What does it take to grow leaders in NACADA while coaching, writing a dissertation, and building a mentoring network that feels more like a chosen family? In this episode of Emerging Voices, Matt and Bri sit down with mentor Michael Geroux, affectionately known as Mike G, to explore what it really means to guide, connect, and grow within the 2024 to 2026 Emerging Leaders cohort.

From Pod mentoring dynamics to the art of helping leaders focus their fire instead of trying to conquer every goal at once, Mike shares candid reflections on balancing structure with flexibility, ambition with grace, and leadership with humility. The conversation moves from the power of professional connection in NACADA to the realities of pursuing a doctorate while managing a full life. There is real talk about failure, persistence, imposter moments, and the quiet courage it takes to keep going.

You will also hear about:

• How mentoring often becomes reverse mentoring
• Why you do not need to “do it all” to make an impact
• The difference between sprinting and persisting in doctoral work
• Building your advising niche without racing anyone else
• Using appreciative education as a leadership framework

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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