by Matt Farrell
Zach Scott is a native of Tampa, brother of Tau Kappa Epsilon, and currently serves as the Director of Growth at TKE HQ. As Tau Kappa Epsilon has shifted to a major focus on internal chapter growth, Zach has assumed the challenge of building and executing this position.
Personally I have enjoyed Zach’s growth mindset, focus on action, and ability to energize undergraduates on a topic that can be as exciting as it is urgent.
Whether you are a TKE or any individual passionate about growth, you will learn from Zach’s story. Here is an excerpt of our recent conversation, with my prompts in bold and Zach’s story as told in his own words.
My Joining Story
It starts back in high school for me. I went to an all male Jesuit high school in Tampa, the same city I went to college. Because of that I initially had zero interest in fraternity – my mom even tried to get me to join but I felt I already had everything I needed. My intention was all cross country and track. So I was very involved with sports and school, and it took an injury for me to open my eyes a little more.
I remember hanging with a couple friends in another fraternity, and saw their flag up on the wall. It meant nothing to me.
Then a guy came up, looked me in the eye and said “I’m Jay, nice to meet you.” The kind of first impression you’ll always remember. Turns out he was a Tau Kappa Epsilon member, and the flag was a different fraternity.
I kind of got a little hoodwinked and bamboozled from there. TKE was smaller than I thought and there were only 22 members. So those doubts creeped in during the next few weeks.
Why do I want to do this? Is it worth the effort?
We took it upon ourselves to build upwards, and began recruiting some of my best friends who are still my best friends to this day.
We recruited the type of people to build it even better than what we imagined. The chapter is now 90 men strong. Whether I knew it or not, growth has been a big piece of my life. And it started with that handshake with Jay.
Starting on Staff
I definitely thought I knew everything at the beginning. After a few visits, I realized the world is a lot different than my undergrad bubble. After a few more, I picked up that chapters are different but they tend to rhyme.
Each year you gain a little bit more experience, more knowledge, more relationships. That all comes back to create more stories to connect with people. That doesn’t just go for membership growth. That is the growth of what we can do for St. Jude, helping people across the nation, anything positive we do is growth.
We’ve started to realize we can’t solve our problem just by expanding as fast as possible. We want to focus on growing the groups we have and I love getting to do that every day.
A Memorable Recruitment Moment
One that comes to mind was myself, Nick Kimble and Victor Casanova going into the University of Texas last summer. If anyone has been, they know there’s a ton of potential with the student body size but it’s not always easy to recruit.
I wanna say our group had about 25 men, and we went during the summer tabling season. I loved showing that headquarters is here to help, and showing how we could do better.
We got to the event and all the chapters were at tables, set up, looking good. There’s pizza so everyone’s happy, but nothing was really happening in terms of PNMs walking in. Typical IFC event.
So we took the guys outside and started going up to random people walking on campus. The energy changed right away. Another fraternity noticed and it ramped up the competition in a good way. Before we knew it we were all funneling men into the main room, not just to talk to TKE but to be able to see all of their options for lifelong brothers.
It was fun to embrace the tension in the moment, but then to realize everyone was thankful for the friendly competition to be created.
The ChapterBuilder Difference
The referral form is “major key”. Being able to go into any presentation type setting, having an interest form is the only way we can measure results. It also lets us focus on crushing the actual presentation, and we can resend the form before and after. It’s worth its weight in gold when it comes to that.
Sure you could find other ways to do it, but we love it integrated into the system. There are plenty of situations where people are going to complain about disadvantages, school won’t let me do this, others won’t let me do that. So I try to emphasize, let’s just collect hundreds of names and meet new people. ChapterBuilder even merges the overlaps for you. There’s so many ways you can use that to drive leads and start a conversation.
It should pain you when you lose that blue chip recruit you love, it should grind your gears to no end because you didn’t work as hard as possible to create the relationship.
If you target the best possible people at the right time, you’ll create something that all the best people are attracted to.
What I Want Current Fraternity Undergraduates to Know
As an undergraduate, I was very anti-Headquarters. I didn’t think there was a lot going on. Hearing stories of staff coming to help and then not a lot of follow-up. Cory Martin came down and changed that view for me. It just takes one person. Cory spent the time, he would even hang with us while he did work – catching some sun with his laptop out. That’s something we remembered long after he left. Cory has been a great mentor for me.
I don’t think there is a single staff member in this industry that actually cares about their members as dollar signs or pieces to manage. In my opinion it’s about creating a better experience for the active members now than it was when I was an undergraduate. We can make all the resources we want, but it won’t mean every question is asked and answered. We want to listen.
Tips for Recruiting in a Pandemic
Recruit the members you already have. We’re all going to face bigger retention issues. Even for people that may take a semester off, find ways to stay connected and keep tabs.
And have a fun opener for when you make new friends. I’ve been using one that is guaranteed to light up the conversation. Feel free to steal it:
“Do you have enough toilet paper right now?”
CONTACT: Branden Stewart
Carmel, Ind. – Phired Up is excited to be expanding our team once again with the addition of three new Growth Consultants this summer. Each consultant will provide education and training to our clients, and will be available beginning this August to work with chapters and communities across North America. LaShatá Marie Grayson, Lindsay Ollis, and Karli Sherman will be joining the team in part-time capacities as they continue their full-time professional roles.
“We are strategizing with communities and national organizations daily. Now is the time to work together to create a new future for fraternities and sororities by transforming the way people join,” said Phired Up’s Assistant Vice President, RJ Taylor. “I am excited to welcome these talented, growth-minded professionals to our team as we continue to encourage and assist as many in our industry as possible.”
LaShatá Marie Grayson graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) with a Master of Science in Education degree in College Student Personnel Administration, a degree in Management, a specialization in Event Management and Tourism planning and development. She is currently wrapping up her graduate assistantship in Fraternity and Sorority Life at SIUE. She specialized in teaching students in and out of the classroom and creating programs and events.
“I am excited to be part of a team that impacts students and truly pushes them to the next level,” said LaShatá Marie. “I love and believe in the work of Phired Up. It is truly so wrong for Phired Up to be so dope. Phired Up is one of the best out there for advancing fraternity and sorority, and to be able to be on a team of change agents is life-changing for me.”
LaShatá Marie is a former special education teacher and program coordinator for the charter school system. In her free time she volunteers for the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors and the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values. She has served in a state leadership role for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and delivered national leadership programs and facilitated discussions around identity development, recruitment, values-based programming, and leadership development for local, regional, and national entities. LaShatá Marie enjoys doing CrossFit, spending time with her family and sorority sisters, and writing on her fitness blog in her free time. She loves volunteering in her spare time to help her undergraduate chapter foster sisterhood and programmatic efforts. She also enjoys trying different vegan restaurants and running.
“I’m so excited for LaShatá Marie to join our team because I absolutely love how authentically passionate she is about the fraternity/sorority life experience and making a positive impact on students’ lives,” said Haley Cahill-Teubert, a Phired Up Organizational Growth Consultant. “She’s such a bright light and I’m looking forward to working alongside her!”
Lindsay Ollis joins the team as a graduate from Auburn University with a Master’s of Education in Higher Education Administration. Prior to graduate school, Lindsay attended the University of North Carolina – Wilmington and earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Accounting. She currently serves as the Coordinator for Greek Life and Panhellenic Advisor at Auburn University, where she previously worked as the Panhellenic Graduate Advisor during her time in graduate school.
“I am PUMPED to join the Phired Up team because who wouldn’t be?! This opportunity will allow me to continue my professional goals, while collaborating with key industry leaders, students, volunteers, etc.,” said Lindsay. “I am passionate about igniting innovative, bold, and courageous ideas in order to create the future of fraternity and sorority life, this opportunity will put me in the position to do this on a larger scale!”
Prior to her time at Auburn, Lindsay served as an Educational Leadership Consultant for Alpha Xi Delta National Women’s Fraternity. She continues to volunteer for Alpha Xi Delta, in addition to volunteer roles with the North-American Interfraternity Conference as a UIFI Facilitator. When she’s not working or volunteering within the industry, Lindsay enjoys reading, socializing with friends, attending church, participating in her young professionals group, and watches the Real Housewives (Bravo Reality TV is her jam).
“Lindsay has experience, perspective, and a peaceful but strong presence that will connect incredibly well with so many of our clients, said Matt Mattson, Phired Up Co-Founder and President. “I’m so excited about the impact Lindsay is going to have as a Phired Up educator and strategist; our industry needs her voice!”
Karli Sherman is a native of south Louisiana and is a professional speaker, educator, and event manager. Karli believes in programming with a purpose and challenging the process to help groups, companies, and individuals grow, learn, and create robust experiences. Karli is an alumna of Florida State University (Master’s in Higher Education & Student Affairs, 2013), and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Bachelors of General Studies in Arts and Humanities, 2008).
“I am thrilled to join the Phired Up team, and I’m ready to shake things up, challenge the process, and have some fun!” said Karli. “It’s time to level up and get more awesome, yall.”
Her areas of interest include unique event management, college student development, organizational membership recruitment/retention, diversity & inclusion, leadership coaching, musical theatre, and glitter. Karli is involved with the Junior League of Lafayette, travels internationally as a Recruitment Ambassador for Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, and represents the Kiwanis Club of St. Martinville, Louisiana as the reigning Ms. Pepper Festival Queen. She is quite involved with her local community through The 705 Young Professionals organization, the Lafayette Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the Leadership Lafayette Class XXXIII. Karli is active in her Catholic faith, live theatre, and voice acting, and is a dog mom to her 3.5lb maltipoo named Pixie.
“Karli brings a new and exciting level of energy coupled with a level of understanding the Phired Up philosophy,” said Hailey Mangrum, a Phired Up Organizational Growth Consultant. “We are all so pumped to welcome her to the team!”
All three new members of the Phired Up team started their role officially on May 1, and will work to train throughout the summer to deliver education and training this Fall. You can reach out to LaShatá Marie by email at lashata@phiredup.com, Lindsay by email at lindsay@phiredup.com, and Karli by email at Karli@phiredup.com.
by Josh Orendi
“Put us to work! We’re ready.” Aaron Varnue, said on a call last week. He’s a junior business major and chapter president of Acacia Fraternity at Purdue University. Aaron’s chapter isn’t alone. Fraternities and sororities are ready right now to help their schools with student enrollment and retention.
Colleges across the country fear that enrolled students won’t show up on campus this fall. This is the COVID-19 effect. Over 40% of parents report that they are either uncertain or would not send their child to school for the fall semester in a remote-learning environment, according to an April 10-14 survey conducted by Tyton Partners.
Meanwhile, a survey by OneClass reports that 75% of college students moved to virtual classrooms don’t think they’re receiving a quality learning experience. Students are not getting the experience they paid tens of thousands of dollars to receive. That has a lot of people asking if they will all come back in fall 2020.
Now add in skyrocketing costs of higher education, on campus safety risks, a lot of uncertainty, and the fact that college enrollment has declined every year for 8 years in a row. That could be a recipe for an admissions disaster this fall. Colleges could lose 20% of students this fall according to Inside Higher Education.
Could an unlikely hero emerge?
Enter fraternities and sororities. “We are social organizations. This is what we do. Our organizations exist to provide peer-to-peer support and mentorship. To create deep connections and belonging. Brotherhood. Sisterhood. To serve our communities and alma mater. We see the enrollment and retention problem. It’s our problem, too. We want to help!” the Purdue junior continued.
He’s not alone.
Approximately 900,000 undergraduates and about 9,000,0000 living alumni are members of fraternities and sororities on over 800 campuses in the United States. (For a size perspective, that’s more people than the total population of New Jersey) Or roughly 10% to 15% of students on the average college campus. Mobilizing social fraternal organizations is a powerful idea that should be taken seriously.
Fraternity and sorority membership contributes to a students’ sense of community and belonging on campus, which provides a greater sense of attachment to a university. Research shows that much of the stress of first-year students stems from loneliness. Fraternities and sororities provide connection, friendship and a strong support system.
Gallup research found that fraternity and sorority members possess a stronger sense of well being, are more likely to receive emotional support as an undergraduate, and demonstrate more alumni attachment to their alma mater than non-Greek students. One study found first-to-second year retention rates among sorority members at 93%, compared to 82% for non-members. Similar studies show fraternity members are 20% more likely to graduate.
Simply put, fraternity and sorority is good for enrollment, retention, community building, and student success. Fraternity and sorority members want to engage with each other and non-Greek students — especially incoming freshmen and transfer students.
Let me share a story.
Last week, my daughter fell off her bike. I raced inside to the medicine cabinet. Panicked. I knocked over every box and bottle looking for bandages. URG!!! Where are they!?? My wife walked up behind me, calmly reached over my shoulder, and pulled a box of Band-Aids from the shelf in front of me that had been there all along. Doh! “I love you. I got this,” she said to me.
Fraternities and sororities are the Band-Aids. Not a fix for everything, of course, but a fix that will make incoming students feel better right now. An authentic, scalable, peer-to-peer solution is literally sitting on the shelf of hundreds of colleges, but school administrators may be looking right past the Band-Aids during this moment of panic (which I totally understand).
Being overlooked isn’t new. Fraternities and sororities have been shunned, demonized, and underfunded on many campuses. (Overlooked sounds nicer) What many don’t realize is that membership numbers are at all time highs for most fraternities and sororities. Read that again. Student demand for the experience is at record highs.
Why? How? That’s not what the media is reporting. Well…
Fraternity and sorority members are campus leaders not raging alcoholics as the movies might lead you to believe. They lead their communities in service hours, academic achievement, and philanthropy dollars raised. They aren’t sex-obsessed, entitiled hazers as popular media outlets often describe them. They’re diverse, often first-gen students, who are eager to make connections, find leadership opportunities, and create friendships for a lifetime. In my experience, fraternal organizations demonstrate more loyalty to their alma mater than any other group of students.
Oh, and these students are exceptional at leveraging social/digital media to build and maintain relationships. They’re innovative and wildly creative. They’re problem solvers!
So imagine if those students wanted to mobilize and help during this crisis! Spoiler alert. They do. And at least one school has been smart enough to take them up on the offer.
On a conference call this month with a National Fraternity I heard a powerful story from Dr. Charlotte Emerson, Director of Student Development and Recruitment for the University of Florida’s College Of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). “We are concerned many students will choose to stay closer to home as a result of COVID-19, as a college we wanted to be certain admitted students felt connected, wanted, and feel the pride we have for the University of Florida. We solicited the help of fraternity, sorority and other campus leaders to personally contact over 2000 admitted CALS students.” Specifically the college used peer-to-peer phone calls and text messages to communicate with admitted students using a script initially, and ending the call or text with an offer to answer questions and connect the student to a CALS academic advisor on campus.
Remember, many of the incoming freshmen are completing a senior year of high school that was ripped away from them. No prom. No spring sports. No spring break. No walk across the stage. No graduation party. No senior night. No good-bye hugs or yearbook signatures from friends. No closure. Instead, they’ve had months of quarantining with their parents and piecemealed e-learning.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Imagine getting a personal phone call to ask, “how are you?” A sophomore, junior, or senior FaceTiming you to say that they’re excited to meet you and welcome you to campus. A DM saying everything is going to be ok. A sincere message of reassurance, optimism, and someone you can call if you have questions. That’s what caring in a time of crisis looks like. That’s community.
That’s fraternity done right.
But, that example is more the exception than the norm right now. Chapters and campus Councils say they’re being met with resistance, ignored, or unable to get through the red tape of the school. A senior from a Missouri state school sounded exasperated when he told me, “We’ve offered to help and asked to team up with the school a bunch of times. We asked to partner with Orientation and Res Life. We fundraised with the alumni to offer scholarships to help incoming students, but we can’t even get the school to help us with a list of incoming students to give the money away. We’re trying! I swear. But, so far, we’ve been ignored or told no. I don’t get it.”
Certainly every school is unique. And, every fraternity and sorority community is unique. And relationships can be complex. What is not unique is that fall enrollment is a priority concern for every school, every fraternity, and every sorority. What is not complex is that we all need to chip in and work together.
I hope this article reaches every college President, Dean of Students, Office of Admissions, Orientation Department, Res Life program, and First Year Experience team. I hope it sparks a conversation about engaging fraternity and sorority now.
Put fraternity and sorority members to work. They are on your team. Use their skills. All they need is permission and a little guidance. Encourage them. Help them to reach out to incoming students. Then, step aside and watch them shine.
Think of me as your caring partner, reaching over your shoulder in a time of panic, showing you the Band-Aid box that’s been right in front of you all along. “I love you. You got this.”
The storm called COVID-19 is raging right now, and while the impact it is taking on real humans, real families, and real lives is far more important than anything you’ll read on this blog… it’s also taking a major toll on on fraternity and sorority. You might not be able to feel it yet, but it’s serious. Please do the following 10 things as soon as possible!
Be aware of the severity of this situation. Fraternity and sorority membership will be significantly impacted by COVID-19. We will lose members. We will have a harder time attracting and securing new members this fall. We absolutely must act now. Read more here.
Reprioritize. When you took over your position you might not have had GROWTH at the top of your priority list. It should be there now. Consider re-arranging your leadership to make sure your top talent is engaged with marketing, recruitment, intake, new member education, and retention. This is an all-hands on deck situation. Gather your workhorses and get to work. You might need to move some of your priorities down the list and make sure you double, triple, and maybe quadruple your efforts and resources related to membership growth.
Identify a purpose to rally around. Survival, believe it or not, is a poor rally cry. No championship team every won because their team was energized around “not dying.” So, as a chapter leader right now is the time to pick something that your chapter will be about. What is the mission your chapter is on this year? What do you want to attract more people to help you accomplish? Be about something. Be specific. Your members will rally together around a cause they actually care about. They’ll work for a purpose, but they won’t work just because you ask them to. This purpose should also serve as your core marketing narrative. Write a paragraph about your vision and use it to communicate what your chapter is about to potential members and parents.
Quickly build/improve growth infrastructure. We’ll be very specific here. You need four basic things as the foundation from which you can build your recruitment plan. You need a way to keep your on-going recruitment efforts organized (because you do not want to depend on any “formal recruitment or intake” period to find out who’s interested in joining your chapter). You need a weekly meeting with your top workhorses (here’s the agenda). You need a schedule of summer and fall opportunities to engage with potential members (mostly digital, and some face-to-face stuff in the fall). And you need a written process/policy for selecting new members.
Record and create content. Videos. Refreshed website. Photos. Written pieces. More videos. Live FB/IG sessions. YOU NEED CONTENT. If you’re doing a lot of recruitment digitally, your only opportunity to connect with people is through… the internet. And you’ll need content to fill your social media feeds and your digital presence. Have each member record a 60 second video of “Why is fraternity/sorority worth it?” Ask the parents that love your chapter to record their own 2 minute videos that you can post on your website and social media (and send to any incoming prospects’ parents). Write FAQ’s, blogs, create a vlog, produce a video of old pictures. Ask alumni to create videos. Schedule live broadcasts, webinars, and more. You need a content team, and you need to activate them immediately.
Aim specific messages at parents. This summer and fall, parents will wonder… What is your chapter’s hygiene policy? How many hand washing/sanitizing stations do you have? What is your policy for if a member is sick? Can my child have a single room for safety’s sake? How strong is the wifi at your house? Are non-members allowed inside your facility? How often will members be checked for symptoms? There’s a good chance a) you don’t know these answers (ask alumni, HQ, and campus-based pros for help), and b) you definitely don’t have this information on your website yet. Take action.
Fill your funnel. You need access to non-affiliated students so you can start building relationships and trust with them. Ask for lists (from your campus and any other source you can think of). Ask again. Ask your council to provide immediate access to prospects who have indicated interest. Start doing prospecting and pipelining work (see info in point number 8 below). Your team of “workhorses’” first job is to add 50% more names to your list than you had last year. Open this document of “60 Tactics for Meeting Non-Affiliated Students,” and consider that the following could all be done digitally (with slight adaptations): Recruitment Scholarship, Sorority/Fraternity Referrals, Mind Joggers, Partnering with Select Organizations, Non-Greek Surveys, Ask The Rest to Find The Best, Professor and Class Referrals, Alumni Referrals, No-Bid List/Past Recruitment Lists, On-Line Referrals, Resource Center, Chunking, Scouting, Parent Solicitations, Referrals from High Schools, Presentations to Student Organizations, Niche Targeted Marketing, Top 20 Lunches & Coffees, Crossword Puzzle Help, High School Pipelines, Positive Absurdity, Organize Study Groups, Advocacy, Make it Easy To Sign Up, Text For…Something,.
Actively (but not with SPAM) start digital recruitment now. You’ll find detailed recommendations here. This is the most important one! If you haven’t read that resource yet, please do so now. Here’s another important point… Your members need to be prepared. They need quick training on how to effectively grow your chapter. WE HAVE TRAINING THEY CAN ACCESS RIGHT NOW!
Fill social media daily. Do anything you can think of to increase your followers to include non-members (start by following #classof2024 folks). Then post daily. Get active in your IG story. Connect with folks on reddit. Aim parent-oriented messages at Facebook. Buy ads aimed at your target demo. Post, post, post. Engage, engage, engage. Go beyond anything close to what you’ve done in the past. Be authentic and real. Now is the time to dive deeply into giving your chapter a powerful social media presence.
Plan for multiple fall scenarios. What if recruitment is cancelled? What if school is all on-line in the fall, but organizations can operate fully (just fully digitally)? What if everything is back to “normal,” but the incoming students definitely are not what you’re normally used to? That digital recruitment resource outlines 4 scenarios. Your chapter’s leadership should have a plan for all four.
This isn’t fair. You did not sign up for this. But here you are. Leading your chapter. Ready to be the hero whether you want to or not. This is your moment. This is your chance to create the future. We’re here to help.
We are excited to share some important initial details regarding Growth Summit 2020 (hosted by Phired Up & TechniPhi) this summer! We’ve officially made the call to host the event online this June due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. The event will be fully virtual and will take place on June 24, 2020! We are excited to share a day of learning and fellowship with you and your team!
Although we will be joining together in a new, virtual format this June, we are sure that Growth Summit’s education and training will be as engaging and timely as ever before. Event registrants will receive a full schedule, links to participate in the event, and additional details about how to access exclusive tools and resources in the weeks prior to the Growth Summit. As we work to finalize our schedule, rest assured that you and your team will have access to training on topics including:
Registration is now LIVE, and we’ve simplified things a bit from previous years. For this year’s virtual event, the Early Bird rate is just $100 per attendee through May 31, and just $125 during the month of June! No need to register for different tracks, or worry about all-day or morning-only rates. You’ll receive access to everything when you register! Each registration includes access to Growth Summit’s live event on June 24, as well as access to recordings following Growth Summit.
The Fraternal Growth Summit has historically aimed to bring fraternity and sorority growth professionals (chapter growth & expansion/extension front-line staff) together to talk about growth, share resources, and present data from important growth research. In the past we’ve done lots of in-person skills training broken out by experience level, job function, and organization type. This year, we plan to find new ways to deliver the important training you need while elevating the conversations to collectively share wisdom, ideas, and practical tools to proceed with fraternity and sorority growth during and following the coronavirus pandemic.
For the first time ever, we will open Growth Summit beyond just headquarters staff members. We are aware that now, more than ever, is an important and necessary opportunity to invite all industry stakeholders, including campus-based professionals and student leaders, together to learn and share collectively. We will design education tailored to:
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from the industry leading recruitment experts at Phired Up and TechniPhi. Our main objective is to position you and your team to be performing at their best in the results-producing activities that will GROW your chapters.
Please send any questions about registration to our Chief Operating Officer, Branden Stewart, at Branden@PhiredUp.com. If you have questions about Growth Summit’s content and schedule, and how it may be a good fit for your team, please contact our Vice President, Woody Woodcock, at Woody@PhiredUp.com.
We look forward to hosting you in June!
WHEN: Wednesday, June 24, 2020 from 10:00 am – 4:30 pm ET
WHERE: Live Digital Training
WHAT: Phired Up’s 11th Annual gathering of fraternity and sorority growth leaders, chapter consultants, expansion/extension professionals and front-line staff, and anyone who cares about helping fraternities and sororities grow! The event is focused on the latest education, industry trends and data, evolving growth strategy, and skills training. Expect a revised schedule this year, including conversation about how to move forward with fraternal growth in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
WHO: We see team members from every type of fraternal organization! HQ professionals, volunteers, campus professionals, and student leaders are all welcome. Whether its your Director of Expansion/Extension or Chapter Services, traveling consultant and frontline staff teams, student affairs pros, council leaders, or alumni volunteers, Growth Summit is a place to gather, learn, and grow.
COST: The registration rate will be $100 per attendee through May 31 (Early Bird Rate). The regular rate beginning June 1 is $125 per attendee.
Is fraternity/sorority worth it?
Isn’t it just buying your friends?
We already know that fraternities and sororities have had a membership retention and engagement problem. But it’s worsening by the minute as members are asking “is this really worth it” (especially given the extreme circumstances of the present moment). During last week’s Phired Up Friday, we offered a free digital training offering insights on how to keep members and how to keep them engaged. The principles delivered during this session are applicable to the extremes of the current moment and the normalcy that we’ll soon (hopefully) return to.
Watch a recording of the full session below:
Or… Watch this shorter video.
And, when you’ve finished, read through some examples we came up with on how we might answer the question: “Is Fraternity & sorority worth the cost?” We hope they get you thinking about the ways fraternity or sorority provides value to you so you can craft your own unique way to talk about your organization’s value.
“Well, for me, sorority is an investment in a FULL college experience. I pay my dues because this organization rounds out my college life.”
“I wondered if my membership would be worth the dues I paid for my first semester. Then I started seeing myself grow, I got comfortable public speaking, learned how to work alongside others (especially learning to work with those I don’t see eye to eye with), got to manage a $5,000 event budget, and saw my test scores go up. I gained valuable life lessons but meeting some amazing friends to support me and build me up during it all was the cherry on top.”
“I didn’t have a stable family life and I wanted to change that in college. Sorority gave me the place to find my chosen family in women that loved me without condition.”
“Was it worth it? Hell yes- every moment of my college experience was challenged and supported by the community I became a part of. There is no price tag on experiences that shape seasons of our lives. ”
“It’s the lifelong aspect that makes it ‘worth it’ to me. Nothing else in college offers the promise of lifelong friends and career connections.”
“Sisterhood is more than friendship. It’s deep and it’s real. It’s forever. And it’s full of shared beliefs, values, and promises. That’s worth every penny to me.”
“I was tired of college just being about me. My grades, my relationships, my schedule. Nothing wrong with that but it stopped feeling fulfilling. Like it wasn’t enough. Fraternity gave me a way to change that. People to celebrate wins and fun times of college with, and help lift up or take the punch with when things were down. And of course lift me up when I was down. College became about we instead of about me which has been amazing. I don’t know if you can put a price on that but if so, ours probably costs less.”
“Oh I gladly pay dues (and I’m not exactly overflowing with money) because of all the amazing things we do! This is like the cruise ship of college. We’re constantly doing socials, service work, date functions, sisterhood retreats. It’s amazing!”
“I was really uncertain about the finances when I first joined. I’ve learned it’s worth every penny. These women are mentors and supporters and cheerleaders like nobody else I’ve ever met. They are my lifeline. I never would have found this in the dorms.”
“A perspective shift for me was when I realized that I don’t pay to the fraternity I pay through the fraternity. For me I paid for the experiences, for access to learning and leadership, and for access to opportunities I can’t get on campus (believe me I tried and it wasn’t the same). When I pay through fraternity my dollars actually go further than just something I do on my own.”
“I’m investing in other women with my dues. I don’t pay so I can get t-shirts and events (though that’s all great). My dues are an investment in uplifting women.”
“Aside from going to class, I didn’t feel like I had a great deal of purpose on campus before sorority. Membership in sorority gave me access to a significant number of opportunities, connections and experiences that I absolutely wouldn’t have without it. College life finally feels purposeful and fun.”
“Being in a sorority at my school isn’t just about having friends locally, I’m connected with thousands of sisters at chapters across the country and that’s not something you can get with just any club. There’s nothing like meeting a sister from another part of the country when you least expect it. Having friends (sisters) anywhere you go is an incredible thing.”
“Sorority membership isn’t just beneficial during college. Getting ready for graduation, there are a ton of alumnae in different cities who have been helpful in sharing my resume, recommend jobs to apply for, and connect me with professionals in my industry they know. Plus, they are super excited to welcome me into their alumnae chapter and help me get settled in a new city.”
“If I only wanted to pay for a diploma, I’d have taken online classes. I want an experience. Fraternity is tradition; it’s building a legacy I can come back to after graduation, it’s belonging to something bigger than myself.”
“I didn’t think I could afford fraternity. I’m a first generation student with multiple jobs. I don’t get $$ from my family. I had to decide if joining was “worth it.” I did the soul searching and I did the math. You should, too. I remember that I wasn’t 100% sure but I decided to take a leap of faith. Now I can tell you looking back, I made the right choice.”
“I get it. It ain’t cheap. Everyone joins for a different reason. You have to figure out yours. For me, it just made things easier. And it looked fun! It was a group I wanted to be with that was doing stuff I liked doing. The fraternity made it easy for me to have the best day of my life any day of my life.”
“Everyone told me ‘frat guys are just paying for friends.’ Not true. What’s really happening is my friends and I are putting our money together to do stuff that we decide is fun and worth it to us.”
“This place is my home away from home. I love the brothers! They look out for me. Keep me on track with my goals. Support me. To me, that’s priceless.”
“I’m only learning theory in the classroom. And paying a small fortune for it. In the fraternity I’m learning how to lead people, manage conflict, run an organization that’s like a small business…. This sounds weird, but I’m getting real world value from the fraternity that’s more useful than my classroom education.”
“Here’s the truth. It ain’t free. To me, it’s worth it. But it ain’t cheap. I work some overtime and weekends during the summer so I have enough money to pay dues. If you’re willing to do a little extra work, you can pay for it all upfront.”
“My parents help me pay for school. I showed them that people who join fraternities get better grades, are more likely to graduate, find internships, and land better jobs. They felt like giving me additional support and resources was worth the cost of dues.”
“Let’s be real. You don’t need to pay dues to party, drink, or whatever. You can do that stuff without joining. Landing a better internship, getting a higher paying job, building skills that will accelerate your career… those things are worth the cost that most guys are wasting on Friday nights.”
“A credit hour here costs $250. So the normal 4 credit class costs $1000. I’ve had classes that I didn’t learn much, didn’t get to know the professor or anyone in the class, I dreaded even going. Fraternity costs a fraction of that one class. I know every one of these guys, they care about me, and I know the fraternity is helping me become a better man. I haven’t really thought of it like this before, but fraternity might be the best value on campus.”
“What I noticed around me were the higher achieving, more social in a good way, and more likely to be successful people. Even when I had to work through college to pay my treasurer something every two weeks I found value in being around high performers. It made me better. Friends who were not in these organizations missed out on their college experience. They missed out on relationships. Knowledge is great, but if you aren’t connected it won’t take you very far.”
“Anything worth doing costs you something, When you want to make good grades it might be a sacrifice of getting up early to study, or getting a tutor. If you want to be healthy the cost is in the time you spend to workout, get a membership or take a class on campus. To pursue a significant other you give up part of who you are which costs you something. Fraternity costs something.”
“I’ve never been in an organization like this before. Yes, I’ve done student council and honors societies that cost me next to nothing. But I realized my dues were worth it when I saw how deep the relationships went. I’m growing myself, my friendships, my network, and my career all at the same time. No other organization offered me the ability to do that and that makes my dues worth it for me.”
“My dues are worth it to me because of all the individuals that I get to help impact through my membership. My dues helped host a 5k that donated $20,000 to the Ronald McDonald house in town which provided rooms and meals for families in need for two whole months. I see my dues going toward impacting women internally too. I get to mentor those younger than me and help them grow as individuals in their life and career skills. Watching how sorority has an internal and external impact on people around me makes my dues worth it.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Carmel, Ind. — Phired Up is excited to continue offering FREE live educational experiences for fraternity/sorority students, volunteers, and professionals on March 27th, April 3rd, and April 10th by extending its Phired Up Fridays initiative. This follows the first set of educational sessions on March 20th that were attended by hundreds of students, volunteers, and professionals from around North America.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL PAST RECORDINGS AND A SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING SESSIONS
During this Coronavirus/COVID-19 “social distancing” period, Phired Up knows that fraternity/sorority members will continue to desire engaging education about how to grow their organizations. This is one small way we can help members, volunteers, and fraternity/sorority professionals do something that feels normal and productive.
“Even if you’re not physically at college, now is still the time to make plans for marketing and recruitment,” said Matt Mattson, Phired Up’s co-founder and President in the initial announcement. “Not to mention the importance of learning smart ways to engage your brothers and sisters digitally.”
Mattson reinforced the importance of this initiative today, “We have to act now to prepare for a fall that will be very different than what we’re used to. It is important that we have our people, plans, and preparation in place to help students find fraternities and sororities in the upcoming school year.”
The schedule of upcoming events can be found below.
[Note: Watch the recording of our Facebook Live Announcement.]
Tips for participating: A desktop or laptop works best. Mobile devices might require app download (follow prompts to “JOIN A MEETING” when you click the login link). You might need the “MEETING CODE.” We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes prior to the start. Max 1,000 participants.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20TH
“See The Word ‘RECRUITMENT’ Through Fresh Eyes”
Fraternity & Sorority Growth Fundamentals
by Matt Mattson – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
“Recruitment is CANCELLED! Now What?”
Digital Recruitment Principles (Just In Case)
by Josh Orendi & Hailey Mangrum – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
FRIDAY, MARCH 27TH
“Is Fraternity/Sorority Really WORTH IT?”
Membership Engagement Principles In A Virtual World: We already know that fraternities and sororities have had a membership retention and engagement problem. But it’s worsening by the minute as members are asking “is this really worth it” (especially given the extreme circumstances of the present moment). This live digital training offers insights on how to keep members and how to keep them engaged. The principles delivered during this session are applicable to the extremes of the current moment and the normalcy that we’ll soon (hopefully) return to. Plus, Colleen wants to love on you and let you know that she (and we) are here for you right now!
by Dr. Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
“GO GREEK! Is Not A Marketing Strategy!”
Marketing Principles for Fraternities and Sororities: Fraternities and sororities MUST be ready to tell a powerful story about the value and values of our organizations starting immediately! The world is changing quickly, and it’s very noisy out there. Do you have a plan to market to the right audience with the right message and the right tactics that will result in the right new members this upcoming school year? Special time will be spent discussing very practical tactics for increasing the amount of people who demonstrate interest in sororities and fraternities.
by Matt Mattson - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
April 3rd
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans): Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
April 10th
The Future of Fraternities and Sororities: To say the world has changed in the last month would be an understatement. But it was rapidly changing anyway. It’s time for the leaders of fraternities and sororities (students, volunteers, and professionals) to be forward looking. We can’t worry about the “events scheduled for next week.” We need to be strategizing for the seismic shifts of the next 5-10 years. During this session, Phired Up will discuss our industry-wide guidance for the way people will join fraternities and sororities in Fall 2020 and beyond (and discuss the potential impacts of COVID-19 on overall fraternity/sorority membership).
by Matt Mattson – 1pm Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans)… Technology Edition: Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth technologies (CampusDirector, ChapterBuilder, MyVote, PNM Companion App) you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience (especially technology stuff)? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
by Erin Chatten, Hailey Mangrum, and Matt Farrell – 3pm Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
About Phired Up. Phired Up helps fraternities and sororities grow. The company’s products, services, and brands are creating the future of fraternities and sororities by transforming the way people join. The company delivers relationship-focused, data-driven, results-producing TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, and STRATEGY solutions for every aspect of the pre-member experience from first-impression through initiation.
[EDITED: An updated announcement was posted on March 25th. See updated information here: http://blog.phiredup.com/morefridays/]
Carmel, Ind. — Phired Up will provide completely free on-line education experiences on March 20th and March 27th, 2020 focused on helping fraternities and sororities grow. No registration is necessary, but to indicate interest and get more information, please complete this form: https://tinyurl.com/
During this Coronavirus/COVID-19 “social distancing” period, Phired Up knows that fraternity/sorority members will continue to desire engaging education about how to grow their organizations. This is one small way we can help members, volunteers, and fraternity/sorority professionals do something that feels normal and productive. We’re sure there are more important things every fraternity/sorority member is concerned about, and we also know that perpetuating brotherhood and sisterhood into the future is always a worthwhile endeavor.
“Even if you’re not physically at college, now is still the time to make plans for marketing and recruitment,” said Matt Mattson, Phired Up’s co-founder and President. “Not to mention the importance of learning smart ways to engage your brothers and sisters digitally.”
The schedule of upcoming events can be found below. More sessions might be added. COMPLETE THIS FORM to indicate interest, and Phired Up will send information leading up to the live sessions: https://tinyurl.com/
[Note: Watch the recording of our Facebook Live Announcement.]
Tips for participating: A desktop or laptop works best. Mobile devices might require app download (follow prompts to “JOIN A MEETING” when you click the login link). You might need the “MEETING CODE.” We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes prior to the start. Max 1,000 participants.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20TH
“See The Word ‘RECRUITMENT’ Through Fresh Eyes”
Fraternity & Sorority Growth Fundamentals
by Matt Mattson – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
“Recruitment is CANCELLED! Now What?”
Digital Recruitment Principles (Just In Case)
by Josh Orendi & Hailey Mangrum – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
FRIDAY, MARCH 27TH
“Is Fraternity/Sorority Really WORTH IT?”
Membership Engagement Principles In A Virtual World: We already know that fraternities and sororities have had a membership retention and engagement problem. But it’s worsening by the minute as members are asking “is this really worth it” (especially given the extreme circumstances of the present moment). This live digital training offers insights on how to keep members and how to keep them engaged. The principles delivered during this session are applicable to the extremes of the current moment and the normalcy that we’ll soon (hopefully) return to. Plus, Colleen wants to love on you and let you know that she (and we) are here for you right now!
by Dr. Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
“GO GREEK! Is Not A Marketing Strategy!”
Marketing Principles for Fraternities and Sororities: Fraternities and sororities MUST be ready to tell a powerful story about the value and values of our organizations starting immediately! The world is changing quickly, and it’s very noisy out there. Do you have a plan to market to the right audience with the right message and the right tactics that will result in the right new members this upcoming school year? Special time will be spent discussing very practical tactics for increasing the amount of people who demonstrate interest in sororities and fraternities.
by Matt Mattson - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
April 3rd
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans): Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
(Livestream Link for all discussions on April 3rd: https://tinyurl.com/puphumans) | Meeting Code: 313-400-968
April 10th
The Future of Fraternities and Sororities: To say the world has changed in the last month would be an understatement. But it was rapidly changing anyway. It’s time for the leaders of fraternities and sororities (students, volunteers, and professionals) to be forward looking. We can’t worry about the “events scheduled for next week.” We need to be strategizing for the seismic shifts of the next 5-10 years. During this session, Phired Up will discuss our industry-wide guidance for the way people will join fraternities and sororities in Fall 2020 and beyond (and discuss the potential impacts of COVID-19 on overall fraternity/sorority membership).
by Matt Mattson – 1pm Eastern Daylight Time
(Livestream Link: https://tinyurl.com/fraternalphuture) | Meeting Code: 012-060-664
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans)… Technology Edition: Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth technologies (CampusDirector, ChapterBuilder, MyVote, PNM Companion App) you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience (especially technology stuff)? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
by Erin Chatten, Hailey Mangrum, and Matt Farrell – 3pm Eastern Daylight Time
(Live Stream Link: https://tinyurl.com/humantechfriday) | Meeting Code: 524-184-569
COMPLETE THIS FORM to indicate interest, and Phired Up will send information leading up to the live sessions: https://tinyurl.com/
About Phired Up Productions: Phired Up Productions helps fraternities and sororities grow. The company’s products, services, and brands are creating the future of fraternities and sororities by transforming the way people join. The company delivers relationship-focused, data-driven, results-producing TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, and STRATEGY solutions for every aspect of the pre-member experience from first-impression through initiation.
by Dr. Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre
It’s March now and for many of you Spring is in the air, and graduation is on the horizon. Spring is a season of Greek weeks and finals preparation, saying goodbye and getting ready to do the “summer thing”. It is also a perfect time for chapter evaluations to take place. This is a really good time to ask your members what they liked about this past year, and what they did not like. This gives you time and space as a leader to look at and analyze results, and actually think about how you are going to apply those results.
Our curriculum on membership retention highlights the importance of evaluation by sharing some simple sample questions with chapter leaders. Use these as you wish to evaluate the pulse of your membership. Once you are done, scan the results for common themes and consider how you will act on those themes. Don’t take answers too personally, and if you can keep them confidential, just use constructive feedback to make your chapter better.
Try these questions:
What is your favorite part of being in the fraternity/sorority?
What is your least favorite part?
What can we do to help you learn and grow next semester?
Ask these in an online form, do a focus group with a small section of your chapter, or ask people to talk about this openly in your next chapter meeting. HOW you ask isn’t as important as it is THAT you are asking, and WHAT you do about it.
The question about learning and growing is particularly important. Lots of people (who are way smarter than me) have studied work and organizational cultures for a long time. Learning and growth are two fundamental pieces of engaging people. Why? Because folks are anxious to learn new things, and they need to be challenged to feel like they are really making a difference. People need to sense forward progress in themselves and in their organization to feel like it’s worth it.
Often leaders in fraternal organizations are well engaged, in-part because they must be, but also because they are challenged and praised. In other words, leaders have a job to do, and in that job they are learning and growing. The rest of the membership can get complacent, not because they are lazy letter-wearers, but because sometimes stuff just gets old. Consider the senior who is engaged to be married: does he really want to keep going to mixers? What about the 4.0 students who are asked to sit through yet another study skills workshop, or the non-drinker who is reprimanded as part of a larger group for poor behavior? These things are not relevant to these individuals. It’s not what they need, and it doesn’t push them or challenge them.
I think about my own sorority experience. I love to dance, but was never quite good enough for a college level dance team or cheerleading squad. In sorority, however, I got to be a part of the dance competition during Greek weeks. It was challenging and fun, and probably a bit of a headache for my sisters who were really amazing dancers to have to teach me a little more. But, it helped me engage in the organization in ways that made my membership meaningful to ME. That’s what you should be striving to do for each of your members.
The question about learning and growing is most simply: what do you want out of fraternity/sorority? How can we help you stretch and become better? What do you want to do? Paying attention to answers, and acting on requests within reason, yields a more active and engaged membership. We don’t know if we don’t ask, so use this time to ask and listen, take the summer to plan, and use the fall to implement.
CONTACT: Branden Stewart
Carmel, Ind. — Kenny White will join the Phired Up and TechniPhi team in a full-time capacity on February 17, 2020 as an Educator, Growth Coach, and Account Manager. Kenny will deliver educational training, offer coaching and expansion support for chapters and headquarters clients, and assist technology clients with onboarding, training, and support. He joins the company following his role as a Leadership Consultant for his Fraternity, Delta Chi and brings a wealth of first-hand recruitment and expansion experience and success.
“Successful teams are always looking for people with tremendous character. Kenny combines a passion for his craft as an educator, a positive attitude that is contagious, and he knows just the way to infuse humor in his education that will win over many hearts and minds,” said Phired Up Vice President, Woody Woodcock. “Fraternity men will have someone with tremendous character they can look up to, and be coached by, which is exciting.”
Kenny earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Science and a Certificate in Leadership from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2018. In addition to his experience in successful expansion efforts for Delta Chi, Kenny has also presented and facilitated at national fraternity conventions and campuses across the country on topics including recruitment and retention.
“Kenny’s experience within his leadership opportunities and recent role with Delta Chi makes him a perfect fit to share real, relevant and raw talent with our partners in the industry. His drive for systemizing recruitment will help grow our organizanizations, keep them accountable to key performance indicators and in turn transform the way members join our organizations,” said Ellen Chesnut, Vice President of TechniPhi.
Outside of making an impact within the fraternity and sorority movement, Kenny enjoys trying new restaurants, exploring the outdoors, working out, listening to music and podcasts, and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams. He is also passionate about learning from and connecting with others and intends to participate in mentor and relationship focused volunteer work.
When asked about why he’s excited to begin working with Phired Up and TechniPhi, Kenny said, “Fraternity and Sorority matters, and I 100% believe in the work that Phired Up and TechniPhi do to advance the industry and the member experience. Whether it’s presenting to an IFC community, working with a chapter to develop a recruitment plan, assisting our technology clients, or anything else in between, I know the work that I will be doing is going to have a meaningful impact on someone’s experience. I’ll get to bring my passion to work everyday and have an awesome impact on our members in doing so.”
To contact Kenny, you can email him at Kenny@PhiredUp.com.
# # #
About Phired Up Productions: Phired Up Productions helps fraternities and sororities grow. The company’s products, services, and brands are creating the future of fraternities and sororities by transforming the way people join. The company delivers relationship-focused, data-driven, results-producing TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, and STRATEGY solutions for every aspect of the pre-member experience from first-impression through initiation.