Happy Monday Reader, it’s been a few weeks since the last issue came out, but after a phenomenal family vacation in California, I’m back and ready to roll. I’m super excited to share this week’s issue because it features someone I’ve looked up to from a far for several years now.

Nathan Jorgensen is the chief of strategic marketing and enrollment communications manager at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. He took the job in May after spending more than a decade in higher ed communications in Ohio, first at Wright State, then the University of Cincinnati, and most recently at Miami University, where he was the senior director of marketing.

Q: How does your approach to storytelling change when you move to a new institution?

Many aspects change, based on resources, opportunities, and even attitudes, but my approach to storytelling stays the same.
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That approach is finding the stories an institution has, that make it different from others, and telling them in a way that encourages spreading, both in how they are told and in the format they take.
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I am like the football coach who may adapt to their talent, the weather, or their opponent, but will always be a “run the ball” coach, for example.
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My approach does not change because I believe in it, and it has proven itself effective many times. It is deep seeded. We are social primates.

We survived by storytelling.

We struggle when we are not connected to a community through storytelling.
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I take all of that very seriously, but hopefully, in a fun way, because that has proven effective as well.
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So, the approach does not change. The tactics, format, and frequency change, based on the new institution.

What I love about this answer:

I can’t remember the first time I stumbled upon Nathan’s LinkedIn profile, but I do recall that what stood out was how he told a story. It was engaging and entertaining — it’s the same type of storytelling he’s shared at each of his university stops.

What I love about his response is the understanding it demonstrates. He doesn’t feel pressured to alter his approach to storytelling. The details of the stories obviously change, but the fundamentals of how to engage an audience stay the same.

It’s important to recognize what a new school — or a new job — values and has available to you, but it’s also important to stay true to yourself and your beliefs.

Also, as a former sportswriter and lifelong sports fan, I love his football coach analogy :)