The Higher Ed Marketer

When Kesha Boyce Williams joined USC Upstate, she inherited an eight-year dream deferred: a much-needed website redesign. But rather than treat it as a technical update, she led with strategy, relationship-building, and storytelling to turn the university’s website into a true enrollment driver.

In this episode, Kesha shares how strategic leadership, cross-campus collaboration, and clear communication helped USC Upstate reimagine its digital presence. You’ll hear about the planning process, why outside expertise matters, and how to anchor web redesigns in data, user experience, and storytelling that moves prospective students to action.

🎧 Join us as we discuss:

Why websites should serve as your #1 enrollment tool

Lessons in change management and cross-campus collaboration

How storytelling connects prospective students to your brand

The importance of internal buy-in and executive leadership support

Practical advice for kicking off a website redesign the right way

🎙️ Inside the Episode 

08:07 – Why Your Website Is Your Front Door

16:20 – Aligning Website Strategy With Enrollment Goals

18:40 – Embedding Storytelling Into Web Strategy

21:39 – Leadership Buy-In at Every Level

24:11 – 10 Practical Steps to Kick Off a Website Overhaul

35:52 – Collaboration Over Competition in Higher Ed

38:20 – Engage Students Early, Learn From Their Journey

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs. 

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proud to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network. 

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What does it take to lead a beloved institution through a name change without alienating stakeholders or losing sight of your values? In this episode, Dr. Mark Milioni, President of Mission University (formerly Baptist Bible College), shares the deeply intentional and strategic process behind one of higher ed’s most thoughtful rebrands.

Dr. Milioni walks us through the financial and cultural challenges he faced upon taking leadership, why a name change wasn’t a silver bullet but rather the culmination of a larger transformation, and how he balanced tradition with vision to roll out Mission University. From legal protections to faculty engagement, from strategic partnerships to athletics and student recruitment, you’ll hear how courage, clarity, and collaboration shaped every step.

🎧 Join us as we discuss:

• Why rebranding requires courageous leadership, not just clever marketing

• How to roll out a new name without losing your base

• The role of partnerships in expanding program offerings

• How athletics and enrollment align with institutional mission

• The importance of external validation and legal groundwork

🎙️ Inside the Episode 

02:15 - Mission Universities rebranding journey. 

10:30 -  Financial challenges and the initial state of the institution. 

18:45 -  The decision-making process behind the name change. 

25:00 - Strategies for managing change and stakeholder engagement. 

35:20 - The role of strategic partnerships in the transition. 

45:10 - Athletics and its impact on the rebranding strategy. 

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs. 

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proud to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Fall is here and that means another great season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast.

• Sneak Peak into Season 7

• 50,000+ downloads...WHAT?!?!?

• Thank you for helping shape this community.

Next week - Season 7 Launched.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is to be a part of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast Network.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This is the final episode of our Enrollment Rx: Strategies to Fill Your Funnel, a four-part series focused on diagnosing and treating common enrollment pipeline challenges. As fall reveals how well your funnel is performing, we’ll help you optimize lead generation, nurture flows, and student engagement. Tune in for essential tactics and insights to boost enrollment outcomes this cycle.

Episode 217 - Originally aired April 2023

Dr Kim Krull retired from Butler Community College in February of 2024

Community colleges are the front door of higher education for hundreds of thousands of students annually. They may be smaller than their 4-year counterparts, but schools like Butler Community College are leading the charge in innovating classrooms and workforce development programs.

How are they doing it? It’s simple — by listening to students and their future employers and pivoting to their needs.

Butler’s former president, Dr. Kimberly Krull, and Director of College Relations and Marketing, Kelly Snedden, tell us how they’re committing to graduating each student in digital literacy.

Join us as we discuss:

– Powering “high-flex” classrooms with the tech of tomorrow (13:03)

– Getting students job-ready in workforce development programs (21:09)

– How Butler is addressing the demographic enrollment cliff (34:51)

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This episode is number three in our Enrollment Rx: Strategies to Fill Your Funnel, a four-part series focused on diagnosing and treating common enrollment pipeline challenges. As fall reveals how well your funnel is performing, we’ll help you optimize lead generation, nurture flows, and student engagement. Tune in for essential tactics and insights to boost enrollment outcomes this cycle.

Episode 216 - Originally aired March 2024

Dave Hunt is now the Executive Creative Director at Old Dominion. 

On November 30th, 2022, ChatGPT changed the world.

Just months before, Dave Hunt, now Executive Creative Director of Old Dominion, had been developing a large-scale email marketing campaign at another university.

Dave discovered that the months of work that went into creating it could all be done in minutes now. It hooked him into looking at how to use generative AI further to keep his new team at ODU doing the creative work instead of grunt work.

This episode will change the way you think about using generative AI with your team and how it can shape the marketing of your college or university.

Join Us As We Discuss

- Focusing on the tasks AI can’t do [8:32]

- Enhancing audience engagement with prospective students [22:38] 

- The challenge of authenticity with Gen-Z and Gen Alpha [28:34] 

- Achieving brand voice alignment when using AI [33:42]

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This episode (2 of 4) is part of Enrollment Rx: Strategies to Fill Your Funnel, a four-part series focused on diagnosing and treating common enrollment pipeline challenges. As fall reveals how well your funnel is performing, we’ll help you optimize lead generation, nurture flows, and student engagement. Tune in for essential tactics and insights to boost enrollment outcomes this cycle.

Episode 215 - Originally aired Feb 2022

Nate Jorgensen is now the Senior Director of Marketing at Miami University.

Sometimes when marketers get all gung-ho about creating work, especially content that looks “professional,” it can blur the authenticity of the message. Members of Gen Z (who have highly sensitive BS filters) can prefer content that’s imperfect.

In this episode, we spoke with Nate Jorgensen, Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Cincinnati - College of Engineering and Applied Science, about when marketers do too much work and how to let their institutions sell themselves.

Join us as we discuss:

- Growing your institution’s footprint

- Authentic communication strategies

- How to use student-produced content that may not be all positive

- The impact of video: from Nate’s engineering video series to candid iPhone filming

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This episode (1 of 4) is part of Enrollment Rx: Strategies to Fill Your Funnel, a four-part series focused on diagnosing and treating common enrollment pipeline challenges. As fall reveals how well your funnel is performing, we’ll help you optimize lead generation, nurture flows, and student engagement. Tune in for essential tactics and insights to boost enrollment outcomes this cycle.

Episode 214 - Originally aired March 2023

Enrollment marketing teams face new challenges every day as they work tirelessly to attract prospective students. Despite those obstacles, Teresa MacGregor, Senior Vice President, Strategic Engagement & Enrollment at Jacksonville University, and her colleagues are celebrating increased first-time enrollment at their school. And it’s not just because of the campus’s beachfront view. They did it by actively engaging with their students on campus and encouraging them to share their stories with the community.

Teresa shares how her school’s administration is leading from the front to elevate the student experience.   

Join us as we discuss:

• Encouraging campus visits through a culture of storytelling (6:54)

• An individualized approach to student recruitment (18:42)

• The value narrative brewing around higher education (26:25)

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 213

ZeeMeeSummer Series - Week 4 of 4

In this episode, we talk with Sacha Thieme, Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of Admissions at Indiana University Bloomington. Sacha shares how her team is rethinking student engagement long before day one on campus. From building community at scale to partnering across departments like First Year Experience, Sacha walks us through how IU is creating connection and clarity for thousands of students. She also dives into how data and digital tools are shaping a more intentional admissions experience, and what it takes to lead a team with purpose in an ever-changing enrollment landscape.

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Great admissions leadership begins with listening and a deep understanding of the student journey.

✅ A clear, authentic institutional identity will help you stand out.
✅ Connection and belonging should begin well before students set foot on campus.

✅ The best strategies come from understanding student needs, not assumptions.

✅ Technology can enhance human touchpoints and community.

Join the Discussion:

03:04 Leading with Purpose in Higher Education

06:03 Empowering Admissions Teams

08:56 Building Community at Scale

11:44 Seamless Transitions for New Students

14:38 Leveraging Data and Technology in Admissions

20:36 Creating Meaningful Engagement

ZeeMee is the #1 student community app, used by millions worldwide. It’s where Gen-Z connects and where colleges drive 2x the apps, 3.6x the yield and half the melt.

ZeeMee analyzes tens of millions of data points on each student in real time, giving colleges access to the largest set of student behavior data and the most accurate predictive model in Higher Ed today.”

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

ZeeMee Summer Series - Week 3 of 4

Building community is your new enrollment strategy. In this episode, Bart Caylor sits down with Vanessa Didyk, CEO of ZeeMee, to explore how student-driven community is transforming the enrollment funnel. Vanessa shares the story behind ZeeMee’s evolution and why today’s students crave authentic peer connections long before they set foot on campus. From real-time behavioral signals to predictive modeling, the conversation reveals how community engagement isn’t just a feel-good initiative, it's a strategic, data-backed tool that boosts yield, reduces melt, and lightens the load for enrollment teams. If you’re looking for smarter ways to connect with Gen Z and convert intent into action, ZeeMee is for you!

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Build authentic student communities that naturally drive enrollment and engagement
✅ Use real-time behavioral signals to predict which students will apply, commit, or melt

✅ Ease staff workload by shifting early engagement to peer-driven, self-sustaining communities
✅ Treat community as a top-of-funnel strategy that delivers long-term yield results
✅ Start small with predictive data and still see measurable impact on enrollment goals

Join the Discussion:

02:02 The Evolution of ZeeMee as a community building too

05:25 Building Community Among Students

10:09 Understanding Behavioral Signals for Enrollment

14:40 The Impact of Recruitment Intelligence

17:58 Mitigating Melt Risks with Data

22:25 Community as a Top-of-Funnel Investment

ZeeMee is the #1 student community app, used by millions worldwide. It’s where Gen-Z connects and where colleges drive 2x the apps, 3.6x the yield and half the melt.

ZeeMee analyzes tens of millions of data points on each student in real time, giving colleges access to the largest set of student behavior data and the most accurate predictive model in Higher Ed today.”

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

–

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

ZeeMee Summer Series - Week 3 of 4

Building community is your new enrollment strategy. In this episode, Bart Caylor sits down with Vanessa Didyk, CEO of ZeeMee, to explore how student-driven community is transforming the enrollment funnel. Vanessa shares the story behind ZeeMee’s evolution and why today’s students crave authentic peer connections long before they set foot on campus. From real-time behavioral signals to predictive modeling, the conversation reveals how community engagement isn’t just a feel-good initiative, it's a strategic, data-backed tool that boosts yield, reduces melt, and lightens the load for enrollment teams. If you’re looking for smarter ways to connect with Gen Z and convert intent into action, ZeeMee is for you!

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Build authentic student communities that naturally drive enrollment and engagement
✅ Use real-time behavioral signals to predict which students will apply, commit, or melt

✅ Ease staff workload by shifting early engagement to peer-driven, self-sustaining communities
✅ Treat community as a top-of-funnel strategy that delivers long-term yield results
✅ Start small with predictive data and still see measurable impact on enrollment goals

Join the Discussion:

02:02 The Evolution of ZeeMee as a community building too

05:25 Building Community Among Students

10:09 Understanding Behavioral Signals for Enrollment

14:40 The Impact of Recruitment Intelligence

17:58 Mitigating Melt Risks with Data

22:25 Community as a Top-of-Funnel Investment

ZeeMee is the #1 student community app, used by millions worldwide. It’s where Gen-Z connects and where colleges drive 2x the apps, 3.6x the yield and half the melt.

ZeeMee analyzes tens of millions of data points on each student in real time, giving colleges access to the largest set of student behavior data and the most accurate predictive model in Higher Ed today.”

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

–

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.