122: The Godfather with BC Hatchett

This week, Ryan catches up with BC Hatchett, Director of Classroom Technology at Vanderbilt University and co-founder of HETMA. They talk about shifting from “manager” to “leader,” handing the reins to the next crew, and why letting go (and then cheering from the sideline) is a healthy sign of organizational growth. BC also keeps it real about the pace of higher ed—no more “quiet summers”—and how to stay sane by breaking big things into small, winnable pieces.

Then they pivot to Nashville: HETMA’s Roadshow lands at Vanderbilt on Monday, October 27, perfectly teeing up EDUCAUSE (Oct 28–30) across town. Expect a campus tour (Garland Hall’s renovation is a highlight), a compact vendor experience tailored to higher ed, and a downtown happy hour to keep the conversations going. HETMA will also bring its curated show-floor tour to EDUCAUSE and anchor in the Teaching & Learning “neighborhood” so higher-ed AV folks have a home base all week. Registration for the Roadshow is (gloriously) free—link in the show notes.

Topics Discussed

1. From vice chair to emeritus: leading by influence, not tasking
2. Handing off the wheel: why other people’s improvements are the point
3. The new reality: no dead periods, tighter cycles, same (or fewer) resources
4. Morale by momentum: chip away to free up bandwidth
5. Nashville preview: Vanderbilt’s Garland Hall and campus tour plans
6. What makes Roadshows different: regional, targeted, and human-scale conversations
7. EDUCAUSE in Nashville: who it serves and how AV fits in
8. HETMA’s curated show-floor tour: maximizing limited exhibit time
9. Teaching & Learning “neighborhood” at EDUCAUSE as a community hub
10. Practical travel + weather notes for late-October Nashville (layers!)

Connect with BC
[e-mail]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bc-hatchett-88746312/
https://x.com/bchatchett

Connect with Ryan
@Ryan_A_Gray
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
[e-mail]

Show Links
HETMA Roadshow – Vanderbilt (Oct 27): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nashville-roadshow-at-vanderbilt-university-tickets-1467308913459
EDUCAUSE 2025: https://events.educause.edu/annual-conference

Voiceover by Chris Dechter

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