The alarm goes off. Snooze. You know you have to get out of bed, but you just don’t have the motivation. The day seems like this looming monster that awaits you outside of your covers. This is a process that college students are all too familiar with. During a global pandemic, it can be difficult to muster up the willpower to take on a sometimes stressful and overwhelming day. Patrick Linehan ‘21 (Newhouse) wants to make that dreadful morning wake up and walk to class a little brighter. His podcast, aptly named The Commute to Class, provides listeners with a fifteen-minute spark of motivation they need to tell themselves, “Hey you know what I can do it”.
The Commute to Class is a new podcast brought to you by Blackstone LaunchPad & TechStars at Syracuse University Libraries. The series sits down with recent LaunchPad alumni who have gone on to create successful ventures. From Forbes 30 under 30 recipients to CEOs getting multi-million-dollar investments, the guest list is quite expansive and inspiring. Despite all their successes, host Patrick Linehan sits down with them to discuss their struggles and failures. As you listen, you might just become more motivated to follow your passions.
Linehan, a former economics major turned newspaper and online journalism major, struggled himself to be honest about what he truly wanted to do. He says that “In high school I suppressed the more artistic side of myself in order to fit what I thought was best for me.”
Since he’s gotten to Syracuse University Linehan has embraced the creative storyteller inside him. From jump-starting a magazine publication on campus to filming music videos for a local band, he has created quality content that he is passionate about. He is now a LaunchPad Global Fellow, producing stories and digital content for the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at the university.
Although he never thought of himself as an entrepreneur, he came to see himself that way from LaunchPad director Linda Hartsock, the first guest on the podcast series. You don’t necessarily have to have a business venture to be an entrepreneur. You need a way of thinking about your life and how you approach the world. Linehan explains, “She has taught me that being an entrepreneur is more about mindset than anything else which has encouraged me to put my ambition towards projects I have a passion for.”
Now as he faces his newest creative project, he’s excited to provide valuable insight from some of the brightest business minds to his audience. Featured guests will include Kelsey Davis, founder of CLLCTVE, on Forbes 30 under 30 list this past year; Julia Haber, founder of WAYV and Home From College; and Dylan Kim, founder of Brevité. “This podcast is meant for people who want to achieve something great but maybe don’t exactly know how they are going to make it happen.”
Over the nine interviews in the series, Linehan dives deep into topics he didn’t think he would be hearing from successful entrepreneurs. As dual major student who is engaged in so many campus projects and his own passion pursuits, he really resonated with his conversations about burnout, stress, and humility. He says, “It’s nice to hear that these super successful people encounter the same challenges that we all do.” He hopes listeners find their own comfort, as well as motivation from these stories of struggle and failure.
Like any successful company, Linehan recognizes the team effort required to produce a captivating podcast. He says that he really couldn’t have done this without the help of Nick Barba (podcast production coordinator), Connor Johnson (original music scoring), and Sloane Sexton (graphic design and branding), who are all fellow LaunchPad members.
https://open.spotify.com/show/4OyxEdqIXdMFNjvi4FSqmnIf you want to hear impactful discussion about the triumphs and failures of Syracuse University’s most successful entrepreneurs, tune in as the first few episodes of The Commute to Class have been released on wherever you listen to your podcasts. Be sure to come back often here.
Story by Jack Lyons ‘22, LaunchPad Global Fellow; photos and graphics supplied