On this week's episode of Why I Social, Chris speaks with Chris Fitzpatrick (Chris Fitzpatrick Speakes). Chris shares his journey from college to becoming a sought-after speaker and HR expert, exploring the intersection of social media, talent acquisition, and mentorship. Key Highlights Chris's evolution from student government president to HR professional and public speaker The transformative power of active listening in communication and relationship-building How social media has revolutionize...
Jul 14, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 17
In this special episode of Why I Social: Listen to a live conversation with this year's 2025 Internship Class for the National Institute for Social Media. Key Discussion Points: • The challenges of wearing multiple hats in social media roles • How internships shape career paths and open unexpected doors • The importance of strategy in creating meaningful content • Why networking remains crucial for securing opportunities • The evolving landscape of social media best practices Connect with the 20...
Jul 01, 2025•51 min•Season 2Ep. 16
On this week's episode of Why I Social, Chris speaks with Coach Maria Duron (Professional Trainer, Consultant and Google Coach). Maria shares her road to becoming a Google Coach and shares more information about how search has evolved - from SEO to AI. Key Highlights Maria's "squiggly" career path through rural America's marketing landscape The creation of Brand Chat on Twitter in 2009 Her role in Google's small business outreach program Maria also provides practical advice about: Adapting to AI...
Jun 16, 2025•34 min•Season 2Ep. 15
On this week's episode of Why I Social, Chris speaks with returning guest Nick Cicero (Founder, Mondo Metrics). Nick previously appeared on the podcast in 2015 ( listen here ) and has since sold his first start-up and now serves as founder of Mondo Metrics, an expert data consultancy and analytics software platform designed to transform fragmented metrics into actionable insights. Nick discusses his experiences as a founder, investing in other businesses, and the journey to creating a new compan...
Jun 02, 2025•58 min•Season 2Ep. 14
On this week's episode of Why I Social: Chris speaks with Jessica Malnik (JessicaMalnik.com), who works with Founders and Heads of Marketing to build messaging systems with a focus on compound revenue over time. She has a heavy focus on conversion copywriting, amongst other critical services she offers her clients. Key Highlights Conversion Copywriting: Jessica specializes in conversion copy and focuses on influencing decisions and building brand awareness through strategic messaging. - AI in Ma...
May 12, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 13
On this week's episode of Why I Social: Chris speaks with R.J. Thompson, Manager of Multimedia and Digital Strategy (Health Sciences) at University of Pittsburgh. He is a dynamic figure in higher education marketing and nonprofit leadership. Key Highlights: - Innovative Social Media Strategy for Nonprofits: RJ shares insights from his work with Bellevue Forward, emphasizing storytelling through social media without a budget. He highlights the power of engaging local communities to amplify their ...
Apr 28, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 12
On this week's episode of Why I Social: Chris speaks with Michael Katz, Founder and CEO of Flowsend. From an internship in China, learning experiences at Qualtrics to founding Flowsend - Michael has run into the fire to create new opportunities for himself personally and professionally. Learn why Michael socials on this week's episode! Key Highlights: - - Michael Katz's Career Journey: Michael shares his experiences from an internship in China to his transformative time at Qualtrics. - AI in Con...
Apr 14, 2025•38 min•Season 2Ep. 11
On this week's episode of Why I Social: Chris Barrows sits down with Growth Marketer Theresa Potratz. Teresa shares her journey from social media specialist to growth marketing director. She also discusses how AI is transforming content creation and strategy - and gives insights into her unique podcast, "Unhinged History." Learn why Theresa socials on this week's episode! Key Highlights: - Evolution of Social Media Marketing: Discover how AI has revolutionized the industry, shifting from manual ...
Mar 31, 2025•40 min•Season 2Ep. 10
On this week's episode of Why I Social: Chris Barrows sits down with Tovah Kopan who shares her journey from law school to legal technology. She also shares his experience creating community - both in her community and through the Go Boldly Initiative - as well as how to balance multiple roles from career to personal life. Highlights of the discussion include: - From Law to Legal Tech: Tovah shares her journey from aspiring lawyer to finding her niche in legal tech, emphasizing the importance of...
Mar 17, 2025•49 min•Season 2Ep. 9
On this week's episode of Why I Social: Chris Barrows sits down with Tim Sohn, a social media consultant and cancer survivor. Tim shares his inspiring journey from a decade in journalism to becoming an independent consultant. He discusses the creation of "Perspectives on Cancer," a community offering support to cancer patients, survivors, and their families. Highlights of the discussion include: - From Newsrooms to Social Media: Tim's transition from journalism to social media consulting, driven...
Mar 03, 2025•36 min•Season 2Ep. 8
On this week's episode of the Why I Social Podcast, Chris speaks with Jenny Li Fowler, Director of Social Media Strategy at MIT. Jenny has spent nearly two decades in digital marketing with more than a decade in Higher Education. Her experience in working with organic social media led to her writing " Organic Social Media - How To Build Flourishing Online Communities ". Highlights of the discussion include: Building a career in Higher Education The power of community and organic social media The...
Feb 17, 2025•43 min•Season 2Ep. 7
On this week's episode of the Why I Social Podcast, Chris speaks with Sue Serna, Founder of Serna Social. Sue began her career as a journalist and has since become an expert in social media governance, security, and risk. She also served as the head of global social media at Cargill. With a focus on smart, safer social media - you'll learn more than a few tricks of the trade from Sue. Highlights of the discussion include: Recommendations on tools to keep your social media platforms safe Insights...
Feb 03, 2025•37 min•Season 2Ep. 6
On this week's episode of the Why I Social Podcast, Chris speaks with Alex Hultgren, fractional CMO and author. From Ford's leadership program to his career as a fractional CMO, Hultgren offers a wealth of knowledge that will help inspire others as they look to build their career. His book "The Three Knows" - which came out in January 2025 - distills everything you need to know down to three fundamental questions: do you know your customer, do you know yourself, and do you know your funnel (e.g....
Jan 20, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 5
On this week's episode of the Why I Social Podcast, Chris speaks with Dan LaToracca, who currently serves as Marketing Director at Zoomph. Dan's previous work includes social and leadership roles with the Carolina Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes. Highlights of the discussion include: Building a career in the sports media industry What he's learned in his role as an adjunct teacher How the sports industry has drastically changed since he began his career The expected and unexpected in conten...
Jan 06, 2025•52 min•Season 2Ep. 4
On this week's episode of the Why I Social Podcast, Chris speaks with a three-time guest on the podcast dating back to 2015 as Casie Shimansky returns to podcast. Shimanksky's experience in social media and the digital marketing profession offers a wealth of knowledge. Highlights of the discussion include: How to successfully manage a layoff A decade worth of social media changes How she has raised nearly 200k for childhood cancer research and much more... Learn why Casie socials on this week's ...
Dec 16, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 3
On this week's episode of the Why I Social Podcast, Chris speaks with healthcare communications practitioner Robbie Schneider, author of "Social Media, Sanity & You." Highlights of the discussion include: Her career in Healthcare Communication The importance of mental health for social media professionals Her book writing journey and much more... Quotable Moment: "Changes happen constantly. When you work in the social media space, it is the biggest game of Tetris you'll ever play." Learn why...
Dec 02, 2024•29 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Chris speaks with Callie Goodwin, Founder of Sparks of Joy and Communications Manager at ZeeMee. Callie shares highlights of her career from being a team of one in Higher Education to building a small business on TikTok. Learn why Callie socials on this week's episode! Callie's Links: Sparks of Joy TikTok (The LoseIt Log) Join The Why I Social Community Discord: https://discord.gg/PgHcZNfK About our sponsor: The National Institute for Social Media (NISM) empowers marketing professionals to eleva...
Nov 18, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We're excited to announce the OFFICIAL return of the Why I Social Podcast - with full sponsorship from the National Institute for Social Media. Hear Chris' discussion with Jen Radke, CEO of NISM, as we share what's new and what's the same - and tease the first official episode in two weeks featuring Callie Goodwin. About our sponsor: The National Institute for Social Media (NISM) empowers marketing professionals to elevate their social media expertise through industry-recognized certification. N...
Nov 04, 2024•16 min
Chris Sully ( @CSSully ) is Marketing Manager at Funko. He's also the co-owner of Nerd FU. He is the host/co-host of multiple podcasts including Funko's Funkast. His journey to Funko (his number one job) is one that will inspire many to chase their dreams. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear his story on this week's episode. And of course, Why Does He Social?! Share your thou...
Jul 03, 2018•25 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Alesia Hendley ( @TheSmoothFactor on Twitter) is an audio-visual operator and multi-media journalist. She is a co-host for the Social Slice (learn more at socialslice.io) and has a passion for technology (especially audio-visual). Alesia was also recommended to the podcast by alum Brad Parler. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear her story on this week's episode. And of course...
Jun 19, 2018•26 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Taking a break from the usual conversations taking place on Why I Social - this episode looks at the power of social media to do social good. It also calls back to the work of many of the alumni of the podcast who are doing good things and providing positive social influence to inform and educate others on important global conversations. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Share y...
Jun 05, 2018•15 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Amy Jauman is the Chief Learning Officer at the National Institute for Social Media. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct professor in business and marketing at St. Catherine University and owns Remotely Smart. She has extensive experience with instruction from early-childhood education to adult education. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear her story on this week's episode...
May 22, 2018•28 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Rob Zaleski is a Digital Content Marketer at ShippingEasy in Austin. In addition, he's the host of a new podcast, Keep Marketing Weird. Previous experiences also include time as Marketing Manager for Marketing Profs and Content Marketing Associate for Main Street Hub. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear his story on this week's episode. And of course, Why Does He Social?! Sha...
May 08, 2018•29 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Ryan Farrell is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Purdue University. He has been working in marketing since 2012 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is the also proud father of three children. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear his story on this week's episode. And of course, Why Does He Social?! Share your thoughts...
Apr 17, 2018•26 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Tess Kaytmaz currently works at Cross Fit Virtuosity in Brooklyn and is one of the most passionate people I've had the pleasure of meeting through social media (and previous guests, members of #SMUN). She has a background in social media - which she most recently has used to take on the challenge of mental health awareness. She is also a photographer and you'll find her active on Instagram at username tess_michael. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Medi...
Apr 03, 2018•29 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Casie Shimansky is an award-winning social media strategist for Cisco's talent brand team. She is a previous guest on the show and the first to return as an alum for a regular episode of the podcast. It's also possible you follow her dog on Instagram. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear her story on this week's episode. And of course, Why Does She Social?! Share your thoughts...
Mar 20, 2018•27 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Katie Santo is Web Training and Content Support Specialist at New York University. She has previously worked at Apple as an in-store guest/trainer expert. She joins the show with an engaging Twitter presence that is both educational and embraces pop culture. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear her story on this week's episode. And of course, Why Does She Social?! Share your t...
Mar 06, 2018•26 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Welcome to the eighth episode of Why I Social Sessions - where we bring you short discussions focused on one singular topic. This is not your standard Why I Social episode where we learn about a guest - but instead - we focus on important topics impacting the social media space today. Today, on Why I Social Sessions, Chris discusses the addition of a bookmark feature to Twitter. On Episode 8 1. What is this feature and how do I use it? 2. What impact could this have on Twitter? Following the con...
Feb 28, 2018•8 min
Willis Williams is Digital Strategist for Dealer Authority. Originally from the Bronx, Williams currently lives in upstate New York and is active in the community volunteering at the Woodstock Film Festival. He is also an ambassador for Hootsuite. [ The Why I Social Podcast is sponsored by the National Institute for Social Media (NISM). You can learn more about their programs at nismonline.org . ] Hear his story on this week's episode. And of course, Why Does He Social?! Share your thoughts on t...
Feb 20, 2018•32 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Justin Gatewood ( @lightjump ) is Web, SharePoint and Cloud Systems Administrator at Victor Valley College. He served as a member of the United States Navy from 1990 through 1995 as a Cryptologic Technician receiving the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. He is the recipient of multiple awards professionally including the 2016 MetaHero Award for "Best In Business Process" - as well as multiple "Best of Track" awards at higher education conferences. Hear her story on this week's episode. And of ...
Feb 06, 2018•36 min•Season 4Ep. 3
