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...

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&nbsp;&nbsp;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:&nbsp;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.—Resources discussed in this episode:Sara Fischer at AxiosEdelman’s 2023 Future of Corporate Communications StudyAxios Pro—Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:&nbsp;Rebecca on LinkedInRebecca on XKeyana on LinkedinKeyana on XContact Eleanor Hawkins:&nbsp;LinkedInMixing Board<a href="https://www.axios.com/authors/ehawkins" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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&nbsp;&nbsp;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:&nbsp;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<a href="https://www.axios.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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&nbsp;&nbsp;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:&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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&nbsp;—Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:&nbsp;Rebecca on LinkedInRebecca on XKeyana on LinkedinKeyana on XContact Alex Konrad:&nbsp;Website: <a...

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! —Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:&nbsp;Rebecca on LinkedInRebecca on XKeyana on LinkedinKeyana on X

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?”&nbsp;02:52 - The power of storytelling in the comms industry - “You have to be a really good storyteller to do well in this role.”&nbsp;04:21 - Introducing Judy Shaw -&nbsp; “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? -&nbsp; “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.”&nbsp;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 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/judyshaw/"...

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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp;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 &amp; 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 -&nbsp; For Fortune 500 execute to burnout -&nbsp; “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’,&nbsp; ‘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.”&nbsp;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.”&nbsp;23:11 - Corporate rehab -&nbsp; “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 -&nbsp; “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...

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&nbsp; Elon’s Twitter.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.”&nbsp;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 -&nbsp; 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.”&nbsp;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.&nbsp; There has to be a breaking point that it's, you know, but I don't know what happens,&nbsp; besides him shutting down the website.”&nbsp;Episode resources:Joe Williams’s Twitter and LinkedInThank 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!&nbsp;This show is produced by StudioPod Media in SanFrancisco. Teresa Buchanan is the Show’s Producer. Nicole Genova is the Show...

Today it’s time to check in with tech-focused TV news–specifically, the senior field producer for CNBC in San Francisco, Laura&nbsp;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.”&nbsp;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&nbsp;- “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&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;and&nbsp;Linkedin<a...