The MADness Podcast

The uniquely competitive international school scene on the South Korean island of Jeju is the focus of this episode with Adriana Mourgelas, the Director of Enrollment Management at Branksome Hall Asia. Adriana breaks down the challenges she faces in her role at one of three government-backed schools on the same block as they battle it out for pupils. Hot chocolate, ice hockey and Gangnam Style also receive honorary mentions.

Nik chats to Nicola Lutz from No Fluff about how schools can implement more rigorous and effective sales techniques, and how her No Fluff Fest is the event she wished she'd been able to attend earlier in her career.

Navneet Kaur, Head of Communications at The British School in New Delhi, explains how she created a comms team from scratch, discusses brand positioning, and explains why her school is 'media shy by design'.

Sarah Travis, Senior Associate Director at TASIS England, chats with James & Nik about the change from Higher Ed to K12, what it's like to promote an American school in the UK, and how she engages with families from the Middle East to Asia.

James and Nik are joined by pricing experts Sharyn Martin and Dr. Len Coote from Edified. They discuss how schools can remove the guesswork from their pricing strategy by applying a scientific approach which draws on microeconomics and econometrics.

James and Nik are joined by Paul Chapman from Noodle photography, as they discuss what makes a winning school photo & video, being 'brave' when taking pictures, and tips to improve the way you capture images around your campus. If you know you need to level up your school's imagery then this one is for you.

Nik and James take a break from the normal recording schedule to bring you a short community update, covering upcoming guests, future LABZ episodes, and a bulletin on doris.

Cyrielle Bazin, Director of Strategic Communication at Seoul Foreign School, chats with James & Nik about her path to SFS, how she keeps the school community engaged over the Summer break, and the surge in prominence of Korea in pop culture - from Squid Game to XO Kitty.

James and Nik are joined by Dr David Willows and Suzette Parlevliet of Yellow Car, as they discuss experience strategy and it's emerging importance/influence in the world of education. Expect authoritative insights and some great parallels from the expert duo.

Nikki Holman, Head of Admissions for UK Curriculum Schools at Taaleem UAE, chats with Nik about her journey from Singapore to Dubai, how she's raised the bar for admissions operations, and where she looks beyond the k12 sector for best practice.

Abi Evans, Director of Admissions, Marketing and Communications at Bancroft's School, Essex, UK, discusses her decision to ditch print marketing collateral, the power of data-driven decisions - and her life treading the boards.

Lucy and Gianna from Dux Studio chat to James and Nik about PR 'activations' and how to harness them to create memorable brand experiences that make your school shout out. You'll hear about #nostalgia, the hamburglar, and the resurgence of the pep rally.

In this special episode Nik chats with James about doris, a new marketplace that matches families and international schools. He covers the 'why', how it works, and how MAD leaders can use it to connect with highly qualified prospective families, access data insights, and save their admissions team time.

Sowmiya Muralidharan, Director of Admissions and Marketing at Downe Hose Riyadh chats with James and Nik about relocating from Qatar to Saudi Arabia, how to work with social media influencers, and her campaign to boost awareness of their early years provision.

Piers Matthews, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Dulwich College Singapore, speaks with James and Nik about his time in China, striking the right balance when working with academic staff, and the best fishing spot on the island.

Michael Kewley from Magnetic Communications shares his top tips on how to monitor and analyse parent satisfaction, and how school leaders can make practical use of these insights to support MAD strategies.

Angelo Noviello, Director of Admissions and Marketing, at The British International School Shanghai, Puxi, chats to James and Nick about his journey from Geology to Admissions, the Chinese Heritage movement, and his love of all things dogs and coffee.

Catalina Gardescu, Director of Communications, Marketing and Admissions at Copenhagen International School, speaks to James and Nik about the Scandinavian school market, working with UN agencies, and moving from Romania to Denmark.

Remco Weeda, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Scarborough College talks with Nik and James about the looming VAT on school fees, how to put your school at the centre of its community, and why brisket is his favourite meat to smoke.

Kelsey Hayre, Assistant Director of Advancement at Stratford Hall School in Vancouver explains exactly what advancement means - and talks about the power of alumni, authentic storytelling and word-of-mouth marketing when she hits the studio with hosts James and Nik.

Kyle Aldous, Executive Director of Communications at Singapore American School, chats with James and Nik about his experience being part of an expat family, the importance of organic social, and his journey from the candy business to the world of marketing and admissions.

David Milner, Director of Marketing and International Relations at Sedbergh School and Board Chair of AMCIS, speaks to James and Nik about 500 years of Sedbergh history, the challenges facing the UK Independent School sector, and his vibes on Whatsapp and Linkedin,

Nik brings you a short update on what's new with the podcast, including a new episode format for Season 2 and our upcoming collaboration with The PIE.

Nikita Vasyliev, Communications & Marketing Manager at Pechersk School International, speaks to James and Nik about his experience of the war in Ukraine, how you relocate a school in the middle of a conflict, and the springs of hope that come the warmth of an international school community.

Elizabeth Drake, VP Global Marketing at Amerigo Education, chats to James and Nik about the secondary system in the USA, selling the American dream, and why a bit of good old hustle is ingredient in the recipe for success.

Jane Forster, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Wellington College International Bangkok, talks about standing out in a competitive marketplace, why the perfect photo is the most powerful marketing asset, and the key differences between the marketing and admissions functions in an international school as she joins James and Nik in the studio.

Irene Chung, Group Chief Commercial Officer at XCL Education, talks about MAD strategies, the power of authentic storytelling, working in a strategic role across 19 schools and the value of CRM (amongst many other things) as she joins James and Nik in the studio.

We chat with Anne Dickinson (Director of Marketing and Admissions, Rugby School Japan) about building MAD processes at a start-up international school, how you explain that Rugby School is more than a school for rugby, and the changing expat demographics in Japan.

We chat with Jason Hoppner (Director of Operations, German European School Singapore) about his journey into the international school sector, and get his take on everything from CX strategies to the current market dynamics in Singapore.

James and Nik take to the virtual studio for the preview edition of The MADness Podcast. With a full roster of guests already lined up for Season One, they discuss who's who and some of the key themes already emerging as excitement builds for Episode One.