Sustainability is arguably one of the largest threats facing humanity today.

You may have heard the terms CSR and ESG thrown around increasingly in the past few years. CSR refers to “corporate social responsibility,” and ESG refers to “environmental, social, and corporate governance.” Both are critical to brands striving to capture consumer loyalty and set industry standards. Mega corporations, including Apple, Coca-Cola, and Disney, are steadfast in their carbon neutrality commitments. For Adidas and Walmart, their commitments lie in strengthening the community.

On today’s episode, Michelle Crozier, former Global Head of ESG & CSR at ByteDance, chats about the importance of these programs and initiatives across industries. Michelle brings more than 20 years of experience transforming the social and technology impact, sustainability efforts, and corporate responsibility of leading brands.

Curious to know the ethos that drives Michelle’s work? No matter what the cause, mission, or community is that drives your CSR or ESG program, it's all important to create a better, healthier world.

Imagine this: You’re at a physician appointment. In the background, innovative technology documents your conversation and creates accurate notes for your physician to reference later.

Need a prescription? Ambient clinical intelligence (ACI) works alongside a generative AI program to deliver appropriate and available prescription treatments that match your insurance requirements, all without pulling the attention of your physician away from you.

In today’s episode, Anthony Brooke, president of provider solutions and technology at DrFirst, highlights the positive impacts and areas of opportunity for generative AI in healthcare. DrFirst pioneers healthcare technology solutions to connect people at every touchpoint of care to improve patient outcomes.

The 2024 awards season is right around the corner, and winning is on the brain. 

If you’re preparing to submit for upcoming industry awards, there’s no one better to consult than PR industry veteran and awards secret weapon Betsy Quinn. 

Betsy has dedicated her career to zeroing in on the “why” behind the work. Her expertise in informing and directing brand strategy and messaging led her to establish the agency awards culture we know and appreciate today. Betsy’s ability to produce show-stopping award wins secured her path as Ketchum’s first Global Awards Director.   

Tune into today’s episode as Betsy reveals her best practices for awards submissions and how you can build a winning mindset for your work.

And with that, the 2023 season comes to an end. But what’s the benefit of jumping into the new year without proper reflection of the past 365 days? Ken Jacobs returns to the Politely Pushy podcast to give a masterclass in leadership.

In his conversation with Eric, Ken discusses the steps to lead through a downturn expertly – something many leaders have faced this year. The PR, communications, and marketing coach and consultant also shares his expert yet simple process for forging ahead to keep fear at bay and stay the course to meet business goals. 

Keep an eye out for the fifth season of Ken’s podcast, “Taking the Lead,” which begins airing in January 2024.

When Jonathan Evans, Founder of KinectAir, isn’t building software that charters Pilatus PC-12 aircraft on a KinectAir flight, he’s chatting with Eric on a new Politely Pushy episode.

Jonathan dives into the novelty of regional air mobility and the niche KinectAir occupies in on-demand private charter: accessibility and decreased environmental impact. He also explains how a strong team behind the company’s flight experience, from concierge to software developers to FAA-certified operators to licensed pilots, provides the trustworthy and safe offering that passengers have been looking for.

Dreaming of flying private? Get a bird’s-eye view from Jonathan of all that KinectAir has to offer plus the unveiling of an unreleased product that’s waiting in the wings.

Data privacy, ESG, AI? Laurence Evans of Reputation Leaders and Eric cover it all and more on today’s Politely Pushy episode! AI has veered its head once more, this time as a major ESG issue - I know, we’re as surprised as you are. According to Laurence, AI has proven to be more of an opportunity than a threat with limitless possibilities, but the question on everyone’s mind really is: What is AI really being used for? 

From driving workplace efficiency to creating job opportunities in the tech space, AI is dominating today’s digital revolutions and will continue to do so for decades to come. 

However, perception isn’t always what it seems when it comes to emerging tech, and Laurence has the numbers to prove it: 

• 48% of Americans see AI as more of a threat than an opportunity
• Two-thirds of Americans believe American companies should be working to protect personal data
• Social Media is seen as the fifth biggest threat to American security

Tune in to learn more about Laurence’s survey findings and what they mean for how businesses today are shaping their internal strategies to maintain ESG standards - standards that continue to evolve with the rise of emerging technologies.

Dan Head is the brand new CEO of Phrasee, the AI-based digital marketing company. One of the first things on his to-do list: a sit down with Politely Pushy.

Dan tells Eric why he took the job, what his role as CEO will be, and the priorities he’ll be focusing on. He also explains where he thinks the future is for brands and AI companies alike, along with some of the obstacles that still exist despite generative AI going mainstream in the past year. 

Phrasee has been around a lot longer than ChatGPT, and Dan gives us his take for what makes his new company uniquely different from everything else on the market.

We’re joined today by Adriel Sanchez from WalkMe. Adriel is ready to talk shop…and how we should view the hype around AI. He shares the concerns of many about what all-automated-everything might mean for our future. Adriel explains that we’re not that far off from a very transformative experience. That’s where WalkMe comes in. The company has been in the change management business for a while, helping companies introduce changes to their employees. 

WalkMe’s role in workplace transformation doesn’t end there. As the category creator and leader in DAPs (Digital Adoption Platforms - I know, we love tech acronyms), WalkMe is uniquely positioned to revolutionize the way companies manage and implement software across the tech stack. While it may sound more complicated than it is, it all comes down to one goal: increasing employee productivity while decreasing digital friction. 

With emerging tech taking a front-row seat in today’s enterprise world, digital adoption is more critical than ever. To learn more about how DAPs are the workplace MVPs, listen in!