On Top of PR with Jason Mudd

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In this episode, University of Memphis expert Michele Ehrhart joins host Jason Mudd to discuss crisis communication, leadership preparedness, reputation management, and how organizations can navigate high-pressure situations with clarity and confidence.
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Meet our guest:
Our guest is Michele Ehrhart, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at the University of Memphis. Michele is a crisis communications expert with three decades of experience in corporate affairs, executive communications, and PR strategy.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:
1. Why crisis preparation must happen before a crisis occurs
2. How leaders can use “what if” scenario planning to prepare for high-risk situations
3. Why silence can be a strategic communication choice depending on context
4. How reputation is built slowly but can be damaged quickly during a crisis
5. Why defining roles and responsibilities in advance improves crisis response execution

Quotables
“The day you have a crisis should not be the first day you've thought about what you'll do.” — Michele Ehrhart
“Planning the work and working the plan.” — Michele Ehrhart
“Silence is a strategy. If the story isn't yours, don't talk about it.” — Michele Ehrhart
“The brand is what you put out there; reputation is what they think of you.” — Michele Ehrhart
“When PR is at its best, it's building a reputation for your company — just not visibility, but also the reputation. You could have great visibility, but it's not positive.” – Jason Mudd

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

More About Michele Ehrhart
Michele Ehrhart is a crisis communications expert with three decades of experience in corporate affairs, executive communications, and PR strategy. After 22 years with FedEx, she now serves as the University of Memphis's senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer. She is a bestselling author, speaker, and industry expert helping leaders navigate crises with confidence and clarity.

Guest’s contact info and resources:
Michele Ehrhart on LinkedIn
Michele Ehrhart’s website
Get the “Crisis Compass: How to Communicate When It Matters Most” book
Axia’s CrisisPoint service
Axia’s Reputation Restoration service

Additional Resources:
How to recover from a PR crisis and manage
Support the show
On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this solocast, On Top of PR host Jason Mudd dives into how PR shapes recruiting, retention, and workforce quality through reputation.
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 Five things you’ll learn from this episode:
1. How candidates evaluate your reputation before your careers page
2. Why PR influences recruiting outcomes before HR gets involved
3. The role of visibility, credibility, and interpretation in hiring decisions
4. Why employer brand perception is formed in search and media results
5. How PR reduces hiring friction and improves talent quality
 
Quotables
“Candidates don't start with your careers page; they start with your reputation.” — @jasonmudd9
“Your careers page doesn't create perception. It confirms or contradicts what they already perceive or believe.” — @jasonmudd9
“Recruiting is a reputation-driven system.” — @jasonmudd9
“PR didn't create demand; it removed the friction that prevented their growth.” — @jasonmudd9
“Public relations doesn't just influence how customers see you, it influences who wants to work for you, who shows up, and how they perform.” — @jasonmudd9

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

Contact info and resources:
Jason Mudd on X
Jason Mudd on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Talent Solutions - Employer’s brand matters
Glassdoor - Employer Branding 101: Why, How and Proven ROI
ratethispodcast.com/ontopofpr 

Additional Resources:
Case study: Improving a company’s recruiting
How to turn award wins into long-term assets
Warning signs your online reputation management is failing
How to improve your company’s Glassdoor reviews
Find out more about Axia Public Relations.
Axia Public Relations resources
Axia’s NewsBureau Service
Listen to more episodes of the On Top of PR podcast.

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Support the show
On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Brand Revolt’s Camden Bernatz joins host Jason Mudd to discuss why traditional agency pitches often fail, how clients can build better partnerships, and why diagnosis must come before solutions.
Tune in to learn more!

Meet our guest:
Our guest is Camden Bernatz, creative director and strategist at Brand Revolt and author of “Stop Asking for Pitches: 10 Rules to Fix the Client-Agency Relationship.” Once drawn to psychiatry, he now applies that same curiosity to branding, helping organizations diagnose challenges and build stronger brands.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:
1. Why traditional agency pitches often prioritize performance over real problem-solving
2. Why diagnosing the problem must come before prescribing any solution
3. How treating agency relationships as strategic investments improves outcomes
4. How shifting from vendor transactions to partnerships leads to better results
5. What a true client-agency partnership looks like in practice

Quotables
“You want that agency that helps you develop the brief [to] help you figure out what we actually need. What are we trying to accomplish? What would success look like?” — Camden Bernatz
“The reason you have a need for an RFP or to hire a firm and hire an agency is because you don't totally know what you need.” — Camden Bernatz
“It’s just having things on the table early, talking about like, ‘We think that you're prescribing something that's going to cost more than you say you have money for.’”  — Camden Bernatz
“There's a difference in the way it feels to spend money on an agency versus spending the money with the agency.” — Camden Bernatz
“Your agency is like an engine to fuel as opposed to a resource to drain. You will treat it differently, and they will perform differently.” — Camden Bernatz
“Buying agency services is about buying a creative class of expertise, experience, guidance, and consulting that is much different than buying staples, pencils, and other supplies.” — Jason Mudd

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

Guest’s contact info and resources:
Camden Bernatz on LinkedIn
Camden Bernatz on YouTube
Brand Revolt website
“Stop Asking For Pitches: 10 Rules to Fix the Client-Agency Relationship” book
The Win Without Pitching Manifesto
Clients behaving badly: Video store, hair salon haggling

Additional Resources:

Support the show
On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Richard Shotton joins host Jason Mudd to discuss the behavioral science behind some of the world’s most successful brands and how to apply those principles in marketing and PR. 

Meet our guest:
Our guest this episode is Richard Shotton, founder of Astroten. Richard is a behavioral scientist and best-selling author of “The Choice Factory,” “The Illusion of Choice,” and “Hacking the Human Mind.” He specializes in applying behavioral science to marketing and works with global brands to solve real-world challenges.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:
1. Why what people say influences them vs. what actually drives behavior
2. How “effort storytelling” can increase perceived product value
3. Why simplicity in messaging increases perceived intelligence and trust
4. How timing and “fresh start” moments influence behavior change
5. Why social proof remains one of the strongest drivers of decision-making
 
Quotables
“Behavioral science is what people say influences them and what actually influences them. They are wildly different.” — Richard Shotton
“If you ever need someone to make a really big change in their life, don't target them randomly.” — Richard Shotton
“The more effort that goes into something, the better it is. People have got that as a rule of thumb in their head. And the interesting thing is, the rule of thumb takes on a life of its own.” — Richard Shotton
“If you want to convey strong brand values, the argument from Oppenheimer is to speak in a simple, clear way.” — Richard Shotton
“The simplest answer is usually the best answer. If it’s focused on one thing, it's clear, easy to digest.” — Jason Mudd

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

More About Richard Shotton
Richard Shotton is a behavioral scientist and founder of Astroten. He is a best-selling author of three books, including “The Choice Factory” and “The Illusion of Choice.” His latest book, “Hacking the Human Mind,” explores the behavioral science underpinning the success of 17 leading brands. He specializes in applying behavioral science to marketing, helping brands like Google solve real-world challenges through consultancy, copywriting, and training.

Guest’s contact info and resources:
@rshotton on X
Richard Shotton on LinkedIn
Astroten’s website
Consumer Behavior Lab website
”Hacking the Human Mind” book

Additional Resources:
Earned authority + emotional resonance = brand wins

Support the show
On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, Carly Roszkowski joins host Jason Mudd to discuss ageism in the workplace, how it affects job seekers over 50, hiring bias, and strategies for multigenerational teams.
Tune in to learn more!

Meet Our Guest:
Our guest on this episode is Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience at AARP. She leads strategy and outcomes within AARP’s Work and Jobs and Financial Resilience initiatives, helping individuals over 50 strengthen their competitiveness in the labor market and access meaningful employment opportunities. Carly also works to eliminate age discrimination and promote inclusive hiring practices across organizations.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:
1. How ageism in the workplace impacts job seekers and employees over 50 years old
2. The biggest challenges experienced professionals face when seeking new opportunities
3. How department leaders can effectively support and manage multigenerational teams
4. Best practices hiring managers can use to better support experienced talent
5. Practical ways employees and coworkers can help create a safe, inclusive, and high-performing workplace

Quotables
“AARP is fighting every day to end age discrimination in the workplace and educate consumers, knowing their rights, as well as educating employers on the value that older workers bring to an organization.” — Carly Roszkowski
“Networking and knowing someone is still a really great way to start your job search.” — Carly Roszkowski
“60% of workers 50 and older have said that they would love to learn new skills for their job or on the job.” — Carly Roszkowski
“Research shows that there's increased innovation, increased creativity, better problem solving when you have a mix of ages, mix of different backgrounds, or from different points of view.” — Carly Roszkowski
“Mirror the language; reflect the terminology that you see in the job description in your application.” — Jason Mudd

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

Guest’s contact info and resources:
Carly Roszkowski on LinkedIn
AARP website
AARP Works and Jobs Resources 
AARP Employer Resource Center
Older Workers are Building Tech Skills Research

Additional Resources:
How to calculate the true cost of hiring an employee
Listen to more episodes of the On Top of PR with Jason Mudd podcast.
Find out more about Axia Public Relation
Support the show
On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.