Most people think communications strategy is about press releases and media placements. Get the coverage, pat yourself on the back, move on. Barry Finkelstein has spent 30 years watching that playbook fail — and building something far more durable.

Barry is the Founding Principal of Truth Advisors LLC, a consultancy that helps mid-sized companies navigate seismic change — mergers and acquisitions, leadership transitions, new market entry, crisis scenarios — by building strategic communication roadmaps that shift perceptions with the audiences that matter most: employees, investors, and customers. After decades on the agency side working with companies up and down the East Coast, he launched Truth Advisors in 2024 to offer something agencies rarely can: direct access to 30-plus years of expertise, without the overhead.

In this episode of the Network Build Grow Podcast, Barry breaks down how communication strategy actually works in the real world, how his approach to networking shifted dramatically when he went from agency life to solopreneur, and the three-part follow-up formula that keeps his relationships — and his business — moving forward.

IN THIS EPISODE:

→ The PESO model — Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned — and why a truly strategic communications platform has to account for all four channels, not just the ones you control.

→ Why going solo is both harder and more liberating than working in an agency, and the mindset shift that changes how you network when you are the team.

→ The biggest mistake Barry sees networkers make: talking before they listen. The difference between hearing and active listening — and why active listening is your fastest route to a genuine connection.

→ Why your first client as a solopreneur is probably already in your network — and the simple, low-pressure outreach move that landed Barry his very first consulting assignment.

→ Features vs. benefits: the communication lesson Barry teaches every client, and why it applies just as much to your 60-second intro in a networking room as it does to your marketing copy.

→ The question Barry uses instead of "so, what do you do?" — and why asking about challenges opens up more honest, useful conversations than almost anything else.

→ Barry's three-part follow-up formula: immediacy, follow-on action, and making good on your promises — and why all three together are what separate dependable partners from forgettable contacts.

🌐 Connect with Barry: startwithtruth.com

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Hosted by Melissa Taylor, the Network Build Grow Podcast is where business owners, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals come to learn real, actionable strategies for building relationships, growing their circle of influence, and turning their network into their most powerful business asset.

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