Cut Through the Noise with Aisling O' Rourke

Aisling O'Rourke

In a noisy world, it's even more important to communicate with clarity, get your brand messaging on point and maximise the power of media. However, that's all easier said than done. In this podcast season Broadcaster and Communications Coach Aisling O' Rourke demystifies how media works, offers communications tips and speaks to experts in the field of communications and marketing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    How to Talk About Disability at Work

    One in five people at work have a condition you’ll never see across the desk. What are you saying to them? In this week’s episode, Aisling opens up about her own personal experience living with invisible disabilities, and shows how the words we use around it shape how people are seen at work. She shares 8 practical guidelines for leaders and teams, and offers advice if you’re the one living with a condition. This episode will teach you how to speak with more confidence and car to the colleagues and clients whose conditions you’ll never see. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why the language we use about disability is a communications issue, and how “framing” decides what an audience notices firstHow to respond when someone tries to use a label or nickname to embarrass you, and why you get to choose what a word means to youThe 2022 Irish census figure showing that one in five people reported a long-lasting condition or difficulty, and why most of those conditions are invisible across the deskWhy disclosing a health condition is a communications decision that people with invisible disabilities make again and again If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website Email Instagram LinkedIn Resources: Aisling O’Rourke: My T1 Life Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Oct 27

    Why Your Voice Is Your Best Tool with Amy Summers

    When did you last pick up the phone instead of sending an email? In this episode, Aisling talks to Amy Summers, a New York-based PR agency founder of more than 20 years and author of Lift. Amy explains why she still has her team phone journalists, even though most agencies have dropped the habit. Phone calls are not always the fastest route, but they build verbal communication skills and confidence that stay with people throughout their careers. Amy argues that your voice is the most valuable communication tool you still fully own, and that we’re out of practice using it. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why phoning journalists, and anyone else, still gives you an edge, and how spontaneous conversations can lead to opportunities that email never wouldAmy’s “if they answer, that’s on them” rule for getting past the fear of calling at the wrong timeWhy traditional media is still essentialThe four elements of a journalist’s news filterHow to pitch yourself to the media by leading with what you can offer their audienceThe 10 touch points in Amy’s book Lift, and why leadership still depends on human connection rather than technology If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website Email Instagram LinkedIn Connect with Amy: LinkedIn Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Oct 19

    Leading with Honesty in Anxious Times

    After the largest public sector strike in Ireland since 2009, with 300,000 workers on picket lines, Aisling reflects on how much leaders' words matter when people are anxious. Between the cost of living, global conflict, rising rents and bills, and the climate and nature crisis, many teams and clients carry a low hum of dread into every meeting and email. In a crisis, communication is not a soft skill but the whole game. Leaders don't have to choose between being kind and being honest, and in this week’s episode, Aisling shares five principles, each with an action step to try this week. The five principlesLead with acknowledgement before information. Be honest, even when the news isn't good. People-pleasing isn't kindness. Empathy is neither agreeing nor dismissing.Say what you don't know, and say what happens next. Your action steps this week If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website Email Instagram LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Oct 12

    Reinventing Period Care Without the Shame with Kate Doyle

    This week, Aisling talks to Kate Doyle, founder of EcoKinly, a Wexford-based brand breaking new ground in women’s health and hygiene products. Kate shares what it's like to market a product most people have never seen, how she handles the lingering taboo around periods and women’s hygiene, and why she thinks the conversation is shifting from a "female health issue" to a waste, cost-of-living and education issue. In this episode, you’ll discover: What reusable period care actually looks like, and why Kate links it to a habit people already knowThe extra layer of marketing: explaining what your product is before you can explain why it's betterWhy some retail buyers instantly get what you’re trying to do and others don'tPeriod poverty, girls missing school, and the importance of talks with the Department of Education about reusable pads in secondary schools If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website Email Instagram LinkedIn coach.ie/ Connect with Kate: LinkedIn Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Oct 5

    Cutting Through the Science Noise With Professor John Nolan

    Aisling O'Rourke is joined by Professor John Nolan, whose 25 years of research into the eye, the brain and nutrition are the subject of the new documentary A Vision for Vision. They talk about why the science matters for people of all ages, and about the gap between scientific discovery and public understanding. For anyone nervous about putting themselves in front of a camera, he shares his tips on storytelling and sticking to what you know. In this episode, you’ll discover: What A Vision for Vision is, and why John made a film instead of publishing another paperHow common age-related macular degeneration is in Ireland, and why waiting until the condition is advanced isn't enoughJohn's concept of "Health 3.0": proactive, preventative healthcare built on targeted nutritionThe education gap: why most eye doctors aren't trained in the link between nutrition, eyes and brainWhy scientists need to get comfortable with simplifying their language, and why even scientists like a good storyMaking science collaborative and involving patients, athletes and the public in the researchAdvice for nervous communicators: know your subject, don't pretend to be an expert in everything, and tell a story If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website Email Instagram LinkedIn Connect with John: LinkedIn Website Info about ‘A Vision for Vision’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Sep 28

    Building an Honest, Sustainable Brand with Sandhya Sabapathy

    In this week’s episode, Aisling is joined by global sustainability expert Sandhya Sabapathy to talk about how the conversation around sustainable business has shifted from a "nice to have" side project to a genuine business case backed by regulation, profitability, and consumer trust. They cover why the "fail fast, break things" era is giving way to more considered, foundational growth, why authenticity beats greenwashing, and what role women in leadership can play in building a more climate-resilient future. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How corporate sustainability has evolved over the last decade, from top-down net zero commitments to a maturing, more strategic business functionWhy sustainability now needs a real business case, not just a compliance checkboxWhy recent extreme heat events have made climate risk feel immediate rather than abstract, especially for retailers and supply chainsWhy consumer cynicism and greenwashing fatigue mean honesty about what isn't working can land better than polished sustainability marketingMary Robinson's Dandelion Project and the case for women in C-suite leadership driving better sustainability and pay equity outcomes, and why this needs to be a collaborative effort with male leaders, not a burden placed solely on women If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website Email Instagram LinkedIn Connect with Sandhya: LinkedIn Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Sep 21

    Crisis Communications: When the Message Gets Lost

    A crisis doesn't always start with a product failure, a cyberattack or an accident. Sometimes it starts with one sentence.  In this solo episode, Aisling looks at the recent row over Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary's language about competing airlines, which she also discussed on Ireland AM. This incident is a perfect example of how a deliberate communications stunt can turn into a reputational crisis, and how refusing to acknowledge the harm keeps the story alive. Aisling explains why the original misstep is rarely the most important part of a crisis. How you respond decides how far the damage spreads. She also draws on a recent PwC study on Irish business disruption, and lays out what every leader should have in place before pressure arrives: a credible apology, a named spokesperson, a crisis communications plan and a real-life test of that plan. In this episode, you'll discover: Why a crisis can begin with a single sentence, and how a message about low fares became a debate about leadership and cultureHow to define a crisis, and why you don't have to do anything 100% wrong for a grey area to destroy trust in your brandWhy meaning is created by the audience as well as the speaker, and why.Why intent is relevant but doesn't erase impact.Why doubling down is so often mistaken for strength, and how admitting a mistake is the real strengthThe four things a credible apology must do. If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website  Email  Instagram LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Sep 14

    MLMs: The Legal Line vs. Pyramid Schemes with Máire O’Sullivan

    MLMs are everywhere on social media, but how do you tell a legitimate multi-level marketing business from an illegal pyramid scheme?  In this episode, Aisling is joined by Máire O'Sullivan, lecturer in marketing at Munster Technological University and an MLM expert cited by The New York Times, to unpack the murky legal grey area and the marketing tactics that make MLMs so persuasive. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: What actually defines an MLM, and how it legally differs from a pyramid schemeReal-world cases: Advocare, LuLaRoe, and Amway's run-ins with regulatorsWhy MLMs disproportionately target women, especially new and stay-at-home mothersThe two-track marketing machine: polished corporate advertising vs. distributor-generated "UGC"The psychological hooks, hope, flexibility, and a sense of sisterhood, that make MLM messaging so effectiveThe "hon-zoning" phenomenon and how recruitment pitches strain friendshipsHow to read an income disclosure statement before joining anything If you're new here, make sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and if you're watching on YouTube, hit the bell icon so you never miss an episode. Make sure to check out our YouTube! YouTube If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: hello@thecommunicationscoach.ie Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald Connect with Aisling: Website  Email  Instagram LinkedIn Connect with Máire: LinkedIn Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In a noisy world, it's even more important to communicate with clarity, get your brand messaging on point and maximise the power of media. However, that's all easier said than done. In this podcast season Broadcaster and Communications Coach Aisling O' Rourke demystifies how media works, offers communications tips and speaks to experts in the field of communications and marketing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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