SHEQUALITY Podcast

Today we look back on one incredible year of the SHEQUALITY Podcast. We’ve welcomed so many influential PR professionals to the show and hosted lively discussions on an array of hot topics. So what does the new year hold for SHEQUALITY and the future of the PR industry? Tune in and find out.

Today we’re re-casting Dale Bornstein’s awesome episode from earlier this year. Dale shares so many stories from her own career about what works and what doesn’t and how to get past conscious and unconscious gender bias in the workplace.  We first recorded this episode on the International Day of the Women – what we hoped was a watershed moment towards a more equitable workplace for all women. Well, 7 months later with countless #MeToo and #TimesUp episodes, a contentious and controversial confirmation for Justice Kavanaugh, and now at least 103 women elected to the House of Representatives (84 was the previous high, and 2 races with women in them have yet to be called), it looks like that watershed moment, will extend for a while longer.  

Today we’re re-casting one of our first episodes with Sandra Fathi to get a double dose of her career wisdom.  As Sandra shares, “No one is going to work harder for you than you.” So, on the eve of Thanksgiving, plan to take some time this weekend to reflect on your year, and ponder the next. And in the light of all that has happened with #MeToo, the “Billy Graham Rule” in our culture, have you felt at a disadvantage? At an advantage? What do you want 2019 to look like, and how will you work hard on your own behalf?

Megyn Kelly recently discovered just how quickly a few comments can radicalize people. Lee and Donna LaVoie share their thoughts on the backlash surrounding Ms. Kelly. Everyone has unconscious biases – don’t they? How can you discover your own? And more importantly how do change them once you know they exist.

Anniversaries give us cause to stop and reflect on a specific moment in our life. Some can be good, others bad - but all cause us to pause. Lee and Matt Harrington celebrate the one-year anniversary of the #MeToo Movement today and look forward to a more diverse future both for the individuals directly effected and the business world at large.

Is the CEO expected to be the moral compass of a company? What if that CEO tends to have a YOLO mentality about life? This week Lee welcomes her guest Annie Scranton to discuss the recent drama surrounding Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk.

It can be hard to stay relevant today. Just when you get the hang of something new, it’s time for the next update. But for the working professional, there’s no alternative. Lee welcomes our guest Bee Brown to the show today. Bee shares her advice for keeping things fresh as you age.

Just how powerful is social media today? A former NASA intern recently found out for herself. Dwayna Haley joins us on The SHEQUALITY Podcast today and gives her thoughts on personal social media censorship. Is it okay to share whatever you want online or should you tone it down when it comes to public platforms?   

Your future success rests on your shoulders. This week Lee shares some of her favorite moments with Sandra Fathi, Karen van Bergen, Kimberly Eberl, Maureen Lippe, and Soon Mee Kim. You can take control of your career today...so what’s standing in your way?

Help yourself craft the career you want with these easy-to-follow tips from some of our favorite SHEQUALITY guests. Lee looks back on her previous conversations with Julie Batliner, Dale Bornstein, Heather Kernahan, and Cortney Stapleton and gives you four keys to success for the 21st century working woman.

Nike recently set the media ablaze with their newest ad headliner, Colin Kaepernick. Long gone are the days of passivity; customers want to support brands that support something. Amy Binder sits down with Lee to discuss smart moves companies can make before publicly declaring a side in the upcoming battle of the brands.

As we age, we become more informed and enlightened thanks to new experiences. However, that could mean that posts from our less “sophisticated” state of mind could be forgotten on our social media pages only be discovered years down the road. Kim Sample joins us today to talk about the benefits of purging old posts from social media.

Bloomberg Businessweek recently released an expose on Snapchat and its CEO, Evan Spiegel. The article explores questions of company management and a lack of communication with employees...which poses the question: is total transparency ever not an option today? We welcome Melissa Waggener Zorkin, CEO of WE Communications to the show. She shares her firsthand experience about keeping things real at work. 

We welcome our first guy to the SHEQUALITY podcast this week. Bill Orr shares thoughts from the man’s perspective on the #MeToo movement. What shifts is he noticing in the professional world? How are colleagues responding to them? What does the future of PR look like and how can we start to prepare ourselves for it.

Build-A-Bear recently found themselves drowning in angry customers after a promotion gone wrong.  Lee and Jennifer Hawkins unpack some key learnings from the “Pay Your Age” sale. Do you have what it takes to coach your clients thru a public nightmare?

A vacation isn’t even over and already our minds are drifting back to work. We become consumed with over-flowing inboxes and never-ending to-do lists. It can make relaxation nearly impossible. Today’s guest, Lisa Hannum shares some daily hacks burnt-out employees can use to start feeling refreshed and get those creative juices flowing again. Get a pen - you don’t want to miss this one.

For most professionals, the real work begins in college. A successful internship can open the door to a future career. Managers - how do you guide someone from intern to full-time status? Today’s guest is Cortney Stapleton. She and Lee discuss wins, losses, and everything in between.

We're noticing a radical shift both in marketing and communications since the start of the #MeToo Movement. Advertising techniques look different; companies are more concerned with diversity. This week Lee sits down with her guest Barri Rafferty to explore the positive changes stemming from #MeToo. 

The media has become a battle zone. Companies are being forced to deal with tough issues head on and consumers won’t settle for a brand not taking a stance on a hot-button issue. Lee sits down with Erin Jordan today to try and figure out how businesses can embraces the new norm and encourage employees to be involved citizens at work.

Today’s consumers want their goods and they want them now. Tina McCorkindale joins Lee today to evaluate key customer service trends in the industry. Should businesses be adapting to the Amazon-style of availability in order to stay relevant?

Helen Shelton is one of the people leading the charge in driving the conversation around diversity into action. She joins Lee to chat about professional development, specifically giving advice about how young people can advance in their careers, including mentoring, being an active listener, and how to avoid falling prey to information overload.

Earlier in her career, Heather Kernahan received feedback from a male colleague that she was too shy in weekly engineering meetings. As a result, Heather modified her interactions with her colleagues and gained perspective on how men and women can work together. She sits down with Lee to discuss the hot topic of the day — why men need to be advocates for women in the workplace.

When Elise Mitchell moved to Fayetteville, a small, rustic town in Arkansas, she thought her career might come to a halt. Instead, she found something very different. She sits down with Lee to chat about how people should be thinking about getting a job they love in a city with opportunity, while still being able to afford the lifestyle they want.

Early in your career, you may not be able to pick and choose what accounts you work on, and it’s possible that your worldview will conflict with the best interest of your client. Lee talks with Tanya Meck about how to gauge when your personal ethics should take priority at work.

After being fired for posting a racist tweet, Roseanne Barr issued a public apology. Was it sincere? Did it regain trust? Lee and Sabrina Horn evaluate recent public apologies from Roseanne, Uber and others, and give recommendations for how to get on the right path quickly.

There’s a division in the workplace when it comes to yelling. Some companies view it as a badge of honor, pointing out that a boss wouldn’t yell at you if you didn’t matter. Others consider yelling a disrespectful and ineffective way to communicate with a coworker. Lee Caraher and Maggie Zeman break down both sides and discuss what to do when someone yells at you at work.

Lee sits down with Barbara Bates to discuss the hot topic of the day: as technology develops and makes it easier to create your own version of the truth, how can brands protect themselves and what is the agencies role in protecting a brand’s reputation?

Michelle Wolf’s speech at the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner was a polarizing moment. Some people criticized Michelle for creating a greater divide, while others argued that she advanced the conversation around the current administration. Lee and Michelle Wolf discuss the backlash, evaluate the PR value of being in the news, and break down who won and who lost now that the dust has settled.

Not many agencies have a dedicated role for promoting diversity and inclusion. Which may explain why a group of communications employees responded to a questionnaire that it could take 20, 30, or 50 years to see the results of diversity initiatives in the workplace. Lee and Soon Mee Kim discuss why we need to see results sooner, get to the bottom of what intersectionality really means, and reveal how Soon Mee measures diversity in the workplace.

Real life is diverse, not homogenous. Yet, it’s apparent that the professional landscape fails to mirror reality. Virginia Devlin, the founder and president of Current Marketing, joins the SHEQUALITY podcast to chat about promoting diversity in the workplace, covering methods for recruitment and mentorship, as well as emphasizing the importance of confronting unconscious bias.

On April 9 the United States Court for Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of a public school employee who sued after she discovered she was making less money than her male counterpart. To celebrate, Lee and Julie Batliner discuss equal pay, a battle that can be traced all the way back to 1869.

When Tony Robbins commented that some women are using the #MeToo movement to, “try to get significance and certainty by attacking and destroying someone else,” he received a wave of criticism. Lee and Maureen Lippe discuss his controversial remarks, evaluate his apology, and stress the importance of encouraging a constant dialogue about the #MeToo movement.

About the Episode Recent updates to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have sent shockwaves through the industry. Brands are racing to figure out how to react to platforms that never seem to stay in one place. In this episode, Lee sits down with Kimberly Eberl to chat about how PR professionals are counseling their clients to handle the unpredictable nature of social media. About Kimberly Kimberly Eberl is CEO and Founder of Chicago-based PR firm, Motion. With nearly 20 years of marketing experience, Kimberly is a leader and adviser for her growing team and diverse clients. She founded Motion in 2006 to be a full-service creative communications agency, and the agency recently merged with AgencyMSI to have even more robust capabilities. Twelve years later, Kimberly’s entrepreneurial-minded team represents brands such as Serta, The Home Depot, Simon Property Group, Feld Entertainment, Kenmore, DieHard, Tractor Supply and Becker Professional Services. Prior to opening her firm, Kimberly worked at Ogilvy PR & Weber Shandwick on many consumer brands. Kimberly has a B.A. in public relations from Marquette University. Her track record also includes completing more than 100 races of various distances, seven of which were marathons. She’s a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the Publicity Club of Chicago and PR Council. She is also an advocate of the MS Society.   Key Takeaways Facebook is too critical for brands to abort. Few brands will be willing to leave it. Agencies and brands are craving data and analytics. It’s becoming harder and harder for big brands to reach their target audience. Brands are having to completely rethink their digital strategies. Our job is to make stories happen. You’re not going to own stories how you want to. Everyone is struggling with measurement. Nothing has made more of a difference than how we communicate as a culture than social media.   Challenge yourself and make bold moves.  Resources Leaders Eat Last By Simon Sinek

About the Episode Jennifer and Lee discuss the hot topic of the day: how should brands participate in controversial topics? They evaluate why communication is so vital in the current climate, an ecosystem in which consumers expect brands to take a stand. About Jennifer Jennifer Cohan is president of Edelman New York, the firm’s largest office with over 900 employees.  In her role, Jennifer advises clients, develops new products and leads a group of professionals who evolve, promote and protect many of the world’s most progressive companies and brands. A passionate advocate for insight-driven big ideas, Jennifer creates measurable programs for clients in the food, personal care, financial services, consumer health, retail, apparel, household, technology and automotive sectors.  She is the chief author of brandshare, Edelman’s study of consumers’ evolving relationship with expectation of brands. Jennifer joined Edelman in 2013 after serving as managing director of Golin New York and deputy managing director of Cohn & Wolfe London, where she led client engagements in Europe and Asia. Her work has been recognized for efficacy and innovation by PRWeek, The Holmes Report, AdAge Campaign and Marketing. Jennifer serves on the board of One-to-World, a nonprofit educational organization that provides cultural immersion for New York City-based international students. Key Takeaways Brands should consider how close an issue is to their business, their culture or their values. Brands taking a stand don’t always have to be in the moment. It can be part of a long term brand building strategy. Companies have to take real action. Don’t just sprinkle “PR fairy dust” on an issue. The most trusted institution right now is someone’s own employer. 79% of Americans say they trust their employer. Take advantage of the first few years out of school to explore. Be your best champion. Ask for your worth. Don’t be too polite, it’s your career. Look for those people that can help you. Resources Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

About the Episode Karen van Bergen and Lee discuss the hot topic of the day: what can you do if your agency works with a client who doesn’t support your worldview? They also look to the future, describing why earned media has never been so important for brands and Karen’s conviction that measurement tools will fine tune the effectiveness of PR.   About Karen Karen van Bergen is a power player in the communications industry, with a 30-year career working both agency and client-side with some of the most well-known brands in the business. As CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group, Karen has responsibility for all of Omnicoms public relations and public affairs agencies, including three of the top global agencies in the world (FleishmanHillard, Ketchum and Porter Novelli). With more than 6,300 employees and $1.4 billion in revenue, the group is the largest in the industry. Prior to Omnicom PR Group, Karen was CEO of Porter Novelli. While at FleishmanHillard, she led the creation of OneVoice, an integrated Omnicom team serving Royal Philips Electronics. In house, Karen served two stints with McDonalds totaling more than 13 years, in roles spanning corporate affairs, marketing, communications and government relations in Europe and Asia. She also worked with The Coca-Cola Company and Outboard Marine Corporation. Karen’s leadership has been recognized with honors including Ad Age Woman to Watch and New York Business Journal Woman of Influence. In 2017, she was PR jury president at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity and was the first woman ever ranked #1 on the PRWeek Power List. Karen is a founding member of Omniwomen and serves on the board of the New York Pops.   Key Takeaways Younger people want to work on clients that have a purpose. Agency business isn’t for the faint of heart. You always have to be on your toes. Earned media has never been more more important than it is now. We need to be more data driven. Companies are looking for their reason to be in society and how they can contribute. Consumers want companies to stand for something more than a good product or service. Learn to say, "Yes" and take risks. Speak up, keep speaking up if you’re not heard. Network the hell out of your life.   Resources White Houses By Amy Blum

About the Episode To celebrate International Women’s Day, Lee and Dale Bornstein discuss issues that are top of mind for women in 2018. What’s the difference between advocacy and activism? Do women need to brag more about their achievements? What female attributes make women successful leaders?   About Dale Dale Bornstein is CEO of M Booth, a fast growing marketing communications agency that’s known to zig when others zag. Dale is passionate about a people-first approach to agency life and client partnerships. She rallies her team with the mantra Be Inspired because those who lead the most inspired lives, do the most inspired work. Recognized consistently as a best place to work, M Booth is a culture that runs on inspiration and innovation and that makes a real difference for employees and clients.   Key Takeaways SHEQUALITY is really “he” and “she” quality. Women need to brag more to get what they deserve. Women need to bring confidence to every table. We should celebrate our wins and let other people celebrate with us. Today, there is much more permission and empowerment for women to lead by example. Bulletproof yourself from girl mishegas. Soft skills are important. Women’s attributes are leadership attributes of our future. Collision of technology and content creative will continue to drive a modernization of marketing. The most important asset you have is your personal brand. Treat it well. Hire for attitude, teach for skill.   Resources Women Need To Brag More Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter

About the Episode Why does our culture support the fallacy that men climb the job ladder while women climb the to-do list? Lee and Gail discuss a cultural shift that encourages women to take on key leadership roles.   About Gail Gail Heimann is President of Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading global communications and engagement firms with a network extending to 127 cities in 81 countries. Gail brings a relentless pursuit of ideas that touch, move, build, transform and deliver results for clients. She helps accelerate innovation and activation across the firms global practice areas, digital services and analytics operations. Gail has helped to build brands and burnish reputations for leading clients in the personal care, food and beverage, quick service restaurant, healthcare, finance and technology categories including work with PepsiCo, Unilever, GSK, Mattel, Electrolux, Aetna, General Motors, Microsoft and Verizon, among others. Gail was a catalyst in Weber Shandwick being named as the only PR agency on Advertising Ages Agency A-List in 2014 and 2015 and a Standout Agency for 20167, as well as PRWeeks 2017, 2016 and 2015 Global Agency of the Year, and The Holmes Reports 2015 and 2014 Global Agency of the Year. PRWeek’s 2016 and 2015 U.S. Agency of the Year, PRWeeks 2016 and 2015 Global Agency of the Year and The Holmes Report’s Global Agency of the Year for 2015 and 2014. She was president of the Public Relations Jury at the 2012 Cannes Lions and a member of the inaugural jury for the Glass Lions, which celebrates work that breaks through gender bias and stereotypes. Gail was honored with The Holmes Reports Individual Achievement Award in 2017, celebrated as one of the sharpest creative and strategic minds in the business. PRWeek also included her on its prestigious U.S. Power List in 2017. In 2016, Gail was inducted into PRWeek’s inaugural Hall of Femme, recognizing female trailblazers in communications. She was also named to The Holmes Reports 2015 North America Innovator 25 list, which celebrates individuals who accelerate innovation and push boundaries within the public relations industry. Earlier in her career, Gail was an Advertising Age Woman to Watch. She is a proud member of the boards of the PR Council, LaGrant Foundation and She Runs It. Gail and her husband have two daughters and live in New York City.   Key Takeaways Men are climbing the ladder and women are climbing the to-do list. Bring transparency to how you make business decisions. Millennials want as much information as possible. We need to provide a better level of business training to provide equality in leadership. Be a leader first. Start without the battle. Then contemplate where the other issues fall. Role modeling is so important - you have to see it to be it. Companies are recognizing the importance of culture and values, in light of what consumers demand. Brands like Mattel are celebrating the diversity of women and working hard to understand culture and relevance.

About the Episode Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, commented that she believed the Me Too movement is hurting woman in the workplace because companies hesitate to hire women fearing legal action. Lee Caraher and Sandra Fathi dig into the hot topic of the day and discuss why it takes both women and men to create equal opportunity in the workplace. About Sandra Sandra Fathi is President and Founder of Affect, a public relations and social media firm specializing in technology, healthcare and professional services. Sandra has spent the past 20 years helping technology companies achieve their communications goals. Starting her career as a reporter for a division of Ziff Davis and IDG Tech Network, she went on to work at a number of leading technology firms and one of the top global PR agencies, Edelman. Her clients have included Apple, EDS, Ericsson, Nokia and Microsoft, as well as innovative start-ups. Sandra is an expert in media relations, crisis communications, brand reputation and executive visibility. She is a sought-after speaker and writer on brand reputation with commentary appearing in CNN, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., Huffington Post and U.S. News & World Report. Sandra serves as an advisor to start-up executives on business challenges – from positioning to funding to long-term market strategy.   Sandra is currently on the board of PR Council and has served as Chair of PRSA’s Tri-State District. Sandra has been recognized as one of PRNews Top Women in PR, a PRNews PR Professional of the Year finalist, and a Bulldog PR Agency Professional of the Year. She holds a BA degree in International Relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Key Takeaways If we take women out of the equation, no companies will survive. Being open and having honest communication is key. Educate yourself on what is appropriate at work. If you're interested if having someone be your mentor, go and approach them about it. Be specific. Set expectations, including a time commitment. No one is going to work harder for you, than you.

About the Episode Fake news is a dangerous construct. It allows people to quickly dismiss facts that don’t mesh with their worldview. Lee Caraher and Anne Green talk about why the truth matters, point out why you should stop using the term ‘fake news’ and argue that the stakes have never been higher to advocate for a communication platform that values ethics and facts. About Anne Anne Green is a 25-year veteran of the communications industry. She kicked off her PR career at Burson-Marsteller in the early 90s, and has been helping to lead and grow the wonderful team at CooperKatz since 1996. She's proud to have partnered with scores of dynamic clients over the years - from her early days on GE and DuPont, to more recent engagements with Memorial Sloan Kettering, Fiserv and Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Just two of her career highlights include unveiling MetroCard for the NYC MTA and launching Virgin Mobile in the U.S. - with the added plus of engaging directly with Sir Richard Branson. In addition to overseeing the agency's strategic direction, growth and operations, Anne serves as a senior counselor to many CooperKatz clients. She is deep into digital and loves the highly-integrated nature of PR work today. And she's a seasoned media and presentation skills coach with a passion for executive training. Anne serves on the board of directors of the PR Council and has collected some nice industry accolades along the way (though that "40 Under 40" seems like a while ago now!). In her personal life, she's a singer married to a drummer and is good at steadily over-committing herself to many great organizations. Key Takeaways The idea of “fake news” has become weaponized. We have responsibilities and values we need to uphold as an industry. The press is not only essential to our jobs as PR professionals, but essential to our society. Have open, intentional, consistent discussions about ethics. Social media is just like every other human institution - it is the best of us, it is the worst of us. It is our job as PR professions to see how it is being used and misused, and what we can do to make it a more communicative platform.

About the Episode Lee Caraher and Renee Wilson introduce The SHEQUALITY Podcast, a weekly show that addresses the important issues facing woman in the workplace today. Join us to build leadership skills, advocate for an environment of equality regarding gender pay, career opportunities and financial backing, as well as to create more champions for women in the PR workforce. About Renee Renee Wilson was appointed the third PR Council president in January 2016. Her primary responsibility is to advocate on behalf of the PR Councils 100-plus member firms, and the overall profession. Previously, Renee spent 11 years at MSLGROUP, most recently as a member of the global board of directors; and as the firms Chief Client Officer, serving as liaison with senior clients and the agencys international client engagement program, which she created. She was also the President of MSLGROUP in North America from 2012 2014. Prior to MSLGROUP, Renee spent four years working in London for Hill & Knowlton. During this time she managed the EMEA communications for brands within Kelloggs and Johnson & Johnson. Renee was president of the 2014 PR jury for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and served on one other Cannes Jury in 2011. Key Takeaways SHEQUALITY is a movement of women helping women. Equal Pay Day is April 10. Integration is the way forward. In 5-10 years, there will be an upsurge of specialists.   People want what PR agencies are selling, they just don’t always know where to go. Be competent and comfortable with data. Take an Excel class if you want to learn more.