The PR Podcast

Companies spend millions attending industry conferences and events, but are they getting a meaningful return on their investment? On this episode of The PR Podcast, we’re joined by Alina Sysoeva, Head of PR at Drofa Comms, to explore how companies can turn major industry events into opportunities to build trust, strengthen their reputations and influence key stakeholders. Alina shares strategies f...

How do you turn online attention into real-world action? On this episode of The PR Podcast, we’re joined by Talya Striph, Digital Director at anat, to explore how nonprofits, advocacy organizations and mission-driven brands can use digital communications to build audiences, inspire engagement and mobilize supporters. With more than a decade of experience in digital strategy and issue advocacy, Tal...

What has changed in journalism — and what still matters? Tim Scheld is a media and journalism professor, former broadcast news executive, award-winning reporter, and author of "My Front Row Seat," a memoir about his career in news. In this episode of The PR Podcast, Tim talks about his path through journalism, the stories and experiences that shaped his career, and what PR professionals often misu...

Amanda Green is the founder of InYourVoice MediaWorks and creator of the newsletter “So, Now You’re a Journalist,” which explores the changing lines between journalism, PR, marketing and brand storytelling. A former television news producer, Amanda helps organizations think more like media companies—finding stronger stories, building direct relationships with audiences and adapting to a media land...

Anna Crowe is the founder and CEO of Crowe PR, an award-winning integrated public relations agency she launched in 2015.Her path to PR is anything but typical. Anna began her career in accounting at a Big Four firm before moving into marketing and communications, where she went on to work with iconic brands including Sony, AT&T, Jennifer Lopez, The Beatles, and Coldplay. Today, she brings that...

Vishakha Mathur is a Vice President at SKDK and a strategic communications leader with more than eight years of experience helping major institutions shape how they are seen, understood, and trusted. She has led communications campaigns for Ivy League institutions, healthcare systems, major philanthropic organizations, and nonprofits, with expertise spanning media relations, issues management, sta...

Wanda J. Herndon is an award-winning communications executive, author, and trailblazer best known as the first senior vice president of global communications for Starbucks Coffee Company. Raised in a working-class African American family in Flint, Michigan, she became one of the first in her extended family to attend college and went on to build a groundbreaking career at Dow Chemical, DuPont, and...

What does communication really look like when an airline incident is unfolding in real time? In this episode of The PR Podcast, host Jody Fisher talks with Dan Landson, founder of Ascension Communications and a strategic communications veteran with more than 20 years of experience in news, aviation, and transportation. After beginning his career as a television news producer, Dan spent more than a...

Liz Brooks brings a rare combination of traditional PR training and frontline podcast marketing experience to every client she serves. Having worked with blue-chip agencies including Allison PR and Ketchum, and with clients ranging from global B2B tech companies to health and wellness brands, Liz understands how media strategy actually moves the needle. She came up in the industry introducing thou...

Scott Baradell is the founder and CEO of Idea Grove, a nationally recognized PR and digital marketing agency that helps B2B organizations build visibility, credibility, and trust. Since launching the agency in 2005, Scott has advised startups, growing companies, and global brands on communications, reputation, and growth strategy. He is the author of Trust Signals: Brand Building in a Post-Truth W...

Summer may feel like the slow season in PR, but smart communicators know it can be one of the best times to build visibility and prepare clients for what comes next. In this episode of The PR Podcast, host Jody Fisher breaks down practical ways PR people can use the summer months to maximize exposure, strengthen media relationships and get ready for the busy fall season. From finding timely summer...

What does it take to communicate clearly when the stakes are high, the audience is overwhelmed, and every message matters? In this episode of The PR Podcast, host Jody Fisher talks with Cyndee Woolley, founder and CEO of C2 Communications, a strategic communications firm that helps government agencies, businesses, and community leaders cut through the noise and connect with the people they need to...

AI learns from what you tell it. So what are you saying? Leah Nurik is the CEO and Co-Founder of Brandi AI, a brand intelligence and AI visibility platform that helps brands understand and improve how they show up in generative AI search. With more than 25 years of experience in B2B tech PR, brand marketing, and strategic communications, Leah has built companies and strategies at the intersection...

What makes a podcast feel authentic? In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Moss, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of JAR Podcast Solutions, one of the world’s leading branded podcast agencies. Jennifer has helped organizations ranging from Amazon and Cirque du Soleil to Wharton create podcasts that do more than promote a brand—they tell stories that audiences genuinely want to hear. The...

Summer is not downtime for PR professionals — it’s opportunity season. In this Memorial Day special episode of The PR Podcast, host Jody Fisher talks about why the summer months are one of the most overlooked opportunities in public relations and marketing. While many organizations slow down between Memorial Day and Labor Day, smart brands use the season to build momentum, create content, strength...

Flyer PR is proving that the future of public relations isn’t waiting until graduation. Based at the University of Dayton, this student-run agency gives aspiring communications professionals real-world experience managing campaigns, navigating crisis simulations, working with clients and building brands before they ever enter the workforce full-time.    On this episode of The PR Podcast, we’re joi...

Dorie Klissas is the founder and president of Dorie Klissas Media and an Emmy Award-winning television producer. She spent 15 years at NBC’s Today Show and is an Edward R. Murrow Award contributor for her work on The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. She has served in leadership positions at major health systems, including the Mount Sinai Health System, Hackensack Meridian Health, and NYU Langon...

Jennifer Acree is the founder and CEO of JSA+Partners, a strategic communications agency she has led for more than 17 years, working with major consumer tech brands including Yahoo, Sphere, Electronic Arts, Exploding Kittens and Character. AI. She’s known for blending strong storytelling with data-driven strategy, most recently through launching Fogline, a proprietary measurement platform focused...

Mark Mallchok, Chief Event Strategist and co-founder of Brella Productions, joins the show to break down what it really takes to create corporate events that deliver results—not just applause. With a background in theater and film, Mark brings a storytelling-first approach to designing experiences that engage audiences across in-person, virtual, and hybrid environments. He shares how companies can...

Alison Seibert is the founder and principal of The James Collective, a boutique PR and integrated communications agency that captures the power of attention for leading lifestyle brands. TJC partners with high caliber CPG food and beverage, wine & spirts and travel companies who are dedicated to creating a more delicious and connected world. Founded in 2015, The James Collective has grown to a...

What happens when you combine storytelling, strategy, and high-stakes advocacy? You get a communicator who understands not just how to craft a message—but how to make it matter. This week on The PR Podcast, we sit down with Caroline Sánchez-Avakian, Strategic Communications Director at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, to talk about the intersection of policy, narrative, and real-world impact...

Most agencies treat legal like a necessary expense—something to deal with when contracts need signing or problems arise. But what if legal strategy could actually become a driver of revenue, protection, and long-term growth? In this episode of The PR Podcast, we sit down with Sharon Toerek, a marketing and intellectual property attorney who works with independent PR, marketing, and creative agenci...

Restaurant PR is one of the most competitive and fast-moving sectors in communications. Grand openings, influencer buzz, local community engagement, and crisis management all collide in an industry where every detail matters. In this episode of The PR Podcast, I speak with Courtney Mazzella, Vice President of Client Services at Champion, one of the largest restaurant PR agencies in the United Stat...

Our guest is Matisse Hamel-Nelis, an award-winning communications strategist and accessibility advocate who is helping organizations rethink how they show up in the world. From websites and press releases to social media and broader communications strategy, Matisse specializes in making content not just compliant—but genuinely usable, inclusive, and impactful for everyone. She brings a rare blend...

Liz Burke is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Journalism at Hofstra University and a reporter at News 12 Long Island, teaching the next generation of journalists while actively covering news in one of the most competitive local media markets. She understands exactly what reporters look for, how stories get assigned, and where PR efforts succeed—or fall flat—in real time. Her social media is an in...