Cultivate Talk

What do abandoned buildings, forgotten spaces, and repurposed objects tell us about the world around us?

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily sits down with Dr. Evan R. Jones of North Carolina Central University to explore the rhetoric of abandonment and the surprising ways spaces, places, and objects communicate meaning.

Drawing from his interdisciplinary research in rhetoric, cultural geography, and media studies, Dr. Jones challenges us to reconsider what abandonment actually means. Together, they discuss why we're fascinated by ruins, how different people and communities interpret the same spaces, and why something abandoned isn't necessarily something without value—or without a future.

The conversation also explores how abandoned buildings become sites of preservation or redevelopment, how everyday objects take on new meanings through adaptive reuse, and what the spaces around us reveal about memory, identity, power, and belonging.

Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to expand their understanding of communication beyond words and conversations. From forgotten buildings to transformed landscapes, the places we encounter every day tell stories about what we value, what we remember, and what we choose to leave behind.

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily is joined by Dr. Jennifer A. Zenovich, Dr. Jess Gantt-Shafer, Dr. Lori L. Britt, Dr. Erika Engstrom, and Dr. Lars Stoltzfus, the scholars behind The Possibilities of Women Talking: Deliberative Dialogue and Feminist Imagination.

Bringing expertise in critical rhetoric, feminist theory, dialogue and deliberation, media, gender, identity, and power, the five authors use the film Women Talking as a starting point for examining what happens when people come together to make difficult decisions, navigate disagreement, and imagine possibilities beyond the circumstances they've been given.

Together, they discuss the collaborative process behind the book, productive disagreement, feminist organizing, cultural representation, motherhood, identity, and the possibilities—and limitations—of dialogue. At the center of the conversation is a deceptively simple question: Can talking itself be a form of action?

It's a conversation about listening, disagreement, imagination, and what might become possible when we're willing to stay in the conversation.

What if communication isn't just part of solving a problem—but part of determining what the problem actually is?

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, I’m joined by Dr. David Beard, Professor of Rhetoric at the University of Minnesota Duluth, to explore how rhetoric can help us identify problems, make them meaningful to others, and bring people together to develop solutions.

Drawing from his interdisciplinary work in areas ranging from rural healthcare and transportation to environmental issues, Dr. Beard explains what rhetoricians can contribute when researchers, community members, and professionals from very different backgrounds come together around complex challenges. We discuss the importance of problem framing, interdisciplinary collaboration, environmental grief, communicating with funders, and how researchers can make issues feel urgent without relying on fear or exaggeration.

Ultimately, our conversation challenges the idea that communication is something that happens after the important work is finished. Instead, communication helps determine what we notice, what we prioritize, and what possibilities we're able to imagine in the first place.

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily sits down with Dr. Mary Eberhardinger to explore how communication shapes the way we think about work, purpose, and professional identity.

Drawing from a career that has taken her across different countries, institutions, and teaching roles, Dr. Eberhardinger reflects on how intercultural experiences have challenged traditional ideas of success and influenced her understanding of meaningful work. Together, they discuss the role communication plays in constructing identity, navigating career transitions, and redefining what fulfillment looks like in an evolving professional landscape.

The conversation also explores how culture influences our perceptions of work, why adaptability is an essential communication skill, and how asking better questions about our motivations can lead to more intentional personal and professional decisions.

Whether you're beginning your career, considering a new direction, or simply reflecting on what gives your work meaning, this episode offers a thoughtful perspective on building a life that's guided by purpose rather than convention.

Work-life balance is often presented as a universal challenge, but what if different families face very different communication demands?

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, I sit down with Dr. Jenny Dixon to discuss her research on discourse dependence, a communication framework that explores how different family structures require different levels of communicative work to establish, explain, and maintain their relationships. Together, we examine why traditional ideas of "family" can unintentionally overlook the experiences of LGBTQIA+ families, single adults, childfree individuals, and families of choice, and what organizations can do to create more equitable workplaces.

We also explore Dr. Dixon's current work on supporting neurodiverse students in higher education, discussing how communication can help build more inclusive institutions where people with different experiences and needs can thrive.

Whether you're interested in family communication, workplace culture, leadership, or creating more equitable spaces, this conversation offers a thoughtful reminder that communication shapes not only our relationships, but also the systems we build around them.

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily sits down with Max Brichta to explore how technology is transforming the way we think about money.

From payment apps and investing platforms to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, financial decisions are increasingly shaped by digital communication, online communities, and algorithm-driven technologies. Max explains why money isn't simply an economic tool, it's also deeply social, symbolic, and influenced by the stories we encounter every day.

Together, they discuss the growing intersection of financial literacy and media literacy, the communication dynamics that fuel cryptocurrency markets, and the role narratives, hype, and online influencers play in shaping financial behavior. They also explore how young adults are navigating a digital-first financial landscape and offer practical advice for becoming a more critical consumer of financial information.

Whether you're curious about AI, crypto, investing, or simply want to better understand the relationship between communication and money, this episode offers an engaging look at one of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of life in the digital age.

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily sits down with Kelli Matthews, professor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication and founder of Verve Northwest Communications, to explore what effective communication looks like in today's rapidly changing media landscape.

Drawing from more than two decades of experience in both academia and professional practice, Kelli discusses how organizations can communicate with clarity during times of uncertainty, build trust through authentic engagement, and navigate high-stakes situations such as crises and public scrutiny. The conversation explores the evolving role of storytelling, the challenges of communicating in digital spaces, and the communication strategies that help organizations move from simply sharing information to creating meaningful impact.

Whether you're a communication professional, business leader, nonprofit advocate, student, or simply someone interested in how messages shape relationships and communities, this episode offers valuable insights into the power of strategic communication.

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily sits down with Sara Rabon to explore how algorithms, platforms, and digital technologies shape the way we communicate online.

Drawing from her background in computer science, corporate IT, and rhetoric, Sara explains how digital systems are never truly neutral — they are shaped by human decisions, institutional pressures, and cultural values. The conversation examines the “invisible structures” behind online communication, including algorithms, platform incentives, and audience data, and how these forces influence what users see, believe, and engage with online.

Together, they discuss the rise of the digital Manosphere during the 2024 political landscape, the attention-driven logic behind creators like MrBeast, and the growing role AI plays in shaping public discourse. Sara also challenges the idea that technology is purely objective, arguing instead that communication and rhetoric are central to understanding how technologies are built and used.

This episode offers a thoughtful look at the intersection of technology, media, and communication — and why becoming a more critical digital consumer matters in an increasingly algorithmic world.

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily sits down with Dr. Vincent Russell to explore participatory budgeting — a democratic process that allows residents to directly decide how a portion of public funds should be spent in their communities.

Drawing from his research and recent book on participatory budgeting, Dr. Russell explains how the process works, from community brainstorming sessions to proposal development and public voting. Together, they discuss what participatory budgeting reveals about democracy, civic engagement, and the role communication plays in building trust between residents and local government.

The conversation also examines how communities navigate disagreement, why some residents feel empowered to participate while others remain disconnected, and whether participatory processes truly shift power in meaningful ways.

This episode offers a thoughtful look at how communication, collaboration, and public participation can reshape the relationship between communities and the institutions that serve them.

In this episode of Cultivate Talk, Emily sits down with Dr. Josh Bentley to unpack the evolving role of public apologies in today’s media landscape.

Drawing from his research in crisis communication and his book Devaluing Public Apologies in the Age of Social Media, Dr. Bentley explains what people actually expect from apologies — and why those expectations are often unmet. The conversation explores how apologies function as a social ritual meant to promote accountability and reconciliation, while also examining how polarization and social media have complicated that process.

Together, they discuss why some apologies that seem insincere can still be strategically effective, how outrage is sometimes driven more by attention than repair, and when apologizing can actually make a situation worse. The episode also challenges listeners to think more critically about when to apologize, when to stand firm, and how communication shapes the way responsibility is understood in public life.