When a private-independent school marketing team goes through a staffing transition, onboarding new members while simultaneously maintaining operational efficiency can feel like a high-wire act. To navigate this pivot, the marketing and communications team at Good Shepherd Episcopal School (GSES) — a Pre-K–8 school in Dallas, Texas — turned to ISM’s Advancement Academy.
They weren't just looking for typical professional development; they needed a framework tailored specifically to the unique constraints of the independent school landscape.
"ISM is one of the few organizations presenting content, learning opportunities, and standards specific to private-independent marketing communication offices," explains Candie Esch, director of marketing and communications at GSES. "That’s why we attend and keep coming back to your events. You’re filling that hole that other organizations don’t fill."
The "Divide and Conquer" Team Strategy
Rather than sitting together through identical presentations, the GSES team utilized a strategic "divide and conquer" approach to maximize their registration ROI. Director Candie Esch, public relations and content writer John Holt, and website administrator Sara Williams intentionally separated each morning.
"We had the advantage of going as a team — we made it a point to spread out and attend different sessions so that we could learn as much as possible while there," says Williams.
The team then utilized ISM’s built-in mentor sessions to regroup, debrief, and cross-pollinate their learnings. This structured collaborative environment ensured that individual session takeaways were immediately integrated into a cohesive team strategy.
"The Academy faculty did an excellent job of making the sessions applicable, no matter what type of school setting you were in," notes Esch. She emphasizes that the structured layout of the event removed the friction normally associated with professional networking: "The way the conference was set up made it really easy to talk to people and make connections, even if that’s not your ‘thing.’ It’s always validating to talk with people in your same profession who experience the same issues you are."
From Insights to Action: Year-Round Accountability
The true measure of any professional development event is what happens after the team returns to campus. For GSES, the Academy’s structured goal-setting created an operational baseline that lasted throughout the academic year.
"We all made action plans and set our goals, and we’re still using those goals!" says Esch.
Beyond internal departmental alignment, the team brought ISM’s Advancement Assessments back to campus to evaluate their development and admission operations. This successfully broke down traditional administrative silos and streamlined interdepartmental collaboration.
To prevent the common post-conference slump where notes are forgotten in a drawer, the Academy builds continuous accountability directly into the program.
"Several months after the Academy, we did a reunion call with our mentor group and discussed our action plans and how we were implementing them," Holt said. "It was great to have that follow-through and reconnect with everyone."
The Verdict: A Stronger, More Efficient Team
For independent school leaders juggling multiple responsibilities within small teams, the Academy serves as an essential circuit breaker — a rare opportunity to step away from daily fires, explore new tools, and return with an execution-ready playbook.
"The Advancement Academy fulfilled all our expectations — we returned to school with so much more knowledge," Holt reflects. "Coming as a team made us stronger and brought us closer as a group. The Academy is incredibly engaging, organized, and effective."
Maximize Your Team's Impact This Summer
Small marketing teams don't need general theories — they need practical, independent-school-specific strategies that lighten the load and improve efficiency. That's why Advancement Academy is a game-changer for teams like the one at GSES.
Ready to align your team and elevate your school's marketplace presence? Secure your team's spots at the 2026 Advancement Academy. View the 2026 schedules and register your team today.
