We’ve heard it a lot: Areas outside marketing don’t really know what we do. One way they get around that at Cape Cod Community College in Massachusetts is to approach areas like admissions and enrollment and say, “You tell us the stats.” By brainstorming with Student Services, marketing ensures the message focuses on the right students – and what they care about. Our guests are Patrick Stone, Cape Cod’s director of strategic communication and marketing, and the college’s digital marketing specialist, Jonathan Fonseca. Plus, it’s Jeff’s final episode co-hosting with Stephanie … so things get just a little off the rails.

S4, E2: In September 2021, Duolingo, the world’s most popular language-learning platform, had 50,000 TikTok followers. As of late January of this year, it had 5.7 million. That increase is due in large part to Zaria Parvez, Duolingo’s global social media manager and one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in social media last year. Zaria is this year's closing keynote at NCMPR Under the Sun. She shares how she achieved that monumental goal. Hint: You can't achieve it if you don't trust your audience. And it doesn't hurt if the face of your brand is an unhinged owl.

S4, E1: For the first time in three full seasons, we're talking exclusively about ourselves. Natalie Daggett, NCMPR's associate director of district operations, details the ins and outs of the org: the best ways to get involved, how the board of directors works, and what keeps members coming back year after year. Plus, she and co-hosts Jeff Julian and Stephanie Reyna share how they got involved in the first place (in at least one instance, it might date back to the hospital nursery). Welcome to season 4!

S3, E12: The LGBT+ Club at Inver Hills Community College in Minnesota wrote a letter to the administration with four requests to improve the LGBTQ+ resources on campus. Club sponsor, Dr. Amy Zsohar, made it her personal mission to ensure all four asks were granted. It took four years, but she succeeded. Zsohar shares the importance of persistence -- and identifying the right people on campus who can help -- in achieving a goal that requires change on such a systems level.

S3, E11: More than 95% of the population in Laredo, Texas, is of Mexican descent, and Spanish is the dominant language. Obed Guerrero, the community and media relations director at Laredo College and former radio DJ, chatted with Peer and Simple cohost Stephanie Reyna – live at NCMPR's District 4 conference in Houston – about how to produce a successful radio spot in Spanish and in English. 

+ Listen to Laredo College's 2021 bronze Paragon-winning radio spot in English and in Spanish.

S3, E10: Mike Barzacchini, the director of marketing services at Harper College in Illinois, learned a lesson during the heart of the pandemic, and it's something he brings to his team daily: The importance of self-care at work. At NCMPR's District 3 conference in Chicago, Mike chatted with Peer and Simple co-host Jeff Julian –who's also a longtime friend – about how he prioritizes his employees' well-being. They cover how administrators can better connect with employees, the necessity of generosity in leadership, and that time Mike had eight dogs in the house at once.

S3, E9: Elissa Kojzarek, the communications and social media manager at Elgin Community College in Illinois, never thought she'd find herself in social media: She rarely got on Facebook and used Instagram only sometimes. Now, she's leading breakout sessions on TikTok for her peers and has her eye set on hitting 1,000 followers for Elgin's account. Elissa, who is this year's NCMPR national Rising Star, talks about how she found herself in community college marketing (spoiler: the path took her through Jakarta, Indonesia) and what the future of social media just might look like.

+ Read along with Elissa, Jeff and Stephanie: "Facebook misinformation is bad enough. The metaverse will be worse." (The Washington Post)

S3, E8: The new president at Langara College in British Columbia, Canada, began on June 6, but the marketing office started prepping for Dr. Paula Burns' arrival back in January. Langara's public affairs manager Mark Dawson shares why preparations kicked off so early, plus the steps they've taken to ensure employees, students, the community and key stakeholders get to know their new leader. He also points out the most vital to-dos, specifically for smaller marketing staffs ...  just in case you don't have the resources to tackle every single one of those steps.

S3, E7: Data Dig 2022 reveals the issues we face in the field, the racial and ethnic makeup of NCMPR membership, and the staffing areas most lacking on our teams. NCMPR worked with Graduate Communications to conduct this first-of-its-kind survey of community college marketers. Cheryl Broom, its CEO, chats about some of the survey's findings and shares ideas about how NCMPR can best help our members moving forward. Plus, in the newly named Chit Chat, Peer and Simple hosts Jeff Julian and Stephanie Reyna share their tips for naming projects – everything from marketing campaigns to bands.

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S3, E6: Oakton Community College in Illinois recently received a $1.5 million grant to help support its Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students, who make up about 23% of Oakton's student population. Dear Aunaetitrakul, the grant's senior program manager, shares how Oakton promotes the grant and supports Oakton's large AAPI population – including some thoughts about why it might be time to start a subject-specific podcast at your own institution.