331: Project Confidence, PM Wisdom, and Spring Transitions

This episode of The AV Life features host Tim Van Woeart alongside Murphy Daley for a spring check-in that blends higher ed life, project management lessons, family milestones, and the growing momentum around Murphy’s Audio Video Project Manager Handbook. Recording on the final day of April, Tim reflects on Rutgers University Newark kicking off its 80th anniversary celebration and finishing his first MBA course, while Murphy shares updates from Southern California and her recent experience speaking at Cavlo in Tennessee.

Murphy’s PM Minute centers on one deceptively simple idea: people matter. Drawing from her Cavlo education sessions, survey feedback, and her own experience with imposter syndrome, she talks through the importance of bringing the project team into uncertainty instead of pretending to have every answer. Tim connects that directly to his own higher ed AV work, emphasizing transparency, team learning, and the value of giving younger staff real project context instead of keeping information siloed.

The conversation also covers Murphy’s possible next steps for turning her handbook into a course, Tim’s education and personal development planning, HETMA’s growing event presence, InfoComm updates, the Education Summit, and a potential non-attendees episode for those not traveling to the show. The episode closes with a lighter family-focused turn, including prom dress adventures, fifth-grade dance prep, talent shows, and the reminder that wherever AV is happening, HETMA is probably somewhere nearby.


Topics Discussed:
Rutgers University Newark kicking off its 80th anniversary celebration
Tim completing his first MBA course and reflecting on imposter syndrome
Murphy’s experience speaking at Cavlo in Tennessee
The value of smaller AV events compared with the scale and intensity of InfoComm
Airport Whataburger, AV foodies, and post-conference travel stories
Murphy’s PM Minute on bringing people into project uncertainty
Why transparency matters when sharing project information with AV teams
The importance of mentoring younger staff through real project involvement
Murphy’s ideas for expanding the AV Project Manager Handbook into a course
Possible CTS-credit project management training opportunities
HETMA roadshows, InfoComm Education Summit, and the Higher Ed AV Awards
Tim’s plan for a virtual InfoComm non-attendees episode
Spring semester wrap-up, exams, summer projects, prom, and school milestones

The AV Life is a Higher Ed AV Media production. More at higheredav.com.

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