Learn Speak Teach Episode #128 with Mike Swenson.
They say, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” But here’s reality: most businesses don’t. They operate without a crisis plan, and when trouble hits, they scramble to react instead of leading with confidence and communicating from one simple voice.
In this episode, Ben Albert sits down with veteran crisis communications strategist Mike Swenson, a man with over 30 years of experience helping fast-growing brands and iconic organizations weather their toughest storms. Mike shares powerful real-life stories that will change the way you think about preparedness as a business or organization.
For example, he recalls a 1990s case study involving Jack in the Box. The restaurant chain found itself in crisis due to one of its suppliers, but for the sake of its brand, the company had to take full accountability-illustrating the critical importance of owning the narrative during challenging times.
Mike Swenson and Sam Meers host The Kansas City Marketing Legends podcast. They interviewiew the people who built the marketing community in Kansas. Mike also runs Crisis Trak as his service outlet.
Listen to this episode and learn how to create a crisis plan that works when you need it most, from building your team and crafting crisis messages to communicating effectively during a crisis.
During this episode, you will learn about:
[00:00] Trailer
[01:11] Crisis plans for businesses
[02:14] Reactive vs. proactive in business
[04:37] Crisis examples
[08:00] Crisis track process
[17:06] Accountability in crisis messaging
[19:25] Jack in the Box case study
[22:42] How Mike got into crisis management
[28:24] Political crises
[31:08] Filtering the noise
[34:07] Mike’s most rewarding PR projects
[41:06] Mike’s entrepreneurship journey
[48:22] Steps to resisting crises
[50:52] Connect with Mike Swenson
Website: https://crisistrak.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeswenson1/
Key Takeaways: &nb
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.