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Hosts Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss host U.K-based Bloomberg Opinion columnist Parmy Olson in an eye-opening discussion of her new book, "Supremacy AI: ChatGPT and the Race that Will Change the World." Parmy explains the history of the intense rivalry between Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis of DeepMind—two of the earliest AI innovators—as they compete to shape the future of artificial intelligence and our world as we know it. This episode offers a thought-provoking look at the intersection of technology, ethics, and regulation, with Parmy urging listeners to consider both the potential and the pitfalls of AI in our society.
The conversation also explores some of the ethical challenges with AI, including how OpenAI and DeepMind's alignment with tech giants like Microsoft and Google, respectively, has compromised their original nonprofit ideals. Parmy explains the dominance of big tech companies in AI research and development, and the challenges this poses for smaller startups and independent academic research. She also emphasizes the critical need for unbiased data in AI models and advocates for stronger regulations to guide AI's development, highlighting the significant influence of big tech on this rapidly evolving field.
“That's where I see generative AI going is that, maybe it won't displace as many people as we think. It will just create a lot more noise in our information ecosystem. We're just going to have to get better at filtering it out.” —Parmy Olson
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
About Parmy Olson:
Parmy Olson is a technology columnist with Bloomberg covering artificial intelligence, social media and technology regulation. She’s been writing about the growth of AI systems since around 2016, when she worked in Silicon Valley as a reporter for Forbes and covered the early rise of chatbot technology. She continued covering AI as a tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal, publishing multiple exclusive stories and investigations on surveillance, facial recognition and Google’s AI work, including an investigation into how Google stifled DeepMind’s secret efforts to spin out as a non-profit organization to protect its AI from corporate interests.
Parmy has received two honourable mentions for the SABEW business journalism awards for her reporting on Facebook and WhatsApp, and was the first recipient of the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Cannon Awards for her book “We Are Anonymous.” She was also named by Business Insider as one the "Top 100 People in UK Tech" in 2019 and was described as “tech journalism’s deep diver.” Parmy was recently nominated as Digital Journalist of the Year 2023 by PRCA, the world’s largest PR professional body.
Resources:
We Are Anonymous by Parmy OlsonSupremacy: AI, Chat GPT, and the Race that Will Change the World by Parmy OlsonChat GPTGoogle DeepMind–
Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:
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Becky Buckman hosts David Krane, CEO and Managing Partner of the venture capital firm GV, formerly known as Google Ventures, for a discussion about the importance of thoughtful communications in the launch of any new tech company. Despite the tectonic changes in the media landscape, great comms still neesd to come directly from the founder, in his or her authentic voice, according to David. He should know: David formerly led Google’s global communications and public affairs group and served on the company’s senior leadership team before moving to GV. His insights demonstrate how useful his “Act One” career was to his success in “Act Two,” when he moved into venture capital. Storytelling has never been more important to a company’s success, and David explains why.
David goes into detail about the importance of what he calls the “Hello, world” moment for any new enterprise: The moment a founder explains “Here’s who we are, and here’s why you should care.” He talks through his experience helping iconic companies like Nest manage these moments and offers advice for founders navigating their own launches. Finally, David offers anecdotes from his days in Google’s comms and public affairs group, when he lured reporters to the Google cafeteria to celebrate the launch of the company’s first international interfaces (with international breakfasts!), and also the broader importance of internal communications to companies today. Keeping focus on the mission and purpose of a company internally is expensive but vital, according to David. David shares his comms and storytelling wisdom with the companies in which GV invests today.
“When the product kicks ass, the story kicks ass.” - David Krane
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
About David Krane:
David is the CEO & managing partner at GV and oversees the fund’s global activities. He invests in a wide range of technology companies including Uber, StockX, Nest, and Blue Bottle Coffee. David’s Google career began more than 20 years ago, as director of Global Communications and Public Affairs. In this role, David served as a member of the senior leadership team to grow Google from a small startup to a multibillion-dollar global enterprise.
David’s prior career experience spanned both startup and public companies, including Apple, QUALCOMM, Four11 (now Yahoo! Mail), and two computer security software developers.
David is also on the board of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM), a member of Young President’s Organization (YPO), and a long-time advisor to the Stanford Graduate School of Business. David received his Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Indiana University Bloomington. As a proud Hoosier alumnus, he has served on the Dean’s advisory board for the IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. David resides in the Bay Area with his wife, three children, and their two labradoodles.
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Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:
Rebecca on LinkedInRebecca on XKeyana on LinkedinKeyana on XContact David...
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Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome veteran technology-comms executive and founder of communications coaching practice poseycorp, Lisa Poulson, to the show. Lisa shares stories and insight from decades of work in the comms industry, weighing in on issues like getting nerdy engineers to stay on message; how much interview prep is too much prep; and how the current AI boom, PR-wise, is similar to the dawn on the Internet. Join Keyana and Becky as they learn about everything from executive “Simba moments” to “the river of money”--the key to getting reporters to actually cover your news–from Lisa.
Lisa Poulson likens today’s tech-PR landscape to the period between 1995 to 2008, when the Internet first came on the scene and software like Java fundamentally changed how people could work and live online. But now, as then, most reporters aren’t as interested in technology products as they are about how those products will make or lose companies money and impact the overall market. Lisa offers tips for getting executives to relay those higher-level, market-oriented messages in interviews–and finding alternate communications outlets (whitepapers, podcasts) for those who can’t. She says many PR pros over-coach their executives and give them overly long briefing documents that they’ll never read, which is why it’s important to keep it brief and coach executives on a handful of pithy sound bites. Lisa admires executives like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai for their communications discipline, and in this humorous and detailed episode, she has lots of advice for helping your spokespeople refine their PR skills as well.
“But you know what I would say to a certain person, depending on how old they are and how sophisticated they are, I would say, look, the only reason people cared to write about Java, it wasn't because it was an object-oriented programming language, it's because it blew up Microsoft's monopoly in software. It was not a technology story. It was a business story. Because it changed where money was being spent. … and right now with generative AI, what are half the stories about? Who's going to lose jobs. What new companies are going to be incredibly successful every time Anthropic gets more money thrown at them out of a t-shirt cannon by Amazon or Google, that's a news story. So the money is what matters.” - Lisa Poulson
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
About Lisa Poulson:
Lisa Poulson, poseycorp’s principal, helps innovators scale by becoming great communicators, because great communicators create the change they want to see in the world.
Lisa, who has shepherded fundamental innovations from the incubator to the global stage, loves working with leaders who must scale fast and publicly. With incisive, actionable advice, she will help you build the skills to connect, persuade and lead. Because every effective leader must become a great communicator.
Lisa pairs the principles and practices of executive coaching with 30 years of experience in technology communications – a rare and powerful combination. Lisa brings empathy, candor, vision and grit to helping her clients become effective leader/communicators and fluent evangelists.
Resources discussed in this episode:
The River of Money by Lisa Poulson—
Contact Rebecca Buckman...
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Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome Stanford University School of Business lecturer, communications expert, and author Matt Abrahams to Just Checking In. Host of the podcast ‘Think Fast, Talk Smart’, Matt Abrahams just released his new book, “Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot”. In the business world, communication doesn’t just happen in planned presentations and pitches, but also in spontaneous interaction, and Matt holds the keys for unlocking that ability in everyone.
The first barriers speakers need to overcome are anxiety and mindset, which Matt assures listeners is not as daunting as it sounds. It’s the little steps that count towards making us comfortable in the moment. Matt shares one of his warm-up tongue twisters with Keyana before emphasizing that internal-facing communication is just as important as the external speaking we constantly prepare for. From lessons imparted by a Lego executive to the wins Matt has seen companies achieve with communication guidance, this episode reveals the key takeaways that communications professionals should adopt for greater success.
“Many of us feel threatened when we're put on the spot and that makes us defensive. We get tighter, our answers are shorter, our tone is more curt. Yet if we see [speaking situations] as opportunities, it fundamentally changes the way we interact. It actually brings us forward. We're more big in our body posture and our gestures. Our answers are more in-depth and our tone is more collaborative.” Matt Abrahams
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
About Matt Abrahams:
Matt Abrahams is a leading expert in communication with decades of experience as an educator, author, podcast host, and coach. As a lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, he teaches popular classes in strategic communication and effective virtual presenting. He received Stanford GSB’s Alumni Teaching Award in recognition of his teaching students around the world.
When he isn’t teaching, Matt is a sought-after keynote speaker and communication consultant. He has helped countless presenters improve and hone their communication, including some who have delivered IPO road shows as well as TED, World Economic Forum, and Nobel Prize presentations. His online talks garner millions of views and he hosts the popular, award-winning podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast. He is the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot. His previous book Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50 Techniques for Confident and Compelling Presenting has helped thousands of people manage speaking anxiety and present more confidently and authentically.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Think Fast, Talk Smart the Podcast“Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot” by Matt Abrahams“Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50... -
Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman host Mixing Board member and Axios journalist Eleanor Hawkins in today’s episode for a conversation on getting the comms perspective in news reporting. Eleanor worked as the senior director of corporate communications for PBS in Washington prior to arriving at Axios, and previously worked in politics as a press secretary. Eleanor, who authors the weekly Axios Communications Newsletter, also discusses Axios’s unusual journalism model and the impact AI could have on both comms and reporting.
Becky Buckman points out that journalists frequently go into comms, but it’s rare for comms pros to go into journalism. Eleanor’s career pivot highlights Axios’s larger strategy of teaching subject-matter experts across fields how to be journalists. Eleanor writes in real-time, working to get comms people behind stories to speak about a story’s impact–which isn’t easy, given comms pros’ traditional role behind the scenes. Discussing topics ranging from AI to the future of online events to the value of old-fashioned press releases, Keyana and Becky leverage their combined knowledge of comms and journalism to get Eleanor talking.
“I try to do like real-time case studies of what's going on and how it impacts the business and kind of how they're responding to it. And sometimes it can be really tricky to get people to peel back the curtain and talk to you about it. … that's been surprising because I thought for sure comms people would love to be on stage and love to see their name. But then I immediately think back to my own experience and it was like if my name was ever in a news story, something went wrong, right? … you should not be quoted, there should be no fingerprints. So I'm navigating that on the other side of things, which has been really interesting.” - Eleanor Hawkins
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
About Eleanor Hawkins:
Eleanor Hawkins is a communications strategist and writer at Axios. She authors the weekly Axios Communicators newsletter and covers topics and trends that impact how leaders, brands and employers communicate.
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Resources discussed in this episode:
Sara Fischer at AxiosEdelman’s 2023 Future of Corporate Communications StudyAxios Pro—
Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:
Rebecca on LinkedInRebecca on XKeyana on LinkedinKeyana on XContact Eleanor Hawkins:
LinkedInMixing Board -
Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome Mosheh Oinounou, an Emmy, Murrow, and Webby award-winning producer who led teams at Fox News, Bloomberg, CNBC, and CBS before launching Mo News, a groundbreaking new online news service. Mosheh launched Mo News as a way to keep family and friends informed about the pandemic on Instagram, and it quickly exploded into a pioneering go-to site for nonpartisan news mainly delivered via social media, newsletters and podcasts. He talks with Keyana and Becky about the state of news, digital media, and even the Jonas Brothers in today’s episode.
Mosheh feels Mo News is carving out a unique, non-partisan path as journalism has evolved and cable news has become increasingly politicized. His audience, mainly on Instagram, also skews younger–a sharp contrast with the aging audience of television news. He says he’s “going where the people are.” Mosheh, Keyana and Becky also discuss the problem of “news deserts” across the U.S. as most news becomes nationalized and Washington-centric. This means most people find it harder than ever to get quality information about local topics that affect them directly, ranging from city councils to school boards to environmental issues. Mosheh’s news model is becoming increasingly high-profile; he was recently invited to Washington as part of a contingent of new-media figures to interview U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken.
Mosheh speaks at length about why news has become so politicized:
“I think the problem that we've encountered in social media and frankly, now, unfortunately, in the real world is people live in bubbles. Literally, people are moving away from areas so they don't have to talk to people who disagree with them politically. You see this among Gen Zers who, like, they won't even have a college roommate who they disagree with politically anymore. They can't stand it. Frankly, you see it more on the left than the right… if you look at the survey data. Either way, you know, people… on social media, see something, oh, what do you mean my side is losing? And everything is turned into, you know, for and against with no shades of gray.” Mosheh Oinounou
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
About Mosheh Oinounou:
Mosheh Oinounou (Wah-noo-noo) is an Emmy, Murrow and Webby Award-winning Executive Producer with roles leading teams at Fox News, Bloomberg TV, CNBC and CBS News. In 2020, he launched Mo News — devoted to curating verified and balanced news. Mosheh has quickly built a highly engaged following on the @Mosheh Instagram and the daily Mo News Podcast and Newsletter.
Previously, Mosheh was the youngest-ever executive producer of the "CBS Evening News" in 2018 and 2019, where he led more than 150 personnel and coverage of everything from the war on ISIS to natural disasters, mass shootings and presidential interviews. He also developed and ran the CBS News streaming news channel and ran Washington coverage for CBS This Morning. Prior to that he worked as a political reporter for Fox News Channel and ran international news coverage for Bloomberg TV.
Resources discussed in this episode:
The InformationPunchbowl News -
Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome guest Alex Konrad, Senior Editor at Forbes, to Just Checking In. The group opens the conversation with a discussion of IPOs, AI and the state of the tech markets before Alex shares the work that went into writing his recent story on Garry Tan and Y Combinator. It begs asking what stories “pop” in an online market and how journalists grab the attention of readers.
Alex weighs in on why adversity commands headlines which is part of a response to the noise and apathy surrounding journalistic articles and stories. There is a struggle to find what will compel readers and what unique or controversial facts will combat the ennui of hearing only success stories. Beyond print media decline and attention-grabbing headlines, Becky and Keyana really want a glimpse into 2024’s Midas List, but Alex keeps things close to his chest while giving just enough way to spark discussion and address questions surrounding the process.
“... there's an old adage, right? Your success is not my story. That's something true. You know, there's a reason that founders, even when they go direct and kind of talk directly to mass audiences when they're showing vulnerability or talking about struggles they had or being really controversial, unfortunately, that's what resonates.” Alex Konrad
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
About Alex Konrad:
Alex is a senior editor at Forbes covering venture capital and startups, especially in cloud and AI, out of New York. He edits the Midas List and Under 30 for VC, and created the Midas List Europe and Cloud 100 lists. He’s written more than a dozen cover stories on business leaders including Marc Benioff, Patrick Collison and Melanie Perkins. Previously, he worked at Fortune and WNYC, and studied medieval history and archaeology at Harvard University.
Resources discussed in this episode:
“Inside y Combinator’s ‘Boom Loop’: The Startup Factory Goes Brasher, Leaner And Meaner” by Alex KonradVCs Congratulating Themselves on XTrueBridgeThe Midas List: 2023Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor of SierraSean Mendy—
Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:
Rebecca on LinkedInRebecca on XKeyana on LinkedinKeyana on XContact Alex Konrad:
Website: -
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech, corporate-communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry—with plenty of humor and irony thrown in—they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won't hear anywhere else!
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Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:
Rebecca on LinkedInRebecca on XKeyana on LinkedinKeyana on X
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Episode show notes:
Welcome to another episode of Just Checking In! Today our guest is Judy Shaw, the person in charge of corporate communications connected to listings and media relations at the New York Stock Exchange. She is also the host of "What's the Fund?" and one of our personal favorites, "NYSE Floor Talk," where she has conducted interviews with some of the most well-known CEOs, celebrities, athletes, Oscar winners, and VIPs of all time. This expert in comms with more than 25 years of experience, joins the conversation to talk how she achieved her big city dream, how to use media to showcase companies in creative ways, how the “NYSE Floor Talk” was born, plus some crazy stories from the trading floor.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
01:06 - Becky’s latest podcast obsession - “It’s called Bone Valley. Have you heard of it?”
02:52 - The power of storytelling in the comms industry - “You have to be a really good storyteller to do well in this role.”
04:21 - Introducing Judy Shaw - “We have Judy Shaw on the show today. I think she's actually done an incredible job of turning what's supposed to be sort of like a financial transaction, right? Buy my stock. Sell my stock. It's the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. She's brought storytelling down to the New York Stock Exchange.”
08:34 - Judy’s story, from law to media relations - “ I started working in the general counsel's office as an admin, and I was like ‘wow, I'm here, here I am’, and then I was like, ‘oh, general counsel, admin’, not all the fun and excitement, you know, of the New York Stock Exchange”
13:58 - Creative ways to showcase companies - “ Through the years, you know, we've had many different things that have happened here on the floor, you name it, it's pretty much been done. Years and years ago where we had a horse on the floor.”
17:35 - The birth of NYSE Floor Talk - “An interview series where we were gonna focus on all the amazing things that were happening here at the New York Stock Exchange. Talking to CEOs that are coming through the building, but not just limited to CEOs.”
21:19 - How to work with other comms leads? - “A lot of times, you know, we'll just see kind of a blend of everything we're working together, right? Because we're all chasing that common goal, right? We want to maximize on, on opportunities for the client.”
24:09 - Memories from NYSE Floor Talk - “ I took a picture with him and then just a few years ago when he won the Oscar with Lady Gaga, it was a whole big thing with Lady Gaga. So I then said ‘oh, let me post my picture with Bradley Cooper.’”
28:05 - Judy’s 9/11 experience - “The markets are resilient and they're remaining open. And that's a very important day here at the NYSE, you know, for the trading floor. And we market every year. And it really means a lot to everyone that was here on the floor during that time. You know, that changed the world at that point.”
Episode resources:
Judy Shaw’s LinkedIn, Twitter and
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Episode show notes:
Welcome to another episode of Just Checking In! Today our guest is Jennie Blumenthal, bestselling author of Corporate Rehab, a book focused on a topic that is likely very relevant to many of our listeners: burnout and the “hustle culture” that is so pervasive in our industry today. Jennie spent many years as a top executive working with Fortune 500 companies, traveling frequently, and being away from her family. But one day, she had the realization that maybe she wasn't as happy as she thought she was. This expert today joins us to talk about the toxic side of hustle culture, the definition of burnout, the behind-the-scenes of her book, and how she became a coach executive that helps companies to go through a corporate rehab and start thriving.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
01:05 - Keyana’s connection to Jennie - “When I talked to Jenny for the first time, it was like she peered into my soul.”
02:32 - Women in tech & burnout - “In light of some of the things we've seen in the news over the last, like six months, even week about really prominent women in our industry in tech, taking a step back.”
07:58 - For Fortune 500 execute to burnout - “The longer I had to sit in the quiet of how exactly did I get here and how when I was building this life, that's everything we're taught to go after and women can be anything. How did I wind up in a place where I felt so empty? and I felt like. This wasn't what I wanted”
10:04 - The toxic side of hustle culture - “We get caught in this, ‘I have to keep going’, ‘I have to go even faster’, and then our relaxation time doesn't actually refuel us. It's just another way of overstimulation.”
12:13 - What’s burnout? - “We're all part of. So it's not just you aren't doing it right and if you just run faster, you'll outrun your burnout. It's something that's increasing in the pace within our own culture.”
15:00 - Women burnout stories - “And as I started talking to other women and they started contributing their stories, I was shocked at how much we'll tolerate before, we'll actually seek help or try to find a solution.”
18:10 - Intro to hustle culture research - “ It really was this constant performance and productivity mentality, that I noticed across, and that was the first piece. The second really was really got what got me to this whole concept of going from survival into thriving, and that is survival mentality is really based on the scarcity mentality.”
23:11 - Corporate rehab - “It's about, is understanding what are the patterns and the mindsets and the behaviors that you're wired for or that you've picked up over time, might have served you earlier in your career. That it's time to reevaluate and sit down so that you can actually thrive.”
30:03 - Burnout in comms departments - “We are not surgeons, no one dies. But there is still a lot of pressure, I think, in terms of the fact that our job does really, influence people's lives in a respect and there's a lot to that.”
34:30 - The hardest part of healing - “So much of what I would have said I missed were things that I found through my own healing journey, we're actually unhealthy attachments.”
Episode resources:
Jennie Blumenthal’s...
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Welcome to another episode of Just Checking In. Today our guest is Joe Williams, a tech writer, formerly of Bloomberg, Business Insider, and, most recently, Protocol. But with Protocol’s shutdown, Joe had time for us at JCI and offered us an interesting perspective on the state of the media today, including insights about how he likes to cover complicated, B2B technology stories. . This expert in covering wonky tech issues joins the conversation in this episode to talk about the landscape of media business models, the do’s and don'ts of covering technology issues, and how to craft a great story. Plus, he’s got an interesting viewpoint on Elon’s Twitter.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
03:31 - Catching up with Protocol shutdown - “The media is not immune to everything going on, and particularly when you're in a niche industry, or maybe not niche, but when you're a beat publication and the industry you're covering is going through a tough time, it's pretty evident that that's gonna filter down to you.”
07:39 - The landscape going forward for the media business - “I think fear that consumers aren't going to want to pay, I think it's misguided because I think they don't want to pay for journalism that they don't want or that they don't find useful.”
09:20 - The model of self-started journalism - “I worry about kind of tunnel vision or I worry about not having that second set of eyes or that, that newsroom to kind of, you know, bounce ideas off of.”
13:52 - What makes a good story within the tech comms industry - “ I think to still talk about it like it's some futuristic like Star Trek concept is really disadvantageous. And frankly, I think kind of insulting to the reader”
26:23 - The biggest tech comms PR turnoffs - “Companies now I think, always fear that reporters are always digging for something, which is funny to me cuz that's our job and that's what we should be doing.”
28:47 - Joe’s refreshing perspective regarding Twitter - “It's a self-fulfilling cycle. He says something, we write about it, and he says something else. We write about it. There has to be a breaking point that it's, you know, but I don't know what happens, besides him shutting down the website.”
Episode resources:
Joe Williams’s Twitter and LinkedIn
Thank you for listening to Just Checking In by Battery Ventures. Go follow Becky and Keyana on social media to know more about them. If you enjoyed this show leave a review and help us find new audiences!
This show is produced by StudioPod Media in SanFrancisco. Teresa Buchanan is the Show’s Producer. Nicole Genova is the Show...
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Today it’s time to check in with tech-focused TV news–specifically, the senior field producer for CNBC in San Francisco, Laura Batchelor. In today’s episode, you’ll hear all about Laura’s career, including how she got to San Francisco and first became a television producer. Also, Laura shares what it was like to broadcast news during quarantine, how comms pros should think about pitching stories for TV, versus print, and what it's really like to manage live TV shots when things sometimes (often?) go awry.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
00:52 - Becoming a very senior film producer: Laura’s fascinating professional journey - “So I got to work with Corey Johnson and Emily Chang and kind of really learn about the companies that are here, like the big ones, you know. Google and Facebook and Amazon.”
3:56 - Covering tech - “I mean right now it is. It is wild. I mean, there are like huge events. You know, the future of free speech could be like changed forever with Elon Musk at the helm of Twitter.”
7:23 - Broadcasting news during Covid times - “So Covid was wild because being in broadcast news, like you're all always here in the studio, in the, in the control room.”
11:57 - The unforgettable experiences in Laura’s career - “You know, this whole collapse of FTX has been, wild to watch and trying to get a better understanding from other CEOs of crypto exchanges.”
16:18 - A little news you can use: How to pitch a broadcast - “Keep it super short. TV is so quick and snappy. So like, I always think like Keyana, when you would pitch me, it would be. Three sentences max, maybe just like a few keywords. And it was so great because I was like, oooh, I'm intrigued.”
21:23 - What working live TV is like - “They had Stewart Butterfield on a live interview happening on tv, and Jared Leto decided to walk up and interrupt our live interview just to say hi to Mr. Stewart Butterfield because he was an investor and wanted to say hi.”
Episode resources:
Laura Bachelor Twitter and Linkedin
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Episode show notes:
Given the current market volatility, all tech companies are, in some sense, in unchartered waters–and comms departments are no exception. To get a better understanding of the current landscape, we’ve invited comms pro Sean Garrett, the founder of Mixing Board and the first communications hire at Twitter, to share his perspective. In this episode, you’ll hear about the genesis of Mixing Board and its business model; his experience with a previous consultancy, the Pramana Collective; Garrett’s take on the current Twitter saga (of course!); and his thoughts on how comms professionals can, and should, have a seat at the corporate decision-making table.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
02:01 - Stripe in the news and turbulent markets - “We always like to just talk a little bit about comms and technology or market topics before we dive in. And this week, I was thinking about Stripe...”
09:29 - Sean Garrett and Mixing Board - “So mixing board was kind of a way to completely shake up, and bring the community into top comms and marketing leaders.”
17:04 - Difficult times for comms - “I'm not sure what I could say about that to make it better besides the fact that like, if you can make it through this, you can make it through anything.”
21:53 - It’s the inside that matters: The importance of internal comms - “Nine times out of 10, like whatever the end tactical problem was, it was almost always tied to some internal discombobulation.”
30:48 - Twitter’s case: What to do when a leadership team doesn’t respect comms - “Obviously this is a communications platform, that like lives and breathes communications and is all about transparency. It's about openness.”
35:34 - The power of comms - “I think like, you know, Brian Chesky kind of did this with Airbnb right after the pandemic started. Everyone praised that. I think certainly the messaging has been good on those kinds of notes.”
45:58 - The media landscape in the tech industry - “It's intentional to like create those divisions because you're able to separate the different tribes of this world and now there's like a media tribe and that's counterbalanced with like this tech tribe.”
48:53 - New York vs. San Francisco - “There's something very specific about the media industry in New York and their feelings toward this disruptive industry that impacts them specifically.”
Episode resources:
Sean Garrett’s Twitter and Linkedin
Mixing Board
Thank you for listening to Just Checking In by Battery Ventures. Go follow Becky and Keyana on social media to know more...
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Episode show notes:
Welcome to another episode of Just Checking In. Today our guest is noted tech journalist and author Brad Stone. As senior executive editor for global technology at Bloomberg News and author of books including The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound, Brad has followed Amazon’s and Jeff Bezos’s personal evolution. In this episode, you’ll hear about the profound changes Amazon and Bezos have gone through over the last 10 years, many of them related to the company’s near-compulsive need to innovate across industries and maintain a mindset Amazon calls “Day 1.” Finally, we discuss Amazon’s notoriously tough corporate culture and Bezos’s surprisingly sharp PR skills, deployed when an extra-marital affair sparked a high-profile media scandal.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
00:33 - Welcome back to Season 2 of Just Checking In!
1:45 - The new environment of the tech comms industry - “If you're a tech comms person these days, right? The news cycle is different. You've got different internal dynamics, you're trying to make do with less. It may be a good opportunity for people to reset and really think about their priorities.”
2:22 - Layoffs, layoffs, layoffs - “It's been a very interesting few weeks this past week. It's just been one layoff after another. Yeah, I mean, it was kind of like if you're not laying off people, are you even in tech?
3:18 - Season 2 guest lineup - “Let's talk about who we're going to hear from this season, cause I think we have an amazing lineup.”
5:53 - Keyana’s life recovery run - “I took a couple of months off and then I took a role outside of Silicon Valley, still in tech. And, you know, I'll sort of ease my way back into the crazy.”
7:05 - Intro to Brad Stone - “Excited about our guest today, Brad Stone, who I think many of you probably know, but he is the Senior Executive Editor for Global Technology at Bloomberg News. He's also the author of some really, really awesome books. Many of them about Jeff Bezos and Amazon. The most recent one, Amazon Unbound”.
9:30 - The genesis of Brad’s books - “With that kind of sort of intuition based as with all things, uh, for all journalists in insecurity and the feeling like, I didn't know this, this story as well as I was pretending to, I thought, oh, maybe there's room for part two of the story.”
10:43 - Looking for Amazon’s cooperation - “I sent one to Jeff and I explained what I wanted, to do. They got back to me and through a series of, I would say kind of negotiations. Over well, or discussions over what I wanted to do and how I would go about it.”
14:15 - The real challenge in writing books about Amazon: The case of AWS - “While the chapters are kind of categories, I'm also trying to tell a story.”
17:10 - Finding the common thread: Telling a time-coherent story in the ever-changing world of Amazon and Bezos - “The company almost needs to be inventive because, if you don't, you eventually slow down.”
18:15 - The Day 1 mentality: Amazon’s working culture - “Day one is the...
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Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech, corporate-communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry—with plenty of humor and irony thrown in—they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won't hear anywhere else!
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The first season of Just Checking In concludes with a can't miss interview focused on one of the biggest technology and comms stories of the year–Peloton. Jessica Kleiman, Peloton’s SVP of global communications, talks about her career arc, the challenges and opportunities she’s faced over the last year and the company’s much-heralded response to a Peloton-related storyline in the recent “Sex and the City” reboot. Jessica has plenty of lessons and takeaways for other corporate comms professionals, including some related to Peloton’s recent success leveraging its dedicated community of members to serve as the voice of the brand. Join in and ride with us to the end of this amazing first season!
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
(03:59) - From Instagram to Peloton: Introducing Jessica Kleiman - “As communications professionals, I think we're naturally networkers and connectors.”
(08:36) - Writing a book while being on maternity leave - “We split up the chapters and while my daughter Emma was napping, I wrote.”
(10:26) - This is how Peloton is relying on their community of users to tell their story - “It feels authentic because it is authentic, because if we did anything that didn't feel authentic, we would hear about it from our members immediately.”
(16:49) - How is Peloton dealing with the brand being continuously relevant? - “I almost feel like we have lovers and we have haters and there's not a whole lot in between. That makes for a great headline because the lovers are going to click on it and the haters are going to click on it.”
(19:47) - Lessons and takeaways for corp comms professionals - “People think that it's a less sexy area of communications, and the fact is that is not only super critical, but it really helps you develop the voice of the company internally and create and foster culture.”
(25:41) - Discussing the greatest PR response of all time and how Ryan Reynolds jumped in - “Just as background, I have to clarify, as I'm sure you've read, that the And Just Like That scene was not a product placement.”
Episode resources:
Follow Jessica Kleiman on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin
Peloton
Thank you for listening to Just Checking In by Battery Ventures. Go follow Becky and Keyana on social media to know more about them. If you enjoyed this show leave a review and help us find new audiences!
This show is produced by StudioPod Media in SanFrancisco.
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Unicorns and dragons? A criminal trial? Eluding death? It sounds like we might be talking about Game Of Thrones in this episode, but actually we’re discussing a recent event that shook Silicon Valley to its core. Rachel Lerman was one of the people on the front lines covering the landmark Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes trial over the past few months. Rachel is a tech reporter at the Washington Post and previously worked for other publications including the AP and the Seattle Times. Listen in and discover what it was like to be in the hallways of federal court in San Jose during this trial–and, separately, how The Washington Post continues to grow its technology team and focus on “accountability journalism.”
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
(04:48) - Rachel’s 3AM trip to have a place in the San Jose Federal Courthouse - “It wasn't just me and other reporters, but also spectators because people have heard so much about her, seen the documentary or read the book, so they wanted to come and see it for themselves.
(08:34) - Rachel's pre-trial research and involvement in the Theranos case - “It makes it almost easier to see the case through fresh eyes because you're seeing the evidence that they're presenting to the jury as new evidence.”
(10:59) - The moment that Elizabeth Holmes was called to the stand - “It's the only voice I've ever heard her talk in, including in the hallways of the courtroom house, because it was a very, very small, tight courtroom. So truly I have no idea if it's her real voice.”
(16:29) - Rachel's internal debate to decide what questions to ask - “The only time I really tried to ask her questions was when she was entering or leaving the courthouse on big days, like on the verdict day, we tried to call out questions to her, which she didn't answer.”
(18:31) - Will this be a major highlight in Rachel’s reporting career? - “This is probably one of the more high profile people that I've covered. Of course I've covered tech CEOs and things like that, but she is a very controversial and battled figure.”
(19:35) - Were Elizabeth Holmes' allegations against “Sunny” Balwani an effective move for her defense? - “I expected since they brought it up, maybe they would bring on the psychologist or psychiatrist to kind of back that up or maybe they would bring it up in their closing arguments. They didn't do that.”
(21:17) - The Washington Post: How is it doing? How is it stacking up against the competition? - “They're putting a real focus on accountability journalism, so they want to hold companies accountable. They want to investigate what's going on and shed light on these historically very opaque institutions.”
Episode resources:
Rachel Lerman’s Twitter and Linkedin
Rachel Lerman - The Washington Post
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Just about every communications professional has dealt with a PR crisis–and when they happen in today’s fast-past media world, the response needs to be faster and more well thought-out than ever. In this episode of Just Checking In, crisis-comms expert Amanda Duckworth, now an SVP focused on corporate reputation at Outcast Communications, talks about the “perfect storm” that has developed in the technology world that is leading to many PR crises, especially for the tech giants–and how many supposed PR crises are, at their heart, business problems that can’t be solved by PR alone. Amanda discusses the difference between a PR issue and a crisis; how emerging technology companies should plan for public blowups; and the importance of CEOs getting counsel from those outside their immediate orbit so they respond to crises, and protect their companies’ reputations, in the right way. Join us for a high-level and actionable conversation with concrete tips for how PR pros can manage crises better and more proactively.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
(01:04) - Teasing Rachel Lerman on Just Checking In - “So we’re going to have Rachel Lerman of The Washington Post, who is amazing.”
(01:39) - Introducing Amanada Duckworth - “We’re talking about Amanda Duckworth who is a longtime crisis and reputation management counselor.”
(02:52) - A brief tease to the topics covered in this interview - “We talk a lot about reputation management at large companies, you know, the big five tech companies, which are under the microscope in a lot of ways in Washington these days.”
(05:22) - Amanda’s philosophy on crisis comms: How should companies be approaching it? - “Reputation management is really a sort of holistic wheel in which a crisis is sandwiched.”
(07:37) - Unraveling the common belief that all press is good press through an interesting Airbnb case - “This all happened in the July of 2011 and in August, the following month, they had the best month ever in terms of bookings.”
(13:55) - Having a seat at the table: The need for PR strategy understanding among high-level executives - “Increasingly boards understand one of the key functions of a CEO is to be chief messenger, particularly in a crisis.”
(20:54) - The limits of ‘fake it til you make it’ and why the current environment of tech is always on the edge of crisis - “I was talking to someone the other day who described boards for private companies as sort of board meetings is performance art. Well, it shouldn't be performance art.”
(23:30) - What can big tech companies do to improve their message around the social issues they’re involved in? - “Do something proactively that's really meaningful or legislation is coming your way and you probably won't like it.”
(25:08) - Crisis management advice for startups and growing tech companies - “I can’t tell you, typically in early stage companies, the number of times I've been involved where no one knows actually who should be at the table making decisions.”
(33:17) - On political issues becoming corporate issues and what you shouldn’t do in a Therano’s type crisis - “That feels to me like a classic case...
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Despite what many may think, the field of public relations isn’t always straightforward.. Rather it’s an art that demands strategic thinking, a deep sense of empathy, and good relationships built over time. And when it comes to PR in the tech industry, things get even more complicated–and some professionals today, anxious to secure coverage in an increasingly crowded and competitive market, are making blunders that are hurting their companies’ reputations. In this episode, our guest Nairi Hourdajian, VP Communications, Content and Community Marketing at Figma shares insights on what it takes for a company to build an effective strategy in the PR world, delving into the best and the worst practices she’s seeing and the current state of media covering tech startups. Don’t miss this episode if you’re curious about public (and human) relationships in this new era of information!
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
(01:42) - Introducing Nairi Hourdajian - “We have a great interview today with Nairi Hourdajian, who is a longtime friend of mine. She’s now running comms at Figma, which is a super hot design startup.”
(04:02) - Elizabeth Holmes news - “One other thing we have to talk about before we jump into it is Elizabeth Holmes fake it till you make it culture.”
(06:27) - Becky’s tech comms branding predictions for 2022 - “ I do think storytelling is going to become more important.”
(10:42) - PR malpractices: Why should communications professionals care about them? - “People don't realize there's actually expertise, real nuance, and detail to doing this work well.”
(13:03) - Understanding PR as human relations: Best and worst practices when building trust with executives and reporters. - “If you think about almost any other practice or field, you would never go in cold to make strategic asks like ‘Hey Amazon, I'm ready to sell my company, are you interested?’ Would you ever do that cold?”.
(19:06) - Discussing the value of earned media and backlash against big tech companies - “There is a credibility that earned media brings that owned content never will. But owned content also is important. Yes. It's important to tell your own story.”
(24:28) - What does it mean to do a good job and have a smart strategy in the PR world? - “Forming these relationships, and educating executives and investors is key, because I think they especially understand that this market is pretty special and probably won't last forever.”
(25:55) - Nairi’s collaboration with All Raise to improve the number of female founders and leaders - “A group of women got together and started formulating an operational plan to launch initiatives that could help move the ball forward for female founders and funders and through a stroke of luck that included the GP at my firm.”
Episode resources:
Find Nairi Houdajian’s on Twitter and Linkedin
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Corporate communications are often the most human side of a company. For groundbreaking organizations, building a communications team means enhancing new narratives aligned to a common goal. In this episode, Gina Sheibley, CCO at Qualtrics joins the conversation to talk about growing and leading a comms team, her experience working with agencies, and what it means to lay the groundwork for a corporate culture in which mental health and work-life balance within team members are managed as a top priority.
Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!
Jump straight into:
(00:58) - Peloton and the ‘Sex And The City’ Reboot - “They have the greatest response to a crisis communications situation ever.”
(04:41) - Introduction of Gina Sheibley - “So excited to have Gina Sheibley on our podcast. Gina’s the Cheif Communications Officer of a super, super hot tech company called Qualtrics.”
(09:04) - Culture first: How does Gina Sheibley grow a team? In-house teams vs. working with an agency - “If you have a small team and you're not able to grow it to the size that you need, you need the scalability of people being able to dial-up and dial down.”
(12:28) - How to manage good relationships with partner agencies - “You got to bring them in.
You have to have those conversations. You have to get people ready because if you are constantly just dropping bombs on them you're not going to get the most out of it at all.”
(16:04) - Assuming the CCO role in a B2B company - “Being a member of the executive team is being able to bring back the conversations that are happening at the strategic level for the business and really helping my team understand that, so we can align what we're doing to business priorities.”
(20:51) - Discussing burnout, work-life balance, motherhood, and mental health in the communications field - “You have to protect your space to ensure that you can perform at your best, that can mean taking 30 minutes in the middle of the day and taking care of yourself.”
(30:26) - Gina’s takeaways on Qualtrics current environment - “I think of a journalist as someone else who has a job to do and where perfection is when we can meet in the middle.”
Episode resources:
Gina Sheibley on Linkedin
Qualtrics
Thank you for listening to Just Checking In by Battery Ventures. Go follow Becky and Keyana on social media to know more about them. If you enjoyed this show leave a review and help us find new audiences!
This show is produced by StudioPod Media in SanFrancisco. Editing and music is provided by Teresa...
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