Hart & Hustle Podcast

Barry Cooper from the Bro Experience Foundation shares how empowering young men of color through mental wellness and emotional regulation creates lasting change. This episode explores breaking stigmas around emotional health and what mission-driven leaders can learn from Barry’s journey to foster authentic resilience. In this conversation, you'll learn: How safe spaces for emotional expression red...

Becky Spurlock from the University of Texas Permian Basin shares her innovative strategies for enhancing program reach and retention through family involvement and virtual access. Discover how she turns challenges into opportunities for mission-driven leaders. ⚠️ In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Boosting enrollment with family engagement ✅ Innovations for busy, working students ✅ Overcoming bur...

Many students enter college with enthusiasm but leave without retaining their faith or sense of community. Trace Hamiter from The Oaks Collaborative shares how his Christ-centered ministry is transforming the way college students transition into faith and community. This episode explores scaling a faith-based mentorship network that connects students, prevents faith fallaways, and nurtures lifelon...

Kevin P. Thomas from the University of Central Arkansas shares how overcoming early missteps fueled his success in higher education. Discover how perceived failures can become motivation and what leaders can learn from it. Key Insights: Reframing Missteps: Turn setbacks into success. Power of Affirmation: Words influence performance. Culture of Care: Build trust and engagement. Underrated Programs...

Join Matthew from the University of South Alabama as he shares insights from his journey through five institutions, revealing transformative strategies for leaders in higher education. Discover how to deepen student belonging and engagement, balance family involvement, and leverage data for success. In this episode, you'll learn: - ✅ How belonging can revolutionize student retention - ✅ The role...

Transforming youth programs through authentic leadership — Craig Baker, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, shares how intentional relationships and innovative fundraising are expanding program reach and impact. This is the story of turning a personal passion into a community-wide movement. In this conversation, you'll learn: ✅ How a childhood experience at the Boys & Girls Club ins...

Sarah Lundin from Freeport Community Services shares how a simple, human connection can create profound community impact. This is the story of how genuine engagement shifts organizational purpose — and what mission-driven leaders can learn from it. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How empathetic conversations build trust and strengthen programs for community impact ✅ The importance of storytelli...

Andrew Lovewell from Columbia Orthopedic Group shares how strategic growth and authentic leadership helped navigate healthcare’s pandemic challenges. This is the story of agile adaptation — and what mission-driven leaders can learn from Andrew’s approach to healthcare innovation and resilience. ⚠️ In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How to leverage private practice agility for rapid expansion during...

In this episode, Susie Gallo, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance shares inspiring stories from her 30 years, emphasizing the profound impact long-term mentorship has on young lives. She explains how sustained relationships foster resilience, confidence, and community integration, especially for kids facing trauma or social challenges. In this episode: The incredible longevi...

How Alison Black shifted her nonprofit focus from social work to youth sports and community empowerment — and what mission-driven leaders can learn from her journey. This is the story of a social worker who transformed her career to lead Cleveland Scores, blending sports, literacy, and community engagement — and what overwhelmed operators can take away to scale their impact. ⚠️ In this episode, Al...

In this inspiring episode of the Hart & Hustle Podcast, Megan Rose from Better Together shares how her organization is transforming community support by helping families stay intact and avoid foster care—creating a ripple effect of hope and resilience. This is the story of a mission-driven leader overcoming personal trauma and systemic challenges — and what mission-driven leaders can learn fro...

Unlock the transformative power of community and resilience with Noah Pickens from Chicago Youth Boxing Club. Noah shares how he transitioned from an educator obsessively focused on individual impact to leading a boxing gym that serves hundreds of youth each year — and the surprising lessons he learned about engagement, trust, and creating lasting change. This is the story of building a space wher...

Veteran homelessness is a complex challenge—yet organizations like Soldier On show us it's solvable. Casey DiCicco, Communications Director, and Bruce Buckley, CEO/President of Soldier On, share how their mission-driven work over the past 30 years transforms lives, one veteran at a time. This is the story of relentless dedication and innovative support systems—and what mission-driven leaders can l...

Unlock the transformative power of youth programs with Sue Gabriel, director of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem. She shares how a safe, engaging environment for kids isn’t just about after-school fun—it sets the foundation for resilience, leadership, and lifelong success. This is the story of how decades-old organizations like the Boys and Girls Club continue to shape future leaders — and...

John Frost, VP of Enrollment Management at Doane University, shares how one conversation — and one person who believed in a student before she believed in herself — sparked a ripple effect that changed three generations and an entire workplace. In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to shift your team from "order takers" to "dream makers" — and why this changes everything about community enga...

Tymon Graham, VP of Student Affairs at Florida Memorial University, shares how he's spent 15 years building student access, institutional trust, and mission-driven leadership across three cities — and why he keeps choosing the hard institutions on purpose.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How FMU's scholarship portal is closing the funding gap for students who would otherwise leave money o...

Mollie Rockafellow, VP of Student Affairs at Eastern Oregon University, shares how the adversity she survived became the leadership framework she now teaches — and how mission-driven leaders can stop fixing deficits and start building on the strengths their teams already carry. In this conversation, you'll learn: ✅ How to map the hidden patterns and systems undermining your organization's culture...

Chris Powers, VP for Enrollment at Mount St. Joseph University, shares what 25 years of servant leadership in higher education teaches you about mission, access, and who really deserves a chance.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to lead first-generation participants through institutional barriers using the "Rule of Thirds" framework  ✅ Why small mission-driven organizations can adapt...

Lauran Hundshamer, VP of Marketing & Enrollment at St. Catherine University, shares how she rebuilt a 120-year-old brand strategy to compete—and grow—during the enrollment cliff crisis threatening universities nationwide. In this conversation, you'll learn: ✅ How to use data dashboards and segmentation to identify high-intent audiences and convert them at higher rates ✅ Why hyper-personalize...

Heath Einstein, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Texas Christian University, shares how his team uses data, AI, and radical hospitality to reach the communities most institutions have forgotten — and what 25 years of mission-driven leadership has taught him about earning trust at scale.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to use data personalization and AI to reach post-tradition...

Todd Rinehart from the University of Denver shares how he manages 22,000 applications a year with a small team — and the outreach, AI, and relationship-building systems that keep people from falling through the cracks.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to scale personalized outreach when your team can't possibly reach everyone individually  ✅ Why the people who need your programs most...

LeAnn Hughes, Senior VP of Enrollment & Marketing at Valparaiso University, shares how she built a human-centered leadership philosophy after losing her father at 15 — and how that personal journey shapes the way she leads teams, reaches people in need, and navigates the tension between technology and genuine human connection.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ The "high touch, high tech...

Ethan Logan, VP of Enrollment Management at the University of Hartford, shares how 28 years of mission-driven leadership in higher education has shaped his approach to breaking down barriers, sustaining institutions that serve underserved communities, and building lasting access — one student, one family, one generation at a time.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to reframe the ROI of...

Dr. Jeremy Taylor, VP of Enrollment Management at Defiance College, shares how he reversed 10 years of declining enrollment — growing 78% in Year 1 and 20% in Year 2 — without industry experience, a big budget, or the "way it's always been done."  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to use data to find overlooked growth pockets your competitors are ignoring  ✅ Why personalized, community-...

David Cooper, Director of Community Outreach at Central Community House, shares how he left a corporate career, took a major pay cut, moved back to the neighborhood that raised him, and built one of Columbus's most powerful community mentorship and men's mental health movements — from the ground up.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ Why calling people "neighbors" instead of "clients" fundam...