Anna has spent her entire career building brands. Her passion, insight, and desire to understand every nuance of each business she works on have resulted in close relationships and brand-defining work.

Before founding FEARLESS Strategic Marketing, she was a Client Leader at Leo Burnett for nine years and at Energy BBDO and BBDO Worldwide for nineteen years, leading North American and Global Brands.

She has worked across multiple categories and with brands at every size and stage of growth, partnering with PepsiCo Food & Beverages, Starbucks, SodaStream, KIND Snacks, Frito Lay, Procter & Gamble, MARS, Nintendo, Kohl's, Ulta Beauty, The Chicago Cubs, and more.

She has a particular passion for challenger brands, which she defines as brands with ambitions bigger than their budgets.

Anna has won every creative and effectiveness award multiple times, including Cannes Lions, Effie’s, D&AD’s, Emmy’s, Clio’s, WARC’s, and The Jay Chiat Awards.

Throughout her career, Anna has been known for being a trusted, valued, strategic advisor to the CMO and CEO, for building powerful, distinctive brands that drive long-term growth, and for creating genuine, authentic partnerships and friendships with those she works with while also having some fun along the way.

Anna lives outside of Chicago in the northwest suburbs with her husband Tom of 20 years and their three sons, Roman, 18, Leo, 17, Dominic, 14, and her dog Bandit (yes, she is outnumbered!).

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Marci Pelzer is Director of Corporate Affairs at Worley, where she brings more than 20 years of expertise in strategic communications.

Marci has held key leadership positions at Rockwell Automation, SC Johnson, Time Warner Cable and ManpowerGroup. She is a proud graduate of Marquette University and the Kellogg School of Management.

Outside of work, she enjoys reading, traveling, volunteering and pursuing her passion project, What Dan Read.

Marci resides in Milwaukee.

Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform.

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Cassandra (Cass) M. Bailey is the CEO of Slice Communications, the founder and current Chairwoman of Social Media Day, Inc., and the creator of the “My Mom Is…” children’s book series. She has been working in marketing communications for more than 20 years and has authored two books on the subject: Pay Attention! and Social Media is About People. She believes that integrated public relations, social media, and email marketing efforts are critical for growing businesses and non-profits looking to accomplish their goals.

With a background in international politics, economics, and philosophy, communications has become her passion and she has been tapped by various industry associations and the media to share her insights and experiences. She has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, and The Today Show and has written for, or been quoted in, Forbes, Philadelphia Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, TheNextWeb, and a number of other publications. Cass has also been named as a Rising Star by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and received the Brava award from Philadelphia Smart CEO.

Cass is deeply involved with her community and has served on boards for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization of Philadelphia; Business Leadership Forum at The Union League of Philadelphia; Small Business Board at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Tree House Books; Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund; and Hopeworks. Cass graduated from The Catholic University of America with a degree in international politics, economics and philosophy. Additionally, she has completed programs in business education from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program and WBENC Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business.

Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Stay connected with us:

• Follow us on LinkedIn!
• Follow our co-host Eileen Rochford on Linkedin!
• Follow our co-host Rob Johnson on Linkedin!

Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Stay connected with us:

• Follow us on LinkedIn!
• Follow our co-host Eileen Rochford on Linkedin!
• Follow our co-host Rob Johnson on Linkedin!

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Eternal Optimists: Small Business Owners Say They Plan to Grow Despite Concerns Over the Economy, Shutdown

Emerging Trends for AI and Communications in 2025

Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform.

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• Follow us on LinkedIn!
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• Follow our co-host Rob Johnson on Linkedin!

Janine MacLachlan is a communications strategist and workshop designer on a mission to help leaders communicate for impact, including preparing for high stakes engagements on TV or at the podium, and motivating teams to increase effectiveness.

Her signature workshop Amplify Your Leadership Voice helps people articulate their vision, uplift allies and advance their career. Another workshop, Say It Shorter: Get More Done by Getting to the Point, helps knowledge professionals hone their messages tailored to distinct audiences and deliver them with clarity and confidence.

Janine’s clients have included Quaker oatmeal, CBRE, Walmart and Procter & Gamble, in addition to associations, nonprofits and educational institutions. She is an editorial contributor to Forbes and Fast Company, and is a regular guest on Chicago’s ABC-7 news.

Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Stay connected with us:

• Follow us on LinkedIn!
• Follow our co-host Eileen Rochford on Linkedin!
• Follow our co-host Rob Johnson on Linkedin!