Category: Entrepreneurship

I'm realizing now, as I write this final post for The Defectors, that my Defector story hasn't been told much throughout this series. In this last entry, I'll do my best to intertwine it with the stories of a few other folks who have had the opportunity to work with a Defector mindset. As I've mentioned, … Continue reading The Defectors: Wrap-Up Pt. II, on Defecting From Your Desk

The Defectors project is, in some ways, pretty new for me and pretty familiar at the same time. It is the first blog series I've hosted, my answer to a challenge from a friend who encouraged me to "stop ranting and start creating." But at the same time, my response reflected the things that I … Continue reading The Defectors: Wrap-Up Pt. I, on Creating Space for Defectors

Today's Defector, Kevin O'Connell, is not just a dream chaser- he's a facilitator of that process for others. His company, The Niche Movement, is dedicated to helping college students and young professionals find work that they love and can be proud of. In the nearly two years that he's been chasing that dream full time, … Continue reading The Defectors: Kevin O’Connell, The Niche Movement

Today's Defector is one who not only recognizes the forces that allowed her to easily walk away from higher education, but is now actively working to address some of the things that concerned her most. A love for organizational psychology is the driving force behind her Zen Workplace, a consultancy that helps people work and … Continue reading The Defectors: Karlyn Borysenko, ZenWorkplace

Today's Defector is building an empire, and it has been a joy to watch. Steph has spent several years doing what many in the field have done- working her way up the ladder in pursuit of a director post, and eventually a vice-presidency for student affairs. But along the way, she realized it wasn't what … Continue reading The Defectors, Stephanie Tomlinson, The Steph Tom Show

Today's Defectors post highlights the entrepreneurial journey of Jamie Piperato, who drew inspiration from a leadership session and used its fuel to create her own destiny. She speaks eloquently about how refining her own goals has helped her better serve the professionals and students around her; I must confess, the way in which she does … Continue reading The Defectors: Jamie Piperato, JPHigherEd

You'll notice that the location of this post is a campus, which I know we said was not what this is about! Today's second post actually speaks to a pair of defections; Mason Reuter, today's author, has defected twice! He left the field of higher education in 2003, only to return several years later. Now solidly … Continue reading The Defectors: Mason Reuter, UNCC

The first of our Defectors contributor posts comes from Emily Yates, currently working as a scholarship advisor for the Institute of International Education, based out of DC. Her defection was somewhat accidental, the result of exploring "adjacent options." But now, she's realizing she wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks so much for sharing your … Continue reading The Defectors: Emily Yates, IIE

So in truth, "the literature" is a bit of an overstatement. But the fact of the matter is, the idea of being a "Defector"- of doing this work in a manner different from the standard- is becoming increasingly common. For my part, I truly appreciated the testimonies of people like Kayley Robsham, Paul Gordon Brown, and Keith … Continue reading The Defectors: Introduction to the Literature