Podcast appearances and mentions of frank strong

What do you think of this podcast? I would very like to hear from you. Please send a note to me. Thanks, Peter! like to much appreciate a review from you!! Thank you!Unlock the transformative power of Large Language Models (LLMs) and witness their impact on public relations like never before. Peter Woolfolk talks  with Frank Strong, the insightful founder of The Sword and The Script, to explore how these cutting-edge technologies are reshaping the PR landscape and altering our approach to information retrieval. We'll guide you through the evolution from traditional news outlets to Google searches, and now to the conversational prowess of LLMs. With practical examples, we reveal the benefits and the hurdles, providing an engaging and comprehensive look at the future of PR.Discover the pivotal role LLMs are playing in reputation management, crisis communication, and consumer research—especially in sectors like automotive sales. Frank shares expert insights on the applications of AI in media monitoring, content brainstorming, and social media strategies. Yet, amidst this digital revolution, we underscore the irreplaceable touch of human creativity and judgment. Tune in to grasp the exciting potential of generative AI and how it's poised to redefine public relations, while always valuing the unique contributions only we humans can make.We proudly announce this podcast is now available on Amazon ALEXA. Simply say: "ALEXA play Public Relations Review Podcast" to hear the latest episode. To see a list of ALL our episodes go to our podcast website: www. public relations reviewpodcast.com or go to orApple podcasts and search "Public Relations Review Podcast." Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and leave a review. Information on NEW podcast website.Support the show

Rate this podcast with just one click Time to explore predictions for the coming year in public relations, marketing, and the evolving role of AI. There are conflicting views on AI's future, its role in content generation, and whether the hype has peaked or we're still climbing the AI rollercoaster. But there's no arguing with the importance of transparency and authenticity rising to the challenges of disinformation. Frank Strong of Sword and Script conducted an industry survey and shares the results with us.Listen For6:43 Is the Future of AI Utopian or Dystopian?9:31 Tough of Disillusionment: Are we There Yet?10:06 Transparency as a Competitive Advantage12:12 Why Differentiation Matters in an AI World17:21 Trust in Influencers: Hollywood vs Niche Experts21:22 Answer to Last Episode's Question From Guest Brian PorterGuest: Frank Strong, Sword and the Script Media LLCWebsite | X | LinkedIn | Instagram Read the survey resultsSubscribe to Frank's blog  Stories and Strategies WebsiteApply to be a guest on the podcastConnect with usLinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | ThreadsRequest a transcript of this episodeSupport the show

Did you know that millennials are revolutionizing the B2B marketing landscape? Join host Peter Woolfolk as he unpacks this phenomenon with his guest Frank Strong from The Sword and the Script. Frank provides valuable insights into how consumers are shifting their purchasing habits, spending more time researching products and services online, and leaning heavily on social media as a primary source of information. He emphasizes the crucial role of personalization and thought leadership in modern B2B marketing and breaks down how we, as marketers, can better cater to this evolving consumer base.In the latter part of our conversation, we navigate the tricky yet important realm of peer reviews and user-generated content. Frank helps us understand how these elements significantly influence decision-making processes and teaches us effective strategies to respond to negative feedback. He asserts how analytics can illuminate customer journeys, allowing businesses to fine-tune their marketing efforts. As we conclude, Frank shares his first-hand experience on how industry players are successfully leveraging reviews and creating engaging content to appease their millennial audience. So, tune in, and let's keep up with the dynamic world of B2B marketing together!CuSDCPPgnWNOiX6haUEe We proudly announce this podcast is now available on Amazon ALEXA. Simply say: "ALEXA play Public Relations Review Podcast" to hear the latest episode. To see a list of ALL our episodes go to our podcast website: www. public relations reviewpodcast.com or go to orApple podcasts and search "Public Relations Review Podcast." Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and leave a review.Support the show

Last time the podcast covered ChatGPT and its impact on PR, media and other fields. In this episode, we invited a panel of experts to discuss the adoption of LLM, generative, and other forms of AI in PR. Two vendors and a PR tech blogger spoke at length about challenges, opportunities and use cases.  Host Bob Geller moderated the session which, included Frank Strong, CEO of Sword & the Script Media Zach Cutler, Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman at Propel Tressa Robbins, Vice President of Customer Onboarding, Burrelles We covered these points and others: PR tech vendor landscape, adoption of AI AI to generate & analyze content, monitor media, and hone and target pitches Challenges Will AI take your job away? Avoiding quality pitfalls, ensuring responsible usage  Where are we going with AI in PR? Current and emerging use cases Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, panel, for sharing your insights with PR, Done & Doner. For more information or to suggest guests or topics, please email bob.geller@fusionpr.com

On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about the results some brand new data Frank Strong and Ned Lundquist discovered during the fifth annual JOTW (job of the week) Strategic Communications Survey, starting with why it seems like there's so much more work on everyone's desk right now.

In this episode, acclaimed PR blogger/influencer and tech PR pro Frank Strong joins host Bob Geller to discuss the state of PR tech. We have always relied on various tech tools, but they are becoming increasingly important amidst shortening news cycles and a fragmented media landscape. Tech marketing and PR folks probably know Frank and turn to his blog Sword & the Script as a resource. He has become an authority on PR tech, and shares his insight with the PR Done & Doner audience, answering these questions and others. The state of PR tech: Is it still lagging ad and martech? What tech tools should the typical agency or internal PR team have in their quiver? What is the point of all this tech, anyway? Point solutions vs. suites, incumbents vs. startups Has AI made a big impact? Why does blogging make you a better PR pro? Bob and Frank also discuss PR blogging and social media, and Frank shares his thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He worked in the military for the first part of his career and offers great insight, especially regarding PR implications, e.g. answering: “Is it OK to newsjack this?” You can email Frank at: frank@swordandthescript.com Here are some of his relevant posts: 9 Corporate Characteristics to Look for When Buying Public Relations Software Presentation: The PR Technology Landscape 2022 8 Innovations in Public Relations Technology to Watch The Making of Cision: A Brief History of 18 M&A Transactions that Consolidated a Sizable Chunk of the PR Tech Market into One Company Want to come on our podcast? Have an idea for a show? Please email bob.geller@fusionpr.com with your suggestions, and thanks for listening. You can see the videos of the interviews on Fusion PR's YouTube channel.

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bab_030_jason_marchant.jpg Jason Marchant won't tell you to not get a degree, but he will tell you don't let not having one prevent you from applying for a job. That's how he did it. And in a couple years, he went from a veteran in transition, and wondering what he'd do with his life, to having a career in sales and business card with the title of “president” of a franchise. Today he leads a sales team for a company called Fine Tune. When he hires, he doesn't require a college degree. Instead, he looks for people willing to put in the effort, and he'll train them on the skills needed. Jason is a former Marine that later served in the Army Reserve and deployed to Afganistan (there's a lot of former Marines in the Army Guard and Reserve). On this episode, he shares how he wound up with a career in sales. Show links: * Connect with Jason on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmarchantfinetune/) * Jason's employer Fine Tune (http://www.finetuneus.com/careers) * Sales books Jason recommends for professional development: 1) Fanatical Prospecting (https://www.amazon.com/Fanatical-Prospecting-audiobook/dp/B01HMUWHVU/) by Jeb Blount 2) The Ultimate Sales Machine (https://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Sales-Machine-audiobook/dp/B000VRA0ZW/) by Chet Holmes 3) The Slight Edge (https://www.amazon.com/Slight-Edge-Turning-Disciplines-Massive/dp/193594486X/) by Jeff Olson _

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/bab_029_starr_corbin.jpg After leaving the Army Starr Corbin took a job for which she felt she was overqualified. But she took it anyway and excelled. In few years, she was running the shop that eventually led opportunities with companies like CapGemini, iHeartRadio, and eventually her own consulting company. Today she leads the software team for a robotics startup in Austin, TX. On this episode she describes how she made a career out of tech – and how she still relies the principles of project management and “servant leadership” she learned in the Army. Links from the show: Starr Corbin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/starrcorbin/) Starr's employer (https://www.diligentrobots.com/) Starr's consulting business (https://corbinsolutionsgroup.com/) https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/HELO-Ride-1.jpg https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Starr-and-James-Army.jpg

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/bab_028_chuck_kluball_home_depot-scaled.jpg After Chuck Kluball transitioned out of the Army, he spent months applying for jobs and sending out resumes. In fact, he says he submitted about 400 applications and received no responses. Zero. Home Depot was at the top of his most wanted list and he sent some 40 applications to positions there and had the same result: No call backs. No interviews. And no job offers. Still, he preserved, and he obviously is working for Home Depot today. On this podcast he explains what the experience taught him, how he finally landed a job, and shares advice he has for veterans seeking jobs in business. Links discussed on the show: Chuck Kluball on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-kluball/) Home Depot Military careers (https://careers.homedepot.com/career-areas/military-2/) Vetlanta (https://vetlanta.org/) and Vetlanta on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/vetlanta/) DoD Skillbridge (https://dodskillbridge.usalearning.gov/how-to-apply.htm) LinkedIn Group: DoD Skillbridge Community of Practice (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12257076/) https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/bab_028_chuck_kluball_101.jpg

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/bab_027_michael_winters.jpg Many of the lessons Michael Winters applies to his small business, he learned in the Army. He and a buddy started researching what it take to open a landscaping business while he was still wearing the uniform. In fact, they started mowing lawns part-time, in off duty hours, to get things going. It wasn't easy, but then Mike says a lot of the things that helped him to be successful with a small business, are things he learned in the service – like an “insane” work ethic and organizational skills. Links: On Facebook: ThirtySeasons LLC (https://www.facebook.com/ThirtySeasonsLLC) Email: thirtyseasonsmike (at) gmail (dot) com 1-175th Infantry website (https://www.175infantryregiment.com/) and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/1st-Battalion-175th-Infantry-Regiment-122834911107845/)

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/bab_026_dj_faldowski.jpeg It was 9/11. That's what gave him the motivation to join the service. DJ Faldowski went on to graduate from Annapolis and serve in the Navy SEALs. He spent nine years in the Navy and multiple deployments before he decided to transition out. He wound up working in private equity, which is an elite aspect of finance. He later moved into business development and operations. Today he's a program manager at SERVEPRO, which is currently owned by the private equity firm Blackstone. He also gives back to the veteran community by supporting a charity called Legacies Alive. Links: • Connect with DJ on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/djfaldowski/) • The charity DJ supports: Legacies Alive (https://legaciesalive.com/) • DJ's current employer, SERVEPRO (https://www.servpro.com/) • SERVPRO Receives 2020 Hire Vets Award from U.S. Dept. of Labor (https://www.servpro.com/201110-hirevets) • Private equity firm Blackstone's commitment to veterans (https://www.blackstone.com/our-commitment-to-us-veterans/)

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/bab_025_chris_kennedy.jpeg Christopher Kennedy joined the Marines as a communications officer, and almost by accident wound up in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity was still a nascent industry then, but the experience served him well over his career. He's worked in high profile cybersecurity gigs across multiple vertical markets, including government and finance, and also in organizations big and small, with companies like AttackIQ and Northrup Grumman. Today he's a senior cybersecurity executive at a large financial institution While we've covered cybersecurity a couple times on the show, there is opportunity here because it's a growing sector. And Chris has a truly unique background and a lot of stories, so I think listeners will enjoy it. Links: • Connect with Chris on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherkennedyatattackiq/) • DoD SkillBridge Program (https://dodskillbridge.usalearning.gov/) • Defense contractor Northrup Grumman on transitioning veterans (https://www.northropgrumman.com/careers/veterans-transitioning-to-civilian-careers-job-search-and-networking-strategies/)

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/bab_024_adam_braatz.jpeg Adam Braatz joined the Air Force to play the piano. A professional trained musician, he was among the few that audition and selected for the Air Force band. That experience took him around the world – before transitioning to a Military Training Instructor (MTI). Today he serves as Vice President, Communications & Programming at the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce. There he works with an “ecosystem” of partners that build networks, programs and connections to foster business opportunity for veterans. Having worked with many veterans and the organization that hires them, he shares some tips for veterans in transition on this episode. Show links: * Connect with Adam on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abraatz/) * Adam's organization: Wisconsin Veteran’s Chamber of Commerce (https://wiveteranschamber.org/) * Adam’s blog: Veterans, Loyalty, and “Promotion from Within” (https://www.adambraatz.com/post/veterans-loyalty-and-promotion-from-within)

https://www.swordandthescript.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/bab_17_herb_thompson.jpg When Herb Thompson was getting ready to retire from the Army, he had no idea what he would do next in his career. However, the uncertainty is something he was trained to deal with, and he used those skills to start planning his next mission to the civilian world. He didn’t know much about LinkedIn, but he got on it and just reached to people asking for advice. The effort led to an astounding 2,000 informational phone calls where he just asked a lot of questions about career options. People were just generally willing to help. Those conversations led him to consider a career as a management consultant. He narrowed down his “targets” to a few management consulting firms and went to work trying to land a job. Here’s the thing: He submitted some 1,000 job applications and less than 1% led to interviews and zero job offers. He landed his first corporate gig through networking and relationship building. Today, he’s turned to helping other veterans. He’s penned about his experience called The Transition Mission: A Green Beret’s approach to transition from military service (https://www.amazon.com/Transition-Mission-approach-transition-military/dp/1734301503) (100% of the profits goes to charity). Links: Herb on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/herb-thompson-sf2biz/) Herb on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sf2biz/) _Inc. Magazine: _This True Story of a Harrowing Special Forces Combat Mission Teaches 11 Brilliant Lessons in Leadership (https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/this-true-story-of-a-harrowing-special-forces-combat-mission-teaches-11-brilliant-lessons-in-leadership.html) Transcript: Frank: ... and welcome everybody to episode number 17 of The Boots About Business podcast. I am your host Frank Strong, and here with us today is Herb Thompson. He is a former green beret and today serves as a management consultant with Accenture. Here's an interesting story on transitioning, which actually led him to write and publish a book on the topic, it's called The Transition Mission, and we're going to get into that later in the show. Welcome to the show, sir. Herb: Hey Frank, appreciate you having me on, man. I'm happy to be here and look forward to put out some good info and have a good discussion. Frank: Glad to have you. So the first question I always ask people is the question about the uniforms, the uniting theme in the show, why did you join the service? And then what inspired you to go SF, special forces? Herb: Growing up in upstate New York, there wasn't a whole lot of options where I came from, and ever since I was little kid I wanted to join the military. The army was the first recruiter I went to and had they not come through, I would have been out of the Marine Corps. So thankfully the army recruiter came through and then the rest is history, there was not a huge family connection, I found out later my grandpa was in the Korean war, but I found that after I joined. And then I had two goals, to be a drill sergeant and earn my green beret. I had saw an article in National Geographic in the school library about it when I was a younger kid and that just made me want to be a green beret even before I knew really what it was just from that article. And fortunately, I was able to accomplish both of my goals in the military I've done my 20 years. Frank: So there's a lot of myths and maybe misinformation and Hollywood effication, if you will, of what the special forces are, what the green berets do, and it's now an opportunity we have a chance to talk to somebody that actually served in that capacity every day, so let me ask you, what is it that green berets do? Herb: Green berets are expert in unconventional warfare. That is what we do now. There's other things we do, but we are one of the few, if only force, especially in America that goes over and works by, with, and through a government force or indigenous force, whether that's government or non-government. So we don't have to send in 500 Americans from an infantry battalion of Marines or army, but you could send in 12 green berets, we're self-sustaining, we do our own thing there, come back out, it's just a numbers game. So mass producing, build rapport, really assimilate and learn a culture while doing that through accomplishing strategic missions. Herb: It comes in all shapes and form. A lot of in Iraq, people got into it with the kind of the Rambo as part of it, of door kicking and running and gunning, but really how I've always looked at is as a green beret, if you're shooting your weapon, either something's gone really wrong or you messed up, because you should be getting all these indigenous forces or somebody else to shoot for you and it's really by using your brain over the brawn. Frank: This even reminds me of a term that we see pop up in the business world nowadays, the idea of force multiplication or force multiplier. Herb: Yeah, that's what it is, force multiplier. The best pie of the best modern example or semi-modern is right after 9/11, the few green berets that went in there was a few other people on the ground from people that don't exist. But then those green berets, in about six weeks had Northern Afghanistan secure and that was by working through the Northern Alliance. So that is a model of what a green beret is supposed to do. Frank: Great. And that was turned into a book, I believe it's called Ghost Soldiers. Herb: Horse Soldiers. Frank: Horse Soldiers, that's right, and then later a movie. Herb: The movie 12 Strong, which obviously they get into more of the shooting or the cool guy aspect of it. It's boring to go, "Oh wow, you went in there and you just talked to him, and he rode out a horse and then you called in some air strikes," it doesn't... it's not cool. Frank: That was amazing. So you personally, I imagine you've been to a lot of special places, is there one or two that stand out in your mind? Herb: Yeah. The current war zones where we've been, I spent all my time in Middle East. So just about every country in the Middle East, I've been to. I wouldn't say any of them stick out. The one that always sticks out is coming back to America and being happy when I hit boots on ground here, that's the one that sticks out to me, and why I did what I did. That was always this special moment, not that I didn't enjoy downrange and that's what I live for in a lot of ways, but getting back here is the special moment. Frank: I couldn't agree more, well said. This is a somber question, but I ask almost everybody that comes on the show, what was your worst day in uniform? Herb: Multiple ones. It's when you lose a buddy. When you lose a brother, a sister, however, pin on the listeners, that is the toughest days. When you sign up for combat arms, it's going to happen, or if you're in special operations, it's a threat, but a lot of times you don't believe it can happen to you or you accept it. But those are definitely the hardest days, those times, or even now that I'm out and I hear about something happening, even if I don't know him, I know of the person. So those are the tough days. Frank: For sure. And then the flip side of that question is what was your best day? Herb: I think of a couple of missions I had that were just awesome, doing what a green beret is supposed to do. Surrounded, fighting within ditch and no other care in the world and just happy. But I would actually say probably surprisingly, that was my last day. I didn't even have a uniform on, I left base, didn't look back in the rear view mirror and I was like, "All right, next chapter, the life let's go." So I will say that is what I look back now as the best day. Frank: Awesome. No doubt, a great day. Looking back, what do you think the service taught you that is applicable to your business world today? Herb: Everything, I use it every day. A little context, I joined straight out of high school at the age of 17. I had a little bit of job, but there was no... I was 17 years old when I joined, so everything I learned while I was in the army, I grew up, I became a man in the army and everything that has taught me I use it today. I will say, even now doing a graduate degree in Ivy League School, a lot, even what I'll move forward using is what I've learned in the military with just a little bit of tweaks and flares from what they added to my education. Frank: That's awesome. And since you mentioned it, where are you taking your graduate degree now? Herb: I'm doing an executive MBA at Cornell. Frank: Awesome. Herb: So again, will not go in there without my military experience, but more importantly, selling has shown the value of my military experience and what I would bring is same with the job. Frank: Do you think, this is an ad hoc question, but your experience in unconventional warfare is an asset as you pursue your graduate studies? Herb: It's huge, not just graduate studies and business, because it's all about people. How do you study a problem set? How do you study people? How do you get them to do what you want to do? How are you able to analyze problem sets and filter data? All that is the same for school, it's for business, so it definitely plays in big time. Frank: I don't want to dig into the transition part. And you mentioned one of your best days in uniforms really is leaving and never looking back, proud of a career but turning the page. So to speak, you have an interesting story, a project that you did as you transitioned, tell us about that, what happened and how did it unfold? Herb: Started two years out from my proposed retirement and I didn't have a clue. I knew I didn't know what I didn't know, and I knew I didn't know a lot. So I was like, "How am I going to do this?" And I knew I didn't want to become a statistic. I didn't have anything to go back home from where I grew up. So it was, "What do I know? I know how to plan missions. I know how to plan out conventional warfare." Herb: So I turned into a mission, said I'm going to deploy into the United States of America and the mission is to be going to business or join corporate America. And that's how I treated it, because that's what I knew, and that's really when I started breaking it down. Did I write out a full op order? No, but was I doing that in my head and going through military decision making process and planning where I wanted to go and facts and assumptions? Yeah, because that's all I knew. So I was like, "Why not use it?" It's worked to plan wars, and campaigns, and everything else, why won't it work for this? Frank: That's awesome. How to Deploy to Corporate America, that's going to be the title right there. One of the things that you did was just an astonishing 2,000 informational interviews. How did that come about? How did you get people on the phone? And this is over the two year mark prior to your separation and retirement. Herb: It was over two years, obviously more heavy towards the end, but one key was LinkedIn. I got in and I leveraged LinkedIn, because how else was I going to connect with so many people, especially if I was moving? In my case, I was at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with Fifth Group, move into Washington, DC. I couldn't drive up there, fly up there all the time. So I knew how to leverage LinkedIn and then it really was this, "I'm a transitioning special forces leader, my name is Herb Thompson, could you tell me how you were successful in your business or in your industry or your company?" Herb: And I didn't know anything. I always say banking is the example is I knew there was tellers in a bank, and then there was somebody in a back office and I heard of this thing called Wall Street and I'd seen it on TV. So I talked to some bankers and I realized, I didn't want to do banking, but I wouldn't have known that unless I talked to people. So I just talked to people from every industry. Usually one conversation would lead to them connect me with another person. And it was just building a network and I kept doing that, and the more I talked to people, the more I realized, "Oh crap, I got a lot to learn and I got a lot to decide for myself, not just what they can tell me, but really what is it that I want to do? What do I want to do when I grow up?" Because I had two life goals and they're accomplished now, but I've got a lot more life to live, so hey, what am I going to do? Herb: And by talking with people I was able to eliminate things which really helped me focus on where I ended up landing in management consulting. But I would not have been able to do it without LinkedIn, and I would not recommend doing 2,000, it's ridiculous. There was times where I had eight phone calls lined up back to back and I wouldn't know who I was talking to until five minutes in. And some of these were CEOs of companies. So I was able to BS my way, if you will, for the first few minutes to figure it out, but you definitely don't need to do 2,000. Frank: How many should they do? What's a good approach for somebody that's transitioning and they're thinking about getting out? It's intimidating just to cold pitch people on LinkedIn, you'd never been on LinkedIn before, that's intimidating. Herb: I was more scared to do some of that stuff on LinkedIn than a couple months earlier when I was in a gunfight. Not scared at all, I'm bluffing. People are shooting at us, we're shooting back and I'm bluffing, and now I'm sitting here like, "Oh, how do I write a LinkedIn message?" And sweating, and I'm like, "Man, I'm an idiot, what the heck am I doing? Nobody's shooting at me, I'm not jumping out of a plane, let's figure this out." Herb: But I always say until you think you know what you're doing or you feel comfortable, plus one more. It doesn't hurt to do more, you never know when that key one is. And doing all of them 2,000, one of them happened to be a key person I talked to, five months later, let me know about the Accenture position, where I ended up in interviewing there. He didn't know five months earlier, I didn't know and he wasn't even with Accenture, and he was actually with a competitor. So you never know how it's going to work, but you just talk to people. It's gaining information, there's no S2 or the intel shop to get this info, you better go talk to people and get it or scan the ether webs. Frank: So you got some direction about what it is you thought you might want to do once you got out. There's got to be other lessons, you aggregated all of those and compiled them into a book. Tell us about your book. Herb: So really it was by accident, the whole LinkedIn thing happened by accident. I figured out where I was going, not that I didn't fail, I failed multiple times. I talk about it in the book, it's not all roses and unicorns. And I got a Ferrari and six supermodels outside waiting for me cheering, it's not reality, but I learned through it. And by doing that, I shared information shared by others and I had so many other veterans reaching out to me, senior, junior to me, people who had transitioned a few years before, then now people are going through it with me, people coming upon it, and I was like, "I need to do a book." Herb: And there was one call with this officer that had got out and was just, "Hey, I'm effing loss, man, I don't know what I'm doing." And I'm like, "Crap, I need to help more people." And that's how the book came across. But really, there's so many programs out there that can help out over 40,000 veterans service organizations, but nobody can tell you, "Hey Frank, what do you want to do? What makes you happy?" Nobody knows that. Herb: So for me, I went back and looked at, "Hey, what made me happy in the military, and how can I find that when I'm outside of the uniform?" And by talking to people I came to deduction, I think it's going to be management consulting and let me go this route. But again, I just planned it like a mission and used what I knew and then went through and used LinkedIn to talk with people, and then, same thing, I'm gaining intel, how do I interview? How do I do my resume and those factors? Herb: And then fortunately, there was three companies I targeted, I got interviews at all three companies as a test because I was helping other people out. Before I wrote the book, I applied over 1,000 jobs online and less than 1% offered me an interview, just cold, send off your resume. So not saying it doesn't happen, people don't get jobs that way, but the studies show somewhere 78% of jobs are through networking and that's different, and we didn't know that in the military. Herb: The platoon leader doesn't network to be a company commander, now they better be good, but you don't network for your next job and have to do that. People know you, your uniform shows your qualifications and that's not the case. So the networking part is really the critical thing that is foreign to us, but through networking, you figure out everything else, interviewing and resumes, maybe other options for what you want to do. Frank: So what I hear you saying, if I had to take away a back review here, one overall theme, it's that you can find a job by applying online and going through digital mechanisms, but nothing replaces networking and LinkedIn was just one way for you to open up those conversations. Herb: Exactly. You can get a job that way, it's just not likely to just apply online. But LinkedIn is the best professional networking platform. It's the best, it's the biggest. In the US I think it's 177 million of people on it, just in the US alone. So it's the place to do that, and it's known for that, that's where it's easy to go to. And then you can reach out to anywhere, especially if you're moving, because how do you connect with people in Texas if you're stationed up in Washington state? It's very hard to do, people don't have the Rolodex and we don't have the phone books as the old days of doing that, so you better reach out through online purposes, and LinkedIn is the best one for that. Frank: For sure. I guess even from a business perspective, they say that crisis and recessions don't cause trends, they accelerate trends that are already in progress. And this remote working trend was already in progress, and we've just solidified that. I think business leaders have realized it takes a little different effort, not extra effort to lead a team remotely in a business environment. So if you're on a base somewhere else, there's no reason why you can't connect and potentially land a job through transitioning. Speaking of jobs, you did land your target job. How did that happen? Herb: Through networking. It's not the fact that I knew that people who were interviewing me, got a voice system, because a lot of people think that. No, but it got me the interview point blank. Now, once you get the interview, it's on you. Your foot's in the door, and it's up to you to sound good or sound like an idiot, so go have at it. Herb: But the networking got me to the interview stage and I was able to show them, hey, this is how I can translate my value and show them, I'll just be real. Interesting factoid for you, hey, there's one guy in the history of the army to be a green beret and went army drill start of the year, you're listening to him right now. Guess what? My crappy cup of coffee at the gas station still costs two bucks just like yours does, just like anybody listen, nobody gives a care. It's cool, and "Oh thank you for your service," but nobody's giving you a job for that. Herb: So what I did was put all of my stories, and even now a story sounds like, "Oh, it's fake." But when I was articulating how I was going to bring my experience there, especially in the interviews, I used words they understood. So I talked about my clients, I talked about my key stakeholders, I talked about my customers, I talked about business processes. Herb: Now, everything I talked about was working with indigenous forces in combat operations for the most part. But I put it in terms they understood because they had to see me sitting next to them, not as like, "Oh, here's this crazy-looking green beret, but we need to see him as a consultant in this case." And I was able to do that. Here's how I've leveraged technology to do that. And fortunately, through the interview process series interviews, they were eating it up and then they offered me a position and I ended up taking it, because it's what I wanted. Frank: And is that the ability to translate your military parlance into terms that a civilian business world can understand, is something you learned over time through all the chats and networking that you did? Herb: Yes, usually most people in the military don't know that. So just like as a green beret, we similar to culture, learn language. I had to learn the language. When I say deploying into America, learn the language. And depending on your industry, the language could be different or the nuances, so learn it, but you only can do that by talking to people and then internet research. Herb: A couple things, I know the nomenclature of the industry. So in consulting, you're always talking about clients, customers, stakeholders, and stuff. And one thing that sells across every industry is numbers. So if I say improved by 10%, save 25%, executed X million of dollars, expanded outreach by X%, numbers travel, people understand that. Herb: Now, we may have to figure out, what's some ways we can do numbers based off our career? Because we had a property book and it was valued at $1.5 million, big deal, what does that mean? But if we can put some numbers to what we've actually done, people understand numbers, they don't even have to think they understand, "Hey, improved by 25%, that's pretty good." Frank: I know a few guys that had a reduction in their property book and that wasn't good. You've been out of the service a while, I want to ask, how has time changed your perspective now that you've been out, what, three years or so? Herb: It's been a little over two years when I start my official retirement days only 18 months ago. I hit my 20 and then I was going through a med board. I considered all that time to like, "Hey, I wasn't doing crap." How's it changed? I think one thing that I ignored and I'll just be honest and I'm not proud to say it, but it's a fact, I've never voted. I ignored politics because I was doing a mission. Let's go overseas, help other people, and I got back here, so I ignored politics and not to get in, I don't care who you vote for, go out and vote, but I ignored it. So I pay attention more, probably some stuff that at the end of the day, you pay attention to what affects you. Herb: So when you're on a team or you're down at an infantry, battalion or company, you don't care about much else unless it's affecting you and your family. So now maybe I'm looking at stuff. I did almost all my time studying the Middle East, countries there, how are they operating? That's the only news I pretty much watched or read every day. And now I focus on the US because I'm like, "Wow, for 20 years I missed a whole lot going on here that I didn't know was..." In the military, even though I lived off base most of my career, after first couple of years, you're still sheltered because you're within that military community and a lot of stuff doesn't factor in. So that's really how it's changed for me. Frank: Well, I'm glad to hear that you're getting involved or you're going to vote. There's something ironic about a guy willing to risk his life to ensure Americans can vote and that doesn't vote himself. It's definitely important, so definitely get out there and vote. Although I think by the time this run, the election will have been decided. Herb: Good. Frank: But there'll be another one, so stay in tune. I want to ask you now that you've been out a little while, you're working in management consulting, which is a cerebral line of work, even in the business community, what would you say are the key benefits veterans generally bring to business? Herb: I'll just give a perfect example is especially green berets, but everybody, we've dealt with chaos, especially those that have deployed. We've dealt with hardship, we've dealt with chaos. And not that we're the only ones, we don't own that, we don't own leadership and everybody else doesn't, who's never served as a [inaudible 00:19:29] but we tend to bring a little bit of calming perspective. Herb: And I had my boss who's no longer my boss, we're getting ready to go into this briefing. She was going to brief 50 executives, so we'll say general officers, but they didn't know what she was talking about, but she was freaking out. And I'm like, "Hey, nobody's shooting us, let's relax." And she's like, "You don't understand, these are important people." I'm like, "They're not going to shoot us, it's okay." Herb: So I think we bring some of that of like first world problems. We've seen some real problems with some real hardships, nobody's losing their job today, nobody's dying, let's focus. Project management, how can you be in the military for a number of years and not have run a project or tons of projects? So obviously that comes into factor. Herb: I think being able to adjust. It's great, and many people can work when everything's going fine. What happens when the train derails? When something in the warehouse goes wrong, something in the office goes wrong, or the boss says, "Hey, we need this done today, not a month from now?" I think we're quicker to adapt to that. Not all, that's a general statement, but we went through a crucible of training and experience that just quite frankly, a lot of people that haven't served don't even come close to that. Herb: So that's some things that stick out to me as far as that. I think it's a double-edged sword to a veterans saying, "Oh, because we've done that, and everybody else sucks and they don't know anything," you can check your ego at the door because they'll still walk circles around you of like, "Hey, what's a P&L, petroleum lubricants. No, profit an loss, sorry buddy. There's stuff we may not have that we have to pick up on, but a lot of it translates and then we just keep learning. Frank: Definitely in a level of raw talent and enthusiasm. The types of things that you can't train. In the military, if you have it, you can train someone that's enthusiastic. It's the same thing in the business world too, but you can't train somebody to be enthusiastic about what they're doing. Herb: Frank, I'm a big believer in grit. We are the only ones that have it, but veterans have showed grit and demonstrated over countless, different countries, different instances here in the United States that's not always the case. So I think that grit is one of the big things that if you've got somebody of grit who's not going to give up, you can train them and make them successful. I believe you can't train somebody to be like, "Hey, you've quit your whole life, but you're 42 years old now, and I'm going to teach you to have grit." There's no magic grit potion for veterans that have honed. Frank: That's right, there's no pill. So we're getting a little bit towards the end here. I guess I'd ask, what final advice would you have for veterans that are getting out of the service and they're thinking about a career in business? Herb: I would say ask for help. That covers all spectrums. Because let's be real, you probably don't know a lot about business. In general, there are some people who run businesses on the side while they're in the military or while in the business, but you probably don't know, ask for help. What does my resume need to look like? How should I be? Do mock interviews. Don't be so full yourself and over-confident that you know what you're doing, that you ruin opportunities that you have. Leverage those opportunities, learn from it. You're going to have failure, it's okay because it's not failure if you learn from it and then you get better the next time. Herb: And then also, you're leaving an identity behind. I've always said, "Hey, I'm herb." I never identified, really this is why... Even in some extent, that was an identity I had and I'm leaving behind. Let's be real, two and a half years ago, a lot of people thought I was important. All the crap, you're a green beret, you're assigned during this classified mission down range. People I was sending reports to thought it was important work, and then one day you go out the gate and nobody cares anymore. Herb: So I think understanding what's my new identity going to be, how am I going to find that new purpose to drive me? Because now it's not for mom pie and apple pie, what am I going to do? I think sometimes talk on people and talk on yourself, but that self-reflection helps out with that. And also, it's okay to go seek help for that stuff. To me, it's a sign of strength. That is really what a strong character is, not "Oh, I'm going to figure it out until it's too late." Herb: There's no secret that we have a suicide problem amongst veterans, not just young ones, but young and old and it's sad, because it's like, wow, they can make it through so much and then get back here, and people don't understand what they've been through and they don't see any value with them, so it's very easy to go into negative town really quickly. Just stay positive and ask for help. Frank: That's a really interesting comment about identity. The military is such a consuming career. In the civilian world, you go to work and you come home, and you're home at night with your kids or whatever you got going on. When you're in the military, man, you're off on a post. And it's not that you're isolated or segregated, but there is some distance, there's a gate, you got to have an ID to get through it. And the days are long and especially when you're deployed somewhere, you're with those people 24/7 the way that you would be with a sibling. There is like this switch, this mental preparation about the identity you're going to leave behind. Herb: It's a way of life, that's what I always tell people. The military is not a job, it was a way of life, management consulting now is a job or a career, it's not a way of life. That to me is, you leave the military, you don't necessarily leave every job there is. Frank: I want to make sure we let folks know your book, your title again was- Herb: The Transition Mission. You can find on Amazon, I think it's like five or six bucks. Money goes to non-profit, I don't get anything from it. And then if you want to find me on LinkedIn, Herb Thompson SF to biz, same with Instagram, anything like that. I regularly share transition tidbits or insights of going into business, the process and I don't always focus on the stuff everybody talks about, it's hey, what's going on up here in the coconut and the head space and timing of, hey, what's some things are going on? Like we talked about identity. So that's usually a lot of the stuff I try to talk about because a lot of people just don't. Frank: That's awesome. Herb Thompson, thank you for your service, thank you for coming on the show and sharing your experience, all that you've done and are doing with your book and really evangelism to help other veterans. Herb: Thank you Frank, it was my privilege, I love what you're doing here and keep it up.

On the seventh episode of Brad Marley's Podcast, Brad chatted with veteran-turned-marketer Frank Strong about his podcast, why marketing shouldn't be the first thing to get turned off in a global pandemic, and why it's getting harder to tell your client's story. Twitter: www.twitter.com/frank_strong https://www.swordandthescript.com/ Boots About Business podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/boots-about-business/id1505640033

On the sixth episode of Brad Marley's Podcast, Brad talks with Michelle Garrett about growing up in an entrepreneurial household, how the pandemic has affected her work, and why marketing should never be the first line item to get slashed when budgets are cut. https://twitter.com/PRisUs https://michellegarrett.com/ Frank Strong blog post: https://www.business2community.com/marketing/buy-low-and-sell-high-you-should-not-cut-your-marketing-and-pr-budget-right-now-02298605

First things first, Paddy swears a lot, so if that's not your thing, this episode is not for you. It's very funny though, so you might be missing out on a few laughs. The story Paddy shares is very entertaining. We cover the rise of Riversdale, a distressed pub fund launched by Paddy, Rodney 'Ned' Kelly, John Singleton and Mark Carnegie. Beyond that, Paddy talks about what it takes to build a successful pub and shamelessly plugs his new venture, Frank Strong's craft brewed lemonade. It's an entertaining chat and we hope you enjoy. Mark Bouris Podcast: https://apple.co/2PTJxfZ Spit Syndicate: http://spitsyndicate.com/ Frank Strong: http://www.frankstrongs.com/ The Lord Gladstone: http://lordgladstone.com.au/ Michael Rodrigues: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rodrigues-154a3811/ Luke Butler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrlukebutler/ Time Out: https://www.timeout.com/sydney Hastings: www.hastingspeople.com.au

Its the second birthday of the Iowa Blues showcase podcast!!!!!!!   Tonight we are playing regional and local blues (plus one international blues performer!!!!)  Its a cast of thousands!!!!   we feature tonight: Jimmy Pryor, Chicago Rick, Gene Jackson, Jono Smith, John Lee Eagan, Frank Strong, Matt Woods, Kent Burnside, Madam Jules, Jon East, Norman Su, Scott Hartung, Rob Lumbard, Bob Dorr, Molly Nova, Joe Price, Patrick Hazel, Scott Long, and Greg Sutherland!    That's a show!!!!! Please like, subscribe, and share, if on podbean please follow!!!!!!!  You can also find us on ITunes, Google Play, Tunein radio, and many other great podcast providers!!!!  THANKS!!!!!

tonight is we continue where we left off on episode 99.  It is the April 2003 season two Iowa Blues showcase.  The show recorded by a nice guy.  If you have good ears you might be able to hear his name.  I couldn't pick it out.   The show stars Jimmy Pryor and John Lukehart with the band Clean Slate.  (Doc Lawson on B3, John Lukehart guitar, Mark Jervis on bass, and Frank McDowelll on drums)   The Iowa Blues showcase was produced by Tom Gary.  Jono Smith was director of bands, with Gilbert Davis, Dave Andrews, and Frank Strong.    Please like, subscribe, and share, if on Podbean please follow!!!!  THANKS!!!!!!!

A treasure in the archive!!!  Found a bootleg recording of the April show of season 2 of the Iowa Blues Showcase!!!   WOW!  This show featured Sam Salamone and Jody Bodley.   I don't remember who recorded the show, I just remember the previous month a person asked to record it for us and we said yes:-)    Director of Bands was Jono Smith, with John Lukehart, Tom Gary, Frank Strong, Gil Davis, and Dave Andrews.   Show show was later produced for podcast by Tom Gary.   Please like, subscribe, and share!   If on podbean please follow!!!!! THANKS Tom Gary

Whether your business is small, medium or large, an effective content marketing strategy is an essential element of getting your company and its message noticed. But what is content marketing? How do you develop a workable, practical content marketing strategy? And how do you know if it is working for you or not? On this week's show, Merritt Hamilton Allen and Gary Potterfield discuss the definitions, strategies, and tactics of good content marketing with President of Sword and Script Media LLC, Frank Strong. Merritt, Gary, and Frank explore what goes into creating and implementing quality content marketing programs. Frank brings considerable experience developing public relations and marketing campaigns and strategies for companies ranging from small businesses to global entities. He explains how content marketing strategies and tactics helped him take his marketing blog and turn it into his PR and marketing services business in Atlanta, GA.

Cool show featuring Big Daddy Dennis Kain and Steve Geroge.  This was our pre show for season 3. Lots of fun with Frank Strong including Des Moines on $50.   The show was produced by Jay Taylor and Tom Gary.  Director of Bands was Jono Smith, with John Lee Eagen, Frank Strong, and Dave Andrews.  Please subscribe, like, and share!!!!! Thanks!

Update:  had to reupload the show.  it works now. thanks!!! Tonights show originally aired on Internet radio in December 21 2003.  It was the last show of season four of the Iowa Blues Showcase.  Our guests were Dewey Cantrell, and Matt Woods.  Frank Strong entertained us with Frank Sings, and Jodi Bodley led the band during the Worlds most dangerous blues jam.   The show was produced by Jay Taylor and Tom Gary.  Director of bands was Jono Smith, with John Lee Eagan, Frank Strong, Don Brown and Rick Mo.   Please like, subscribe, share, and listen to us on Podbean, or any find podcast download site.  Thanks

Tonights show originally aired on the internet in December of 2003.  It starred Jody Bodley, Dewey Cantrell, Gene Jackson, a Tribute to Chicago Rick and Des Moines on $50 with Frank Strong.  The show was produced by Jay Taylor and Tom Gary.  Director of bands was Jono Smith, with Rick Mosqueda, John Lee Eagan, Don Brown, and Frank Strong.   Please like, subscribe, share, and listen to all our podcasts on Podbean.com!!!  Thanks!!!!

This was the second part of the October 2003 Iowa blues showcase.   It originally aired on the Iowa Blues Showcase internet radio station.  It starred Gary Smith, Clover Buckingham, Dennis Kain, and Jeff Baker.  Also on the show was Kyle Dean Patton, and Rob Lumbard.  We do where in the world is Woody!  and Jeff's wife calls the show:-)   Finally we have a mystery drummer named Mike who played with Gary Smith and the land sharks.   The show was produced by Jay Taylor and Tom Gary.  Director of Bands was Jono Smith, with John Lee Eagan, Frank Strong and Rick Mosqueda.   Please like, subscribe, share, and listen on Podbean, or any podcast provider.  Thanks!!!

Tonights show originally recorded in October of 2003, and aired on internet radio.   It starred Kyle Dean Patton and Brian McNammer, Heather West, and Rob Lumbard. Special segment Des Moines on  $50!! The show was produced by Jay Taylor and Tom Gary.  Director of bands was Jono Smith, with John Lee Eagan, Rick Mo, and Frank Strong. 

another great show!!!   Tonights show originally aired in October of 2003.  It featured Where in the World is Woody!  With John Woody Wood, The Living Stones, John Lukehart, and end with a special apparence by Tina Haas Finley!!!!!    That is a show!!!! The show was produced by Jay Taylor and Tom Gary.  Director of Bands was Jono Smith with John Lee Eagan, Rick Mo, Frank Strong, and Don Brown.   Please like, subscribe, share, and listen to all our podcasts on Podbean, ITunes, and Google Play.  Thanks!!!

Tonight is a jam packed show starring Jamming Jimmy Shieffer, Frank Strong, Roy Cashman, and Randy Burke, with special apparences by Jared Hall and Dave Andrews!   That is a fun show!!! The show originally aired October of 2003.  It was produced by Jay Taylor and Tom Gary.  Director of Bands was Jono Smith, with John Lee Eagan, Rick Mo, Frank Strong, and Don Brown.  Please Subscribe to podbean, Itunes, or Google Play!! Thanks!!

Tonights show is dedicated to local and regional blues performers who have pass on this year, and in years past.  The show stars, Jeff Stratton, Dan Doran, Ronn Hill,  and mention of Janey Hooper. (if you have any recordings of her pease send them to us!)  Also included are recordings of past showcase stars and players John Woody Wood, Jimmy Pryor, Chicago Rick Lussie, Gary Smith, Clover Buckingham, Rick Shultz, Louis McTizic, Frenchy Campbell, and Ethaline Wright.  The show was produced by Lee Bell, Jay Taylor, Phill Moss, and Tom Gary.   Jono Smith director of bands, with John Lee Eagan, Dave Andrews, Frank Strong, Rick Mosqueda, Don Brown, and a cast of milions.     Please like subscribe, share, Help us keep the blues alive and DFTBA  

In this episode of The Legal Toolkit, founder and president of Sword and the Script Media, LLC. Frank Strong talks with Heidi Alexander about content marketing and why it's so important for lawyers. Frank starts by defining content marketing, a business process for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content, and briefly explains how this process can help lawyers build trust with their existing and prospective client base. He lists a few content marketing characteristics, like working consistently and ensuring that you own your distribution channel, and emphasizes that your content creation efforts should focus mainly on whichever platform you own. Frank encourages attorneys to seek client-oriented questions to help them in the content creation process and to use their own anecdotal style to guarantee a unique brand. He warns lawyers to establish a consistent publishing schedule, manageable with their busy lives, and reiterates that sustainability is the goal. Frank also instructs legal professionals to view their social media outlets as satellites that operate around, and integrate into, their main content hub. He lists his content marketing best practices, like clear documentation and iterative improvement focused progress, and provides a few examples of what makes a good marketing strategy. Frank closes the interview with a reflection on how content marketing has changed over the years and some emerging trends he sees for the future. Frank Strong is the founder and president of Sword and the Script Media, LLC, a veteran-owned business based in Atlanta focused on PR, content marketing and social media services.  However, most folks in the legal community will recognize him from his previous assignment as the communications director for the LexisNexis software division in Raleigh. During his tenure at LexisNexis he was the primary champion behind the LexisNexis Business of Law Blog, which garnered tens of thousands of visitors from the legal community every month and earned praise from likes of Forbes. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney and Scorpion.