The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

Latest Episodes:

32: How to Be a Modern-Age Leader Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

Leaders must continue to work to be more relevant in modern times. As technology changes, it can become more and more difficult to stay in the know. But if you’re off the grid and not online--or struggle to keep up with new communication trends--you’re hurting your brand.

This week, I share four ways in which you can be seen, heard, and remain relevant.

Yes, social media is a big part of the puzzle, but there is also much to talk about with interpersonal communications. How you speak and connect with your team and colleagues matters.
A lot.
Just look at all the high-profile cases of people who have recently suffered a communication breakdown.

Tune in to this episode so you can feel more confident no matter where you are communicating.

Mentioned in this Episode

Listen + subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.

31: A Crisis Case Study: Tony Robbins Responds to a Media Attack Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

It’s happened again.

A high-profile man accused of inappropriate conduct. Even those with a PR staff to help them out don’t always respond appropriately when their reputation is being attacked. That’s exactly my take on the recent man in the spotlight: Tony Robbins.

This week on the Confident Communications Podcast, I’m dissecting the accusations against Tony Robbins and his response. What did he do right? Where did he (and others) miss the mark? What happens next?

There’s a 3-step process for responding to media attacks, and an ask that the accused needs to make. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this crisis management mainstay and it’s a recipe for reputational disaster.

Listen in as I review the timeline and where the missteps happened--and where you can do better should your reputation ever be on the line.

Mentioned In This Episode

Buzzfeed Tony Robbins accusations

The Dress - Blue or Gold?

Tony Robbins response via Medium

Episode 12: The Art of Messaging a Divorce

Al Franken’s apology video

Tony Robbins thank you for your support [video]

Support from Robbins client [video]

Video footage of Robbins using racial slurs

Developing skills to become an effective communicator is key no matter what stage you’re at in business. To learn more tips on how to communicate more effectively, from the comfort of your own home, you’re going to want to check out The Confident Leader Network. Launching soon, the Network includes monthly trainings about relevant social media platforms and information you need to know to become an effective communicator in the 21st century. Sign up below to be first to know when the program goes live so you can be heard, stay seen and maintain your relevancy.

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

30: How to Nail Your Next Media Interview with Brad Phillips May 28, 2019

Show notes

The thought of a call from the media, or (yikes!) a request for an interview is the stuff of nightmares for many business owners and executives. But it’s also par for the course if you want to stay ahead of the story, put out the right message and stay transparent and relevant to your audience.

If you want to run and hide when you hear a reporter is on the line, or avoid speaking in public because it makes you uncomfortable, you need to take a step back and listen in to this episode of the Confident Communications podcast.

Media training looks very different today than it did 10 years ago, and learning how to talk to the media and the public is critical to your success. Anything you say, at any time, could be recorded and taken out of context.

This week, you’ll learn from author and trainer Brad Phillips, someone I’ve followed and learned from for years. The knowledge he has spans decades, including stints for ABC’s Nightline, CNN’s Reliable Sources and others.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Media Training Bible: 101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need to Know Before Your Next Interview by Brad Phillips

About Brad Phillips

Brad has trained thousands of media spokespeople and public speakers including members of Congress, Olympic athletes, top CEOs, directors of nonprofit organizations and heads of government agencies. He’s prepared speakers for TED Global and TEDx Talks, the World Economic Forum in Davos and thousands of other business- and issue-oriented presentations. His book, The Media Training Bible, has been Amazon’s top-selling title on the topic since its release in 2012. Prior to starting his businesses, Brad worked for ABC’s Nightline with Ted Koppel and CNN’s Reliable Sources, The Capital Gang and Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. His current business is Throughline Group and you can connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About Molly

Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help to build crisis-proof businesses. From her work in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C., Molly develops the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly founded Confident Communications executive learning program and frequently speaks on crisis communications, public relations and social media.

Listen + subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.

How to Speak to Waitstaff May 21, 2019

Show notes

How do you ask for your check at a restaurant? Are you a “Check, please!” person or someone who waits to make eye contact with their server then air-signs to let the server know what you want? Do you know which is the more appropriate thing to do?

In honor of National Waitstaff Day, this week’s episode of Confident Communications focuses on all the things your waitstaff wants you to know about dining in a restaurant--but can’t actually tell you.

Waitstaff are key personnel in my business because I travel so much. I rely on restaurant staff to feed me and to make sure I have my receipts for tax purposes. And even though I spend a lot of time in restaurants and bars for work, even I learned some things in my research for this episode.

We all want a good experience when dining out, and your waitstaff would like to have a great day at work. Be sure to listen in so you can hear some of the most annoying things restaurant patrons do and say--and what to do or say instead.

Developing skills to become an effective communicator is key no matter what stage you’re at in business. To learn more tips on how to communicate more effectively, from the comfort of your own home, you’re going to want to check out The Confident Leader Network. Launching soon, The Network includes monthly trainings about relevant social media platforms and information you need to know to become an effective communicator in the 21st century. Click here to be first to know when the program goes live so you can be heard, stay seen and maintain your relevancy.

About Molly

Listen + subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.

10 Moves to Protect your Online Reputation May 14, 2019

Show notes

Back in the day, you relied on personal relationships when deciding whether to do business with someone. While that’s still the case in a lot of circles, an even more popular method is through our good friend Google.

I don’t know about you, but I often Google the name of someone who reaches out to me for business -- for a media interview or for help in their business. I want to know who I’m dealing with before I agree to do any work with or for someone. And I love that it’s so easy to find the information I’m looking for.

Does the idea of that make you cringe? Are you unsure about what information I could find about you if I Googled your name?

On this week’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing 10 ways you can protect your online reputation so you can stop living in fear and start being proactive about what others can find about you online.

Each tip is simple and you can do them all in one sitting. Grab this checklist so you can repeat it every few months--something I recommend to all my clients.

Mentioned In This Episode:

LastPass Password Manager

Duck Duck Go https://duckduckgo.com/

Incognito Mode in Google Chrome https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/how-to-use-incognito-windows-in-chrome

Google Alert https://www.google.com/alerts

Episode 8: Top Communication Fails that Made Headlines in 2018 https://mollymcpherson.com/episode8/

Hootsuite https://hootsuite.com/

Sprout Social https://sproutsocial.com/

About Molly

Listen + subscribe on Stitcher or

Yelp! I Got a Bad Review! (Now What?) May 07, 2019

Show notes

As many as 90% of people check out reviews on social media and business or industry websites before buying. That means your reviews matter. But what matters even more nowadays is how you respond to reviews your customers leave online.

Unfortunately, you don’t have time to manage your reviews all day long. And you shouldn’t. What you should do, however, is make sure that you respond to every single review you receive--good or bad. In fact, it’s even more important to respond to bad reviews, publicly, as quickly as possible.

On today’s episode of the Confident Communications Podcast, I’m sharing seven tips to responding to reviews online in a way that ensures your customers are heard and their problems are fixed.

Mentioned In This Episode

My Trip Advisor review for the resort in Costa Rica
Yelp guidelines on reporting reviews https://www.yelp-support.com/article/When-should-I-report-a-review?l=en_US
Consumers Will Punish Brands that Fail to Respond on Twitter Quickly - https://www.lithium.com/company/news-room/press-releases/2013/consumers-will-punish-brands-that-fail-to-respond-on-twitter-quickly

Are you a professional that wants to make sure you’re following best practices online? Grab my guide to the top 5 rookie mistakes professionals make online.

About Molly

Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help to build crisis-proof businesses. From her work in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C., Molly's beat is crisis communications, public relations and social media.

Listen + subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.

26: How To Be a Great Spokesperson: With special guest, former CNN and ABC News Anchor & Correspondent Jeanne Meserve Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

I spent a good part of my career working with the media in my role as a public affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and my time as the head of communications for the cruise line industry outside of Washington D.C. The journalists I met had a passion for finding the story and making sure the public heard it.

One of the journalists I encountered during my career was Jeanne Meserve, an anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News and winner of two Emmy Awards, two CNN Peabody Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award. In honor of World Press Freedom Day this week, I interviewed Jeanne about her experience in the field--both as a journalist and now as a moderator of high-profile town halls and forums.

Jeanne has a unique perspective of how to be a great spokesperson, and we dive into the state of the media as it is today. She also speaks about how to take the fear out of talking to the press through preparation and being proactive. Getting ahead of the story is always a better tactic than preparing a canned response.

Tune into this interview with a respected and seasoned pro.

About Jeanne Meserve
Jeanne Meserve is a moderator who brings energy and insight to every event. Her knack for asking the right question, listening and following up gives panel discussions direction, purpose and power. Her meticulous research, wide range of knowledge, and years of experience managing conversations on television have made her a go-to moderator, facilitator, emcee and host for organizations all around the world.

About Molly
Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help to build crisis-proof businesses. From her work in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C., Molly develops the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly frequently speaks on crisis communications, public relations and social media.

Listen + subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.

25: Why Major League Baseball Hits a Homerun Marketing to Fans Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

Major League Baseball hits a home run when it comes to social media strategy. But you don’t have to be a multi-billion dollar enterprise to get noticed and stay relevant.

By following the winning tactics teams use to engage their fans, you’ll soon be hitting social media home runs with the big leagues. That doesn’t mean you need to be on all the social platforms; it just means that you need to find which platforms your people are on, know what’s going to stop their scroll and then give them the content they want.

On today’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing five hits for how to market to your fans by using social media. And you’ll also learn how to avoid a strikeout by employees who don’t use social media properly (or in your organization’s best interest).

Mentioned in This Episode

Want to get more information about how to stop the struggle with digital, online and social platforms? Find out more about my upcoming online learning program, The Learning Lab, and get on the waitlist so you’re the first to know when it goes live.

It will offer monthly online trainings you can watch on your own time so you can more effectively communicate in the 21st century!

About Molly

24: How the Heck Do You Use a Hashtag? Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

Do you know the power of a hashtag? (Do you even know what a hashtag is?)

I get asked about hashtags a lot in my business, and it’s not uncommon to feel like a #dinosaur. Heck, I question myself every time I use a hashtag--still.

There’s no shame in not knowing what a hashtag is or how to use it. There really aren’t any true tutorials on it and for us Gen-Xers and older, it’s just the pound symbol on the dial pad of the phone you grew up with.

But for those of us who use social media on a regular basis (or want to), it’s a powerful tool you can use as a business or a consumer to help save you time and get you noticed in all the right places.

On this week’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing the what, why and how of hashtags so you don’t feel so in the dark. You’ll feel more confident in playing around with hashtags for business and for entertainment--there’s so much you can do with them for business or for fun.

Mentioned in This Episode

About Molly

Listen + subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.

23: Annoying Communication Habits You Need to Stop Immediately Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

You know you’ve seen and heard it: The person driving down the street texting. The mom Facetiming her teenager in the grocery store. Loudly. The video call with background noise (or underwear hanging on the treadmill in the background). The “reply all” email threads that go on...and on...and on…

Sure, you’re well aware of the annoying communication habits that others are guilty of. Do you know what you might be doing that’s annoying others?

This week on the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing communication habits that a lot of people make--but that they need to stop. My guess is that you’re inadvertently doing at least two of these things and don’t even know it. It’s time to be more aware so you can be a better communicator and, let’s face it, not so annoying.

Mentioned in This Episode: