You've Got Comms Podcast

In this episode of You've Got Comms, we explore a bold question: Can AI make intranets feel human again? Host Samantha Grandinetti sits down with Jay Erickson, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Modus Digital, to rethink the digital spaces where work happens.

Jay argues that intranets were never meant to be digital filing cabinets—they should be campfires: places where people gather, connect, and share stories. Together, Sam and Jay dig into burnout, belonging, the emotional side of UX, and why the next generation of intranets won't be about pages and links, but about relationships.

You'll hear why AI might not kill the intranet at all—but instead help us rediscover what makes work meaningful. Expect insights on culture, design, storytelling, and how technology can make room for more human moments at work.

If you're building digital employee experiences, this conversation will leave you with fresh ideas (and maybe a little more hope) about where we're headed.

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the first AI-native Employee Experience Platform. With Staffbase, companies reach everyone across app, intranet, email, SMS, digital signage, and Microsoft 365 — alongside new experiences like personalized podcasts and an AI assistant. Around 2000 organizations rely on Staffbase to inspire people and drive measurable impact.

More information: www.staffbase.com

In this episode of You’ve Got Comms, host Emma Fischer sits down with Maria Luísa García Pérez, Global Internal Communications General Manager at Cosentino, who has spent over 20 years transforming internal comms from a service function into a strategic powerhouse.

Maria Luisa shares how she built a global team from the ground up, connecting 6,000 employees across continents through data-driven strategies, clear priorities, and confident leadership. She breaks down how to say no strategically, link every campaign to business objectives, and use measurement to prove impact.

The conversation also explores the future of internal comms—from personalized messaging and user personas to the rise of agentic AI and how communicators can harness it as a true partner, not a replacement.

Whether you’re leading a small team or scaling a global strategy, this episode will inspire you to position internal communications where it belongs: at the heart of business success.

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the first AI-native Employee Experience Platform. With Staffbase, companies reach everyone across app, intranet, email, SMS, digital signage, and Microsoft 365 — alongside new experiences like personalized podcasts and an AI assistant. Around 2000 organizations rely on Staffbase to inspire people and drive measurable impact.

More information: www.staffbase.com

In this episode of You’ve Got Comms, Preston Lewis, SVP of Communications at Segal Benz, explores how internal comms and HR can work together to create a more personalized, connected employee experience.

From the early days of visual storytelling to today’s AI-powered tools, Preston shares how technology, data, and identity shape modern communication. He breaks down practical ways to drive behavior change, measure impact, and build trust across the organization — all while keeping creativity at the center.

And his advice for every communicator? “Don’t be stupid. Make it good.”

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.

What does it take to make complex HR systems work seamlessly across a global organization? In this episode, Colin Sarafin talks with Sonja Lee, Global HR Information Systems Analyst at Staffbase, about the critical role internal communication plays in every successful HR rollout.

From managing Workday and ADP integrations to ensuring global consistency and adoption, Sonja shares lessons learned, common pitfalls, and her communication-first approach to driving change that sticks.

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.

In this episode of You’ve Got Comms, host Amelia Dahmer chats with Jennifer Lentner, founder of Soundtrack Consulting, about scaling internal communications during periods of rapid growth and change. Jennifer shares her journey from engineer to internal comms expert, offering practical insights on preserving trust, connecting with employees at all levels, and balancing one-to-one and one-to-many communication. They explore strategies for avoiding comms fatigue, maintaining authentic leadership voice, and how AI can support—but never replace — the human touch in employee communication.

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.

In this episode of You’ve Got Comms, host Colin Sarafin sits down with digital workplace consultant Lisa Riemers to unpack what really makes a strong digital employee experience.

From the importance of accessibility and frontline access, to the critical collaboration between HR, IT, and comms teams, Lisa shares practical insights and quick wins organizations can act on right away. The conversation also explores how AI is shaping the workplace — where it helps, where it risks misleading, and why plain language still reigns supreme.

Whether you’re managing intranets, rolling out apps for frontline staff, or planning your next comms strategy, this episode is packed with ideas to make digital work work better.

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.

What does true impact in internal communications look like—and how do you measure it? In this episode of You’ve Got Comms, host Samantha Grandinetti sits down with Kateryna Byelova, a top-ranked comms creator and founder of Sage XP, to explore how internal comms can drive measurable behavior change and business results.

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Selected People, Places & Things Mentioned:

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Follow the host and guest:

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

Follow Staffbase:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.

In this episode of the You've Got Comms Podcast, Staffbase's Samantha Grandinetti chats with Blake Aviles, Senior Communications Specialist at T-Mobile, about the internal podcast Talking with Trailblazers. Originally a live event series, the program evolved into a powerful internal podcast spotlighting courageous conversations, external thought leaders, and T-Mobile’s own people—wherever they work.

Blake shares how the team makes podcasting inclusive, strategic, and deeply human—plus how to pitch big ideas, build host chemistry, and center employee impact. Whether you’re a comms team of one or building something bold, this episode is full of practical insights and inspiration to bring your internal storytelling to life.

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Selected People, Places & Things Mentioned:

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.

Why are so many companies launching internal podcasts—and what makes them effective? In this episode of the You’ve Got Comms Podcast, Emma Fischer sits down with Maximilian Conrad, CEO and co-founder of Hypecast, to talk about the role of audio in modern internal communication.

They explore how podcasts help organizations connect with distributed teams, build trust through authentic leadership voices, and turn everyday stories into meaningful content. From repurposing episodes into months of material to making CEOs more human, this conversation is packed with practical advice for communicators—no studio required.

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Selected People, Places & Things Mentioned:

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

Follow Staffbase:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

=========

About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.

In this episode of the You've Got Comms Podcast, Emma Fischer talks with internal communication expert Monique Zytnik about what it really means to communicate at scale.

From her surprising start as a physiotherapist to leading conversations on AI and ethical persuasion, Monique shares actionable advice for building trust, navigating complex organizations, and coaching comms teams through change.

They explore immersive communication, the line between persuasion and manipulation, and why internal comms is about much more than messages—it's about meaning.

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Selected People, Places & Things Mentioned:

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Follow the host and guest:

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Join the You’ve Got Comms newsletter: https://insights.staffbase.com/join-the-comms-club

Follow Staffbase:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/staffbase/mycompany/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Staffbase

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About Staffbase:

Staffbase is the fastest-growing, most experienced employee communications platform provider for enterprise companies seeking to inspire diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforces. Staffbase is on a mission to empower communicators worldwide with a platform that helps companies connect with every employee through inspiring communication that drives collaboration and achieves business results.

Headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase has offices worldwide, including New York City, London, Berlin, Sydney, and Vancouver.

Learn more at staffbase.com.