Accidentally Brilliant – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What if your entire job was to imagine the worst-case scenario?

In this first episode of Accidentally Brilliant by Be Broadcast, Josh Wheeler is joined by Kate Hartley – co-founder of Polpeo, author of Communicate in a Crisis, and one of PR’s leading experts in how organisations respond under pressure.

Kate didn’t plan a career in crisis communications. In fact, she started out temping at Edelman stuffing envelopes before finding herself at the heart of the BSE crisis, major travel emergencies, and later, preparing IT systems for the Olympics. Fast-forward, and she’s built Polpeo, a pioneering crisis simulation company working with some of the biggest brands in the world.

In this episode, you’ll hear: Why so many brands get crisis response wrong – and how to do better.

The hidden pressures inside the boardroom: legal vs. comms vs. public perception.

How agency life in the 90s shaped her values (and why she refused certain clients).

The importance of authenticity and saying sorry, even when lawyers say you can’t.

How to protect your own wellbeing in a career built around adrenaline and pressure.

Why businesses must use their voice to stand up for diversity and inclusion.

This is an honest, funny, and insightful conversation for anyone in PR, marketing, or communications – and a reminder that the best careers often happen accidentally.

-

About Kate Hartley Co-founder, Polpeo – the crisis simulation company.

Author of Communicate in a Crisis.

Named twice in Provoke Media’s Innovator 25 list.

Co-host of the podcast What Just Happened.

🔗 Connect Follow Kate Hartley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katehartley/ Learn more about Polpeo: https://polpeo.com/ Follow Josh Wheeler & Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/ Chapter Markers

00:00 Intro – Accidentally Brilliant begins

01:19 Falling into PR at Edelman

02:48 Early crisis work – BSE & travel emergencies

05:25 Why brands fail in crises

07:50 Founding Polpeo & the Nestlé moment

09:14 Hardest moments in PR & staying true to values

11:26 LGBTQ+ rights, DEI & business responsibility

16:30 The psychology of crisis work (catastrophising)

20:59 Recovery, downtime & the power of choir singing

24:13 Advice to a younger Kate

26:15 Podcasting, curiosity & lifelong learning

28:50 What makes Kate “accidentally brilliant

Most of us don’t follow a perfect career plan. We stumble into opportunities, discover strengths, and build unexpected careers. In this first episode, host Josh Wheeler recalls the 5am moment that sparked his love for broadcast - and sets up Accidentally Brilliant, a podcast of honest, funny conversations with creative leaders about the quirks, challenges and lessons that shaped their journeys.

www.bebroadcast.co.uk

What if your entire career started with one phone call that changed everything?

In this second episode of Accidentally Brilliant by Be Broadcast, Josh Wheeler is joined by Yvonne Eskenzi – co-founder of Eskenzi PR, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, and co-founder of The Zensory, an app bridging productivity and wellbeing.

Yvonne didn’t plan a career in tech or cybersecurity. In fact, she started out at News International, helping young entrepreneurs get noticed before taking a leap to launch her own agency — from her home, with no clients, and a lot of determination. Thirty years on, she’s built one of the most respected names in technology PR, working with companies from startups to IPOs, and helping shape how the world talks about cybersecurity.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why the “one-minute rule” still defines great PR pitching.

• How Eskenzi PR became a global name in cybersecurity.

• Why PR will always be a people business — even in the age of AI.

• The truth about awards, success, and what really matters.

• How to build a career and business without losing your balance.

• The importance of staying creative, colourful, and true to yourself.

This is a joyful, insightful, and refreshingly honest conversation about creativity, trust, and longevity in PR — and a reminder that brilliance often begins by accident.

About Yvonne Eskenzi Co-founder, Eskenzi PR – the award-winning cybersecurity PR agency. Co-founder, The Zensory – the wellbeing and focus app. Winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Creator of the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards and Unsung Heroes Awards.

Connect Follow Yvonne Eskenzi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneeskenzi/ Learn more about Eskenzi PR: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/

Chapter Markers 00:00 Intro – Accidentally Brilliant begins 01:15 From News International to starting out in PR 03:30 Taking a leap: founding Eskenzi PR 07:00 The first cybersecurity gig that changed everything 08:45 The one-minute rule and the nine-word email 10:25 The thrill of coverage and the power of persistence 13:20 Measuring share of voice and proving PR’s value 15:50 AI, trust, and the future of PR 20:25 Building confidence and handling the hard days 25:40 Why wellbeing matters – and The Zensory begins 37:45 Work-life balance and lessons from 30 years 43:00 Creativity, confidence, and being true to yourself 47:40 What makes Yvonne “accidentally brilliant”

What if the secret to great PR was not about noise, but about clarity?

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant by Be Broadcast, Josh Wheeler is joined by Daniel Cohen, Founder of Sentient, a boutique strategic and creative consultancy helping brands and agencies find their purpose, sharpen their thinking and spark meaningful change.

Daniel’s career has always been driven by one question: how can we make the complex simple? From working with global names like Electrolux, AEG and M&S to helping agencies rediscover their creative firepower, his work blends marketing, psychology and human insight to build stronger, more intentional connections.

In this episode, you will hear:

Why real creativity starts with curiosity, not chaos

How simplicity can be the most powerful strategy in business

The lessons Daniel learned from building Sentient from scratch

What brands often get wrong about connection

How to rediscover meaning and motivation in your work

Why slowing down can sometimes move you further forward

This is a thoughtful, grounded and inspiring conversation about leadership, creativity and the beauty of keeping things simple. It is a reminder that brilliance often begins by accident.

About Daniel Cohen Founder of Sentient, the boutique strategic and creative consultancy helping brands and agencies grow through clarity and creativity. Clients include Electrolux, AEG, M&S, Pernod Ricard and Treasury Wine. Connect Follow Daniel Cohen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-cohen-40845b8/ Follow Josh Wheeler and Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/ Chapter Markers

00:00 Intro – The simplicity behind great communication

01:20 Daniel’s early career and finding his voice in PR

03:10 The philosophy of “making the complex simple”

06:00 Launching Sentient and the early lessons of entrepreneurship

09:15 How curiosity fuels creativity and clarity

12:40 Why brands overcomplicate their message

16:00 The connection between psychology, emotion and communication

20:25 The courage to slow down in a fast-paced industry

24:10 Working with clients like M&S, Electrolux and AEG

28:00 How to create work that feels meaningful and human

31:45 Why simplicity is often the hardest skill to master

35:00 Building trust, confidence and creativity in teams

39:10 What PR professionals can learn from marketing models

42:30 The future of simplicity in the age of noise

46:20 What makes Daniel Cohen “accidentally brilliant”

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Josh Wheeler speaks with the co-founder of Hope and Glory. Jo began her career in Japan and Hong Kong before arriving in London in the mid-90s. Three decades later, she has helped build one of the UK’s most awarded consumer agencies, known for its creativity, culture and consistency. She has also become a leading voice for women and underrepresented talent through her work with Women in PR. The conversation moves from the early decisions that changed her life to the reality of building and running an agency. It looks at confidence, partnership, levelling the playing field, and what experience brings to an industry that often overlooks age. It also explores the calm, grounded leadership style that has shaped Hope and Glory since day one. This episode is thoughtful, generous and full of insight. It shows how far curiosity and steady confidence can take you, and why the right people can make a career last. In this episode, you will hear:

• How a young graduate from Birmingham found herself teaching in Kyoto

• What Japan and Hong Kong taught Jo about confidence and reading a room

• How she blagged her way into her first PR job

• Why Hope and Glory worked from the moment she and James joined forces

• The early wins that proved the agency would fly

• How to balance high standards with a culture that protects people

• Why she champions women and marginalised groups

• The overlooked impact of ageism in PR

• How experience shapes ideas and insight

• Why calm leadership matters more than ever

• The simple advice she would give her younger self

• What makes Jo feel accidentally brilliant in her day-to-day work

This is a warm, honest and steady conversation about confidence, partnership, identity and the value of staying curious. A reminder that brilliance often comes from the decisions you make before you realise where they will take you.

About Jo Carr

Co-founder of Hope and Glory, the UK’s most awarded PR agency of the past five years. President of Women in PR. Champion of inclusion and a consistent voice for fairness across the industry.

Connect

Follow Jo Carr – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-carr-351639a/

Follow Hope and Glory – https://www.linkedin.com/company/hope&glory-pr/posts/?feedView=all

Follow Women in PR – https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-pr/

Follow Josh Wheeler – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/

Follow Be Broadcast – https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-tracey-398080281/

Chapter Markers 00:00 Intro – The confidence to take the first step

01:20 How Jo ended up in Kyoto

03:00 What Japan taught her about confidence and observation

05:15 Landing in Hong Kong and blagging her first PR job

07:45 Saying yes and the moments that shaped her career

09:10 Returning to London and finding her feet

10:30 Staying in consumer PR for more than 30 years

12:00 Launching Hope and Glory with James

13:40 Why partnership mattered

15:00 The early wins that proved the agency would fly

17:10 Building a place where creativity and care can co-exist

19:00 High challenge and high support

20:40 Levelling up opportunities for women and marginalised groups

22:30 What has changed and what still needs to change

24:30 Ageism in PR and why experience matters

27:00 The value of insight at every age

29:20 What outsiders misunderstand about consumer PR

31:00 Curiosity, courage and the detail behind big ideas

33:00 Connection and the power of reaching out

33:50 What Jo brings to every room

35:00 Calm, humour and not taking yourself too seriously

36:20 Advice she would give to her younger self

38:00 What makes Jo feel accidentally brilliant

Some people change an industry without ever shouting about it. Nina Webb is one of them.

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Josh Wheeler speaks with the founder and CEO of Brazen PR. Nina built her agency at 27 with a simple mix of self-belief, graft and a clear sense of who she wanted to be. Brazen went on to win more than 250 awards, become employee-owned and give countless people their start in PR. Along the way, Nina became a champion for women and girls through her work with Girls Out Loud.

The conversation covers how Nina found her way into PR, why boldness mattered in the early days of Manchester’s agency scene, and how a people-first culture creates lasting careers. It also looks at the influence of mentors, the reality of leadership during tough moments and the role of passion in keeping a business alive for nearly 25 years.

This episode is thoughtful, honest and full of heart. It shows how belief in others can be just as powerful as belief in yourself.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How a first-generation university student fell into PR and instantly found home
• Why Brazen’s orange branding, cheekiness and bravery were desperately needed in the early Manchester scene
• The power of building a people-first culture where graduates rise to board level
• How generosity became Nina’s quiet superpower
• Why Girls Out Loud matters now more than ever
• The truth behind becoming an Employee Ownership Trust
• How leadership changes when life tests you
• Why passion, purpose and people underpin everything she’s built

This is a warm, honest and powerful conversation about identity, boldness, resilience and the impact of lifting others up. A reminder that brilliance often emerges from the belief you give to other people.

About Nina Webb

Founder and CEO of Brazen PR, Manchester’s multi-award-winning consumer agency. Champion of women and girls, ambassador for Girls Out Loud, and proud creator of a people-first, employee-owned business.

Connect

Follow Nina Webb - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-webb-79658b19/

Follow Brazen PR - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brazen-pr/posts/?feedView=all

Follow Girls Out Loud - https://www.linkedin.com/company/girls-out-loud/

Follow Josh Wheeler - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/

Chapter Markers

00:00 Intro – The generosity behind bold leadership 01:30 How Nina fell into PR 03:00 Founding Brazen at 27 04:50 The story behind the Brazen name and branding 06:00 Breaking the mould in the Manchester PR scene 08:10 Raising future leaders and creating opportunity 09:30 The business of the business – and knowing what you don’t know 10:45 Why Brazen is a training ground for talent 12:30 The leaders who’ve risen through Brazen 14:30 Identity, colour and confidence 15:30 How Nina has quietly helped others build their own paths 17:00 Why generosity matters in PR 20:00 The family roots of support 23:00 Girls Out Loud and fighting for girls’ futures 27:00 Equality, opportunity and the reality for young women 34:00 Supporting girls during lockdown 36:30 What lockdown changed for Nina as a leader 40:00 Becoming an Employee Ownership Trust 44:00 The impact on people, culture and purpose 47:45 Highs, lows and losing her dad 49:15 Dealing with a brain tumour diagnosis 52:10 Leading with humanity 55:30 Legacy, succession and the future 58:00 The thread running through everything 59:00 What makes Nina accidentally brilliant

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant by Be Broadcast, Josh Wheeler is joined by Kriss Herbert, Network Content Director at Gaydio – the UK’s LGBTQ+ station.

Kriss oversees everything listeners hear: the music, the sound, the talent, the station’s identity and, crucially, the sense of community that sits at its heart. But his journey into broadcasting wasn’t predictable. From leading huge teams on the shop floor at Next, to spinning tracks at festivals and warming up for artists like Rita Ora and Clean Bandit, Kriss’s route into radio was built on graft, instinct and grabbing opportunities whenever they appeared. What started as voluntary shifts and late-night DJ sets turned into a career of shaping one of the most distinctive voices in UK radio.

In this episode, you will hear:

Why “say yes, then figure it out” became the mantra that changed Kriss’s career

How DJing taught him more about audiences than any classroom ever could

The wild ideas — including rebranding Gaydio as Gaydio Gaga for 12 hours — that show the magic of clever, instinctive creativity

How Gaydio creates trust, community and authentic representation

Why safe spaces, volunteer routes and the Gaydio Academy matter more than ever

What makes LGBTQ+ radio different in a world full of noise

How authenticity became the thread running through every role Kriss has taken on

This is an honest, energetic and inspiring conversation about leadership, creativity, representation and the courage to try. It’s a reminder that brilliance often reveals itself in the moments you almost talk yourself out of.

About Kriss Herbert

Network Content Director at Gaydio, the UK’s LGBTQ+ station, leading music, talent, strategy, and station sound. Kriss has built a career spanning retail leadership, DJing, presenting, production and talent development, helping shape the next generation of LGBTQ+ broadcasters through the Gaydio Academy.

Connect

Follow Kriss Herbert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kriss-herbert-0b96aa6a/

Follow Josh Wheeler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/

Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/?

Chapter Markers

00:00 Intro – The winding path into broadcasting

01:20 Growing up with radio dreams

03:00 From retail to voluntary radio

06:10 The leap of faith at 30

09:15 DJing, confidence and big moments

13:00 Saying yes and grabbing opportunities

17:50 What DJing teaches you about audiences

20:40 Managing talent and reading the room

26:00 Sound design, jingles and unexpected passions

31:00 Why Gaydio feels like a community

37:20 Representation, trust and LGBTQ+ storytelling

43:00 Creativity, stunts and the power of small ideas

48:00 Training the next generation through the Gaydio Academy

53:00 Authenticity, competition and staying true

59:00 Lessons from retail and people skills

01:05:00 Advice to a younger Kriss

01:08:00 What makes Kriss “accidentally brilliant”

What happens when you create an agency that believes being loud can still be human?

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant by Be Broadcast, Josh Wheeler is joined by Caroline Eardley, Co-Founder of Full Volume PR, a consultancy helping ambitious brands cut through the noise with authenticity, emotion and energy.

Caroline’s story is one of boldness and balance. From launching Full Volume with co-founder Rebecca to being named PR Moment’s Micro Agency of the Year, her career shows what happens when you mix creative courage with vulnerability.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How to build an agency that stands out for the right reasons

• Why honesty and openness create stronger leadership

• The real side of starting something new in PR

• What cutting through the noise really looks like

• Why embracing emotion is not a weakness but a strength

This is an inspiring and honest conversation about courage, community and what it means to lead from the heart. A reminder that brilliance often begins by accident.

About Caroline Eardley

Co-Founder of Full Volume PR, the award-winning consultancy helping brands stand out through creativity and authenticity.

Winner of PR Moment’s Micro Agency of the Year 2024.

Connect

Follow Caroline Eardley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolineeardley  https://www.linkedin.com/company/full-volume-pr/

Learn more about Full Volume PR: https://www.fullvolumepr.co.uk

Follow Josh Wheeler and Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/

Chapter Markers 00:00 Intro – Josh introduces Caroline and Full Volume PR

01:15 How Full Volume started and early memories of the first pitch

03:40 Building a new breed of agency for a noisy world

06:30 What it means to be loud, confident and emotionally honest

09:45 Why transparency and vulnerability build trust in leadership

12:20 Full Volume’s journey to PR Moment’s Micro Agency of the Year

15:00 The reality of running a modern PR agency behind the scenes

18:10 Balancing bravery and burnout in the creative industry

21:40 How Caroline approaches mentoring and collaboration

25:10 The importance of community and celebrating others’ success

28:35 Why authenticity beats perfection every time

33:00 Learning from failure and finding power in honesty

37:50 What it means to lead with heart and humanity

42:10 What makes Caroline Eardley “accidentally brilliant”

PR has always been full of smart people. The problem is the industry still struggles to take itself seriously.

In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Josh Wheeler speaks with Stephen Waddington, one of the most influential voices in modern public relations.

Stephen has spent 25 years leading agencies, advising senior teams, writing books, and pushing PR to be treated as a real management discipline. He is the founder of Wadds Inc, a professional advisory firm for agencies and comms teams, and a doctoral researcher focused on the relationship between management and public relations.

He is also a co-founder of Socially Mobile, a not for profit PR school that creates opportunities for people from underrepresented backgrounds.

This conversation is thoughtful, direct, and full of insight for anyone working in PR who wants the industry to be taken seriously.

In this episode, you will hear: • Why PR still has a credibility problem • How Stephen went from engineering into public relations • What leadership looks like when pressure hits • Why agencies struggle to hold on to trust and talent • How Socially Mobile is changing access to PR • What the profession needs to do to raise its own standards

About Stephen Waddington Founder of Wadds Inc. Doctoral researcher. Author of 10 books. Co-founder of Socially Mobile. Board advisor and non exec director.

Follow Stephen Waddington – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwaddington/ Follow Socially Mobile – https://www.linkedin.com/company/sociallymobile/ Follow Josh Wheeler – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/ Follow Be Broadcast – https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/

00:00 Intro 01:30 Falling into PR from engineering 04:10 Why PR is still misunderstood as a career 06:30 Agency life and leadership 10:00 PR and management thinking 14:30 Why credibility matters 18:30 Advising agencies and comms teams 23:00 Socially Mobile and access to the industry 28:00 What PR needs to change 34:00 What makes Stephen accidentally brilliant

PR and sales have more in common than most people want to admit. In this episode, Darryl Sparey, co-founder and Managing Director of Hard Numbers, explains why a “sales backbone” makes you better at PR, why the industry keeps fighting the label, and how Hard Numbers built a reputation around measurable outcomes, including writing KPIs into contracts. We also talk about the shift towards GEO and LLM-driven discovery, why PR should be owning the citations conversation, and the real leadership lessons that come from losing pitches, handling pressure, and learning the hard way about client concentration. If you work in comms, agency leadership, or in-house marketing and you want practical thinking you can apply straight away, this one is for you.

Connect with Darryl Sparey Hard Numbers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-sparey/ Darryl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-sparey/

Connect with Be Broadcast Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/ 00:00 Intro: Darryl Sparey + Hard Numbers

01:18 Sales “backbone” and why it matters in PR

05:26 Why PR people resist being linked to sales

08:39 From Media Report to Precise: learning sales properly

12:25 Moving into SEO/PPC and becoming “numerate” (by effort)

13:30 Words first: reading, social mobility and writing his way out

15:20 Excel, Salesforce and the practical power of numbers

20:01 Hard Numbers’ KPI stance: writing KPIs into contracts

24:52 GEO, LLMs and why PR should own the citations conversation

33:27 The spark behind founding Hard Numbers

38:26 Parenting, motivation and creating safe opportunities to fail

45:12 Biggest business screw-up: client concentration and the lesson

49:17 The thread through it all: persuasion, listening, and relevance

51:10 School years: humour, bullying, debating society

53:16 “Accidentally brilliant”: luck, judgement, and brilliant people

56:30 Wrap up

#PublicRelations #PR #Marketing #AgencyLife #Leadership #BusinessDevelopment #Sales #Measurement #KPIs #EarnedMedia #DigitalPR #Communications #AI #GEO #Reputation #B2BMarketing #FounderStories #Entrepreneurship #UKBusiness #BeBroadcast