Purposeful Advisors

Exciting News! ?? Purposeful Advisors is thrilled to welcome Danielle Leach as a Senior Advisor, further strengthening our global advisory network. A seasoned reputation management expert and communications strategist, Danielle brings over 25 years of experience helping high-growth brands navigate regulatory, reputational, and public affairs challenges on the global stage. Based in London, Danielle leads her own agency, ReputationRise, and has held leadership roles at Hill & Knowlton, WE Communications, and APCO. She also served as Head of Communications & Public Affairs for Emerging Markets at Google, where she shaped strategic messaging and stakeholder engagement in high-growth regions. At Purposeful, she joins a select group of senior advisors dedicated to helping clients anticipate risks, protect their reputations, and build resilient brands—especially in complex international markets. Welcome to the team! #ReputationManagement #StrategicCommunications #Leadership #CrisisManagement #PublicAffairs #UK #London Frank De Maria, Elie Jacobs

On Tuesday night, Trump delivered a masterclass in exploiting scope insensitivity. Now that the haranguing over the Democrats’ ridiculous behavior (a post about that to come in the near future), I had some thoughts about the speech and Trump’s brilliant manipulation of a common cognitive bias. We suck at being able to contextualize numbers and Trump utilized that during the speech. He used some common rhetorical techniques to enhance the scope insensitivity, like: superlative language, emotional anchoring, categorial (rather than scaled) assessments and the repetition large round numbers. A few examples In the speech: ?? foreign aid expenditures of wildly different scales as if they were comparable: $250K for "vegan climate action" versus $22B for "illegal alien housing." Despite the 100,000× difference (not a typo). ?? Trump presented millions of supposedly impossible age entries in Social Security databases (4.7 million people aged 100-109, 3.6 million aged 110-119, etc.) w/o context regarding the total database size, error rates, or verification methods. ?? Enormous investments numbers also w/ no context of comparison to typical patterns or economic metrics: Trump cited "$1.7 trillion of new investment in America in just the past few weeks" followed by several $500 billion investments. ?? using the heartbreaking cases of Laken Riley and Payton McNabb to justify sweeping policy changes. Our dumb brains can't contextualize individual tragedies against statistical realities. ?? the rapid-fire way he went off listing DOGE's "accomplishments" ("$8M for "making mice transgender," $10M for "male circumcision in Mozambique") really went to down on our idiot brains. See NYT graphical breakdown below. It was a real masterclass. Give me your hot takes.

In our latest article published by O'Dwyer's Public Relations News, we explore how companies are navigating today’s state of permacrisis—where crisis isn’t an exception but the norm. From DEI rollbacks to ESG scrutiny, businesses are being forced to recalibrate their commitments while managing political and cultural volatility. Some are shifting language while keeping substance intact. Others are weighing the risks of speaking up versus staying silent. But one thing is clear: the companies that take a long-term, strategic approach—grounded in truth, resilience, and business outcomes—will be the ones that thrive. Click to read the full article. #StrategicCommunications #ReputationManagement #CorporateResilience #PurposefulAdvisors Frank De Maria, Elie Jacobs

Purposeful Advisors was delighted to co-host an event with Cristina Alesci welcoming her new colleague Lauren Gribble to the team at 26North. Frank De Maria and I don't get out quite as much as we used to, but after the good time last night, we're definitely going to be doing more of it. Such a great (and large) crowd, I didn't get to meet everyone but loved chatting with Diane Brady, Marcy Simon, Peter McDermott, Sujeet Indap, Adam Mendelsohn from Upland Workshop, Van Jones and many more. A special thanks to Thaddeus Troy, Milton Williams, Elizabeth (Betsy) Borrelli, and Elannie Damianos for being Purposeful's VIPs. Really nothing like some IRL networking.

Scaling in the U.S. comes with opportunity—but also risk. The Trump Administration’s policies will influence how businesses navigate regulation, enforcement, and public expectations. This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about reputation. Companies must take a proactive approach to crisis management, narrative control, and strategic positioning to stay ahead. In an unpredictable environment, resilience isn’t built overnight—it requires foresight, adaptability, and the right strategy. ?? Read our latest article on how businesses can prepare and drop us a line if you need help - [email protected]. #CrisisManagement #Reputation #StrategicCommunications #RiskManagement

Founding Partner, Elie Jacobs, joined Nick Westergaard's podcast to talk about his career, what we do at Purposeful Advisors and some thoughts on reputation, crisis and brand. Take a listen. We always love feedback and if you want to learn more, drop us a line!

Important update from our client Rooney Law about the reinstatement of the Corporate Transparency Act with a deadline of January 13 for many companies. Have a read...

As the year comes to a close, it’s a moment to reflect on the challenges that tested our resolve and the lessons that came with them. Through it all, three constants have driven us forward: the strength of collaboration, the power of shared purpose, and the relationships that continue to inspire and sustain us. The new year offers a fresh opportunity to deepen the connections we hold dear and forge new ones that will help shape the future we envision for ourselves and the work we do. As we celebrate this season, we do so with gratitude for the journey that has brought us here and optimism for the path ahead. Here’s to a new year filled with opportunity, resilience, and shared progress. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a successful start to 2025!