The Embargoed (David Oro and Paul Wilke)

One of us reveals a birthday in our strongest opening yet. Join us as we speak to the incredibly insightful and hilariously funny William Tincup about what many perceive to be the staid topic of HR. But remember, this is The Embargoed where we punch staid and stodgy stuff in the face. There's a lot more here than you think. Give it a gander.

The future belongs to our youth. On this episode we invite two teenagers on the show to discuss communications, social media, and news. The problem: they are our kids. Join your "Shawty" hosts Kevin and David as we deal with the mayhem of understanding new slang, gasp at answers to our questions, and wonder if the future is bright.

Dumb Sh!t PR Agencies Do, Masks, Bill Gates, Liz Cheney, much more this week on The Embargoed.

The Twitter/Musk news just doesn’t stop. We’re all watching it, including SNL. In this week’s episode you can even smell it. It’s Musky: Elon, Twitter, the future of humanity! 

"We all have a story of career evolution," says our guest Chris Gee. In this episode Chris shares his story of reinvention. And it all started the day he graduated when he discovered that his degree was already outdated. We all have had these disruptions and had to change course, learn new skills, and sell a new version of ourselves. Join us and dive into this episode to learn more. 

This week we talked to marketing pro Lauren Volpi about the job market, our comfort zones and overused words in marketing copy and press releases. Rep, Fire, Refer: Work from Home, Hybrid, Back in the Office. Get back in here and have a listen. 

AWS re:Invent is happening this week in Las Vegas, and we have a fascinating piece of history courtesy of our guest​​ eWeek’s James Maguire who shares an early video of an AWS rep from 2007/2008. Also, catch a quick clip of your co-host's car being broken into in Oakland. There’s a lesson here for you. 

Professional board member, technology commentator, and ultra endurance athlete Ben Kepes is our guest this week. We talk tech media, PR and being human. 

We’re back! We have a new intro and a new guest. This week we head to the land down under to talk with Richelle Gillett, head cephalopod at Giant Squid, Inc. Join us as we discuss comms in the continent and country of Australia and also hear us play the PR Over/Under Game.

Vaccine communications. Our hero venture capitalist Bill Gurley who says you're not investing enough in public relations (call us!). Rep, Fire or Refer: TX Governor Greg Abbott, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, CA Governor Gavin Newsom

How do founders turn into great spokespeople for their companies? It's not easy, and it takes work and discipline. In this episode we speak with Lisa Poulson on how she helps innovators become great communicators. And we also discuss when being a meat puppet is a good thing. Finally, we bring back our favorite game Rep, Fire or Refer! 

Matt Pillar, chief editor of BioProcess Online, joins to talk about his journey from the dark side (PR) to the light side (journalism) and what he learned about both along the way. We pick his brain for ways to make the PR Pro/Journalist  relationship better, and we punched stodgy PR firms and uptight journalists in the mouth along the way. Then, we capped it off with a song from Matt's talented daughter. Listen now - or else!

It's a playoff game of communications. Dumb Sh!t PR Agencies Do. Rep, Fire, Refer: Unvaccinated people. Teachers union. Belarusian dictator.

Careers. That's the focus of this episode as our guest Michael Busselen shares his story of going from an account executive at a PR agency to the Chief Communications Officers at a publicly traded company. Now he grows grapes for a major wine label. Lots of goodness here no matter where you are in your career. Give it a whirl...or should I say swirl?​

Why some reporters are harder to work with than others, Edelman, and the newly launched Rep, Fire, or Refer.

Cancel culture and crisis communications with expert Sara Brady whose experience of critical communication roles in numerous high-profile controversies and tragedies makes this show worth a listen. 

Rupert Murdoch, Facebook, Google and Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code. As well as the popular Rep, Fire or Refer starring Ted Cruz. 

What's it like to go from a journalist to a comms professional? Former Forbes Managing Editor Bruce Upbin joins The Embargoed to share his war stories. Rep, Fire Refer: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Elise Stefanik 

Someone was brave enough to be the first guest with Paul Wilke and David Oro at the helm of The Embargoed. And it was a good one. Michelle Garrett joins us as we discuss when to hire a freelancer or an agency. It need not be a tough decision. Also PESO. We talk PESOs! Put us on 1.5x speed and give it a listen. 

It's a WWE take down as PR vs. Social Media go at it. Our guest this week is Rob Gedarovich, who explains why social media is an important part of any comms strategy. We play the PR Jeopardy game. Join the fun. 

Sports PR is the topic this week as we interview Scott Yoffe who had a 21-year career as a PR pro with the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He launched Scott Yoffe Communications in October 2017, a full-service public relations and communications firm dedicated to helping local, regional, national and international clients secure elusive earned media. Join us as we talk comms strategies in the NFL and dissect the striking departure of Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden.

It's the best show yet with guest Mike Maney. Basecamp co-founders David and Jason visit the Messaging Doctor.  We cover Trump, Facebook the Death of Free Speech.  Rep, Fire or Refer is Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Aaron Rodgers. And why every PR pro should be watching the White House press briefings right now. 

In this week’s episode we get Andy Abramson: Global Chief Marketing Officer for AEHRA, a Milan-based startup making ultra premium electric vehicles. So many stories in this episode. You're gonna wanna plug into this one - we talk sports, wine, design, cars and how to make sure that PR gets a seat at the table. 

Clubhouse, Working from Home, and Rep, Fire or Refer

This week on "The Embargoed" our special guest is none other than the always irradiant Candace Locklear, co-founder of MightyPR.  In this episode we touch on "transactional PR," earned, paid and owned media, and women in tech.  And as always Rep, Fire, Refer - the Royal Edition! 

This week on The Embargoed, how Star Trek and the Federal Trade Commission's newest commissioner relate. On the Messaging Doc, it's Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Rep, Fire, Refer - the Summer Travel Planning Edition.

It's the Olympic Edition of The Embargoed as your hosts David Oro and Kevin Wolf ask if the Olympics has a PR problem. Whether it's achievement, corruption or mayhem, this discussion brings home the gold. Or so we think. Maybe we didn't even qualify. 

He's the Tech Media Whisperer. The man to which every journalist responds and to which anyone in tech PR seeks his advice. Come along as we consider whether or not to eulogize tech industry news as we know it with Media Survey's Sam Whitmore. 

Talk to any client or any agency, and more often than not, a successful relationship comes down to one thing: chemistry. It's not easy to get. So how do you get the right mix? Enter Steven Shimek. Steven matches companies with best-fit agency partners in PR, brand integration, marketing, and more. This was an eye-opening interview for us. So whether you're a client or an agency, Steven has some insight for you.  hSNGxI9EHuF5Jn7MPAFT

Anyone talking to a journalist ought to invest in media training. On this week’s show we talk about new and authentic approaches to media training with Deirdre Breakenridge, a PR & ​m​arketing strategist, author, LinkedIn Learning instructor and media trainer. 

We’re back! And things have changed: we have a new co-host (Paul Wilke) and new distribution…The Embargoed is now on YouTube. This week we tell you why Kathy Ireland and Dennis Quaid aren’t good PR choices for clients.

It's our year end wrap-up and last show of the year! Many, many thanks to all who have listened and continue to support us. In this episode (the shortest one yet), we take a look back at the year, our guests, the games, and the fun we had. Also, we fixed Kevin's microphone. Enjoy! 

Polly Traylor, co-author of the book Startupland: Madness, Brilliance and PR Misadventures, joins the show to discuss the state of corporate communications, the role of content and the 2021 PRWeek/Cision Global Comms Report. 

What do clients really think about PR? Listen as Jordan Sher, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at OpsRamp, joins The Embargoed. And find out who he chooses to date to on the PR Dating Game.

What makes a good spokesperson? I think we all know what makes a bad one. In this week's episode we go over the traits that make them good, and offer tips for staying away from being bad. Lots of clips and examples in here to show you the way to spokesperson nirvana.

This week we talk bad news with public affairs and crisis comms expert Larry Kamer. I mean, sure it's bad for clients, but it's fun for us. Get tips, tricks, and best practices for working with people, companies and organizations who are in deep doo-doo. Also, learn why most apologies suck, and then take that lesson to your significant other...if you dare. 

She was a 35-year-old global head of communications who landed in the hospital from extreme stress and burnout. It was the push she needed to finally leave agency life and put my wellness first. In a remarkable, energetic, and insightful interview, we speak with Elizabeth Rosenberg about her journey. While your path may not be the same, you know you’ve been there at one point in your career. Have a listen.

In this week’s episode, David Oro and Paul Wilke talk to Jimmy Boegle, publisher of the Coachella Valley Independent and the Reno News & Review about the independent newspaper business today and why some PR people (present company excluded!) bring out his inner curmudgeon. It's a lively, informative conversation we're glad you have you on board! Oh and about our headline: "Beware of Music PR People, Yoga Pants, Ozempic and Ticks," Jimmy sets the tone here.

You know him from his time as a host and executive producer of TheCube. Now he's the Principal of Menlo Creek Media and host of Turn the Lens where he coaches executives and strategizes on content strategy in an AI-driven asynchronous world. AI-driven asynchronous world? WTF! Join us as we have Jeff Frick explain himself. It's definitely a topic you ought to hear about. Have a listen.

It's the All Star Edition with special guest Ben Stricker. And of course, Rep, Fire or Refer (Reefer?). 

Making the most of survey data and pitching reporters on a short week are discussed. Also, based on our last episode, we heard from Kathy Ireland's people. Listen to how we respond. Remember, The Embargoed is now on YouTube.

This week on "The Embargoed" it's all about the games we play. Also, does a PR accreditation matter? 

In this episode we talk shop with Michael Young from Millwright Holdings and cover all things in the PR agency world - big agencies vs. small agencies, how smaller agencies can compete, and why big agencies always seem to hemorrhage talent.

Let's face it: As far as starts to a decade go...the 2020s suck. At the macro level you have pandemics, lock downs, wars, inflation. Business aren't any better, witness Norfolk Southern, Southwest Airlines and a guy named Yeezy with Adidas. This week we talk to Big Sky Crisis Communications Founder Brian Baker about crisis comms. And we bring back our favorite game: Rep, Fire or Refer. 

In this week’s episode we talk to leading IPO expert Ken Shuman to discuss what it takes for comms pros to make that public showing the best it can be. We also highlight his November 7 event where he promises to tell all: "Gearing Up to Go Public - A One-Day Conference to Demystify the IPO Process.”  Finally, we grumble about RFPs - you’ll learn the true meaning of what the acronym stands for. Hint: the F is an expletive.

As any human knows, earning goodwill and understanding with earthlings is a tough endeavor.  SBS Founder John O'Brien joins us on the day his firm announces new communications services for extraterrestrials and UFOs. The conversation is out of this world. Bad puns and all. 

According to a recent survey, employees in comms or PR roles are 78% white. We explore this and other DEI themes with insight and a lot of fun with Carmella Glover, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at The Page Society & President of the Diversity Action Alliance. Also, it's a Facebook take down on Rep, Fire and Refer. Click that link!​ 

Is traditional media in Jeopardy with the launch of Andreessen Horowitz's Future? Segments: Dumb Sh!t PR Agencies Do and Rep, Fire, Refer.

The PESO Model takes the four media types — paid, earned, shared and owned — and merges them together for an integrated — and measurable — communications program. Gini Dietrich, the founder and author of Spin Sucks and creator of the PESO model, joins us on The Embargoed. In addition to a discussion about modern comms, mayhem and war stories ensue. Join us for the fun. 

Field Marketing. What is it and what is the role of a comms professional for field marketing pros? Join us as T-Mobile's Lisa Nilsson walks us through the answer and shares her war stories along the way. Also the Wordle of the day is - Nepotism. 

2021 didn't kill us, so we're back. Happy New Year! In our first episode of the year we discuss how we started our respective consulting businesses and offer tips, insight and suggestions for doing it yourself. Bring it on 2022.

This week we dive deep into the business of tech PR. Hourly vs. retainer client relationships, media strategy, embargoes, and which media are Hot or Not. We also reveal the first guest who ghosted us. Get in here. 

We take Muck Rack’s State of PR Survey 2021, discuss the kerfuffle around BaseCamp, play the game PR Trips & Tics and Rep, Fire or Refer.

Your hosts Kevin Wolf and David Oro welcome you to their inaugural episode where they discuss why a16z wants to a be a media company, dead industry pubs and more.