Higher Ed Conversations

By Cheryl Broom

What's Higher Ed Conversations about?

Join host and CEO of GradComm, Cheryl Broom as she sits down with higher education experts to discuss trends in marketing, communications, advancement and student success. 

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Higher Ed Conversations episodes:

07.01.2024
AI: the Tool that Brings Human Touch Back to Education
On this Higher Ed Conversations episode, I host a conversation with an Al expert and, more impressively, my sister-in-law, Suzi Boynton! Suzi is the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Trustees for the San Marcos Unified School District,...
06.01.2024
The Power of Direct Mail Marketing
In this episode, Keith Goodman, a direct mail marketing expert, discusses the resurgence of direct mail marketing across various industries, especially in education. Keith highlights direct mail's targeted approach, allowing for personalized messaging to different audiences, a significant advantage over...
05.01.2024
Three Takeaways from Online Dating to Improve Your College's Marketing Plan
Today, on Higher Ed Conversations, I embark on my first solo episode! And with a very good reason –I've just released my first ebook, "Why Your Community CollegeMarketing is Failing: Lessons From Online Dating," which has already hit number one...
04.01.2024
Strategies for Success in Workforce Development Courses
Many students cannot enroll in a two to four-year collegiate program, but they still desire access to professional skills that will allow them to obtain higher-earning jobs. This episode of Higher Ed Conversations features Linda Kurokawa, the Executive Director of...
03.01.2024
Supporting Your School with Servant Leadership
As higher education continues to evolve and expand, the presidency of its institutions has become an ever-increasing, ever-taxing role. It's this issue that this month's guest, Jeff Julian, current Chief of Staff at Harper College and President of the National...
02.01.2024
Creating a Digital Community for Students in the Social Media Era
It's undeniable that social media has transformed into an essential platform for both cultivating a presence and nurturing community bonds and connections. With the embrace of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for interaction and staying informed, organizations and businesses...
01.01.2024
A Journey to Balance Motherhood and Career Success
Balancing children and a career may seem unachievable, but Letitia Clark, a seasoned Chief Communications Officer, elected official, and author, unveils the secrets to harmonizing professional life and motherhood. From her dynamic career path to her role on the Tustin...
12.01.2023
Harnessing SEO: Where Storytelling Meets Marketing
In this month's episode, we sit down for a fascinating conversation with Jeff Bunch, a seasoned professional with a diverse background in journalism, marketing, and higher education. From being a storyteller at a young age to his pivotal role in...
11.01.2023
The Easy Way To Find Reliable Vendors For Higher Education Institutions
What's the best way to find a vendor vetted by other higher education organizations? Jeff Dillon, a former higher education professional turned entrepreneur, joins us on Higher Education Conversations to help answer that question. Jeff shares his journey from working...
10.01.2023
The Art of Simplifying Complexity in Communication
"Be a resource, not just a request, and then build a relationship." says our guest, Mark Bayer, on connecting with elected officials and press members. Mark is an international keynote speaker, consultant, former Chief of Staff, and podcast host. His...
09.01.2023
Navigating the Digital Landscape of Content Marketing
In this episode, I sit down with Brian Piper, a digital and content marketing expert who shares his transformative journey and explains how to leverage content marketing effectively. Brian emphasizes that content marketing is a strategy to cultivate lasting relationships...
08.01.2023
Building Bridges: Promoting Education and Community Engagement
In this episode of Higher Education Coffee and Conversation, I have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kyle Dalpe, the president of Western Nevada College. With a fascinating background as a journalist, chief of staff, and vice president of instruction at...
07.01.2023
Effective Communication and the Future of Higher Education
On this episode of Higher Education Coffee and Conversation, I am thrilled to have a close friend and esteemed colleague as my guest, Dr. Mark Browning. Currently serving as the CEO and President at Blue Mountain Community College in Oregon,...
05.31.2023
Social Media Mastery: Hootsuite's New Certification and Expert Insights
We have an incredibly exciting guest on this episode of the podcast: Alex Wedderburn, a senior leader at Hootsuite, shares his expertise on this indispensable platform for social media management. For those unfamiliar, Hootsuite is our go-to tool at GradComm...
04.25.2023
Leadership Lessons and Finding the Right Mentor
It’s an advice-packed episode as Lisa Takami joins me to discuss her new book , Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles. Lisa has helped organizations, both private and public, to build brand messaging by leveraging partnerships that...
03.27.2023
Surrounded by Superstars: The Marketing Strategy of Santa Ana College's President
It’s an exciting episode of Higher Ed Coffee and Conversation as we welcome our first-ever College President on the podcast! Dr. Annebelle Nery is the President of Santa Ana College, where her strategic marketing approach has had an extremely impactful...
02.27.2023
Behind the Scenes of a Presidential Visit
Sometimes the most exciting opportunities can happen when you least expect them…and my guest today can certainly attest to that notion! Emily Zimmer, Marketing & Events Coordinator for DCTC, was enjoying her Thanksgiving when she found out that the President...
01.25.2023
Untitled Episode
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01.12.2023
Unlocking the Power of the Printed Class Schedule
In today’s world where seemingly everything has gone digital, the concept of a printed class schedule may sound like a relic of the past. However, my guests today are here to debunk this myth through the lens of a project...
12.29.2022
GradComm 2022 Year-in-Review
On this special episode of the podcast, I am joined by some of our amazing GradComm team members for a 2022 Year-in-Review. I’ll speak to one of our Client Service Managers, Rocco, to learn what Mechatronics is and how our...
11.28.2022
Unlocking the Secrets to Successful Media Buying for Colleges and Beyond
Episode 31: Media buying is a scary term for a lot of us, myself included! That’s why we are extremely lucky to be joined by my guest Chuck Fetterly, who is an expert in all things media buying, to help...
11.02.2022
Exploring Options for A Better and More Fulfilling Career
Episode 30: What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we’ve all answered when we were young, but how many of us really knew what all of the options were back then? The department of...
10.03.2022
Applying A Journalistic Background to Communication Roles in Higher Education
Episode 29: David Ogul is my guest on this episode of Higher Education Coffee & Conversation, an extremely talented award-winning writer and editor who I have been lucky enough to work with for the better part of 17 years. David...
08.24.2022
Creating More Diversity On Campus Through the Power of Communication
Episode 28: Award-winning children's author, produced screenwriter, and Graduate Communications' very own Sr. Communications Strategist are just some of the hats that Dr. Michael Mahin wears. On this episode of Higher Education Coffee & Conversation, Dr. Mahin and I address some...
07.18.2022
Communicating Crises On and Off Campus
Episode 27: Theft, embezzlement, cyber attacks - oh my! In this episode of Higher Education Coffee & Conversation we’re talking about the many different types of crises that can arise at any school, at any moment. But don’t panic! My...
06.28.2022
Podcasting 101: Dissecting a Successful Podcast Strategy
Episode 26: We’re going meta this time with a podcast episode all about podcasting! When Lauren Milbourne and Christopher McGuinness were challenged with creating a podcast for the president of Allan Hancock College, they undertook important strategy and planning work...
06.09.2022
On a Mission to Create a Great App
Episode 25: If your school is thinking about launching an app, or already has one and you want to make sure it is designed to be effective, you won’t want to miss my super informative conversation with Niall Adler, Director...
05.06.2022
Gauchos, Bobcats, and Zoom Bombs: Changing a Mascot is Not for the Fainthearted
Episode 24: The volatile mix of alumni pride and shifting cultural sensitivities makes changing mascots a thorny challenge for schools and their communities. My guest on this episode, Jennie McCue, lived through each tricky step of that process recently as...
05.05.2022
Gauchos, Bobcats, and Zoom Bombs: Changing a Mascot is Not for the Fainthearted
The volatile mix of alumni pride and shifting cultural sensitivities makes changing mascots a thorny challenge for schools and their communities. My guest on this episode, Jennie McCue, lived through each tricky step of that process recently as Director of...
03.28.2022
Using Data to Tell Stories
Episode 23: Brad Phillips is a numbers guy, but he’s the first to tell you they won’t help you persuade your audience unless you use them the right way. “In the end human beings don’t remember numbers. They remember how...
03.03.2022
Optimizing Current Digital Marketing Tools and Getting Ready for New Ones
Episode 22: If digital marketing is an essential piece of your student recruitment strategy but you aren’t sure what NAP, EAT, PPC or SEM stand for, you’ll want to listen carefully to my guest today who has great tips to...
01.21.2022
Navigating the Web of Competing Demands During Site Redesign
Episode 21: “Websites which try to be everything to everybody may end up being nothing to nobody.” That’s just one of the many great insights learned in the trenches of higher ed communications by today’s guest Karen Norton, executive director...
01.05.2022
A Guide to Helping Guided Pathways Take Root
Episode 1: Hundreds of community colleges across the nation have committed to the Guided Pathways approach to boost completion rates and student success, but there are various challenges to building a program and keeping stakeholders on board. In this episode, I’m...
12.07.2021
Secret Shopping Can Yield Great Marketing Gifts
Episode 19: One of the most valuable projects I’ve done involved hiring “secret shoppers” to pose as students so they could check out colleges known for their marketing prowess and learn what they do so well. On this special episode...
11.02.2021
Crafting Culturally-Relevant Stories Using Universal Themes
Episode 18: Today I talk to actor, producer, writer and director Andres Orozco who has taught Screen Arts and Communications at Pepperdine University for 20 years. Andres is also the co-founder and co-owner of the award-winning production company Novelas Educativas,...
10.04.2021
“If You Mess Up, Fess Up”: A Wisdom Drop from the PR Maven®
Episode 17: “I was born to do public relations,” says my guest Nancy Marshall, and being an admirer of her work for many years, I’d have to agree. Running her own successful marketing and PR agency for three decades is...
09.07.2021
A Year in Review, and Tips for You
Episode 16: To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Graduate Communications becoming an agency, I thought it would be fun to interview some of my team members about their most interesting, challenging and rewarding projects and have them share lessons learned...
08.03.2021
The Keys to Great Storytelling
Episode 15: You have what you think is a great story: a first-generation student dreams of getting a college education, gets into your school, works hard and graduates. But to master storyteller and former Hollywood writer Andy Goodman, the reaction...
07.05.2021
Businesses Like Business-Like Thinking. College Communicators Need to Learn to Speak Business
Episode 14: Want your voice to be heard by senior leadersat your institution? Power Minds CEO Margo Turner says the best approach is to think about the issue from their perspective and learn how what you are advocating fits in...
05.28.2021
The Power of Athletics as a Rallying Point
Episode 13: I don’t know about you, but one of the things I’ve missed most during the pandemic is going to sports events. Whether it’s cheering on my son and his teammatesor attending a pro sports game, I feel a...
05.05.2021
Using the Right Words in the Right Way
Episode 12: If you’re one of the many people who would rather avoid confronting someone with criticism or bad news, then you need to check out this episode of Higher Ed Coffee and Conversation featuring acclaimed speaker and author Sarita...
04.03.2021
Serving and Recruiting Community College International Students
Episode 11: This month’s Higher Education Coffee and Conversation podcast features Aubrey Kuan Roderick, who first came to the U.S. as an international student and now is the program manager for International students at College of San Mateo. She speaks...
03.08.2021
From Corrections to College
Episode 10: This Episode of Higher Ed Coffee and Conversation features two special guests, Dr. Nora Kenney, coordinator of Palmor College's Transition Program and Santos Rosado, a student who paroled in March of 2020. Transitions is a "Corrections to College"...
02.07.2021
Serving Students with Dignity and Respect
Episode 9: Dr. Dilcie Perez has led her college's implementation of amazing student support services and programs, including the Village, which provides safe and secure housing and support services to students who face housing insecurity. Her work at Cerritos College...
01.27.2021
The Ins and Outs of Being a Community College Trustee
Episode 8: Mark Evilsizer has served as a community college trustee for nearly 20 years. He meets all the ideal requirements of being a trustee: dedication to education and community service, a desire to improve the community he lives in,...
01.04.2021
Reach, Recruit, and Retain Adult Learners
Episode 7: “Historically, higher education institutions have viewed students through a simple lens - traditional students enrolling in college straight out of high school or older students entering later in life. The simple truth is that students are changing, and...
12.07.2020
Building an Alumni Association from the Ground Up
Episode 6: When Creative Director Alex Karvounis set out to build an alumni association for his community college, little did he know that It would blossom to one of the largest campus groups...growing from one founding member to more than...
11.12.2020
The Good, the Bad, and the Amazing in Digital Marketing
Episode 5: Erin Green is an award-winning marketing leader with more than a decade of experience with digital strategy and media. She's worked with a number of leading organizations including Nike, FedEx, MD Anderson, Susan G. Komen, and has been...
10.15.2020
How to Help Students with What Comes Next
Episode 4: Dr. Gustavo Chamorro was only 14 years old when he fled the civil war and violence in Nicaragua and headed to the United States. His amazing journey was full of obstacles and challenges, but his quest for a...
09.21.2020
Taking a Holistic Approach to Enrollment Management, Advancement, and Crisis Communications
Episode 3: What does it look like to run a department of 40 people and be responsible for everything from university advancement to crisis communications? This month’s Higher Education Coffee and Conversation podcast guest, Cathy Baur, recently retired from California...

What's Higher Ed Conversations about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Higher Ed Conversations episodes:

AI: the Tool that Brings Human Touch Back to Education

The Power of Direct Mail Marketing

Three Takeaways from Online Dating to Improve Your College's Marketing Plan

Strategies for Success in Workforce Development Courses

Supporting Your School with Servant Leadership

Creating a Digital Community for Students in the Social Media Era

A Journey to Balance Motherhood and Career Success

Harnessing SEO: Where Storytelling Meets Marketing

The Easy Way To Find Reliable Vendors For Higher Education Institutions

The Art of Simplifying Complexity in Communication

Navigating the Digital Landscape of Content Marketing

Building Bridges: Promoting Education and Community Engagement

Effective Communication and the Future of Higher Education

Social Media Mastery: Hootsuite's New Certification and Expert Insights

Leadership Lessons and Finding the Right Mentor

Surrounded by Superstars: The Marketing Strategy of Santa Ana College's President

Behind the Scenes of a Presidential Visit

Untitled Episode

Unlocking the Power of the Printed Class Schedule

GradComm 2022 Year-in-Review

Unlocking the Secrets to Successful Media Buying for Colleges and Beyond

Exploring Options for A Better and More Fulfilling Career

Applying A Journalistic Background to Communication Roles in Higher Education

Creating More Diversity On Campus Through the Power of Communication

Communicating Crises On and Off Campus

Podcasting 101: Dissecting a Successful Podcast Strategy

On a Mission to Create a Great App

Gauchos, Bobcats, and Zoom Bombs: Changing a Mascot is Not for the Fainthearted

Gauchos, Bobcats, and Zoom Bombs: Changing a Mascot is Not for the Fainthearted

Using Data to Tell Stories

Optimizing Current Digital Marketing Tools and Getting Ready for New Ones

Navigating the Web of Competing Demands During Site Redesign

A Guide to Helping Guided Pathways Take Root

Secret Shopping Can Yield Great Marketing Gifts

Crafting Culturally-Relevant Stories Using Universal Themes

“If You Mess Up, Fess Up”: A Wisdom Drop from the PR Maven®

A Year in Review, and Tips for You

The Keys to Great Storytelling

Businesses Like Business-Like Thinking. College Communicators Need to Learn to Speak Business

The Power of Athletics as a Rallying Point

Using the Right Words in the Right Way

Serving and Recruiting Community College International Students

From Corrections to College

Serving Students with Dignity and Respect

The Ins and Outs of Being a Community College Trustee

Reach, Recruit, and Retain Adult Learners

Building an Alumni Association from the Ground Up

The Good, the Bad, and the Amazing in Digital Marketing

How to Help Students with What Comes Next

Taking a Holistic Approach to Enrollment Management, Advancement, and Crisis Communications

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