Accidentally Brilliant

What do you wish somebody had told you when you started working in PR?

For the 20th episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Josh Wheeler goes back through conversations with people from across PR, communications, agencies and media to find the lessons that stayed with him.

It has become something of a cheat sheet for the parts of a communications career that nobody really prepares you for.

Andy Nairn on remembering what never changes, however quickly technology does.

Rob Waugh on why being recognisably human becomes more valuable as AI grows.

Laura Burch on the impact visibility can have on somebody you may never realise is watching.

Barbara Phillips on finding your people and refusing to navigate the industry alone.

Sara Thornhurst on creating clarity for people who need support at work.

Sheeraz Gulsher on winning hearts and minds while still making the business case.

Advita Patel on listening to people who do not think like you.

Stephen Waddington on the jump between being a great practitioner and being ready to lead.

Darryl Sparey on teaching yourself to understand the numbers.

Daniel Cohen on working out which number actually matters.

James Crawford on using evaluation as management information.

Nigel Sarbutts on talking about impact rather than activity.

Jennifer Delgado and Ashley Rudd on knowing what you want PR to achieve before you start.

Jo Carr on realising that, when you run the business, you are allowed to make the decision.

Caroline Eardley on the danger of allowing one client to become too important.

Nina Webb on thinking about succession before you need to.

Kate Hartley on why recovery is part of dealing with a crisis.

And Yvonne Eskenzi on remembering that nobody becomes more important simply because of their title.

Careers, leadership, business, inclusion, confidence, mistakes and some of the things most of us only learn by going through them.

Twenty episodes in, these are the lessons that stuck.

What happens when a journalist can no longer assume the expert pitching them actually exists?

Rob Waugh has spent nearly 30 years writing about technology and science. More recently, his investigations for Press Gazette have taken him into a much stranger part of the internet: fake experts, fake journalists, AI-generated content and businesses making serious money by getting invented people into genuine news coverage.

One investigation began when Rob received commentary from a supposed psychologist called Barbara Santini. Something didn't feel right. He started checking and concluded that she wasn't real.

By that point, "Barbara" had appeared around 120 times in British media, including the BBC, Guardian, Mail, Mirror and Express. Rob says the entire operation was designed to secure links and improve a commercial website's Google ranking.

And she wasn't alone.

Rob went on to investigate fake driving experts, skincare experts, lottery winners, a royal cleaner and a gardener who he says appeared around 170 times in British media despite apparently not existing.

We talk about how it happened, the pressure inside modern newsrooms and why AI has made producing this material dramatically cheaper.

There's also a bigger question for PR.

The people behind many of these operations aren't traditional PR practitioners, but they're using PR techniques. Rob believes the industry has an opportunity to respond by making genuine expertise, proper research and professional standards a point of difference.

And Rob isn't anti-AI.

He uses it. He thinks it can be great for ideation. His concern is what happens when we use it to flatten our writing, thinking and personalities into an average of everything that already exists.

His advice for the future is considerably more human:

"Be weird, be eccentric, follow your nose, just be yourself."

Disability representation in PR has changed considerably over the past decade. Sara Thornhurst is worried some of that progress could start slipping backwards.

Sara is a senior communications professional, disability inclusion trainer and Communications and Impact Manager at the University of York. For almost a decade, she has been challenging the PR industry on disability, accessibility and the way disabled people are represented in campaigns and workplaces.

We start with disability being used as a PR stunt. Sara explains why asking an able-bodied person to spend a day or a week experiencing a disability can end up centring their reaction while the people who actually live with that disability are pushed to the side.

Her test is straightforward: whose voice are you centring?

From there, the conversation looks at what has improved since 2016. Language has moved forward, accessibility is being considered more seriously and more people are identifying or disclosing disability, chronic illness and neurodivergence within the industry. Sara also points to areas where PR still struggles, including the lack of genuinely flexible and part-time roles.

There is also a really interesting discussion around neurodivergence.

Sara questions the way ADHD and autism can sometimes be presented through a “superpower” lens. That experience may be true for some people, while others are dealing with conditions that materially disable them and require support. When one version dominates the conversation, those experiences become much harder to talk about.

We get practical too. What should a job advert say? What happens when somebody discloses a disability? How can an employer remove some of the fear around asking for an adjustment? Why should that information already be part of onboarding instead of waiting for somebody to struggle?

The episode covers disability representation, language, chronic illness, neurodivergence, reasonable adjustments, psychological safety and the political and media narratives that can eventually find their way into workplaces.

In this episode:

• Why disability should never become a PR gimmick

Sara ends the conversation with the hope that one day her disability inclusion work will no longer be needed. For now, it is the messages from people who have changed something after hearing her speak that make her feel "accidentally brilliant".

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Jennifer Delgado and Ashley Rudd launched Moda PR in 2020 after being introduced on what they describe as a “mate date”.

They barely knew each other. Both were unhappy in their jobs. Within months, they had started an agency together.

Today, Moda PR works with founders, experts, entrepreneurs and entertainment figures across the UK, US and UAE, helping them build authority, manage reputation and turn visibility into something that lasts.

This conversation gives a useful view of how talent publicists think. Jen and Ash explain what they look for before taking someone on, why credibility and lived experience have to come before media exposure, and why a large following is rarely enough to make a partnership work.

We talk about the questions brands and agencies should ask before bringing talent into a campaign. Does the person already talk about the issue? Does the partnership fit their existing profile? Is there a clear reason for them to be involved? Audiences can quickly spot when a name has been added purely for reach. The conversation also covers the work behind sensitive, high-profile stories. Jen and Ash discuss their approach to campaigns involving Ore Oduba and Georgia Harrison, where welfare, care and restraint had to take priority over securing the largest possible volume of coverage.

They also explain how personal profiles are built over time through media appearances, speaking opportunities, podcasts, partnerships and the work that happens away from public view.

In this episode: How Jen and Ash met and launched Moda PR during lockdown Why they built their careers around the lives they wanted The difference between credibility and short-term clout What talent publicists look for before accepting a client Why brands need genuine alignment when working with talent How content pillars help connect people to the news agenda Why founders and experts need clear positioning before media outreach The strategy and care behind sensitive personal stories Working with Ore Oduba, Georgia Harrison and Sharon Gaffka Why saying no is one of the most useful things a publicist can do Turning media moments into campaigns that influence legislation The work that happens behind the headlines Why common sense, emotional intelligence and honesty still count Moda PR’s approach starts with positioning and due diligence. Jen and Ash want to know whether someone has the qualifications, experience or authority to own a subject before they begin pitching them to the media.

Psychological safety has become one of those phrases that gets used everywhere. Barbara Phillips explains what it actually looks like. Barbara is the founder of Brownstone Communications, a communications consultant, executive coach and former Chair of the PRCA's Race & Ethnicity Equity Board. Throughout her career she's advised organisations on leadership, culture and inclusion, while helping senior teams create workplaces where people feel able to contribute, challenge and belong. We talk about growing up in Birmingham, finding confidence, building a business and why psychological safety has become one of the biggest leadership challenges facing organisations today. The conversation also covers race, representation, code-switching and the pressure many people still feel to leave parts of themselves at the door when they arrive at work. One moment stayed with me. Barbara said the greatest freedom came when she stopped worrying about being liked. In this episode: • What psychological safety actually means • Why respect lasts longer than popularity • Race, identity and belonging at work • The emotional cost of code-switching • Building confidence as a leader • Why people do their best work when they feel safe to contribute Accidentally Brilliant is the podcast where Josh Wheeler speaks to leaders across communications, media and business about the careers they never planned and the moments that shaped them.

Laura Burch never planned to build an agency.

She found her way into PR through a temporary job at the BBC, spent two decades working her way up to Managing Director, then realised something had barely changed.

Britain's working-class communities make up around half the population, yet they remain one of the least represented groups across PR and the wider creative industries.

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Laura talks about growing up on a council estate, hiding parts of herself to fit into the industry, why brands often misunderstand the audiences they rely on, and why better representation produces better creative work.

We also talk about launching Work and Class, building campaigns around lived experience, creating opportunities for the next generation and why visibility can change someone's career before you've even met them.

Topics include:

• Why class is still overlooked in communications

Guest:

If you enjoy conversations about creativity, communications and building a career differently, subscribe for future episodes of Accidentally Brilliant.

Freelancers now make up one of the biggest forces in PR - so what is happening in that space?

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Josh Wheeler speaks with Nigel Sarbutts, founder of The PR Cavalry, Structured Mediation, and co-founder of the Independent Impact 50.

Nigel has spent years working across agencies in London, Manchester and Leeds. Today he sits in a different position inside the industry, helping agencies, brands and freelancers find specialist talent, resolve disputes, and rethink how independent practitioners are valued.

The conversation covers the shift from retainers to project work, why agencies are relying more heavily on freelance specialists, and why many experienced PR professionals are leaving traditional agency structures behind.

Josh and Nigel also discuss:

• Why freelancing has become a “megatrend” in communications

• The pressure AI and procurement are putting on fees

• Why some clients still misunderstand the value of PR

• How independent practitioners collectively rival the scale of major agency groups

• Why freelancers are often invisible in awards and recognition systems

• The thinking behind the Independent Impact 50

• Burnout, conflict and resentment inside agency culture

• Why mediation is becoming more important in communications businesses

• The emotional cost of workplace disputes

• What agencies can learn from industries like film and engineering about flexible talent

There is also a wider conversation running through the episode about ego, pressure, recognition and how people work together when the industry feels stretched.

Nigel speaks very openly about agency life, competition, stress, leadership and the importance of continuing to do good work when things feel uncertain.

00:00 Intro

00:42 Why freelancing is becoming a megatrend

03:18 What freelancers are dealing with right now

06:37 Unrealistic client expectations and fee pressure

07:32 Why freelancers still lack recognition in PR

09:50 The thinking behind the Independent Impact 50

13:10 Why impact matters more than campaign vanity

17:11 Why freelance communities feel different to agencies

20:57 Awards, attribution and invisible contribution

24:06 Why agencies should stop hiding freelancers

31:18 The reality of conflict inside comms teams

33:34 Why workplace mediation matters

35:45 Burnout, pressure and resentment in PR

40:11 How mediation actually works

44:00 What to do when communication breaks down

46:53 What makes Nigel feel “accidentally brilliant”

Follow Nigel Sarbutts: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelsarbutts/

Follow Josh Wheeler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/

Follow Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/ https://bebroadcast.co.uk/ #PR #PublicRelations #FreelancePR #Communications #AgencyLife #Leadership #Freelancers #MediaRelations #PRIndustry #Burnout #WorkplaceCulture #Mediation #IndependentConsultant #Podcast

This episode of Accidentally Brilliant is about what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Josh Wheeler sits down with Andy Nairn, co-founder of Lucky Generals, one of the most consistently effective creative companies of the last decade.

Andy didn’t set out with a perfect plan. Lucky Generals started with three friends, no clients, no funding, and a decision to turn down work that didn’t feel right. That moment shaped everything that followed.

What comes through in this conversation is a very clear philosophy. Play the long game. Back your values. And understand that luck is not something to dismiss, it is something you create.

We get into how Yorkshire Tea became one of the most effective campaigns in the UK, why humour still works when brands are brave enough to use it properly, and why most agencies think about effectiveness too late.

Andy also talks about Go Luck Yourself, why luck is misunderstood in business, and why he uses the book to support working-class talent trying to get into the industry.

There is a wider thread running through this as well. Leadership, standards, and what happens when those standards start to slip. The influence of tech culture, the shift in tone across business, and why holding your nerve matters more than ever.

We also cover AI, what it is actually useful for right now, where it falls short, and why relying on it too heavily could weaken the very thing that makes great work stand out.

This is a conversation about creativity, effectiveness, values, and the reality behind building a successful agency.

00:00 Intro

00:58 Meet Andy Nairn, Lucky Generals

01:15 Starting an agency with no clients or funding

02:22 The failed merger that led to Lucky Generals

03:28 Why bad moments can force better decisions

04:15 Holding your nerve in the early days

05:22 Turning down work that did not align with values

06:12 The first big breaks and early momentum

08:50 Why reputation is the long game

09:20 What the industry gets wrong about effectiveness

10:29 Why effectiveness should start at the beginning

11:46 The Yorkshire Tea case study and consistency

13:20 Why humour still works in advertising

14:36 Amazon, Alexa and taking the brand less seriously

16:12 Why most brands are too risk-averse

17:56 Confidence, clients and choosing who you work with

19:43 Finding the real problem behind a brief

21:12 Why strategy starts with better questions

22:34 Go Luck Yourself and the reality of luck in business

24:28 Why people resist talking about luck

25:37 How luck actually works as a system

27:33 Why business is still a numbers game

28:29 Supporting working-class talent through Commercial Break

30:16 What has changed in strategy and what has not

31:27 Why human behaviour matters more than trends

32:15 AI, change and uncertainty in the industry

33:28 How to actually use AI in creative work

34:39 Why copying AI outputs is a mistake

36:42 The risk of losing creative instinct

38:25 Where AI helps and where it does not

39:33 Over-reliance on technology and what we lose

41:07 Leadership, standards and behaviour

42:26 The impact of toxic leadership styles

43:15 Why values still matter in business

44:49 Has the industry gone too far the other way

45:57 Can you grow a business and keep principles

47:05 Final thoughts on change, luck and perspective

47:39 What makes Andy “accidentally brilliant”

This episode of Accidentally Brilliant is one of the most personal conversations we’ve had on the podcast.

Josh Wheeler speaks with Advita Patel, founder of CommsRebel and the former President of the CIPR.

Advita has spent more than twenty years working in communications, helping organisations build cultures where people feel they belong and can thrive. The work she does today grew from a difficult moment in her own career.

In 2018, her confidence collapsed. She began questioning her place in the profession and whether communications was the right path for her at all. That period forced her to step back and understand who she was, what mattered to her, and how confidence actually works.

The conversation moves well beyond personal confidence.

Advita talks about representation in the communications industry and why she helped create A Leader Like Me and the Asian Comms Network. These spaces exist because many people in the profession still feel they have nowhere to talk openly about race, identity and belonging.

We also discuss the wider events shaping those conversations. The global response to the murder of George Floyd. The protests and tensions seen more recently in the UK. The emotional impact these moments have on people working in communications and the silence that often follows in the industry.

Advita reflects on the responsibility communicators hold. We help shape narratives, advise leadership teams and influence culture inside organisations. That responsibility becomes very real when difficult issues affect the people around us.

This episode covers:

At its heart this is a conversation about confidence, courage and responsibility. It is also about something simple that many of us forget to do. Checking in on people and asking how they are really doing.

00:00 Intro

00:04 Meet Advita Patel, CommsRebel and CIPR President

01:16 Confidence, vulnerability and showing up on LinkedIn

01:41 The 2018 confidence crash that changed everything

02:25 A difficult conversation that forced a turning point

03:32 Researching confidence, imposter syndrome and inner critics

04:01 The influence of Shonda Rhimes and “The Year of Yes”

04:56 Why worrying about other people’s opinions holds us back

05:57 Competing with others vs competing with yourself

06:04 Advice for anyone facing a confidence crash

07:22 How other people shape our identity growing up

07:50 “Who am I really?” — unpicking expectations

09:01 Why understanding yourself is the foundation of confidence

10:21 Mental health, therapy and learning to look after yourself

10:37 When work becomes your identity

11:54 Treating yourself with the same compassion as others

12:24 Adapting to belong without breaking yourself

12:42 Why connection and empathy are disappearing

13:44 Cognitive diversity and avoiding echo chambers

13:53 Fear, vulnerability and sharing online

14:47 Representation and creating spaces for belonging

15:03 Why Advita co-founded A Leader Like Me

16:22 The impact of George Floyd on diversity conversations

17:46 Why the Asian Comms Network was created

19:14 Lived experience and the reality of microaggressions

20:23 Why conversations about racism are often avoided

22:22 Power, politics and uncomfortable industry conversations

23:34 Why politics affects the people we work with

24:46 Speaking up, allyship and finding your voice

26:16 Why we’ve lost the ability to connect and debate

27:32 The fear of getting things wrong in public conversations

28:35 Why communicators must understand opposing views

29:09 Community, identity and checking in on people

30:24 Why humans naturally gravitate towards similarity

31:38 Bias, safety and how our brains work

32:26 The power communications professionals hold

32:47 The emotional impact of recent events on communities

34:07 Living with fear and the daily reality for many people

35:02 Hope over fear and using your privilege to help others

36:06 Becoming the first person of colour to lead the CIPR

37:14 Using privilege to create space for others

38:03 Why intent matters in difficult conversations

39:19 When mistakes happen — and how to respond

40:24 “Where are you really from?” — navigating everyday bias

41:31 Curiosity as the starting point for allyship

42:58 Different ways to show allyship

43:39 The simple power of checking in on someone

44:32 Why difficult topics often get avoided

45:02 One action everyone can take tomorrow

46:04 Confidence as a ripple effect

46:50 The thread through Advita’s career: confidence and inclusion

48:08 An “accidentally brilliant” moment — Couch to 5K

49:18 Closing thoughts

James Crawford is the founder and Managing Director of PR Agency One, and a board director at AMEC, the International Association for PR Measurement.

In this conversation, we talk about why James started his agency, what the early days really looked like, and why he has spent his career pushing PR to prove its value beyond headlines. We get into measurement and attribution, the limits of what you can and cannot track, and how PR teams can use evidence to protect budgets, win trust, and show commercial impact.

We also cover GEO and how brands should respond right now, why “everything is dead” is usually the wrong take, and what it takes to build long term momentum in an industry that is constantly changing.

Find James Crawford:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswdcrawford/

PR Agency One: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pr-agency-one/

Find Josh Wheeler:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/

Follow Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/

https://www.pragencyone.co.uk/

https://bebroadcast.co.uk/

00:00 Intro

02:49 Meet James Crawford, PR Agency One and AMEC

04:25 Why James launched PR Agency One

06:51 The first wins, risk, and backing himself

09:44 Competing, then shifting to doing the work better

10:44 Why measurement became the edge

11:32 Roots, direct response, and early proof of impact

13:06 The limits of attribution and what to accept

14:30 Planning, prediction, and “interest graphs” in media

18:24 Early days of the agency, SEO and opportunity

19:44 Why media relations is tougher now

20:47 Moving from soft stories to bolder campaigns

23:01 Reactivity, brand purpose, and being ready for the BBC

24:03 Research that lasts longer than one news day

26:28 Cost of living era, weak leads, short term thinking

29:33 OneEval explained: Brand, Reputation, Commercial, and planning

33:03 Why evaluation protects teams when leadership changes

35:18 Innovation, AMEC, and staying on top of measurement shifts

38:27 Training the whole team to understand measurement

39:36 GEO, threats and opportunities

41:31 What actually influences LLM visibility right now

43:43 What clients are asking, and what they are missing

45:19 A practical GEO split: classical PR first, tests second

46:56 SEO is not dead, and why “everything is dead” is lazy thinking

48:17 Experimentation as the only sensible approach

48:50 BBC visibility, the long game, and building a track record

50:58 The thread through James’ career: hard work and showing up

53:24 “Accidentally brilliant” and managing people

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