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In this episode, Tyra Tutor joins host Jason Mudd to discuss career longevity, leadership tips, marketing strategies, and remote work trends. 

Tune in to learn more!

Our Guest:

Our episode’s special guest is Tyra Tutor, president and CEO of TAD PGS, Adecco Group's government solutions subsidiary. Tyra’s Adecco Group career spans 27 years, with roles leading investor relations, communications, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, special projects, and more. Axia’s friend and VIP client since 2004, Tyra shares some of her secrets to success and longevity in a global organization.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Career longevity through adaptability

2. Corporate marketing, communication, and development best practices

3. Managing multiple brands, niche marketing, and reputations

4. Day in the life — tips for aspiring CEOs

5. Workplace flexibility and remote work trends

Quotables

“I had the great privilege of sitting in boardrooms, and in most of my roles, I was the right-hand person of CEOs. I got to witness a lot of great leaders.” — @Tyra Tutor 

“Have a willingness to learn, a willingness to work hard, and make sure you have a good boss — someone who is willing to give you a chance and to give you new opportunities to make sure you aren’t stagnant in your job.” — @Tyra Tutor 

“When you have a lot of brands, you're probably not going to be a household name, and you have to be okay with that. So your expectation has to be lower.” — @Tyra Tutor 

“Work hard, be there when no one else is, and do the tasks that no one else wants to do. Many times, I held roles and took on tasks that were not in my job description, and sometimes, that got me into a meeting I wouldn't otherwise be in.” — @Tyra Tutor 

“I like to surround myself with people who love to work hard. I'm not saying they don't have balance, but when they're at work, they're working hard. They have a good attitude and are ready to do whatever it takes to finish a job and give ourselves a well-done.” — @Tyra Tutor 

“The most important thing for the CEO was that what we told our client through marketing, what we told the public through PR, and what we reported to the Wall Street analysts with numbers was all consistent, transparent, and accurate. That hit home for me.” — @Tyra Tutor 

“One of the challenges that many companies face is marketing multiple brands for different niches. I see this with a lot of companies — they are going after different audiences, different verticals, and not getting the funding necessary to pull all that off.” — @JasonMudd9 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through buy me a coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

Tyra Tutor on LinkedIn

Adecco Group website

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this solocast episode, On Top of PR host Jason Mudd responds to a fan letter about tips for pitching to podcasts. 

Tune in to learn more!

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Do your research — know the show

2. Pitch uniqueness and expertise

3. Follow up

4. Avoid common mistakes

5. Preparation and promotion matters

Quotables

“It’s ultra-important to consume the podcast before pitching to understand its focus.” — @JasonMudd9 

“When you send a pitch, provide some context about who your expert is. A link to their LinkedIn profile would be great. If they have a common name like John Smith, maybe include a photo of what they look like so when we’re doing our due diligence, we can easily find them.” — @JasonMudd9 

“You’d be better off spending time crafting one great pitch than spending a little time on hundreds of pitches and getting a bunch of no’s. Double down on the shows that have the right audience, the right topic, and the right fit.” — @JasonMudd9 

“Come up with a really good topic — something unique that your guest has a provocative, contrarian, or unique point of view on. I’m looking for something that really pops and resonates with our audience.” — @JasonMudd9 

“It might be easy to say it’s easier to pitch a podcast than it is a major news outlet, but you’ve got to keep in mind there are big-time podcasts out there that are just as in demand as any mainstream, tier-one media outlet.” — @JasonMudd9 

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a professional colleague or friend. You may also share your experience with others, buy me a coffee, or leave us a quick podcast review.

Host contact info and resources:

Jason Mudd on X

Jason Mudd on LinkedIn

Axia Public Relations website

Proven process for earned media coverage

Solocast 130: Media pitching tips

E-book: Learn Media Relations from the Media

Additional Resources from Axia Public Relations:

Listen to more episodes of the On Top of PR podcast.

Find out more about Axia Public Relations.

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Bibie Wu joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss how Del Monte Foods balances innovation and tradition in its PR strategies.

Tune in to learn more!

Our Guest:

Our episode guest is Bibie Wu, chief communications and technical development officer at Del Monte Foods. She leads marketing, corporate communications, investor relations, product and packaging research and development, and environmental, social, and governance for Del Monte Foods' powerful portfolio of brands.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Balancing a 130-year-old heritage brand legacy with innovation

2. Staying relevant with emerging trends 

3. The launch and strategic plan behind Joyba Bubble Tea 

4. Engaging Gen Z and Zillennials through influencer marketing 

5. The importance of synergy across teams during campaigns 

Quotables

“We like to say, ‘This is not your grandmother's Del Monte.’ You can make so much more than just a green bean casserole. We’re innovating for today’s consumer and staying on top of what's popular in culinary flavor trends.” — @Bibie Wu

“People are getting their ideas and the recipes from social, from TikTok, etc., so we're incorporating those trends into our product.” — @Bibie Wu

“It’s all about synergy — integrating the PR agency, digital team, brand team, or internal media planning, it’s important to make campaigns that can be meaty across all those platforms.” — @Bibie Wu

“We've been putting more of our efforts behind developing products and marketing campaigns that speak to these younger millennials and Gen Z because they're going to be the families of tomorrow.” — @Bibie Wu

“That's why we name the show On Top of PR — because there are so many topics, tips, and trends that our audience has to stay on top of that we do our best to try to bring those relevant topics to the table.” — @JasonMudd9

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You can also support us through buy me a coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

About Bibie Wu

Bibie Wu has more than 20 years of experience in consumer packaged goods marketing leadership with many well-known and respected brands at General Mills and Campbell's. Before joining Del Monte in 2018, she served as Henkel’s vice president of marketing and head of laundry conditioners and home care. She was also responsible for Henkel’s omnichannel and visual branding departments. She is a graduate of Amherst College and received an MBA from Dartmouth College.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

Bibie Wu on LinkedIn

Del Monte Foods website

Additional Resources:

How influencer partnerships can boost PR campaigns

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Mort Crim joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss his career highlights, truth in journalism, and his newest memoir, “Anchored: A Journalist’s Search for Truth.

Tune in to learn more!

Our Guest:

Our episode guest is Mort Crim, a retired journalist, author, lecturer, and motivational speaker. He inspired the Anchorman character Ron Burgundy.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1.  The inspiration behind Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy
2. Mort’s journalism career highlights and pivotal moments
3. Maintaining a trusted image in journalism and PR
4. How the media has changed and ways to adapt
5. Mort’s book, “Anchored: A Journalist’s Search for Truth”

Quotables

 “I have a philosophy that if you run fast enough, old age can’t catch you.” — @Mort Crim

“Never have an ego or have arrogance about yourself because you never know when you're going to need help or the support of others in your community.” — @JasonMudd9

“It's all about the story. History is made up of stories. We call journalists the people who write the first draft of history. But that hasn't changed — for all of the technological change, for all the proliferation of media — it's still about content.” — @Mort Crim

“Become a good writer, and if you're a good writer, I can teach you how to stand in front of a camera. I can teach you how to hold the microphone. I can teach you how to be a broadcaster. But I can't teach you how to think, and I can't teach you how to write.” — @Mort Crim

“Journalism is a profession that requires, first of all, a commitment to honesty and truth. But secondly, you need training. You need to have some understanding and experience in how to recognize a story, how to organize a story, how to tell a story in a way that is meaningful to the audience.” — @Mort Crim

“PR needs to be all about the audience of the news outlet when you're pitching media.” — @JasonMudd9 

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others, buy me a coffee, or leave us a quick podcast review.

About Mort Crim

Mort Crim is a journalist, author, lecturer, and motivational speaker. He is the main inspiration for the character Ron Burgundy, a news anchor in the Anchorman movie series. His network and local broadcast experience in radio and TV includes five years as a correspondent for ABC in New York City and two decades as a senior editor and anchor for WDIV-TV, an NBC affiliate station in Detroit. He was backup for Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” radio program for five years. He is the author of eight books, including his most recent memoir, “Anchored: A Journalist's Search for Truth.”

Guest’s contact info and resources:

Mort Crim on X

Mort Crim on LinkedIn

Mort Crim on Facebook

Mort Crim’s website

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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Disclaimer: We edited portions of this recording from its originally aired version at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation's request.

In this episode, Doug Filaroski joins host Jason Mudd to discuss how a property insurance company manages crisis communications. 

Tune in to learn more!

Our Guest:

Our episode guest is Doug Filaroski, senior communications representative at Citizens Property Insurance. He manages crisis communications projects, provides strategic consulting, and oversees the production of all types of content — from leadership messaging to digital communications and video.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Citizens Property Insurance’s communications strategies 

2. How to respond to a crisis 

3. The role of crisis response centers during catastrophic events

4. The importance of fraud prevention campaigns

5. Why companies need a crisis communication plan

Quotables

“We feel a great responsibility — because we are the state or the people's insurance company — to provide them with good service.” — @Doug Filaroski

“Florida was responsible for 79% of all the lawsuits in the United States against property insurance companies.” — @Doug Filaroski 

“When I started with a company about 10 years ago, I don't think we had as good a plan as we have now. So one of the best tips is to have a plan. Frankly, a lot of people I talk to in crisis communications don't really have a formal plan.” — @Doug Filaroski

“I'm personally a big fan of templates. If I have to send the same email twice, I'd sure like to have a template for it for the third time, and I always encourage my teammates to do the same thing.” — @JasonMudd9

“A lot of the comments you're making speak to the culture of your organization and that you obviously care and you're there to serve, as opposed to just being the solution that's the least desirable for your customers. I think that really matters and goes a long way.” — @JasonMudd9

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.

About Doug Filaroski 

Doug is a former journalist who's covered presidential campaigns, government corruption, and growth. He now works as a corporate storyteller. After stints at a Fortune 500 company and the JAX Chamber, he moved on to internal, external, and crisis communications for Citizens Property Insurance in Florida. Doug is also the vice president of communications for the Florida Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

Doug Filaroski on X

Doug Filaroski on LinkedIn

Citizens Property Insurance website

International Association of Business Communicators

International Association of Bu

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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Our Guest:

Linda Beltran is vice president of corporate communications at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, a leading vacation ownership company with more than 30 resorts across the U.S. She oversees a team of communications professionals who manage internal and external communications, executive visibility, corporate social responsibility, media relations, crisis communications, community relations, and thought leadership. 

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. How internal communication management can prevent external crisis
2. Executive media training and thought leadership
3. The evolution of internal communications
4. The future of internal communications
5. Internal communications best practices 

Quotables

“Your team members are really your first and most important audience.” — @Linda Beltran

“We have to be nimble and pivot. And I tell people all the time, improvising and pivoting are one of the undersold skills that you have to have in this line of work.” — @JasonMudd9

“If you have a company and leadership that really puts their faith in their comms team, you're already ahead of the curve, and then the rest is just making sure that they're being received.” — @Linda Beltran

“Pre-pandemic, people weren't necessarily paying attention to their internal audience.” — @Linda Beltran

“I love the idea of trying something new. I love the idea of failing forward. And as I tell my team quite a bit, as long as you're working on something that won't be shown externally, take some risk internally.” — @JasonMudd9

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.

About Linda Beltran

As a seasoned communications leader with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Linda brings strategic, creative, and impactful solutions to diverse audiences and stakeholders. Her mission is to enhance the reputation, visibility, and engagement of the organizations she works with, aligning communications with their values, culture, and goals.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

• Linda Beltran on X
• Linda Beltran on LinkedIn
• Holiday Inn Club Vacations website

Additional Resources:

• The value of being honest in internal communications
• 4 ways to present your corporation as grateful to its shareholders

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this solocast episode, host Jason Mudd discusses how to improve your media pitches and craft news releases journalists will notice.

Tune in to learn more!

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. How to improve four media pitch examples
2. Keep your pitch short and visually appealing.
3. Tailor your pitch to match the journalist's beat.
4. Offer value — why should the journalist care?
5. Have a copy editor review the release.

Quotables

“About half of the news stories they write come from media pitches. So media pitching works when it's done right. Media pitching works when you have a relationship or attempt to build a relationship; you don't need a relationship to get media coverage.” — @JasonMudd9

“You just want to send a teaser and have them say, ‘You know what, I would like to hear more’ or ‘This isn't a good fit for me.’ But instead of doing it in 10 paragraphs, what if you just did it in three sentences?” — @JasonMudd9

“That's why we believe in having copy editors on our team who are grammarians. They're experts at what they do — the red-pen police or the people who correct your grammar in public that you don't like.” — @JasonMudd9

“If you can't tell me who said it, then I'm probably not going to quote you on it.” — @JasonMudd9

“You should not send a news release, or even a media pitch, through blast … think 1-to-1 with each media pitch that you send out.” — @JasonMudd9

“More targeted, more selective pitches are going to help you be more successful.” — @JasonMudd9 

“Just like in dating, just like in sales, in media pitching, the intent of the first meeting is to get a second meeting.” — @JasonMudd9 

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.

About Jason Mudd, Axia PR

Jason Mudd is a trusted adviser and dynamic strategist for some of America’s most admired brands. Since 1994, he’s worked with American Airlines, Budweiser, Dave & Buster’s, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Southern Comfort, and Verizon. He founded Axia in July 2002. Forbes named Axia one of America’s Best PR Agencies.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

• Jason Mudd on X
• Jason Mudd on LinkedIn
• Axia Public Relations 
• 10 elements of news
• 10 elements of news with Jason Mudd | On Top of PR Podcast
• 1:1 consultations and training with Axia 

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Alfredo Garcia joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss best practices for producing PR events. 

Tune in to learn more!

Our guest:

Our episode guest is Alfredo Garcia, vice president of sales for Sight & Sound and Mugwump Productions. He started his journey with Sight & Sound as a marketing intern, where he discovered his passion for the audio-visual production side of events. Now an executive leader, he’s played a pivotal role in the company’s growth from 15 employees to more than 50 today. 

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Questions event producers will ask 
2. Technical media accommodations 
3. How much notice event production teams need 
4. What organizations should consider before planning an event 
5. Logistics and budget planning

Quotables:

“My first question is always the same, no matter what type of media event it is. And that is, “Why are we doing this event? Why are we spending your money? Why are we pulling in resources and what is the purpose and outcome we are trying to get out of this event?” — @Alfredo Garcia

“If you’re depending on media to be there, how embarrassed might you be if they just can’t come or don’t come for whatever reason?” — @JasonMudd9

“If you’re depending on media to fill the room, you better have a pretty good announcement.” — @JasonMudd9

“Whenever I see a whole bunch of microphones, I think of crisis communication.” — @Alfredo Garcia

“Why would you not want to engage with an expert company to have them bring their experience, know-how, and ideas that might save you time, money, and ultimately drive home that better first impression for the attendees at your event?” — @JasonMudd9

“We try to become an extension of what our clients are trying to do. We are thinking of things people don't think about.” — @Alfredo Garcia

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.

About Alfredo Garcia

As Sight & Sound’s vice president of sales, Alfredo manages daily sales operations, develops sales strategies, and forecasts company revenue. He focuses on client retention and expanding the client base locally and nationally. 

Alfredo earned a communication degree from Jacksonville University, which laid the foundation for his career in the hospitality industry. He’s drawn to the industry’s opportunities for travel, bringing creative solutions to events, and building long-lasting relationships. His journey with Sight & Sound began in 2005 when he joined as a marketing intern and discovered his passion for the audio-visual production side of events. After progressing through roles as a marketing coordinator and project manager, he found his niche in sales. 

Outside of work, Alfredo enjoys gardening with his wife, traveling with his family, and supporting all his local sports teams. 

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Axia’s David Triana joins host Jason Mudd to discuss key strategies for nurturing mutually beneficial media relationships that make a lasting impact. 

Tune in to learn more!

Our Guest:

David Triana is a public relations professional specializing in media relations and securing earned media coverage for clients in a variety of industries. He currently serves as the director of media relations at Axia Public Relations. He has been mentioned in outlets such as the Daily Mail, Business Insider, and Forbes, providing commentary on topics related to the PR industry. 

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Always provide value when communicating with the media.
2. Proprietary data can differentiate you from your competition.
3. Respect for journalistic ethics is key.
4. Stay ahead of the news cycle whenever possible.
5. Make the media's job as simple as possible (and be as prepared as possible).

Bonus: Tips on earning media coverage for PR professionals with no prior newsroom experience. 

Quotables

“Not being afraid to fail — I think that is the most important thing and most important attribute you can have as a PR professional.” — @David Triana

“It’s like a venn diagram: what the media wants, what the company wants, and what is newsworthy and interesting.” — @JasonMudd9

“Anytime I’ve reached out to the media on behalf of a client, I never want to go empty-handed.” — @David Triana

“Sometimes a really good media pitch is just three sentences. You want them to say, ‘Tell me more, I'm interested.’” — @JasonMudd9

“I tell clients, you probably have some data internally that you don't even realize would be valuable to help set a finger on the pulse of the marketplace and the economy and what it’s doing.” — @JasonMudd9

“So much of this is making a really good first impression that defines the longevity of that relationship. And if you're willing to be available right off the bat … things like that set you apart from many others.” — @David Triana

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

• David Triana on X
• David Triana on LinkedIn
• Email David at [email protected]

Additional Resources:

• Axia Public Relations
• Resources

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D., joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss ways organizations can use data-centric storytelling on social media to raise awareness and engagement. 

Tune in to learn more!

Our Guest:

Our episode guest is Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D., senior digital communications manager at Candid, a nonprofit providing comprehensive data and insights on the social sector. 

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. What to do when you are swimming in data and how to turn it into a story for your organization.

2. How smaller social media teams can leverage their own data. 

3. Ways organizations can experiment with data to drive brand awareness and engagement. 

4. How to create good social media content without visually appealing subjects.

5. Common mistakes organizations make on social media. 

Quotables

Data is really attractive to audiences. When you use numbers, people love it. People love numerals. It's our hook. — @Kate Meyers Emery

When you're communicating, there's two personality types: one is interested in emotion and the other is logic. If you can create a venn diagram and appeal to both at the same time without alienating one of the audiences, that's a good blend. — @JasonMudd9

You gotta make the platforms happy. The platforms don't want you to leave social media. You have to put stuff out there that makes the platforms happy that drives more engagement on the platform. — @Kate Meyers Emery

People want to connect with other people. People don't want to connect with faceless brands. — @Kate Meyers Emery 

There's always three options. If you get more than that, you get analysis paralysis, and no one wants to make a decision. And the simple answer is usually the best answer. — @JasonMudd9

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.

About Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D.

Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D., is the senior digital communications manager at Candid, where she leads the strategy, content production, and analysis of organic social media. Kate uses experimentation and data-driven storytelling to get people the information they need to do good.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

• Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D. on LinkedIn
• Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D. website
• Candid website
• Candid on LinkedIn
• Candid on Instagram
• Candid on Facebook
• Canva
• Toggle Track
• Sprout Social

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.