The past few days have been a whirlwind of discussions, coffee breaks, brainstorm sessions, and recordings for an upcoming certification. I have spent the past few days in Boston working with the HubSpot Academy team as they prepare to launch a new certification on social media.
You may be asking – Karen – how did you get involved with HubSpot Academy? This actually has been a conversation and partnership that has grown and fostered over the last year. It seems like yesterday when Isaac Moche (who is the Education Partner Program Manager for HubSpot) reached out to me about what they were doing for HubSpot Academy and how they were launching their new podcast, The Teacher’s Lounge. I was surprised and truly honored to be the first guest on the podcast! I had a chance to meet Isaac last year in Boston when I was in town for another conference, and the rest is history!
Fast forward a few months later, I had a chance to connect with Crystal King, who is a great social media professional who is the one who has organized, researched, and created the social media certification for HubSpot. We first got connected on Twitter, and then she joined the Social Media Professors group I manage on FB. This is where I first heard about the new social media certification HubSpot was launching.
I was super excited to hear about this because I had incorporated other HubSpot certifications in my classes (I assigned the Inbound Marketing and Content Marketing certifications for my #FrebergSM Advanced Social Media Strategy class this spring – my students loved it!). Shortly thereafter, I was approached to get involved in the certification. Not only was I able to get involved, but I was able to work on one of the lessons AND record a video that will go along with the lesson!
I was blown away because this was a HUGE opportunity to be a part of! So, I was able to get my bags packed, fly out to Boston, and spend a few days with the HubSpot Academy team. We had a chance to have some great discussions, brainstorming sessions, and talks all about the current state of social media.
As a professor and after spending these past few months working with the team at HubSpot and having these conversations in person – THIS is what I feel makes HubSpot Academy a major player in the industry.
Not only are they providing great tools and resources for professors, but genuinely care about the state of higher education and what are students are able to do out in the profession. I had a seat at the table and was able to share what are some of the things I am seeing in the industry and profession, and what we can all do to create a better and stronger bridge between practice and eduction
What was it like to record a lesson? It was fantastic! I had a chance to write the script (which I have done for other projects I have worked on over the years), and then be able to record it via video. Being on camera doesn’t make me nervous, but I did notice there were times where my brain would read the sentence quickly, but I would forget to say a word or two! Thank goodness for retakes! By the end of my time in the studio – my energy was super high from the experience! It was actually a lot of fun!
I was truly honored to be part of this conversation and project, and it has been one of the best professional experiences I have had.
A special thanks to Crystal, Isaac, Eric, Courtney, Kyle, Rachael, and Joanna for being exceptional hosts during my time in Boston!
You really made me feel part of the HubSpot Academy community, and thank you for all you are doing for educators, students, and the professional community! It is truly special!
I can’t WAIT for you all to see the new social media certification! Make sure to follow this link and sign up so you are able to get the latest updates on when this will be launched!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
