The Crux of the Story

Gary Sheffer and Mike Fernandez
  • 4.5 (14)
  • Business
  • Biweekly

Hosted by one of the world's top communicators, currently SVP & Chief Communications Officer at Enbridge, the show tackles relevant and controversial topics in the field of communications that are shaping business, politics, and our lives. Prominent guests from PR, journalism, business, and academia discuss how communications can inspire, persuade, deepen one’s understanding, or move an audience - or even a nation - to action.

  1. Oct 27

    Episode 174: Alethea’s CEO on Digital Deception, Disinformation and the Related Business Risks

    What happens when online conversation about a company, an industry or even an election isn’t quite what it seems? In this episode we sit down with Lisa Kaplan, founder and CEO of Alethea, to explore the rapidly evolving world of disinformation and coordinated influence operations. Among the topics discussed: how foreign actors are exploiting public concerns, why data centers and critical infrastructure have become targets, how generative AI is changing the threat landscape, and what CEOs and communications leaders can do to distinguish authentic public sentiment from deliberate manipulation – and how they might better manage the reputations of their brands and companies. It’s a timely conversation about business risk, trust and the increasingly difficult challenge of determining what’s real online – and, when it’s not, what can be done about it.

    Episode 174: Alethea’s CEO on Digital Deception, Disinformation and the Related Business Risks

  2. Oct 9

    Episode 173 - Sol Trujillo on America’s New Mainstream Economy, Latinos and Leadership

    Few business leaders have had a career quite like Sol Trujillo’s. A technology pioneer and executive trailblazer, Sol was the youngest executive officer in AT&T history at just 32, he went on to lead major companies in the United States, Europe and Australia, and became the first U.S.-born Latino CEO of a Fortune 150 company. Today, his attention is focused on the future and on an economic story he believes American business leaders cannot afford to misunderstand: the growing influence of U.S. Latinos and what he calls America’s “New Mainstream Economy.” He is a co-founder of the Latino Donor Collaborative, L’ATTITUDE Ventures and Velocity, initiatives focused in different ways on Latino economic opportunity, entrepreneurship and growth. In this episode, Mike Fernandez sits down with his former boss, mentor and longtime friend for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership and breaking barriers; diversity and opportunity; immigration and economic growth; CEOs as communicators; representation and storytelling; and whether AI represents the beginning of another industrial revolution. We explore experiences that shaped Sol’s leadership, what he thinks CEOs still misunderstand about Latino consumers, workers and entrepreneurs, what he is learning from building Velocity with his daughter Andrea, and the legacy he hopes to leave for the generations that follow. It’s an unusually personal conversation between two people who have known one another for more than 30 years, and a provocative discussion about leadership, economic growth and what America may look like next.

    Episode 173 - Sol Trujillo on America’s New Mainstream Economy, Latinos and Leadership

  3. Oct 2

    Episode 172: Congressman Clyburn Discusses the Importance of Communication in Advancing New Ideas and Political Change

    Congressman James Clyburn reflects on the lessons of his early years in South Carolina, the civil rights movement, building coalitions across differences, communicating in a divided America, and making consequential decisions. He also discusses the historical lessons behind his book The First Eight and what today’s leaders can learn from those who came before them. In part it’s a conversation about politics, but even more, about the enduring power of credibility, courage and communication to create change.

    Episode 172: Congressman Clyburn Discusses the Importance of Communication in Advancing New Ideas and Political Change

  4. Sep 22

    Episode 171: What happens when companies stop renting AI capabilities and start building their own?

    Defyner co-founder, Will Fernandez, discusses the rise of agentic AI and how it will fundamentally reshape marketing and corporate communications. He sees AI integration as the next industrial revolution (which historically combined electricity with a rethinking of industrial engineering} – only the speed at which this one comes together may be faster, and the efficiency gains may be greater. We explore with him multi-agent systems, the future of agencies, AI governance and sovereignty, and what CMOs and CCOs should be doing now to prepare for a rapidly changing future.

    Episode 171: What happens when companies stop renting AI capabilities and start building their own?

  5. Sep 10

    Episode 170: Revolutionary Spin: How Public Relations Shaped America with Julie Hall

    Julie Hall, veteran public relations executive and author of Revolutionary Spin: How Public Relations Shaped America, joins The Crux of the Story to explore a provocative question: When it comes to the American Revolution was the pen mightier than the sword? Drawing on extensive historical research, Julie reveals how many of America's founders were master communicators who understood the power of narrative, persuasion, symbolism, and public engagement long before the profession of public relations formally existed. From the Boston Tea Party to the Federalist Papers and the Constitution’s ratification debate, she examines how strategic communication helped mobilize public opinion and shape a new nation. We discuss the lessons modern communicators can take from the Revolutionary era and why understanding the history of public relations offers important insights for leaders navigating today's fragmented media environment. A fascinating conversation about history, storytelling, influence, and the enduring power of communication to shape events, institutions, and societies.

    Episode 170: Revolutionary Spin: How Public Relations Shaped America with Julie Hall

  6. Sep 1

    Episode 169: Trust, Truth, and Leadership Under Fire with Helio Fred Garcia

    Helio Fred Garcia, one of the world's foremost experts on crisis management and leadership communication, joins The Crux of the Story to discuss what it takes to lead when trust is fragile, scrutiny is relentless, and stakes are high – as we discuss his most recent book. Influencing Leaders: The Seven Disciplines of the Trusted Strategic that he co-authored with James Lukaszewski. Drawing on decades of advising CEOs, boards, public officials, and global organizations through high-profile crises, Fred explores how communicators can help leaders and their organizations navigate uncertainty, and what separates leaders who emerge stronger from adversity from those who undermine their own legitimacy. We discuss the accelerating challenges facing institutions in an era of misinformation, polarization, and declining trust; the importance of values-based leadership; and lessons from Fred's work over the last four decades. A thoughtful and timely conversation about trust, character, communication, and the enduring responsibility of leadership when everything is on the line.

    Episode 169: Trust, Truth, and Leadership Under Fire with Helio Fred Garcia

  7. May 5

    Episode 168 - When the Enterprise and Society Are in Constant Motion: How Leaders Can Communicate Change That Lasts

    Stacey Jones, Honeywell’s Chief Communicator, joins The Crux of the Story to discuss CEO transitions, enterprise transformation, executive visibility, and the growing role of data and AI in communications. We explore the communications challenges facing C-suites and boards amid societal disruption, what separates successful CEO transitions from the ones that stumble, and how to build an executive narrative that remains credible over time. We also discuss Honeywell’s ongoing transformation and what it demands from communications internally and externally – at a moment when Honeywell has publicly described plans that would create three independent companies through the separation of its Automation and Aerospace businesses and the spin of its Advanced Materials business.

    Episode 168 - When the Enterprise and Society Are in Constant Motion: How Leaders Can Communicate Change That Lasts

  8. Apr 22

    #167: Achievement Addiction, Loss, and the Gift of “Embracing Your Own Purgatory”

    Geoff Curtis, founder of Marshall Curtis Communications and former EVP of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Horizon Therapeutics, joins The Crux of the Story to discuss his new book Embracing Your Own Purgatory – a candid, research-informed exploration of what happens when achievement becomes identity and how the “in‑between” spaces of life can become catalysts for growth. Drawing on nearly 30 years in healthcare communications and deeply personal experiences – including the loss of his father and the abrupt end of a defining corporate role – Geoff unpacks the traps of achievement addiction, the emotional and strategic challenges of career transitions, and the rituals that help leaders navigate uncertainty with clarity and humility. A powerful conversation for communicators, executives, and anyone confronting change, reinvention, or the uncomfortable work of redefining who they are.

    #167: Achievement Addiction, Loss, and the Gift of “Embracing Your Own Purgatory”
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Hosted by one of the world's top communicators, currently SVP & Chief Communications Officer at Enbridge, the show tackles relevant and controversial topics in the field of communications that are shaping business, politics, and our lives. Prominent guests from PR, journalism, business, and academia discuss how communications can inspire, persuade, deepen one’s understanding, or move an audience - or even a nation - to action.

Information

  • Creator
    Gary Sheffer and Mike Fernandez
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    174
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Crux of the Story

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