ALP: The Admissions Leadership Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Coming Back to Ourselves: Solitude with Angel Pérez Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Coming Back to Ourselves, Ken Anselment sits down with Angel Pérez CEO of NACAC to explore how silence, solitude, and intentional time away can help leaders reconnect with themselves—and lead more effectively.

Angel shares how a period of burnout early in his tenure led him to meditation, journaling, and solo time in nature. What began as a personal reset has become a core leadership practice.

Together, they explore:

Why silence and solitude are essential in a noisy profession
How slowing down can actually improve decision-making
The idea of “working in seasons” instead of constant output
How meditation sharpens awareness and presence
Why time away should be considered part of your work strategy
Finding awe—even in small, everyday moments

The conversation also touches on gratitude, journaling, and the power of noticing what’s already around us—but often unseen.

For folks navigating pressure, pace, and constant demand, this episode offers a different path forward—one grounded not in doing more, but in coming back to yourself.

(Recommended reading: Cal Newport's Slow Productivity: The Lost of Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout)

00:00 — Introduction to Angel Pérez and the idea of “coming back to ourselves”
02:00 — When you need to step away… where do you go?
03:00 — “I turn to silence”: solitude as a leadership practice
04:10 — Meditation as training (start small, build the muscle)
06:25 — Silence as problem-solving: letting answers emerge
09:00 — Solitude, rest, and showing up as your best self
12:45 — “You can go faster by going slower”
14:00 — Seeing the world differently after slowing down
16:15 — Burnout → awakening: the moment that changed everything
18:30 — Investing in yourself (and why it matters now)
20:10 — Shenandoah: perspective, gratitude, and being a “tiny speck”
22:35 — Holding onto silence after the moment ends
24:00 — Accessing awe anywhere—even in the middle of a city
25:30 — Gratitude journaling and capturing moments that matter
27:30 — Creating a daily “fortress of solitude”
29:00 — Time away as part of your work strategy (not separate from it)
31:30 — Working in seasons and protecting your energy
33:15 — Listening for the “whispers”
34:30 — Noticing what’s already there (the “trust the process” moment)
36:45 — Final reflections: making space, slowing down, and coming back to yourself
38:00 — Closing

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Coming Back to Ourselves: Deep Listening with Brian Pertl Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Coming Back to Ourselves, Ken is joined by his longtime friend and creative partner, Brian Pertl—a musician, ethnomusicologist, didgeridooist, and practitioner of deep listening.

Together, they explore the practice of deep listening, a concept developed by composer Pauline Oliveros, and what it means to truly pay attention to the world around us ... and within us.

Through stories, laughter, and reflection, Brian shares how deep listening can:

awaken creativity and play
build connection and belonging
help us regulate, reset, and remember our five-year-old selves

This episode also includes a guided deep listening exercise with a full minute of intentional silence.

Timestamps

00:00 — Introduction to Brian Pertl (didgeridoo, deep listener, and longtime collaborator)

00:30 — Why this season calls us to “come back to ourselves”

03:27 — What is deep listening? The story behind the practice

05:35 — Listening beyond what we normally notice

07:46 — Deep listening as culture-building and leadership practice

11:22 — A simple deep listening exercise using words and sound

13:18 — From vulnerability to shared meaning: what emerges in groups

15:27 — “Feeling comfortable being uncomfortable”

18:08 — Sound, space, and play

22:20 — Why there are no wrong notes (and no wrong ways to participate)

23:43 — Practicing deep listening in nature

26:05 — What do you hear when you pause?

28:00 — Listening as presence—and as an embodied practice

31:05 — Guided deep listening exercise (find a quiet place)

32:50 — One minute of intentional silence

33:55 — Returning from the exercise: what did you notice?

35:19 — Final reflections and remembering your five-year-old self

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Coming Back to Ourselves: Microdosing Awe with Joy Jordan Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

Springtime in admissionsland has a way of pulling us out of ourselves and making us more human doings than human beings.

In this opening episode of a special ALP miniseries—Coming Back to Ourselves—Ken is joined by mindfulness teacher (and former Lawrence statistics professor) Joy Jordan to explore a different way of moving through this season.

Together, they talk about:

the idea of “microdosing awe”
why mindfulness doesn’t require more time—just more noticing
how small pauses can restore perspective, agency, and clarity
and what it really means to “come home” to yourself

Highly recommend checking out Joy's website: bornjoy.com and signing up for her free Pocket Pause

00:00 – Opening + framing the series

02:00 – The phrase that launched this miniseries: “microdosing awe”

03:15 – Joy’s path: statistics → mindfulness

06:10 – The moment of truth

08:45 – What she actually teaches (and always has)

09:30 – What mindfulness really is

11:00 – The power of three breaths

12:00 – Practical micro-practices

15:00 – The hardest place to practice: with other people

16:30 – The deeper truth

18:45 – Practice outside the moment

20:30 – The trap: hustling your own well-being

25:00 – How Ken's panic moment can model vulnerability

27:00 – Reframing nerves as excitement

28:15 – For the skeptics: the science is clear

29:30 – Awe as a practice

31:00 – Ways to microdose awe

33:25 – Dacher Keltner's work Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life

34:30 – You are enough

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Emily Smith: This One Goes to 11 Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

For the Season 11 finale—the season's 11th episode—we go to 11, earning ourselves an "E" for some cussin'

In the ALP's most meta-episode, two podcasters hit record and promptly turn the show into a show about conversation, consulting, and being human.

Emily Smith, VP of Partner Success at CollegeVine and host of the terrific podcast, The Vinedown with Emily Smith, joins Ken to talk podcast origin stories, why vendor content too often feels “imperious,” and how she builds a looser, more generous show that invites guests to actually "go there."

We compare notes on consulting craft (including Ken's early tendency to overdeliver), the outsider/insider lens she’s honed across work with hundreds of colleges, and a smart take on AI as a thought partner—not a cheat code. Emily also drops a keeper: pattern-break vision—spotting the stale thing we repeat for no good reason and reframing it so others can finally see it.

The episode, in true Emily fashion, is quick, witty, and wildly human. (Her take on Mary Oliver's poetry in the Rapid Descent is gold.)

00:00 — Cold-open chaos
05:38 — Emily’s show origin, friction of starting, and why “imperious” content misses the mark
07:32 — Trust from CollegeVine; leaning out from salesy moments
10:44 — Early episodes, dropping the brand preamble, finding the voice
13:37 — Doubt & impostor syndrome thread (and why it shows up)
15:46 — Outsider vs. insider: value of the outside lens; “600 colleges” perspective
19:18 — Consulting arc: outsider credibility, my over-delivering phase, and the line “everything you say must be true… but you need not say every true thing”
22:22 — “Noise-lumberjack”: cutting clutter vs. adding it
24:28 — Community building and how Emily chooses (and handles inbound) guests
29:02 — Jeff Selingo gets a public invite to join the show + the “VP Council” mini-series idea (a teaser for season 12).
34:06 — Using GPT well: training on transcripts; AI as creative accelerator
40:30 — Key takeaway, from pattern-match to pattern-break vision
43:33 — Rapid Descent (spoiler, there's talk of heliskiing in Alaska)
55:16 — Outtake: first meeting, Colorado life, and Emily's “Hello Humans” sign

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Chris George: On Joy, Grit, Epic Runs and Organ Donation Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

Chris George—Associate Vice President for Enrollment at St. Olaf College—brings joy, grit, and a runner’s curiosity to this conversation that has less to do with enrollment leadership than it does with living life fully. We trace his path from student life to directing financial aid on day one; how the Lawlor Summer Seminar jump-started a lifelong habit of building a board of experts; and why he asks his team to buy two coffees a year with people outside their lane. We detour to Japan (the Shimanami Kaidō ride), a sunrise stair run inside Athens’ original Olympic stadium, and a family story that turns organ donation into triumph—culminating in a father–son-daughter triathlon three months post-transplant. (I'm not crying; you're crying.) We close with what Japan is doing about its own enrollment cliff and the best advice Chris ever got: understand why a process exists before you change it.

Inspired by Chris's story? Visit donatelife.net

00:00 — Cold open with the “most joyful person in admission.”

02:45 — From residence life to enrollment: the six-story Christmas Eve flood that changed everything.

05:05 — “Director on day one”: learning financial aid by building a network fast.

08:20 — Lawlor Summer Seminar → lifelong connectors; creating your board of experts.

11:55 — Internal networking: have two coffees a year outside your lane.

13:30 — Campus beat reporters example (disability services as cross-campus liaisons).

15:10 — Chris's approach to curating his social persona: runs, rides, and family.

16:15 — On how to truly arrive in a place. Chris's approach is to run in every city you sleep in (and what it reveals about place).

18:50 — Japan: solo ride on the Shimanami Kaidō; hospitality and arrival.

25:35 — Athens: alone inside the Panathenaic Stadium at sunrise—an all-timer.

27:55 — The arc of his son's post organ transplant journey: hospital hallway walks → stolen bases → a family triathlon.

32:05 — Call to action: become an organ donor (donatelife.net).

33:15 — Japan’s enrollment cliff: pathways to residency, international student strategy.

41:05 — Rapid Descent: walkout song, books, breakfast, and staying connected to Colorado sports.

45:25 — Best advice: understand the “why” before changing the “how.”

47:20 — Bucket list (Australia, Alaska, Ireland… and bring the family back to Greece).

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Jen Gagne: Laughter, Leadership and Memorable Rituals Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

Even though we've only known each other for less than two years, this episode feels like one between two old friends. The newly-minted Dr. Jen Gagne, Executive Director of Admissions at Colorado School of Mines, brings warmth and wit while digging into important stuff: pathways to thriving for queer-spectrum students, how she navigated being an internal candidate, why grad schools are structurally “separate and replicated,” and a spot-on pattern-match between kindergarteners and first-year college students.

We also hit college football haircuts (yes, really), her terrific bucket-list twist on the B&B.

Stick around for the epilogue where we swap stories about high-touch, memorable college welcome rituals that create community and belonging.

Highlights

00:00 — An unusual opening and origin stories
03:30 — Overseeing undergrad and grad admissions at Colorado School of Mines.
04:50 — Mountains, mines, and the glowing “M” that lights up Golden.
05:50 — College football haircuts and mustaches (look it up, friends).
06:30 — From interim to Executive Director.
08:10 — Doctoral work on queer-spectrum students and the college experience.
09:30 — Language matters: why Jen uses “queer spectrum and trans spectrum.”
11:00 — Invisible minorities, safe-space signals, and vanishing LGBTQ centers.
15:20 — Inside view: navigating the tricky path of being an internal candidate.
19:30 — A non-traditional path through advising, career, and student life to EM.
22:20 — Why graduate admissions feels “separate and replicated.”
26:30 — The complexity of overlapping grad cycles and constant motion.
29:50 — Finding community and confidence in Colorado’s admissions network.
31:20 — Leadership in flux: “If you say you know what to do, you’re lying or delusional.”
33:35 — Pattern matching: how kindergartners and first-year students share the same transition.
36:00 — Rapid Descent, (HOT TO GO!, Handsome, and The Speed of Trust)
45:15 — Epilogue: Helluva Welcome week, ten-pound rocks, whitewashing the “M,” and hard-hats. Also, class colors, dirt and the formula for chlorophyll.

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Brian Troyer: On Pausing to Let Our Soul Catch Up Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

Brian Troyer, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Marquette University, joins the ALP for a conversation that explores the deep roots of Jesuit leadership and the lighthearted joys of life in Milwaukee, including:

Marquette’s Gift of Time and why institutional rest matters.
How the university discerned its move to test-optional admissions, grounded in archival research and mission alignment.
The legacies of leaders like Ray Brown, Roby Blust, and the late President Mike Lovell — and how Brian carries that mantle forward.
Reflections from the Ignatian Colleagues Program, including the reminder to “pause and let our soul catch up.”
Brian’s dissertation on how high schoolers’ ecological environments shape their sense of what’s possible after graduation.
Plus: Tolkien manuscripts, bourbon tours, and a meditation on raw vs. fried cheese curds.

It’s a conversation about integrity, mission, and belonging ... peppered with a fair amount of laughter, reflection, friendship and bourbon.

01:30 – A family road trip and Marquette’s Gift of Time.
04:20 – Remembering Mike Lovell and lessons in leadership.
07:10 – Why and how Marquette went test-optional, with help from the archives.
09:20 – Tolkien manuscripts, reading The Hobbit to his son, and dreaming of Stephen Colbert in the archives.
12:30 – Retention milestones: two of the best years in Marquette’s history.
15:00 – Honoring Ray Brown and Roby Blust (and how Roby's fishing skills resemble that of a well-known biblical fisherman).
18:55 – Leadership lessons: integrity, mission alignment, and Shaka Smart’s “relationships, growth, victory.”
25:45 – Ignatian Colleagues Program and contemplatives in action.
28:45 – A six-day silent retreat and the wisdom of pausing to let our soul catch up.
31:30 – Dissertation insights: how ecology shapes student horizons.
36:00 – A bourbon detour: Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, and Kentucky connections.
39:45 – Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce: Kopp’s burgers, Lakefront Brewery, and cheese curds.
43:15 – Raw vs. fried cheese curds: a meditation.
44:20 – Rapid Descent.

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Candace Boeninger: Holding Power with Purpose Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

Candace Boeninger, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Ohio University, joins the ALP to share lessons from her journey into senior leadership, reflecting on her experience working with an executive coach and how it helped her navigate the transition to cabinet-level leadership, as well as her evolving understanding of power—and the responsibility that comes with it.

Candace also shares her approach to “being a student of the profession,” including the podcasts and newsletters that keep her sharp.

00:00 — Welcome and Candace’s path to Ohio University.
06:00 — From construction software to admissions: “other duties as assigned” and career pivots.
13:30 — On career progression: “I want to do work that matters, and I don’t want to work for a bozo.”
15:30 — Leadership development and discovering executive coaching.
18:50 — The Hogan assessment and learning to find direction without waiting for top-down instruction.
24:20 — Lessons from coaching: finding her voice, learning to hold power, and using it responsibly.
28:50 — The tension between being a people pleaser and wielding power.
29:50 — “If you aren’t willing to become a student of the profession, then you’re probably not going to have very much fun.”
31:50 — Her routine for digesting information: Future U, NASFAA’s Off The Cuff, NACAC Admission News, NASFAA newsletter.
38:20 — Rapid Descent.

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Rakin "Rock" Hall: From the Standup Stage to the Enrollment Stage Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

Rakin “Rock” Hall, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at Ithaca College, brings a unique mix of reflection, humor, and leadership to The Admissions Leadership Podcast.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Rock shares his take on the promise and perils of AI in higher education, why he's been creating short-form video reflections on leadership and life, and how his first-generation journey shaped the way he now guides his own daughter through the college search.

We also dive into his surprising background in stand-up comedy—what Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and basement record players taught him about timing, connection, and stage presence—and how those lessons echo in his current leadership and storytelling.

It’s a conversation about creativity, courage, and how "leadership is a verb."

00:00 – Introduction: Rock Hall, VP for EM at Ithaca College, joins the show.
01:30 – Insights on AI: Insights on artificial intelligence from the CollegeVine Vineyard conference, AGI, and higher education.
07:00 – Playing with AI tools: How Rock uses ChatGPT and other platforms for reflection and writing.
09:30 – TikTok beginnings: Why his wife nudged him to start short-form video reflections—and how they’ve grown.
13:30 – “The path of preference is the psychology of choice”: Rock explains one of his more memorable posts.
17:00 – Accompanying his daughter through the college search: Reflections as a first-gen father and enrollment leader parent.
26:00 – Comedy roots revealed: Hat-tip to Marie Bigham the heads up to Ken, Rock shares how basement record players, Pryor, and Carlin lit the spark for an early journey in comedy.
27:00 – College course in stand-up: From class requirement to 15-minute set, and the thrill of getting the crowd on his side.
28:30 – Sliding doors moment: Considering a move to LA for comedy before admissions work pulled him in.
31:00 – Stage effect today: How comedy chops translate into speaking, presenting, and leading.
32:30 – Bombing, self-reflection, and lessons learned: Rock on humility, feedback, and growth.
35:30 – Leadership as a verb: Using writing and reflection to stay grounded in service.
39:40 – Rapid Descent

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Phil Moreno: Finding Stillness in Motion Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

Phil Moreno—Associate Director of College Counseling at the Nueva School and Board Chair for the National Association for College Admission Counseling—joins this episode of The ALP to talk about what it means to lead leaders in challenging times, why gratitude and handwritten notes matter, and how he’s learned to “stay on the bike” while also carving out intentional moments of stillness and renewal. He shares the practices—from solo retreats to time outdoors under dark skies—that help him restore his energy and model balance for others in a profession that asks us to give constantly.

Come for the insights, stay for the velvety voice of a professionally trained broadcaster (the guest; not the host).

Highlights

00:00 – Introduction: Phil introduces himself, his role at Nueva, and his work as NACAC Board Chair.
03:36 – The Nueva School: Founded on Nobel laureates’ vision, Nueva emphasizes curiosity, design thinking, and social-emotional learning.
06:45 – Switching sides: Why Phil left college admissions after nearly 20 years to counsel students at the secondary level.
09:06 – Relationships first: The mentors, associations, and small invitations that shaped his career—and why he now works to extend those same invitations to others.
13:36 – Leading in challenging times: Guiding NACAC through political attacks on DEI, and reflecting on past moments of crisis leadership.
16:47 – A unifying role: How Phil sees himself as a bridge-builder and “leader of leaders,” making space for every voice at the table while keeping the group focused on action.
21:31 – NACAC as family: Why he views conference season as a chance to check in on colleagues and carry their lived challenges into board decision-making.
24:15 – Self-care (perhaps Ken's favorite part of the episode): Phil’s philosophy of “staying in motion” and the importance of intentional pauses. He describes finding renewal through stillness, solo getaways, and immersion in art and nature.
28:17 – Reset moments: From visiting Michael Heizer’s vast desert installation City to hiking remote trails and camping under dark skies, Phil explains how solitude outdoors restores his perspective.
36:55 – College Horizons: Why he commits time each year to this extraordinary program (run by ALP alumna, Carmen Lopez) serving Native students, and how it reinvigorates his sense of purpose.
39:16 – Leadership qualities: Gratitude, lifting others up, modeling behavior through action, and the power of living authentically.
43:43 – Rapid Descent.

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

ALP: The Admissions Leadership Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected