(407) 757-7029
mj@tcbinetwork.org
Good evening Dr. Hollis,
I hope you're doing well.
I reviewed everything, and overall I really like the agreement. Alan reviewed it as well, and honestly, I'm ready to sign and get started. My only concern is the timeline and the pressure attached to the enrollment goals.
Before I go into that, I want to say something from the heart. You have meant a lot to me — not just professionally but personally. You have mentored me, supported me, and opened doors that I would not have found on my own. I do not take that lightly. Because of that relationship, I want to approach this with the same level of honesty and care that you have always shown me.
I appreciate the transparency you have already shown, but when I look at these numbers — 25 students in June and July, 45 by September 30, and 90 annually — I want to be honest: it feels like there is a lot of pressure and urgency attached to those goals. Because I trust you wholeheartedly and I know you trust me, if there are financial pressures, scholarship requirements, board expectations, funding concerns, enrollment deadlines, or any other reason why those goals are this aggressive, I would rather know. Not to judge. Not to push back. But so I can align my work with what you actually need.
If the school is in a place where enrollment has real urgency attached to it, that changes how I work and what I prioritize from day one. I can move differently when I understand the full picture. You do not have to carry that alone.
I did my homework on this. I want to walk you through what national enrollment data shows so we are both looking at the same reality — not to make excuses, but to make a plan that actually works.
What that means in real terms: to enroll 45 students, we could realistically need anywhere from 225 to 360 serious inquiries. To reach 90 annual enrollments, we could need 450 to 720 inquiries. Those inquiries do not happen without awareness campaigns, referral pipelines, community outreach, digital presence, open houses, and consistent follow-up with families over time.
Private school marketing research also shows that newer schools may see inquiry-to-application conversion rates of 10 to 20 percent, while more established schools reach 20 to 35 percent. Bridge to Independence is building its name — which means we are closer to the lower end right now. That is not a flaw. That is where every school starts. But it has to be factored into the plan. (Amra and Elma LLC, 2026)
The goals are not impossible. I want to be clear about that. What I am saying is that they assume a marketing and enrollment system is already operating. In our case, we are building visibility, trust, content, outreach, parent engagement, referral systems, and enrollment follow-up all at the same time we are trying to produce enrollment results. That takes a runway.
Enrollment Spreadsheet
Using the 5 to 8 inquiries per enrolled student benchmark from the Enrollment Management Association and the 20 percent inquiry-to-enrollment conversion rate from Pupil Marketing, here is what these goals realistically require in terms of pipeline activity:
| Enrollment Goal | Timeline | Min. Inquiry Estimate (5:1) | Higher Inquiry Estimate (8:1) | Marketing Systems Needed | Risk Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 New Students | June and July 2026 (approx. 8 weeks) | 125 inquiries | 200 inquiries | Social media campaign, referral activation, direct outreach to existing network, text and email follow-up, church announcements, personal calls to warm leads | Elevated | Lean heavily on TCBIN's existing community relationships and warm network. Begin digital ads and referral outreach immediately upon signing. This window is aggressive but possible if started within days. |
| 45 New Students | By September 30, 2026 (approx. 14 weeks total) | 225 inquiries | 360 inquiries | Full digital funnel, email nurturing system, open house events, parent ambassador program, church and community outreach, employer referral pipelines, monthly follow-up cadence, lead tracking system | High Without Runway | A 30 to 45 day ramp-up to build the marketing infrastructure makes this goal significantly more achievable. Without the runway, we are asking families to enroll before they have had time to build trust with the school. |
| 90 New Students | Full 12-month annual cycle | 450 inquiries | 720 inquiries | Fully integrated marketing system: digital advertising, referral program, community partnerships, church network, monthly open houses, employer pipeline, parent engagement events, brand identity, email automation, local business outreach | Achievable | This is the most realistic goal in terms of timeline. A 12-month enrollment cycle gives proper time to build awareness, generate inquiries, nurture families, and convert. This is the goal I am most confident in delivering. |
| Sources: Enrollment Management Association (5–8 inquiries per enrolled student benchmark) · Pupil Marketing (20% inquiry-to-enrollment rate) · NAIS 2022 Cost-Per-Enrollment Study ($3,677 median cost per enrolled student) · Amra and Elma LLC School Marketing Statistics 2026 (10–35% inquiry-to-application conversion range by school maturity) | ||||||
The challenge is not the goals themselves. The challenge is being asked to produce enrollment results at the same time we are building the systems that create enrollment results. Brand awareness, community trust, referral pipelines, digital visibility, email follow-up, and family engagement are not things that happen overnight. They are built intentionally. A 30 to 45 day runway gives us the space to build correctly so that when we start counting, the infrastructure is actually working.
I want to say this clearly and gently: the fact that Bridge to Independence has limited social media presence and digital visibility right now is not a bad thing. It is actually an opportunity. It means we get to build the brand correctly from the ground up — with the right voice, the right message, and the right community behind it.
But building awareness, visibility, engagement, trust, and enrollment all at once takes time. You cannot rush the trust part. Families do not enroll their children at a school they heard about once last week. They enroll when they have seen us consistently, felt something from the content, heard from someone they trust, attended an event, and felt good about what they experienced. That cycle takes weeks. Sometimes months. And that is completely normal.
Implementation Details
This is the path a family travels before they enroll their child. Every stage requires intentional effort, content, outreach, follow-up, and time. Enrollment is not the beginning of the process — it is the result of everything that comes before it.
Every family who enrolls by September 30 must travel this entire funnel first. Families currently at the Awareness stage today will not realistically reach Enrollment in 8 to 14 weeks without a strong, coordinated marketing push. The 30 to 45 day runway I am requesting is the time needed to activate this funnel correctly so it can produce real results.
My concern is not compensation. I like the compensation structure. I want to be clear about that.
Because of our relationship and because of everything you have done for me, I am willing to do this under terms I would not normally accept from a traditional consulting client. You have invested in me. I want to invest in what you are building. This is not a transaction for me. This is personal.
The implementation budget I am asking for is not payment for my labor. It is not compensation for my time. It is for implementation — the actual tools, materials, systems, and activities needed to execute the marketing plan.
| Budget Option | Amount | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Deposit | $500 | Allows us to start immediately. Covers initial digital advertising, basic email marketing platform, printed flyers and brochures, first open house materials, and initial community outreach supplies. |
| Recommended Budget | $1,000 | Stronger and can be stretched over several months through the target period. Covers digital advertising, email automation systems, marketing software, print materials, promotional materials, open house support, church outreach packets, community outreach, local business outreach, team support, boots on the ground help, school setup support, and growth-related implementation activities. |
| This is implementation funding — not compensation for Marcus. Every dollar goes toward marketing execution and enrollment activity, not labor. | ||
When you get me, you are not just getting me. You are getting my team, my systems, my relationships, my experience, my resources, and my community influence. I bring a network that took years to build, and I am putting it fully behind Bridge to Independence.
Alan and I both believe it makes sense for me to have some type of workspace or office presence on campus. Not because I need to be there every day, but because it gives me structure, focus, accountability, and a dedicated place to work when I am meeting families, partners, volunteers, or team members, or when I am working on school initiatives that require on-site attention.
I would also genuinely love to mentor some of the young men when the time is right and when you feel it is appropriate. I am a Black male, a community leader, a mentor, a business owner, and a person of influence in Central Florida. I believe I can contribute something meaningful to those young men that goes far beyond enrollment numbers.
And I want to say this directly: if there is any reason you would prefer I not be physically on campus, or if anyone has concerns about that, I would rather you be honest with me about it. Our relationship is built on trust and I can handle whatever the honest answer is. I would rather know than have it become an unspoken issue between us.
Conclusion
This agreement needs to flow through my LLC — The Comeback Initiative Network LLC — and not through my nonprofit organization. I want to be transparent about why.
The nonprofit creates restrictions, compliance requirements, and limitations that do not make sense for this type of engagement. Nonprofit funds and activities are tied to charitable mission guidelines and IRS compliance requirements. Using the nonprofit structure for consulting work creates complications for both of us. The LLC is the right vehicle for this contract — it keeps everything clean, simple, and legally appropriate on both sides.
The only things standing in the way of me signing this agreement immediately are small revisions and short conversations. I want to be direct about exactly what I am asking:
| Item | My Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation Structure | I like it. I am comfortable with it. No changes needed. | Ready to Accept |
| Enrollment Goals | I believe they are achievable. I am committed to delivering. This is not up for debate. | Fully Committed |
| Timeline Buffer | Requesting 30 to 45 days of ramp-up time before the enrollment clock begins so I can build the marketing infrastructure correctly. | Short Conversation Needed |
| Implementation Budget | Requesting $500 to $1,000 in operational funds for marketing execution — not compensation for my time. | Short Conversation Needed |
| Workspace on Campus | Alan and I believe a small on-campus workspace would improve focus, accountability, and family-facing professionalism. | Short Conversation Needed |
| LLC Structure | The agreement must be executed through the LLC, not the nonprofit, for compliance and legal clarity. | Small Revision Needed |
| Other than these four items, Marcus J. Evans is prepared to sign and begin implementation immediately. | ||
Other than these items, I am prepared to move forward immediately and begin implementation.
I believe in Bridge to Independence. I believe in what you are building. I believe in the students and families you are serving. And I believe in you — not just as a principal and executive director, but as a person who has shown me what genuine mentorship and community leadership looks like.
Let's get this done and let's get to work.
With genuine respect and gratitude,
TCBIN Re-Entry, Workforce & Leadership Development, Inc.
(407) 757-7029 | mj@tcbinetwork.org | tcbinetwork.org
Date: ____________________________