The Innovation Forge Podcast

The Number 1 Adaptive Enrollment Management Podcast
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Data, marketing, and strategy converge to shape the future of Higher Education through Adaptive Enrollment Management. Whether you’re an enrollment manager, an ed tech professional, or someone excited about shaping the future of higher education, this podcast is your new workshop for forward-thinking ideas. We’ll be running two main types of episodes. First, From the Foundry, where I’ll read unabridged chapters from my book, The Innovation Forge. Think of it as your personal audiobook session—no subscription or separate download needed. In each reading, we’ll explore the principles of scoring systems, predictive modeling, and adaptive enrollment management, that can transform how institutions understand, recruit, and craft their incoming class. In the second type of episode we’ll have interviews featuring innovative leaders and artisans in data, marketing, admissions, and even specialized platforms like Slate. These 'Visiting Artisans’ are the people actively reshaping traditional practices, and together we’ll hammer out insights you can bring back to your institution or organization. We’ll talk about real-world applications, success stories, and challenges, all while highlighting the practical strategies that spark true innovation. Join me as we explore Adaptive Enrollment Management in The Innovation Forge Podcast. dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com

  1. 3d ago

    S04 E07 RARE Related Automation and Relationship Engine (Gilded Build)

    The Innovation Forge | Gilded BuildTonight’s build takes on one of the most underused, misunderstood, and frankly underbuilt features in Slate: Related Records.Most teams treat Related Records like storage.We’re going to treat them like a logic engine.This is a real-time Gilded Build where we’ll construct a system that:Sends tour follow-ups from the actual student guide, tailored to the prospect’s major, housing, and backgroundTriggers counselor outreach after high school visits, using the exact staff relationship tied to the interactionPowers event communications dynamically, changing messaging based on logistics like parking, check-in, event type, and audienceNo duplicated templates.No manual follow-up.No “we’ll just send a generic version.”Instead:Configurable Joins drive the structureRelated Records define the relationship layerMerge logic and conditional content handle the voice and personalizationThis is about building communications that feel human without requiring humans to manually send them.If your templates feel rigid,if your personalization doesn’t scale,or if your team is stuck copying and pasting variations of the same message,this build is going to push past that.🔧 What we’ll build liveRelated Record structures for guides, counselors, and eventsConfigurable Join strategies to connect records cleanlyDynamic content blocks that adapt messaging automaticallyDecision logic that determines who sends what, to whom, and why🎯 Who this is forSlate builders who want to go deeper than standard templatesComms strategists trying to scale personalizationOps teams tired of maintaining duplicate logic everywhereAnyone who knows there’s more power in Slate but hasn’t unlocked it yet🔥 Gilded Build SeriesThis is part of the Gilded Build series, where we don’t just build something that workswe build something that keeps working under pressureMore logicMore flexibilityMore edge cases handled up frontBecause real systems aren’t cleanthey’re forged🕒 Going LiveWe’re building this from scratch, in real time.Mistakes included. Fixes included.⚒️ The Innovation ForgeWhere enrollment strategy meets system designand where builds turn into infrastructure Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    S04 E07 RARE Related Automation and Relationship Engine (Gilded Build)

  2. Aug 10

    S04 E06 Wildcard and the Funnel Lineup

    Coffee, Coals, Wildcards and The Funnel LineupToday, we reveal a bit about The Wildcard. We also take a peak at the new Funnel-inspired episodes joining The Innovation Forge this semester.And the Eldraliths pop up yet again... Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    S04 E06 Wildcard and the Funnel Lineup

  3. Aug 3

    S03 E21 Feature Engineering Act 2 (Slate Configurable Joins How-To)

    This episode of #TheInnovationForgePodcast is your next point for transforming Slate behaviors into engineered insight.Time to stop treating student behavior like it happens in a vacuum.This episode covers:🗓️ Who showed up after the admit dropped⚡ Who’s on a login hot streak📉 And whose scores are slipping week by weekIt’s Slate feature engineering with a wristwatch.Because timing isn’t just everything, it’s insight. These tools allow you to stop reacting and start anticipating. By engineering behavioral timelines, you’ll tell the story of a student’s engagement as it unfolds, not just when it ends.🎙️ If you’re ready to find your early signals and avoid late regrets, hit play. And bring a calendar.#TimingIsAFeature #StreaksNotFlukes And as always, subscribe to the podcast and get your copy of The Innovation Forge in ebook or print - https://tinyurl.com/TheInnovationForgePaperbackMusic: "Cold Sober" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Wholesome" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Journey To Ascend" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Midnight Tale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Galway" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Goblin_Tinker_Soldier_Spy” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Southern Gothic” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Village Consort" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Club Seamus" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    S03 E21 Feature Engineering Act 2 (Slate Configurable Joins How-To)

  4. Jul 27

    S04 E04 The Portalcast (Episode 1 of The Next Class)

    Welcome to The Next Class.In our first episode, The Portalcast, we visit the fictional campus of Portal Polytechnic, a STEM focused school where the application portal has opened, the checklist is waiting, and students are trying to figure out what comes next.The school is fictional. But the questions get real.Out of State Oliver wonders how to understand a campus from hundreds of miles away. Aid Anxious Anya wants financial clarity before falling in love with a school. Procrastina Paige is trying to build earlier than her panic. Steady Eddie trusts one small step at a time.Along the way, Campus Cruiser Carla offers a practical student field note, Queryn Crossjoin brings calm from The Application Desk, Tessa Scrollore explains why clarity is care, and Professor Vellum Datum reminds students that curiosity comes before confidence.The big lesson: the portal is open, but the path is yours.If you are applying to college, supporting a student, working in admissions, or just fascinated by how students make big decisions, this episode is for you.Created by The Innovation Forge.#TheNextClass #ThePortalcast #TheInnovationForge #CollegeAdmissions #AdmissionsPodcast #HigherEd #StudentJourney #CollegeSearch #STEMAdmissions Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    S04 E04 The Portalcast (Episode 1 of The Next Class)

  5. Jul 20

    S04 E03 Ongoing Adaptive Deliver Engine in Slate (Gilded Build)

    Let's build in Slate! Welcome to The Gilded Build.This is where functional Slate builds go to get polished, overengineered, and dressed up far beyond what was strictly necessary.In this first episode, I build an automated weekly events Deliver that goes well past the usual “here are some events” approach. We are using student specific logic, dictionary exports, dynamic templates, umbrella event redirects, and very precise time formatting to make the message more useful and a lot more engineered.In other words, we are taking a perfectly reasonable Slate process and refusing to leave it in peace.This episode is for anyone who wants to build event promotion emails that feel more dynamic, more targeted, and more thoughtfully crafted, without settling for the plain version just because it technically works.If that sounds like your kind of nonsense, you are in the right place.Subscribe for more episodes of The Gilded Build.#Slate #Deliver #Ongoing #ForLoop #Format Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    S04 E03 Ongoing Adaptive Deliver Engine in Slate (Gilded Build)

  6. Jul 13

    S04 E02 Marketing Maven and the New TIF Music

    Coffee, Coals, Marketing Maven, and The Tartan Syndicate. Today, we reveal the Marketing Maven's name and backstory. We also take a peak at my musical journey with The Innovation Journey, including the debut of new podcast music!And the Eldraliths pop up yet again... Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    S04 E02 Marketing Maven and the New TIF Music

  7. Jul 6

    S04 E01 Belonging with Ashley Kern

    In this episode of Belonging, David Dysart sits down with Ashley Kern, Chief Strategy Officer at Meet Your Class, to explore why community and connection are becoming some of the most powerful forces in enrollment.Ashley shares how her journey from data science consulting to student engagement strategy changed the way she thinks about enrollment—not just as a funnel, but as a deeply human process shaped by belonging, social behavior, and real student decision-making. Together, they unpack what institutions can learn from pre-deposit student communities, how “social intent” can reveal more than traditional CRM metrics, and why the quiet stretch between deposit and orientation may be one of the most important moments in the student journey.They also discuss double deposits, student melt, Gen Alpha decision-making, responsible use of behavioral data, and how colleges can create more relevant, human-centered outreach without losing the personal touch. Along the way, the conversation expands into collaboration across higher education, shared learning, and what it looks like to build stronger systems for both students and professionals.If you work in enrollment, admissions, student engagement, or higher ed strategy, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at where the field is heading—and why students are more likely to choose the places where they can already picture themselves belonging.Message Ashley atashley@meetyourclassinc.comAnd get the Playbook and tutorial mentioned in the interview1. The 2026 College Decision Playbook: https://colleges.meetyourclass.com/re... 2. How to Create a Class of 2030 Instagram Community: https://colleges.meetyourclass.com/bl... Music“Cold Sober” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Wholesome” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Teller of the Tales” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Midnight Tale” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Galway” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Goblin_Tinker_Soldier_Spy” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Southern Gothic” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Village Consort” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Club Seamus” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Also featured was Belonging Before the Banner, an original song based on this interview, created with the help of AI. • Belonging Before the Banner - Ashley Kern Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    S04 E01 Belonging with Ashley Kern

  8. Jun 30

    Leave the Forge Lit - The Ember Walk 01.06.17 (101)

    The streetlight at the end of the block blinks off just as I step into the first pale stretch of morning. My hands stay in my pockets for the first few steps, then come out once the air stops biting. A sprinkler clicks somewhere out of sight. A crow lifts from a power line and heads across the street without sound. My pace is slower than usual, steady enough that I can hear my own breathing settle before the day really starts. You’re joining me on The Ember Walk, where curiosity meets motion. I’m David Dysart. Together we’ll take a few minutes to step through one idea that shapes the craft of enrollment. This is the end of Book 1. Not the end of the work. The end of this first arc. We started with the basics, with first files, first mistakes, first moments of reverence. With the reminder that craft starts in attention, not motion. That speed can hide weak thinking. That dashboards can flatten truth when you stop asking what sits underneath them. That a person can look productive and still be drifting away from the reason they entered the work. Then the pressure got more real. We moved into friction, shared work, conflict, timing, the discipline of letting other people stand close to the fire with you. We moved into precision, learning to control the whole arc of a decision instead of only the hit. We moved into perception, reading the metal before trying to shape it. Signal, silence, delay, behavior that speaks before outcomes do. We moved into response, learning that care is not volume and support is not pressure. Then we came here, to continuity, to what remains when your hands are no longer at the center of the process. That is the spine of this first book. And through all of it, the question stayed about craft. What kind of builder are you becoming under pressure? What kind of work are you leaving for the next person? What kind of team are you helping create by the way you explain, decide, correct, and step back? I need to say the less polished part out loud too. A lot of my own drive comes from fear. Fear of missing something. Fear of being responsible for a preventable mistake. Fear that if I stop moving, the weakness underneath the system will become visible. Craft has helped me deal with that. Building stronger processes, naming logic clearly, making better decisions, slowing the swing, all of that matters. It also gave me somewhere to hide if I was not careful. There were times when being useful became a way of staying in control. That is not the same thing as leadership. This season has been a correction for me too. A reminder that the work is not only to build smarter systems. The work is to become steadier inside them. To let go where control is feeding fragility. To teach what I know instead of proving that I know it. To make room for other people’s hands on the work. To let the forge stay lit without treating my own presence like the flame itself. That may be the hardest lesson in the whole thing. Because a lot of us were trained, formally or informally, to confuse exhaustion with importance. To think the person carrying the most must matter the most. To think the one who rescues the process is the one holding the place together. Sometimes the opposite is true. Sometimes the strongest builder is the one whose influence shows up in decisions other people now know how to make. That is what I want more of. More work that holds. More clarity that transfers. More design that lowers panic. More teams that can think with each other instead of waiting for a single answer to arrive. More craft that survives season, turnover, pressure, and mood. Less heroics. Less noise. Less dependence disguised as excellence. So as Book 1 closes, I am not interested in a grand summary. I am interested in one clean action. What can you do this week that makes the forge stronger without making you the hero of the story? Maybe it is documenting the process that still lives in your head. Maybe it is teaching the judgment behind a report instead of only the sequence. Maybe it is fixing the guardrail you have ignored because you know how to avoid the edge yourself. Maybe it is letting someone else carry a piece of the work without stepping in at the first sign of strain. Maybe it is cutting one rescue out of your routine and replacing it with repair. Pick one thing that lowers dependence and increases durability. Let your spark speak, and let us know in the comments or DM me. What was that one thing? And how does it feel to tend to that flame? Keep that streetlight in mind as you head into the day. It shut off because the light no longer needed it. Strong work knows when to hold, and when to let the morning take over. And that’s The Ember Walk. The forge is yours now. Go make something worth the heat. Get full access to DysArtisanal Innovations at dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com/subscribe

    Leave the Forge Lit - The Ember Walk 01.06.17 (101)
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Data, marketing, and strategy converge to shape the future of Higher Education through Adaptive Enrollment Management. Whether you’re an enrollment manager, an ed tech professional, or someone excited about shaping the future of higher education, this podcast is your new workshop for forward-thinking ideas. We’ll be running two main types of episodes. First, From the Foundry, where I’ll read unabridged chapters from my book, The Innovation Forge. Think of it as your personal audiobook session—no subscription or separate download needed. In each reading, we’ll explore the principles of scoring systems, predictive modeling, and adaptive enrollment management, that can transform how institutions understand, recruit, and craft their incoming class. In the second type of episode we’ll have interviews featuring innovative leaders and artisans in data, marketing, admissions, and even specialized platforms like Slate. These 'Visiting Artisans’ are the people actively reshaping traditional practices, and together we’ll hammer out insights you can bring back to your institution or organization. We’ll talk about real-world applications, success stories, and challenges, all while highlighting the practical strategies that spark true innovation. Join me as we explore Adaptive Enrollment Management in The Innovation Forge Podcast. dysartisanalinnovations.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    The Number 1 Adaptive Enrollment Management Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    211
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © David Dysart
  • Show Website
    The Innovation Forge Podcast