Press Profiles

What does it take to end up on Fast Company's list of "Most Innovative Companies"? On this episode of Press Profiles, we speak with editor in chief, Brendan Vaughan to find out. Brendan has had an impressive career guiding the editorial direction of marquee publications including GQ, Esquire, Business Insider and The Atlantic. Now, as Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company, he is responsible for helping readers grasp the rapid speed of business innovation.

We take it all the way back to Brendan's beginnings in journalism and discuss some of the memorable stories and people he has covered. We also peel back the curtain on how Fast Company decides who ends up on their sought-after lists, plus, his fascination with AI, his advice for journalists and PR pros, his unique connection to Elon Musk, and as always.... a whole lot more.

They say communications – specifically public relations – is one of the more tactical, strategic, and yes, I'll admit, stressful jobs, you can have. Eleanor Hawkins would probably agree. A former PR professional, she is now a reporter for Axios covering the PR & communications industry. In her Axios Communicators newsletter, she tracks the biggest news items of the day and looks at them through a PR lens. On this episode of Press Profiles, we talk to Eleanor about some recent newsworthy events – President Trump's DEI rollback, the tragic crash of American Airlines flight 5342 in Washington DC, and even, the knockdown, drag out Hollywood PR battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni – and the role PR played in each event. It's an interesting conversation that pulls back the curtain on the industry. We also talk to Eleanor about her career journey, learning to write in Axios's signature "Smart Brevity" style, her go to restaurant in Alabama, and even her work with Cookie Monster. Yep, we cover all that and a whole lot more.

Barron's is a 100+ year institution in financial journalism, yet it's constantly evolving. Reshma Kapadia is one of the driving forces behind that innovation. She was part of the team that helped launch Barron's annual "100 Most Influential Women in US Finance" list and created the publication's female-focused "Level Up" platform. On this episode of Press Profiles, we dive into Reshma's 30-year career, why she felt compelled to be a journalist, her love of covering emerging markets, her search for "great thinkers" to interview…and of course we explore the coveted 100 Women in Finance list – who makes it, who doesn't, and why.

To say Lauren Hirsch has always wanted to be a reporter is an understatement. When she was about seven years old her mom found a book under her bed aptly titled "how to be a journalist". That aspiration is now a reality. After learning the ropes at MergerMarket, Reuters and CNBC.com, she is now an integral member of the New York Times DealBook team. On this episode of Press Profiles, we talk to Lauren about her approach to breaking stories, her fascination with the media and sports industries, how a good story is similar to a high school gossip session, her unsuccessful foray as a professional debt collector, and why she believes journalism has one of the highest ROI's of any profession.

As people around the world waited for the announcement of a new US president, Sam Sutton, the author of Politico's Morning Money newsletter – which goes out daily around 5AM – was hard at work preparing three different newsletters covering the various potential outcomes (Trump win, Harris win, or too close to call). Needless to say, he only needed one of those, and since that time he has been hard at work trying to provide insights to readers about how Trump 2.0 will impact the economy, the regulatory environment, trade policies, crypto and more. On this episode of Press Profiles, Sam gives a pretty good idea of what we can expect. He also talks about his path to journalism, his flirtation with politics and why at the end of day he decided, "it was a lot more fun to cover these people than to be one of these people."

Mike Hofman is fresh off of "Entrepreneur prom" – the annual gathering of Inc.'s 5000 fastest-growing private companies. As Editor in Chief, Mike oversees the media outlet that serves as the handbook to business owners and operators. The companies gracing the pages of Inc. today will likely be on the front page of the Wall Street Journal tomorrow. On this episode of Press Profiles, Mike discusses his path from reporter to editor and eventually to the top of the masthead. We chat about some of his favorite startups (including a company where Courtney Cox is channeling Monica Geller on the road to success), the role AI is playing for young companies, how Covid created a generation of resilient companies and why young journalists should seek out the "least glamorous thing in the newsroom."

Brian Sozzi is up at 2:40am preparing for the day when most people are fast asleep.His relentless drive has carried him from his first job as an equity research analyst to executive editor at Yahoo Finance. On the season 4 premiere of Press Profiles, Brian shares his impressive journey – starting from nothing (he had to ration food to make it through the week) to standing in the White House interviewing President Biden. We also discuss what makes Yahoo Finance special, Brian's love of classic cars, his insane workout schedule, his go to Shake Shack order and of course, a whole lot more.

Sara Eisen's recipe for success is pretty straight forward: "Always have an expertise, and a niche. It will pay off in the end." For Eisen, developing that niche meant choosing an internship at Foreign Exchange TV to launch her career (even if it meant turning down a much sexier internship with Howard Stern!). Now, almost two decades later, Eisen is a prominent anchor on CNBC leaning on her foreign exchange and currency knowledge on a regular basis. On this episode of Press Profiles, we discuss Eisen's daily routine, her favorite interviews including recent ones with Janet Yellen in China and Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, her documentary on the business of Formula 1 (and how her little kids turned her onto the sport) and finally, how her Holocaust-surviving grandfather taught her the art and importance of storytelling. All that and a whole lot more on episode #50 of Press Profiles!

James Mackintosh spent six years at Oxford studying philosophy. It turns out that was the perfect training to become a financial markets columnist. On this episode of Press Profiles, we explore James's nearly 30-year career spanning the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. We discuss his writing process and his search for endlessly interesting stories. Plus, we talk about the financial nuances of the Israel protests, what it's like to cover the auto industry when you don't own a car, the "exceptionally nasty" feedback columnists sometimes get, why you should be able to sell your kidney, and of course, a whole lot more.

In a life that has brought her to almost every corner of the earth, Diane Brady has made a career of finding stories in unexpected places. Now, she is turning her attention to bringing Fortune's live events and CEO initiative to the next level. On this episode of Press Profiles, we discuss where she wants to take the franchise, along with some of her favorite stories, her history as a debating champion, what it takes to be a good moderator, and how, as a 15-year-old, her desire to see a rock band launched her career in journalism.