Trust is built and tested in the moments you don’t see coming. Sometimes, those moments involve a global superstar throwing a bright orange thong off a balcony.

When a spontaneous Drake post exploded into 150 million global views for his organisation, Sydney Water's Nick Plunkett had a very clear takeaway: virality is never the goal - trust is. And trust is earned through consistent behaviours, long before a viral moment ever arrives.

Nick and his team didn’t just ride the wave; they used it to accelerate Sydney Water’s mission. But they were only able to do so having built critical trust foundations - internally and externally - that gave them the right to act. Because in high-trust, high-stakes settings like government-owned utilities, impressions, reactions and vanity metrics mean nothing compared with lifting water literacy, and driving behaviour change at scale.

In the final episode of Your Digital Reputation for 2025, Nick shares with host Roger Christie how his team connected cultural relevance with enterprise priorities, why strong governance and internal trust allowed them to act quickly, and how they now translate social media performance into business outcomes like water conservation and wastewater behaviour change.

In his words: “Virality is never the goal. It's about building trust. And if a byproduct is virality, that's great - but, at the end of the day, we want to build that trust.”

Tune in for a candid, practical and deeply relevant conversation about the light and dark sides of going viral, and the importance of earning and leveraging trust to drive genuine behaviour change.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:02:19 - Behind the thong: how the Drake moment began

00:06:35 - When a post goes global: excitement vs. fear

00:09:12 - The internal trust and governance that made it possible

00:13:27 - How virality shifted internal expectations and demand

00:15:23 - Measuring what matters: behaviour change, not impressions

00:20:56 - Virality’s dark side: trolling, dilution and community rebuild

00:22:13 - Proximity vs trust: why mass reach can harm connection

00:29:06 - How to take educated risks in high-trust, high-risk organisations

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True leadership is tested in moments of crisis and transformation - online and offline. The key message from Melissa Agnes, Founder & CEO of the Crisis Ready Institute, in this episode of the Your Digital Reputation podcast is clear: leaders must do both.

To lead effectively through these crucial moments of change, leaders must have conviction in what they say, do and "transmit" today, and doing so online means they can reach key stakeholders to drive belief in the change they are leading.

Leading online or offline isn't a choice today - they must do both.

In conversation with host Roger Christie, Melissa explains why conviction (the deep belief in your purpose) and connection (the courage to show vulnerability) are the twin engines of trust. Drawing from her work advising NATO, Fortune 500 executives and ministries of foreign affairs, Melissa shares how leaders can turn resistance into resonance, and how they can embody confidence under pressure, and communicate with integrity.

In her words: “It’s not just what we say; it’s the energy and belief behind it that builds trust.”

Tune into this episode which serves as a masterclass in leading - and communicating - with purpose in the moments that matter most.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:02:28 – Leading with authenticity and “yourselfness” in moments of change.

00:04:01 – Leaders are transmitters: conviction and consistency build belief.

00:08:42 – Your online presence must match offline conviction.

00:18:08 – Consistency and alignment create lasting trust signals.

00:22:53 – Connection is core to leadership and transformation.

00:23:36 – Vulnerability is the fastest pathway to connection.

00:30:00 – Leadership risk: failing to connect digitally breeds distrust

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To sign up to Roger Christie's regular newsletter, head to: https://www.propelgroup.com.au/subscribe

CONNECT WITH ROGER CHRISTIE

Have a question, feedback or want to connect with Roger? Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerchristie/

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Dr Angeline Achariya is a non-executive director and chair overseeing multi-billion dollar national investments who thrives at the intersection of breakthrough innovation and measured risk.

She's had 25 years in C-suite roles at global multinationals, and guided 1,200+ innovations in that time. If that's not impressive enough, Angeline has also been recognised on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women as a Trailblazer, she's also a Superstar of STEM, and now a LinkedIn Top Voice.

Yet - despite all these credentials - she "made every mistake that you could make" when it came to building her online presence in the early days...

But through honest reflection and finding her own voice, she's since gained immense professional value from her "career partner", LinkedIn. Her story is a source of encouragement for anyone wondering what they could achieve by investing in their own "[INSERT NAME] Inc."

Tune into this episode of Your Digital Reputation to hear the very real, practical advice Angeline shares with host Roger Christie about the importance of knowing yourself, being yourself online, and recognising that by not having all the answers as a leader, you simply discover incredible opportunities to find them - and unlock professional value - online.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:05:06 - The importance of your digital presence.

00:10:55 - Personal branding, and people to people connection.

00:15:39 - Being a curious life-long learner.

00:20:01 - The power of asking questions and sharing work in progress.

00:26:28 - Vulnerability, and leading authentically online

00:34:37 - Angeline's three top digital reputation building strategies: Courage, Consistency & Clarity.

SUBSCRIBE FOR REGULAR INSIGHTS

To sign up to Roger Christie's regular newsletter, head to: https://www.propelgroup.com.au/subscribe

CONNECT WITH ROGER CHRISTIE

Have a question, feedback or want to connect with Roger? Head to: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerchristie/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.