Season 4 is here, and we’re kicking it off with a conversation that will reset how you think about urgency, identity, and starting over.

In this episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast, I’m joined by Erin Mark. TEDx speaker, storyteller, and Director of Partnerships at Merit.

Erin was born with cystic fibrosis. She grew up hearing she wouldn’t live past 18. At five years old, she overheard her life expectancy on a phone call. At 35, she entered end-stage disease and was preparing to die. Then Trikafta was approved and it saved her life.

What we talk about isn’t just survival. It’s what happens after. When the future you never planned for suddenly shows up and you have to figure out who you are again.

Erin shares why real change rarely comes from dramatic overhauls. It comes from small pauses that create choice. One habit. One decision. One shift in direction.

She leaves us with a reminder she once set as her iPhone alarm during her sickest season:

"You woke up today."

That’s the work. You don’t have to fix everything this year. You just have to keep moving forward.

Follow Erin Mark on LinkedIn for clear, grounded perspective on leadership, identity, and momentum.

Listen to the full episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

For our final book club meeting of 2025, we dove into The Go-Giver—and had the incredible opportunity to host co-author Bob Burg for a live Q&A. It was one of our most reflective and practical sessions of the year.

What We Discussed

• Why generosity and value-creation matter more than tactics in leadership and enrollment
• How “everyone is in sales”—especially in higher ed
• Communicating value vs price when talking about tuition
• The difference between being a go-getter, go-giver, and go-taker
• Why listening is often the greatest form of giving
• How to build trust in low-trust environments (with international perspectives from Chile)
• The “big kahuna” lesson: why your most impactful students often don’t look like big wins at first glance

Bob Burg’s Key Insights

• Selling = giving time, attention, counsel, empathy, and value
• Trust is earned through consistency
• Stories connect deeper than how-to advice
• The Go-Giver was rejected by 24 publishers before becoming a global book series
• His recommended next read: The Go-Giver Influencer (his favorite)

Community Highlights

Our members shared Thanksgiving experiences, career transitions, international perspectives, and how The Go-Giver mirrors the best parts of higher ed: mentorship, service, and helping others flourish.

Next Book

📘 The Hottest Seat on Campus by Angel Pérez 📅 January 21, 2026

Register now: https://www.linkedin.com/events/januaryeducationmarketingleader7402410947400851456/

Thanks to everyone who joined—and special thanks to Bob for his time, generosity, and wisdom.

In this episode, I talk with Lisa Starkey-Wood, VP of Enrollment Strategy at Stamats, about what breaks most prospect journeys—and what to fix first.

We cover:

• RFI roadblocks: Why many teams can’t even find their own inquiry form and how to fix basic CTA and form placement so students don’t stall on step one.
• Day-zero done right: What a strong confirmation experience looks like (thank-you page, instant email, timely counselor outreach) and why waiting for “perfect” personalization is a mistake.
• Real personalization: Moving beyond “Hi, [First Name]” to program-specific, audience-specific content that actually reflects what students told you they care about.
• Yield and melt prevention: Simple, high-impact ways to keep accepted and deposited students engaged using faculty, current students, and multi-channel touchpoints.

Extra curricular: Watch her 60-minute webinar on the art of effective prospect nurturing.

Follow and subscribe to the Education Marketing Leader podcast for more practical conversations built for higher-ed marketers.