Mixing Board

It’s been nearly a month since Mixing Board (LIVE) in Austin. But the insights and takeaways on the complexity and value of communications have not only resonated. They serve as sign posts ???? rules to follow ????as we look towards 2025 and beyond. Communicators and the practice of communication can often seem like everything everywhere all at once. ??? But that diversity of skill, competency and range of focus areas point to the one critically important truth: “Communicators are truly shapeshifters who adapt to the business needs and cultural realities.” Gone are the days of #communicators operating on a single highway of say, media relations… The practice is truly one that’s at the heart of how a company and brand operates. And upleveing comms to meet the realities of today is no longer a nice to have. It’s an imperative. See more from Sean Garrett’s deeply insightful post in the comments ???? #communications #reputation #brand

I kicked off Mixing Board (LIVE) last week with a strongly-held and optimistic view on the current state of communication(s). This POV is made possible by a lot of real world work (especially the Pramana Collective experience) and my privileged position as Mixing Board's convener of 450 all-star members. Let me know what you think, but I mostly look forward to you doing something about it. ;)

I had so much fun in Austin last week at Mixing Board (LIVE), a gathering of top comms and brand pros from all industries and geographies, including so many friends. Building this community over the past several years has been a labor of love from Sean Garrett, Alexandra Mileyeva and Maggie Shapiro, and we all felt it. When Sean asked me to speak on the opening panel about “the future of comms” with Allison Braley and Lisa Poulson, I was delighted and a little amused, since I haven’t been in a comms role in three years. But really, I’ve only gone deeper down the rabbit hole. Early stage startups are mostly stories about a potential future, and as an investor, I now have the privilege of starting out as the audience. My appreciation for how essential good storytelling is at every stage of company building has only deepened. One of the recurring topics throughout the day was the directive from loud voices in the tech industry to “go direct.” At its most reductive, it’s an anti-media rallying cry. At its most simplistic, it suggests founders should just tweet their way to business relevance, or “hire influencers.” Easy!! Like many in the tech comms world, I was pretty turned off when I first encountered this sentiment. But now, with time and some distance, I think it’s one of the best things to have happened to comms pros, as well as founders thinking about how to build awareness for their business. The comms function has always been about so much more than pitching news to reporters, and publications have never existed for the purpose of covering companies’ announcements on demand. Those long-held assumptions are finally being challenged and debated at an ecosystem level, and the conversations that follow are often far more interesting and nuanced. When founders instead think about comms through the lens of their most important audience (and what you want them to do/feel), the narrative that will most resonate (which probably isn’t about your latest feature, or even your business), and the channels that meet them where they are (whether owned or otherwise…use every tool at your disposal!), it becomes clear how essential this craft is to company building. I think it’s also fair to say that comms has never been more challenging (the world is so noisy, and AI-generated content will only make it more so), but it’s also never been a bigger competitive advantage, if you can figure it out (again and again and again). On a personal note: this was the first time I've spoken publicly without being nervous (I used to literally shake). The power of reps, baby! Shout out to my emotional support latte.

It’s a rare moment in one’s career to feel the collective pulse of a group. I just experienced that for a whirlwind couple of days this week at Mixing Board Live. Communicators are known for having their pulse on everything that’s going on, but this was next level. My feed is full of posts from fellow attendees. Something that made this special is that every single person was there because THEY chose to be. It was not a requirement of their job to be there. It wasn’t just another industry conference on the circuit. This was a destination, and Mixing Boarders showed up in force. This group is really onto something. Communications is having a moment. But actually, it’s bigger than “communications” — that was a big focus of our conversations. The practice is bigger than one job title — it’s Communication. All Communication. Communicators today are in the driver’s seat: driving alignment, engagement, purpose, stories, culture. Connecting conversations inside organizations and outside in the world. To be in a room full of people who’ve all been in the trenches, seen around corners, led leaders and companies away from disaster…or redirected the ship after disaster had already hit…WOW. What a buzzy place to be. I would get into the trenches with any of these pros. So, for me on this Friday after so many smart conversations, meeting Slack friends IRL, and reconnecting with some of my favorite past colleagues, my brain is overflowing and my heart is full. Kudos to Sean Garrett, Maggie Shapiro, and Alexandra Mileyeva for being the ultimate convening force. And hello hello to Cristin Culver, Jennifer Rankin Byrne, Melissa Havel, Roberto Munoz, Katie Boysen, Adrienne Arieff, Haley Dorgan, Chris Gee, Allie Cefalo, W. Christine Choi, Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers), Dan Gerstein, Josh Glasstetter, Jonah Seiger, David Johnson-Igra, Tim Granholm, Peter Groome, Laura Herbert, Julie Inouye, Brooke Kruger, Laura Pearlstein Mills, Suzy Berkowitz Weksel, Elin Nozewski, Lisa Poulson, Mariam Shahab, Margo Spiritus, Lynne Weil

Paul Graham warns against "building sandcastles in the air.” Instead of sitting around thinking about how great your product will be, start building it and getting real feedback from real users. I’m very early in the process of building a new product for women in midlife, and this week, the sandcastle moved from my mind out into the world. I had the opportunity to gather 30 of my peers at Mixing Board Live to ask questions like: - Women in midlife are not having nearly enough fun. True or false, and why?? - What is the connection between joy and agency?? - How can we create permission for a space that isn't about self-improvement or productivity? - What would be true if women had more fun? To have enthusiasm, ideas, and offers of support come barreling toward me from so many brilliant people was an extraordinary, humbling experience. I’m organizing more focus groups over the next few months to continue to go deeper understanding my customer and what’s important to her. If you’re interested in joining one, drop me a note! Thank you to Teal Pennebaker and Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers) for facilitating discussions, to Sean Garrett Maggie Shapiro and Alexandra Mileyeva for giving me the opportunity to gather such an extraordinary group, and to all of the amazing women and men (hat tip to Anthony Steel in particular!) who so generously participated in focus groups. I appreciate you!

Mixing Board is brat. Communications is demure. 80s nostalgia is sigma. No, I don't fully understand what those words mean. But I did drink from a garden hose in the 80s, too, Sean Garrett. This week's Mixing Board conference didn't disappoint. A few gems: Allison Braley → “You can't be a thought leader without leading thoughts” Lisa Poulson → As a leadership coach: "I'm 80% cheerleader, 20% dominatrix." Chris Gee & Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers) → AI as a co-pilot, not autopilot. Greg Swan → Build a fan base, not just an audience. W. Christine Choi → Pivot as much as you can [in your career]. (Amen) J.B. Sauceda → You just have the coolest career. Brooke Kruger → The job market is picking up, but interviewing is taking longer/more demanding for candidates. Sean Garrett → Our fearless leader. Thank you for willing this group into existence — and moderating at least one panel allowing for multiple dad jokes. Maggie Shapiro & Alexandra Mileyeva → You're rock stars. The glue that holds us together. I love this industry. I found my people at Mixing Board.

NOTHING beats the magic of gathering and connecting with your professional tribe. That's why the VIBES at Mixing Board LIVE were pure ??? I'm still buzzing ?????? from: ??♀?The IRL meet ups and convos with W. Christine Choi, Julie Binder, Senka Hadzimuratovic, Liz Hillman Stein, Andrew Blotky, Mariam Shahab, Brooke Kruger, Ben Trounson, Desirée Vodounon, Emily Hackel, Ashley Mayer, Roberto Munoz, Sarah Kissko Hersh, Haley Dorgan, Nisha Devarajan, Eleanor Hawkins, Laura Herbert Lisa Poulson and so many more.... ??????The opportunity to bring my & Chris Gee's virtual keynote on the flex that is AI to some of the best communicators in the business ???????? Hint: it's more than time for communicators to embrace AI and use it for good. ??The place and space to hear insights and gems that'll guide our craft, work and careers in the near and long-term including: - "To be a thought leader, you have to have leading thoughts." Allison Braley - "Internal comms is the core muscle of communications and the connective tissue of an organization." Sean Garrett - "Your story is the lever of your business." Ashley Mayer - "Pivot when and as often as you can." W. Christine Choi MAJOR PROPS AND KUDOS to the mighty team Sean Garrett, Alexandra Mileyeva and Maggie Shapiro - who make Mixing Board all that it is! Already ready for what MB LIVE '25 will bring. #communications #community #culture