This page is a work-in-progress as I document my work as a college professor at Samford University, where I was an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Broadcasting. I resigned the position and left Samford, rather than seek tenure.
Category: Professional
You are a writer. You are called to write. You feel called to tell stories and offer messages of hope that will change lives, shine light into dark places, and spark change in the world. I know exactly how you feel. Over the years, I have come to understand that my own calling is in …
It’s been a long year+ since my last update on this website. It’s not that I haven’t been busy (or even blogging), but my focus as been elsewhere. I returned to the practice of law, while continuing to work on the Shine Vision as much as time would permit. From April – July of 2016, …
This post is a reflection on a year of brand confusion and my failed strategy for launching the Shinecast® media brand. You see plenty of blog posts about success stories and how-to-succeed in digital business, but not many about the missteps. This post is an overview into a venture that didn’t work out as planned …
How to Create a Social Media Content Strategy

Social media offers new channels of communication to serve existing customers and clients and reach new prospects. The challenge is this: Unless you have a meaningful plan to use social media to achieve some outcome, you’re probably spending time and money in the least effective way possible. So that’s why I focused on the …
Leaping into the Void, Part 1

One of my friends proposed starting a bookclub for badass ladies and I was thrilled. I need intelligent discussion in my life. I think we might have decoder rings or something, so I’ll keep the names private. First selection is Tess Vigeland’s Leap. I thought I’d write this post this afternoon before our first get …
Teaching Through Food: Faculty Shoptalk

For the Fall 2012 semester I proposed a faculty shoptalk on the topic of teaching through food, since the health benefits of real food and the economic benefits of a sustainable local food system are two of my favorite causes. I could easily see the value of using food as a theme to connect learning …
When I stepped to the front of the classroom, Mrs. Bowen already had the big, gray behemoth powered up. I carefully positioned volume W of the World Book Encyclopedia into the image capture area and a state map appeared on the grayish white screen pulled down over a section of drab green chalkboard. I gently …
Mind Meld with Copyblogger’s Brian Clark

Sometimes I think Copyblogger’s Brian Clark installed trojan horse in my computer a few years ago when I joined the Authority community. Or maybe he’s just a mind-reader. Of course, it might simply be a coincidence that has something to do with the fact that we’re both non-practicing lawyers of similar age who discovered the …