The Higher Ed Marketer

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad.___Two consecutive record classes did not come from one silver bullet. Ashley Hanson, Vice President for Enrollment at Carthage College, shares how campus-wide recruiting, personalized visits, early awareness, and market-specific decisions helped Carthage grow while staying focused on students. She explains why enrollment leaders should treat best practices as inputs, not instructions, and build systems that fit their own institution.___What We Cover in This Episode🔘 How campus-wide ownership helped Carthage sustain enrollment growth🔘 Why personalized visits still matter as volume increases🔘 How Carthage serves commuter students without abandoning its residential identity🔘 Why early awareness and changing search behavior require new recruitment tools🔘 How leaders can adapt best practices to their students, markets, and capacity___Episode Highlights08:13 - The campus-wide work behind two record classes11:59 - Preserving personal attention as campus visits grow15:18 - Marketing a residential college to nearby commuters21:01 - Reaching stealth prospects earlier in their search24:15 - Bringing career preparation into recruitment from day zero36:22 - Why leaders should stop copying industry best practices___NextGrad helps colleges and universities reach students where they already are, inside the high school itself. With a network of over 2,500 schools across North America, NextGrad puts your institution's message in front of future students every single day. Be the school they remember when it's time to decide.Nextgrad.com, Where students see you first.___The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions, your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, AI expertise, and branding needs. To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.___The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proud to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad.___Building a university from scratch forces leaders to meet today’s needs while planning years ahead. Matthew McGee, Provost and Executive Vice President of Orlando Christian University, shares how OCU is pairing faith, accreditation, and careful planning to launch an accessible Christian higher education model. He explains why clarity builds trust, strategic church relationships strengthen enrollment, and excellence can coexist with iteration.___What We Cover in This Episode🔘 How OCU’s mission grew from a need for Christian leaders🔘 Why accreditation can strengthen a new institution from the beginning🔘 How excellence and attention to detail help an unknown university earn trust🔘 Why new programs need relentless clarity and intentional storytelling🔘 How church relationships can create sustainable enrollment pathways___Episode Highlights00:20 - Balancing immediate needs with long-range planning01:29 - The need that led to Orlando Christian University06:43 - The prospective student who made the mission personal08:31 - Using accreditation to build a stronger institution13:25 - Keeping the face of the student at the center15:56 - Why excellence is a practical way to earn trust19:37 - Communicating a new institution with relentless clarity24:23 - Building church relationships strategically and genuinely___NextGrad helps colleges and universities reach students where they already are, inside the high school itself. With a network of over 2,500 schools across North America, NextGrad puts your institution's message in front of future students every single day. Be the school they remember when it's time to decide.Nextgrad.com, Where students see you first.___The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions, your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, AI expertise, and branding needs. ___To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proud to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad.___A calendar filled with other people’s priorities can quietly turn leadership into nonstop reaction. Kathy Kissane, Founder and Executive Coach at Create What’s Next Coaching, explains how higher ed leaders can reclaim space to think, lead proactively, and design the next chapter of their work. She shares a simple three-question weekly check-in that turns reflection into one concrete action.___What We Cover in This Episode🔘 Why higher ed’s cycles and stakeholders intensify reactive leadership🔘 How a leader’s calendar reveals what truly receives priority🔘 What changes when leaders plan in decades instead of weeks🔘 The three questions that build a proactive weekly habit🔘 How small scheduled actions create momentum and develop others___Episode Highlights02:02 - Why campus leaders become trapped in reaction mode07:09 - The personal and organizational cost of staying reactive09:27 - Interrupting the pattern before the work fills every opening11:08 - Treating the calendar as a leadership tool19:06 - Kathy’s three-question weekly check-in22:38 - Turning reflection into one scheduled next step27:20 - Giving emerging leaders permission to lead differently___NextGrad helps colleges and universities reach students where they already are, inside the high school itself. With a network of over 2,500 schools across North America, NextGrad puts your institution's message in front of future students every single day. Be the school they remember when it's time to decide.Nextgrad.com, Where students see you first.___The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions, your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, AI expertise, and branding needs. To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proud to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad.___Great enrollment leaders don't develop by accident. Somewhere along the way, someone invests in them, challenges them, and gives them an opportunity to grow.After 40 years at Biola University, Greg Vaughan knows what it takes to develop the people who will lead enrollment teams into the future. Now leading NACCAP's Leadership Development for Enrollment Professionals (LDEP) program, Greg shares why ongoing coaching matters, how to recognize and retain promising talent, and why giving someone a chance to step beyond their comfort zone might be the most important investment a leader can make.___What We Cover in This Episode🔘Why professional development deserves as much attention as enrollment goals.🔘How ongoing coaching helps employees grow beyond their daily responsibilities.🔘The importance of developing leadership competencies and retaining top performers.🔘Practical ways to invest in professional development with limited budgets.🔘How NACCAP's LDEP program is preparing the next generation of enrollment leaders.___Episode Highlights03:29 - Why leaders need guidance at every stage of their careers05:43 - The importance of investing in people, not just enrollment numbers08:03 - The difference between managing employees and developing leaders11:21 - Retaining top talent and embracing courageous leadership15:35 - Making professional development part of everyday work19:17 - Building leadership competencies on a limited budget25:43 - Inside NACCAP's Leadership Development for Enrollment Professionals program33:08 - Creating career-defining opportunities for emerging leaders___NextGrad helps colleges and universities reach students where they already are, inside the high school itself. With a network of over 2,500 schools across North America, NextGrad puts your institution's message in front of future students every single day. Be the school they remember when it's time to decide.Nextgrad.com, Where students see you first.___The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, AI expertise, and branding needs. To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.___The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proud to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad.___New leaders often feel pressure to make their mark quickly, but listening can be the most strategic first move. Dr. Aly Williams, President of Midland University, shares how 25 years at Indiana Wesleyan University and a decade in athletic training prepared her to enter a new community with curiosity. She explains how listening becomes strategy, how vocation shapes institutional distinctiveness, and why strong campus and community relationships require intentional time.___What We Cover in This Episode🔘 What athletic training taught Aly about pressure, decisions, and creativity🔘 How an institution can intentionally develop future leaders🔘 Why a new president chose listening before major change🔘 How personal stories help leaders uncover institutional strengths🔘 Why mission, vocation, and community sharpen a college’s distinctiveness___Episode Highlights02:29 - Lessons from making decisions on the athletic sidelines05:21 - How Indiana Wesleyan intentionally developed leaders08:54 - Learning a campus through several different roles11:22 - Recognizing the call to leave a familiar institution13:12 - Why Aly devoted her first year to listening20:21 - Two practical rules for a productive listening tour23:09 - Connecting Midland’s success to the Fremont community25:46 - Turning mission and vocation into meaningful distinction___NextGrad helps colleges and universities reach students where they already are, inside the high school itself. With a network of over 2,500 schools across North America, NextGrad puts your institution's message in front of future students every single day. Be the school they remember when it's time to decide.Nextgrad.com, Where students see you first.___The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions, your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, AI expertise, and branding needs. ___To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proud to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.