Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO — with Jaime Hunt

Ep. 103: Busting the Myths Around Small Marketing Teams

Episode Summary

Jaime Hunt sits down with Shane Baglini, Executive Director of Marketing and Branding at William & Mary, to unpack one of higher ed’s most persistent myths: that marketers from small institutions are somehow less qualified than their counterparts at large universities. This episode dives into how working in under-resourced environments actually sharpens leadership, fuels innovation, and builds resilience. Together, Jaime and Shane challenge outdated hiring biases and offer a compelling case for why “small shop” experience is a competitive advantage in enrollment marketing.

Episode Notes

Jaime Hunt sits down with Shane Baglini, Executive Director of Marketing and Branding at William & Mary, to unpack one of higher ed’s most persistent myths: that marketers from small institutions are somehow less qualified than their counterparts at large universities. This episode dives into how working in under-resourced environments actually sharpens leadership, fuels innovation, and builds resilience. Together, Jaime and Shane challenge outdated hiring biases and offer a compelling case for why “small shop” experience is a competitive advantage in enrollment marketing.

Guest Name: Shane Baglini, executive director of marketing and branding at William & Mary

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanebaglini

Guest Bio: Shane Baglini serves as executive director of marketing and branding at William & Mary, where he oversees the strategic planning and execution of the University's integrated marketing, multimedia, and creative teams’ efforts to create and sustain a comprehensive brand and marketing strategy for William & Mary, strengthening enrollment, advancement and institutional reputation for America's first university.  With a decade of experience in higher education, his background spans enrollment marketing, brand and creative strategy, digital transformation, and more.