The Higher Ed Marketer

Hosted by Caylor Solutions

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274

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The Higher Ed Marketer is centered around marketing professionals in the field of higher education. If you’re looking for real, practical advice on how to level up your marketing game, this is the show for you. Each episode features conversations with some of the best and brightest marketing minds in higher education, discussing the future of marketing, new technologies, and so much more. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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October 27, 202634 min

How to Break the Reaction Cycle

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 Highlights 02:02 - Why campus leaders become trapped in reaction mode 07:09 - The personal and organizational cost of staying reactive 09:27 - Interrupting the pattern before the work fills every opening 11:08 - Treating the calendar as a leadership tool 19:06 - Kathy’s three-question weekly check-in 22:38 - Turning reflection into one scheduled next step 27:20 - 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.

October 20, 202640 min

Developing the Next Generation of Enrollment Leaders

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 Highlights 03:29 - Why leaders need guidance at every stage of their careers 05:43 - The importance of investing in people, not just enrollment numbers 08:03 - The difference between managing employees and developing leaders 11:21 - Retaining top talent and embracing courageous leadership 15:35 - Making professional development part of everyday work 19:17 - Building leadership competencies on a limited budget 25:43 - Inside NACCAP's Leadership Development for Enrollment Professionals program 33:08 - 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.

October 13, 202640 min

First Year in a New Role: What to Do First

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 Highlights 02:29 - Lessons from making decisions on the athletic sidelines 05:21 - How Indiana Wesleyan intentionally developed leaders 08:54 - Learning a campus through several different roles 11:22 - Recognizing the call to leave a familiar institution 13:12 - Why Aly devoted her first year to listening 20:21 - Two practical rules for a productive listening tour 23:09 - Connecting Midland’s success to the Fremont community 25:46 - 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.

October 6, 202644 min

Leading for the Long Haul: How to thrive after 18 years at one institution

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad. Long-term leadership depends on knowing what each moment requires. Dr. Todd J. Williams , President and CEO of Cairn University , reflects on 18 years in the president’s chair and explains why leaders must sometimes push, pull, or pause. He shares how trust, honest self-examination, restorative practices, and patience help leaders act with wisdom without being ruled by urgency or morale alone. ___ What We Cover in This Episode 🔘 How long-term leadership creates room for iterative change 🔘 Why restorative interests are part of sustaining a calling 🔘 How to recognize when a moment calls for a push, pull, or pause 🔘 Why trust and character matter more than a leadership formula 🔘 How patience and honest motives strengthen difficult decisions ___ Episode Highlights 01:48 - What 18 years at one institution makes possible 06:45 - Integrating restorative interests into a leader’s life 12:40 - Reading the moment before choosing how to lead 18:43 - Why inviting input does not guarantee agreement 22:41 - Knowing when a pause serves the outcome 26:01 - Recovering when a leader misreads the moment 38:41 - Learning that patience can be its own reward ___ 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.

September 29, 202653 min

When the Names Run Out: Finding Students Where They Actually Are

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad. Purchased-name lists are shrinking, but the right students are still out there. Dr. Donald K. Egle , Founder + Managing Director of The Kyer Group , explains how colleges can build stronger enrollment pipelines by identifying the communities where mission-fit students already gather and committing to a meaningful presence there. Drawing on 26 years of higher education leadership, Don shares why marketing, recruiting, and institutional strategy must work together. He also challenges colleges to clarify who they are, understand what their audiences truly value, and build relationships over a multi-year horizon. ___ What We Cover in This Episode 🔘 Why clarity, a compelling case, and conviction shape student decisions 🔘 How admissions teams can build relationships across a multi-year student journey 🔘 Why marketing and recruiting need coordinated strategy and boots on the ground 🔘 How colleges can earn trust within homeschool and other student communities 🔘 Why institutional alignment is essential for sustaining a multi-year enrollment strategy ___ Episode Highlights 04:16 - What families want from colleges: clarity, a compelling case, and conviction 07:03 - How to make a college fair conversation about the student 11:11 - Why traditional enrollment structures struggle to keep pace 18:22 - Finding more of the right people through consistent presence 23:30 - Why LeTourneau invested deeply in homeschool networks 32:22 - Preparing your institution before searching for new watering holes 36:47 - The difference between value and appreciative value 41:35 - Building alignment around a multi-year enrollment strategy ___ 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.

September 22, 202628 min

Servant Leadership: Why Leaders Who Serve Their Teams Get Better Results

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad . Leadership is more than hitting targets. Greg Aden , Owner/Founder of Aden Leadership , explains why lasting leadership depends on serving the people who follow you and helping them take ownership of shared goals. Drawing from decades in hospitality, financial services, and executive coaching, Greg shares practical ways to create alignment, build accountability, and approach difficult conversations with courage. His advice gives higher education leaders a clear place to begin: stay curious, prepare well, honor your word, and make time for people. ___ What We Cover in This Episode 🔘 How servant leadership shifts the focus from personal performance to team success 🔘 Why alignment and communication must come before accountability 🔘 Why leaders must model the accountability they expect from others 🔘 How agreements create clearer commitments than unspoken expectations 🔘 A practical framework for preparing for courageous conversations ___ Episode Highlights 01:45 - Why success and leadership are not the same thing 04:41 - Making time for people when teams are stretched thin 06:28 - Why alignment must come before accountability 09:12 - The difference between expectations and agreements 14:52 - How to prepare for a courageous conversation 21:05 - Integrity, accountability, and honoring your word 23:07 - Curiosity and empathy as practical leadership tools ___ 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.

September 15, 202630 min

Meet Paul Bross: The Host of a Brand New Podcast Coming to The Higher Ed Marketer Network

How do you build a higher ed creative team that produces great work without burning out the people behind it? Paul Bross, Director of Creative Operations at Oklahoma Baptist University and brand-new host of The Higher Ed Creative Podcast, shares what he’s learned moving from filmmaking and television into higher education creative leadership. Paul explores how clear expectations, protected creative time, and stronger collaboration can help small marketing teams do better work while staying connected to enrollment and institutional goals. He also shares how his team is using AI to reduce administrative tasks, why higher ed creatives need greater support, and the vision behind The Higher Ed Creative, a new podcast for the photographers, videographers, social media professionals, and other makers shaping higher education. ___ What We Cover in This Episode 🔘How Higher Ed creative teams can align requests, expectations, scope, and institutional strategy. 🔘Ways leaders can protect creative time and reduce burnout on small marketing teams 🔘How AI can reduce administrative tasks so creative professionals have more time to create. 🔘Why we are launching The Higher Ed Creative Podcast ___ Episode Highlights 04:59 – Moving from content creator to leading a higher ed Creative Studio 08:06 – Why good creative work gets lost between concept, approvals, and completion 17:40 – The idea behind The Higher Ed Creative podcast 18:47 – Creative burnout, isolation, and retaining talented higher ed makers 21:38 – What’s on Your Desk? Paul shares the projects currently demanding his team’s attention 24:57 – Using AI to reduce administrative work instead of replacing creativity ___ 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.

September 8, 202635 min

Why Higher Ed Leaders Need a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad. ___ A strong institutional brand matters, but sometimes the most powerful voice belongs to the person leading it. Jerra Toms , Founder & Principal Consultant at Blue Iris Consulting , shares how presidents, deans, and other higher ed leaders can use LinkedIn to build authentic connections with students, alumni, donors, and industry partners. Jerra breaks down how to create consistent executive content, capture a leader’s authentic voice, and turn everyday interactions into opportunities that strengthen both personal and institutional visibility. ___ What We Cover in This Episode 🔘Why personal leadership content can outperform institutional messaging 🔘How busy executives can build a consistent LinkedIn presence 🔘Ways communications teams can capture a leader’s authentic voice 🔘How to find content opportunities in a leader’s existing calendar 🔘Why executive visibility can support enrollment, advancement, and reputation ___ Episode Highlights 06:43 - Starting a LinkedIn strategy with just 20 to 30 minutes a week 09:48 - Finding content opportunities in an executive’s existing calendar 13:11 - Capturing an executive’s authentic voice and using AI to support the process 15:28 - Why a strong LinkedIn profile comes before a posting strategy 18:12 - A practical approach for leaders without a communications team 28:03 - The first steps leaders can take today ___ 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.

September 1, 20267 min

A New #1 Bestseller and Season 9 Preview

This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad. 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. ___ Season 9 of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast starts next week. Zach Coffin previews the guests on deck this fall, including Jeff Selingo, Don Engle, Todd Williams, and Aly Williams and shares two pieces of news: president and author Jamie Caridi's new book The Terra Firma Way just hit #1 on Amazon, and the Higher Ed Marketer Network is adding a new show. Zach also has an invite to the ABHE Marketing & Enrollment Conference, October 6-8 in Orlando. ___ What We Cover in This Episode 🔘Jamie Caridi's new #1 Amazon bestseller, The Terra Firma Way 🔘A first look at Season 9's guest lineup 🔘A brand-new podcast joining the Higher Ed Marketer Network this October 🔘Why the ABHE Marketing & Enrollment Conference is built differently, and why spots are limited 🔘Where to catch Bart on the road this fall ____ 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.

August 25, 202655 min

Summer Rewind: AI, Integrity, and the Next Generation of Learners

Encore Episode: Originally Aired October 2025 ___ Artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education and each generation is approaching it differently. AI Mindset’s founder and CEO, Conor Grennan , joined by his Gen Z son, Finn, to explore how AI is influencing academic integrity, workforce readiness, and the way students engage with learning. Rather than approaching AI with fear or hype, Conor encourages institutions to engage with it from a place of curiosity, conviction, and intentionality. This episode challenges assumptions and offers a hopeful, practical framework for integrating AI into both academic and personal formation. ___ Join us as we discuss: 🔘How AI is changing the way we teach, learn, and lead 🔘The role of discipleship in shaping tech ethics 🔘Why Gen Z students expect transparency, not perfection 🔘Creating campus-wide AI literacy with joy and curiosity 🔘Using storytelling to make tech feel less intimidating ___ Inside the Episode 06:14 – What it means to disciple students in the age of AI 08:50 – The danger of seeing AI as “just a tool” 13:22 – How higher ed should position itself as a moral compass 16:09 – The three pillars of AI literacy at NYU Stern 30:03 – Faith, imagination, and the opportunity ahead ___ 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.

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