About the Episode
About the Episode:
This episode is packed with must-read books for higher ed marketers and leaders. Mallory and Seth each share their top three book recommendations and explain why these reads are game changers for anyone navigating innovation, strategy, and leadership in the higher ed space. From timeless classics like Crossing the Chasm to inspiring tales like Shoe Dog, this episode is full of insights to help you think differently about marketing, leadership, and innovation. Tune in for their thoughtful book breakdowns, plus a bonus challenge to share your own recommendations!
Episode Summary
Mallory's Conference Adventures and HyEdWeb Highlights
Mallory kicks off the episode with excitement about the fall conference season, including her attendance at HighEdWeb in Albuquerque and the upcoming NACAC conference. As a speaker, Mallory will be presenting a lightning talk on building custom GPTs in ChatGPT and moderating a women-in-leadership panel. Seth humorously expresses his FOMO, reminiscing about past conferences, and lightheartedly shares a story of running a rental car into a wall during a trip to Albuquerque.
Why Books Matter for Higher Ed Marketers
With the season of learning in the air, Mallory and Seth dive into their top business and marketing book recommendations for higher ed professionals. Each host presents three books, drawing on their relevance to marketing, leadership, and innovation in higher education. These books offer frameworks and insights that help marketers navigate the increasingly competitive landscape of higher ed recruitment and student engagement.
Mallory's Top Picks for Higher Ed Marketers
- Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore: This book explores the challenges of taking a new product from early adopters to the mass market, a challenge familiar to higher ed professionals working with new technologies and innovations on campus.
- The 10 Types of Innovation by Larry Keeley: Mallory loves the practical applications of Keeley's work, particularly the idea that innovation isn't limited to products but can extend to customer engagement, partnerships, and service models.
- What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You by Melina Palmer: Mallory highlights Palmer's insights on subconscious decision-making, framing, and anchoring. These concepts are critical for understanding how students and parents make enrollment decisions.
Seth's Top Picks for Marketing and Leadership
- Shoe Dog by Phil Knight: Seth can't recommend this book enough, sharing how the story of Nike's founding is filled with resilience, creativity, and lessons on building an iconic brand from scratch. A favorite quote: "The cowards never started, and the weak died along the way. That leaves us."
- Principles by Ray Dalio: This book profoundly influenced Seth's leadership style, particularly Dalio's ideas around radical transparency, systems thinking, and creating a meritocratic workplace.
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: Seth encourages anyone leading a team to read this book, which candidly explores the challenges and failures that come with building something meaningful. It’s a reminder that business success often comes after a lot of hard lessons.
Honorable Mentions and Must-Reads for Marketers
Seth gives a rapid-fire list of honorable mentions, including:
- Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan (for copywriters)
- Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy (for advertising professionals)
- Good to Great by Jim Collins (for business strategy)
- John O’Shaughnessy's Work on Neuromarketing (for understanding consumer behavior)
Mallory and Seth also highlight the importance of reading fiction to sharpen storytelling skills, which are critical for effective marketing.
Seth's Keynote at the AI Engage Summit
In the final section, Mallory teases Seth's upcoming keynote at the AI Engage Summit. Seth previews his talk, which will cover the current state of innovation in higher ed and how institutions can move from ideas to actionable strategies using AI. With over 500 attendees already registered, the summit promises to be an insightful deep dive into AI's role in shaping the future of education.
Register for the AI Engage Summit
Book Recommendations:
- What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You - Melina Palmer
- Watch Melina’s Engage Summit Keynote
- Crossing the Chasm - Geoffery Moore
- 10 Types of Innovation - Larry Keely
- Shoe Dog - Phil Knight
- Principles - Ray Dalio
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz
Connect With Our Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell
About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders, innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.
Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.
Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.
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