The AI Workforce for Higher Ed is Here |

Talk to a Bolt Agent
EP
48
January 13, 2025
Episode 48: New Year, New Who?

New Year, New Who?

Or listen on:

About the Episode

Got a story to tell? An innovative idea to share? Fill out our guest nomination form and let's chat!

About the Episode:

In the latest episode of The Higher Ed Pulse, co-hosts Seth and Mallory dive into their 2025 aspirations, blending professional ambitions with personal growth goals. They explore how AI is transforming workflows, the importance of intentional leadership, and strategies for balancing high performance with well-being. This lively discussion offers inspiration for education professionals looking to make meaningful changes in the year ahead.

Key Takeaways

  • AI Integration is Key: 2025 is the year to integrate AI tools into workflows for better efficiency, cost savings, and scalability.
  • Leadership Through Empowerment: Success is a team sport—empowering others leads to greater collective wins.
  • Focus on Intentional Growth: Balancing work and personal well-being requires thoughtful planning, proactive systems, and regular reflection.
  • Prioritize Self-Care: Rest and preventative self-care are vital for maintaining energy and focus in high-performance environments.
  • Get Comfortable with Experimentation: The time for AI experimentation is over; now is the time for implementation and measurable results.

Episode Summary

Professional Growth: Building an AI-First Organization

Seth shares his ambitious vision for 2025: building an AI agency that ensures his team stays ahead of the curve in an evolving digital landscape. He highlights three pillars guiding this transformation:

  1. Education: Providing team-wide access to the latest AI tools and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
  2. Augmentation: Leveraging AI to enhance existing workflows, increasing efficiency and impact.
  3. Segmentation: Preparing for future innovations that AI will unlock in entirely new business areas.

This strategic approach ensures long-term growth while keeping teams motivated and empowered to innovate.

Leadership Reflections: Empowering Teams

Mallory reflects on her guiding philosophies as a leader, emphasizing trust, empowerment, and collective wins. She explains how Enrollify is positioned to thrive at the intersection of AI, technology, marketing, and higher education. Her focus for 2025 is on fostering a collaborative environment where team members can shine, all while steering the network toward greater impact and relevance.

Personal Development: Reimagining Work-Life Balance

Both hosts emphasize the importance of intentional self-care in high-performance environments. Seth shares how he’s structuring his life with healthy constraints, such as prioritizing family time, hiring a personal coach, and exploring authentic relating practices. Mallory, meanwhile, resolves to embrace rest, go off the grid more often, and carve out time for rejuvenating activities like fitness.

  • Key Insight: Preventative self-care and mindful systems, such as hiring support staff or simplifying workflows, can create space for personal growth without sacrificing professional responsibilities.

AI in Higher Ed: Actionable Next Steps

Mallory highlights the upcoming AI Engage Summit as a pivotal resource for higher ed professionals looking to implement AI into their operations. Co-hosted by Enrollify and Element 451, this free, virtual event offers actionable insights for using AI to improve student recruitment, streamline communications, and enhance the student journey. As AI shifts from experimentation to results-driven integration, 2025 is the year to embrace these tools for transformative impact.

Final Thoughts

2025 presents an exciting opportunity for personal and professional evolution. Whether you’re focused on leveraging AI, empowering your team, or creating more balance in your life, the new year is the perfect time to take stock and set intentional goals.

Ready to make 2025 your year of transformation? Register for the AI Engage Summit to learn how to harness AI for real results in higher education. Don’t wait—start your journey today!

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit!

The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education.

Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

👉🏻 Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st.

People in this episode

Host

Mallory Willsea is a strategist and consultant working at the intersection of higher education.

Seth Odell is Founder and CEO of Kanahoma, the fastest growing digital marketing agency in higher education, and host of The Higher Ed Pulse.

Interviewee

No items found.

Other episodes

Episode #340: Creating Transparent Learning Experiences with AIPlay Button
Episode #340: Creating Transparent Learning Experiences with AI

For this week's episode, Dustin speaks with Jenny Maxwell of Superhuman about the evolving relationship between AI and academic integrity in higher education. They explore how institutions can move beyond viewing AI as a threat and instead embrace more transparent, collaborative approaches that help students learn with AI while maintaining trust, accountability, and meaningful assessment practices.

Episode 23: OpenAI’s Cyber Incident and the Rise of Open Weight ModelsPlay Button
Episode 23: OpenAI’s Cyber Incident and the Rise of Open Weight Models

JC unpacks two headline-making AI stories every campus and institution needs to understand right now.

Episode 101: Why Strategy Should Come Before ToolsPlay Button
Episode 101: Why Strategy Should Come Before Tools

Artificial intelligence is changing how higher education teams work, but successful AI adoption is about much more than choosing the right tools.

Episode 127: Higher Ed's Hero CyclePlay Button
Episode 127: Higher Ed's Hero Cycle

Mallory hosts Higher Ed Pulse with guest Jenn Hayes, Associate Dean for Marketing & Communications at Cardozo School of Law in New York, to discuss higher ed’s recurring “hero” cycle: hiring passionate leaders to rebuild broken systems, celebrating visible wins, and then losing them to burnout.

Ep. 71: How ECU Built a Collaborative Communications Team Across CampusPlay Button
Ep. 71: How ECU Built a Collaborative Communications Team Across Campus

Jenny Li Fowler welcomes Jessica VanderKolk, a Public Communications Specialist at East Carolina University. The conversation centers on ECU’s innovative communications department structure, which utilizes a liaison model. Rather than being siloed in a central office, communicators are embedded directly within the colleges they cover.

Weekly ideas that make you smarter

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Subscribe
cancel

Search podcasts, blog posts, people