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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 us better understand this very important aspect of many marketing plans.  Chuck has spent the last two decades running and growing TEC Direct Media, Inc, a media buying company that has worked with brands, agencies, and music artists like Lady Gaga and Adele to successfully reach their audiences.  In our conversation Chuck and I discuss what questions colleges should ask when looking for the right media buying partner, and why outsourcing this specialized work is often the right decision.  Chuck also shares tips about what he has seen change in media over the years, and talks about some of his favorite campaigns he’s gotten to work on (Spoiler Alert: it includes a giant guitar shooting out of a billboard!). 

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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 labor claims there are about 950 jobs that exist, some of them far beyond the imagination of a 5 year old.  My guest today, Dr. Kevin Fleming, is on a mission to broaden the imagination of people of all ages when it comes to career options so they can live lives that are both financially and emotionally fulfilling.  Kevin is a national speaker, best-selling author, and the CEO of Catapult, a company that offers dynamic and impactful professional development masterclasses for educational institutions.  In our conversation we touch on what it means to be underemployed vs. unemployed, and why a four-year college plan is not always the right educational choice for everyone.  We also discuss program marketing and Kevin’s children's book There's a Hat for That!: Exploring Careers That Fit You Best, that encourages exploration towards activities that align with a child’s personality and points them towards satisfying and meaningful careers.  It’s a super fun episode that I think you will really enjoy!

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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 started his career as a freelance reporter working for organizations like the LA Times and Baltimore Sun.  Our relationship began when David covered a few stories at MiraCosta College where I was serving as Director of Marketing & Communications at the time.  David’s reputation as a stellar journalist and writer is what landed him his current role as Interim Director of College & Community Relations at Grossmont College, where he works on many different projects related to communication and marketing.  I learned a lot from this conversation where David and I discuss some of the challenges he has faced taking on tasks outside of his skillset as a journalist, such as buying ads and putting together strategic marketing plans.  David also drops some gems on overcoming writer's block and why it’s important to do thorough research before you sit down to start writing.  I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

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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 of the important questions surrounding how we can do a better job as communicators and marketers to tell stories from diverse backgrounds in an effort to create more diverse campuses. Some of the topics that Dr. Mahin and I cover include; tactics and strategies to avoid tone deafness and bias, how storytellers can speak authentically to communities outside of their own, and how we can get more diverse students into college through the power of communication. It's an important, relevant, and sometimes even a little awkward conversation surrounding equity and inclusion that you really won't want to miss!

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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 guest today, Scott Summerfield, Principal of SAE Communications and crisis communication expert is going to share his knowledge on navigating through even the most sticky of situations.  Scott is one of the most talented crisis communication experts I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and he's even helped me personally manage a few crises at a school that I worked at.  You can never be too prepared to manage crises when they happen, and this conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in better preparing themselves to deal with crises when they do arise.  Enjoy!

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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 before executing their vision. This approach resulted in a lot of success for their communications team, the president, and the school.  In this episode of Higher Education Coffee & Conversation, Lauren and Chris sit down with me to share takeaways from launching and producing a successful podcast that I found extremely helpful - and I think you will too.  I’ve even started applying some of their tips to this episode, which you’ll hear towards the end of the show!  From theme and format options to production and planning strategies to branding and equipment - if you’ve ever thought about starting your own podcast you won’t want to miss this super-informative conversation.   

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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 of Marketing at Mission College in Santa Clara, California. Niall led a nine-month process to build an app that has proven to be a useful tool for students and college communicators alike. One key lesson: function over form. “I know of a school that created an app for its athletic department that looked really pretty, but it was completely useless to students.  It needs to function. It needs to do something because you want students to come back to it.”  From designing an effective development process to the importance of research to the strategic relationship between your app and your website, Niall shares valuable lessons learned from a ground-level perspective.  

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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 Director of Marketing and Communications at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.  Jennie has many enlightening and entertaining lessons to share about handling this change that can apply as well to other campus conflicts that are imbued with passionate advocates on all sides. Bottom line: an inclusive, patient, transparent process will produce the best results.  Check out this fun and deeply informative conversation for all the details, including whether or not it makes sense to work with outside agencies on these projects. 

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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 Marketing and Communications at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.  Jennie has many enlightening and entertaining lessons to share about handling this change that can apply as well to other campus conflicts that are imbued with passionate advocates on all sides. Bottom line: an inclusive, patient, transparent process will produce the best results.  Check out this fun and deeply informative conversation for all the details, including whether or not it makes sense to work with outside agencies on these projects. 

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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 they feel. So, it’s really important that you pick just a couple of key data points and focus on telling a story using the data.” Brad spent many years using data himself to help students succeed in California’s community college system before founding the Institute for Evidence-Based Change. Through IEBC, he’s helping education stakeholders throughout the country craft data-informed solutions to improve practice and increase student success. He and his team also counsel clients on the keys to storytelling based on years of experience, and the Disney storytelling formula. On top of all of that, he’s created the increasingly popular Caring Campus initiative to help employees learn simple behaviors that can have a dramatic impact on a student’s sense of belonging, which studies show is key to keeping them on their educational journey.  You’ll leave this conversation with a new sense of the possibilities of data as a communications tool, and a new appreciation of the importance of each and every college employee making an effort to connect with students. 

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