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.

• Why resilience is not about “powering through”
• How naming emotions reduces reactivity and builds steadiness
• The difference between proactive routines and in-the-moment micro practices
• How anxiety spreads in organizations and how leaders can stabilize a room
• The tension between transactional leadership and relational leadership
• Why schools need both mechanics (strategy, timelines, accountability) and dynamics (listening, reflection, psychological safety)
• The importance of pre-action and post-action reviews for major decisions
• Jason’s “4 S’s” framework: Soul, Story, Strategy, and Steadiness

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.

• What school marketers would outsource first and why data keeps coming up
• Where additional budget would actually go if marketing teams had the choice
• How small schools stay consistent with content without recreating the wheel
• Practical ways marketing teams are using AI for content, research, and strategy
• What paid advertising is working and how schools measure success
• How marketing teams collaborate with faculty to source photos and stories
• Why community and peer networks matter so much in small school marketing roles

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.

In This Episode

• What voucher and school choice programs actually look like across different states
• The non-negotiable questions boards must answer before saying yes to vouchers
• Financial planning risks, including sustainability if voucher funding changes
• How vouchers can impact mission, admissions, faculty, and program integrity
• Best practices for communicating voucher decisions clearly to families and staff

In this episode of Mindful School Marketing, we’re joined again by leadership coach and consultant Rebecca Malotke-Meslin, founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching and Consulting. Rebecca works with early and mid-career women leaders in schools and nonprofits who are often praised for doing everything but rarely supported in sustainable ways.

Together, we name what so many school leaders are quietly carrying: More responsibility with fewer resources, expanding roles without expanded pay, and the unspoken expectation that caring deeply means endlessly giving. Rebecca breaks down why this dynamic is so common in schools, how it leads to burnout and even physical illness, and what women leaders can do to protect their health, boundaries, and sense of worth without losing relationships or credibility.

• Why “doing more with less” has become normalized in schools and nonprofits
• How overextension and praise can mask burnout and exploitation
• Why delegation is a core leadership skill, not a failure
• How to advocate for fair compensation when your role expands
• Practical ways to say no and set boundaries without damaging trust

As we wrap up the year, it’s just the two of us, Aubrey and Tara, reflecting on what we’ve learned from our guests and what’s ahead for schools in 2026. This year, so many of our conversations have come back to two big shifts: the rise of millennial parents as today’s primary decision makers and the growing role of AI in how families search for and evaluate schools.

In this episode, we’re sharing how these changes are transforming school marketing and admissions and what you can do to keep up. From phone call anxiety and value-driven messaging to AI-powered search results and website structure, we’re talking about what schools must adapt to stay relevant in a digital-first world.

In This Episode:

• What millennial parents want from independent schools and how they make enrollment decisions
• Why authenticity and social proof matter more than polished marketing
• How to rethink your website for AI-driven search and zero-click results
• Simple ways to make your admissions process work for digital-first families
• A fun AI test you can try to see how your school shows up in search
• Our reflections from a year of meaningful conversations and what’s ahead in 2026

In this episode, we’re joined by Jesse Meadow, co-founder and Managing Director of Schoolcraft Digital, where he helps independent schools across the country plan and implement marketing strategies that truly connect with today’s parents.

Jesse shares how the idea of The Fourth Turning can help school leaders understand the times we’re in and lead with purpose. We explore what it means to run a school during a crisis era, how to communicate with clarity when everything feels uncertain, and how to ground your marketing in mission and trust.

• How the Fourth Turning explains the era of crisis schools are facing today
• Why clarity over complexity is the principle every school should prioritize
• Ways to stay mission-focused and build community trust in uncertain times
• How data and calm leadership can help schools navigate ongoing change

In this episode, we sit down with David Madison, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES). David shares how Episcopal schools define their identity and communicate their mission in ways that serve both their faith-based roots and their wider communities. He offers insights that every independent school leader can apply when clarifying values, strengthening culture, and building trust with families.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• The four pillars of Episcopal identity and how they shape school culture and leadership
• Why clarity and transparency are essential in admissions and marketing communications
• Common challenges facing independent and faith-based schools today
• How strong leaders use mission to guide hiring, retention, and community building
• Practical ways to differentiate your school and articulate what makes it unique
• How to balance faith traditions with inclusivity and belonging

As school communicators, we know how complex it can be to navigate today’s conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this episode, we sit down with Jan Abernathy, Chief Communications Officer at The Browning School and principal at Jan Abernathy Strategic Communications, to explore how schools can stay grounded in their mission while addressing sensitive topics in ways that truly build community.

Jan shares why language matters, how schools can balance different stakeholder perspectives, and why it’s crucial to not only “talk the talk” but also “walk the walk.” We dig into practical strategies for creating inclusive messaging that supports both students and families, and we also touch on how AI tools can help schools strengthen communications with greater awareness and clarity.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• How today’s political climate is influencing DEI conversations in schools
• Why grounding communication in your school’s mission builds consensus
• Practical examples of inclusive communication that benefit all families
• Ways to address differing stakeholder perspectives without losing credibility
• The role of listening and market research in understanding parent language
• How AI can be used to test and refine school communications