What do Broadway stage management, a PhD in statistics, and enrollment leadership have in common? For Amy Hutton, vice chancellor of enrollment management at the University of Colorado Boulder, the through line is people. Amy joins her Colorado neighbor, Ken, to trace an unconventional journey from professional theater to higher education—and the curiosity, mentors, and willingness to ask that helped her along the way. They explore why strategy happens at the intersection of data and storytelling, what stage managers understand about leading humans, and how getting off the grid helps a team learn to trust itself. Along the way: finding purpose after achieving an early dream, making room for voices beyond your own, and raising adventurous kids.
00:00 — Introduction and Dad jokes
01:52 — From aspiring music teacher to professional stage manager
04:52 — A professor sees a possibility Amy hasn’t considered
06:24 — Parenthood, music admissions, and an unexpected career turn
07:05 — “I want your job. What do I need to do?”
10:08 — Building a network and taking the shot before you feel ready
13:20 — From reading the handbook to helping write the next edition
15:46 — Strategy at the intersection of data and storytelling
17:13 — What stage management teaches us about leading people
18:35 — Executive coaching, therapy, and being a whole human
20:20 — Putting the strategic back into strategic enrollment management
22:37 — Building trust and telling the story behind the numbers
25:30 — Public trust and the value of higher education
28:02 — Achieving the dream—and discovering what’s missing
31:23 — Family, getting off the grid, and trusting your team
34:32 — Listening, asking better questions, and conducting the orchestra
38:16 — The Rapid Descent: movie scores, books, baking, and beautiful notebooks
44:38 — Seeing something in someone—and telling them
45:17 — The next adventure: the Tour du Mont Blanc
Mentioned in This Episode
Amy’s Walkout Music
The theme from the Remember the Titans film score—the music that accompanied her dissertation writing.
The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment
