Talking Tactics

On this episode of Talking Tactics, host Day chats with Stormie Harless and Reggie Hayes of Ball State University about one of the quirkiest—and most successful—Giving Day campaigns we've ever seen: letting donors name a goose. Yes, you read that right. This creative, low-cost tactic more than tripled gifts to the Ball State Fund, turning a fun gimmick into a strategic fundraising win. Learn how a "goose gang," Canva templates, and clever messaging made all the difference—and why sometimes a little silliness can have serious results.

Guest Names:
Stormie Harless, Senior Director of Annual Giving & Foundation Communications, Ball State University
Reggie Hayes, Assistant Director of Digital Engagement, Ball State University

Guest Socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stormieharless/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggiehayes/

Guest Bios: Stormie Harless has been at Ball State for over eight years and currently serves as the Senior Director of Annual Giving & Foundation Communications. She leads the university’s digital and annual giving teams, managing everything from web and social to blogs, emails, and fundraising campaigns.

Reggie Hayes graduated from Ball State University in 2019 and has worked on Stormie’s digital team at the Foundation for over 2 years as Assistant Director of Digital Engagement. The bulk of his responsibilities with the Foundation include creating content for the Ball State Alumni Association and Ball State University Foundation socials, newsletters, blog posts, and other external communication pieces.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if a few strategic email decisions could boost your click-through rates by 73% and gifts by 26% on your giving day? On this episode of Talking Tactics, Day sits down with Veronica Jones and Zack Schmidt from the University of Iowa Center for Advancement to unpack how they moved from a time-consuming email process to a smart, automated strategy that actually improved the donor experience. If you're looking for better ways to connect with alumni and donors during your next giving day — and drive real results — this episode is your blueprint.

Guest Names: 
Veronica Jones, Executive Director, Annual Giving
Zack Schmidt, Executive Director, Marketing Analytics & Web Strategy, University of Iowa Center for Advancement

Guest Socials: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicaajones/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackschmidt/

Guest Bios: 
Veronica Jones is the Executive Director of Annual Giving at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, where she has spent over a decade leading innovative, data-driven strategies to connect donors with impact. With more than 15 years in higher education advancement, she’s recognized for her creative donor engagement, inclusive leadership, and award-winning campaigns. Veronica holds a B.A. in Project Management from the University of Arizona Global Campus and is passionate about mentorship, team empowerment, and building an inclusive, future-focused culture of philanthropy.

Zack Schmidt serves as Executive Director of Marketing Analytics & Web Strategy at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, where he oversees digital engagement, UX, and marketing analytics in support of philanthropic goals. With 20+ years in higher ed communications, Zack brings together expertise in design, development, and strategic leadership. A double Iowa graduate in Communication and Design, he’s a CASE award-winner and national speaker on topics like email marketing and the university’s One Day for Iowa campaign.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What do planners, quizzes, and pumpkin stencils have in common? At Cornell, they’re powering growth in alumni engagement. In this episode of Talking Tactics, Sarina Alexander, lead graphic designer for Cornell’s advancement team, shares how her team grew digital downloads fivefold — sparking a 40% increase in email clicks and doubling alumni engagement in just three years. 

From ideation to execution, Sarina breaks down what’s working (and what’s not), and how you can steal a page from Cornell’s playbook to boost engagement at your institution.

Get inspired by Cornell’s downloads here: 
https://alumni.cornell.edu/connect/downloads/

Guest Name: Sarina Alexander, Lead Graphic Designer, Cornell University

Guest Social: ww.linkedin.com/in/sarina-alexander

Guest Bio: Sarina Alexander is known for her creative approach, blending institutional branding with campaign elements. She has a versatile background, with experience in environmental design, digital and print. Before Cornell, Sarina worked as a designer for The Aspen Group and the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at her alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology. University branding comes with challenges and Sarina is dedicated to using design and creative problem-solving to accomplish marketing goals in all her pieces.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special compilation episode of Talking Tactics, host Day sifts through the archives to bring you a trio of field-tested summer strategies that actually move the needle. From boosting post-deposit engagement with 90% email open rates to winning back withdrawn students with a creative goodbye message, these stories from real enrollment pros are packed with actionable ideas for reducing summer melt.

Guest Names: 
Darcy Porter, Director of Content Strategy, SUNY Brockport 
Kristin Miller, Communication Manager, Frostburg State University 
Sean Whitten, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Southern Methodist University 

Guest Socials: 
Kristin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinmlr/
Sean - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanewhitten/

Guest Bios:
Darcy Porter is the Director of Content Strategy at SUNY Brockport, where she focuses on web content, enrollment marketing, and social media. She is passionate about pushing boundaries and continually seeking innovation in the ways in which Brockport, and all of higher ed, communicates to prospective students. When Darcy is not scrolling TikTok or attending her kids’ soccer games, she enjoys traveling, skiing, and snuggling every dog she sees.

Kristin Miller believes good communication brings people together. It invites people in and makes organizations and their services accessible. As the Recruitment Communication Manager at Frostburg State University, she works to create thoughtful, human-centered messaging to connect with students and parents. With a background in higher education and nonprofit communication, Kristin has spent her career blending strategy with storytelling, helping institutions build trust. She’s got a special fondness for email communication and making sure the content she creates provides value.  

Sean Whitten works as the inaugural Director of Strategic Partnerships for Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX. Known for his imaginative learning approach and curiosity, Sean fosters inclusive environments that elevate and empower families, staff, and students in the college admission process and on campus. His 14 years of work span college admissions, enrollment management, and communications and marketing.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the key to supporting students with payments isn’t a new policy, but a new tone? In this episode of Talking Tactics, host Dayana Kibilds chats with Karen Sorrell, Senior Business Operations Manager at Carroll Community College, about how one simple change—revamping payment reminder emails—led to big results. By shifting the tone from transactional to supportive, Karen’s team boosted student outreach by 16%, resolved 95% of payment issues for those who responded, and dropped outstanding payments by 11%.

If you’ve ever sent an email that looked more like a warning label than a helping hand, this conversation will inspire you to rethink how you communicate about the most stressful part of the enrollment journey: paying for college.

Guest Name: Karen Sorrell, Senior Business Operations Manager, Carroll Community College

Guest Social: www.linkedin.com/in/karen-sorrell-58745b33b

Guest Bio: Karen Sorrell is a seasoned business operations leader with 25 years of experience in financial management and human resources. She currently serves as Senior Business Operations Manager at Carroll Community College, where she leads strategic initiatives to improve operational efficiency and service delivery. With a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Penn State University—focused on organizational communication and paired with a minor in Spanish—and an MBA in Organizational Leadership, Karen brings a well-rounded, people-centered approach to institutional operations and change management.

Grounded in both communications and lean management principles, Karen is known for her ability to foster strong organizational cultures through clear, empathetic, and intercultural communication. She is especially passionate about supporting students as they navigate complex financial processes, ensuring they feel heard and empowered. Her work combines data-driven decision-making with a collaborative mindset, enabling her to lead successful transformation efforts even in traditionally change-resistant environments.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Talking Tactics, Dayana Kibilds is joined by former Hidden Gem host and current CMO at Carroll Community College, Maya Demishkevich. Maya shares how she tripled enrollment in a continuing education course by creating a more personalized email sequence—and how that tactic has since shaped how her the team approaches course promotion across the board.

You’ll get the inside scoop on the structure, strategy, and psychology behind the emails that got real results.

Guest Name: Maya Demishkevich, Chief Marketing Officer, Carroll Community College

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayademishkevich/

Guest Bio: Maya Demishkevich is a digital strategist with a strong focus on creative efficiency. She currently serves as a Chief Marketing Officer at Carroll Community College in Maryland. With over 15 years of experience across diverse educational sectors — including public, private, for-profit, traditional, and online institutions — Maya brings a unique blend of innovative strategy and disciplined execution to her work. As the founder of College Crusader, she provides strategic marketing and social media consulting, consistently delivering practical, results-driven solutions.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Frostburg State University ran a game-changing billing and financial aid texting campaign that engaged 73% of admitted students and their parents—resulting in a 7% reduction in summer melt. 

In this episode, Kristin Miller, Recruitment Communication Manager at Frostburg State, shares how her team leveraged texting to create personal, stress-reducing conversations with students and families. She walks us through the steps to run a texting campaign, the unexpected benefits, and how texting is shaping future engagement efforts across campus. If you're looking for a way to build one-on-one relationships with families while saving staff time, this episode is a must-listen!

Guest Name: Kristin Miller, Recruitment Communications Manager, Frostburg State University

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinmlr/

Guest Bio: Kristin Miller believes good communication brings people together. It invites people in and makes organizations and their services accessible. As the Recruitment Communication Manager at Frostburg State University, she works to create thoughtful, human-centered messaging to connect with students and parents.

With a background in higher education and nonprofit communication, Kristin has spent her career blending strategy with storytelling, helping institutions build trust. She’s got a special fondness for email communication and making sure the content she creates provides value.  

When she’s not writing or problem-solving, she’s probably playing with her tiny humans or reading about space. 

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most fundraisers accept a 1.5% response rate from direct mail as standard. But Brenda Turner? She used cold calls to push that number to a staggering 20%, securing four major donors from just 37 letters.

Brenda, a certified fundraising executive with 16+ years of experience and nearly $1 billion raised, shares the exact tactic that made her outreach so effective. She breaks down her approach—from writing an “audacious” letter to making fearless follow-up calls—and explains why phone calls are an underutilized secret weapon in fundraising.

Guest Name: Brenda Marie Turner, Founder, Turner Divine Consulting

Guest Social: 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendamarieturner/
Instagram - @brendamarieturner

Guest Bio: Brenda has over 16 years of experience as a nonprofit fundraising professional. As an employee and consultant, she has directly raised more than $40 million and has indirectly raised nearly $1 billion. Brenda’s comprehensive experience includes annual giving (direct mail and e-solicitations, volunteer-led peer-to-peer solicitations and phone-a-thons), major gifts, planned giving, corporate partnerships/sponsorships, and institutional giving. She is also well-versed in the management of events, volunteers, staff, and stewardship processes, as well as management of CRMs. She is also a professional singer (mostly opera/classical) and uses those skills when presenting thoughtfully prepared and engaging fundraising concepts to myriad audiences.

Brenda has held an active Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential since 2017, sits on the board of AFP-NYC, the conference planning committee of the African American Development Officers Network, and is a current member of the Women of Color in Fundraisers Association. Learn more at brendamarieturner.com.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Graduate programs often focus on outbound marketing, but what about capturing students who are deciding whether to go back to school in the first place? Purdue Business found a solution that works—blogging. 

Shannon Hess, Director of Content and Communications at the Mitch Daniels School of Business, shares how launching a prospective graduate student blog led to a 425-keyword increase in non-branded organic search rankings, 680 additional website sessions per month, and 400+ new website visitors each month.

In this episode, Shannon walks us through the exact steps Purdue Business took to create a blog that drives real results, from SEO strategy and topic clustering to content creation workflows, and how AI can help. If you're looking to attract highly motivated prospective grad students, this episode is for you. 

• Follow Shannon Hess on LinkedIn.
• Subscribe to Talking Tactics for more real-world higher ed marketing tactics that actually work.
• Attending CASE District V or EDU Digital Summit? Catch Shannon’s presentations for more insights on blogging and SEO.
• Want to see the Purdue Business blog in action? https://business.purdue.edu/graduate-programs/blog

Guest Name: Shannon Hess, Director of Content and Communications, Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue University

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spnicholson/

Guest Bio: Shannon is a seasoned marketing leader overseeing brand, content, and creative strategies for the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University. Her proficiency in leveraging data to inform decisions and her drive to continually improve, break silos, and test hypotheses has led to an estimated $7M+ in revenue growth. She is committed to combining creative thinking with emerging technologies and fostering a culture of curiosity, transparency, and quality to solve complex problems and deliver imaginative solutions.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Talking Tactics, John Azoni, owner and executive producer at UNVEILD, unpacks how to capture impactful video testimonials while saving on cost. John reveals his go-to tactic: using “fill-in-the-blank” questions to draw out strong, structured responses that deliver memorable intros and outros. This simple tactic can cut editing time by up to 10% while guaranteeing your videos start and end with impact. From thinking like an editor to using AI to craft better questions, this episode is packed with actionable tips for creating standout video content.

Watch John’s “fill-in-the-blank” questions in action:

• Outro: “If it weren’t for Baker____” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaeWelrhlnA
• Outro: “Cleary has changed the way I ____” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W9MfPuzAFg

Intro: “Golf is ______” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQJsbmtbu54

Guest Name: John Azoni, Owner/Executive Producer at UNVEILD

Guest Links:
Subscribe to John’s Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter
Follow John’s Podcast: https://unveild.tv/podcast

Guest Socials: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/higheredstorytelling
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HigherEdStorytelling

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Safaniya Stevenson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safaniyastevenson/ 

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.