About PatronPulse Arts Consulting

Stephanie N. Stallings, PhD
Founder & Chief Consultant

As an audience and data strategist, I work with arts organizations to ignite audience engagement, deepen patron loyalty, and fuel next-level revenue growth - without the need for significant CRM or data software investments.

My Mission

To help arts leaders leverage patron data to drive strategic growth and audience connection. My purpose is to uncover hidden insights and transform them into actionable strategies that strengthen stakeholder engagement and build sustainable success — success driven by data-informed decisions rather than budget size or external pressures.

ABOUT ME

My story

A focus on audience engagement and retention has been the common thread throughout my 20+ year career in nonprofit leadership and strategy for performing arts organizations. Having held roles ranging from the box office to senior leadership, I bring a holistic understanding of the challenges arts organizations face — including cash flow concerns, staff burnout, audience retention, and donor engagement.

Through my experience, I’ve seen a key truth: arts organizations that truly understand and engage their audiences consistently achieve greater financial stability and community impact. While the concept is straightforward, executing it effectively can be challenging — especially with limited budgets and capacity.

I’m a learner at heart, and that shapes how I work with clients — passionate about asking the right questions and working alongside your organization to uncover hidden insights. I believe that the best solutions come from listening, exploring, and learning together. 

Here’s what makes me equipped to add significant value to you:

  • I uncover new insights in your patron data that were previously hidden

  • I’m highly skilled at turning data insights into actionable strategies

  • I generate fresh ideas to infuse new thinking into your plans

  • I know how to identify low hanging fruit which means quick wins for you

  • I empower you with results that get noticed by your board, donors, and community

ABOUT YOU

Who I serve

You are a leader working in a performing arts organization.

You could be with a symphony, theatre company, dance company, opera house, or multidisciplinary arts organization. My expertise applies to all types of performing arts organizations, and I have direct experience in orchestras, theatres, music festivals, and nonprofit arts administration.

The leaders I work with are often overwhelmed by disconnected systems and underwhelmed by the results of their marketing efforts. Their common pain points include:

  • Messy or siloed patron data that makes it hard to track engagement, personalize communication, or make confident decisions.

  • Manual workarounds that eat up staff time — exporting spreadsheets, reconciling lists, or copying and pasting between platforms.

  • Low audience retention despite high-quality programming, leaving them wondering why first-time attendees don’t come back.

  • Inconsistent or outdated messaging due to lack of time, tools, or capacity to keep up with best practices.

  • Limited budgets and no in-house tech or marketing team, making it hard to know what’s possible — or where to begin.

Underneath all of this is a desire to serve their community well, build lasting relationships with patrons, and feel in control of their systems rather than constantly reacting to them.