Katie Pierini is the founder of Mindset Agency in greater Los Angeles, a boutique agency at the leading edge of understanding how integrated communications is done today. Katie herself is a powerhouse, there's no other word to describe her: from her start in tech PR in Chicago to helping build and run a major agency office in San Diego to launching her own operation, she is an amazing combination of tougher-than-steel and relentlessly upbeat and optimistic. We discussed a number of things, including a master class she provided on integrated programs and brand-building, Me Too and being a woman in PR, her career progression and lessons learned, and - acting as an arc over the entire conversation - we connected on how much we LOVE the industry and our jobs within it.

Noah Dye is the principal at Spoken Voice PR, a tech-focused communications boutique, after having been EVP of LEWIS PR, one the top mid-sized agencies worldwide. Noah is a battler, and a competitor, and someone who is relentless about his work, his clients and his career. We spoke about the challenges of the agency model both in terms of what it delivers to clients and what it demands of its people, about his career progression overcoming multiple crises including the implosion of the dot-com boom just as he was getting started, about the state of communications, and about business development, a shared love of ours.

Jackson Wightman is the head of Montreal agency Proper Propaganda, which specializes in consumer tech PR and marketing. A prolific contributor to LinkedIn and author, Jackson is especially informative on the topic of conducting PR campaigns with the specific aim of optimizing search results on AI platforms (GEO). We talked about fragmentation of media and reevaluating which platforms matter, AI and how it processes information and how that affects communications and marketing campaigns, and his own very interesting background.

Morgan McLintic is CEO of Firebrand Communications in San Francisco and one of the most experienced technology marketers and PR people, after having run US operations for a global agency before striking out on his own. As a brit who crossed over to working in the United States, he also brings a unique perspective. He and I discussed his career path, what works (and doesn't) in PR today, dealing with CEOs and especially tech entrepreneurs, what young PR practitioners can do to be successful, and business development (my perennial favorite subject!).

Chris Kettmann is a partner at DGA Group, a global communications and public affairs consultancy, where he helps lead the Investor Relations and Financial Communications practice areas. He and I discussed how to get into IR, what the qualifications are and what the mindset needs to be, some trends in investor communications, and the state of affairs for areas like ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies, among other things.

Kelly Capizzi Herring is Vice President, Corporate Communications at Lincoln Financial. The focus of the interview is about the college experience, and how to go about choosing a path, trying to get the most out of it, and lining yourself up for that first job. We also talked about finding areas of interest in various industries, the specific challeges of tech and financial services, managing internal stakeholders and advocating for the value of PR, and managing work-life balance and imposter syndrome - two constants for the PR industry.

Paul Nolan is the co-Managing Director for the UK of The Hoffman Agency and the Chief Operating Officer for CCGroup, a London-based tech PR agency. Paul takes us through his exerience as an entrepreneur, partnering to buy the agency relatively early in his career and then the work of building and growing it. A big part of our discussion was on the topic of neurodivergence, specifically ADHD, and managing it in your work and over your career. We also touched on the agency model, the value of relationships and geographic differences in PR work, hiring practices, and what young people can do to stand out as candidates and in agencies.

One question PR people are always asking themselves is, "How do I get out of the grind of media relations and pivot to a role that uses my communications strengths?" Alexandra Priola is an answer to that question: she's a Managing Director in the People and Change practice at FTI Consulting, one of the world's foremost consulting firms, and a global leader in employee communications who was recognized by Ragan's PR Weekly as one of 2025's Top Women in Communications. We discussed trends in internal comms, how to build trust, scripting of executives, and other topics about consulting. We also discussed aspects of career management: how to collaborate, how to balance the demands of work and life (she's a mother of three), what choices to make as a junior person, and what she looks for in a resume.