The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

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22: How to Handle a Difficult Conversation Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Everyone has difficult moments in their lives, whether it’s a high-conflict divorce, an argument with a friend or family member or clashed personalities at work. It happens because we’re human and because we often don’t know how to react or interact during difficult times.

Instead of reacting to triggers that only make the moment more heated, this week’s guest teaches us how to pause a moment to make sure we’re reacting appropriately. Lara Currie is a speaker and trainer who teaches professionals in high-stress, high-stakes fields how to weather difficult times.

In this episode of the Confident Communications Podcast, we’ll explore how to ask yourself the right questions before responding, why we need to become less emotional, how men and women communicate differently in times of stress and why we need to retrain ourselves in basic communication techniques.

Mentioned in this episode

About Lara Currie

Lara is a podcaster, speaker and trainer and the author of Difficult Happens. With more than 27 years of experience in high conflict positions, she has a unique and intuitive understanding of why people act--and react--the way they do. She is passionate about helping people in high stakes fields communicate effectively, make honest and meaningful connections, live with less stress and establish strong boundaries. Visit her website, listen to her podcast or read more about her book.

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 build crisis-proof businesses. From her work with 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.

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

21: A Crisis Case Study: Elizabeth Holmes in a bloody mess Mar 26, 2019

Show notes

When you’re in the public eye, be ready for scrutiny. Even if you’re not in the public eye, your audience is looking for transparency both online and offline. Try to hide and you’re going to get some backlash--especially in the face of a crisis.

This week on the Confident Communications podcast, we’re ripping from the headlines two fallouts from two executives’ mistakes. One flat-out lied and bamboozled the public and investors out of millions (a billion!). The other thought that denial and hiding from bad press was the way to go.

In both instances, they were wrong. Too many business owners, leaders, entrepreneurs and C-suite executives today deny the power of social media and the digital space. They think that not answering questions might make those questions go away.

The truth is, social media is powerful and it can be both a weapon and a tool--depending on how you use it. How are you using social media? Find out what these executives did wrong.

Mentioned in This Episode

About Molly

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

20: Your Name Went Viral - But Not in a Good Way. Now What? Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

Your Name Went Viral - But Not in a Good Way. Now What?

Going viral isn’t always a good thing. Just ask Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, who both had a rough week in court and online because of their involvement in the college cheating scandal. No one wants to go viral like that.

The thing is, in today’s digital age, you’re at risk whether you know it or not. It’s important to be prepared and to know what to look for when you're headed for digital infamy, which is exactly what I’m talking about in this week’s Confident Communications podcast.

I’ll share the two categories of viral coverage, how it impacts you on a smaller scale and how you can avoid that digital death spiral. I’ll also give you a number of examples you can use to help you identify where the person went wrong--and where it was online lookie-loos who took something and ran with it.

Whether you’re a business owner, a corporate executive or someone who is working to the top, you need to protect yourself from those negative viral spirals.

Mentioned in This Episode

About Molly

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

19: 10 Hacks That Take the Suck Out of Writing Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

Too many people get stressed out when it comes to writing, and it’s usually because they’ve told themselves that they’re a bad writer. But that’s not actually true. Most people know how to write. What you need to figure out is how to make writing a little less something you dread.

When I was a kid, I loved writing-- as most kids do. But it was when my paycheck started depending on my writing ability, that writing became something I dreaded. I’ve noticed that this is usually when most adults start hating writing. I think it’s because we feel our work is under a much larger microscope and that the stakes are higher.

But writing is such an important part of business, from emails to social media to proposals and reports, that it’s important to actually like it. Everyone should work to build their authority with all the written-word opportunities you have.

That’s why today’s episode is so important. Listen in to learn some hacks to make writing a little less sucky for you.

Mentioned in This Episode

About Molly

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

18: The Secret to Being a Great Speaker Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

For most people, your voice is simply the tool you use to communicate. But for Gina Razón, this week’s guest on the Confident Communications podcast, the voice is much more than that. And when you don’t use your breath properly, your voice (and your credibility) can suffer.

A former opera singer and current public speaker and voice coach, Gina shares with us why the voice is a tattletale for your confidence and exactly what speakers do when they’re not as confident or as prepared as they’d like to be. And she passes along tips that any speaker, no matter what kind of room they’re in, can use to be more confident. Even if the ex-boyfriend who broke your heart 10 years ago walks into the room.

Probably most fascinating is the connection that the body--even the big toe--has with your voice and how dynamic your speech is. Gina also explores how generational inflection is a part of life today and the superpower that each gender has in their voice.

Gina firmly believes that there is one special “birthright to everyone who breathes air.” And the answer comes out loud and clear in this episode.

Mentioned in This Episode

About Gina

Gina Razón has taught voice and speech for over 16 years to individuals, organizations and in academic settings. She is sought after as a teacher of voice and speech, singing, and public presentation. Gina also performs as a classical mezzo-soprano in concert and opera. Gina has a BM and MM in Voice Performance, is a practitioner of Fitzmaurice Voicework and a certified teacher of Somatic Voicework. She has served as voice coach for TEDxCambridge, and speaks at National and local events on all things voice and speech. Gina is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, The Voice Foundation, the Voice and Speech Trainers Association and the National Speakers Association. Visit her website or read more about the topics of voice and speech on her blog.

Do you struggle with feeling like your own communication is seen and heard? Feel more relevant online with my Power Speak download. Learn what to say (and what not to say) if you want to feel seen, heard and relevant online.

17: The Best and Worst of the 2019 Oscars Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

Did you watch the 2019 Oscar telecast? I did - that's why I’m looking at how the stars’ publicists did on the most important night in Hollywood.

It was the first time in the history of the broadcast that the program went hostless. Join me and my long-term friend and fellow pop culture enthusiast Mary Mitschow as we each chose our top three hits and misses by both stars and publicists on Oscar night and riffed on our take.

We’re digging into whether the stars’ publicists did a good job of promoting their clients’ brands in a way that kept them on-brand and on message. Or did they leave something to be desired, causing more work for themselves on the back-end of the show?

About Molly

Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to develop the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly founded the Communicate with Confidence Leadership Training Program and frequently speaks on crisis communications, public relations and social media.

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

16: How to Spot a Liar Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

Let’s face it, we all lie. Many of those lies are innocent white lies with the intent of making the other person look or feel better (That jacket looks great on you!) but other lies are much more hurtful and impactful (think: the Fyre Festival).

Most people can’t spot a lie because humans are wired to believe one another. In this episode of Confident Communications, I’m sharing the common reasons we lie, which gender is more likely to lie, the lies each gender tell and which gestures can be misconstrued as lying (and which are dead giveaways for lies).

Not only that, but I’ll use a simple trick that will tell you whether you’re more prone to telling lies.

This episode is for parents, spouses, colleagues, customers, leaders--anyone who wants to become a human lie detector. I’m not going to lie...it will come in handy!

Mentioned in this episode

Fyre festival documentaries on Hulu and Netflix
1:4 people think it’s okay to lie on an insurance form
By age of 4, 90% of children will understand the concept of a lie
60% of adults can’t have a 10 min conversation without lying at least once
Men lie twice as much as women
Women more comfortable with lying than men (Neurs study?)
Liespotting: Proven Techniques to Detect Deception by Pamela Meyer
Chris Watts home search
Alex Rodriguez admits to using steroids
Bill Clinton - I did not have sexual relations with that woman

About Molly

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15: Bully!: Presidential Communications Throughout the Ages Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

More than ever, being President of the United States means you need to be at the top of your game as a communicator. And no matter what you think about current or past presidents, each one had his own challenges and triumphs when it comes to communicating with the American public.

In this non-partisan episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing how communication by our nation’s leaders has changed over time--from the written State of the Union to fireside chats that worked for one president and flopped for another and from our pop culture president to our social media president.

Each president mentioned can teach you something about how to communicate confidently as a leader. And that might be even more so from the non-president who might be considered our nation’s biggest influencer--both of his time and today.

Mentioned in this Episode

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

14: How to Talk About Racism Without Sounding Like a Racist Feb 05, 2019

Show notes

The subject of race is a hot-button topic, one that many people shy away from for fear of offending someone. But in America today, it’s not going away.

Part of being an effective communicator means being able to relate to and talk to a range of people, regardless of race, creed, origin, sexual preference, age and more. That’s why I wanted to talk to Jeffrey Blount about the topic.

Jeffrey is an accomplished speaker on race and social justice and gives us deep insight into what it means to grow up black in America and why race is truly an American experience and issue.

This week’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast explores how African Americans think and talk about themselves, why white people have such a difficult time talking about race and how everyone should relate to one another better.

No matter what your race or background, this is an important episode to listen to and one that promises to give you the insight into how you can begin to talk about race in your own life.

About Jeffrey Blount

Jeffrey is an award-winning author of two novels and an Emmy award-winning television director. During a 34-year career at NBC News, Jeffrey directed a decade of Meet the Press, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, The Chris Matthews and other major special events from the Washington, D.C. news bureau. He is an accomplished public speaker, commenting on issues of race, social justice and writing. Visit his website or follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Jeffrey’s newest book, The Emancipation of Evan Walls, is set to be released in Spring 2019.

About Molly

Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

The Covington Chronicles - When an "Ecounter" Goes Viral Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

When a big story hits the news, we all take notice. Many of us dissect the events strictly from a "just the facts" point of view, but plenty more tune in to watch the twists and turns, and eventually, the reputation fallout.

The latest - the story of Nick Sandmann. A Covington, Kentucky teen who was caught on video with what looked like a smirk on his face while allegedly staring down a Native American protester.

But do we really know the whole story? In this week’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing the three different angles to this story, why it caused a media firestorm and the dangers of watching something like this unfold from just one point of view.

There are many factors in play and not every player reacted favorably in the public eye. But you might not expect who’s communication style was a win and who needed better public relations support.

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