, avoiding “technology for technology’s sake,” and pushing for spaces that don’t require a manual. Zoom Rooms, simpler conference room experiences, and AV-over-IP as a path toward consistency and usability all come up as part of Isaac’s roadmap for making the experience smoother for faculty and staff.

    Topics Discussed
    • What Pima Community College looks like (scale, campuses, student profile)
    • Why Isaac aimed for the CIO role early
    • Career “boomerang” moves and returning with broader perspective
    • What the CIO role actually is day-to-day (and what people misunderstand)
    • Balancing executive demands with family life and burnout risk
    • CIO leadership as “people-first,” not tech-first
    • Being visible to earn a seat at decision tables
    • Communication as strategy: transparency, newsletters, responsiveness
    • “Easy button” room expectations and right-sizing classroom tech
    • Zoom Rooms + AV-over-IP as simplification and standardization levers
    Connect with Isaac Abbs
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-abbs

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    31 mins
  • 128: If You Think Nobody Cares, You're Wrong with Thomas Eastlack

    128: If You Think Nobody Cares, You're Wrong with Thomas Eastlack
    Jan 14 2026
    Week two with Thomas goes deeper into the inner mechanics of growth: how confidence gets built (and rebuilt) in real time, how “needing people” can be both a strength and a signal, and what it looks like to stop outsourcing your own decisions. Ryan and Thomas talk candidly about learning to move forward without requiring constant external reassurance—and how that shift changes the way you show up in work and life.

    The conversation also hits the human layer underneath the job titles: believing there’s good in the world, the cost of giving too much without replenishing yourself, and the kind of question people rarely ask—because it requires them to actually be ready for the answer. Along the way: a great metaphor about “overflow vs. emptying your cup,” mentorship, ITSM curiosity, and a surprisingly specific Subway order.

    Topics Discussed
    • Introvert vs. extrovert energy (and what happens when you’re alone too long)
    • How Thomas is building confidence in decisions under stress
    • “What are you waiting for?” — self-talk and external validation
    • Whether people are fundamentally good (and how to live that belief)
    • Protecting yourself from over-giving: overflow vs. depletion
    • Envy vs. material jealousy: wanting traits, not stuff
    • What strong leaders actually have (spoiler: not all the answers)
    • ITSM learning: tools, automation, and simplifying messy processes
    • The question people should ask more often: “How are you… really?”
    • How to connect with Thomas + his sign-off phrase

    Connect with Thomas
    Email – Thomas.Eastlack@yc.edu
    LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-eastlack/

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    31 mins
  • 127: Don't Lose Yourself with Thomas Eastlack

    127: Don't Lose Yourself with Thomas Eastlack
    Jan 7 2026
    After a stretch of inconsistency, Ryan kicks off 2026 with a simple promise: the show is back, and the conversations are the fuel. In this in-person episode, he sits down with Thomas Eastlack, a familiar face at Yavapai College who recently moved from the IT service desk into a newly created role supporting HR technology.

    Thomas unpacks the shift from reactive “break/fix” work to proactive systems thinking—ticketing workflows, website iteration cycles, chatbot training, and the early push toward cloud-first habits. But the heart of the conversation is service: empathy, trust, and the mindset that keeps support work human even when the calls are repetitive. It’s also a candid look at imposter feelings, decision-making pressure, and what it means to grow into being “the expert” while staying grounded in who you are.

    Topics Discussed
    • Moving from service desk technician to HR IT lead analyst
    • Reactive support vs proactive process and systems improvement
    • Launching an HR ticketing system for routing, automation, and accountability
    • Website refresh realities: iterations, stakeholders, and “meeting in the middle”
    • Training and maintaining a website chatbot and early AI exposure
    • Shifting departments while staying collaborative with central IT
    • Empathy as a practical support skill (tone, language, and de-escalation)
    • Avoiding burnout and jadedness when the same problems repeat
    • Hiring for attitude and service mindset over day-one operational knowledge
    • Growth, purpose, and why Yavapai College is a place people stay

    Connect with Thomas
    Email – Thomas.Eastlack@yc.edu
    LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-eastlack/

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    34 mins
  • 126: Wish You Were Asked? 2025

    126: Wish You Were Asked? 2025
    Dec 31 2025
    We close out 2025 with a listen back to some of our favorite guests this year and their answers to the questions they wish to be asked.

    Stay tuned for new episodes of The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast in 2026!

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    35 mins
  • 125: RTM Higher Education Fall 2025

    125: RTM Higher Education Fall 2025
    Nov 12 2025
    Recorded on-site in Austin, this cross-conversation episode (in partnership with RTM Business Group’s Inside Innovation) brings together fast takes from the Fall Higher Education CIO Congress. We open with RTM’s Mica Spanos on how listening to practitioners—and getting them into the same room—drives a program that’s useful in a world that never quite calms down. Cole McFarren (University of Arizona Global Campus) shares the online-only perspective: the surprising value of “out-of-scope” sessions and the energy that comes from meeting peers face-to-face.
    Then Scott Smith (Director of Digital & Instructional Innovation) talks about blending IT with pedagogy, why “ready for prime time” matters, and the power of making technologists sit in classes (and instructional folks shadow techs). Dr. Angela Camaille (Delgado Community College) dives into professional development, authenticity, and the leadership strength of saying “I don’t know.” We close with Jess Awtrey (SVP, Boodleox) on AI infrastructure built for higher ed, governance in the “wild-west” phase, and Coach Mode as scaffolding for AI literacy.

    Topics Discussed
    • Why smaller, selective convenings (like RTM) produce higher-signal conversations
    • Programming by listening: building agendas around real campus problems
    • Online-only realities: what transfers (and what doesn’t) from brick-and-mortar
    • “Ready for prime time”: how one failed demo collapses adoption
    • Cross-shadowing: tech staff in classrooms, instructional staff with technicians
    • Professional development as table stakes, not a nice-to-have
    • Authentic leadership: psychological safety and the value of “I don’t know”
    • Community college lens: pedagogy for everyone, not just the already-prepared
    • AI infrastructure vs. a single tool: governance, privacy, equitable access
    • Coach Mode and AI literacy: meeting users where they are and leveling them up

    • Mica Spanos — LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mica-spanos-b980a81b0/
    • Cole McFarrin — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-mcfarren-7913b074/
    • Scott Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottssmith/
    • Dr. Angela Camaille— LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-camaille-6823969a/
    • Jess Awtrey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-awtrey-4ba9a95/

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    38 mins
  • 124: Gray Matter Moment: Leadership Odyssey

    124: Gray Matter Moment: Leadership Odyssey
    Oct 15 2025
    Sometimes leadership doesn’t begin with a grand vision—it begins with a text. In this introspective Gray Matter Moment, Ryan Gray records from the shores of Puerto Peñasco during his family’s annual October trip and reflects on a recent experience that brought personal vulnerability into the spotlight. He had been invited to co-lead a session at Yavapai College’s “Students of Leadership” retreat, an intensive three-day mountaintop experience for emerging student leaders. The theme? The phoenix.

    What unfolded was a powerful exploration of the relationships that shape a leader’s story—those closest to you in your venture, and the larger network that comprises your odyssey. Feeling the weight of proving the concept, Ryan sent a late-night video request to his own leadership network, asking if they would say, simply, “I’m part of Ryan’s Leadership Odyssey.” The overwhelming response became a video that turned a presentation into a shared affirmation—and a retreat highlight.
    This episode walks listeners through that experience, offering a reminder: the people you surround yourself with define your trajectory. Leadership isn’t solitary—it’s a journey guided by others.

    Topics Discussed
    • Recording from the Sea of Cortez during a family trip
    • Broken wrist update and life-work balance
    • Introduction to the Yavapai College “Students of Leadership” program
    • Preparing (and co-presenting) a leadership session with Dean Stacey Hilton
    • The symbolism of the phoenix, and collective nouns: venture and odyssey
    • How venture reflects your close-knit leadership circle
    • How odyssey represents the broader network that shapes your journey
    • The last-minute decision to text Ryan’s own leadership network
    • Dozens of affirming video replies and their emotional impact
    • Showing students the power of curating your leadership odyssey
    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    23 mins
  • 123: The Dude with BC Hatchett

    123: The Dude with BC Hatchett
    Oct 8 2025
    BC Hatchett returns for week two with a laid-back, life-and-leadership conversation that ranges from higher-ed purpose to… blacksmithing. We kick off with Halloween costumes (the Dude abides), detour through first jobs and Louisville summers on a greenskeeping cart, and land on why twenty years at Vanderbilt still feels mission-right. BC talks candidly about what keeps him in higher ed: watching students arrive, grow, and cross the stage — and the joy of playing even a small role in that arc.

    From alternate careers (blacksmith or welder) to travel dreams (three months of go-where-the-dart-lands), BC keeps it human and funny. We geek out on Fallout 4 as a brain-cooler, swap Lebowski quotes, and close on BC’s signature sign-off. If you needed a reminder that community, craft, and curiosity still matter in our work — this one’s it.

    Topics Discussed
    • Dream “money-no-object” Halloween costume (movie-accurate Big Lebowski Dude)
    • Why Lebowski hits at a “slice-of-life” level; favorite quotes for any situation
    • First job: golf-course greenskeeping; Louisville roots; $2.15/hour and all the golf you can play
    • Twenty years at Vanderbilt: why higher ed’s mission still wins
    • Alternate-universe careers: blacksmith or welder; satisfaction of tangible builds
    • Travel snafus and rituals en route to ISE; the “watch-the-plane-turn-around” story
    • Pride without boasting: how HETMA grew up — and why it matters
    • “Heaven question” à la Inside the Actors Studio: BC’s perfect greeting at the gates
    • Small mindset flips: deciding eggs aren’t gross; the omelet-perfection quest
    • Winding down with video games: Fallout 4, branching choices, and settlement building

    Connect with BC
    BC.Hatchett@hetma.org
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/bc-hatchett-88746312/
    https://x.com/bchatchett

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Show Links
    HETMA Community: https://community.hetma.org
    HETMA Roadshow – Vanderbilt (Oct 27): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nashville-roadshow-at-vanderbilt-university-tickets-1467308913459
    EDUCAUSE Annual Conference: https://events.educause.edu/annual-conference

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins