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PRGN Presents: PR News & Views from the Public Relations Global Network

PRGN Presents: PR News & Views from the Public Relations Global Network

Written by: Public Relations Global Network | PHX.fm
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PRGN Presents is the best PR podcast for international business leaders, non-profit executives, and those who hire public relations, marketing, and communications firms. It provides an exclusive look into the ever-evolving world of PR and strategic communications, featuring insights, news, and views from experts at the Public Relations Global Network, “the world’s local public relations agency.” Is your message winning hearts and minds? No matter where you do business, there is a PRGN member agency in your region with the deep industry expertise, international experience, and local market knowledge you need to connect with your target audience and achieve your goals. Whether you're an executive looking to improve your organization's communication strategy or an in-house marketing professional looking to bring in an outside firm to support a specific campaign, this podcast will provide valuable insights on how to communicate effectively and build lasting relationships with customers, staff, and communities around the world. In each episode, you’ll hear PR professionals and industry experts share valuable insights and perspectives on the latest trends in publicity, media relations, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), crisis management, investor relations, stakeholder engagement, executive thought leadership, and strategic communications.Copyright 2026 Public Relations Global Network | PHX.fm Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales Personal Success
Episodes
  • S9 E8: Professional Development as an Agency Operating System with Tayhlor Blackwell of REED

    S9 E8: Professional Development as an Agency Operating System with Tayhlor Blackwell of REED
    Oct 15 2026
    Professional development is often treated as something separate from the day-to-day work: attend a conference, take a course, share what you learned, and move on. But real growth requires more than occasional training.In this episode, Tayhlor Blackwell, Partner at REED, explains how her agency made professional development part of its operating system and everyday culture. What began as a response to rapid organizational growth evolved into a structured approach that connects individual development with the goals of the firm.Tayhlor discusses the importance of cultivating a growth mindset, setting intentional goals, and creating regular opportunities for feedback. She also explains why feedback needs to be timely, transparent, and specific—and why approaching difficult conversations with curiosity helps both the person giving feedback and the person receiving it.Tayhlor also explains the business case for investing in people. When professional development is tied to organizational priorities, the benefits can extend beyond employee retention to stronger client relationships, deeper expertise, and better systems that remain valuable even when employees eventually move on.Key Takeaways Professional development is more effective when it is embedded in everyday agency culture rather than treated as an occasional perk.Individual development goals should support both the employee’s growth and the broader goals of the organization.A growth mindset requires being willing to acknowledge what you do not know, take risks, learn from mistakes, and keep developing at every level of the organization.Effective feedback should be timely, transparent, and specific, with curiosity helping turn difficult conversations into opportunities for growth.Investing in employees can strengthen client service, organizational knowledge, and internal systems even if those employees eventually take their experience elsewhere.About the Guest Tayhlor Blackwell is a partner at REED, bringing more than a decade of strategic communications experience to the agency. In addition to delivering results for clients, she leads the agency's professional development program, working closely with team members to build personalized growth paths and fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture. Her leadership also includes shaping internal initiatives that recognize team achievements and strengthen the agency's sense of community.Tayhlor began her career in music journalism after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University, covering Nashville's entertainment scene and interviewing industry icons including Dolly Parton. That foundation gives her a strong command of media relations and a deep understanding of Nashville's entertainment and business landscape. She is based in Unionville, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband, Stetson, and their son, Ames.About the Hosts Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services, government affairs and tribal affairs, as well as not-for-profit organizations.Dr. Adrian McIntyre is a cultural anthropologist, media personality, speaker, and strategic communications consultant for PR agencies and marketing firms. He's lived in over 30 countries and spent more than a decade in the Middle East and Africa as a researcher, journalist, communications adviser, media spokesperson, and storytelling consultant. He earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a Fulbright scholar and National Science Foundation fellow. Adrian helps agency leaders strengthen their positioning, sharpen their messaging, boost their visibility, and win new clients by replacing impersonal, intrusive and ineffective marketing tactics with authentic human conversations.Follow the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, please follow PRGN Presents in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other podcast app. We publish new episodes every other Thursday. To have them delivered automatically and free of charge, just choose your preferred podcast player from this list, open the app, and click the button to “Follow” the show: https://prgnpodcast.com/listenNeed to hire a PR firm? Leading a business effectively in today's fast-paced world requires expert guidance and a strong communications strategy. No matter where you do business, PRGN has a member agency in your region with the deep industry expertise, international experience, and local market knowledge you need to connect with your target audience and achieve your goals. Find a PR firm near you »
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    19 mins
  • S9 E7: The Art of Sensing: Reading the Room | Erin Vogt of Peritus PR

    S9 E7: The Art of Sensing: Reading the Room | Erin Vogt of Peritus PR
    Oct 1 2026
    Strong communicators do more than listen to what people say. They pay attention to how it is said, what is changing, and what may be happening beneath the surface.In this episode, Erin Vogt, Partner and COO at Peritus PR, explores what she calls the “art of sensing”—the ability to read a room, recognize patterns, and respond to subtle shifts in client, prospect, and team behavior. She explains why experienced communicators often develop this instinct intuitively, but also why the skill can be taught and strengthened over time.Erin breaks the practice into three simple steps: listen closely, spot patterns, and act early. From new business meetings to long-term client relationships, she shares how curiosity, nonverbal cues, communication patterns, and thoughtful questions can reveal whether someone is engaged, skeptical, distracted, or quietly pulling away.She also discusses why agencies need to create enough psychological safety for team members to raise concerns early—and why leaders should listen to understand rather than defend when a relationship feels off.Key TakeawaysReading the room means paying attention to more than words, including tone, energy, body language, curiosity, and changes in communication patterns.The “art of sensing” can be developed by practicing three habits: listening carefully, spotting patterns, and acting early.Curiosity is one of the most important tools in relationship-building, especially when engagement is unclear or a conversation is not going as expected.Small changes in client behavior can be early warning signs. Addressing them while the stakes are still low creates more opportunity to strengthen the relationship.Teams need psychological safety to surface concerns without fear of blame, and leaders need to respond by listening to understand rather than becoming defensive.About the GuestErin Vogt, APR serves as Chief Operating Officer and Partner at Peritus PR, where she works alongside leaders to navigate complex situations with clarity, steadiness and empathy. With nearly 20 years of communications experience, she specializes in crisis management, internal communications and executive positioning — helping organizations anticipate challenges and respond with confidence when it matters most. A big part of Erin’s work is sensing — the art and science of reading between the lines, spotting emerging risks, and understanding what clients and teams may not be saying out loud. Known for quickly identifying gaps and building alignment, she serves as both a strategist and a steady partner to leadership teams across industries. She’s an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, a national speaker on agency operations and crisis communications, and deeply invested in strengthening both her community and the communications profession.About the HostsAbbie S. Fink is president of HMA Public Relations, a full-service marketing communications firm based in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. She also hosts the Copper State of Mind podcast for Arizona executives and directors of marketing and communications who want to increase the effectiveness of their public relations and marketing campaigns.Dr. Adrian McIntyre is an anthropologist and communications advisor specializing in the marketing and selling of expertise. He is a founding partner at Speed of Story, where he helps entrepreneurial experts and boutique firms clarify their positioning, package their intellectual property, market their premium services, and get paid for their thinking, not their time.CreditsPRGN Presents is brought to you by the Public Relations Global Network, the world’s local agency. Our executive producer is Adrian McIntyre. The show is produced by the team at Speed of Story and distributed by PHX.FM, the leading independent B2B podcast network in Arizona.Follow the PodcastIf you enjoyed this conversation, you'll find many more episodes on the PRGN YouTube channel. You can also follow PRGN Presents in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other podcast app. Just choose your preferred podcast player from this list, open the app, and click the button to “Follow” the show: https://prgnpodcast.com/listenNeed to hire a PR firm?Leading a business effectively in today's fast-paced world requires expert guidance and a strong communications strategy. No matter where you do business, PRGN has a member agency in your region with the deep industry expertise, international experience, and local market knowledge you need to connect with your target audience and achieve your goals. Find a PR firm near you »
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    22 mins
  • S9 E6: Bringing the FIFA World Cup to Seattle with Peter Tomozawa of Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 and Aaron Blank of Fearey

    S9 E6: Bringing the FIFA World Cup to Seattle with Peter Tomozawa of Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 and Aaron Blank of Fearey
    Sep 17 2026
    Hosting a global sporting event is about much more than filling stadiums and delivering a great experience. For a host city, it is also an opportunity to shape reputation, strengthen community pride and create something that lasts long after the crowds go home.In this episode, Aaron Blank, president and CEO of Fearey, and Peter Tomozawa, CEO of Seattle FIFA World Cup 26, take us behind the scenes of Seattle’s approach to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Peter explains why successful host-city bids must focus less on touting a city’s assets and more on understanding what the organization making the decision actually needs—and how Seattle reframed its strengths accordingly.Aaron and Peter also discuss the importance of building local credibility before pursuing global visibility, bringing businesses and communities into the experience, and thinking beyond the matches themselves. For Seattle, the goal was not simply to host the World Cup successfully, but to use the moment to strengthen the city, expand access to soccer and create memories and infrastructure that would endure for decades.Key Takeaways Major events can function as reputation campaigns, giving cities an unusual opportunity to shape how residents, visitors and global audiences perceive them.Winning a host-city bid requires understanding what the decision-maker needs, not simply promoting everything that makes your city impressive.Local credibility should come before global visibility. Community support, business participation and grassroots engagement create the foundation for a successful international moment.The most meaningful impact often happens beyond the event itself, through investments in infrastructure, access, community programming and shared experiences.Legacy should be part of the strategy from the beginning. The real measure of success is not only what happens during the event, but what people remember—and what remains—years later.About the Guests Peter Tomozawa is a global executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience across finance, professional sports, civic service, and education. A former Partner and Global Head of Foreign Exchange Sales at Goldman Sachs, he later served as Vice President and Executive Director of Partnerships and Board Relations for Los Angeles’ successful bid to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Peter is an owner of Seattle Sounders FC, where he previously served as President of Business Operations, and a minority owner of the Vegas Golden Knights. He also helped lead Seattle’s successful FIFA World Cup host-city bid and serves as CEO of the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee. Peter has also served in public and nonprofit roles, including as Executive Director of Business Development in the Honolulu Mayor’s Office, where he advanced projects including a $5 billion light rail system, Waikiki public WiFi, and innovative public-private park partnerships. He also served as Commissioner of Charter Schools in Hawaii, helping stabilize and grow a statewide education system. A lifelong ice hockey, skiing, soccer, and racquet sports enthusiast, Peter brings an authentic passion for sport alongside extensive leadership experience in finance, global events, and civic development.Aaron Blank is CEO, president and owner of Fearey, one of the West Coast’s leading public relations and strategic communications firms. A trusted advisor to sports organizations, athletes, venues and major brands, Aaron has helped shape high-profile moments across the sports landscape, including the launch of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and major initiatives tied to soccer, golf, baseball, football, hockey and entertainment. Aaron played a key communications role in helping Seattle announce its new arena and launch the Kraken brand and NHL franchise, supporting the team’s public relations efforts for five years. His sports experience also includes work connected to the FIFA World Cup, LPGA Tour, Minor League Baseball, Topgolf and TOCA Football, as well as athlete and celebrity partnerships involving Basketball Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens and former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. Since joining Fearey in 2005, Aaron has helped grow the firm into a creative communications leader serving clients across sports, healthcare, civic, corporate and community sectors. He became CEO and president in 2011 and owner in 2014, leading the agency through years of double-digit annual growth. Aaron was named to the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list in 2015 and recognized by PRWeek in 2020. He has also served as president of the Public Relations Global Network and sits on several civic and nonprofit boards and advisory groups. A lifelong sports fan and believer in the “never eat alone” philosophy, Aaron is known for building lasting relationships across industries, locker rooms, boardrooms and communities.About the Hosts Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public ...
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    24 mins
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