Welcome to the Smart Talk Series, hosted by Melissa Vela-Williamson -- an accredited public relations expert, entrepreneur and national columnist.

Each week, Melissa will dive into communication strategies, tips, and principles using her 360-degree approach.

After a year as turbulent as 2020, there is one word Melissa has in mind: Restoration. In the inaugural Smart Talk Series episode, Melissa reflects on the lessons learned in 2020 and how communicating during tough times challenges professionals.

Topics covered:

- Silver linings from 2020

- How to communicate with your audience - Adaptable crisis management

- Evaluating your processes to create meaningful change

- Next steps for restoration throughout 2021

Actions to take:

- Establish a one-word theme for 2021

- Don't forget to remember the "why" when you lay out the "how"

- Embrace our new hybrid world

- Plan with pencils

- Diversify your approach

Resources mentioned:

- My Intent Project: https://myintent.org/

- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html - -

-Meals on Wheels San Antonio: https://www.mowsatx.org/

This week, Melissa is joined by seasoned PR professional and leader of Talley Communication Strategies, Chris Talley. His PR experience comes from working at USAA, Lockheed Martin, AT&T, and FleishmanHillard, one of the world’s most prestigious public relations agencies. Today he volunteers in the community and devotes time to speaking at colleges across the country.

Topics covered:

- The difference between a crisis, an issue, and a situation
- How to be proactive in crisis planning
- How to "read the room"
- Learning from challenging situations
- The difference between brand and reputation
- How to manage stressful situations

Actions to take:

- Think like an investigative journalist
- Act, don't decide
- Praise in public, criticize in private
- Declare your communication timing
- Be intentional about the routines that you want to maintain as nonnegotiable
- Exercise, take a moment to breathe, and take a pause

Resources mentioned:

- Talley Communication Strategies: https://www.talleypr.com/
- Chris' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christalley1
- Accreditation in Public Relations: https://www.prsa.org/professional-development/accreditation-in-public-relations-(apr)
- The Muppets Take Manhattan: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087755/

When COVID-19 hit San Antonio, Meals on Wheels San Antonio (MOWSA) jumped into crisis response mode. New needs and disruptions strained the nonprofit which was already strapped for resources. This week's guests Chief Development Officer Forrest Myane and Communications and Marketing Director Ariana Barbour share the challenges they faced to stay in operation and meet the increased demand for help. Listen to learn how they activated a crisis communications campaign that positioned MOWSA as an essential lifeline for home bound, high-risk seniors.

About Forrest:
Forrest Myane has over 12 years of experience in nonprofit development. Since 2017, she has led fundraising and marketing initiatives for Meals on Wheels San Antonio. Today, she leads all external relations as Chief Development Officer and has helped increase the donor base and amount of funds received by the organization. Forrest has over 12 years of experience in nonprofit development. She has served as director of development for several area agencies including the Witte Museum, Autism Community Network and Christian Assistance Ministry.

About Ariana:
Ariana Barbour is the Communications and Marketing Director for Meals on Wheels San Antonio. She is responsible for planning, managing, and executing the overall communications plans of Meals on Wheels. Ariana holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin. She has over 15 years of communications and marketing experience including agency, volunteer, and nonprofit work. In addition to caring for our city’s seniors through what she does every day, Ariana also volunteers as a board member for Girls Inc. of San Antonio to advocate for future opportunities for all of our community’s future female leaders, including her own daughter.

Topics covered:
- How MOWSA succeeded against the odds
- The importance of innovation
- Changes in the nonprofit industry
- Lessons learned while pivoting
- Working with a PR consultant
- How to communicate in a crisis

Actions to take:
- Make your donors feel appreciated
- Expect the unexpected
- Position yourself as essential
- Work smarter
- Don't be afraid to ask tough questions

Resources mentioned
- Meals on Wheels San Antonio: https://www.mowsatx.org/

Communication comes after actions. In a crisis, communicators are often preoccupied by the messaging of actions taken, but how often do we think about the actions themselves? This week, Melissa is joined by Michael Morlan, President of Two Rivers Emergency Management, to discuss how to close the gap between communications and actions in a crisis.

About Michael:

Mr. Morlan is an emergency management contractor/consultant, mentor, emergency management strategist, and President of Two Rivers Emergency Management. Over the past decade, Mr. Morlan has been a part of some of the largest Presidential Declarations including hurricanes, flooding, and extreme weather incidents, as well as other local disasters and emergencies throughout the United States. During these incidents, Mr. Morlan, filled many positions within the ICS structure including, Incident Commander, Operations Section Chief, and Planning Section Chief. He brings a unique knowledge of the public and private sector through healthcare, city, county, and federal organizations. Fulfilling multiple positions throughout his experience, Mr. Morlan has extensive experience within the emergency management field focusing on prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Taking the phases of emergency management, Mr. Morlan, instills communication, coordination, and cooperation into his strategies for success. Through his business approach, Mr. Morlan promotes customized service, whole community focus, and embracing new technologies to ensure his company is redefining emergency management.

Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/tworiversem

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-rivers-emergency-management-llc

Topics covered:

- The importance of emergency management and planning

- Navigating recovery

- Identifying gaps and reimagining what can improve

- How to strengthen the relationship between communicators and emergency planners

- The importance of being deliberate

Actions to take:

- Make a checklist

- Think about the what ifs

- Don't just check a box

- Build plans in the reality you face

Resources mentioned:

- Two Rivers Emergency Management: Tworiversem.com

- PR Pro Gear: https://www.prgearshop.com/

Internal communications is about people. If done well, it can drive your organization to achieve top results, even during a pandemic. In this week's episode, Melissa talks to Amanda Todd, the Executive Communications Officer at Cisco, about the importance of internal communications.

About Amanda:

Amanda Todd is an Executive Communications Officer to Liz Centoni, Cisco's Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager of Applications at Cisco. Before joining Liz's Executive Communications team, Amanda built and led internal communications programs at Duo Security (now part of Cisco) and at car2go North America. She is a firm believer that the best communications understand people, products and culture - and has a special passion for employee well-being, corporate social responsibility and creating programs that foster a strong sense of purpose and belonging.

Follow Amanda on LinkedIn: amanda-todd-austin

Topics covered:

- Defining internal communications

- Internal communications during a pandemic

- Internal communications in a post-pandemic world

- How to build company culture while working from home

- The measure of "good work"

Actions to take:

- Include employees in your communications plan

- Minimize confusion

- Bring heart into your message

- Acknowledge the "elephant in the room"

- Build in daily opportunities for laughter

- Learn how to listen

Resources mentioned:

- Cisco: https://www.cisco.com/

- Staffbase: https://staffbase.com/en/

- PR Pro Gear: https://www.prgearshop.com/

Season finale! In the final episode of Season 1, Melissa shares the value of real talk conversations and offers tips on how to facilitate those often awkward, or difficult discussions. She also shares lessons learned from this season’s guests as they explored how to communicate during turbulent times.

Topics covered:
- How to assess your mindset
- The value of real talk
- Unity during a crisis
- The benefits of open conversation
- Creating safe spaces

Actions to take:
- Constantly evaluate your environment
- Have difficult conversations
- Point to data to minimize bias
- Don't make decisions alone

Resources mentioned:
- PRSA
- "The Value of Real Talk" article
- PR Pro Gear

Corporate social responsibility has many definitions, but no matter how you define it, most take into account: ethics, trust, responsibility, service, and societal impact. After learning how to navigate through turbulent times in Season One, let's learn how to responsibly build a better future. In the first episode of Season Two, Melissa introduces this season's focus: Practicing Social Responsibility.

Topics covered:
- Defining social responsibility
- How to get started on practicing social responsibility

Actions to take:
- Practice social responsibility in your personal life
- Ask tough questions
- Collaborate strategically
- Be thoughtful and planful

Resources mentioned:
- United Way
- PRSA
- American Marketing Association
- Little Free Library
- MVW Communications
- PR Pro Gear