The Trending Communicator

You can't communicate your way out of a values problem. Yet every day, communications leaders are expected to do precisely that.

In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle sits down with ⁠Emil Hill⁠, principal of The Creshiem Group and a public affairs strategist with 25+ years navigating the intersection of business, government, and communications. From guiding the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation to helping Papa John's face their reckoning, from UnitedHealth Group to the National Education Association, Emil's been the strategist organizations call when quick fixes won't cut it.

Emil and Dan explore why the consolidation of corporate communications, investor relations, government relations, and research under corporate affairs* umbrellas is the recognition that every stakeholder now connects to every other stakeholder. They dig into why crises reveal values misalignment, why your stock price timeline and your actual problem timeline are incompatible, and why "calm, clarity, and precision" matters more when everything's moving faster.

*Dan says “Public Affairs” but means “Corporate Affairs” throughout the episode. He apologizes, especially to Megan Noel, for his confusion.

Listen in and hear about...

Notable Quotes

On The Power of Immersive Partnership: "I don't know if you can really be a good partner to any client if you don't immerse yourself in their business, understand who their competitors are, try to get a sense for their DNA and try to advise based on those understandings. If you don't have that, yeah, you're going to fall short every time." — Emil Hill [00:07:53 → 00:08:17]

On The Future of Local News: "I am craving a deeper dive into, into local news that the Washington Post cannot provide for me and Mary about what's going on here that's not in the news. And it feels like with the evolution of technology, some enterprising business person is going to figure out a way to cobble together more information and news about particular parts of the country, city, state and local in a way that we used to." — Emil Hill [01:00:27 → 01:01:03]

On Navigating Economic Uncertainty: "I think businesses, individuals and communities around the country, I think you want to hold on to your optimism. I think you should get active, but ride it. And this too shall pass." — Emil Hill [01:06:59 → 01:08:08]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Emil Hill

Timestamps

0:00:00 Introduction – Rise of Public Affairs and Emil Hill’s Expertise
0:06:15 Pathways into Public Affairs – Problem Solving and Business Acumen
0:11:03 Consolidation of Corporate Communications Functions
0:16:44 Stakeholder Connections in a Rapid News Cycle
0:23:19 Measuring Audience Sentiment and Internal vs. External Messaging
0:29:22 Persuading Stakeholders – Importance of Data and Explanation
0:34:57 AI’s Role in Communications – Data, Analysis, and Domain Expertise
0:42:32 Brand Missteps and the Limits of Research
0:47:13 Real Audience Research vs. Social Media Noise
0:53:42 New Corporate Affairs Capabilities – Local Sentiment and Crisis Response
0:58:44 Local News Evolution and Technology’s Impact
1:04:39 Ideas for AI-Driven Local News Coverage
1:08:08 Optimism, Change, and Closing Thoughts
1:09:36 Outro and Subscription Info

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic)

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your customers are changing because of AI. But so are you—whether you realize it or not.

Host Dan Nestle welcomes back Mark Schaefer, whose new book How AI Changes Your Customers reveals a transformation most people aren't prepared for. As one of 300 futurists who contributed to Elon University's Being Human in 2035 study, Mark brings insights beyond the usual AI hype.

Mark and Dan explore the psychological rewiring that is happening as AI reshapes human agency, empathy, purpose, and trust. They confront the choice everyone faces: use AI to augment your thinking, or delegate so much that critical skills atrophy.

This isn't another "AI will save us" or "AI will ruin everything" conversation. It's a balanced look at implications most people haven't considered—like algorithms becoming decision-makers, with conversion rates from AI referrals 23 times higher than those from traditional SEO.

Listen in and hear about...

Notable Quotes

On The Psychology of AI: "No one's talking about the psychology of AI that literally before our eyes, humanity is being rewired. The psychology of human beings is changing." - Mark Schaefer [00:08:13 → 00:08:28]

On Attention Spans: "Don't tell me people don't have a long attention span. The problem is they're being more selective. You've got to earn it. So it's not that they have a short attention span. You, You've got a short interesting span. They're abandoning you for something else." - Mark Schaefer [00:15:38 → 00:15:53]

On The Power of Vulnerability: "What this world is lacking is a real human voice, friendly, accessible, vulnerable. And think about the power of that. To really be human. You've got to be. Have a sense of vulnerability. But we don't get that from brand voices. Very, very rarely. And think of the opportunity to stand out, to be audacious, to just by flubbing up once in a while, just by admitting you made a mistake every once in a while." - Mark Schaefer [00:27:37 → 00:28:05]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Mark Schaefer

Timestamps

0:00:00 AI’s Impact: Dan’s Intro and Use of NotebookLM
0:03:03 Mark’s Reaction: AI Enables Bolder, Creative Work
0:05:16 Mutual Mentorship and AI Experimentation
0:07:29 Mark’s Book: Humanity’s Changing Psychology with AI
0:09:12 Agency, Empathy, Intimacy, and AI Decision-Making
0:11:41 AI Search: GEO, Marketing to Algorithms
0:13:02 The Golden Age of PR: Credibility and Authority
0:15:13 Attention Span Myth & Content Selectivity
0:17:21 Volume vs. Quality: Content for AI and Humans
0:19:35 Cumulative Advantage & Brand Authority in AI Era
0:21:42 Personal Brand Building: Quality is Essential
0:23:13 Earning Social Signals & Genuine Content
0:25:47 AI Editing, Strategic Awkwardness, and Vulnerability
0:28:46 Challenges for Corporates: Embracing Awkwardness
0:31:20 Feelings as a Competitive Advantage
0:35:28 Transcendence: Artful, Long-Form, and Human Content
0:37:56 Respecting the Reader: Content Length & Value
0:39:55 Hopeful AI: Augmentation, Mentorship, Markbot
0:42:24 Real Education & AI: Preparing Young People
0:42:46 Closing Remarks: Book Recommendation & Mark’s Links

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic)

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You can be the smartest person in the room, but if no one knows you or your point of view, you don't have authority. This "authority gap" is why most professionals struggle to earn attention, build trust, and gain influence.

In this episode, host Dan Nestle sits down with Amanda Russell, author of The Influencer Code, creator of the influence equation (Influence = Attention + Trust), founder of Amanda's Playbook, and architect of UCLA's first fully accredited influencer marketing program. Amanda challenges the assumption that awareness equals influence, revealing why measuring clicks and impressions keeps communicators trapped in vanity metrics rather than building real relationship capital.

For Amanda this isn't just a theory - she knows from experience. From Olympic hopeful to eager consultant to fitness influencer to CMO to educator, she evolved a systems-thinking approach to influence that PR and communications professionals desperately need. She and Dan explore why earned attention compounds while bought attention doesn't, how AI is democratizing content but making authentic relationships more valuable, and why success requires running purposeful miles instead of junk miles.

Listen in and hear about:

Notable Quotes

On Influence vs. Awareness: "You can have all the eyeballs all day long. You can have all the awareness, but if nobody cares or you're not influencing anybody to do anything, that's not influence." - Amanda Russell [06:57]

On Authority: "Authority is when people quote you in rooms you've never even been in." - Amanda Russell [22:40]

On Earned vs. Bought Attention: "Trust is not scalable, but it's transferable. When someone vouches for you, they're transferring their influence to you." - Amanda Russell [20:24]

On Building Real Influence: "Real relationships take time to develop and they take nurturing and they take work. It's about building the foundation of a house versus just slapping up a tent." - Amanda Russell [33:20]

On AI and Expertise: "AI doesn't make you an expert, but if you're already an expert, it makes you unstoppable if you know what to do." - Amanda Russell [43:30]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Amanda Russell

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Influence equals attention plus trust

5:23 Defining influence beyond social media stereotypes

10:25 Moving past vanity metrics in PR/marketing

15:54 Three steps to build systematic influence

20:24 Authority vs expertise in building influence

25:28 Focusing on audience needs and relationships

30:52 Relationship architecture trumps marketing tactics

37:49 AI's impact on content creation and influence

41:38 Using AI to amplify expertise, not replace it

45:24 New model for business education and influence

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai )

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when the communications function stops being about messaging and starts being about business transformation? When your stakeholders include 10,000 employees, 94,000 students, 350,000 alumni, plus investors, policymakers, and healthcare partners?

In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle reconnects with Megan Noel, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Adtalem Global Education, to explore why the CCAO role is a fundamental reimagining of what communications does. Megan leads government relations, investor relations, public affairs, impact and sustainability, and alumni relations under one reputation-focused banner.

From managing the fallout of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" over July 4th weekend to navigating AI search optimization and Wikipedia's importance in reputation management, Megan and Dan dig into the practical realities of corporate affairs at scale. They explore how business acumen has become a hard skill, why curiosity beats credentials, and how communicators can avoid becoming "negative Nancy" while still providing strategic counsel.

Listen in and hear about...

Notable Quotes

On Corporate Affairs Evolution: "The corporate affairs model is just the next step in that evolution. We used to just communicate what the business wanted. Now we're more than just a channel strategy to push things to different audiences." - Megan Noel [07:30]

On Business Acumen: "I certainly don't need to be as sophisticated in our numbers as our CFO. But I need to be dangerous enough in all of them to be able to sit down at a very senior level and have a thoughtful conversation." - Megan Noel [20:29]

On Strategic Counsel: "Instead of saying no, but—offer alternatives or other options so that we could potentially get to yes. When you do have to say the no, it feels like you're using that really thoughtfully and people will take you seriously." - Megan Noel [23:39]

On AI Search Reality: "There is a perception that whatever question you ask AI is unbiased, when in fact it's pulling information through just a different algorithm. It could be just as biased with other bad data." - Megan Noel [46:56]

On Innovation Mindset: "The hiring manager said it was because she showed an appetite to push and to learn and to innovate. That skill, even at the very entry level, matters." - Megan Noel [59:35]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Megan Noel

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Change in PR and marketing

5:47 Evolution of Chief Corporate Affairs Officer role

13:06 Reputation as unifying banner for corporate affairs

19:40 Importance of business acumen for leaders

24:39 Communications as a critical business skill

27:46 Relationship between corporate affairs and marketing

31:28 Fostering disagreement and diverse perspectives

35:41 Impact of AI on search and reputation management

41:24 Proactively managing reputation in AI era

49:28 Balancing content creation and stakeholder engagement

53:43 Innovation as key leadership trait

57:41 Cultivating curiosity and innovation across teams

1:03:31 Closing remarks and contact information

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai )

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

MIT just dropped a bomb: 95% of corporate AI initiatives are failing. Not struggling. Failing. And Sandy Carter knows exactly why.

In this episode of The Trending Communicator, I sit down with Sandy, currently Chief Business Officer at Unstoppable Domains, former VP at Amazon Web Services, and the person who turned IBM's "social business" concept nobody understood into a $200 billion market. Sandy's written seven books, been named to every power list that matters (CNN's Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Tech, Forbes 50 Over 50), but what caught my attention is her philosophy: "AI First, Human Always."

While everyone's either selling AI snake oil or running scared, Sandy's figured out something crucial. Companies aren't failing at AI because the technology doesn't work. They're failing because they're treating it like any other IT rollout: layer it on top of broken processes and hope for magic. Sandy shares why CEOs need to stop brainstorming and start "playstorming," what happens when you ignore Reddit for three years, and why your daughter talking to Grok about party outfits might be the most important trend in communications.

Listen in and hear about:

Notable Quotes

"Audiences today are ready to move on from 'how do I use gen AI for productivity?' into something deeper: What does it mean for us as humans?" - Sandy Carter [00:05:14]

"If your process already didn't work, there's no magic in AI that's going to make it wake up and work." - Sandy Carter [00:18:42]

"You have to experience it. You have to get your hands into it. You have to play with an agent." - Sandy Carter [00:27:38]

"If you take one thing from this whole podcast, put your company in [AI search], put yourself in too, and see what comes out." - Sandy Carter [00:50:54]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Sandy Carter

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Host welcomes Sandy Carter

5:23 AI's impact on human meaning and work

10:24 Why 95% of corporate AI projects fail

15:23 Redesigning workflows for AI integration

20:44 Generational differences in AI adoption

26:58 The importance of "play storming" with AI

32:13 Training everyone on AI, not just tech teams

37:05 Voice interfaces and generational preferences

41:32 Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies

48:43 Checking your company's AI presence

54:41 Closing thoughts on AI and communications

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai )

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gab Ferree led global communications at Slack, Bumble, and OneTrust, reaching every traditional summit in our profession. Then she walked away to build Off The Record, where communications professionals can finally admit they don't have all the answers. Even the VPs who are supposed to.

In this conversation, we explore why 100% of comms professionals are using AI but nobody's talking about it, why reporting to a CMO might be better than reporting to the CEO, and how to stop asking for a seat at the table and start earning it through business outcomes.

What We Get Into

Redefining Success in Communications: Why Gab left high-profile roles to create a support system for other professionals

The Marketing-Communications Relationship: How reporting to a CMO can actually benefit communications teams

AI as a Career Amplifier: Why AI won't replace communicators, but will make them more valuable

The Future of Work Post-AI: Examining productivity gains and their implications for work-life balance

Building a Supportive Community: How Off the Record is changing the game for communications professionals seeking growth and connection

Notable Quotes

"But guess what? Everyone just got promoted. Everyone just got themselves a new specialist underneath them named Claude, who produces everything for you as a first draft. And it may be good, it may be great. Good job. You prompted the model, right? You've trained it right?" - Gab Ferree [40:47 → 41:04]

"I do wonder for like outside of that, are people are going to start talking about like our executives going to talk about like that they have more time, that they get to spend more time with their kids. Maybe they're not burning out. Maybe they don't need to step away to spend more time with their family. Maybe our careers can be more like a marathon and less like a sprint." - Gab Ferree [52:29 → 52:57]

About the Guest

Gab Ferree is the founder of Off The Record, a private membership community for communications professionals. Previously, she served as VP of Global Communications at OneTrust (scaling from startup to $5.1B valuation), led comms at Bumble through major brand transformation, and guided Slack's communications during its Salesforce integration. She's known for her pragmatic approach to building comms programs that align with business goals and her belief that vulnerability and authority can coexist in leadership.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Gab Ferree

Gab Ferree| LinkedIn

Off The Record | Website

Connect with Dan Nestle

Inquisitive Communications | Website

The Trending Communicator | Website

Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack

Dan Nestle | LinkedIn

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Meet Gab Faree, comms expert

5:20 Aligning communications to business goals

11:35 The value of comms reporting to CMO

18:29 Demonstrating value as a communicator

24:20 Using AI to boost productivity in comms

30:52 The future of work and flexible arrangements

37:21 AI as a tool for innovation in companies

44:07 Survey reveals widespread AI use in comms

50:27 Rethinking work hours in the AI era

59:41 Preview of upcoming AI training for comms

1:05:25 Comms poised to own generative AI optimization

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai )

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can you juggle? If you're a communications pro today, you'd better learn how. Just when you think you've got a good rhythm going, someone tosses you another responsibility. Maybe it's a new social platform. Maybe it's a cultural shift that changes how your audience thinks. Maybe it's AI lighting everything on fire. But you can handle it.

In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle sits down with Abenaa (Abby) Hayes, founder and CEO of Elysee Consulting, who's been perfecting this professional juggling act for over two decades, helping executives and organizations navigate inclusion and social impact communications without losing their footing. She doesn't just help companies say the right things; she helps them figure out how to authentically live their values in a fractured landscape where performative statements can and do backfire often.

What happens when the inclusion specialist walks out of the room? Ask American Eagle about their Sydney Sweeney campaign. Or better yet, listen as Abby breaks down why having the right people in the room matters more than ever, and why those people shouldn't be treated like cops, but as strategic advisors who help you achieve what you actually want to achieve. This conversation goes way beyond the DEI acronym to explore what it really means to show up authentically when everyone's watching, everyone's got an opinion, and the stakes keep getting higher.

Listen in and hear about...

Notable Quotes

On the Importance of Inclusion: "To me that's ultimately what it's about. And if I just look at the demographics, both of the US and globally, like we're truly operating in a multicultural and multiethnic world." - Abenaa Hayes [11:40 → 12:02]

On the Evolution of Media Relations: "Media relations is no longer the be all end all in terms of not only driving awareness but cultivating credibility. Right. You've got to take literally like a multi step approach in order to drive ultimately what I call brand engagement." - Abenaa Hayes [36:20 → 37:15]

On AI Literacy: "If you're really looking to future proof a career, your competency and know how to navigate everything that's coming, you have to actually understand how to use it and also be fluent in it." - Abenaa Hayes [50:03 → 51:50]

On AI in Communication: "My contention is that none of this is going to take your job because your job itself is going to be so much different that if you lose your job, it's kind of on you." - Dan Nestle [56:41 → 57:41]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Inquisitive Communications | Website

The Trending Communicator | Website

Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack

Dan Nestle | LinkedIn

Abenaa (Abby) Hayes

Elysee Consulting | Website

Abenaa Hayes | LinkedIn

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Juggling priorities as communicators

5:30 Abena Hayes: Navigating inclusion and social impact

11:39 The importance of authentic inclusion efforts

18:02 Media relations in a fractured landscape

25:01 Storytelling's role in effective communication

31:38 AI literacy and its impact on careers

38:15 The future of communications jobs

44:26 Generative AI and earned media strategies

50:02 Critical thinking in the age of AI

54:39 AI as a tool, not a replacement

1:00:36 The evolving role of communications professionals

1:06:32 Curiosity as a key skill for communicators

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai )

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How many of us are stuck playing media relations hits-and-misses while the real opportunities to drive business transformation seem to be just out of reach?

In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle sits down with Kristel Valaydon, founder of KV Communications, to explore her revolutionary Five Spheres of Connection framework and our capacity to transform PR into a leadership strategy. After 25 years in the industry and 15 years developing her approach, Kristel challenges the traditional view that PR is a marketing function. Instead, she positions communications as a business strategy that creates community around ambitious founders and forward-thinking teams.

Their conversation digs into why most communications work is just broadcasting, how the fractured media landscape demands new approaches, and why AVEs (advertising value equivalents) need to disappear forever. Kristel shares insights from working with what she affectionately calls "rebels and misfits" – innovative leaders trying to shift minds, models, and markets while building genuine communities around their missions.

What We Talk About:

Notable Quotes

On the Evolution of PR: "I came out into the real world of business and an agency and I just noticed for pretty much the duration it was media relations. It was very much focused on celebrity." - Kristel Valaydon [6:50 → 7:05]

On Measuring PR Impact: "We're having those business conversations and discovering actually no one's measuring this. How are we measuring this? And as it turns out, what benefits are we giving the clients here?" - Kristel Valaydon [7:35 → 7:50]

On Working with Rebels: "We call them rebels and misfits, but it's a term of endearment. They don't call themselves that at all, but they're so creative and innovative and they are trying something completely different." - Kristel Valaydon [9:10 → 9:25]

On the Role of AI in Strategy: "I love AI from a strategic point of view. It's a strategic, you know, sort of sparring partner for me. It's really testing my ideas and really going, how can we make this better?" - Kristel Valaydon [59:00 → 59:10]

On Challenging Clients: "We're in services. We're not in servitude, and we are the experts." - Kristel Valaydon [1:06:13 → 1:06:14]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Inquisitive Communications | Website
The Trending Communicator | Website
Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack
Dan Nestle | LinkedIn

Kristel Valaydon

KV Communications | Website
5 Spheres of Connection | KV Comms Website
Kristel Valaydon | LinkedIn

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: The future of communications

5:43 Kristel's journey from agency to entrepreneurship

11:29 Working with rebels and misfits as clients

18:51 How media companies are adapting to change

25:12 The five spheres of connection framework

34:28 Discoverers: Customers and early adopters

41:00 Pathfinders: External partnerships and media

46:43 Measuring success across the five spheres

53:05 Starting with an audit and prioritization

58:11 AI as an enabler for the five spheres

1:04:37 PR's role in building a better world

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai )

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We can navigate a crisis, position a CEO, and craft messaging for millions of people. So why do so many brilliant communications professionals struggle when it comes to talking about themselves?

In this episode of The Trending Communicator, Dan sits down with Natalie Moran, founder of Comms Futurist, who's built her practice around this exact challenge. After managing crisis communications for millions and working at the highest levels of government, Natalie noticed a paradox: the same people who excel at strategic positioning for others often can't articulate their own evolving value.

It's the classic cobbler's children scenario . We've been trained not to be the story, especially those of us with journalism backgrounds. Natalie calls it what it is - we're simply unpracticed at talking about ourselves.

But when two AI-obsessed communicators get together to mull this problem, we (shockingly) discover that even cobblers can benefit from AI.

What We Talk About

Notable Quotes

On the Evolution of Personal Brand: "I quickly realized that there is a real market for coaching comms professionals on how to talk about themselves and how to promote themselves. Because by the time people realize they need to do it, it's too late." - Natalie Moran [41:32 → 41:50]

On the Challenges of Self-Promotion: "These are smart people, they're totally capable, but they just are not practiced at exploring kind of what makes them unique and what differentiates them until like the night before a big interview for a job or something." - Natalie Moran [47:04 → 47:26]

On the Importance of Online Presence: "I think being visible online and having an online presence is the new first impression times 100. You have to have an online presence and it's career insurance." - Natalie Moran [1:06:31 → 1:06:45]

On the Role of Micro-Influencers: "B2B companies especially are looking to people like us who have, you know, moderately sized followings but very hyper specific audiences to promote products and services, period." - Natalie Moran [1:07:30 → 1:07:45]

On the Value of Storytelling: "I think the premium on being a good storyteller is higher now than it's ever been. That is a very, very valuable skill, I think, in the world of AI." - Natalie Moran [53:32 → 53:45]

Resources and Links

Inquisitive Communications | Website

The Trending Communicator | Website

Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack

Dan Nestle | LinkedIn

Natalie Moran

Comms Futurist | Website

Natalie’s Prompt Pack for Comms Leaders | Notion

Natalie Moran | LinkedIn

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Trust recession and evolving communications

5:23 AI's impact on personal branding in comms

11:44 Ethical considerations in AI-assisted communication

17:25 Overcoming resistance to personal branding

23:15 AI as a tool for human-centric communication

29:09 Redefining personal branding for communications professionals

34:03 Leveraging AI for strategic communications planning

39:21 The importance of online presence for communicators

46:24 Balancing personal brand with professional obligations

54:44 AI's role in unlocking personal content potential

1:06:31 The future of communications and micro-influencers

1:12:43 Upcoming "Reimagine" virtual event series

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if empathy isn't just about being nice, but your secret weapon for building systems that actually work?

Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, CEO of L12 Services, spent her early career in construction wearing hard hats and reading blueprints in the 90s. She learned that communication wasn't just a nice-to-have—it was survival. That foundation led her to combine behavioral science, Lean Six Sigma, and internal communications into frameworks that create "clarity from chaos."

What We Dig Into

Why This Matters

In our fractured landscape where priorities multiply daily, Lizabeth's approach of disciplined focus and human-centered processes feels essential. Whether you're managing return-to-office mandates or trying to get teams to read internal communications, this conversation bridges strategy and tactics.

Notable Quotes

"Clear communication was going to be my superpower. And it was, it was really the foundation of all good projects." - Lizabeth Wesely-Casella [05:54 → 06:07]

Resources and Links

Dan Nestle

Lizabeth Wesely-Casella

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Empathy as a strategic advantage

5:19 From construction to communications expertise

10:10 Combining behavioral science and Lean Six Sigma

17:06 Overly optimistic about multitasking capabilities

24:42 AI as potential enabler of bad behaviors

31:27 Challenges of AI summarizing internal comms

39:43 Reframing accountability as a positive tool

46:18 Creating common language around accountability

51:26 AI adoption causing process breakdowns

58:28 Using AI strategically in internal comms

1:04:52 The irreplaceable human element in communication

(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai )

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.