You're my commsHERO
You're my commsHERO
CommsHero
"You're my commsHERO" is a Podcast for commsHERO types, where we speak to people we're inspired by and discuss the comms work they do.
Reflections of a frustrated comms professional
In this episode of the CommsHero Podcast, we’re joined by Guy Stenson, Chief Executive of Gloucester City Homes, to explore what it means to be a visible, authentic leader in today’s world. A self-confessed ‘frustrated comms professional’, Guy shares how his early passion for storytelling, from editing his school newspaper to launching a social care radio show, has shaped his leadership style across housing, health and social care. We dive into why visibility isn’t about being in ...
Aug 14, 2025
35 min
Running the Talk Using Social Media & Internal Comms to Lead from the Front
In this episode of the commsHERO Podcast, we welcome Greg Reed, CEO of Places for People, to explore why he’s an active presence on social media and internal comms. From engaging colleagues online to running alongside them in real life, Greg shares how being a visible and accessible leader strengthens culture, communication, and the brand. He’ll reveal how he balances authenticity with leadership, the impact of open conversations, and why an hour with the CEO, away from the boardroom, can be ...
Jul 16, 2025
35 min
Life is a squiggly line with Anisah Akhtar
In this episode, Anisah will talk about her ‘interesting’ journey into the magical world of PR and Communications- it certainly was never in her so -called plan of life- but with a little bit of confidence, some talent spotting and a bunch of incredible leaders in her corner. Anisah talks about how she now manages the PR, Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment for the first ever established and fourth largest Sixth Form College in the country… all whilst trying to make a small diff...
Jul 2, 2024
23 min
Don't be a magpie! With Jim Ker
‘Don’t be the magpie’ - how marketers need to avoid overlooking the essential elements of a plan for the sake of the quick fix. With the constant pressure to present value, busy marketing teams frequently fall victim to short term fixes leading to influences on a strategy that are subjective and poorly informed. It’s all too easy to lean on short term fixes at the expense of the essentials that make up the foundation of a good marketing strategy that will last into the long term. ...
Jun 18, 2024
27 min
I did go to Specscavers - Claire Bryant
On average, we spend around 90,000 hours of our life working. Life is too short, and it is so important that we spend those hours in a job, and indeed a company, where we are happy. Getting to do what we love each day and being presented with lots of learning and development opportunities is key to us being fulfilled at work and making the most of our careers. Working in a business where I feel valued is incredibly important to me and I’m a big advocate for not staying in a job where yo...
Jun 4, 2024
31 min
New study of Census data reveals PR population secrets - Ben Verinder
Earlier this year the CIPR published ground-breaking analysis of census data about PR practitioners, undertaking by Chalkstream. This is the first study of its kind involving data from the 2021 census and the latest in a series of Chalkstream studies investigating the population of UK PRs. It covers off all sorts of demographic information, including sex, age, religion, passports and even how many practitioners own second homes. The results pose a significa...
May 21, 2024
24 min
Stop being anti-social – start a conversation on social media
It is a truth universally acknowledged that organisations are only ever one social media post away from a crisis. But social media is also an opportunity – to turn those crisis situations around, to learn what your customers think about you and to build relationships with the stakeholders that matter most. In this podcast, James talks about how the social housing world, which is on the cusp of a new era of consumer regulation, is communicating with the residents the sector exists to se...
Apr 9, 2024
31 min
From Apprentice to Marketing Manager - Olivia Hullah
Join Olivia Hullah and Asif Chodury on this podcast episode as they share Olivia's incredible journey from a marketing apprentice to the Marketing Manager at Trust Electric Heating, all by the age of 22. The episode delves into the challenges and triumphs of marketing radiators ethically in a Net Zero landscape while making it exciting and personal. Get ready for an insightful conversation that explores the unfiltered life of working in a small company, apprenticeships, the sustainable futur...
Mar 26, 2024
25 min
Trying to belong in the world of comms - overcoming cultural barriers and bias Sonia Squires
Growing up, Sonia thought that she wanted to be a lawyer. At the age of 18 this all changed. In this episode, Sonia opens up about the some of the challenges and pressures she’s faced growing up in an Indian/Asian community and how she’s worked through these to break into the world of comms. She shares some personal experiences of bias and how she’s worked hard, and how she feels she must continue to prove herself to progress her career as a woman of colour. In this episode be prepared to go ...
Mar 12, 2024
34 min
There’s no such thing as best practice in internal communication - Joanna Parsons
Our industry is unhealthily obsessed with two words: best practice. You see them regularly on internal comms blogs, you hear it at internal comms conferences, those words come up frequently on LinkedIn. But a best practice approach only works for simple, non-complex work. The work we do as internal communicators is highly unpredictable and and complex, charged with human emotion and full of complexity. Joanna proposes that we instead talk about “good practices” and think about innovation as a...
Feb 20, 2024
27 min
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