In this episode of Smart in Public, we sit down with Jenny Bavinger, VP of Marketing Communications at Sapphire Ventures, to talk about founders, why PR is a service business that can't be easily productized, the signals that tell a company it's time to take communications seriously, and how VC communications can be more brand than buzz.

Jenny pulls back the curtain on what founders are really thinking about when it comes to communications, when companies finally clue in that PR is not optional, and why most agency searches go sideways. She gets honest about the parts of agency work that wore her out, what made Sapphire feel different, and how she's building a comms strategy that's more about reputation than press hits.

If you're a founder figuring out when to hire your first comms person, an agency lead wondering where the puck is heading, or a marketer who's tired of vanity coverage, this one's for you.

Chapters

• 00:00 — Introduction and guest introduction
• 01:01 — Jenny's background and transition to VC
• 02:23 — What are founders thinking about? The role of comms
• 04:38 — Jenny's career path and agency experience
• 07:24 — Why agency life didn't work out
• 10:09 — Building Sapphire Ventures' communications strategy
• 16:25 — Challenges and opportunities in VC communications
• 22:28 — Founders' perspectives on comms and brand building
• 27:37 — When do companies realize the importance of comms?
• 36:31 — The future of PR and AI in venture capital
• 47:19 — Jenny's experience at VC Comms Conference

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AI video is everywhere, and in this episode, The Katies welcome Joe Ciarallo, Head of US Communications at Synthesia, to pull back the curtain on what it takes to build a brand in one of the most scrutinized corners of enterprise AI. We get into the messy, useful stuff: how Synthesia is rethinking corporate training, why media training with AI avatars is quietly becoming a comms team's secret weapon, and how to cut through AI hype when your entire category is the hype.

Joe also shares hard-won lessons from Buddy Media's acquisition by Salesforce and the Salesforce IPO — and what those moments taught him about narrative-building for founders who don't fit a tidy mold. Plus: where AI security and governance fit into the trust equation, why judgment and taste are the skills that aren't going anywhere, and how comms teams can use AI to streamline the boring stuff without losing the human element.

If you work in communications, lead an AI startup, or are trying to figure out where AI adoption actually pays off in your business, this one's for you.

What we cover:

• Why trust and security sit at the center of AI video adoption
• Building a narrative for a unique founder (and a category that's still being defined)
• Practical AI use cases in corporate communication — from media training to keynote prep
• AI hype vs. reality: what's actually working in comms right now
• The future of content creation, and why the human element still matters

Chapters

• 02:33 Career Insights and Decision-Making in Comms
• 05:28 Understanding AI Video and Its Applications
• 08:39 Building a Narrative for a Unique Founder
• 11:44 Navigating Industry Commentary and Stakeholder Engagement
• 14:47 Trust and Ethics in AI Video Technology
• 17:36 The Evolution of Trust in Video Media
• 20:45 Innovative Approaches to Corporate Training
• 23:35 Media Training Use Case and Its Impact
• 24:11 Cutting Through the AI Hype
• 25:35 Media Training with AI Avatars
• 27:06 The Role of AI in Spokesperson Preparation
• 28:52 AI for One-Off Interviews and Keynote Practice
• 29:58 The Importance of Live Interaction in Training
• 32:34 AI Hype vs. Reality in Communications
• 34:35 AI's Role in Streamlining Communications Tasks
• 37:37 The Human Element in AI-Driven Communications
• 39:54 The Future of Content Creation with AI
• 43:33 Innovative Use Cases for AI in Communications

Resources mentioned:

• Synthesia — https://www.synthesia.io/
• Taylor Lorenz on AI and likeness — https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/09/taylor-lorenz-ai-likeness-privacy

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What happens when your company moves so fast that your communications strategy is already outdated by the time you ship it?

That's the reality at Lovable — the AI-native company that's making software creation accessible to anyone, anywhere. And their Head of Communications, Senka Hadzimuratovic, is living it in real time.

In this episode, Boysen sits down with Senka for an honest conversation about what it actually takes to do comms inside a company that's rewriting the rules for how everything we knew about business, technology, and the systems we use for them.

Some highlights from an episode that is one long highlight:

🤖 AI can honestly be so fun for comms. Senka breaks down how she's using AI for storytelling, measurement, and strategic messaging in ways most communications teams aren't even thinking about yet.

🏎️ Speed as a communications crisis. When your product ships faster than your narrative can keep up, what do you anchor to? Senka's answer might surprise you.

😶 Numb to the hype. Are people are tuning out AI announcements and how do we grab their attention if that's the case?

🎯 Core narratives are still a survival tool. In a fast-growth environment, the discipline to keep coming back to your foundational message is what separates strategic communicators from reactive ones.

💡 Authenticity isn't soft — it's structural. When you're building for a young workforce that has a finely tuned BS detector, how you say things matters as much as what you say.

Balancing innovation with strategic control isn't a compromise — it's the whole job now.

Chapters

• 01:49 - Senka's Career Journey in Communications
• 03:45 - Understanding Lovable and Its AI Capabilities
• 05:34 - Leveraging AI in Communications
• 09:10 - The Fast-Paced Environment of AI Companies
• 10:54 - Establishing Core Narratives in a Rapidly Changing Landscape
• 13:37 - Mindset Shifts in Communications with AI
• 16:45 - Navigating Skepticism and Backlash in AI Narratives
• 20:16 - The Role of Storytelling in AI Companies
• 24:08 - Emerging Trends in AI and Communications
• 28:18 - The Impact of Vibe Coding on Job Creation
• 30:05 - AI and the Future of Communication Roles
• 31:48 - Managing Innovation in a Young Workforce
• 34:07 - Balancing Control and Freedom in Communication
• 36:49 - The Importance of Strategy in a Changing Landscape
• 38:30 - Authenticity in AI Communication
• 40:04 - The Role of Relationships in Communications
• 45:01 - Embracing Change and the Future of Comms

🔗 Connect with Senka: linkedin.com/in/senka-hajimirovich 🔗 Check out Lovable: lovable.ai 🔗 Follow Katie: linkedin.com/in/katieboysen

Enjoying Smart in Public? Subscribe, leave a review, and share with the comms person in your life who needs to hear this.

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If you've been quietly doom-scrolling job boards and wondering if it's just you — it's not. The communications job market is genuinely hard right now, and nobody's being fully honest about why and what to do.

Daniel Méndez Aróstica built #CommsJobs because he lived it. After making the leap from Chile to the US, he found himself navigating an overwhelming system and decided to fix it for everyone else too. What started as a hashtag became one of the most useful communities for communicators in transition.

In this episode, Daniel gets real about what's actually happening in the market, why job descriptions are becoming increasingly disconnected from reality, and what the hidden job market actually means in 2026.

What we get into:

🌎 How Daniel built a global community of comms pros 20k+ strong

💼 The brutal truth about the current communications job market — and why the "it'll bounce back" crowd might be wrong

🤝 Why "network when you don't need anything" isn't just a platitude and what that actually looks like in practice

🤖 AI's real impact on hiring in communications (and how to use it before it uses you)

🎯 How to find the jobs that never get posted and why following real people beats job boards every time

The candidates landing roles right now aren't the most qualified — they're the most prepared. There's a difference, and Daniel explains exactly what it looks like.

Whether you're actively searching, quietly considering your options, or trying to future-proof your career, this one's worth your full attention.

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What does it actually take to build an AI product for an industry that's still figuring out what AI means for its future?

Michelle Masek and Nadia Jamshidi didn't wait around for someone else to answer that question. As co-founders of Honey Jar — an AI co-pilot built specifically for PR and communications — they're in the middle of one of the most interesting experiments in the industry right now: betting that the practitioners who feel most disrupted by AI are actually the ones who'll benefit most from it.

In this episode, the Katies get into the real story behind Honey Jar including the messy, honest account of what it's like to build a comms tool while navigating a VC landscape that doesn't always understand what communications professionals actually do all day.

We cover:
🍯 Why Honey Jar exists — and what early users are saying about it (including the feedback that stung)
🤖 The hallucination problem nobody wants to talk about — LLMs are impressive and unreliable in equal measure. Michelle and Nadia are refreshingly direct about what that means for PR practitioners trying to use AI tools responsibly.
📱 Who this is actually built for — solo PR pros and early-stage founders are the underserved sweet spot here, and the case they make is hard to argue with
💰 What it's like pitching a PR tool to VCs — spoiler: investors who've never had to write a press release at 11pm have some... interesting takes on the market opportunity
🔄 The evolving role of young professionals — how the next generation of comms practitioners is already reshaping what this work looks like

"The future is applied AI for every profession." Not AI as a replacement — AI as infrastructure. The comms professionals who figure out how to build on top of that infrastructure are the ones who'll matter in five years.

We're in a moment of rapid AI-driven change, and the tools are still catching up to the vision. Honey Jar is an early bet on where the industry is going — and this conversation is a useful window into both the opportunity and the very real challenges of getting there.

Whether you're a solo practitioner trying to compete with larger agencies, a founder who can't afford a full comms team yet, or a communications leader figuring out your AI strategy, this episode has something uncomfortable and useful for you.

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This week, the Katies sit down with Michael O’Brien, CEO of Highwire, and Cortney Stapleton, Chief Strategy & Business Officer at Highwire (and former CEO of The Bliss Group), to unpack what really happens when PR agencies merge.

We go behind the January acquisition of The Bliss Group by Highwire and explore:

• Why agency consolidation doesn’t mean the agency model is dying
• How they managed talent through the transition (and avoided the typical post-acquisition talent exodus)
• What clients cared about most during this kind of change
• How AI and technology are reshaping PR work, tech stacks, and junior roles
• What the agency of the future looks like — from mid-sized independents to global behemoths

If you’re an agency leader, an in-house comms pro, or a junior practitioner wondering what an acquisition means for your job (and your career), this conversation is a candid, practical look at the future of PR agencies.

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction to the Future of PR Agencies
• 01:19 - The Acquisition Journey: Insights from Highwire and Bliss Group
• 06:26 - Cultural Integration and Team Dynamics Post-Acquisition
• 08:42 - Managing Talent During Transitions: Transparency is Key
• 14:56 - Client Reactions and Expectations During Acquisitions
• 20:39 - The State of the Agency Model: Myths and Realities
• 23:44 - Navigating the Talent Market in a Changing Landscape
• 23:54 - Navigating Agency Consolidation and Talent Retention
• 27:55 - The Role of AI in Agency Innovation
• 34:10 - Future of Agency Landscape and Technology Integration
• 40:44 - Evolving Roles and Skills in the Agency World
• 43:40 - Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of AI

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In this episode of Smart in Public, The Katies sit down with Kerry Flynn, reporter at Axios, to unpack the seismic shifts reshaping media, marketing, and communications and try to understand what it all means for PR professionals, founders, and marketers trying to figure it all out.

Kerry brings a rare insider perspective on how the creator economy, AI, and media consolidation are colliding to create an entirely new playbook for communications peeps.

What we cover in this episode:

• The power shift from institutions to individuals — Why individual journalists and creators now hold more influence than legacy media brands, and how to build relationships in this new reality
• Creators as strategic partners — The evolution from treating creators as distribution channels to recognizing them as sophisticated marketing operators (hint: "Creators are the best operators")
• AI's real impact on journalism and PR — Beyond the hype, what AI is actually changing about content creation, pitching, and the future of SEO vs. generative search
• The long-form content comeback — Why quality, in-depth content is more valuable than ever in an AI-saturated landscape, and where YouTube fits into the equation
• B2B creators on the rise — The emerging class of niche industry creators that smart brands should be partnering with now
• Agency consolidation and the boutique advantage — How media agencies are restructuring and what it means for how brands access communications expertise
• Rethinking your pitching strategy — Why the fragmented media landscape demands an entirely new approach to media relations

Whether you're a communications professional rethinking your media strategy, a founder figuring out how to tell your story, or a marketer navigating the creator economy, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can use right now.

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 02:41 - Shifts in the Media Landscape
• 10:03 - The Role of Creators in Marketing
• 18:45 - The Future of Advertising and Creator Partnerships
• 28:54 - AI's Impact on Content Creation and Journalism
• 30:00 - Legal Precedents in AI and Fair Use
• 32:58 - The Shift from SEO to Generative AI
• 35:49 - AI in Content Creation: Opportunities and Pitfalls
• 39:00 - The Evolving Role of Journalists in an AI-Driven World
• 42:00 - The Future of Long-Form Content
• 46:00 - Agency Consolidation and the Rise of Boutique Firms
• 51:01 - Understanding Media Professionals' Needs
• 53:58 - The Fragmented Media Landscape
• 56:59 - Predictions for the Future of Media and PR

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This week, Brooke Hammerling, founder of The New New Thing, joins the Katies for a Pop Culture Monday x Smart in Public mashup episode.

Brooke has seen the PR industry from every angle -- from building reputations for founders before "founder brand" was a thing, navigating crisis moments when social media didn't exist yet, being in the ear of some of the world's most important executives, and decoding culture weekly for thousands of newsletter subscribers. In this episode, she dissects how we're going in the world through the lens of pop culture.

We cover:

🎯 Super Bowl ads — Which brands actually landed and which ones burned millions on forgettable creative (Brooke doesn't hold back)

🔥 The tech trust collapse — Why the playbooks that built Silicon Valley's reputation are now actively working against it

💡 Crisis PR in the social media age — How the speed and scale of online culture has fundamentally broken traditional crisis management

📱 Culture as a communications skill — Why understanding pop culture isn't a nice-to-have, it's the new competitive advantage for PR professionals

🧠 Looksmaxxing and the future of our youth — Social media's impact on young people, shifting beauty standards, and what communicators need to understand about the next generation of audiences

Chapters

• 02:56 - Reflections on Loss and Cultural Impact
• 05:59 - Navigating Celebrity Culture: LA vs. New York
• 08:59 - Brooke Hammerling's Journey in PR and Communications
• 15:00 - The New New Thing: Strategic Advisory for Founders
• 18:02 - The Teflon Founder: A Case Study on Mark Benioff
• 21:52 - Pop Culture Mondays: The Birth of a Newsletter
• 26:06 - Navigating the Speed of Culture
• 27:45 - Pop Culture Monday Highlights
• 28:37 - Bad Bunny's Impact at the Super Bowl
• 30:16 - Cultural Representation and Misunderstandings
• 32:55 - The Role of Social Media in Public Perception
• 34:56 - The NFL's Global Branding Strategy
• 36:35 - Super Bowl Ads: Hits and Misses
• 39:53 - AI in Advertising: A Double-Edged Sword
• 42:14 - Communication Strategies in Crisis
• 46:00 - Transparency and Trust in Tech Companies
• 47:24 - The Erosion of Trust in Tech
• 50:00 - The Role of Relationships in PR
• 52:00 - The Impact of Outrage Culture
• 53:58 - Fashion and Pop Culture in the Olympics
• 56:01 - Looks Maxing and Its Implications
• 01:01:01 - The Changing Landscape of Masculinity

About Brooke: Brooke Hammerling is the founder of The New New Thing, a strategic communications advisory firm that she launched in 2020, working with clients across tech and media. She has spent more than 25 years helping tech entrepreneurs and business leaders shape their communications strategies. In 2005, Brooke started Brew PR, a pioneering media relations agency that represented some of the most renowned and disruptive tech companies. Brew was sold to London-based PR firm Freuds in 2016. Brooke also created the “Pop Culture Mondays” newsletter, a weekly round-up of the biggest news and trends in pop culture, and hosts the accompanying “Pop Culture Mondays… on Thursdays” podcast. Brooke divides her time between New York and Los Angeles.

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