Cut Through the Noise with Aisling O' Rourke

Welcome to Season 11 of Cut Through The Noise with Aisling O’Rourke, your go-to podcast for mastering the art of communication in your business!

In the final episode of Season 11 of Cut Through The Noise, Aisling O’Rourke brings together the key insights and standout lessons from across the season.
Season 11 was designed to help you put the right foundations in place for communications and marketing success in 2026, moving beyond good intentions and into clear, consistent action.

In this highlights episode, Aisling revisits the big themes that came up again and again throughout the season, including:

Why communication systems matter:
Storytelling is important, but without solid communication systems, strategies, and plans, it won’t deliver consistent results. Aisling explains why now is the time to review your communications strategy and crisis communications plan.
What a strong marketing plan really looks like:
With insights from Denise Fay of Achieve Marketing, the season explored how to build a marketing plan that goes beyond trends and viral moments, and why balancing earned, paid, and owned media protects your business long-term.
What Taylor Swift can teach us about marketing and leadership:
Author and Harvard lecturer Sinead O’Sullivan broke down the bold decisions, values-driven leadership, and strategic trade-offs that helped Taylor Swift build one of the most powerful brands in the world, and what business owners can learn from it.
Referral networking without the ‘ick’:
Andrew Dobbin of The Business Mindset reframed networking as team-building, showing how referral marketing works best when you stop going it alone and start building advocates around your business.
Why testimonials are non-negotiable:
In an AI-driven world, trust matters more than ever. Aisling explores why testimonials are essential social proof — particularly for service-based businesses — and is joined by client Aoife McHugh of Timeless Celebrations Ireland for an honest, live testimonial conversation about trust and credibility.

This episode is both a reflection on the season and a call to action, encouraging you to audit what you currently have in place and make sure you’re communications are ready to support growth in 2026.

If you want support reviewing or refining your communications strategy, marketing plan, or systems, book a discovery call or get in touch directly at [email protected].

If you want to build trust faster, stand out from the sea of sameness, and start 2026 with stronger credibility in your business communications, this episode is for you.
Make sure to check out our YouTube so you don’t miss out on all of this season’s exclusive bonus content: YouTube

If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: [email protected]
Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald

Connect with Aisling:
Website
Email
Instagram
LinkedIn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 11 of Cut Through The Noise with Aisling O’Rourke, your go-to podcast for mastering the art of communication in your business!

Why do so many business owners avoid asking for testimonials, even when they know how important they are?

In this episode of Cut Through The Noise, Aisling O’Rourke dives into one of the most powerful (and underused) tools in your communications strategy: testimonials.
Joined by Aoife McHugh, founder of Timeless Celebrations Ireland and a member of the Clarity Collective Communications Mastermind, Aisling does something different, she conducts a live, on-air client testimonial and truly practises what she preaches.

Together, they explore:
Why testimonials are essential for small businesses and solo operators
How trust, values, and alignment influence buying decisions (often subconsciously)
The role testimonials play in referral marketing and brand credibility
Why Irish business owners often feel uncomfortable “shouting about themselves”
What people actually look for when reading testimonials online
Simple, practical ways to ask for testimonials without the awkwardness
Why video testimonials are becoming more valuable than ever

Aisling also shares her process for gathering testimonials, including how she uses a simple Google Form, why she never writes them on behalf of clients, and how to make it easy for people to say yes.

If you want to build trust faster, stand out from the sea of sameness, and start 2026 with stronger credibility in your business communications, this episode is for you.

Make sure to check out our YouTube so you don’t miss out on all of this season’s exclusive bonus content: YouTube
If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: [email protected]
Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald

Connect with Aisling:
Website
Email
Instagram
LinkedIn

Connect with Aoife McHugh:
LinkedIn
Website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 11 of Cut Through The Noise with Aisling O’Rourke, your go-to podcast for mastering the art of communication in your business!

In this episode of Cut Through the Noise, Aisling is joined by Andrew Dobbin, referral marketing and networking expert from The Business Mindset.

As we look ahead to 2026, digital fatigue, declining search traffic, and rising competition mean businesses can no longer rely solely on online marketing. Andrew explains why referral marketing and relationship-led growth must become a core part of your marketing strategy, not an afterthought.

Together, Aisling and Andrew unpack the difference between networking and referral marketing, why most businesses rely on word of mouth without a plan, and how to intentionally build a referral strategy that delivers consistent, high-quality introductions.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:
The difference between networking and strategic referral marketing
Why 98% of businesses rely on referrals but only 3% have a plan
The “golfer vs footballer” mindset, why referrals are a team sport
How to identify the “jeweller” or magnet in your industry

Andrew’s Five Relationship Levels:
Recognition → Knowledge → Trust → Referral → Advocacy

How professionals like accountants naturally become powerful introducers
Why one-to-one meetings are the foundation of referral success
The importance of human-to-human connection in an AI-driven world
How trust, clarity, and social proof fuel better introductions
Why referral strategies should sit alongside SEO, ads, and social, not replace them.

In this week’s bonus content, available exclusively on YouTube, Andrew talks us through why strong one-to-ones can solidify the foundations of a relationship, and kickstart referrals.

Make sure to check out our YouTube so you don’t miss out on all of this season’s exclusive bonus content: YouTube

If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: [email protected]
Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald

Connect with Aisling:
Website
Email
Instagram
LinkedIn

Connect with Andrew Dobbin:
LinkedIn
Website
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 11 of Cut Through The Noise with Aisling O’Rourke, your go-to podcast for mastering the art of communication in your business!

Taylor Swift isn’t just a global pop icon, she’s one of the most powerful business leaders of our time.

In this special episode of Cut Through The Noise, host Aisling O’Rourke is joined by economist, author and former NASA engineer Sinead O’Sullivan, whose book ‘Good Ideas and Power Moves’ breaks down what business leaders can learn from Taylor Swift’s extraordinary success.

Together, they explore how Swift built an entire market, not just a brand by collapsing the distance between CEO and customer, playing the long game, and anchoring every decision in clear values.

This conversation goes far beyond social media tactics or personal branding. It’s about trust, narrative, emotional connection, and why clarity beats virality every time.

In this episode, we cover:

Why Taylor Swift is better understood as a CEO than a celebrity
How she built a billion-dollar ecosystem by prioritising relationships
The power of playing the long game in marketing and communications
What most businesses get wrong about storytelling and authenticity
Why collapsing hierarchy builds stronger brands and communities
Lessons business leaders can apply, regardless of size or sector

Whether you’re a solopreneur, founder or senior leader, this episode will change how you think about marketing, leadership and long-term value creation.

🎧 Listen now and discover what it really means to cut through the noise.

In this week’s bonus content, available exclusively on YouTube, Sinéad shares her top marketing and communications insights for leaders heading into 2026.
Make sure to check out our YouTube so you don’t miss out on all of this season’s exclusive bonus content: YouTube

If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: [email protected]
Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald

Connect with Aisling:
Website
Email
Instagram
LinkedIn

Connect with Sinéad O’Sullivan:
LinkedIn
Website
Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 11 of Cut Through The Noise with Aisling O’Rourke, your go-to podcast for mastering the art of communication in your business!

Want to kick 2026 off right, but don’t know where to start?

Planning your marketing for a full year can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re a solopreneur or running a small business without a dedicated marketing team. If 2025 flew by in a blur and you’re starting 2026 feeling behind, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Cut Through The Noise, Aisling is joined by marketing strategist Denise Fay of Achieve Marketing to break down how to approach your 2026 marketing strategy calmly, clearly and realistically, starting exactly where you are now.

Together, they explore how to plan your marketing over 12 months without panic, how to use 90-day sprints to reduce overwhelm, and why staying true to how you communicate best is just as important as following trends.

In this week’s bonus content, available exclusively on YouTube, Denise explains The Fay Way, her six-step approach to building a marketing strategy that works.
Make sure to check out our YouTube so you don’t miss out on all of this season’s exclusive bonus content: YouTube

If you would like to get involved in the podcast or work with The Communications Coach email us: [email protected]
Editing is by Amanda Fitzgerald

Connect with Aisling:
Website
Email
Instagram
LinkedIn

Connect with Denise:
LinkedIn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.