Smart in Public

The Katies are back from our Season 2 intermission to bring you a conversation that goes deep—because that's the only way that Christine Choi, Partner and Head of Brand Communications at M13, knows how (and we wouldn't change a thing). 

There's a reason why leaders like Sir Richard Branson have trusted Christine with their messaging, programs, and comms strategies over the years. She thinks deeply, considers all angles, and strongly believes that communications isn't just about getting your message out—it's about building the infrastructure that holds your entire business story together.

In this episode, Chris...

If you skip this episode you're going to miss an epic 5 6 7 8. Also, moving forward, you can just assume that when those count-ins are over the top, we do not have a guest. lol

The Katies are taking a couple weeks off and will be back Sept 23 with a guest you're not going to want to miss!!

Here's a hint: we'll SEA you then!

Connect with us on:

Have a topic or a guest idea? Email us at hello@smartinpublicpod.com

This week the Katies had Gab Ferree, founder of Off the Record and former VP of Global Communications at Bumble, on the show and she doesn't hold back. For the listeners, our emotion-driven chat and sentence-finishing will be a fun ride, but trust me when I say editing this episode was a (worth-while) nightmare. 😂 

If you're tired of surface-level industry conversations and want the unfiltered truth about where communications careers are heading, this one's for you.

What makes this episode essential listening:

🚀 The business mindset shift - Why successful communi...

Ever wonder what the CEO of Medium—the platform where millions go for real, thoughtful content—thinks about authentic communication in our AI-slop-everywhere world? Tony Stubblebine dropped some serious truth bombs on this episode of Smart In Public that every communications professional needs to hear.

While everyone's panicking about AI taking over content creation, Tony argues that authenticity and genuine thought leadership are becoming more valuable, not less. His hot take? Everyone has expertise worth sharing—you just need to stop trying to be everything to everyone.

Tony also shares his predictions for the future of bus...

This week on the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies welcome Eleanor Hawkins, author of the Axios Communicators newsletter to discuss the evolution of communications roles, the impact of AI on the industry, and the importance of authentic leadership. 

Eleanor shares insights and predictions into the communications industry based on her work on the Axios Communicators newsletter, including the challenges faced in the current job market, the dynamics of the return to office, agency struggles, and the future skills needed for communications professionals in the age of AI.

For all of those who are not s...

Most PR professionals think investor relations is just about spreadsheets and earnings calls—but John Cummings, Managing Director, CFO, and COO at Smith Point Capital, proves that IR is actually advanced brand storytelling attached to VERY big dollar signs. In this episode of Smart in Public, John unpacks how investor relations professionals master the art of narrative control when (sometimes!!) billions of dollars hang in the balance.

From his unconventional path from political science to the C-suite, John reveals why the best IR professionals think like strategic communicators, and breaks down how to craft company narratives that re...

In today's episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies welcome Daniella Vallurupalli, VP and Head of Global Communications at Cloudflare, to demystify the role of communications professionals during the IPO process. 

Daniella shares the importance of preparing for an IPO well in advance (with some incredibly helpful tips on how to do that), how to get a S.E.A.T. at the table throughout the entire process, and the unique challenges faced by comms teams when trying to navigate a time at the company where it's likely it's everyone's first rodeo -- even your s...

In this week's episode of the Smart and Public podcast, the Katies dig into the crisis recently faced by Qantas, Australia's most well-known national airline, following a significant data breach earlier this month. 

Hot topics were the implications of the breach on customer trust and loyalty, the challenges of crisis communication in today's instant-info digital age, and the importance of CEO messaging and transparency in rebuilding brand reputation. A use case that we touched on was the lessons learned from CrowdStrike's response to their own breach one-year on, which we thought was a great example of the n...

In this episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies welcome friend of the pod and everyone's favorite startup journalist Alex Konrad, Founder & Editor of Upstarts Media. 

The big topic on the table was getting a better sense of the direction startup news reporting is heading -- from industry predictions all the way down to some real tactical stuff like how to pitch Substack journalists. 

The conversation also covers the challenges of navigating the media landscape, the role of AI in journalism, best practices for pitching stories, and what makes a compelling startup narrative. Al...

It's Season 2 of the Smart in Public podcast! The Katies kick off the new season with something old and something new, because we can't stop trying to understand the world that is Bezos, even if it means we're talking about them for the third time since the inception of the podcast. The implications on celebrity culture and brand perception are just too good. 

We also get pretty spicy on the New York mayoral race, highlighting the generational shift in politics, the importance of authenticity in communication, and the need for political candidates and brands to adapt to n...

Moving forward, let's just assume all episodes are hot takes, ok?? 

Today, the Katies dissect the article 'You are the brand now' written by Kira Klaas in her On Brand Substack to unpack the evolving landscape of personal branding and its implications for corporate strategy and consumer behavior. 

We know that individuals are becoming brands themselves, and recognize the importance of visibility over skill, but how does that affect the changing expectations of employees in the workplace and how corporations partner with them? 

We also ask ourselves some big hairy questions that Kira rai...

In Episode 36 of the Smart in Public Podcast, the Katies kick off with a shameless plug of the launch of Boysen's new business, Comms People and there was not a dry pit in the house as she talked about it for the first time publicly. 

The hot takes were really about the insights Boysen pulled from the Haymaker Media Summit, which mainly focused on the evolving role of AI in journalism and the importance (and hesitation) of go-direct communication strategies in public relations. We chat through the balance between go-direct and traditional earned media, highlighting the need f...

In episode 35 of Smart in Public, Fana Yohannes, Founder of Flora by Fana and Here to Help (H2H), joins the Katies on the pod to chat personal and professional branding, building a future-proof network, navigating the job market, and the importance of a consistent online presence (with tips on how to actually do it without burning out). 

The evolution of networking is ongoing in the digital age, and Fana walks us through how to effectively develop content creation strategies for social media, and the role of platforms like Substack for both personal and professional impact. We a...

This week on Smart in Public, the Katies welcome Cristin Culver, founder of Common Thread Communications, to the pod. Cristin's approach to comms is unique -- and it has to be given she works across the Fintech, Proptech, and Legaltech industries. Her highly ROI driven comms strategies remove the safety net of saying 'comms is hard to measure' from her vocabulary, and her clients love her for it.

Learn how Cristin uses hybrid comms strategies, including the power of local storytelling, and hear her perspectives on the role of AI in modern PR. We dive into the...

It's another Hot Take episode and The Katies are in a mood. 

Hot Take #1 (2:02): Emma Grede's statements around work-life balance were not completely out of line - she was just lacking tangible examples in her messaging. 

Hot Take #2 (25:30): X's search for a new comms lead validates that comms is a critical role at the leadership table.

Takeaways

In episode 32 of Smart in Public, the Katies are joined by Zixin Chai, Senior Partner at RICE, a FINN Partners Company, to learn about the comms and media landscape across Asia. 

Zixin guides Boysen & Dufficy through the challenges of working with multinational clients in Asia, cultural nuances, and the current talent pool in Singapore (where she's based). We also explore the media landscape, shifts in the communications industry, and the growing significance of internal communications across companies in Asia. 

Fun fact - did you know that Asia is not one big country? All jokes aside, th...

In this episode of the Smart and Public Podcast, the Katies welcome Abenaa Hayes, Founder and CEO of Elysee Consulting. It won't take long in the episode for you to agree with us when we say that Abenaa AND her career are not only impressive, but incredibly interesting. Her experience in communications and brand spans across a wide range of companies - from start-ups to growth to established US and global firms in healthcare, social impact, and more. Abenaa’s professional mission is to guide leaders and brands who want to meet 21st century societal mandates head on by dr...

In this episode of the Smart in Public podcast, The Katies discuss the ins-and-outs of working with PR agencies, including the pros and cons of different agency types, best practices for finding the right agency, and how to build successful partnerships. We also delve into the RFP process, emphasizing the importance of communication and transparency in agency-client relationships. 

We have a tonne of experience in this space -- from both ends of the spectrum -- so this episode is packed with personal anecdotes and insights into the evolving agency landscape of PR (with a consulting twist!).

It's a HOT TAKE BAY BEE! In this bonus episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies slightly unravel talking about Blue Origin's recent space mission featuring an all-female crew. They unpacked the publicity leading up to the launch, how it aligned to Blue Origin's company mission, the media's reaction, the public backlash, and the implications of celebrity involvement in space exploration. Yes we did some [heavy] critiquing on the PR strategy around the mission, including the focus on superficial aspects rather than substantive discussions about women in STEM and the role of NASA amidst budget cuts. They...

In this episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies discuss the significance of data storytelling across executive messaging, narrative creation, cross-functional campaign development, industry positioning, and public relations. They explore various types of data research, the importance of sample size, and how to effectively leverage data for storytelling and media engagement. The conversation walks comms & marketing leaders how to strategically plan and collaborate across business functions to maximize the impact of data-driven narratives.

Takeaways

In this episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies welcome Cath Anderson to the pod to talk about narrative development, messaging, her board seat on Planned Parenthood, career breaks, and A LOT MORE. For those that don't know Cath, she's a comms powerhouse with two decades of experience working in corporate communications and marketing roles. She specializes in shaping company narratives, mitigating reputation risk, and strategically positioning brands for long-term relevance and growth. Cath has built best-in-class communications teams, while advising CEOs and founders across various stages and sectors, from established global brands like Apple, Google, and...