You're my commsHERO

In this episode of the CommsHero Podcast, we’re joined by Guy Stenson, Chief Executive of Gloucester City Homes, to explore what it means to be a visible, authentic leader in today’s world.  A self-confessed ‘frustrated comms professional’, Guy shares how his early passion for storytelling, from editing his school newspaper to launching a social care radio show, has shaped his leadership style acr...

In this episode of the commsHERO Podcast, we welcome Greg Reed, CEO of Places for People, to explore why he’s an active presence on social media and internal comms. From engaging colleagues online to running alongside them in real life, Greg shares how being a visible and accessible leader strengthens culture, communication, and the brand. He’ll reveal how he balances authenticity with leadership,...

In this episode, Anisah will talk about her ‘interesting’ journey into the magical world of PR and Communications- it certainly was never in her so -called plan of lif e- but with a little bit of confidence, some talent spotting and a bunch of incredible leaders in her corner. Anisah talks about how she now manages the PR, Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment for the first ever establ...

‘ Don’t be the magpie’ - how marketers need to avoid overlooking the essential elements of a plan for the sake of the quick fix.  With the constant pressure to present value, busy marketing teams frequently fall victim to short term fixes leading to influences on a strategy that are subjective and poorly informed.  It’s all too easy to lean on short term fixes at the expense of the essentials that...

On average, we spend around 90,000 hours of our life working. Life is too short, and it is so important that we spend those hours in a job, and indeed a company, where we are happy.  Getting to do what we love each day and being presented with lots of learning and development opportunities is key to us being fulfilled at work and making the most of our careers. Working in a business where I feel v...

Earlier this year the CIPR published ground-breaking analysis of census data about PR practitioners, undertaking by Chalkstream.   This is the first study of its kind involving data from the 2021 census and the latest in a series of Chalkstream studies investigating the population of UK PRs.   It covers off all sorts of demographic information, including sex, age, religion, passports and even how...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that organisations are only ever one social media post away from a crisis. But social media is also an opportunity – to turn those crisis situations around, to learn what your customers think about you and to build relationships with the stakeholders that matter most.   In this podcast, James talks about how the social housing world, which is on the cusp of a...

Join Olivia Hullah and Asif Chodury on this podcast episode as they share Olivia's incredible journey from a marketing apprentice to the Marketing Manager at Trust Electric Heating, all by the age of 22. The episode delves into the challenges and triumphs of marketing radiators ethically in a Net Zero landscape while making it exciting and personal. Get ready for an insightful conversation th...

Growing up, Sonia thought that she wanted to be a lawyer. At the age of 18 this all changed. In this episode, Sonia opens up about the some of the challenges and pressures she’s faced growing up in an Indian/Asian community and how she’s worked through these to break into the world of comms. She shares some personal experiences of bias and how she’s worked hard, and how she feels she must continue...

Our industry is unhealthily obsessed with two words: best practice. You see them regularly on internal comms blogs, you hear it at internal comms conferences, those words come up frequently on LinkedIn. But a best practice approach only works for simple, non-complex work. The work we do as internal communicators is highly unpredictable and and complex, charged with human emotion and full of comple...

In this episode, Matt Geer Head of Communications and Marketing at West Kent Housing Association shares some thoughts and reflections on his career in communications. Matt talks more about how to ensure that you as a comms pro have a seat at the top table to support, influence and guide your organisations approach to strategic communications. Matt also shares some of his lived experience of being...

If you're trying to communicate with young people within your target audience, or are hoping to engage them within your work, this episode will help you understand how to better listen, engage and empower young people within your work.  We speak with Rebecca Roberts, founder of Thread & Fable and specialist in youth audiences about her Engaging Youth insight reports and what top tips she...

Women in PR Northern Ireland was born out of a CIPR panel discussion in Belfast, organised by Sara, which explored the barriers affecting women working in the communications industry. It was clear there was an appetite for that conversation to continue. Michelle was on the panel and approached Sara afterwards. And so, the independent initiative that is now Women in PR was started. Research reveals...

In this captivating podcast episode, we're introducing Sonya Gonzalez Mier, a talented brand strategist and the esteemed author behind the book mar·ket·ing. Together, we'll explore Sonya's path to becoming a TikTok Creator and her unwavering dedication to democratising marketing knowledge for everyone. Join us as we delve into the perceptions of our industry from an outsider's...

50 years of comms and better lives at NCHA (Nottingham Community Housing Association) Nottingham Community Housing Association, known as NCHA, has been around since 1973. From small beginnings, they’ve grown organically and now house more than 20,000 people across the East Midlands. They provide over a million hours of care and support services a year, and have an ambitious development programme f...

🎙️ Welcome to the Threads vs. Twitter Debate! 📣  In the fast-paced world of social media, communication professionals are constantly seeking new ways to engage with their audiences and deliver impactful messages. Today, we dive deep into a captivating debate that has been brewing in the digital sphere: Threads vs. Twitter.  Join us on this thought-provoking podcast as we explore the pros, cons, a...

It feels good to give something back, and as Comms practitioners, we have many transferable skills that can help other organisations. Volunteering your time can not only give you a warm feeling inside but also offer you an insight into how different sectors operate, as well as helping you to grow your professional connections. Our guest, Damian Vizard is a Strategic Communications Business Partner...

Do you think your customer base (either existing or prospective) have an outdated or incorrect viewpoint of your sector? If so, it can be holding back new business and leading to a sense of internal inertia. How does a organisation go about changing this though, especially if they’re a sector that’s regulated. This is where communications and marketing can help. In this conversation John shares hi...

Being able to love what you do is a luxury and an honour. Working in comms – whether that’s being a jack of all trades, specialising in PR or marketing or digital – is an opportunity to be able to experience different sectors, meet incredible professionals and work on topics you’d never thought possible. No career is perfect, but it’s what you learn along the way that matters, from the first campa...

How we work has changed significantly over the past few years, with most organisations moving from the office to remote working, and now to a hybrid model. These changes have meant we’ve had to work even harder as communicators to keep people connected, informed and engaged.   In this podcast Chloë delves into the concept of organisational belonging, why it’s important and the role of internal com...

Now in its 4th year with thousands of downloads, scarlettabbott is back with their annual World Changers report . From harnessing rebel voices to bring positive change, to acknowledging that employees are being asked to dig deep (again), to the keys to keeping employees sweet and everything in between, scarlettabbott expertly guides HR and IC pros through the 10 most important trends impacting the...

Right now, social media represents an unprecedented growth opportunity. But tapping into this new paradigm won’t be easy, especially so for B2B businesses. B2B’s have historically been behind the curve and guilty of seeing social media as just another ‘channel’ to distribute their content.    But, if B2B's want to power growth in this new era, this mindset needs to change. The fastest-growing...

Passionate about brand, creativity and putting people first. Lynda is resolute on the need for true equality and diversity. Lynda has led Brand, Communications and Social Impact at family building and engineering company, Sir Robert McAlpine since 2017 as one of ten people on the business’s executive leadership team. She is the Executive sponsor for SRM’s Gender Equality, LGBT+ & Ability Netwo...

Katie Sandey is the communications and marketing manager for Cheltenham Borough Council and now, Cheltenham Borough Homes, as part of a new shared service. In this episode, the tables are turned. Katie is the one asking Asif the questions.  Katie has never made a podcast, or done the interviewing, until now.  It was a ‘yikes’ moment for her, but also I realised for Asif.  He had never been in the...

Faizah Idris is a Marketing Executive at Johnsons Workwear, the UK’s number one workwear, protective wear and workplace hygiene services provider.     She has eight years of marketing experience, specifically in social media management and content creation, marketing campaign planning, digital marketing, influencer marketing, and internal communications. Faizah has always been a creative person, a...