Communications Business Advisor

In this season finale of the Communications Business Advisor podcast, Tara McDonagh reflects on the themes that shaped the season and what they ultimately revealed about authority in the communications field. What started as a conversation about authority evolved into something much deeper: the hidden dynamics keeping communications leaders stuck, the "helper trap" limiting advancement, and the di...

In this third episode of the strategy series, Tara McDonagh tackles one of the most frustrating realities for communications leaders: you built the communications strategic plan … and it still isn't working. The issue isn't always the communications strategy itself. More often, it's what happens after it's built. This episode breaks down why strategies fail to take hold and what it actually takes...

In this follow-up to the long-term planning conversation, Tara McDonagh tackles a common but critical gap for communications leaders: having a strategy… that only exists in your head. You know where the function needs to go. You're making decisions based on it every day. But without documenting and aligning it with your organization, that strategy can't build authority, secure resources, or shape...

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara tackles a narrative that's gaining traction in the field: that long-term planning no longer works in today's constantly shifting environment. Her take is clear. That thinking is not only incorrect, it's risky. While volatility is real, abandoning long-term planning doesn't make communication...

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara explores what happens when you're not in the right room — and how the right room can completely change your thinking, decisions, and authority. Building on recent conversations about isolation and helpfulness, this episode focuses on a key shift: strong leadership isn't built in isolation. I...

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this solo episode, Tara explores a counterintuitive pattern she sees repeatedly in her work with communications leaders: many talented communicators don't stall in their careers because they're underperforming. They stall because they've become exceptionally good at being helpful. Helpfulness builds trust earl...

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor podcast. In this solo episode, Tara shares an update, perspective, and invitation. Because right now, if there's one way to describe the collective experience of communications leaders, it's this … it's a lot. The world feels heavy. The mental swivel factor is high. We are absorbing headlines, advising executives, managing reputational risk, runn...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor ™ podcast with host, Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara continues the Path to CCO+ series with Laura Duda , Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Goodyear . Laura shares what it really means to lead communications at the enterprise level, how she built her path from "writer first" to executive leader, and what communicators need...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Anthony Farina , a seasoned global communications leader whose career spans journalism, government, and corporate communications at the highest levels. Anthony currently leads Corporate Communications for Fujifilm in the Americas and previously served as Chief Communications Office...

Welcome to the C ommunications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara opens the new season with a declaration — not a trend forecast or resolution — naming the official word for communications professionals in 2026: authority. Building on last year's word, no, Tara explains why the moment has shifted. While boundaries and discernment remain critical, communicators...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this bonus episode, Tara sits down with Raise the Tide™ members (and life admin evangelists) Amy Lockmiller and Jessica Onick to talk about something most senior communicators quietly struggle with: the invisible workload of running a life, a home, and a career all at once. Instead of another conversation about "do...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor ™ podcast with host, Tara McDonagh.   In this episode, Tara gets real about one of the biggest myths she hears from women regularly: that they "suck at networking." Spoiler alert, they don't. They just don't network like men. Tara explains how traditional, low-touch "networking" settings … PRSA or IABC events,  chamber breakfasts,, award dinners, conf...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara steps back to reflect on the biggest insights emerging from her ongoing Path to the CCO+ conversations — and speaks directly to communications professionals who may feel that the CCO seat, or even strategic influence, still feels out of reach. Drawing from her interviews with Judy Rader, Stephani...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Bianca Olson , Chief Communications Officer at HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) —a learning company focused on the K–12 market—where she reports directly to the CEO. Bianca traces her path from agency PR during the dot-com era to leading a modern communications function inside a com...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor ™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Libby May , Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) —the nation's largest provider of nonprofit higher education, serving over 200,000 learners. Libby shares how she built and now leads a 65-person External Affairs and Communic...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Stephanie Roberts , Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, a global company within the Hitachi Ltd. family. Joining from Japan, Stephanie shares how she leads a 25+ person global function spanning Japan, the U.S., Europe, China, and Southeast Asia—and...

Welcome to the Communications Business Adviso r™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation, the nation's largest producer of clean energy.  Judy shares what it takes to lead a 60-person corporate affairs function at a Fortune 200 company, why she holds both the CCO a...

Welcome to the Communications Business Adviso r™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara kicks off a new season by tackling one of the most pressing questions for senior communications professionals: what does a clear career path look like in a field that often feels misunderstood, oversimplified, and muddy? The Reality of Q4 for Comms Teams Tara opens with a candid look at the fall...

Episode 29 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host, Tara McDonagh, dives into Raise the Tide™ , a program for women leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field working in a corporate (or related) environment. Tara unpacks exactly what Raise the Tide™ is, why it was created, and how it works.  Raise the Tide™ is a complete program for women in the Communications field...

Welcome to Episode 28 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. Today, Tara tackles a big question for communications leaders: how do you create a long-term plan in uncertain, volatile times like right now? She shares practical strategies to help Communications Leaders make it happen, even during chaos. Start from the (Ever-Changing) Business Strategy Tara explains how to...

Welcome to this week's episode of the Communications Business Adviso r™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. Today, Tara dives into one of the most critical challenges communication leaders face in uncertain times—advocating for more resources, influence, and investment when the natural reaction right now is to contract. If you've been questioning how to maintain your role as an advisor and resist slipping...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor ™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. This week, Tara dives into a timely and scary issue—corporate communications is at risk of losing ground after years of progress. From earning a seat at the table to influencing decisions, these gains of being heard and respected are now under threat in today's economic and corporate environment. What can we do to maintai...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh, your go-to platform for corporate communications professionals who elevate their work, build influence, and solidify their role as critical advisors at the decision-making table. In this episode, we continue our discussion on Moms in Comms, and we tackle it a bit differently this time.  We hear YOUR voices … YOUR stories …...

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. This week, we kick off a two-part series on navigating communications leadership through the lens of motherhood, bias, and systemic challenges. Tara shares her personal experiences navigating being in this field both as a mom - and as a child free woman for quite a long period of her career. And she ties it all to why we d...

This one was first released last year and listening to it again, I was struck by how relevant it still is. If you're a woman in this field, or just interested in learning more about the unique challenges women in this field face … maybe you manage them or are managed by one, or collaborate with them … this is the episode for you. Listen in and let me know what you think.  Women dominate the Commun...