I know everyone is worried about AI taking over soon, but it still can't tell what word I was trying to type when I misspell it sometimes... So, I think we have a little bit of time yet.

I just ‘liked’ the very first picture I saw when I opened my instagram feed… and then say it was posted 10 DAYS AGO!!! Please don’t ever do me like that IG. 🥲 Unliked 👎

I genuinely have no schadenfreude looking at what’s happening in America. So many great people I know are from there. It’s just deeply sad and is having knock on effects hurting people all around the globe.

ChatGPT is getting way too enthusiastic in its replies. Maybe people like it in USA but think about the rest of us.

Can we work on human rights for people first?

4 years living in Saudi and still haven’t fully adjusted to the Sunday to Thursday working week. Calling Sunday Monday and calling Thursday Friday is still happening 🫠

A heads up Americans for tomorrow. From a born & bred Irishman. Firstly, I sympathize that your country is falling apart & this isn’t a priority BUT It’s “St. Patrick’s Day”. We also call it “St. Paddy’s Day” and just “Paddy’s Day”. No Irish person EVER (truly EVER) has called it “St. Patty’s” 🤢.

Having 11 work meetings in one day while dry fasting for Ramadan is… 😵‍💫 Especially after getting up at 4:45am for Suhoor.

1/2 a decade of responding to the “an Irish man who doesn’t drink” shock with my “that’s why they kicked me out, and Saudi was happy to take me in” joke.

Three years ago today, the day before my 31st birthday, I launched the Accessible Social website. Since then, more than 110,000 people worldwide have visited the site, representing nearly every country on the planet. I couldn't be prouder of Accessible Social and the many people it has helped. 🎉

😬 I definitely did 😅

Learning Arabic is such a humbling experience. 100s of hours of group and private classes and years and years of daily Duolingo and I still feel like I know almost nothing. If I’d put this effort into a European language I’m certain I’d be fluent. “How do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time.”

So many great podcasts in the Higher Ed MarCom space. I often spend my Fridays (which is the weekend here in Saudi) catching up on them. What’s cool is I know, have met and/or worked with so many of these people (guests and hosts) in real life too.

Maybe there’s a great reason for it that I don’t get, but asking me to put my first name and second yet in separate boxes in your form instead of one “name” field pisses me off. I might be out right there.

Higher ed pros, let's find each other again! 💙 I’ve put together a Bluesky Directory to help our community reconnect. https://buff.ly/4hUri6B Check it out and add your own info!

That ‘Trump Gaza’ AI video is possibly the most unhinged post I’ve ever seen on the internet, and it’s posted by a sitting US president. Feel like I’m living in a simulation. How can this level of depravity be reality. 🙃

Terrible news everyone, I’ve improved my diet and started exercise a little and… …it works. I feel much better in many ways. 😔 I’m going to have to keep it up. 😭

At first I didn’t like my new haircut, but I have to say it’s growing on me. 🥁

Enjoyed sitting down with my good pal @taylorstakes.bsky.social to dive into @timelycare.bsky.social’s research on the impact of access to mental health and wellness resources impacts student retention and success for @enrollify.bsky.social. www.enrollify.org/episodes/ep-...

I’m loving the Higher Ed Pulse Check series on strategic storytelling Episode 4 “Leveraging Stakeholder Engagement for Strategic Storytelling” has some great insights on getting the right people in the room and bringing people with you. @mallorywillsea.bsky.social talks with Anna McBrayer 🎙️

I’ve 8 direct reports, just carried out all their mid-year performance reviews. I provided a template for them to fill to guide the conversation. They led, 80% of the time (1hr) was me listening. I celebrated each of them & got great feedback on tangible actions we can take as a team improve. ✍️

Sending a hug to all my American friends right now. This is absolute madness 🫨

I spoke at the CASE Asia Pacific Advancement Conference 2024 in Singapore. They’ve sent me the feedback, highest audience score I’ve ever gotten at a CASE event. Some of the best comments ever too. All very positive, only 1 (very) negative one. Guess what I’ve been stuck thinking about all week?

I’m volunteering to judge the CASE Circle of Excellence Awards in the video, digital campaigns and marketing categories for the first time in 2025. Looking forward to stealing all your cool ideas from your great campaigns and content 😎 Sorry, I meant “be inspired”.

Wish someone had warned me that one day over 35 id wake up feeling sleepy and that feeling would stay as ten baseline from then on 🥲

A simple fact: Higher ed MarCom works best when treated as a strategic partner rather than just a service department. 🤷‍♀️

Honored to receive a lifetime membership of CASE and the ‘CASE laureate’ title from their President and CEO Sue Cunningham in return for my volunteering and leadership with the organization over the years. 🙏

Spot on advice (as usual) from Jon-Stephen

Catching the sunset in the desert last night. 📍 Morocco 🇲🇦

Do 👏🏻 better 👏🏻

Why the f*ck is America back all over the “vaccines cause autism” stuff again. 🙃 It’s nearly 2025… I thought we’d have flying cars by now not this crap 🥲

Time for an Irish biscuits feast with some hot tea ☕️

“19 Higher Ed Marketers You Should Follow” Great list featuring @jennyfowler.bsky.social @shanebaglini.bsky.social @higheredcmo.bsky.social @kibilds.bsky.social @brianwpiper.bsky.social @carriehphillips.bsky.social @ashleybudd.com & more blog.socialmediastrategiessummit.com/10-higher-ed...

Logging on at 5am Irish time Sunday to Thursday this week to match the my regular Saudi work time… missing the Saudi temperatures a little to be honest. But lovely to be home for the holidays and with family after work each evening. #RemoteWorking

Thank you LinkedIn for showing me exclusively posts from 3 weeks ago. Really helpful 🙂

The wonderful Director of Social Media Strategy at MIT, @jennyfowler.bsky.social, invited me on her podcast, and I really LOVED our conversation, hope you do too. Hear about moving from #Ireland to #SaudiArabia to have an opportunity to tell stories that had never been told before.

Working remotely from Ireland this week. I’ve had 9 meetings since the first one at 5am. Time to log off 😴😵

Arrived back in Ireland 🇮🇪 from Saudi 🇸🇦 for the holidays. First stop, bringing my wee nephews to see Santa 🎅

FYI: Bridget Jones Diary is set at Christmas and is still a funny and enjoyable movie, worth a watch/re-watch. (The elements about her weight are definitely outdated.)

Bluesky Just Hit 25 Million Users As Exodus From Elon Musk's X Continues This site had 6 million users in late August Nearly 11 million in late October And hit 15 million users on Nov. 15. It added another 5 million users in just five days, hitting 20 million users by Nov. 19.

Facts inform. Stories transform.

Great episode! Love your story.

The wonderful Director of Social Media Strategy at MIT, @jennyfowler.bsky.social, invited me on her podcast, and I really LOVED our conversation, hope you do too. Hear about moving from #Ireland to #SaudiArabia to have an opportunity to tell stories that had never been told before.

I recently joined @jennyfowler.bsky.social on the ‘Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager’ podcast. One of the great suite of shows on the @enrollify.bsky.social network. Learn all about my journey from Ireland 🇮🇪 to Saudi 🇸🇦 Can’t wait to share it with you when it launches Thursday🎙️

Loving the buzz around our content and marketing communities caused by my department’s decision to sign the University to #ContentEdPlus @tracyplayle.bsky.social www.contentedlive.com/join-content...

on days like today, the other place really is shining

I recently joined @jennyfowler.bsky.social on the ‘Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager’ podcast. One of the great suite of shows on the @enrollify.bsky.social network. Learn all about my journey from Ireland 🇮🇪 to Saudi 🇸🇦 Can’t wait to share it with you when it launches Thursday🎙️

Great nuggets of wisdom for all Higher Ed MarComms professionals from @carriehphillips.bsky.social in this episode of @shanebaglini.bsky.social’s ‘Breaking Silos’ podcast. I need to start thinking aboutbthe monkeys Ive been letting in to my ofdice 😅🐒 Check it out: podcasts.apple.com/sa/podcast/b...

The coming years are likely to be more challenging for our international students. In this episode I talk with Shaun R. Carver, Ed.D., MBA about how we can: ✅ continue to recruit international students ✅ better support them on our campuses www.enrollify.org/episodes/ep-...

When having a meal in Japan, it is impolite to refill your own glass. So if you want more to drink, you refill someone else's glass as a cue for someone else to fill yours. The holidays can be rough, so if someone fills your glass with kindness, be sure that theirs isn't empty too.