The TKE Nation Podcast

Have you ever asked yourself "How did I get here?" Well, so has Frater Brian Montgomery (Gamma-Upsilon, University of Texas – Austin) in his many adventures. Alex and Donnie ask Brian questions ranging from how he became a member of TKE to his close ties to the presidential Bush family, which includes being there when President George W. Bush threw the first pitch at Yankee Stadium. With his high value of our brotherhood, our Fraternity and so many stories in between, you won't want to miss this episode featuring this past Grand Council member!

Join Alex and Chief Risk Officer Greg Roskopf (Zeta-Zeta, Wisconsin-Milwaukee) as they take an episode to break down the Risk Management Fee. The RMF is undergoing a revamp to its calculation, and it will be based more on a chapter's risk exposure to the overall fraternity. Similarly, chapters will be able to shave off dollars from their total fee by event participation, Key Results Area Score and eCompliance completion. These changes will happen gradually, so listen in on this episode to see what that looks like.

Donnie and Alex bring Steven Farag, Co-Founder of Campus Ink, on this episode to delve into the journey that brought him and Campus Ink to where they're at today, including as partners of TKE! Steven's journey started right out of college after he had gone viral for a David Scalabrine themed shirt. He soon took to business and continued growing and growing, and after admittedly many mistakes along the way, Steven and his team surpassed countless checkpoints for the company. Listen in on this episode for real advice on entrepreneurship and maybe even how to score a billionaire business partner!

Alex interviews collegiate member Quady Adams (Tau-Theta, Fairleigh Dickinson) as an engaged member who has made a difference. In getting to know Quady, he shares what he found attractive about TKE, how he has grown to be confident and motivated and what inspired him to create the Diverse Student Union on his campus. Alex keys into the fact that Quady is a highly compassionate person, and Quady is vulnerable in saying that caring for his siblings in a challenging household helped push him to where he is now. Listen to this episode to learn Quady's story and give a platform to another member for Black History Month!

Frater Kobina Intsiful (Zeta-Zeta, Wisconsin-Milwaukee) joins Alex this week on the TKE Nation Podcast to talk about his story, his role on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and Black History Month. Kobina grew up in Ghana, West Africa before moving to Wisconsin as a child, and when it came to joining TKE, he saw that belonging was an important feeling. What that feeling of belonging means to him and how he has changed from trying to fit in to loving his identity is all shared on this valuable episode!

We start the first interview of the year with none other than the Venerable Grand Prytanis himself, Ted W. Bereswill (Gamma-Upsilon, University of Texas at Austin). Donnie and Alex spend their time getting to know his story, his motivations and his goals. As you'll see, Frater Bereswill has a commitment to our members, giving back and the Fraternity. With men like him leading the way, it's easy to see the quality and character that a Teke embodies and where our brotherhood will go!

We come back from the break with a little tribute to Founders' Day 2022: "As they sat at 504 East Locust Street on a cold Tuesday night, Settles, Truitt, McNutt, Atkinson and Mayer set out to create a fraternity that was different than others in their time... Today, on our 123rd Founders’ Day and throughout 2022, I encourage you to engage with TKE’s 1-2-3 - Connect, Celebrate and Contribute. Connect today with the Fraternity on MyTKE.org. Celebrate with your fellow Fraters by sharing on social media the memories of your fraternal experience using #IAMTKE. And contribute to Life Loyal Teke to help impact the future of Tau Kappa Epsilon at TKE.org/LLT. Your engagement in Tau Kappa Epsilon will help to define our future. For us to achieve what our Founders set out to accomplish, the Fraternity For Life needs you. Will you answer the call?"

This year's final episode of the TKE Nation Podcast is a grand review of Donnie and Alex's favorite moments and memories throughout Season 2 this year. So, if you need to hear some of the best recommendations of episodes to go back and listen to, this is the episode for you! To our listeners, thank you, happy holidays, and we'll see you next year. Side note... If you're an underwater welding Teke, can you connect with Donnie? We want to see something...

Donnie and Alex are taking a little break this week, and they will be back next week for the last episode of the year! We are glad to have you all follow along, and as always, thank you for subscribing, rating and sharing the show with your fellow Fraters and friends. Be sure to catch up with the last episode and the bonus release last week!

For this bonus episode of the TKE Nation Podcast, join Alex Swenson, Nick Kimble, and Zach Scott for a conversation on deferred recruitment and what that could mean for your goals. Some topics of discussion include strategies and tactics for recruiting second-semester freshmen, using the time remaining before the holidays to prepare for spring rush, establishing buy-in from the full chapter as you meet your recruitment goals. This recording was originally recorded as a webinar, so there may be times that you hear an audience addressed.

Donnie and Alex interview Brad Rateike (Rho-Upsilon, Franklin) this week on the podcast, and there are stories galore. To name just a few accomplishments, Brad has worked in the White House as the Director of Cabinet Communications; was Deputy Press Secretary and Policy Director for Mitch Daniels, former Governor of Indiana; and was named an Indianapolis Business Journal Forty under 40 in 2020. The humbling part of this interview is that Brad ties a lot of his experiences to what he learned during his years as an collegiate. Some takeaways are try not to burn your bridges and always keep in touch!

Reunited, and it feels so good! It's been a couple episodes since Donnie and Alex have been together chatting on an episode. They spend their time on this episode reviewing Donnie's thoughts on the most recent news in TKE Nation, like the changes on the Grand Council and the upcoming Regional Leadership Conferences. They also spend time recapping what they're watching in sports and good news in recruitment. Lastly, If you haven't seen, check out the ways to save money on RLC registration at TKE.org/RLC!

There are certain recruitment principles that can be applied to every chapter across TKE Nation, and Alex Swenson is out to prove it. This week, Alex interviews Beta-Lambda members Josh Elliott, Jack Whatley and Bo Borden at Auburn University with a reported 46 new candidates this semester. How early did they start planning? What issues did they run into along the way? How does the chapter feel their brotherhood stands with so many new members? All of this and more is answered, as well as how it can benefit you too, on this episode of the TKE Nation Podcast!

Swenson takes the steering wheel solo this week as he recaps the current standings of TKE Nation's highest recruiters. What makes a top recruiting chapter so exciting? It means they've gotten their routine and process honed in on their campus. Although your campus may be different, the processes and preparations can be applied anywhere. Follow up in the coming weeks as the TKE Nation Podcast explores these all-star processes with all-star chapters. You can check out the current standings at TKE.org/Chapter-Rankings under the Recruitment Poll tab.

Relive stories with the legendary Bruce Melchert (Beta-Theta, Missouri - Columbia) in this episode of the TKE Nation Podcast. Donnie and Alex sit down in the northeast and listen to the great past of Bruce, such as the most influential people he’s met in his time with TKE, the time when many of the men on staff were drafted, or when TKE HQ was in Kansas City. Why’d we move to Indianapolis, you ask? Bruce has the answer! It’s an honor to converse with someone who has influenced the trajectory of our Fraternity and continues to do so today, so don’t miss out!

This episode, Alex introduces his friend and fellow Leadership Academy graduate Drew Frizzell (Delta-Lambda, Central Missouri) to the TKE Nation Podcast. Drew has an interesting and untraditional journey that led him to TKE and beyond, and even Alex learns new things about Drew's past. From inspirational stories, to being a great friend, alumni and mentor, this episode holds a lot of lessons between two friends.

This week, Donnie and Alex make their way to California for a couple of visits and a podcast recording. TKE Foundation Vice Chairman of External Affairs, Frater David Bohline (Beta-Sigma, Southern California), played host to the hosts and welcomed the TKE Nation Podcast to his home for this special episode.

Recorded live at the Charles R. Walgreen Jr. TKE Leadership Academy, this is a guest-packed episode! If you have ever wanted to learn more about TKE's premier leadership program, then this is for you. So strap in as we hear from graduates and facilitators alike. And Alex wants to remind you all not to forget—In the annual collegiates vs. facilitators basketball games, the facilitators brought the heat against their much younger opponents. Eight games and eight wins. He seems pretty pleased with this.

The TKE Nation Podcast is shifting our release schedule to every two weeks for the foreseeable future. With that said, Donnie and Alex will be recording an episode live next week at the Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. TKE Leadership Academy. This is the first time we've recorded an episode live at an event. We can't wait to work with Fraters at Academy to advance our mission and to help reach our potential for this academic year.

Curious about being a Digital Nomad? Can't get enough conversations about the future of work? Want some hot takes on the Olympics? This episode is for you! We are talking to Frater Kenny Soto (Kappa-Sigma, City College of New York), who is currently based out of South Africa and shares his experience living the remote work lifestyle. Kenny is a digital marketer, writer and all-around motivated learner. Check out KennySoto.com for more of his work, or head over to TKE.org and search for him to see the articles he has contributed to TKE.