Smart Talk Series
The Smart Talk Series -- dive into communication strategies, tips, and principles using a 360-degree approach with your host Melissa Vela-Williamson. Melissa is an accredited public relations expert, entrepreneur, and national columnist. This series will focus on a theme over the span of six weekly episodes. Listen as Melissa dives into a topic on her own, interviews industry experts, and gives listeners a broad perspective to learn from. Communication is the foundation of professional or personal success. So anyone ready to hear real talk about how to better communicate on topics that matter is welcome!
Episodes
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
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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 cover...
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 fo...
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.
Ab...
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...
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
- Un...
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 Res...
It takes a village to support a great cause and make a difference. From matching donations to getting over 200,000 people vaccinated, WellMed is an expert in utilizing their community to make a positive impact. This week, we hear from Brittany Pratt, the Vice President of Social Responsibility at WellMed Medical Management, on mobilizing and investing in your community.
About Brittan...
Digital strategy can influence minds and drive behaviors towards making a change. So, what happens when marketers use those tools to bring awareness to social issues? This week, Melissa is joined by Cedric F. Brown to dive deeper into diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Follow Cedric on Twitter: @abrothanamedCed
Connect with Cedric on LinkedIn: /in/cedricfbrown
Visit Cedric’s web...
2020 was the year of virtual events. 2021 is a bit more complicated. How does what we know now about tech and safety standards inform event planning in a world that's going back in-person? This week, Melissa talks with Janet Holliday, the President and CEO of The CE Group, about event planning in a pandemic world.
About Janet:
Janet Holliday embodies a rare combination of strate...
The pandemic left a lasting impact on countless industries. As hybrid work models solidify and job listings start to multiply, the HR industry is settling into its new mode of operations. This week, Melissa is joined by Christina Stokes, the Senior Vice President, Director of Talent Acquisition at RUBENSTEIN.
About Christina:
Christina Stokes is the Senior Vice President, Director...
Season finale! Join Melissa as she wraps up Season 2 by sharing her top three principles for being a socially responsible professional.
Topics covered:
- How to fix root issues by moving upstream
- The importance of doing more good than harm
- What being an ally means
Actions to take:
- Know and do better
- Serve people where they
- Make your impact a positi...
In the communication field, there are two categories that most professionals fall under: generalist or specialist. This season, we're focusing on Communication Specialties. Join Melissa as she starts season three reviewing the pros and cons of specializing and how you can find your specialty areas over time.
Topics covered:
- Generalists vs. specialists
- Discovering your nic...
In an increasingly digital world, the strategies we use to effectively communicate must evolve to keep up. Learn more about those strategies and other best practices from today's guest, Digital PR Strategist Sarah Evans.
About Sarah:
Sarah Evans, founder of Sevans Strategy and Sevans Digital PR, is a digital PR strategist, consultant, global brand correspondent and keynote speak...
Interested in teaching PR or social media? There's a niche for that! Learn more about educating tomorrow's professionals in today's episode with Strategic Communications Professor Karen Freberg.
About Karen:
Karen Freberg (@kfreberg) is a Professor in Strategic Communications at the University of Louisville, where she teaches, researches, and consults in social media strategy, pub...
No matter what career field you work in, being a strong public speaker is an asset. This week, Melissa talks to Pastor Jonathan Mussett about how to be an impactful public speaker and specializing in faith communication.
About Pastor Jonathan:
Jonathan Mussett is the Assistant Lead Pastor at Westover Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. He has a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy ...
Don't be performative, strive to be transformative. This week, Stephen Macias, President of MulitCultural Comms & PR at Rogers & Cowan PMK, joins Melissa to discuss the necessity and impact of multicultural communications.
About Stephen:
For almost 20 years, Stephen Macias created communication and public relations strategies that connect brands to consumers in the LGBTQ c...
Season finale! For the last episode of season three, Melissa is joined by a surprise guest: STS Producer Jennifer Navarrete!
About Jennifer:
Jennifer Navarrete has been podcasting since 2005, believes everyone has a story to share, and that podcasting is the perfect platform to share it!
Whether she’s founding an annual podcasting movement like National Podcast Post Month ...
Taking on an uncharted path alone can be as challenging as it is rewarding. This season, we're focusing on Communication Trailblazers who followed their calling into unexplored territory and left a trail for those behind them to follow. Join Melissa as she kicks off season four by discussing her evolution from a solo pioneer to a professional trailblazer.
Topics covered:
- Defin...
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