Rewriting Corporate Culture: How Chili Piper Scales with Humans, AI Agents, and Radical Decision-Making w/ Alina Vandenberghe, Co-Founder at Chili Piper
Send us a textWhat happens when an engineer-turned-entrepreneur brings B2C energy to B2B enterprise software and a borderline obsession with fixing broken meetings? You get Alina Vandenberghe—co-founder and Co-CEO of Chili Piper, the woman who turned scheduling software into a billion-dollar empire while managing teams across 38 countries (and somehow still finds time to make her employees build AI agents).From starting work at 8 years old to building stealth iPad apps that caught Steve Jobs' attention, Alina's journey is equal parts inspiring and remarkable. In this episode, Becca sits down solo with one of enterprise software's most magnetic leaders to discuss how she turned corporate culture on its head.You'll discover:— Her early career wins (including a New York Times interview before she could barely speak English)— Chili Piper's radical approach to decision-making and culture design— Why every employee is required to build AI agents— How LinkedIn became her unexpected writing school— Why parenting, product-building, and personal growth are all connected by the same thread: curiosityThis episode is packed with tactical ideas and vulnerable reflections—from the power of documentation to the messiness of leadership to what it means to find joy while you're building something hard. Stick around for walkout songs, emoji debates, and a rapid-fire round featuring your favorite unhinged “hiccups or pinkies” question.
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It’s Not Just Strategy: Emotional Labor and the Need for Community in Comms with Gabrielle Ferree, Founder at Off the Record
Send us a textWhat happens when comms pros finally take their own advice—and build platforms for themselves?In this episode of Under Embargo, we sit down with Gabrielle Ferree—former VP of Global Comms at Bumble, Slack, and Salesforce—who's stepping off the corporate ladder to launch Off the Record, a new coaching and community space for comms professionals who are tired of doing it all in isolation.We dig into:— Emotional labor and why it never shows up in your promotion packet— Post-COVID loneliness, leadership, and the death of swivel chair moments— Why being "just a manager" is actually the most important job in the room— The myth of the comms unicorn (spoiler: she doesn't need to be a media machine and a therapist)— Building your own playbook when no one's done this job beforeWhether you're a rising comms star or a battle-scarred VP, this conversation will hit. If you've ever juggled AI, crises, and emotional triage before your second coffee—this one's for you.
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AR is Not Pay-for-Play: 25 Years in Comms w/ Alyssa Stone, Leading Analyst Relations at Wiz
Send us a textIn this episode of Under Embargo, Becca and Parry sit down with one of the best-kept secrets in enterprise comms—Alyssa Stone, head of Analyst Relations at Wiz (the cybersecurity darling recently acquired by Google).With 25 years across SAP, Okta, and Ariba, Alyssa's seen it all—massive analyst tours, impossible PR expectations, and the slow but steady evolution of how we engage the people who influence tech buying.She breaks down:— Why AR is not pay-for-play (and what it actually is) — How a single slide can prep execs better than any 30-page doc — Why empowered teams are Wiz's real secret sauce — And what Devil Wears Prada taught her about comms strategy (yes, really)Then, she opens up about parenting a neurodivergent child, building support systems inside companies, and why embracing brain differences isn't just the right thing to do—it's a competitive advantage.This one has it all: golf analogies, Swiftie walkout songs, hiccup debates, and real-life tactical wisdom from someone who's lived (and modernized) every version of comms.See you there?
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Authenticity Isn’t a Tactic, It’s the Whole Damn Strategy with Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing at Atlassian
Send us a textThis episode is equal parts spicy comms truth and high-functioning marketing chaos (with a little ADHD sparkle on top).We’re joined by Ashley Faus, Atlassian’s Head of Lifecycle Marketing and the author of Human-Centered Marketing: How to Connect with Audiences in the Age of AI.We cover a lot of ground — and none of it is snackable. Modular, yes. Snackable, absolutely not. Human connection vs. AI-generated sameness The power of authenticity (real authenticity, not LinkedIn-polished perfection) Why MQLs need to die Brand vs. demand and why they're frenemies, not enemies And yes, someone loses a pinky (you’ll have to listen)This one is for the marketers who hate the word “marketer,” the comms pros tired of being called “PR,” and anyone trying to build trust while the robots learn to write press releases.
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Comms Shouldn’t Report to Marketing—Here’s Why with Roberto Munoz, CEO & Founder at Munoz Communications
Send us a textThe phrase “fractional comms leader” might sound like consulting fluff—but Roberto Muñoz is here to tell you it’s anything but.In this episode, Becca and Parry get real with Roberto about:— The rise of the fractional Chief Communications Officer — Why comms gets sidelined while marketing gets the glory — The C-suite’s collective misunderstanding of what comms actually does — How comms should never be reporting to marketing (we said what we said) — And what AI means for the future of measurement, media, and the PR pricing modelWe talk measurement that matters (spoiler: it’s not impressions), why real thought leadership can’t be AI-generated, and the emotional gymnastics required to work in comms while being wildly underestimated by your peers.And yes, there’s yelling about “thrilled to announce.”This one’s for the comms pros who are sick of being the hospitality suite in the C-suite. If you've ever had to explain your value while delivering it, you're gonna feel this in your bones.👊 No fluff. No filters. Just the truth about this wild industry we’re in.
Welcome to 🎙️Under Embargo—the no fluff, no filters, no f*cks given communications podcast.PR and communications have never been messier. AI is ruining brand voice, CEOs’ hot takes matter more than actual products, and the best media relationships happen in DMs (where LinkedIn holds more sway than The Wall Street Journal.)Meanwhile, comms pros are now ghostwriters, social strategists, prompt engineers, and trend forecasters all at once—but we still have to elbow our way to the boardroom table.Welcome to Under Embargo—the podcast where Becca Chambers (corporate comms powerhouse, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and ADHD queen) and Parry Headrick (Crackle PR agency founder, media whisperer, and professional sh*t-stirrer) say the quiet part out loud about PR, communications, and the insanity in between.With decades of experience and a mutual allergy to corporate BS, Becca and Parry bring unfiltered takes, sharp industry insights, and battle-tested wisdom from both the agency and in-house trenches of communications.No fluff.No press releases that no one will read.And definitely no thought leadership hot takes written by ChatGPT.New episodes drop whenever we feel like it (or get our act together).🎙️ Under Embargo: No fluff. No filters. No f*cks given.
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