Episódios

  • Kellie Kennedy

    Executive Vice President, Strategic Earned Marketing

    For Kellie, creating compelling marketing strategies starts with engaging in proper design principles. Much like her personal affinity for interior decor, Kellie carefully weaves a combination of strategic marketing, PR and media relations experience to piece together comprehensive campaigns that satisfy clients and their audiences alike.

    With a 20+ year background in marketing and communications with a focus on healthcare and financial services, Kellie employs a style rooted in close client relationships — some of which have spanned decades — while also emphasizing collaboration, brand awareness, problem-solving and deep research to stay ahead of industry trends and drive businesses forward. Following an insights-driven approach, she incorporates competitive analysis learnings to tailor solutions for corporate communications and C-suite clients — all while paying close attention to achieving KPIs. At the Harbinger Group, she draws upon her wealth of experience to manage multiple accounts and provide sage marketing leadership. Among the clients she’s architected communications campaigns through the years include RevSpring, Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization, GTCR, First Command, The Habitat Company, Golden Apple, National Louis University and The Federal Savings Bank.

    Prior to her work with The Harbinger Group, Kellie was a marketing communications consultant with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Hill & Knowlton.

    When she’s not working hand-in-hand with clients to exceed communications goals, Kellie enjoys spending time with her three children and husband, as well as with her affectionate Goldendoodle, Teddy Kennedy. Kellie earned a BA in political science from the University of Michigan.

    Hubspot editorial templates

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  • Discover how leaders can leverage social media to build trust, drive engagement, and amplify their presence. Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson sit down with Kellie Kennedy to explore the power of strategic earned marketing in leadership.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • Patrick Rooney is a visionary leader with a career dedicated to understanding and influencing decision-making behaviors—whether in purchasing, career choices, or philanthropy. His work has centered on driving advocacy, enabling businesses to harness the power of authentic voices to build trust and engagement. As the CEO of MahaloHub, Patrick leads a technology platform that simplifies the process of inviting, capturing, editing, and sharing customer and employee video testimonials. Prior to MahaloHub, he was the founder and CEO of QUEsocial, an employee advocacy platform that was successfully acquired by private equity. He also co-founded Zocalo Group, a pioneering social media and digital marketing firm later acquired by Omnicom. Patrick specializes in business and marketing strategy, customer advocacy, go-to- market strategy, brand marketing, employee engagement, digital marketing, and social media. His expertise lies in helping brands create meaningful connections that inspire advocacy and long-term loyalty.

    https://mahalohub.com/

    2025 Comms Report Advancing: The Story

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  • In a world where authentic storytelling is the key to powerful marketing, how can businesses use video to create real impact? In the latest episode of Can You Hear Me?, co-hosts Rob Johnson and Eileen Rochford sit down with expert video content creator Patrick Rooney of MahaloHub. Together, they explore the strategies behind crafting compelling stories that showcase clients and employees in a meaningful way.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • Anne Marie Mitchell – Senior Vice President

    Anne Marie has been with Reputation Partners since 2023. She has 25+ years of experience as a communications consultant, strategist, educator, and trainer. Throughout her career, Anne Marie has specialized in employee and leader communications as a consultant working with leaders at Fortune 100 companies as well as in-house with companies including Sara Lee, Case Corporation, ComEd, Rand McNally and others. She is a specialist in helping C-Suite leaders deliver impactful messages that retain and motivate employees during times of crisis and culture transition. Fluent in Spanish and having lived and worked in Europe, Mexico and South America, Anne Marie is particularly adept at supporting organizations with complex, global workforces. She is co-president of The Publicity Club of Chicago (PCC) and serves on the board of Steep Theatre in Chicago's Edgewater district.

    Tweed Thornton is a dedicated leader driven by a passion for social impact and organizational excellence. As the founder and CEO of Four Star Initiatives (FSI), Thornton has led his company since 2017 to make significant contributions to nonprofit organizations such as the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the Alliance for Regional Development, Collaboraction Theatre Company, the Publicity Club of Chicago, and WTTW. FSI's work includes community and media outreach, event planning, meeting facilitation, operational growth, and strategic development.

    Before establishing FSI, Thornton served as Executive Director at the City Club of Chicago for eight years, during which time he oversaw a tripling of membership and events. His tenure was marked by notable achievements, including attracting prominent national speakers, highlighted by a joint forum featuring U.S. Senators Richard Durbin and John McCain.

    Today, Thornton is a sought-after speaker and organizer for panels, podcasts, and other thought leadership discussions. Thornton specializes in bringing people together to create future action. Committed to giving back, he serves various nonprofits as a volunteer, including as President of the Board of Directors for the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits.

    Publicity Club of Chicago

    Golden Trumpet Awards

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  • In the latest episode of the “Can You Hear Me?” podcast, co-hosts Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson dive into the significance of marketing awards with industry experts Anne Marie Mitchell and Tweed Thornton. They explore how these accolades not only recognize outstanding creativity and effort but also enhance professional reputation, boost team morale, and foster valuable networking opportunities. Join them as they discuss why being honored in such a competitive field is a vital milestone for marketing professionals and agencies alike.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • About our guest:

    Mark Steffe is the President/CEO of First Command Financial Services, Inc. which provides personal financial coaching to about 290,000 client families around the world. Mark is responsible for guiding the organization in its efforts to make lifelong financial security possible for all military families. First Command accomplishes this by creating lasting bonds with clients through face-to-face coaching and empowering them to develop positive financial behaviors for every stage of their lives. First Command is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and has more than 165 offices nationwide. First Command, through its subsidiaries, maintains more than $35 billion in managed accounts and mutual funds and has more than $62 billion in life insurance coverage in force, while First Command Bank holds more than $960 million in deposits.

    Mark joined First Command as a Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff of Advisor Operations in 2010 and has since played an integral role in evolving the client experience in a digital world. At the same time, he has protected the integrity of the face-to-face coaching that is central to the First Command philosophy. Throughout his subsequent roles as Senior Vice President and Director of Advisor Operations for the Midwest Division and Executive Vice President and National Director of Advisor Operations, Mark helped build strong, collaborative relationships between Advisors and the Home Office. This has been crucial in enabling Advisors to help clients pursue their financial goals more effectively and efficiently. His accomplishments and demonstrated leadership ability led to his promotion to President in 2017 and expanded COO responsibility in 2018.

    In January 2020, Mark was appointed as the first CEO in First Command’s history without military service experience. His selection was the result of an ethos of service to the military gained during more than a decade immersed in First Command’s culture, a deep understanding of the challenges faced by our Nation’s military families, and in recognition of the demonstrated leadership skills required to guide the organization in its efforts to make lifelong financial security possible for all military families. On day 70 in his new role, Mark was confronted with a once-in-a-generation crisis as a global pandemic was declared. Under his leadership, First Command rapidly adjusted its operations to continue to help military families pursue financial security amidst a volatile economic landscape in which in-person face-to-face coaching was no longer possible. At the same time, at Mark’s direction, First Command immediately made financial relief programs available to clients to bolster their financial outlook during the crisis.

    To ensure that First Command continually adapts to the needs of military families, Mark and his team regularly meet with clients to seek out their perspectives. During his tenure at First Command, Mark has visited more than 50 military installations in 23 U.S. states and three countries. This personal outreach is supplemented by the First Command Financial Behaviors Index®, a monthly survey that assesses the financial behaviors, intentions and attitudes of career military families. Mark also consults regularly with First Command’s Military Advisory Board, a select group of retired senior flag officers and senior enlisted leaders from the Nation’s military services. The 10-member board provides Mark and First Command with an independent perspective on issues relevant to First Command’s work, as well as advice on how to best serve the interests of military clients.

    In his role as President/CEO, Mark has spearheaded inclusion initiatives for First Command. Under his leadership, First Command is striving to create a more inclusive culture in which all employees and Advisors feel trusted, valued and empowered. For Mark, advancing equality is not just the right thing to do from a business perspective, but a personal imperative born from a desire for everyone to have the same opportunities he has had in his career. In service of this goal, Mark committed to the CEO ACT!ON pledge for diversity and inclusion in 2020. He also championed the hire of the company’s first Diversity & Inclusion Director. In recognition of Mark’s leadership during the pandemic and on issues of diversity and inclusion, he was nominated as one of the Dallas Business Journal’s Most Inspiring Business Leaders of 2020. Mark was also recognized in 2020 as a member of the Fort Worth 400, an annual list by Fort Worth Inc. magazine of influential community leaders.

    Mark actively supports several charitable endeavors, including the annual Spirit of Giving campaign by United Way of Tarrant County and the First Command Educational Foundation (FCEF). United Way of Tarrant County is a local charity focused on providing leadership and harnessing resources to solve persistent social challenges, while FCEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering those who serve our Nation by improving their financial literacy. FCEF accomplishes this goal by offering approximately $130,000 in annual scholarships and financial education to America’s military servicemembers, civilian federal employees and their families. In addition to his philanthropic pursuits, Mark is active in LeaderPrime, which fosters connections among Fort Worth business leaders new to the city or to their roles.

    Mark graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He holds Series 7, 8, 23, 63 and 65 securities registrations. He completed the Harvard University Advanced Management Program in 2015.

    He lives in Fort Worth, Texas along with his wife and five children. On any given day off, you can find him attending one of his children’s sports games or cooking family dinners.

    Recommended reads:

    Good To Great : Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't

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  • In the newest episode of the “Can You Hear Me?” podcast, co-hosts Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson dive deep into the world of corporate leadership with special guest Mark Steffe, President and CEO of First Command Financial Services. Serving the unique needs of military families, Steffe shares invaluable insights into his leadership style and effective communication practices that drive success in challenging environments—tune in March 5 at noon!Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
    please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite
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  • The Great Resignation Returns: 2025 Exodus

    Is the Great Resignation 2.0 coming? Nearly 3 in 10 workers plan to quit this year: Survey

    Why Employees Quit

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  • In this episode of "Can You Hear Me?", Rob Johnson and Eileen Rochford dive deep into the ongoing Great Resignation, exploring the key factors driving workforce exodus and offering practical strategies for employers to retain top talent. Drawing from recent research, they'll unpack the critical challenges facing modern workplaces and provide actionable insights for creating more engaging, supportive work environments.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • About our guest:

    Nellie Wartoft is a Swedish technology entrepreneur who launched Tigerhall in 2019, revolutionizing how large enterprises engage their organizations to drive change at scale. Under her leadership, Tigerhall has quickly gained traction with global Fortune 500 firms undergoing transformation, and today has users across 32 countries, and employees in 12 markets. Nellie has raised over $10 million in venture capital from visionary investors including Sequoia Capital and Monk's Hill Ventures, and Tigerhall's customers include well-known enterprises in technology, consumer goods, professional services, and financial services.

    Prior to founding Tigerhall, Nellie was a top biller at Michael Page, where she led the Sales & Marketing practice and saw firsthand the issues in driving organizational engagement around change, and how the technology used in communications, knowledge sharing, change and transformation led to dissatisfaction, more confusion and increased disengagement. Her experience led her to launch Tigerhall, which bridges the gap between how organizations have traditionally shared information and knowledge (think ghost town Sharepoint sites, mass internal email overload and snooze fest town halls), and how people prefer to consume content and interact with each other today (think your internal Spotify, two-way live interactions and the right reinforcement in the right workflow).

    Nellie has been named on the 2021 Gen T list of Leaders of Tomorrow by Tatler Magazine and was recognized as one of the Top Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2023 by the International Business Times. She was also a Swedish National Champion in skeet shooting and air rifle in her teenage years.

    Nellie is an accomplished speaker and regularly presents at large events and global forums such as the Global CEO Exchange, Business Transformation Exchange, TEDx events, SaaSTech Asia, SMF, Cornell University and several leadership summits across the United States, Europe and Asia. She currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Singapore and the SGTech Digital Transformation Chapter - the largest industry association for technology companies in Singapore.

    Outside of changing the way enterprises drive change, Nellie loves tennis, surfing and electronic house music. She has lived and worked in Singapore, London, Seoul and Los Angeles.

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  • In a world of rapid change, how can leaders become effective change agents? Join "Can You Hear Me?" co-hosts Rob Johnson and Eileen Rochford with Tigerhall CEO Nellie Wartoft as they unpack the strategies for embracing and driving organizational transformation.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • How Comms Pros Can Counter Misinformation By Gini Dietrich

    Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things

    Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality

    Gini Dietrich

    WayFair Conspiracy

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  • In this episode of Can You Hear Me?, co-hosts Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson dive into "Navigating the Misinformation Highway," exploring how C-Suite leaders can safeguard their brand's reputation in a world where misinformation spreads faster than ever. Learn actionable strategies to stay ahead and protect your business from its harmful effects.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • 2024 was a transformative year in the communications business, from incorporating artificial intelligence into the daily rhythm of business to dealing with an onslaught of misinformation and disinformation. Join “Can You Hear Me?” co-hosts Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson as they recap the big lessons of 2024 and share what we believe will be the most critical communications themes for 2025.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • Co-hosts Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson dive into the transformative year of 2024, unpacking the rise of AI in business and the battle against misinformation. Tune in as they share key lessons from the past year and explore the critical communications trends shaping 2025.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • 90 Day Outcome PDF Template

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  • Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson from "Can You Hear Me?" dive into the outdated and harmful business practices that still plague workplaces today. From micromanagement to unrealistic PTO policies, they discuss what needs to change to create healthier, more productive work environments.Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show,
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  • Meet Our Guest

    Rob Hart, a Chicago native with over 20 years of experience on some of the great radio stations in the Midwest. His radio career started in 2000 at WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee. Since then he has worked at WGN Radio in Chicago, the former WIQI-FM, and 97.9 The Loop. He was also the host of “The Daily Dish” and a Martin Luther King Jr documentary for CBS News Radio.

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  • Meighan Harmon Repeats History and is Voted by Her Peers as Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” Award in Family Law for the Second Time


    About Meighan Harmon

    Education

    University of Notre Dame, J.D. (1996)

    University of Illinois, B.S. (1993)


    Meighan Harmon focuses her practice on complex family law cases involving the distribution of high net worth estates and represents successful business professionals and their spouses from a variety of industries, as well as individuals with multi-generational wealth.


    Meighan is a versatile attorney who provides her clients a wide range of options for resolving their disputes. She is an experienced litigator who can be fierce in the courtroom, but she is also a trained collaborative lawyer and a family law mediator who can devise creative solutions and amicably settle even the toughest of cases. No two divorces are the same, and Meighan possesses the skills necessary to provide the right solution for each unique situation with the ability to pivot between ADR and litigation when necessary.


    Not only does Meighan assist her clients in dissolving their marriages, but she also encourages them to be future focused. She believes divorce offers clients a unique opportunity to build a positive future for themselves, complete with financial and emotional security. To this end, she provides her clients with the tools necessary to help them construct a solid foundation on which to navigate their new lives. For Meighan’s clients, divorce can be a spring board to reinventing themselves.


    Meighan is part of an elite group of leaders in family law and has been included in the Top 100 Lawyers in Illinois (all practice areas) since 2017. In 2011, she was elected by her peers to be President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Beginning in 2022, Meighan earned international recognition by Chambers and Partners USA, which ranked her in the top tier (Band 1) for Family/Matrimonial Law: High Net Worth. Super Lawyers also named Meighan as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Illinois each year since 2016. In 2021, Meighan was named a "Lawyer of the Year" in Family Law by The Best Lawyers in America. She has been recognized by the Leading Lawyers Network and Illinois Super Lawyers since 2006.


    A frequent lecturer on family law topics, she is also a published author, having assisted in the researching and drafting of the book Problems in Family Law.

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