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The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator

By: Daniel Nestle
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In today's hyper-accelerated communications world, keeping up means juggling reputation, brand building, crisis management, storytelling, and more while adapting to new technologies like generative AI. The Trending Communicator, hosted by Dan Nestle, is your guide through this chaotic landscape. This podcast dives into the challenges of PR, communications, and marketing today, with experts sharing real stories and strategies for overcoming those challenges and more. It's the perfect resource for professionals looking to innovate, take risks, and stay ahead. Join us to make sense of today’s communications chaos, one insightful conversation at a time.Copyright 2025 Daniel Nestle Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Expertise is Not Authority: Authority is the Expertise People Seek You Out For - with Amanda Russell

    Expertise is Not Authority: Authority is the Expertise People Seek You Out For - with Amanda Russell
    Oct 17 2025
    You can be the smartest person in the room, but if no one knows you or your point of view, you don't have authority. This "authority gap" is why most professionals struggle to earn attention, build trust, and gain influence. In this episode, host Dan Nestle sits down with Amanda Russell, author of The Influencer Code, creator of the influence equation (Influence = Attention + Trust), founder of Amanda's Playbook, and architect of UCLA's first fully accredited influencer marketing program. Amanda challenges the assumption that awareness equals influence, revealing why measuring clicks and impressions keeps communicators trapped in vanity metrics rather than building real relationship capital. For Amanda this isn't just a theory - she knows from experience. From Olympic hopeful to eager consultant to fitness influencer to CMO to educator, she evolved a systems-thinking approach to influence that PR and communications professionals desperately need. She and Dan explore why earned attention compounds while bought attention doesn't, how AI is democratizing content but making authentic relationships more valuable, and why success requires running purposeful miles instead of junk miles. Listen in and hear about: Why the influence equation (attention + trust) matters more than awareness metrics The critical difference between authority and expertise—and why it changes everything How to build "relationship capital" instead of chasing vanity metrics What elite distance running teaches about strategic influence building Why AI makes human relationships your ultimate competitive advantage Notable Quotes On Influence vs. Awareness: "You can have all the eyeballs all day long. You can have all the awareness, but if nobody cares or you're not influencing anybody to do anything, that's not influence." - Amanda Russell [06:57] On Authority: "Authority is when people quote you in rooms you've never even been in." - Amanda Russell [22:40] On Earned vs. Bought Attention: "Trust is not scalable, but it's transferable. When someone vouches for you, they're transferring their influence to you." - Amanda Russell [20:24] On Building Real Influence: "Real relationships take time to develop and they take nurturing and they take work. It's about building the foundation of a house versus just slapping up a tent." - Amanda Russell [33:20] On AI and Expertise: "AI doesn't make you an expert, but if you're already an expert, it makes you unstoppable if you know what to do." - Amanda Russell [43:30] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Amanda Russell Amanda Russell | Website The Influencer Code | Book Amanda's Playbook | YouTube Amanda Russell | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00 Intro: Influence equals attention plus trust 5:23 Defining influence beyond social media stereotypes 10:25 Moving past vanity metrics in PR/marketing 15:54 Three steps to build systematic influence 20:24 Authority vs expertise in building influence 25:28 Focusing on audience needs and relationships 30:52 Relationship architecture trumps marketing tactics 37:49 AI's impact on content creation and influence 41:38 Using AI to amplify expertise, not replace it 45:24 New model for business education and influence (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Flowsend.ai ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • Beyond the Seat at the Table: Leading Corporate Affairs at Scale - with Megan Noel

    Beyond the Seat at the Table: Leading Corporate Affairs at Scale - with Megan Noel
    Oct 3 2025
    What happens when the communications function stops being about messaging and starts being about business transformation? When your stakeholders include 10,000 employees, 94,000 students, 350,000 alumni, plus investors, policymakers, and healthcare partners? In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle reconnects with Megan Noel, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Adtalem Global Education, to explore why the CCAO role is a fundamental reimagining of what communications does. Megan leads government relations, investor relations, public affairs, impact and sustainability, and alumni relations under one reputation-focused banner. From managing the fallout of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" over July 4th weekend to navigating AI search optimization and Wikipedia's importance in reputation management, Megan and Dan dig into the practical realities of corporate affairs at scale. They explore how business acumen has become a hard skill, why curiosity beats credentials, and how communicators can avoid becoming "negative Nancy" while still providing strategic counsel. Listen in and hear about... Why corporate affairs unifies storytelling across all stakeholder groups under a reputation banner How business acumen requires being "dangerous enough" in finance, law, and HR without becoming an expert The surprising importance of Wikipedia and specific media outlets in AI search and GEO optimization Why saying "yes, how" beats saying "no, but" when working with business leaders How curiosity and innovation mindset separate entry-level candidates who get jobs from those who don't The challenge of maintaining unbiased reputation when AI search platforms pull from potentially compromised sources Notable Quotes On Corporate Affairs Evolution: "The corporate affairs model is just the next step in that evolution. We used to just communicate what the business wanted. Now we're more than just a channel strategy to push things to different audiences." - Megan Noel [07:30] On Business Acumen: "I certainly don't need to be as sophisticated in our numbers as our CFO. But I need to be dangerous enough in all of them to be able to sit down at a very senior level and have a thoughtful conversation." - Megan Noel [20:29] On Strategic Counsel: "Instead of saying no, but—offer alternatives or other options so that we could potentially get to yes. When you do have to say the no, it feels like you're using that really thoughtfully and people will take you seriously." - Megan Noel [23:39] On AI Search Reality: "There is a perception that whatever question you ask AI is unbiased, when in fact it's pulling information through just a different algorithm. It could be just as biased with other bad data." - Megan Noel [46:56] On Innovation Mindset: "The hiring manager said it was because she showed an appetite to push and to learn and to innovate. That skill, even at the very entry level, matters." - Megan Noel [59:35] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Megan Noel Adtalem Global Education | Website Megan Noel | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00 Intro: Change in PR and marketing 5:47 Evolution of Chief Corporate Affairs Officer role 13:06 Reputation as unifying banner for corporate affairs 19:40 Importance of business acumen for leaders 24:39 Communications as a critical business skill 27:46 Relationship between corporate affairs and marketing 31:28 Fostering disagreement and diverse perspectives 35:41 Impact of AI on search and reputation management 41:24 Proactively managing reputation in AI era 49:28 Balancing content creation and stakeholder engagement 53:43 Innovation as key leadership trait 57:41 Cultivating curiosity and innovation across teams 1:03:31 Closing remarks and contact information (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Flowsend.ai ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Playstorm: Why Your CEO Needs to Get Dirty with AI - with Sandy Carter

    Playstorm: Why Your CEO Needs to Get Dirty with AI - with Sandy Carter
    Sep 19 2025
    MIT just dropped a bomb: 95% of corporate AI initiatives are failing. Not struggling. Failing. And Sandy Carter knows exactly why. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, I sit down with Sandy, currently Chief Business Officer at Unstoppable Domains, former VP at Amazon Web Services, and the person who turned IBM's "social business" concept nobody understood into a $200 billion market. Sandy's written seven books, been named to every power list that matters (CNN's Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Tech, Forbes 50 Over 50), but what caught my attention is her philosophy: "AI First, Human Always." While everyone's either selling AI snake oil or running scared, Sandy's figured out something crucial. Companies aren't failing at AI because the technology doesn't work. They're failing because they're treating it like any other IT rollout: layer it on top of broken processes and hope for magic. Sandy shares why CEOs need to stop brainstorming and start "playstorming," what happens when you ignore Reddit for three years, and why your daughter talking to Grok about party outfits might be the most important trend in communications. Listen in and hear about: The real reason 95% of corporate AI fails (hint: it's not the technology) Moving beyond productivity theater to genuine transformation Why GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) changes everything for communicators The "play storm" revolution and why your CEO needs to get their hands dirty How ignoring Reddit and Wikipedia is killing your AI presence The generational divide in AI adoption and what it means for business Notable Quotes "Audiences today are ready to move on from 'how do I use gen AI for productivity?' into something deeper: What does it mean for us as humans?" - Sandy Carter [00:05:14] "If your process already didn't work, there's no magic in AI that's going to make it wake up and work." - Sandy Carter [00:18:42] "You have to experience it. You have to get your hands into it. You have to play with an agent." - Sandy Carter [00:27:38] "If you take one thing from this whole podcast, put your company in [AI search], put yourself in too, and see what comes out." - Sandy Carter [00:50:54] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Sandy Carter sandycarter.net | Website Unstoppable Domains | Website Sandy Carter | LinkedIn Sandy's Book: AI First, Human Always Timestamps 0:00 Intro: Host welcomes Sandy Carter 5:23 AI's impact on human meaning and work 10:24 Why 95% of corporate AI projects fail 15:23 Redesigning workflows for AI integration 20:44 Generational differences in AI adoption 26:58 The importance of "play storming" with AI 32:13 Training everyone on AI, not just tech teams 37:05 Voice interfaces and generational preferences 41:32 Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies 48:43 Checking your company's AI presence 54:41 Closing thoughts on AI and communications (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Flowsend.ai ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
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