Enrollment looks different than it did even two years ago, and the pressure to figure out what’s actually moving families from inquiry to enrolled is real. The COVID bump has leveled off, parent expectations have shifted, and the mental load of carrying your school’s enrollment goals while wearing every other hat is not getting lighter.

In this episode, I sit down with Marnie Schattgen from Fredericksburg Academy, Matt Thornton from Robert C. Parker School, and Matthew Farley from James River Day School for an honest panel conversation about what’s working right now. These are small school leaders doing this work every day, and what they share is grounded, practical, and immediately useful.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Retention conversations tend to spike at re-enrollment time, but by then, a lot of the damage is already done. Families aren’t usually making their decision to leave in one moment. They’re collecting small data points all year long, quietly asking themselves whether the school still feels like the right place for their family.

In this episode, we sit down together to talk through what’s actually driving retention challenges right now, and why the “who owns it” question is one schools keep circling without ever fully answering. We also walk through the Connect Four framework, four areas of connection that move the needle for families and help schools figure out where they need to lean in more.

We also have a special announcement to share. This is episode 131, and after five years of building this podcast together, Tara is stepping away as co-host. It’s a bittersweet moment, and one that reflects exactly what this show has always been about: being mindful of where your energy is going and making intentional decisions, even when something good has to make space for something else.

But don’t worry, the Mindful School Marketing podcast isn’t going anywhere! Aubrey will continue as it always has, with the same mission!

In This Episode, We Discuss:

By the time a family lands on your website, they’ve already done their homework. They’ve Googled, scrolled your social media, and asked around the neighborhood, so when they finally get to you, they’re not really browsing anymore. They’re evaluating. And the pages they land on first are either going to move them forward or send them somewhere else.

In this episode, we dig into which pages on your school website are doing the most work right now and what it actually takes to make them count. From your homepage to your often-neglected contact page, we talk through what families are looking for in 2026, where most schools are falling short, and how to use your own data to make smarter decisions this summer rather than just going on assumptions.

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Parent feedback doesn’t have to wait until the end of the year when everyone is burned out and families have already made their decisions. In this episode, we talk about building a feedback system that runs throughout the year, so you’re catching issues early, not just documenting them after families have left.

What we keep coming back to is the feedback loop. Gathering data only works if your community sees you doing something with it. When parents feel heard, they’re more likely to come back to you with concerns instead of taking them somewhere else entirely.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

If you work at a school that serves students with learning differences, you already know your marketing has to do things other schools never have to think about. The families coming to you aren’t browsing options. They’re exhausted, they’ve already tried a lot of things, and they need to know you’re the right fit before they take one more leap of faith.

In this episode, we sit down with Alli Williams, Head of School at The Pilot School, and Samantha Fleming, Director of Marketing at Oakwood School, to talk about what it actually takes to market a specialized school with both clarity and care. From how your website needs to do different work for these families, to why retention is one of the most powerful marketing levers you have, this conversation goes deep into the layers that make this kind of school marketing so demanding and so meaningful.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Burnout in schools isn’t just about being busy or overwhelmed, and it’s not something a day off or better time management can fix. In this episode, we unpack what burnout actually is, how it builds over time, and why so many school teams are feeling it more deeply right now.

In this episode of Mindful School Marketing, we are joined by Brooke Carroll, principal, consultant, and coach at Acies Strategies, where she supports small school leaders through complex operational and leadership challenges. Brooke brings a clear and practical perspective to what’s really driving chronic stress inside schools, from unclear expectations to culture and workload realities, and where leadership and systems may be unintentionally contributing to it.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or noticing it across your team, this conversation offers a more honest look at burnout and what can actually be done about it without adding more to already full plates.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

A school website can look polished on the surface while problems quietly build behind the scenes. In this episode, Tara shares how school marketers can run a quick technical checkup to see whether their website is truly healthy. From page speed to mobile performance and broken links, you’ll learn the small set of checks that reveal how your site is really performing.

Tara also explains which alerts are actually worth worrying about and which ones aren’t. Not every warning from Google or imperfect score requires immediate action, and understanding the difference can save schools a lot of unnecessary stress.

Episode Highlights

• The website speed benchmark Google recommends
• Why mobile performance matters as much as desktop
• How broken links impact search visibility and user experience
• A simple way to make sure your website forms are still working
• What an SSL security warning really means for visitors
• Accessibility basics school websites should start addressing

Links Mentioned In The Episode:

Design TLC Free DIY Website Checklist

In this episode of Mindful School Marketing, Aubrey and Tara sit down with Jason Craige Harris, a strategist, conflict mediator, and mindfulness teacher who works at the intersection of culture, leadership, and institutional life. Jason brings deep wisdom to the conversation about what it truly means to lead with steadiness in uncertain times.

From navigating school crises to making high-impact strategic decisions, Jason shares how resilient leadership begins with inner work. He explains why suppression is not the same as steadiness, why naming emotions actually changes brain chemistry, and how leaders can balance urgency with reflection in their schools.

If you’ve ever felt stretched thin as a school leader, marketer, or team member, this conversation offers both practical tools and grounding perspective.

In this special live episode of Mindful School Marketing, we recorded a panel discussion straight from the Small School Leaders Conference. Tara and Aubrey are joined by experienced independent school marketers who are in the work every day, navigating small teams, limited budgets, and constantly changing expectations.

We are joined by Lori Kriegel (Chief Communications Officer at Wooster School), Andrea Jenkins (Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing & Communications at St. Luke’s Episcopal School), and Barb Doyle (Director of Marketing and Communications at Renbrook School)

This conversation pulls back the curtain on what school marketing really looks like right now. From outsourcing decisions and content systems to AI, paid advertising, and faculty collaboration, this panel shares what’s working, what’s challenging, and how small school marketing teams are adapting in real time.

In this episode of Mindful School Marketing, we dig into one of the most complex and timely questions facing independent and private schools today: should your school participate in voucher or ESA programs. This conversation is especially relevant for school leaders navigating financial pressure, enrollment strategy, and mission alignment as school choice expands across the country.

We are joined by Steve Salvo, Head of School at St. Mary’s Episcopal Day School in Tampa, and Michael Christopher, consultant with Independent School Management (ISM). Together, they bring both a lived leadership perspective and a national consulting lens to help schools think clearly about what is at stake, what questions must be answered, and how to approach vouchers with intention rather than pressure.