The Business Communicators

Have you seen Tom Cruise’s clips on Tik Tok? He’s golfing, performing coin magic and talking to Mikhail Gorbachev. Or is he? The Business Communicators discuss the realities of “deep fakes” and the potential ramifications they could have on world events, the stock market, and why comms pros need to be prepared to combat misinformation in the evolving digital age. Then, the podcast dissects the upc...

Photography is visual artistry. The right images have the ability to transform in ways mere words cannot. Ask Austin-based photographer Marc Morrison , who has shot worldwide campaigns more than two decades, and his commissions have ventured into various genres.  His portraiture includes everyone from celebrities to Fortune 500 CEOs and world leaders. And Marc’s work has appeared in countless outl...

As Texas recovers from Winter Storm Uri, many across the country are asking, “what went wrong” in the Lone Star State. From a crisis communications perspective, many Texans were left in the dark by state-level leaders and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). With more than 4.5 million customers without power – and many more without access to clean water – could this have been prevent...

This week, The Business Communicators tackle the biggest headlines in the PR, branding and digital media world. The show begins by analyzing the downfall of The Lincoln Project, and Aunt Jemima’s rebranding, finally retiring the racist stereotype that has adorned its label for decades. Then, Austin, Hattie and Thomas weigh in on why Instagram banned Robert Kennedy Jr. from the platform, and the em...

As communications professionals, we aspire to be labeled as “thought leaders” within our organization. But, is attaching that label ourselves detrimental to our careers? Chris Brogan , a New York Times Bestselling author, joined The Business Communicators to share the truth about authentic leaders, his insights on brand strategy, and why real stories sell. Brogan, president of Chris Brogan Media a...

Despite a strong global economy and near full employment, none of the four societal institutions that the study measures—government, business, NGOs and media—is trusted according to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer .  Tonia Ries , the Global Executive Director of Intellectual Property at Edelman and steward of the Edelman Trust Barometer, joins The Business Communicators to discuss the cause of th...

Amanda Gorman captivated a global audience last week as she delivered her poem, The Hill We Climb , at the inauguration. And, a new presidential administration is tasked with rebuilding trust as the country aims to mitigate risk associated with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. What lessons can communications learn from the inaugural poem and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout? Gorman, a 22-year-old Harvard...

For emerging electronic DJ and producer Kyle Featherstone , known professionally as Feather, music is the great equalizer. Kyle’s love for EDM and his need to produce music during the COVID-19 pandemic led him to TikTok where to date, his work has reached millions of followers and fans. Born in Minnesota and currently residing in Nashville, Kyle joins The Business Communicators for an engaging con...

Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded on Friday, Jan. 8, hours before Twitter permanently suspended Donald Trump's account “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”  Just days into the new year, the weaponization of social media ignited a firestorm of violence in Washington D.C., leaving five dead, and the country in chaos. To mitigate potential harm, President Trump was banned from...

Bah! Humbug! The year 2020 might have stolen that phrase from Ebenezer Scrooge. But, was the year a total loss? On the final episode of this “unprecedented” year, The Business Communicators trio break down why a Texas-based company had their order for co-branded winter jackets rejected, why virtual reality is poised to shape the rest of the decade for communicators, the top comms trends of the yea...

2020 has rocked the status quo for corporations. But, has the agile work environment elevated the value of communications professionals? And, will 2021 mark the year that influencers scrap paid endorsements in favor of equity brand partnerships? Bonnie Caver , chair of the International Executive Board for IABC, joins The Business Communicators to break down the state of the industry, why 2020 has...

What’s the winning game plan for business success, and how does effective communication impact the outcome? Jamey Rootes , President of the Houston Texans and international best-selling author of The Winning Game Plan , joins The Business Communicators to drop some knowledge about the quintessential leadership playbook for continuous business success. Jamey also discusses his close relationship wi...

Thanksgiving week is here and The Business Communicators welcome America’s Got Talent champion Brandon Leake to the podcast. If you’re not familiar with Brandon, you should be. Not only is he a role model, he is one of the most talented young communicators in the U.S. He’s a gifted storyteller through the art of poetry and spoken word, the founder of Called to Move , and will be in Houston on Mond...

Consumers crave authenticity and a real connection from brands, so ‘humaning’ is the newest marketing approach for one popular snack maker. But is ‘humaning’ an ingredient that should be added to the marketing buzzword mix? Then, The Business Communicators dive into recent research from McKinsey & Company that reveals more than three quarters of buyers and sellers say they now prefer digital self-...

Allyson Neal isn’t just a digital communications expert -- she’s the author of nine books that are having a lasting impact on children. With 70 percent of all children’s books featuring white children or animals, Neal is changing the status quo by publishing family-oriented books that embrace diversity. She joins The Business Communicators to discuss her career, and why she’s using her platform to...

It’s election week and season three, episode one of The Business Communicators is here! Austin Staton, Hattie Horn and Thomas Baen discuss the controversy clouding Joe Rogan’s podcast, why reputation is paramount for world leaders and corporations, and the evolving nature of influencer advertising. Months after Joe Rogan brought the most-downloaded podcast in the world to Spotify in a $100 million...

As season two of The Business Communicators  winds down, the podcast introduces two new co-hosts – Hattie Horn and Thomas Baen . Joined by founder Austin Staton, the trio dive into the scandal impacting Dallas-based The Richards Group following Stan Richards’ remarks on a proposed ad campaign for Motel 6 being “too Black” for the chain’s “white supremacist” guests. The fallout has jeopardized the...

Innovation and finding your discomfort zone can make or break your business. So, how can you make 2020 work for you?  Mike Berland , the founder and CEO of Decode M, an insights and strategy firm based in New York, joins The Business Communicators to discuss maintaining momentum in a chaos-driven world, data analytics, digital innovation by the professional sports leagues and brands that have pivo...

Navigating today’s business environment isn’t easy—but it’s not the first time we’ve been forced to rethink our strategies for success. Wood Mackenzie’s Nicole Braley, VP of Marketing for the Americas, joins The Business Communicators podcast for an engaging discussion on rethinking the workplace in the “new normal.” The work-from-home environment provides challenges but also opportunities for bus...

Shiv Malik , Head of Growth at Streamr , makes his second appearance on  The Business Communicators  podcast. Has progress been made on the data privacy front in the last 10 months? Shiv brings listeners up to speed on data unions (and what they are) and how consumers are inching closer to owning their personal data. Shiv, a former investigative journalist at  The Guardian , then offers insights o...

The personal information of millions of Americans were exposed due to data breaches in 2019, and Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) reported over 40,000 nation-state hacking attacks in the last year alone. In recent weeks U.S. government agencies and medical institutions leading the COVID-19 pandemic response experienced cyberattack spikes. Clearly businesses and public institutions are in the c...

Tracey Shappro does it all. As the president and CEO of Vision Production Group in Houston, Texas, she brings her experience working with major global brands to the latest episode of The Business Communicators podcast to share her insights on the importance of effectively engaging audiences during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As a two-time Emmy-Award winner and two-time honoree as “One of the To...

Courtney Phillips is a mental health warrior and spends her time advocating in the community and sharing stories of hope and healing through her outreach initiative, Hope for Invisible Wounds , which provides resources and tools for those suffering from mental anguish.  Courtney brings her more than 14 years of strategic communications and public relations experience across the federal government,...

Jim Karrh , a professional speaker, consultant, host of the Manage Your Message Podcast , and the author of The Science of Customer Connections , joins The Business Communicators podcast to discuss the importance of building lasting connections, managing your message as a communicator, and tips on helping professionals talk about their businesses more effectively. In this episode, Jim brings his d...

Sam Chen , host and anchor of the "Face the Issues" talk-show, political strategist, college professor and author joins The Business Communicators to discuss trending topics in the world in 2020 – the media environment, Election 2020, COVID-19 and an evolving communications landscape. Tune in for Sam’s unique insight on a variety of current narratives from a communications perspective, where he’ll...