Employee engagement is evolving — and the old assumptions no longer hold. Today, workers want more than a paycheck. They want growth, flexibility, and to feel like their voices matter. In this episode, we unpack surprising new research on what really drives engagement, retention, and belonging inside organizations. Olivia Fajardo joins us to explain why internal communications has become mission critical — and how companies can move from simply talking to truly connecting. If you care about building teams that stay and thrive, this conversation is for you.

 Listen For

4:14 PR: As Stressful as Firefighting

5:05 Why Communicators Feel More Purpose

6:34 Career Stagnation: The Hidden Threat

9:27 The Hybrid Challenge for Internal Comms

12:05 The Listening-Action Gap

12:10 Olivia’s Strategies to Build Trust and Accountability

20:05 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Helena Humphrey

Guest: Oliva Fajardo, Director of Research, Institute for Public Relations

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Link to IPR Study Employee Engagement in the Communications Industry

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More Americans are turning down the volume on domestic news — and turning up British voices instead. From BBC to The Guardian, outlets across the Atlantic are reshaping how U.S. audiences see their own country. 

Why is this happening? And what does it say about trust, tone, and the global conversation? 

Listen For

3:48 British Media’s Rising Credibility in the U.S.

7:23 Could BBC Influence U.S. Culture?

12:29 Feminism, TikTok, and the Tradwife Dilemma

18:47 Femininity and Power Around the World

21:32 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Sarah Waddington 

Guest: Helena Humphrey, BBC

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Feeling stuck or stressed at work? You might just need to GROW your way out.
 
Executive coach Sarah Waddington shares the power and practicality of the GROW model — Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward — in transforming workplace performance, especially within high-pressure environments like PR. 

Sarah breaks down how this deceptively simple coaching framework fosters self-awareness, reduces stress, builds resilience, and helps individuals and teams move from dependency to interdependency. 

From managing difficult clients and workplace lethargy to unlocking mindset shifts for career advancement, this conversation offers actionable tips to leaders and middle managers alike on how to introduce coaching into fast-paced and demanding cultures.

Listen For

5:15 Why GROW works for both work and life

7:04 Applying GROW in the pressure cooker of PR

11:52 Nightmare client scenario: Using GROW in real-time challenges

14:40 Resilience in PR: Avoiding burnout with GROW

16:37 — Baby steps for senior leaders to start using GROW

19:20 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Mark Borkowski 

Guest: Sarah Waddington, CBE

Website | Email | X | LinkedIn | Wadds Inc. 

#FuturePRoof Community https://www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/ 

Socially Mobile https://www.sociallymobile.org.uk/ 

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Reputation is often treated like an invisible asset—vital but fragile. And while we insure everything from homes to art collections, very few think to protect their name. 

In this episode, we speak to PR pioneer Mark Borkowski about a bold new product: crisis insurance for individuals. It’s not just an idea—it’s a rethinking of how we prepare for the worst-case scenario in a world where reputation can be destroyed with just one social media post.

Listen For

4:10 The Power of Optimism Bias

10:33 Delivering Bad News to Powerful Clients

13:25 Why Killing Your Ego Matters

18:12 What Is Reputational Risk Insurance?

21:39 Building an Insurance Product for Reputation

22:50 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Jo Carr 

Guest: Mark Borkowski

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See the LONGER FULL INTERVIEW on our YouTube Channel

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What makes a workplace culture truly thrive—especially in the pressure-cooker world of creative agencies? 

Can you REALLY be tough on the work but kind to your people without compromise?

Jo Carr, co-founder of Hope and Glory and President of Women in PR breaks down the complexities of workplace culture, empathy-driven leadership, and how to create spaces where people—and their diverse lives—can flourish. 

From crafting policies that acknowledge the full spectrum of life’s moments to challenging outdated hiring mindsets, Jo brings wisdom, warmth, and a welcome dose of honesty. She shares how high standards and human kindness aren’t mutually exclusive, why culture should be additive rather than restrictive, and what it takes to keep women in the leadership pipeline. 

Listen For

4:27 Culture = Environment + Experience

8:15 The House Metaphor: Building Structure, Allowing Individuality

9:17 From Culture Fit to Culture Add

16:57 How Do You Build Culture With Cultural Diversity?

19:13 Women in PR: From Majority to Minority in Leadership

23:09 Presence Over Perfection: Being Fully There, Wherever You Are

23:26 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Suhel Seth

Guest: Jo Carr, founder Hope & Glory PR, Women in PR

Website | Email | X | LinkedIn | Women in PR

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In an age where opinions form faster than facts and headlines spark outrage before understanding, how do brands, leaders, and storytellers stay credible? 

Is your opinion truly yours? Or just an echo of your tribe?

In this episode, Suhel Seth unpacks the transformation of communication in the era of attention deficit — from the collapse of nuance to the rise of instant outrage, and why the art of thoughtful messaging might just be the most urgent skill of our time. 

Listen For

3:07 The Cult of Immediacy: A Communication Crisis

7:59 The Lost Art of Contextualization

12:26 Social Identity & Tribal Thinking

14:32 Why Modern Society Fears Disruption

19:14 India: A Market or a Civilization?

23:57 Why India Didn’t Create Google or Facebook

24:50 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Andy Coulson 

Guest: Suhel Seth

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In an age where opinions form faster than facts and headlines spark outrage before understanding, how do brands, leaders, and storytellers stay credible? 

Is your opinion truly yours? Or just an echo of your tribe?

In this episode, Suhel Seth unpacks the transformation of communication in the era of attention deficit — from the collapse of nuance to the rise of instant outrage, and why the art of thoughtful messaging might just be the most urgent skill of our time.

Listen For

3:07 The Cult of Immediacy: A Communication Crisis

7:59 The Lost Art of Contextualization

12:26 Social Identity & Tribal Thinking

14:32 Why Modern Society Fears Disruption

19:14 India: A Market or a Civilization?

23:57 Why India Didn’t Create Google or Facebook

24:50 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Andy Coulson 

Guest: Suhel Seth

Wikipedia Page | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

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What happens when the man behind the headlines becomes the headline?  

Former tabloid editor and Downing Street comms chief Andy Coulson opens up about his very public fall from grace — from resignations and scandal to serving time in prison — and how he rebuilt his life and career in the shadow of cancel culture.  

With raw honesty and sharp insight, Andy talks about the realities of recovery, the myth of reinvention, and why consistency and character matter more than ever in a world obsessed with outrage. 

Listen For

10:57 How to Recover from Cancellation: Strategy Over Reinvention
15:45 Attention Deficit and the New Rules of Reputation
17:48 Crisis Management vs. Political Strategy: Don’t Follow the Trump Playbook
20:28 In a Polarized World, How Do You Define Good and Bad?

23:16 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Tina McCorkindale, PhD

Guest: Andy Coulson

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Wikipedia Page 

Andy’s Podcast Crisis? What Crisis?

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The media landscape is changing – and fast. 

In this episode, Tina McCorkindale, President and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, breaks down the shift away from traditional news and the rise of emerging media. Drawing on insights from a recent survey with PepperCom, she explores how trust in media is evolving and what that means for public relations. 

From the rise of podcasts and influencers to the decline of legacy outlets, Tina offers essential strategies for communicators in today’s fractured media world. 

Listen For

6:54 The New Media Relations Battlefield
8:56 The Rise of News Avoidance
14:22 Broccoli vs. Mars Bar: Explaining News to a Teen
19:59 The Power of Owning Your Channels
20:55 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Sue Heuman

Study with Peppercom Navigating a Changing Media Landscape | Institute for Public Relations

Guest: Tina McCorkindale, PhD

Website | LinkedIn | Google Scholar Profile

Check out the IPR Video Series In a Car with IPR

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The public relations industry has long been recognized as a female-dominated field, with women making up approximately two-thirds of the workforce. However, when it comes to leadership, women remain significantly underrepresented, comprising just one-third of top-tier roles. This disparity raises critical questions about the systemic barriers that prevent women from rising to senior leadership positions in PR agencies and organizations.

In this episode, we examine the challenges faced by women in their careers, the personal and societal factors that hinder their progress, and the strategies they’ve employed to overcome these obstacles. 

Sue Heuman is a strong female leader in the PR industry, a designated Master Communicator through IABC, Past Chair of the IABC Global Communication Certification Council, and an executive leader. 

Listen For

7:35 Where Are the Mentors?

9:38 Too Harsh or Too Soft? The Impossible Standards for Female Leaders

12:23 Sue’s Jaw-Dropping Boardroom Story

14:23 The Confidence Gap: Why Women Don’t Apply

22:48 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Carmine Gallo 

Guest: Sue Heuman, IABC Fellow, Master Communicator

Website | LinkedIn 

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