Mike Connor is President of Connor Associates Strategic Services and co-author of the NAIS book, Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century.  His latest e-Book, Pulling in the Same Direction, emphasizes everyone’s role in recruitment, retention, and fundraising. Earlier in his 30+ year career, Mike worked in nearly every position at independent K-12 schools. Connor Associates stakes its value on its experience with providing comprehensive services, including ensuring proof of ROI through Image Audits, Enrollment Feasibility Studies, Five-year enrollment Forecasts, Business Office Evaluations and Plans, and Strategic Marketing Plans. Connor Associates’ newest offering, administrative search, uses a unique approach to finding, training, and keeping the best people on your leadership team. After serving not-for-profit organizations for over 40 years Thom Greenlaw founded Creative Independents (CI) in 2012. CI serves not-for-profit schools, colleges, and other education-focused institutions finding creative solutions to strategic issues facing these organizations. Thom joined Connor Associates as a Strategic Partner for Executive Searches, Finance, and Operations in 2018. In addition to coordinating Leadership searches, he specializes in Tuition Elasticity and Financial Sustainability.  For over twenty years Thom served in varying senior operational and finance roles in independent schools including thirteen years as Assistant Head for Operations/ CFO at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA. Before his employment at BB&N, Thom served as Business Manager at the Dana Hall School. A former Board member for NBOA and AISAP, he currently serves on the Board of Summit Montessori School and is a volunteer mentor, specializing in not-for-profits for SCORE.   For show notes, visit https://www.inspiredsm.com/podcast

InspirED School Marketers SPARKCAST

Finance and Marketing: Overlooked Alliance for Success

Angela Brown is the Enrollment Marketing Leader, K-12 at Niche, where she's on a mission to help make K-12 admission and marcom professionals' lives easier. Before joining Niche, she was director of marketing and communications at Flint Hill School, a PK-12, co-ed day school just outside of Washington, DC. Angela joined Flint Hill in 2014 after spending 10 years focusing on B2B marketing communications. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, National Association of Independent Schools, and Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington. In December 2020 she served as a judge for the InspirED Brilliance Awards, which honors marketing and communications work from PK-12 private schools around the world.  For show notes, visit https://www.inspiredsm.com/podcast

Why Your Private School Needs a Strong Brand

Kevin MacNeil of Metric Marketing applies his passion for sales, deep understanding of online marketing and audience conversion to help schools deepen their customer relationships and ultimately, improve their bottom line. Kevin has over 10 years of experience in advertising and digital marketing. As a graduate of the Asper School of Business, with majors in Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Kevin fundamentally understands the marketing processes that help drive and run any business.  For show notes, visit https://www.inspiredsm.com/podcast

Data-Driven Private School Advertising That Drives Outcomes

James Quoted “We had 40 new inquiries in July.” “We were very upfront with admissions during the pandemic. ‘We want you for life.’” “We’re going to start with our first contact to build a retention strategy for you.” “The long-term sustainability and success of McClay is built on the relationships and fulfilled partnerships of our families and students.” “My job was to raise the metabolism of the school.”

Private School Long-Term Sustainability and Success

Mike Vachow is a Managing Director at Gowan Group, a full-service consultancy to independent schools based in Connecticut. Before becoming a consultant, Mike worked in independent day schools for 30 years. He began his career as an English teacher and coach at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans before moving on to administrative roles there. He continued in school leadership as a division director at Lake Forest Country Day School, for ten years as Head of Forsyth School in St. Louis, and as Interim Head at Peoria Academy. Mike also maintains his own consulting brand, Knuckleball Consulting, and he publishes a monthly newsletter called Ahead in the Count. Mike's consulting work has focused on enrollment strategy, strategic planning, governance, and leadership searches.

How The Sense Of Community At Private Schools Helped Them Triumph During The Pandemic

Dr. David Willows is Director of Advancement at the International School of Brussels, Belgium. David is also a regular blogger, presenter & trainer at international events and author of several books and articles in the field of international school branding, admissions, marketing and communications. Today, he is considered a leading practitioner in the field of advancement and continues to be involved in several global network organizations, helping to shape and define the future of the learning business.  Learn how his team is taking a new approach to the advancement model.

Advancement by Design Model

James Knapp’s experience ranges from higher education to local and national non-profits to his current role as the Chief Strategy Officer at The Cushman School in Miami, Florida. During his career and in his current role, James has led on many major projects, such as major gift fundraising, strategy, and implementation for everything ranging from endowments, scholarships, planned gifts, and top-level branding, as well as major multimillion-dollar infrastructure projects on multiple campuses. James has received many accolades over the years including being named a top leader in the country as a National Leadership Excellence Award Winner, as well as being named to the 40 under 40 list by the Florida Business Journal. James is a not only an intentional leader but also a focused and authentic relationship builder.

How to Build Relationships In Private School Communities

Antony Campitelli has spent 38 years marketing in the high-tech industry with the last 27 years in Silicon Valley. Prior experience includes Apple and Adobe, to startups. Antony’s mission is about building scalable products that are not just about solving problems but are fun to use. This is one of the key reasons he co-founded Enquiry Tracker with his brother Greg. Greg Campitelli is one of the most experienced marketing professionals in the educational system in Australia. He was a long-serving teacher, a Director of Development, and Board member at one of Melbourne Australia’s oldest colleges. He has worked with dozens of schools on marketing and enrolment plans, alumni engagement, and major capital fundraising appeals.  Now Antony and Greg run Enquiry Tracker, a cloud-based application that helps you manage enrollment inquiries, track demand, engage families, and make more informed decisions.

How to Manage and Grow the Private School Prospect Pipeline

Emily Cretella is a strategic storyteller and content marketer. The owner of Cursive Content, Emily helps school marketers tell powerful stories that attract dream families, increase inquiries and enrollment, strengthen communities, and grow school influence. Prior to founding Cursive in 2012, Emily was the director of strategy at a Connecticut marketing agency, where she managed the execution of large-scale traditional and online marketing campaigns for clients ranging from schools and nonprofits to Fortune 500s. She now works solely with independent and private schools, colleges, and universities. 

How to Write for Your Private School's Audience

Rick Newberry is the President of Enrollment Catalyst. Rick partners with school administrators to provide coaching and consulting in enrollment management and marketing systems, strategies, and solutions needed to reach their goals. The goal is to provide school leaders with effective marketing and enrollment strategies as well as staff accountability, direction, and results needed to grow their enrollment. Rick talks about the importance and value of word of mouth for private school marketing, enrollment, and retention.

How to Build Positive Word of Mouth at Your Private School

Dr. Olaf "Ole" Jorgenson joined Almaden Country Day School in San Jose, CA as head of school in 2008. Before ACDS, he worked as a school leader and teacher in public, private, and international schools since 1987.  Beyond his role as a head, Ole volunteers as a trustee at Gateway School in Santa Cruz and serves as a Field Instructor for the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he also sits on the Center's Advisory Board. His publications and presentations center on instructional leadership, science education, and parenting. Ole lives in San Jose with his family.

The Enrollment Pandemic and Prescriptions for Healing

Founded in 2010, Tara’s agency, Design TLC, specializes in WordPress websites and digital marketing for small schools, enrichment programs, camps, and education-focused nonprofits. Tara combines her marketing and technical experience with the perspective of a parent whose children attended both public and private schools, and participated in various camps and enrichment programs. In this podcast, Tara talks about SEO basics and what every private school should be doing to increase their Google ranking. 

SEO Basics for Private Schools

Mishel Gantz is the Director of Enrollment at Synapse School in Menlo Park, California, a small independent school that fully integrates an emotional intelligence program and a robust constructivist curriculum. Prior to that Mishel was the Chief Experience Officer at Watershed School, a grade 6-12 forward-thinking, intentionally small, independent school in Boulder, Colorado. There she was responsible for driving Watershed’s enrollment and bringing their student body to full capacity. She developed this through a deliberate, relational strategy with a plan to differentiate the school’s unique style and mission.

The Role of a Private School Chief Experience Officer

Tom Olverson serves as a consultant for RG175, a firm doing executive searches as well as highly personalized leadership and governance consulting to schools, based on the values of integrity, inclusivity, knowledge, and flexibility. Tom and all of the members of the RG175 team are personally and professionally experienced in recognizing, promoting, and sustaining leadership at both the executive and governance levels in schools.

Head of School as Marketer-in-Chief

Simon Noakes is the founder and CEO of Interactive Schools, a UK-based global organization focused on school marketing and communications in the US, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Australia. Simon’s global experience & passion for strategic marketing, thought leadership, future-thinking, new technology & human-centered engagement is transforming schools around the world. The firm specializes in bespoke creative experiences including responsive school websites, parent communications, social media training and influence, and digital marketing strategies. Interactive Schools won a 2018 Brilliance Award for Charlotte Preparatory School's (US) website. Learn more about Simon and Interactive Schools at www.interactiveschools.com and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  

How to Brand Your Private School's Social Media

The InspirED School Marketers Sparkcast hosts deep conversations with administrators and consultants about private school MarCom to help make your job easier. For more brilliant ideas and brain food and read show notes, visit inspiredsm.com

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InspirED School Marketers SPARKCAST

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