Bold Thought Partners

03/09/2022

I could have written this article. Affordability must be a factor in college choice! Be informed, run the net price calculator and know before you go!

Saying no to the expensive dream schools may hurt now, but a debt-free life is worth it.

01/24/2022

I am pleased to report that California AB-288 "Ban on Scholarship Displacement Act of 2021" is moving forward after a unanimous vote of the Appropriations Committee on 1/20/2022, AND Washington state HB-1907 "Concerning scholarship displacement in postsecondary institutions' gift equity packaging policies", is scheduled for a hearing today in the College and Workforce Development Committee! Bold Thought Partners is a proud supporter of both bills, and I have been invited to testify at today's hearing.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1907&Year=2021&Initiative=false

Seven years after beginning this movement with an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun, six years after introducing the "first in the nation" bill in Maryland which passed in 2017, and less than a year after New Jersey became "second in the nation", we are seeing progress state by state! If you would like to discuss bringing this movement to your state, let's talk!



Michele Waxman Johnson Zaniya Lewis YesSheCanCampaign

12/09/2021

A shout-out to the YesSheCanCampaign and my friend Zaniya Lewis for making college and university private scholarship policies more transparent. Check out their DisScholared web site www.disscholared.org/database (still a work in progress) where private scholarship policies are being pulled together into a searchable database for students and parents.

High school students who apply for private scholarships should research the private scholarship policies of colleges and universities to which they are applying. 20% of colleges and universities say that when a student earns a private scholarship, they will first reduce that students’ institutional scholarship – this is scholarship displacement. The private scholarship policy should be a factor in college choice for students applying for private scholarships.

Information is key in helping students keep the private scholarships they worked hard to apply for and earn, and in helping students complete with as little debt as possible! I am ready to help scholarship providers and college access programs help their students leverage the tools of information and advocacy to avoid scholarship displacement. Let's talk!

A database of universities' private scholarship policies.

12/02/2021

Many thanks for your enthusiasm for the launch of Bold Thought Partners -- www.boldthoughtpartners.com. As some have asked, here’s the story behind the name.

I wanted to do business as Waxman Johnson Strategies but former US Congressman Henry Waxman, now a DC-based lobbyist DBA Waxman Strategies had registered the names Waxman Strategies and Waxman Consulting in Maryland. My SCORE advisor said don’t do it, so it was back to square one.

I took the leap into consulting with just one client -- in Wasilla, Alaska -- 4,300 miles from my home on the eastern shore of Maryland. Last summer before leaving on vacation, my client-to-be sent a draft scope of services and a homework assignment to be completed by her return – to register my business.

But to register I needed a name! In the scope of services, my client called me her “thought partner.” I said that’s it! However, growing up with a last name starting with W, I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder about being last, so needed a word from the beginning of the alphabet to go first. A former boss called me bold, and that was it – Bold Thought Partners, LLC.

Sending much appreciation to my first client, Vandana Ingle at the Mat-Su Health Foundation, www.healthymatsu.org, who will forever be part of my story. The Mat-Su Health Foundation works to improve the health and wellness of Mat-Su Borough residents via four focus areas – aging, families, minds, and futures. In 2020 their scholarship programs for healthcare and human services awarded $2+ million to 400+ students.

And that is the story behind the name Bold Thought Partners!

Have a great day!

The Mat-Su Health Foundation offers support to 501(c(3) organizations offering solutions to health-related problems impacting the Mat-Su Borough.

11/24/2021

It was not my plan to become a consultant in 2021. I could not have been any happier as VP of 10 years at a small nonprofit, working with an amazing and talented team and a great mission that we all believed in. An April 1st leadership change resulted in our entire team being gone by October. After applying for 50+ jobs, I created Bold Thought Partners. Many have asked about the name, and that story will be shared later.

My early months as a consultant have been wonderful. I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal; invited to join my friend and scholarship displacement advocacy partner, Zaniya Lewis, in a NACAC conference keynote; and signed on my first three clients. Then a university in a faraway state hired me as a paid application reader; more presentations; and finally, the opportunity to do pro bono work in support of the first ever national scholarship displacement bill, HB 5380. There is opportunity everywhere! With Thanksgiving approaching, there is much to be thankful for:

· While my first clients have put their trust in me, I want to thank them for the opportunities and for all they have done for me! I hope to feature some of my clients’ important work in future posts, as well as the work of my future clients.

· The Fall 2021 Flagship Design Studio Team in the Design and Digital Media Department at Sacramento City College who designed my amazing new logo and web site https://lnkd.in/dSyXNRzT along with other marketing materials – Sydney, Brittany, Laura, Jarelene, Matthew, Natalie, and Professor Robyn Waxman. I could not be any happier with the process and the finished products!

· My National Scholarship Providers Association universe -- the staff, the board, my coach, and my many NSPA friends who offered support and encouragement.

· And finally, my wonderful family and friends, who kept me going in 2021 when times were really tough, especially Paul Douglas Johnson who was at my side all along.

Wishing a happy and safe Thanksgiving to all!

Think Boldly Michele Waxman Johnson, CEO of Bold Thought Partners, LLC, is a national consultant and advocate for affordable, transparent, and equitable higher education and scholarship displacement evangelist. She is a thought partner and coach working alongside clients who share her values, servin...

11/19/2021

March 2020 began a wild roller coaster ride for us all. We dreamed of a better 2021 but the challenges only grew. Needing to restart my career, in June I filed an LLC and by late summer was working as a national consultant and advocate for affordable, transparent, and equitable higher education, serving clients who share my values. Helping scholarship providers, college access programs, and colleges use the tools of advocacy and information to help empower and educate students and policymakers is my focus. I am continuing my work with scholarship displacement, helping other states follow Maryland’s lead, and advocating for change at the national level.

Today, bursting with pride, it is time to launch the website for Bold Thought Partners, LLC. This website was designed by talented students at Sacramento City College in the Design and Digital Media Department fall 2021 Flagship Design Studio Team. The class and their amazing professor will be acknowledged in my next post, which with Thanksgiving approaching, will be focused on gratitude.

In the meantime, please check out my web site www.boldthoughtpartners.com , and please follow Bold Thought Partners on Facebook www.facebook.com/BoldThoughtPartners and LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/boldthoughtpartners . If you'd like to learn more -- let’s talk!

Think Boldly Michele Waxman Johnson, CEO of Bold Thought Partners, LLC, is a national consultant and advocate for affordable, transparent, and equitable higher education and scholarship displacement evangelist. She is a thought partner and coach working alongside clients who share her values, servin...

11/15/2021

Welcome to the page of Bold Thought Partners, LLC, a national consultant and advocate for affordable, transparent, and equitable higher education, and a thought partner and coach serving clients including scholarship providers, college access programs, community foundations, and higher education institutions.