The LinkedIn Double Standard Costing Higher Ed Its Best Marketers

The LinkedIn Double Standard Costing Higher Ed Its Best Marketers

June 29, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 311

About this episode

Mallory Willsea discusses the talent crisis in higher education marketing with Shane Baglini, exploring systemic issues and potential solutions.

The higher education sector is facing a quiet talent crisis: a staggering 74% of higher ed marketers are actively considering an exit from the industry. Mallory sits down with Shane Baglini, Executive Director of Marketing and Branding at William & Mary, to uncover the systemic issues fueling this exhaustion and explore how institutions can reverse the trend. Drawing from his own journey climbing from a small four-person team at Muhlenberg College to overseeing 22 creatives at a historic flagship university, Shane breaks down the unique hurdles of stepping into a high-visibility executive marketing role. They dive headfirst into a problematic culture where leadership often misinterprets professional development and personal LinkedIn branding as a “flight risk” rather than a powerful, organic extension of the university's reach.

People in this episode

Host: Mallory Willsea

Guest: Shane Baglini

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: William & Mary, Muhlenberg College

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