In this week's episode, the Katies welcome Matt Fairhurst, co-founder and CEO of Skedulo, to the pod to discuss the partnership between a founder and a comms team. Fun fact: this episode isn't just for Comms people. It's also a great one to listen to if you're a founder wanting to explore how and when to bring comms support into your business, and identify the best strategies to improve your communications style as a leader.

Topics include:

• How internal communications is critical for founders to maintain alignment and culture.
• Technology shifts that create opportunities for new businesses and communication strategies.
• How effective communication requires trust and transparency between leaders and teams.
• Company culture is a reflection of the founder's personality and values.
• All hands calls and their ability to provide a platform for transparency and team engagement.
• How storytelling enhances the memorability and impact of communication.
• How different cultures have varying expectations for communication styles and performance.
• Building relationships with external consultants can provide valuable perspectives.
• Communication is a skill that can be developed over time through practice.
• Leaders must adapt their communication style as their company grows and evolves.

Episode time stamps:
02:44 - The Impact of Technology on Business
05:39 - The Importance of Internal Communications
08:21 - Navigating External Communications
10:56 - The Role of Transparency in Leadership
13:33 - Building Company Culture Through Communication
16:11 - The Value of All Hands Meetings
19:01 - Storytelling as a Communication Tool
21:54 - The Role of External Consultants in Communication
24:40 - The Value of External vs. Internal Collaboration
26:42 - Building Trust and Access in Consulting
28:49 - Cultural Differences in Communication
31:20 - Adapting Communication Styles Across Borders
36:01 - Personal Anecdotes and Lessons Learned

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Our thoughts and prayers go out to the PR team at Intuit as we dive into this all too familiar case study focused on executive training, expectation setting, and article amendments. We'll dive into the various fallouts that can stem from a CEO interview, the importance of context when navigating article amendments, new ways of thinking around executive and journalist preparation, and what we would have done differently in the situation. It's a tough but critical topic for any PR person who manages the C-suite.

Episode time stamps:

1:14 - Case Study: Intuit and The Verge Interview
4:35 - Analysis of Intuit's PR Response
9:43 - The Importance of Executive Preparation
14:40 - Navigating Media Relationships and Expectations
20:57 - Preparing for Executive Interviews
24:12 - Handling Unexpected Questions
26:54 - Understanding the Journalist's Perspective
28:17 - The Role of PR in Interview Outcomes

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We’ve been getting a lot of listener emails – some with episode topic requests and some with quick questions. For this episode, we thought it would be fun to read the quick questions and answer on the fly! Hear our experiences and views on media accountability, navigating a PR career when you move internationally, the definition of comms and the role it plays throughout a business, and some PR horror stories that won't get us fired.

Episode Timestamps:

• 2:51 - Media accountability and journalism
• 5:36 - Navigating career transitions when moving internationally
• 8:37 - The definition of Communications and PR
• 11:26 - PR horror stories and industry challenges

We'd love to hear from you. Email us with topic requests, questions, or feedback at [email protected].

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It takes a special leader to lead an agency and do it with heart and soul. In this episode the Katies are joined by Amanda (Mandy) Galmes, Managing Director and Managing Partner ANZ for Sefiani Agency, part of the Clarity Group. Mandy dives into all things agency talent, hiring, helping clients tell their stories - particularly around the growing field of responsible business - and the challenges with doing exec comms in this current climate.

Episode timestamps:
00:54 - Mandy's Journey into Public Relations
04:30 - The Importance of People in Agency Work
08:04 - Transitioning to Sefiani Agency
12:12 - Sefiani's Approach to Strategic Communications
13:09 - Agency Leadership and Client Relationships
15:21 - Nurturing Young Talent in the Agency
21:02 - The Evolving Landscape of Communications Education
32:02 - Responsible Business and Media Challenges
35:41 - Navigating Media Interviews and Authenticity

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This week the Katies welcome one of Australia's leading technology reporters and editors David Swan. David's currently the Technology Editor for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, and was previously Technology Editor for The Australian newspaper. In 2024 he was awarded Australia's best technology journalist at The Lizzies, Australia's national IT Journalism awards. In this episode, we explore the relationship between comms people and media - including when we get it right and when we get it wrong. We also discuss some of the differences between US and Australia in terms of execs and media, David’s style of writing and journalism and his hot take on some of the recent CEO interviews that have made headlines.

Episode Overview w/ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to David Swan and His Career Journey
02:52  - The Challenges of Modern Journalism
05:32 - A Day in the Life of a Technology Journalist
08:03 - Navigating PR Relationships and Pitches
10:47 - The Importance of Storytelling in Journalism
13:35 - The Role of Fundraising Announcements
16:06 - Cultural Differences in Journalism: US vs Australia
18:42 - The Impact of Celebrity Access on Stories
21:29 - The Importance of Genuine Communication
23:51 - Reflections on Memorable Interviews
26:48 - Advice for PR Professionals Pitching to Australia
29:01 - Handling Tough Interviews and Executive Preparedness
31:41 - The Personal Impact of Fatherhood on Work

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This week the Katies dive into the complexities of building and managing global communications teams. Doing this well means more than just finding the right people overseas – it’s about understanding the market’s storytelling nuances, cultural differences, identifying key publications and journalists, and building trust within your international team members to let them localize with impact.

Episode Time Stamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Global Communications Teams
04:45 - Identifying the Right Time to Hire
10:28 - Hiring the Right People for the Market
16:05 - Managing Teams Across Time Zones
21:46 - Building Trust and Cultural Understanding
27:28 - Best Practices for HQ and Regional Teams
35:54 - Navigating Global Messaging and Localization
42:08 - Personal Stories and Lessons Learned

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The partnership between comms and execs is critical for success – and can also be complicated. In this episode, the Katies are joined by Pip Marlow, Non Executive Director, former CEO of Salesforce Australia & New Zealand, Suncorp Executive and Managing Director of Microsoft Australia, to discuss the importance of the comms/executive relationship, how to build a strong working relationship between comms and the c-suite, whether comms people make good board members, and inevitably we will discuss the latest and greatest in skincare!

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This week the Katies explore the mystical world of paid, owned, and earned content strategies. You'll hear insights around which strategy to leverage and when, what the benefits are for each, and how to strategically educate stakeholders around preferred strategies when presenting your plans.

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The Katies welcome long-time friend and colleague Ashish Patel, former SVP of Communications at Salesforce, to the podcast to discuss how to strategically make career changes that evolve with the changing needs of the PR market.

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In our first Hot Take episode, the Katies discuss comms wins and blunders from the US Presidential Debate and the controversy surrounding Elle Macpherson's cancer treatment. 

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