My guest today is Bobby Silk, communication and content strategist in the marketing and communications office at Sewanee: The University of the South. Bobby joined the show to walk through Inquiring Minds, a faculty spotlight video series that went on to earn a regional Emmy nomination — produced on a shoestring, unbudgeted line item of roughly $1,250–$1,500 per video.

Bobby and his small, wear-a-lot-of-hats team (one videographer running two cameras and sound, one editor doing double duty as that same videographer, and an outside animator) pulled off ten faculty videos in three shoot days over winter break, all in a single repurposed campus ballroom basement — accidental purple curtains and all. The conversation covers how they picked faculty, how they framed the ask so it didn't feel like homework, why one location saved the whole budget, and the surprisingly long tail of places these videos have ended up living — from admissions campaigns to a required first-year course.

In this episode:

• Why the series went straight-to-camera and personality-forward instead of traditional documentary style, and how that decision got made

• How to pitch faculty participation so it doesn't sound like "give us your conference presentation"

• The case for one location, one setup, and why that's what actually makes budget video work

• How an animator can solve the "we don't have footage of this" problem for historical or abstract topics

• Why "views" is the wrong first metric, and what Bobby looks at instead

• The unplanned afterlife of this series: newsletters, bio pages, anti-melt campaigns, and a required first-year seminar

• Why chasing a $50,000 budget isn't the same as chasing quality — and what Sewanee proved by doing the opposite
  

Resources mentioned:

• Inquiring Minds video series: https://new.sewanee.edu/inquiring-minds/

• "How a Diva Made History" (Cecilia Cerja on Josephine Baker): https://new.sewanee.edu/inquiring-minds/how-a-diva-made-history/

• "The Mathematics of Aviation" (Catherine Cavagnaro): https://new.sewanee.edu/inquiring-minds/mathematics-aviation/

• Rafa documentary (Netflix) — mentioned as Bobby's off-topic "nerding out" pick, no direct link available; searchable on Netflix

• Wistia's "One, Ten, One Hundred" Soapbox launch documentary 

• Leigh Burmesch (Animator): https://leighburmesch.com/

• Stephen Garrett (Videographer): https://slgarrett.com/about
  

Connect with Bobby:

• Email: rjsilk@sewanee.edu

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-silk-0a730235/
  

Connect with John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni

• Email: john@unveild.tv

• Website: https://unveild.tv

• Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

In this conversation, Tony Sheridan shares his unique journey from a woodwork teacher to a marketing and communications manager at KAUST in Saudi Arabia. He discusses the transformative power of higher education, his innovative approaches to social media at the University of Limerick, and the importance of storytelling in effectively communicating the benefits of education. Tony emphasizes the need for creativity and inspiration beyond traditional higher education practices, advocating for a narrative-driven approach to marketing that highlights the benefits rather than just the features of educational programs. In this conversation, John Azoni and Tony discuss the critical role of storytelling in content creation, particularly in higher education. They explore the differences between narrative and declarative storytelling, the importance of engaging hooks, and the necessity of conflict in storytelling. Tony shares his experiences working in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing cultural sensitivity and the need for diverse representation in storytelling. The discussion concludes with practical tips for effective storytelling, encouraging content creators to focus on their audience's needs and the overarching narrative they wish to convey.

Key takeaways:

1. Higher ed changed Tony’s life—he went from construction work to leading global marketing efforts in academia.

2. Storytelling beats features—narrative and emotional engagement are more impactful than just listing facts.

3. Inspiration should come from everywhere, not just other universities—great ideas often come from outside the industry.

4. Good content has structure—start with a hook, re-hook throughout, and always know the goal behind the story.

5. Diversity and authenticity matter—Tony’s storytelling in Saudi Arabia centered real people and underrepresented voices, backed by clear content pillars.
   

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Connect with Tony Sheridan on LinkedIn 

• Learn more about UNVEILD: https://unveild.tv

• Subscribe to the Higher Ed Storytelling Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

• Watch podcast episodes on YouTube: Higher Ed Storytelling on YouTube

• Referenced in episode:
  - Trey Parker and Matt Stone from South Park on Storytelling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGUNqq3jVLg

• KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) – where Tony works: https://www.kaust.edu.sa

My guest today is Darren Roubinek, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Central Missouri. In this episode we discuss the challenges of social media platform overwhelm and knowing where to focus your efforts.

Key takeaways:

The difference in resource capacity between Darren's previous team at Avila University and his new team at UCM - this impacts the type of content they can produce.

Importance of prioritizing and focusing on what you can do really well vs. trying to be everywhere and spread too thin.

Picking a platform to "own" with quality content and engagement vs chasing every new platform that pops up.

Being cautious about jumping on "shiny new" platforms like Threads that you can't easily deactivate if needed.

Advice for preparing for the future of social media - keeping your team (especially social media manager) healthy, challenged, and supported.

Connect with Darren:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/droubinek/

Email: Roubinek@ucmo.edu

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni

Learn more about UNVEILD: https://unveild.tv

Video Storytelling Subscription Pricing: http://pricing.unveild.tv

My guest today is Andy Fuller, Executive Director of Brand Content at the University of Notre Dame. In this episode we go deep on the power of narrative ownership and storytelling to strengthen your university's brand.

Key takeaways:

What narrative ownership is and why it's so important for universities to own the stories about their history, buildings, traditions, etc. rather than letting others shape the narrative. Andy shares great examples from Notre Dame's history.

The process Notre Dame uses for identifying stories to tell - including social listening and checking mentions.

Tips for finding the compelling stories in research breakthroughs and conveying why your university matters to people through relatable examples.

Advice for rolling out content across platforms, starting with internal audiences first.

Behind the scenes look at how Notre Dame's creative team works together to bring stories to life across mediums.

The power of evoking emotion through stories vs. just stating facts and stats.

Andy's key piece of advice: focus on telling your authentic stories first, irrespective of what other universities are doing. Raise your flag high!

Connect with Andy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-fuller-95bb8412/

Instagram: @andy_fuller

Threads: @andy_fuller

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/

Learn more about UNVEILD: https://unveild.tv

Video Subscription Pricing: http://pricing.unveild.tv