InFormation

Carolyn Noll Sorg

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InFormation is a podcast about using discernment to live with intention, awareness, and purpose. Each episode, Carolyn Noll Sorg sits down with members of the John Carroll community to explore how this practice shapes the way they live, work, and grow. Guests share experiences, insights, and practical takeaways you can apply to your own life.

Aug 28

Episode 5: Growing Through Change

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 5. About the Guest Michele C. Murray is a higher education leader and scholar whose work focuses on student development, meaning-making, and purpose. She is the newly elected president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. In this conversation, she reflects on the changes that have shaped her own career, how her understanding of leadership has evolved, and what she sees happening across higher education. She also explores why finding purpose matters during times of transition and how students—and all of us—can make meaning from experiences that don't go according to plan. In This Episode How change has shaped Michele Murray's personal and professional journeyThe moments that can cause us to rethink our directionHow our understanding of leadership evolves over timeWhat students need in a rapidly changing higher education landscapeThe role Jesuit education can play in helping students navigate changeWhy purpose and meaning-making matter during times of transitionHow to make meaning from experiences that don't go according to planWhat change requires if we want to grow rather than simply reactWhat to do when you don't know what's nextOne question to carry with you through a major transitionOne Thing to Try Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect: What change in my life is asking me to grow?Am I reacting to this change, or am I making space to understand what it means?What have I learned about myself from a transition that didn't go according to plan?What is one question I need to sit with before deciding what's next?Michele C. Murray reminds us that change isn't simply something we have to get through. It can also be an invitation to reflect, make meaning, and become more fully who we're called to be. Episode Credits Hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg Directed by Carmen Ferrante Produced by Aaron Bennett Creative by Danielle Dunne Web & Distribution by Kara Kraus Special thanks to Dan Slentz, Jasen Sokol, Blue Streak Media, and WJCU 88.7 FM.
Jun 29

Episode 4: Telling Compelling Stories

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 4 About the GuestPete Williams is a retired NBC News correspondent and journalist-in-residence at John Carroll University. Over a career spanning decades, he covered breaking news, national policy, and landmark Supreme Court decisions — learning along the way that the facts of a story are never enough on their own. What matters is knowing which facts to choose, how to arrange them, and why your audience should care. In this conversation, he reflects on what it takes to tell a story well: from his early days following President Clinton on Martha's Vineyard to a prime-time documentary connecting World War II saboteurs to Guantanamo Bay. He also talks honestly about the moments he got it wrong — and what he learned from them. In This EpisodeWhy facts alone don't make a story — and what doesThe process of selection: what to include, what to cut, and why it mattersLeading with meaning vs. leading with informationHow deadlines sharpen your thinking (and when they don't)What breaking news taught him about transparency and trustThe difference between listening and waiting to talkHow to tell your own storyOne Thing to Try Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect: What story am I telling, and do I know why it matters to the person hearing it?Where am I piling on facts when I should be building meaning?What's one moment from my own life I could tell as a story, not just a list of things that happened?Pete Williams reminds us that the best storytellers aren't the ones with the most information. They're the ones who know what to leave out — and how to make you care about what's left. Episode Credits Hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg Directed by Carmen Ferrante Produced by Aaron Bennett Creative by Danielle Dunne Web & Distribution by Kara Kraus Special thanks to Dan Slentz, Jasen Sokol, Blue Streak Media, and WJCU 88.7 FM.
May 30

Episode 3: The Importance of Being Present

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg. This is Episode 3. About the Guest Alan R. Miciak is the 26th President of John Carroll University. During his presidency, the University experienced significant enrollment growth, institutional momentum, and continued investment in its Jesuit mission and student experience. As his time in the role comes to a close, this conversation focuses less on accomplishments and more on perspective. Reflecting on the demands of leadership, Dr. Miciak shares why he made a conscious effort this past year to be more present — to fully experience the people, moments, and relationships that can easily be overshadowed by constant planning and responsibility. In this episode, he reflects on leadership not only as strategy and decision-making, but as attention, listening, and learning how to truly be where you are. In This Episode Why leadership constantly pulls attention toward the future Learning to slow down and notice important moments in real time The difference between managing responsibilities and being fully present How presence changes conversations, decisions, and relationships Recognizing when you’ve drifted into “next thing” thinking Why listening is one of the clearest forms of presence The role intentionality plays in leadership and everyday life What people miss when they move too quickly through meaningful experiences Treating presence as a practice instead of a personality trait Reflecting on leadership through moments, not just milestones One Thing to Try Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect: When was the last time I felt fully present in a conversation or experience? What most often pulls my attention away from the moment I’m in? What’s one small way I could slow down and become more intentional this week? Dr. Miciak reminds us that presence is rarely automatic. It’s something we return to — moment by moment, conversation by conversation — by choosing to fully engage with the life that’s happening right now. Episode Credits Hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg Directed by Carmen Ferrante Produced by Aaron Bennett Creative by Danielle Dunne Web & Distribution by Kara Kraus Special thanks to Dan Slentz, Jasen Sokol, Blue Streak Media, and WJCU 88.7 FM.
Apr 28

Episode 2: Moving Beyond Fear

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 2. About the GuestDr. Martina Moore is a faculty member and leader in John Carroll University’s counseling program. Before coming to JCU full time, she spent 15 years building her own practice. Over time, she found herself most energized when working with and mentoring students, and began to notice a quiet but persistent sense that she was meant to do more of that work. That realization led her to make a bold and deeply personal decision: to return for her Ph.D. and step fully into teaching. In this conversation, she reflects on what it means to listen to that inner voice, to trust it, and to say yes to what comes next. In This EpisodeStarting from gratitude instead of fearRecognizing moments when something just feels rightSaying yes before you have everything figured outUnderstanding how your calling shows up over timeReframing a “step back” as a step forwardMoving through doubt, discomfort, and outside expectationsChoosing what’s true for you, even when it’s not obvious to othersBuilding the self-trust to take your next stepOne Thing to TryInspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect: When have I felt a sense of “this is right” in my life?Where might fear be holding me back right now?What is one small step I could take toward what feels true?Dr. Moore reminds us that clarity doesn’t always come all at once. Sometimes, it begins with a feeling — and grows when we have the courage to follow it. Episode Credits Hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg Directed by Carmen Ferrante Produced by Aaron Bennett Creative by Danielle Dunne Web & Distribution by Kara Kraus Special thanks to Dan Slentz, Jasen Sokol, Blue Streak Media, and WJCU 88.7 FM.
Mar 25

Episode 1: Making Good Decisions

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 1. About the GuestBrother Matt Wooters always wanted to be brave and make a difference in the world. A service trip to the Dominican Republic at 16 sparked a lifelong passion to serve others. Today, he is a Jesuit Brother, a trained therapist, and the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at his alma mater, John Carroll University. He founded Brothers Keeper to create honest spaces for young men to talk openly about their lives, and he teaches Ignatian Spirituality to students navigating some of life’s biggest decisions. In This EpisodeWho was St. Ignatius of Loyola — and why is he sometimes called the world's first psychologistThe difference between making a decision and practicing discernmentThe Examen: a twice-daily reflective practice you can adapt for any contextConsolation and desolation — what these Jesuit concepts reveal about your choicesWhat to do when fear is the loudest voice in the roomThree practical questions Ignatius recommends for any major decisionWhy discernment is a camping lantern, not a flashlightHow serving others connects to your own sense of fulfillmentOne Thing to Try Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect: I felt most alive when...I felt afraid when...Brother Matt explains how noticing these moments can clarify your choices, and this simple exercise is a great place to start. Episode Credits Hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg Directed by Carmen Ferrante Produced by Aaron Bennett Creative by Danielle Dunne Web & Distribution by Kara Kraus Special thanks to Dan Slentz, Jasen Sokol, Blue Streak Media, and WJCU 88.7 FM.

5 Episodes

5

out of 5

8 Ratings

InFormation is a podcast about using discernment to live with intention, awareness, and purpose. Each episode, Carolyn Noll Sorg sits down with members of the John Carroll community to explore how this practice shapes the way they live, work, and grow. Guests share experiences, insights, and practical takeaways you can apply to your own life.

Creator

Carolyn Noll Sorg
Years Active

2026
Episodes

5
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026
Show Website

InFormation