Expertise & Consulting

Institutions often treat their challenges as isolated problems: a "web problem," a "brand problem," or a "content problem." In reality, they are all the same challenge: connection.

My work focuses on the entire ecosystem of connection. Empathy-based qualitative user research uncovers the human truth. Brand strategy defines the voice that speaks to that truth. Web strategy builds the systems to deliver that voice. And storytelling training empowers the people who keep the conversation alive every day.

You cannot fix one part of the system without understanding the whole. Here is how I can help:

Brand Strategy & Activation

Leveraging the power of personality science to build human connection.

Building a brand is a personal process that should bring people together. As an executive strategist within Carnegie’s brand practice, I work alongside a team of colleagues to help institutions move beyond simple demographics and leverage the power of personality science.

We use psychographics to go beyond the "what" and the "how" to uncover the "who" and the "why" of your institution. By defining your authentic personality, we create brands that stand up to scrutiny and foster genuine human connection.

But a brand is fragile if it isn't managed intentionally. We help you bridge the gap between "launch day" and long-term operations through:

  • Roadmaps & Governance: We develop detailed activation roadmaps and governance models—including brand ambassador programs and workgroups—to ensure your brand is operationalized effectively.

  • Organizational Alignment: We assess your staffing structures and training needs, identifying the resources required to support your brand long-term.

  • Brand Analytics: We move beyond vanity metrics, establishing KPIs and dashboards to track brand impressions, loyalty, and advocacy over time.

Qualitative User Research

You cannot move an audience you do not understand.

Data tells you what happened; research tells you why. My approach to qualitative research focuses on building deep empathy by uncovering the dominant thoughts, feelings, and actions of your audiences at each stage of their relationship with you.

My Carnegie colleagues and I conduct deep-dive journey mapping projects to illuminate the path for:

  • Prospective Students: Mapping the anxieties and aspirations of undergraduate, graduate, and international applicants.

  • Alumni & Donors: Understanding the emotional triggers that lead to lifelong loyalty.

  • Internal Stakeholders: Mapping the employee experience to improve culture and retention.

Web Strategy & Implementation

Building the digital infrastructure for connection.

For 20 years, I led mStoner, the agency that defined web strategy for higher education. Today, I lead a team of executive web strategists at Carnegie who serve as the architects of your digital future. We work hand-in-glove with our dedicated Web Solutions team—designers, developers, and project managers—to translate high-level strategy into pixel-perfect reality.

We don't just build websites; we build sustainable digital ecosystems backed by the full power of Carnegie.

  • The mStoner Methodology: My team of strategists utilizes the rigorous, human-centered discovery process we pioneered at mStoner. We rely on user-centered, empathy-based approach to ensure that your site meets your target audiences exactly where they are — wherever they are on their journeys.

  • Strategy-Led Implementation: My strategists partner closely with the Web Solutions team to oversee the creation of flexible design systems. This ensures that the modular libraries and page templates we build are not just beautiful, but also highly accessible and scalable over time.

  • The Carnegie Advantage: A website cannot exist in a vacuum. By integrating our web work with Carnegie’s Digital and Brand divisions, we ensure your site is connected directly to your student search, digital marketing, and yield campaigns.

  • Governance & Sustainability: Launch day is just the beginning. My strategists work with your leadership to define the "rules of the road"—creating comprehensive governance plans and staffing assessments to ensure your site remains vital, accurate, and manageable long after our developers have deployed the code.

Storytelling Training

Rallying your team around richer stories, better told.

Even the best strategy fails if your team cannot communicate it. I design bespoke workshops that turn "content creators" into true storytellers. These sessions are not just theoretical; they are practical, hands-on trainings designed to shift the culture of your communications team from "posting content" to building connection.

Workshops are tailored to your goals and cover:

  • The Science & Structure: Leveraging the neuroscience of narrative to move audiences to action , using proven frameworks like the five parts of a story’s narrative arc (a structure that Aristotle wrote about 24 centuries ago) to clarify your message.

  • Digital-First Activation: Mastering the art of immersion through structured content and microstories—atomic units of information designed for the scroll.

  • Sustainable Systems: Moving from ad-hoc chaos to sustainable storytelling systems. We focus on resource management and measurement to ensure you can maintain quality over time.

  • AI & Personalization: Teaching teams how to use artificial intelligence tools to scale their creativity and customize content without losing the human touch.