ROI University Podcast
Conversations on higher-ed marketing and enrollment growth.
ROI University is the podcast for higher-ed marketers ready to lead meaningful change. Hosted by Rustam Irani, this solo series helps you unlock higher enrollment, deeper student connection, and the internal clarity to do your boldest work. It’s not just about tactics, it’s about becoming the kind of leader your institution needs. Get ready to raise outcomes across the board: for your students, your team, and yourself.
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Latest episode
Weak Signal
In this episode, Rustam Irani breaks down the concept of a university's "brand signal zone" — the geographic radius where a school's reputation, awareness, and trust actually influence enrollment behavior. Using years of campaign data and real-world example…
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Every episode of ROI University
16 episodes · updates automatically
- 16· May 29, 2026· 13 min
Weak Signal
In this episode, Rustam Irani breaks down the concept of a university's "brand signal zone" — the geographic radius where a school's reputation, awareness, and trust actually influence enrollment behavior. Using years of campaign data and real-world example…
- 15· May 19, 2026· 14 min
The AI Signals
In this episode, Rustam Irani explores how AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are fundamentally changing how prospective students research colleges and programs. He breaks down why traditional website traffic may be declining while…
- 14· Apr 20, 2026· 34 min
SEO is Changing
In this episode, Rustam Irani sits down with SEO expert Julian Hooks to unpack the growing confusion around declining traffic, AI's impact on search, and what higher-ed marketers should actually focus on right now. Together, they cut through the hype around…
- 13· Apr 8, 2026· 13 min
Sent Back
In this episode, Rustam Irani shares a pivotal early-career moment that reshaped how he presents data, and breaks down four essential rules for delivering clear, credible, and impactful insights that drive action. Resources Mentioned ChatGPT — https://chat.…
- 12· Mar 26, 2026· 38 min
Why They Win
In this episode, Rustam Irani sits down with Chris Shepard to unpack what it really takes to build performance-driven marketing systems that create trust, align teams, and generate measurable results. Chris shares his path from early email marketing and age…
- 11· Feb 19, 2026· 36 min
The Modern CMO
In this episode, Rustam Irani sits down with longtime colleague Charlie (Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management & CMO at Kaiser University) to unpack what it means to be a "modern CMO" in higher ed. They trace the shift from old-school, performance-first …
- 10· Feb 13, 2026· 18 min
Affiliate Myth
In this episode, Rustam Irani challenges the assumption that affiliate partners are low-quality, fraudulent, or ineffective for higher-ed marketing. Drawing from firsthand attribution analysis, he reveals how more than 20% of prospective students engaged wi…
- 09· Feb 5, 2026· 34 min
AI Hype?
In this episode, Rustam Irani welcomes AI marketing consultant and podcast host Dan Sanchez to dive deep into the role of AI in higher ed marketing. Together, they unpack the difference between AI hype and real, actionable strategies marketers can use today…
- 08· Jan 14, 2026· 13 min
Invisible Problem
In this episode, Rustam Irani shares a powerful personal experience from his time as a higher ed CMO, highlighting the hidden dangers of over communication in student marketing and admissions. He walks through a pivotal project where his team audited every …
- 07· Nov 15, 2025· 15 min
When I Got Schooled
In this episode, Rustam Irani unpacks a leadership moment that blindsided him—a silent, frustrated team member and two words on a whiteboard that changed his entire approach to leading marketers. Through this story, Rustam breaks down how purpose, identity,…
- 06· Nov 7, 2025· 17 min
Blinded By Data
In this episode, Rustam Irani unpacks one of the biggest wake-up calls in his marketing career—the campaign that looked flawless on every dashboard but failed to deliver real-world results. He shares the story of a "perfect" set of ads that hit every metric…
- 05· Oct 20, 2025· 18 min
The FAM Framework
In this episode, Rustam Irani introduces the FAM framework—Finance, Admissions, and Marketing—and explains how aligning these three departments can dramatically improve enrollment outcomes for higher education institutions. Drawing from his extensive experi…
- 04· Oct 7, 2025· 20 min
Think Different
In this episode, Rustam Irani challenges higher-ed marketers to stop "playing it safe," sharing how an early-career DIY innovation project sparked a career-long commitment to testing, multi-channel strategy, and culture change. He connects lessons from buil…
- 03· Sep 19, 2025· 17 min
The Hidden Leak
In this episode, Rustam Irani unpacks one of the biggest misconceptions in higher-ed marketing: most schools don't have a lead problem, they have a leak problem. He explains how institutions can identify hidden leaks in their enrollment funnel, why "speed t…
- 02· Sep 5, 2025· 12 min
Why 5% Wins Can 5X Your Enrollment Funnel
In this episode, Rustam Irani introduces the "5% Rule"—a simple but powerful approach to enrollment growth that leverages small, consistent improvements across every step of the student journey. He shares a real story about how sending branded scrubs to hea…
- 01· Aug 19, 2025· 20 min
Inside ROI University: Why This Show Exists
In this episode, Rustam Irani shares his personal journey from engineering to marketing, and how pivotal moments shaped his passion for higher education marketing. Dan Sanchez interviews Rustam to uncover his origin story, exploring how early career experie…
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