Explore every episode of the podcast The MADness Podcast

Hong Kong's international school market is so competitive that families who "spray and pray" their own applications usually fail, and increasingly turn to consultants after the fact.

In this MAD LABZ episode of the Madness Podcast, Nik sits down with Stefan Tueger, Executive Director at Lion Rock Education in Hong Kong ,a former school marketing and admissions director, who crossed over to found his own education consultancy after growing frustrated with how little most agents and consultants actually understood the families they were placing.

Stefan draws a clear line between the two often-confused roles: consultants work for the family, digging deep into a child's character and a household's fit before recommending schools - sometimes steering parents away from the "obvious" popular choices entirely - while agents work for the schools that pay them, prioritising placement speed over depth of research. He unpacks why Hong Kong has become a genuine outlier globally for day-school consultancy demand, with waitlists stretching years, tough interview gauntlets, and a market that runs on relationships and transparency rather than who you know on the board.

The conversation turns practical with Stefan's top tips for schools looking to get more out of their agent and consultant networks: reply fast, since families often need a place immediately; be proactive about sharing changes (new principals, opening classes, spare year-group spots); treat trusted consultants as an honest feedback channel into what parents really think; and arm partners with the unglamorous but decisive details, like school bus routes, that can make or break a family's decision. A useful listen for admissions and marketing teams weighing whether, and how, to lean more on external referral networks, plus a candid look at why some agencies get rejected wholesale and what separates a partner worth working with from one that isn't.

Most schools are still optimising for Google. Anna Iveson is already ranking on ChatGPT. In this MADness Podcast episode, James and Nik chat to Anna Iveson (Director of Marketing and Admissions at Rugby School Japan) - a former Citigroup graduate trainee turned self-taught digital marketer who came into education from the outside and immediately spotted the problem: inward-looking messaging, and leads quietly disappearing into the ether with no follow-up at all.

Anna shares how RSJ grew its email list from 1,200 to around 11,000 in two years, why she treats admissions as a genuine sales function - including hiring a tour lead trained to handle objections and read the question under the question - and how a school that only opened in 2023 has carved out a position in one of Asia's most competitive markets. She's also refreshingly candid about AI search, explaining how RSJ went from zero to nearly 3% of applications arriving via AI referrals by reverse-engineering the questions parents actually type into ChatGPT.

A perfect listen for admissions teams, marketers, and school leaders who know AI search is coming for their SEO strategy and want a practical head start - plus Anna's take on why PR matters more in schools than anywhere else she's worked, and the gap in the market she'd leave it all behind for.

One in four parents who enquire with a school never get a reply - and the schools have no idea it's happening. In this MAD LABZ episode, James and Nik chat to Carly Puncher from Edified about her research into the parent enquiry experience, and why the moment a family reaches out is the moment most schools quietly lose them.

Drawing on the first year of the Enquiry Experience Tracker, in which real parents enquired with 56 international schools and scored what came back, Carly unpacks what actually keeps families engaged: warmth over speed, asking questions instead of just answering them, taking the time to respond to everything they asked, and following up properly. Fast responses don't win parents. Human ones do.

A perfect listen for admissions teams, marketers, and school leaders who want to turn inquiries into conversations - with small, practical changes you can make before the next enquiry lands.

Matt Hall, Director of Marketing and Admissions @ Nexus International School (Singapore), chats to James and Nik about: How changing EP thresholds, living costs, and and expat packages are impacting demand for international school places in Singapore; How Matt and his team launched a 'transfer window' campaign, ft. Nexus footie shirts; Why pies create a unique culture nexus (see what we did there!) between the UK <> New Zealand.

Nik chats to Nicola Lutz from No Fluff about how schools can implement more rigorous and effective sales techniques, and how her No Fluff Fest is the event she wished she'd been able to attend earlier in her career.

Sarah Travis, Senior Associate Director at TASIS England, chats with James & Nik about the change from Higher Ed to K12, what it's like to promote an American school in the UK, and how she engages with families from the Middle East to Asia.

James and Nik are joined by pricing experts Sharyn Martin and Dr. Len Coote from Edified. They discuss how schools can remove the guesswork from their pricing strategy by applying a scientific approach which draws on microeconomics and econometrics.

James and Nik are joined by Paul Chapman from Noodle photography, as they discuss what makes a winning school photo & video, being 'brave' when taking pictures, and tips to improve the way you capture images around your campus. If you know you need to level up your school's imagery then this one is for you.

Nik and James take a break from the normal recording schedule to bring you a short community update, covering upcoming guests, future LABZ episodes, and a bulletin on doris.

Cyrielle Bazin, Director of Strategic Communication at Seoul Foreign School, chats with James & Nik about her path to SFS, how she keeps the school community engaged over the Summer break, and the surge in prominence of Korea in pop culture - from Squid Game to XO Kitty.

Nikki Holman, Head of Admissions for UK Curriculum Schools at Taaleem UAE, chats with Nik about her journey from Singapore to Dubai, how she's raised the bar for admissions operations, and where she looks beyond the k12 sector for best practice.

Lucy and Gianna from Dux Studio chat to James and Nik about PR 'activations' and how to harness them to create memorable brand experiences that make your school shout out. You'll hear about #nostalgia, the hamburglar, and the resurgence of the pep rally.

In this special episode Nik chats with James about doris, a new marketplace that matches families and international schools. He covers the 'why', how it works, and how MAD leaders can use it to connect with highly qualified prospective families, access data insights, and save their admissions team time.

Sowmiya Muralidharan, Director of Admissions and Marketing at Downe Hose Riyadh chats with James and Nik about relocating from Qatar to Saudi Arabia, how to work with social media influencers, and her campaign to boost awareness of their early years provision.

Piers Matthews, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Dulwich College Singapore, speaks with James and Nik about his time in China, striking the right balance when working with academic staff, and the best fishing spot on the island.

Michael Kewley from Magnetic Communications shares his top tips on how to monitor and analyse parent satisfaction, and how school leaders can make practical use of these insights to support MAD strategies.