The Trending Communicator Podcast By Daniel Nestle cover art

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
  • Stockholm Syndrome in PR: The Boutique Uprising - with Barrie Cohen

    Stockholm Syndrome in PR: The Boutique Uprising - with Barrie Cohen
    Jan 30 2026
    Does PR have Stockholm syndrome? We're held captive by every disruption that promises to kill us—internet, social media, now AI—and what do we do? Fall in love with each threat, scramble to prove relevance, then wait for the next existential crisis. In this episode, Dan Nestle sits down with Barrie Cohen, founder of Barrie Cohen Public Relations. The real evolution isn't technical—it's structural. While holding companies lay off hundreds, boutique firms are landing top-tier placements and major contracts. The question: do you need 50 people to do what one strategist with AI and the right relationships can accomplish? Barrie walked away from Philadelphia agency life and built an operation that secured placements big firms couldn't—not by throwing bodies at accounts, but by doing what large agencies forgot: caring deeply and telling clients the truth. Listen in and hear about... Why the traditional agency billing model creates misaligned incentives How podcast pitching is outperforming traditional media relations The tangible ROI clients are seeing from targeted podcast appearances What AI-driven pitching services get wrong about human judgment Building a boutique practice on transparency and flexibility Why the fight is real when you actually know your clients Notable Quotes from Barrie Cohen "PR needs to be accessible to everybody. Telling your story is critical no matter the size of your business." [00:22:51 – 00:22:57] "I could write, and I'm a great communicator, and I know how to talk to people, and I'm honest and transparent. Everything else, like you said, I'll figure it out." [00:15:00 – 00:15:08] "I am not worried it's going to take my job. No one can do what I—like, AI cannot be at the level with my clients that I am, but can they write me an outline for a three-page article and then I can do the bulk of—yes." [00:49:27 – 00:49:41] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Barrie Cohen Barrie Cohen Public Relations | Website Barrie Cohen | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00:00 Introduction: PR Industry Disruption, Agency Evolution, and Guest Intro0:06:31 Denver Airport Metaphor—Is PR Built for Purpose?0:12:35 Barrie Cohen's Journey: Breaking Away from Agency Traditions0:18:02 Scaling a Boutique PR Business: Growth, Team, and Challenges0:22:18 Rethinking the Traditional Agency Model and Flexible Client Engagements0:28:17 Deep Client Relationships and the Value of Deliverables Over Hourly Billing0:34:36 The Shift to Podcasts: Earning Attention in Modern Media Relations0:41:33 Podcast Pitching: Personalized Approaches vs. AI Automation0:48:12 AI Tools, Content Repurposing, and the Human Advantage in PR0:54:09 PR: The Long Game—Managing Expectations in a Fast-Paced Tech World1:00:57 Why Human Connections and Relationships Remain Essential in Communications1:07:19 Looking Forward: Staying Current, Embracing Podcasts, and the Future of PR (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • The Art and Science of Earned Attention - with Stephanie Grober

    The Art and Science of Earned Attention - with Stephanie Grober
    Jan 16 2026
    Authority-building has entered a new era—visibility hinges on context and credibility, and your expertise must be discoverable not just to humans but to machines. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle explores these seismic changes with Stephanie Grober, Marketing and PR Director at the Horowitz Agency and a true trailblazer in legal and professional services PR. Stephanie has mastered the art (and science) of making experts both visible and quotable, securing more than 200 high-impact media placements in a single year while connecting the dots between traditional PR and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). She was already making her clients discoverable to the machines before most of us had even heard of ChatGPT. Listen in and hear about: How traditional media relations thrives by blending strategic expertise with authentic human connection Why building credibility and visibility is essential for experts aiming to shape public narratives What role generative engine optimization (GEO) plays in making experts visible to AI-driven search How the definition of newsworthiness is shifting amid a relentless, minute-by-minute news cycle Why earned media placements influence discoverability but are not a magic bullet for GEO How leveraging both personal and firm branding helps legal and professional services stand out What opportunities and risks AI introduces for PR professionals, reporters, and the stories they tell Notable Quotes On the rapidly changing news cycle: "Evergreen stories...there’s no room for them right now. Think about how much news, how much breaking news is coming at us. The news cycle doesn’t even feel like 24 hours. It feels like 24 minutes." [00:12:09 - 00:12:27] On the human element in PR (and reluctance to let AI take over): "PR is still very human...We aren’t using it to pitch. And I’ll say that there are some agencies that may be writing their pitches with AI. We are not. And that is a choice. We want to stand out as being authentic and human." [00:19:36 - 00:20:58] On why traditional PR isn't dead—it's evolving: "It’s a science and an art is what I like to say. Every time we try to make it a science, it shows us that it is an art and vice versa." [00:27:25 - 00:27:45] On discoverability in the era of AI: "We’ve been training the LLMs this entire time without realizing it. So for us, you know, some of the ways our clients have been referred to colloquially, you know, now that’s how they’re being discovered in a generative summary." [00:46:47 - 00:47:14] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Stephanie Grober: Stephanie Grober | LinkedIn Horowitz Agency Timestamps 0:00:00 Authority Building’s Evolution & AI’s Role in Visibility 0:06:12 Legal & Accounting PR in a Fast-Moving World 0:12:09 Shifting News Cycles, Pitching for Relevance 0:17:30 Traditional Media Relations: Still Vital? 0:22:35 AI, Authenticity, and Human-Centric PR 0:27:25 Art vs. Science in Media Outreach 0:33:49 GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) Disrupts PR Strategies 0:39:06 Earned Media’s True Influence in GEO 0:44:34 Discoverability, Signal vs. Virality for B2B & Legal 0:50:56 Pivoting Expertise—Challenges in AI Search 0:57:30 Human Relationships, Strategy, and ROI in Legal PR 1:02:00 Supporting Journalists and the Future of Media (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • AI Debates The Future of Comms - with NotebookLM

    AI Debates The Future of Comms - with NotebookLM
    Dec 31 2025
    **NotebookLM HAS TAKEN OVER THE TRENDING COMMUNICATOR. AGAIN.** Generative AI is shaking up the world of communications—and the debate is on. In this special takeover episode of The Trending Communicator, Abel and Iris weigh the promise and pitfalls of AI adoption for comms professionals. Is AI truly a strategic superpower, or does it risk eroding hard-won wisdom and trust? Our hosts tackle big questions about originality, efficiency, brand voice, and the critical role of human judgment. From allegations of “AI slop” to the growing expectation that professionals must adapt or become obsolete, Iris and Abel challenge each other—and the industry—to find balance between bold innovation and ethical responsibility. Whether you’re in the excitement camp or a skeptic, this episode delivers sharp insights, real-world examples, and a call to lead with empathy and rigor as AI rewrites the rules of communication. Listen in and hear about: How generative AI is transforming communication strategy and the debate over its real value Why AI-created content risks diluting professional wisdom and brand trust Ways communicators are leveraging legacy content to maintain originality with AI Ongoing concerns about AI amplifying existing flaws and spreading "AI slop" The evolving role of communicators as quality filters in an AI-driven workflow Challenges organizations face with AI adoption, from poor change management to role uncertainty Leadership’s new responsibility to use AI as a strategic partner while preserving empathy and judgment Timestamps 0:00:00 Podcast Takeover & Introduction0:00:26 GenAI and the Big Debate in Comms0:00:38 Does Generative AI Add or Destroy Value?0:01:06 Risks, Disruption & Trust in AI Adoption0:01:25 Augmentation vs. Automation—Strategic Value0:02:13 AI Hype & Human Element Concerns0:02:39 AI Slop, Trust Issues, and Expertise Erosion0:03:24 Strategic Upside: AI as Enabler0:04:05 Human Judgment as the Quality Filter0:04:40 Speed vs. Quality & Distinctive Human Insight0:05:03 Changing Roles: Prompting, Critiquing, Synthesizing0:05:31 Institutional Readiness, Ethics, Trust & Systemic Risks0:06:43 Empathy & Perspective: Irreplaceable Human Advantages0:07:06 AI for Reputation Management, Context, & Scale0:07:32 Ethics vs. Efficiency: Risks in Sensitive Fields0:08:04 Senior Communicators, AI as Validation & Infrastructure0:08:41 Broadening Strategic Functions; AI as Audience0:09:14 Organizational Readiness & Leadership Challenges0:10:01 Leadership Opportunity: AI as Strategic Sparring Partner0:10:52 Human Wisdom & Navigating Disruption0:11:36 Closing Remarks & Podcast Outro Audio generated by NotebookLM, based on the transcripts from all episodes of The Trending Communicator in 2025. Notes and timestamps generated by Castmagic. Intro and outro music generated by Suno. Outro voice generated with Elevenlabs. Graphic depiction of Abel and Iris generated with Gemini (Nanobanana); any similarity to any individual, living or dead, is unintentional. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    14 mins
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