Why Independent School Leaders Must Learn to Sell | Lisa Conrad

Why does a head of school need to be comfortable with sales? Lisa Conrad, Head of School at The Park School of Buffalo, joins RevOps 500 to discuss how independent schools build trust with families, attract and retain students, and support fundraising. Lisa shares how a career setback led her from public education to an independent school, why listening matters in admissions, and how school leaders can address families’ expectations with confidence. The conversation also covers progressive education, enrollment, alumni relationships, and the challenges of developing an AI policy for students and educators. If you work in education, school leadership, admissions, or fundraising, this conversation offers a candid look at the people and business sides of leading an independent school. In this episode How Lisa’s career changed after her teaching position was cut How independent schools differ from public schools Why school leaders need to communicate the value of their school How listening helps schools understand what families need Enrollment, retention, fundraising, and alumni relations AI, critical thinking, and technology policies in schools   Lisa Conrad LinkedIn The Park School of Buffalo LinkedIn Sajeel Qureshi's LinkedIn Computan's LinkedIn