Smart in Public

Crisis communications expert Tara Goodwin has seen it all: executives freezing under pressure, companies making bad situations catastrophically worse, and the rare leaders who actually nail it when everything's on fire. In this no-BS conversation with the Katies, Tara shares why most organizations are dangerously unprepared for inevitable crises and what actually works when your reputation is on the line.

Most CEOs don't h...

Most PR professionals think they understand journalists—but Meredith Klein, the veteran communications strategist behind the rapidly-growing Meredith & the Media newsletter, is here to take us to school. In this no-holds-barred conversation with host Katie Boysen, Meredith pulls back the curtain on the massive disconnect (AND OPPORTUNITY) between what PR professionals think journalists want versus what actually lands coverage.

W...

Ever notice how when corporate giants go to war, they suddenly discover their deep concern for "customers" and "fairness"? 

This week on Smart in Public, the Katies dissect the Disney vs. Google/YouTube TV standoff and spoiler alert: neither company gives a damn about you. What they do care about? Leverage, market control, and making sure you think they're the good guys while they battle for billions. 

Most c...

Ever wonder why everyone in PR talks about measurement but nobody seems to have cracked it? Linda Zebian, VP of Communications at Muck Rack, just said the quiet part out loud—and it's exactly what you need to hear right now.

In this episode of Smart In Public, the Katies sit down with someone who's uniquely positioned to call out the industry's blind spots: a comms leader who works at the company that literally builds...

In an industry obsessed with job-hopping, Jess Aptman​, Chief Communications Officer at Zocdoc​, has been at the company for 13 years and she's here to tell you why loyalty isn't a dirty word. In this refreshingly honest conversation with The Katies, Jess breaks down what it actually takes to build a communications function from survival mode to strategic powerhouse, and why the best career move might be doubling down ins...

In the 50th episode of Smart in Public, The Katies unpack the fallout from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff’s recent controversial comments and what it reveals about the modern relationship between leadership, communication, and reputation.

They explore how Benioff’s remarks led to public backlash and even a Salesforce Foundation board member’s resignation, raising deeper questions about how powerful CEOs perceive risk, influence, and ac...

Think climate communications is all doom, gloom, and corporate greenwashing? Corina Standiford, VP of Communications at Elemental Impact, is here to flip that narrative. In this episode of the Smart In Public podcast, Corina sits down with The Katies to break down why the biggest climate week ever happened this year—despite what the political headlines want you to believe—and what that means for every communications professional wa...

In this week's episode of Smart in Public, The Katies dissect Jimmy Kimmel's media controversy involving FCC threats + Disney's response strategy and Australia's Optus telecommunications crisis that left customers unable to call emergency services. This episode unpacks what happens when crisis management goes right—and catastrophically wrong.

What we covered for Jimmy

• The FCC's unprecedented response: How...

The Katies are back from our Season 2 intermission to bring you a conversation that goes deep—because that's the only way that Christine Choi, Partner and Head of Brand Communications at M13, knows how (and we wouldn't change a thing). 

There's a reason why leaders like Sir Richard Branson have trusted Christine with their messaging, programs, and comms strategies over the years. She thinks deeply, considers all angle...

If you skip this episode you're going to miss an epic 5 6 7 8. Also, moving forward, you can just assume that when those count-ins are over the top, we do not have a guest. lol

The Katies are taking a couple weeks off and will be back Sept 23 with a guest you're not going to want to miss!!

Here's a hint: we'll SEA you then!

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Have a topic or a guest idea? Email...

This week the Katies had Gab Ferree, founder of Off the Record and former VP of Global Communications at Bumble, on the show and she doesn't hold back. For the listeners, our emotion-driven chat and sentence-finishing will be a fun ride, but trust me when I say editing this episode was a (worth-while) nightmare. 😂 

If you're tired of surface-level industry conversations and want the unfiltered truth about where communicat...

Ever wonder what the CEO of Medium—the platform where millions go for real, thoughtful content—thinks about authentic communication in our AI-slop-everywhere world? Tony Stubblebine dropped some serious truth bombs on this episode of Smart In Public that every communications professional needs to hear.

While everyone's panicking about AI taking over content creation, Tony argues that authenticity and genuine thought leadership ...

This week on the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies welcome Eleanor Hawkins, author of the Axios Communicators newsletter to discuss the evolution of communications roles, the impact of AI on the industry, and the importance of authentic leadership. 

Eleanor shares insights and predictions into the communications industry based on her work on the Axios Communicators newsletter, including the challenges faced in the current job mark...

Most PR professionals think investor relations is just about spreadsheets and earnings calls—but John Cummings, Managing Director, CFO, and COO at Smith Point Capital, proves that IR is actually advanced brand storytelling attached to VERY big dollar signs. In this episode of Smart in Public, John unpacks how investor relations professionals master the art of narrative control when (sometimes!!) billions of dollars hang in the bala...

In today's episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies welcome Daniella Vallurupalli, VP and Head of Global Communications at Cloudflare, to demystify the role of communications professionals during the IPO process. 

Daniella shares the importance of preparing for an IPO well in advance (with some incredibly helpful tips on how to do that), how to get a S.E.A.T. at the table throughout the entire process, and the unique ...

In this week's episode of the Smart and Public podcast, the Katies dig into the crisis recently faced by Qantas, Australia's most well-known national airline, following a significant data breach earlier this month. 

Hot topics were the implications of the breach on customer trust and loyalty, the challenges of crisis communication in today's instant-info digital age, and the importance of CEO messaging and transparenc...

In this episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies welcome friend of the pod and everyone's favorite startup journalist Alex Konrad, Founder & Editor of Upstarts Media. 

The big topic on the table was getting a better sense of the direction startup news reporting is heading -- from industry predictions all the way down to some real tactical stuff like how to pitch Substack journalists. 

The conversation also covers t...

It's Season 2 of the Smart in Public podcast! The Katies kick off the new season with something old and something new, because we can't stop trying to understand the world that is Bezos, even if it means we're talking about them for the third time since the inception of the podcast. The implications on celebrity culture and brand perception are just too good. 

We also get pretty spicy on the New York mayoral race, hig...

Moving forward, let's just assume all episodes are hot takes, ok?? 

Today, the Katies dissect the article 'You are the brand now' written by Kira Klaas in her On Brand Substack to unpack the evolving landscape of personal branding and its implications for corporate strategy and consumer behavior. 

We know that individuals are becoming brands themselves, and recognize the importance of visibility over skill, but how doe...