In this practical follow-up to episode 213, Brad and Scully take Heads from mindset to action as they reveal how to build a true ‘lighthouse’ strategy for your school. They dismantle common strategic myths, discuss how to uncover the unique value your school delivers and introduce a three-layer strategic hierarchy. Then, they share five daily habits all designed to help your school shine consistently.

In this episode, Brad and Scully introduce a metaphor that challenges the way school leaders approach problems. Many Heads of school rely on ‘lifeboat thinking’, a reactive, short-term approach focused on immediate fixes. While this approach may feel effective, it often leads to misalignment in message internally and amongst parents. Instead, the duo discuss how Heads can become lighthouses by guiding their marketing and communications team through clarity, consistency and strategic messaging. They explore the consequences of reactive leadership and offer five questions to help shift from a rescue to a strategic mindset.

In this episode, Brad and Scully introduce a metaphor that challenges the way school leaders approach problems. Many Heads of school rely on ‘lifeboat thinking’, a reactive, short-term approach focused on immediate fixes. While this approach may feel effective, it often leads to misalignment in message internally and amongst parents. Instead, the duo discuss how Heads can become lighthouses by guiding their marketing and communications team through clarity, consistency and strategic messaging. They explore the consequences of reactive leadership and offer five questions to help shift from a rescue to a strategic mindset.

Brad is joined by John Black, Founder and Executive Chairman of Education Geographics, to discuss the evolving enrolment demographic of Australia and how schools can proactively respond. John outlines the critical trend changes impacting enrolments, including slowing population growth, evolving migration patterns and family dynamics. Together, they explore how schools can use data to align their messaging, values and strategy with Australia’s changing population.

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into why campaign thinking falls short in school marketing and how Bold School Brand thinking offers a more effective path forward. Brad and Scully explore why personal connection, long-term positioning and internal alignment matter more than short-term campaigns. Discover how the Bold School Brand approach helps schools build clarity, trust and consistency across every parent touchpoint to create stronger engagement and lasting impressions.

Enrolment begins inside your school. In this special interview episode, Brad sits down with Mike Connor, Founder and President of Connor Associates, to explore why alignment is a leadership responsibility. Mike unpacks how internal culture shapes external perception, and why every teacher plays a critical role in marketing. Together, they dive into how teacher interactions influence parent decisions, how Heads can lead by modelling marketing, and why retention depends on continually reinforcing the reasons families chose your school.

Campaign thinking was originally designed for commercial marketing, but it often misfires when applied to school marketing. In this episode, we dive into six key reasons why school marketing demands a different approach, from the importance of internal alignment and emotion driven storytelling to understanding long purchasing cycles and narrow target audiences. Brad and Scully explore how campaign thinking can dilute a school’s identity and confuse prospective parents.

Independent schools in Australia are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape, facing rising operational costs, shifting parent expectations, and growing competition. In this interview episode, Brad sits down with Mike Connor, Founder and President of Connor Associates, a leading expert in aligning school culture and strategy to drive enrolment. Together, they explore the critical role of interdependence within schools and why aligned, school-wide communication is essential to effectively convey a school’s mission to prospective parents.

Focus groups were designed to complement data, not replace it. Yet in many schools, focus groups are being misused as decision-making tools. In this episode, we unpack the history of focus groups, highlight common pitfalls like selection bias and moderator influence, and explore how these missteps can lead schools off course. We share examples of where it’s gone wrong and offer a practical checklist for running focus groups that deliver insight, not false certainty.

Parents are overwhelmed. Attention spans are shrinking. Yet schools keep sending newsletters and emails that are long, complex and unclear. At imageseven, we’ve seen communication cut-through deteriorate across the board. If they don’t adapt, schools risk becoming irrelevant to the very families they’re trying to engage. This episode, we explore a communication framework that helps Heads lead with clarity.