Smart Talk Series

Sometimes the audiences that are the easiest to reach are not the ones that you need to hear from. In today's episode, Melissa sits with Jessica Broome Ph. D., the founder of Southpaw Insights about what inclusive insights are and how they can benefit every communicator. About Jessica: Dr. Jessica Broome is a survey methodologist and insights professional. She founded Southpaw Insights in 2008 to...

Soccer brings together people of all cultures around the world. With a large audience that comes from so many backgrounds, how do you best communicate with each? Tune in to an engaging conversation with the Executive Director of Public Relations for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Daniel "Danny" Marin about how to communicate with an international IQ. About Danny: Daniel Marin is the Executive Director o...

Culturally relevant communication is powerful, especially when it's created with knowledge, empathy, and solidarity. In this episode, Melissa talks to Gabriel Reyes, the president and founder of Reyes Entertainment about his new book and efforts to inform and educate the industry pros about the need for cultural competence. About Gabriel: Gabriel Reyes is considered one of the pioneers of Hispanic...

Join us this season as we focus on Cultural Strategy! Melissa kicks off Season 8 with Associate Director of Race and Ethnicity Research at Pew Research Center, Sahana Mukherjee. Listen as they discuss the important role research plays when crafting cultural strategy. About Sahana: Sahana Mukherjee is Associate Director of Race and Ethnicity research at Pew Research Center. She is an expert on issu...

Season finale! Celebrate the end of Season 7 with an insightful discussion between host Melissa Vela-Williamson and Ernie Zuniga the host of "Pickup Lines". Ernie shares about taking the leap from being a TV morning news anchor on traditional media, to developing a self-produced show with a unique format. About Ernie: For almost 18 years, Ernie Zuniga helped to wake up San Antonio area residents b...

When you see a lack of representation in media, sometimes the best way to address it is to create the type of publication you're craving. In today's episode, Melissa sits down with April Monterrosa, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Live From The Southside Magazine, to talk about creating content for a niche audience and an insider's look into becoming a community influencer. About April: April...

You don't have to be a subject matter expert to help create an engaging event for professionals in a certain sector. You just have to be an expert at creating events. In this episode, Melissa talks with Erika Bradbury, an editorial and event content strategist about creating successful events and communications for business-to-business (B2B) audiences. About Erika: Erika Bradbury is an editorial a...

No matter what field you're in, there's probably a publication that is created for professionals like you and covers stories that are relevant to your area of work. This is called trade journalism. In today's episode, Melissa is joined by John Elsasser, the editor-in-chief of PRSA's Strategies & Tactics for a discussion about the evolution and importance of trade journalism. About John: John E...

As PR pros, we excel at helping clients tell their stories, but when it comes to telling our own, we sometimes find it difficult to "land that plane". Melissa talks to Jacqueline Ruiz, a social entrepreneur (and a real-life pilot) about how the magic of hybrid publishing can help you tell your story. Thought about becoming an author? Listen in! About Jacqueline: Jacqueline Ruiz is a visionary soci...

Join us this season as we focus on The Future of Mass Communication! Melissa kicks off this season with nationally syndicated columnist, Ruben Navarrette. Listen as they discuss the importance of thought leadership in comms, the role of opinion editorials (op-eds), and how to navigate controversial issues as communicators. About Ruben: Ruben Navarrette is a nationally syndicated columnist with The...

Learn Copyright Law do's and don'ts of AI from public relations author Melissa Vela-Williamson and media law attorney Alicia Calzada on January 18. Tickets are on sale now! Resources mentioned: - Ethics and Copyright Law in an AI-Excited World - Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All Pros Should Know - MVW Communications - PR Pro Gear

Enjoy a bonus conversation between Melissa and Shannon Weinstein on the Keep What You Earn! podcast where they discuss creating a conscious public relations strategy. Thanks to Shannon for having Melissa on her show to talk about PR and money matters. Resources mentioned: - Keep What You Earn! - Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All Pros Should Know - MVW Communications - PR Pro Gear

Making the leap from a steady corporate job to the chaos of owning your own business is not easy. In today's episode, Melissa talks to Jennifer R. Hudson, APR about her path to owning her own firm. About Jennifer: Jennifer is a strategic communications advocate, trainer, mentor, consultant and speaker. Her superpowers are helping PR leaders step boldly into their role as a trusted advisor and weed...

Social media is a powerful tool every PR professional needs to know how to use. But what happens when that power gets out of your control and creates a crisis? Today, Melissa discusses the importance of understanding crisis communication in every part of your career evolution with crisis comms and TikTok strategist Molly McPherson. About Molly: Public relations expert Molly McPherson knows how to...

How do you make a difference when you see a lack of support for your community? In today's episode, Melissa talks to Bernice Chao, an award-winning creative whose career evolution led her to creating Asians in Advertising and writing a book about visibility. About Bernice: Bernice Chao is an award-winning creative who's worked on campaigns for notable brands like HBO, Google, Chime, and Nissan. As...

It takes a village to build a career you can be proud of. In this episode, Melissa talks to former PR agency pro turned coach Ken Jacobs about the importance of great coaching and consulting in your career evolution. Big thanks to our sponsor Anais Biera Miracle for supporting this season of the podcast! About Ken: Ken Jacobs is one of the few certified executive coaches who had an initial career...

When you start your career, you never know where life will take you. Today's guest, Julie Livingston, embraced the unknown by letting curiosity guide her throughout her career. Listen as she talks with Melissa about her path and how it ultimately led to starting her own firm. Big thanks to our sponsor Anais Biera Miracle for supporting this season of the podcast! About Julie: Julie Livingston is p...

Listen as Melissa kicks off Season Six by asking questions to get you thinking about you how to evolve your career. Join us this season as Melissa talks with experts in various disciplines about their career evolution stories. Big thanks to our sponsor Anais Biera Miracle for supporting this season of the podcast! Topics covered: - Career evolution - How to determine what you need in a new job or...

Enjoy a bonus conversation between Melissa and Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks about effectively communicating across diverse audiences. Topics covered: - Being conscious of how you communicate - DEI communication musts - Tactics to include in your communications programs - Integrating intersectionality - Habits for more inclusive communication - Q&A Actions to take: - Advocate for yourself - Plan...

Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All Pros Should Know Audiobook is now available! Actions to take: - Download your copy of the Smart Talk audiobook on Amazon, Audible or wherever you get your audiobooks Resources mentioned: - Smart Talk Audiobook on Amazon - Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All Pros Should Know - MVW Communications - PR Pro Gear

Season finale! Listen in as Melissa wraps up season five by passing the mic to Melissa Monroe-Young, APR to speak on transitioning careers from journalism to public relations. About Melissa: Melissa has worked as a journalist for over 15 years and transitioned into PR in 2008. She works in the Marketing & Strategic Communications team at Northwest Vista College and stays busy in her community...

In public relations, relationships are everything. This week, Melissa passes the mic to communications executive, Moon Kim, for advice on creating authentic connections through networking and becoming a true client counselor. Tune in for great tips on building strong relationships in your field. About Moon: Moon Kim is a seasoned communications executive, team leader and strategic counselor who th...

As a PR pro, some of the most important relationships you will form are with the media. In this episode, Melissa passes the mic to Vincent T. Davis, a reporter and columist at the San Antonio Express-News, for advice on cultivating beneficial and meaningful relationships with the media. About Vince: Vincent T. Davis is a general assignments reporter and columnist at the San Antonio Express-News. E...

Public relations pros have a lot to worry about in their day-to-day. This means that most of the time, personal well-being falls to the bottom of the list. This week, Melissa passes the mic to Mark Mohammadpour to teach us how to healthfully manage the demands of a career in PR. About Mark: Mark Mohammadpour is the owner and Chief Well-being Officer at Chasing the Sun. After spending his public re...

This week, Melissa passes the mic to Anais Biera Miracle, the Chief Communications Officer for Southwest Key Programs to give us a masterclass in mentorship, emotional intelligence, and adaptive leadership. About Anais: Anais Biera Miracle is the Chief Communications Officer for Southwest Key Programs, one of the largest, Latino-led nonprofit organizations in the United States. Anais is responsibl...