Episodes

Sorry, but here we go again. Poor judgment turns up online, and someone now needs to apologize. School photos of a high-profile politician wearing blackface surface online before an election and the masses call for a resignation. A cast member on a popular television program is hired, then quickly fired for comments made on a podcast. Why do some people survive the PR crisis while others perish? The answer is in the apology. Today on the Confident Communications Podcast, we’re going to look at t...

Leaders in business juggle communication challenges from all angles--their teams, the media and even their families. On the plus side, if we’re open and communicating, we’re able to choose the message that others hear. Unfortunately, that’s not always what happens in the real world. As this week’s guest, Scott Harvey, tells us, too many people aren’t good at actively listening. And in some cases for organizations, they don’t always communicate openly with the press -- much to their detriment. ...

What were you doing 18 years ago this week, on September 11, 2001? If you’re like most people in my talks and workshops, you know exactly where you were, what you were doing and what you thought about first when you heard about the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center. But have you thought about how the way you find and react to the news has changed since that day? Today, we wouldn’t run to television stations to find the latest on breaking news; we’d grab our cell phones or laptops....

LinkedIn is for Leaders Facebook is a bit too young and social for business leaders, but with 252 million people logging in each month, LinkedIn is the place to be. If you know how to use it. In this week’s episode of the Confident Communication Podcast, how to get started on LinkedIn and how to make sure your profile is working for you. It’s a professional social platform that can help you network with others in your industry, raise your visibility, share thought leadership and even help you ta...

Leaders want to be heard, but often leaving that message up to the news media bring stress and unease. In his new book, Gary Schneeberger hopes to reduce the acrimony toward news reporters and teach the secrets to being in control of the interview. We talk about this and more in this week’s episode of the Confident Communications Podcast. In the digital age, the news cycle has gone from 24 hours to 24 seconds (thank you, Twitter) and it’s bound to change even more as we move forward. We no longe...

Podcasts have become one of my favorite innovations in the 20th century. They’re easy to listen to on the go and offer both valuable information and entertainment. The downside? We have so many to choose from these days, it’s hard to know what to tune into. As a self-professed podcast junkie, I wanted to share with you some of my own favorite podcasts right now (aside from my own, of course!). Here’s my list, by category, so you can dive in and start enjoying some of your own. Business Podcast...

We hear about authenticity all the time, but what does it mean and how can you use it as a leader? Actions speak louder than words and as a leader, you have people who look to you for information and guidance. Good leaders are authentic in their communication--what they say, how they say it and what they do. But that doesn’t mean that everyone likes them. In fact, often their authenticity repels others--and that can be a good thing when you’re trying to find the right team members or gain visibi...

Communicating effectively and being authentic are two components in building not just fans (of you and your business) but superfans. And in today’s online world, securing the marketing real estate you need to attract the right people can be tricky. This week on the Confident Communications Podcast, I'm speaking with Pat Flynn, entrepreneur and host of the Smart Passive Income Podcast. He shares how he took the experience of getting laid off from his dream job and turned it into a business, which...

Back in the day, press releases were typed up then mailed or faxed out to news organizations. Today, thankfully, we can toss the snail mail and fax machines and email them out. But because of the changes in technology, communications professionals need to change their methods if they want their news releases to get picked up by the media and published. How do you get the attention of the media outlets? That’s exactly what I cover on today’s episode of the Confident Communications Podcast. I’m gi...

The revelation that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was facing sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 left a wake of fear among many big wheels who considered Epstein - at one time or another - a friend. From Washington D.C. to Manhattan, to even (gulp) The Palace, people who have a history with Epstein needed to say something, and say it quickly. A lot of well-known people connected with him have been scrambling for the appropriate response for socializing with a convicted sex offender. This ...

In the early hours of July 17, 1999, the world watched and waited to find out the fate of America’s son, John F. Kennedy, Jr. The night before, he took off from Essex County airport in his single-engine plane carrying his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette. They were bound for Martha’s Vineyard but never arrived. I was a reporter in Cape Cod at the time and had a front-row seat to the media coverage. I was part of the media coverage. But I was also a young and co...

My job is professional development. I teach business leaders how to up their communication game in workshops, talks and online forums...and podcasts. I’d like to think that I have my presentation and curriculum development skills up to par with some of the best--a requirement when you’re trying to keep high-achieving students engaged. But I hear two things from many of my audience members: either they feel like their organization doesn’t offer much in the way of professional development for some...

No matter your profession, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to be on camera (whether you welcome the idea or not). But like speaking in front of a crowd, not everyone is a natural at it. You worry about looking frumpy, saying the wrong thing, sweating through your suit jacket or stuttering through your remarks. These are all common concerns, but with some practice and the tips on this episode of the Confident Communications Podcast, you’ll be a natural. I’m sharing how to deal with on-camera ...

I’ve heard a lot of disparaging remarks about Millennials during my talks and workshops, and after asking other generations their thoughts on these so-called youngsters I’ve decided it’s time to give them a break. The thing is, most people’s perceptions of Millennials are wrong. Not only are they not the lazy, entitled narcissists I’ve heard them being called, they’re also not even in the age bracket most people assume they fall into. It’s time to give Millennials a break and stop blaming them f...

LinkedIn is the online version of walking into a conference or big networking event, according to this week's guest on the Confident Communications Podcast. Kristal Hicks is the founder of JOBTALK, where she helps everyone from new college graduates to those looking to transition in their careers to optimize their LinkedIn profiles for success. With LinkedIn, professionals can connect with others in their industry and even hunt for a job--under the radar. Krystal shares how to get the attention ...

Leaders must continue to work to be more relevant in modern times. As technology changes, it can become more and more difficult to stay in the know. But if you’re off the grid and not online--or struggle to keep up with new communication trends--you’re hurting your brand. This week, I share four ways in which you can be seen, heard, and remain relevant. Yes, social media is a big part of the puzzle, but there is also much to talk about with interpersonal communications. How you speak and conne...

It’s happened again. A high-profile man accused of inappropriate conduct. Even those with a PR staff to help them out don’t always respond appropriately when their reputation is being attacked. That’s exactly my take on the recent man in the spotlight: Tony Robbins. This week on the Confident Communications Podcast, I’m dissecting the accusations against Tony Robbins and his response. What did he do right? Where did he (and others) miss the mark? What happens next? There’s a 3-step process fo...

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 the right message and stay transparent and relevant to your audience. If you want to run and hide when you hear a reporter is on the line, or avoid speaking in public because it makes you uncomfortable, you need to take a step back and listen in to this episode of the Conf...

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 appropriate thing to do? In honor of National Waitstaff Day, this week’s episode of Confident Communications focuses on all the things your waitstaff wants you to know about dining in a restaurant--but can’t actually tell you. Waitstaff are key personnel in my business because...

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 know about you, but I often Google the name of someone who reaches out to me for business -- for a media interview or for help in their business. I want to know who I’m dealing with before I agree to do any work with or for someone. And I love that it’s so easy to find the i...

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 leave online. Unfortunately, you don’t have time to manage your reviews all day long. And you shouldn’t. What you should do, however, is make sure that you respond to every single review you receive--good or bad. In fact, it’s even more important to respond to bad reviews, publi...

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 of Washington D.C. The journalists I met had a passion for finding the story and making sure the public heard it. One of the journalists I encountered during my career was Jeanne Meserve, an anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News and winner of two Emmy Awards, two CN...

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 their fans, you’ll soon be hitting social media home runs with the big leagues. That doesn’t mean you need to be on all the social platforms; it just means that you need to find which platforms your people are on, know what’s going to stop their scroll and then give them the ...

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--still. There’s no shame in not knowing what a hashtag is or how to use it. There really aren’t any true tutorials on it and for us Gen-Xers and older, it’s just the pound symbol on the dial pad of the phone you grew up with. But for those of us who use social media on a regula...