209. How I’ve built a meaningful online business & community (Jennifer Van Alstyne)
Most people start building an online presence with one goal in mind: to be seen. To grow an audience, promote their work, and build credibility.But over time, that purpose often shifts.
For those who stick with it, who keep showing up with intention, an online presence can become something far more meaningful. It becomes a platform to advocate for the things that truly matter.
In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Van Alstyne to talk about what it means to create content that goes beyond visibility. Jennifer is the owner of The Academic Designer LLC, and she empowers professors to feel confident showing up online through website design, social media, and bio writing.
Because ultimately, your platform isn’t just about you. It can be a powerful tool for change, if you choose to use it that way. This is a conversation about advocacy, community, and the courage it takes to keep showing up, with your values at the center.
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:40) Showing up after hate comments and going viral
(06:11) Reviewing Jennifer’s past content
(09:24) Developing your character as an entrepreneur
(12:56) Separating personal challenges from business
(16:34) Finding community online
(20:58) Realizing you are making an impact via your content
(24:38) Low engagement and small audience size
(28:44) Changes amidst AI
(31:39) Safety vs AI
(36:24) The meaning behind your work
(40:30) Actionable Takeaways
Prefer to listen to the audio version?
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Any Player
Connect with Jennifer van Alstyne
Website: https://theacademicdesigner.com/
Website: https://jennifervanalstyne.com/
Work with Jennifer: https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jennifer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr
Instagram: http://instagram.com/higheredpr
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@higheredpr
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0BCuleBpXeRcpko3t3AYC4?si=a2e570d559354141
Facebook: https://facebook.com/higheredpr
Additional Resources
ANNOTATIONS – The Newsletter
The edits that got cut from the podcast.
Every interview on EDIT HISTORY runs about 60 minutes. But less than 40 minutes makes it into the final cut. This newsletter is where the rest live.
ANNOTATIONS is where I share the 33% I left behind — and the insights that came after we stopped recording.
SUBSCRIBE AT: https://cheryllau.com/email
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