Episodes
May 28, 2019
30: How to Nail Your Next Media Interview with Brad Phillips
The thought of a call from the media, or (yikes!) a request for an interview is the stuff of nightmares for many business owners and executives. But it’s also par for the course if you want to stay ahead of the story, put out...
May 21, 2019
How to Speak to Waitstaff
How do you ask for your check at a restaurant? Are you a “Check, please!” person or someone who waits to make eye contact with their server then air-signs to let the server know what you want? Do you know which is the more ap...
May 14, 2019
10 Moves to Protect your Online Reputation
Back in the day, you relied on personal relationships when deciding whether to do business with someone. While that’s still the case in a lot of circles, an even more popular method is through our good friend Google. I don’t ...
May 7, 2019
Yelp! I Got a Bad Review! (Now What?)
As many as 90% of people check out reviews on social media and business or industry websites before buying. That means your reviews matter. But what matters even more nowadays is how you respond to reviews your customers leav...
April 30, 2019
26: How To Be a Great Spokesperson: With special guest, former CNN and ABC News Anchor & Correspondent Jeanne Meserve
I spent a good part of my career working with the media in my role as a public affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and my time as the head of communications for the cruise line industry outside ...
April 23, 2019
25: Why Major League Baseball Hits a Homerun Marketing to Fans
Major League Baseball hits a home run when it comes to social media strategy. But you don’t have to be a multi-billion dollar enterprise to get noticed and stay relevant. By following the winning tactics teams use to engage t...
April 16, 2019
24: How the Heck Do You Use a Hashtag?
Do you know the power of a hashtag? (Do you even know what a hashtag is?) I get asked about hashtags a lot in my business, and it’s not uncommon to feel like a #dinosaur. Heck, I question myself every time I use a hashtag--st...
April 10, 2019
23: Annoying Communication Habits You Need to Stop Immediately
You know you’ve seen and heard it: The person driving down the street texting. The mom Facetiming her teenager in the grocery store. Loudly. The video call with background noise (or underwear hanging on the treadmill in the b...
April 2, 2019
22: How to Handle a Difficult Conversation
Everyone has difficult moments in their lives, whether it’s a high-conflict divorce, an argument with a friend or family member or clashed personalities at work. It happens because we’re human and because we often don’t know ...
March 26, 2019
21: A Crisis Case Study: Elizabeth Holmes in a bloody mess
When you’re in the public eye, be ready for scrutiny. Even if you’re not in the public eye, your audience is looking for transparency both online and offline. Try to hide and you’re going to get some backlash--especially in t...
March 19, 2019
20: Your Name Went Viral - But Not in a Good Way. Now What?
Your Name Went Viral - But Not in a Good Way. Now What? Going viral isn’t always a good thing. Just ask Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin , who both had a rough week in court and online because of their involvement in the co...
March 12, 2019
19: 10 Hacks That Take the Suck Out of Writing
Too many people get stressed out when it comes to writing, and it’s usually because they’ve told themselves that they’re a bad writer. But that’s not actually true. Most people know how to write. What you need to figure out i...
March 5, 2019
18: The Secret to Being a Great Speaker
For most people, your voice is simply the tool you use to communicate. But for Gina Razón, this week’s guest on the Confident Communications podcast, the voice is much more than that. And when you don’t use your breath proper...
Feb. 26, 2019
17: The Best and Worst of the 2019 Oscars
Did you watch the 2019 Oscar telecast? I did - that's why I’m looking at how the stars’ publicists did on the most important night in Hollywood. It was the first time in the history of the broadcast that the program went host...
Feb. 19, 2019
16: How to Spot a Liar
Let’s face it, we all lie. Many of those lies are innocent white lies with the intent of making the other person look or feel better ( That jacket looks great on you! ) but other lies are much more hurtful and impactful (thin...
Feb. 12, 2019
15: Bully!: Presidential Communications Throughout the Ages
More than ever, being President of the United States means you need to be at the top of your game as a communicator. And no matter what you think about current or past presidents, each one had his own challenges and triumphs ...
Feb. 5, 2019
14: How to Talk About Racism Without Sounding Like a Racist
The subject of race is a hot-button topic, one that many people shy away from for fear of offending someone. But in America today, it’s not going away. Part of being an effective communicator means being able to relate to and...
Jan. 29, 2019
The Covington Chronicles - When an "Ecounter" Goes Viral
When a big story hits the news, we all take notice. Many of us dissect the events strictly from a "just the facts" point of view, but plenty more tune in to watch the twists and turns, and eventually, the reputation fallout. ...
Jan. 22, 2019
12: The Art of Messaging a Divorce: The Jeff Bezos Method
We’re in a whole new age when it comes to making personal announcements. No matter what the announcement is, the bigger the name, the bigger the story. When Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos announced their divorce on January 9, they ...
Jan. 15, 2019
11: How Not to Be a Bridezilla
December is one of the most popular times of the year to get engaged, which means that many brides (and their mothers) are planning weddings! There are so many communication dynamics that go into wedding planning--from announ...
Jan. 8, 2019
10: A Golden Globes Recap: Who was on message and who missed the mark
In this non-traditional Golden Globes recap, I’m looking at how the stars’ publicists did on one of the most important nights in Hollywood. More than 18 million people tuned in to the 2019 Golden Globes on Sunday night and I ...
Jan. 1, 2019
09: How to Write a Hollywood Ending with your Internal Communications
Every business needs a foundation to communicate with its employees, which is why I brought Victoria Dew of Dewpoint Communications to talk about this critical piece of the communication puzzle. Victoria’s unique perspective ...
Dec. 25, 2018
08: Top Communication Fails that Made Headlines in 2018
Communication fails are a starting point in talking about the importance of having a sound communication skill set. And there were a lot of them in 2018. It helps to know what mistakes look like so you can avoid them, and eve...
Dec. 18, 2018
07: Top Communication Wins that Made the Headlines in 2018
With the year coming to an end, this week's episode delves into ten communication wins of the year by the people, politicians, brands, and beer drinkers who made headlines and then made hay from an earlier challenge they face...