Yep, that’s me – you may be wondering about how I got into this situation.
Don’t worry, I am going to tell you!
Yes, I am going to write about “that class” about that “super iconic and special GOAT guest speaker.” The class that spread virally across social media – reaching all aspects of industries, classrooms, and communities. As you can imagine, the past 24hrs+ have been a whirlwind of answering emails, DMs, responding to updates, and my favorite messages like:
“HOW DID YOU GET RYAN REYNOLDS TO SPEAK TO YOUR CLASS?!!”
I do not have a full video of the entire class session. I only recorded introducing Ryan to my students (all were surprised, shocked, and speechless when he entered our virtual class), but I can share what have been some of the main takeways about this incredible learning and professional experience for my students:
Relationships MATTER in social media. We sometimes forget there is a person – another human being – on the other side of the screen reading, consuming, and reflecting on the content that is shared and presented to them. Social media is first and foremost social! It’s about being able to build relationships and connections on social.
This is what happened here. This did not happen overnight because relationships don’t happen overnight. They take time, trust, and consistency where you are able to offer value to the other person. I will be explaining this a bit later.
Listening and empathy are crucial. Ryan – in his previous talks – always mentioned how empathy and listening are two important elements to understand what is happening in the world, but also how this could lead to some incredible ideas and opportunities.
As discussed in class, we need to be aware of when to interject ourselves into the conversation, when to reach out, and how to best position ourselves with a trending topic (if we partake in it or not). Having Ryan reemphasize these points as well as share how he’s done this with his work with the students again was really awesome to see because the students connected with it.
These are two crucial qualities teachers need to have – and Ryan definitely has both.
What students need to be aware of when they enter the field. I would say most of my students were curious about what it takes to be successful in the industry – and wanted to get Ryan’s take on this point. I think what Ryan shared gave the students confidence and reassurance they are doing all of the right things. Being able to learn from what works in a campaign and project (and what happens when things do not go well) is a great teacher.
Another aspect Ryan discussed with the students was about understanding the role in which you are faced with challenges and obstacles can be the time where you get a real world view of the value of marketing can do for you. He shared a bit about what it was like promoting Deadpool (which he has shared in other talks) – but this really resonated with the students because it gave them the confidence they need to understand there may be times where you have to rise to the challenge and be agile, nimble, and creative with your marketing on social media.
Also, when Ryan discussed how his Match.com ad came to be (which is highlighted in my book and I remember thinking this is truly iconic!) – I had to mute myself during the call b/c I laughed out loud. In case you have not seen the Match.com ad – it’s a classic!
Stories are key to be successful in social media today. We had a conversation in class on how you can use social media to build relationships and make amazing opportunities happen – because like films – it all comes down to storytelling.
Ryan talked on some of the main points highlighted in his amazing keynote he did a few weeks ago for Adobe Summit (which we saw in class last week – little did the students know they would actually meet Ryan!)
Determine how you can help to add value. Ryan and I got connected back in December 2019 on Twitter (seriously the best social media platform ever!). Since then, there have been a lot of great interactions about all things social media and marketing.
I remember thinking – with all of the brands, professionals, and resources out there for Ryan to have available to him – how could I – a professor – help or add value? How could I help support his work in a way perhaps others could not?
It’s simple – I would do what I do as a professor and research, discuss, and talk about his work in and out of the classroom. I shared my thoughts on the work he and his team were doing for marketing and branding, I wrote about his work in both of my books, and I always made sure to showcase the campaigns and projects to illustrate key concepts in all of my conference talks.
It got to the point where I joked with colleagues and friends I should just refer my classes at UofL as being the Ryan Reynolds classes because I always added what they were doing into my lectures each week.
My view is when it comes to inspire the future generation of professionals – you got to showcase and inspire them with the best, and in my opinion, that’s Ryan and what his teams at Maximum Effort, AAG, Mint Mobile, Wrexham FC, and others are doing.
And this is what Ryan encouraged as well. To be accessible and open with your community, chat and brainstorm ideas while working with people you feel connected with.
We completely surprised my students by doing this. When preparing this guest talk – Ryan wanted to surprise the students by “Zoom bombing” into the class. I thought – cool! We can do that. But – how would my students react?
So – I didn’t tell my students at all what was going to happen to class. As a professor, there are certain things to consider. First, you have to set the pace on what is expected. Planning and preparing is just part of the process for me as a professor – so I took that approach with this. Inspect what you expect – for all guest speakers – I tell them to be professional, respectful, and prepared.
So – I introduced Ryan to class – there were some really surprised reactions from the students – but overall – they were EXCEPTIONAL! Great questions and comments – they represented their university extremely well.
I have a new nickname to go by. This was a pretty cool thing that happened. I go by many different names in my life. Karen with friends and family, Dr. or Professor Freberg by students and colleagues, Dr. Karen by The Rock, and of course Dr. F by my good friend Chris Strub.
When getting close to the time for class, Ryan asked me how I was addressed by my students – and listed the others above, but then added Dr. K. I mentioned how this is the first time I’ve been called that – and you know what? That’s how he referred to me as in class with my students. So, for now and for the future – only Ryan Reynolds can all me Dr. K.
Ryan is now a friend in my book. Ryan is one of the kindest people out there in the industry. I got to see this first hand with how he handled the classroom with ease, grace, and generosity. He spent 45 min with my students – and he made a point to me by saying “Dr. K – I want to make sure I answer every student’s question that they have for me.” You cannot put a price on this kindness – it’s priceless.
I have respected and have been a fan of Ryan’s work on screen and in the marketing industry for years – but I am a bigger fan now because I am a fan of the kind person he is. Everything you read about what he does to give back to society, industry, and to others – all true. My students and I have seen it firsthand at the University of Louisville.
I’ve referred Ryan to as a celebrity to GOAT in social media marketing for years, but I can now add a new category to the list: friend. Ryan will always have an open invitation to my classes. I shared with Ryan how he’s a natural teacher – he does really well with navigating the culture of the classroom, personality of each student (he made sure to address them by name – which made them SO excited!), and answered and listened to every student’s question.
This has been the biggest highlight of my teaching career. Thank you Ryan for everything you do for our industry, and for giving my students an experience they will always remember. I look forward to hosting you again in class, Professor Reynolds.
Best Wishes,
