Your school's enrollment numbers have been declining. You've invested in more advertising, updated your website, and hosted more open houses, but the numbers still aren't moving in the right direction. What now?

In the Season 2 premiere of The Enrollment Marketing Geeks Podcast for School Leaders, Rick and Andy tackle one of the most pressing questions they hear from school leaders: How do we reverse declining enrollment?

The answer often requires looking beyond marketing. Before investing in another recruitment campaign, school leaders need to understand what's actually driving the decline. Are fewer families inquiring? Are prospective parents dropping out of the admissions process? Or are too many current families choosing not to return?

Rick and Andy explore the common causes of enrollment challenges and share practical strategies for getting your school back on track. From strengthening retention and improving the admissions experience to clarifying your school's value, this conversation will help you identify where to focus your efforts and take meaningful steps toward healthy enrollment.

Our Enrollment Is Declining. How Do We Turn It Around? (Season 2, Ep.1) 

Your currently enrolled families have a bigger influence on healthy enrollment than you might think.

In this bonus episode of the Enrollment Marketing Geeks podcast, Andy Lynch and Rick Newberry explore the unique role current families play in shaping your school’s culture, reputation, and word of mouth.

They unpack why authentic advocacy can’t simply be bought with referral incentives, how everyday experiences become the stories families share, and why clarity around right-fit families and school-family partnership matters long after enrollment.

Andy and Rick also share practical ways schools can activate the goodwill already within their communities — from gathering family stories and reviews to creating a simple family ambassador network that gives enthusiastic parents meaningful ways to advocate for the school.

Along the way, they discuss the importance of setting clear expectations, protecting school culture, and creating an experience families genuinely want to talk about.

BONUS: The Enrolled Family’s Unique Contribution to Healthy Enrollment (Roles & Responsibilities, Ep.6)

What role does your school board play in the pursuit of healthy enrollment?

It may not be giving tours, running digital ads, or building the school website — but the board’s influence on enrollment is significant.

In this episode, Andy Lynch and Rick Newberry are joined by Dr. Bill Mott, author, speaker, consultant, and longtime school leader, to explore the board’s unique contribution to healthy enrollment. Together, they unpack how a strong board can support school leadership, shape a healthy culture, provide accountability, and help ensure marketing and enrollment have the resources they need to succeed.

They also tackle an important question: Where should board involvement stop? From weighing in on individual admissions decisions to suggesting the next billboard location, well-intentioned board members can sometimes cross from governance into operations.

You’ll hear practical guidance on creating those guardrails while helping board members become informed, influential ambassadors for your school.

The Board’s Unique Contributions to Healthy Enrollment (Roles & Responsibilities, Ep.5)

Enrollment isn’t everyone’s job. But everyone has a role in enrollment.

In this episode of Enrollment Marketing Geeks, Rick and Andy talk about the important role faculty and staff play in Healthy Enrollment™. No, teachers don’t need to become salespeople, and your front office team doesn’t need to start writing marketing plans. But the everyday experiences they create shape how prospective and current families feel about your school.

From the first campus visit to the daily interactions that help a family feel known and valued, faculty and staff bring your school’s brand promise to life. Those experiences influence recruitment, strengthen retention, and give families stories worth sharing with others.

Rick and Andy explore how school leaders can help their teams understand that role by focusing on three things: knowing the school’s promise, living it through everyday interactions, and sharing the stories that show that promise in action.

The Role of Faculty & Staff in Healthy Enrollment (Roles & Responsibilities, Ep.4)

What does it really take to lead admissions at an independent or faith-based school?

In Episode 3 of the Enrollment Marketing Geeks podcast, Andy Lynch and Rick Newberry unpack seven essential roles of the Director of Admissions, and why the job involves much more than answering inquiries and giving campus tours.

From confidently helping families make decisions to creating an intentional prospective family experience, admissions leaders play a critical role in moving right-fit families through the enrollment journey. Andy and Rick discuss the importance of proactive follow-up, strong collaboration between marketing and admissions, and knowing the numbers behind your enrollment pipeline.

Recommended for: Director of Admissions, Head of School, or contributing enrollment team members.

The Admissions Director's Unique Contributions to Healthy Enrollment (Roles & Responsibilities, Ep.3)

The Geeks chat about how the Director of Marketing should contribute to your school's healthy enrollment.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

 * A one-sentence job description for an ideal Marketing Director
 * The 4 key drivers of a successful Marketing Director
 * Why alignment between Marketing and Admissions is crucial to your school's healthy enrollment

Two free resources that the Geeks referenced:

 * A Weekly Marketing and Admissions Team Meeting Agenda Template [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NFNUSPgR98QXoFuuXMVZO_F_sTz22Fli-Of5_lN5-tE/edit?usp=sharing]
 * 9 Drivers of Word of Mouth Marketing [https://www.enrollmentcatalyst.com/9-drivers-of-word-of-mouth-marketing-download/]

The Director of Marketing's Unique Contributions to Healthy Enrollment (Roles & Responsibilities, Ep. 2)

Healthy enrollment begins with leadership.

In the first episode of the Enrollment Marketing Geeks Podcast for School Leaders, Andy Lynch and Rick Newberry explore the unique role the Head of School plays in creating the conditions for enrollment growth. From setting a compelling vision to building the right team, reviewing key metrics, and championing marketing at the board level, they discuss the leadership habits that help schools attract and retain right-fit families.

In this episode, you'll learn:

 * Why enrollment is ultimately a leadership responsibility
 * How Heads of School create alignment across marketing, admissions, and finance
 * The importance of weekly enrollment meetings and knowing the numbers
 * What it takes to move from enrollment goals to an actionable plan
 * How school leaders can build a culture where healthy enrollment becomes possible

The Head of School’s Unique Contributions to Enrollment (Roles & Responsibilities, Ep.1)

Andy Lynch (@emgeeks) · Zencastr

Andy Lynch (@emgeeks)

Hosted by Andy Lynch and Rick Newberry, each episode tackles the challenges school leaders face in building healthy enrollment, with practical ideas you can actually use (and at least a few dad jokes we probably should have edited out).