Issue 274

I want you to think about yesterday. How much of your day was spent responding to other people's priorities?

An email from a teacher who needs a flyer by Friday. A Slack message from admissions asking for social media help with an event. A last-minute request from the head of school for talking points. Another email. Another ping. Another "quick question" that's never actually quick.

You probably answered all of them. You probably answered them promptly. And at the end of the day, you probably felt like you got a lot done.

But here's the thing: responding to requests isn't strategy. It's task completion. It's necessary, sure. But it's not the work that moves your school forward in meaningful ways.

Strategic thinking is different. It's asking questions like: Are we attracting the right families? Is our messaging actually resonating? What should we stop doing? What's the one thing that would make the biggest difference in our enrollment numbers next year?

These questions don't arrive in your inbox with a deadline. Nobody is going to Slack you asking for your strategic priorities. Which means if you don't carve out time for this kind of thinking, it simply won't happen.

So here's my challenge: block 30 minutes on your calendar this week. Not for a project. Not for a task. Just for thinking. Close your email. Silence Slack. Sit with a notebook or a blank document and ask yourself one strategic question.

That's it. Thirty minutes.

You'll feel unproductive at first. You'll be tempted to check your inbox because that feels like real work. Resist.

The irony is that those 30 minutes of "doing nothing" might be the most valuable time you spend all week. Because everyone else is drowning in their inbox too. The marketers who actually move their schools forward are the ones who come up for air.

Thanks,
Brendan

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Discover what truly moves Millennial parents to choose - and stay - in a school. This session explores the generational experiences shaping Millennial parents' expectations and how schools can respond.

Bio: Felicia DePriest Holcomb has expertise in marketing, enrollment management, and fundraising. She currently serves the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, partnering with its 42 schools to develop mission-driven strategies that increase enrollment and strengthen community engagement. A teacher by trade, Felicia holds education degrees from Avila University and Emporia State University, as well as a certificate in Catholic School Management from Villanova University and a graduate certificate in grant proposal development from Fort Hays State University. Felicia is passionate about creating authentic connections that help Catholic schools - and the students they serve - thrive.

RSVP today: https://community.marcomsociety.org/c/guest-experts-e2f31b/the-millennial-mindset-engaging-and-recruiting-families

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