Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this bonus episode, Tara sits down with Raise the Tide™ members (and life admin evangelists) Amy Lockmiller and Jessica Onick to talk about something most senior communicators quietly struggle with: the invisible workload of running a life, a home, and a career all at once.

Instead of another conversation about "doing it all," they get honest about why it's not sustainable, how they've built support systems like house managers, family assistants, and concierge services, and why getting help isn't laziness or entitlement — it's a strategic decision that protects mental health, relationships, and career longevity. They share how they found their people, what they delegate, how they navigate guilt and "must be nice" criticism, and how this kind of support has directly impacted their work and families. Tara also explains why she openly talks about her own life admin support, and invites listeners to re-think what they're allowed to ask for in this season of their careers.

In this bonus episode, Tara, Amy, and Jessica cover:

• Why ambitious women in comms don't "suck at adulting" — they're trying to do an impossible load
• The concept of life admin and why it's just as real as your inbox and stakeholder list
• Jessica's journey from senior internal comms leader to solopreneur — and why a house manager became non-negotiable
• Amy's experience as a VP-level comms executive, mom of (soon) five, and how a family assistant changed everything
• The difference between childcare, cleaning, and true house / family management support
• Tactical examples of what their helpers actually do: calendars, appointments, errands, returns, laundry, meal prep, trip packing, organizing, and more
• How they each found their support (local mom / babysitter groups, services like Fay, and creative role descriptions)
• The mindset work: guilt, "must be nice," money, and redefining what you're "allowed" to spend on
  Viewing life admin support as an investment in mental health, marriage, parenting, and career growth
• What it models for kids when they see adults asking for help and valuing a "village" instead of martyrdom
• Tara's offer to share her own house assistant job description so listeners can adapt it for their lives

If you'd like a copy of the house assistant / life admin job description Tara referenced, reach out to team@taramcdonagh.com and her team will send it your way. We've also included a link to Faye, the family organizing service Amy uses, so you can explore whether a similar kind of support might be right for you.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor:, Level Up: Be Extra and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field Raise the Tide emails for women in the field. 

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications - helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review — we create a movement when we spread a message.

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host, Tara McDonagh.  In this episode, Tara gets real about one of the biggest myths she hears from women regularly: that they "suck at networking." Spoiler alert, they don't. They just don't network like men.

Tara explains how traditional, low-touch "networking" settings … PRSA or IABC events,  chamber breakfasts,, award dinners, conference receptions … were built for how men connect and network,  not women.. Instead of trying to "fix" women or force them to network like men, which doesn't work, Tara redefines what authentic networking looks like for women in communications today. Women's networking is  grounded in connection, deep trust, vulnerability, reciprocity, friendship and shared growth.

From there, she opens up about her own year-end business planning retreat and what's next for Raise the Tide™ for women in the Communications field … including big news about its evolution into a full ecosystem designed to support every woman in the communications field, whether corporate, non-profit  agency, or consultant and across geographies.  

In this episode, Tara covers:

• Why women don't "suck" at networking … they just network differently than men. 
• How gender and communication research explain why traditional networking fails many women
• The power of tight-knit, trust-based circles versus broad, surface-level events
• Why changing women isn't the answer … reshaping the environment is
• A behind-the-scenes look at Tara's business planning retreat (and her team's reaction!)
• What's ahead for Raise the Tide™ and how it's expanding into a full ecosystem:
  • The Surge — the original Raise the Tide program for women inside corporate communications
  • The Voyagers — for women consultants and agency owners, launching with an in-person business-planning retreat in San Diego (January 14–16)
  • The Shoreline — a new, accessible online community for women worldwide to learn, connect, and grow
  • The Breakwater — for women continuing to learn in good company after at least one year in The Surge
• Why Tara decided to stop keeping Raise the Tide small — and what it means for the women in the field
• Real stories of growth from program members: clarity, promotions, doubled budgets, 30% raises, and renewed confidence

If you've ever felt isolated, stuck, or unsure how to keep growing in this misunderstood field, Raise the Tide was built for you. And if you already have your footing, she asks for your help in spreading the word so more women can rise.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor:, Level Up: Be Extra and her Raise the Tide emails for women in the field Raise the Tide emails for women in the field. 

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications - helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review — we create a movement when we spread a message.

 

Welcome to this week's episode of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. Today, Tara dives into one of the most critical challenges communication leaders face in uncertain times—advocating for more resources, influence, and investment when the natural reaction right now is to contract. If you've been questioning how to maintain your role as an advisor and resist slipping into order-taking in the face of budget cuts and chaos, this episode provides the insights and strategies you need to thrive. 

Escaping the Scarcity Mindset 

Tara invites listeners to reframe their thinking by stepping out of a scarcity mindset and moving toward abundance. Instead of retreating during times of uncertainty, she emphasizes the unique value that communications leaders bring—from managing reputations to creating calm within chaos. Tara highlights the critical role communications plays in business success, underscoring the function's ability to protect and advance company reputation when it matters most. 

Making the Case for More 

Tara provides actionable advice on how to position Corporate Communications as a necessary investment rather than an area for cuts. From reading the room strategically to building strong internal relationships, Tara gives listeners the tools to make a compelling business case for why their team deserves more resources—even in difficult financial climates. This is about leadership, courage, and stepping into your role as a true strategic advisor. 

To take the next step, visit taramcdonagh.com/levelup to sign up for Tara's "Level Up: Be Extra" email series. This exclusive content dives deeper into the topics explored on the podcast and equips you with actionable insights for your career and team. 

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program tailored to support women in communications, healthcare, and higher education on their path to leadership success. 

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review Communications Business Advisor™ to help spread the word and elevate the profession.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. This week, Tara dives into a timely and scary issue—corporate communications is at risk of losing ground after years of progress. From earning a seat at the table to influencing decisions, these gains of being heard and respected are now under threat in today's economic and corporate environment. What can we do to maintain (and grow) in our gains, defend out space and NOT slip backwards? Listen in.

Risks Facing Communications Professionals Today 

• Internal Communications at Risk: Respect for roles in internal, executive, and functional communications are at risk as leaders revert to pre-pandemic practices of making decisions then telling communicators to figure out how to message it rather than engaging us in the decisions and TRULY listening to our counsel. 
• Return-to-Office Challenges: Tara explores how return-to-office mandates is a bellwether example of Comms professionals being sidelined as respected advisors and instead being treated as order-takers. Communicators then must handle the fallout amid unrealistic expectations of maintaining positive employee engagement scores while also delivering news that will most certainly negatively impact those scores. 
•  Economic Pressures: Threats (and realities) of tariffs, tight budgets, and scarcity all round in corporations makes it infinitely harder to advocate for resources or staff. Tara discusses how THIS is the new biggest challenge for Communicators throughout organizations everywhere - not what or how to communicate tough challenges, but to do it without being yes men or women and maintaining our influence and boundaries as respected advisors. 

Strategic Advice for Communications Leaders 

• Advocate, even when it's scary: Tara emphasizes advocating for yourself, your team, and the wider field, or risk losing self-respect and all the gained ground you've achieved for yourself, your team, and your field.
• Set the tone for your role: Teach senior leaders how to treat you AND what to expect from you - that you will call out risks even when it's unpopular and scary. It will bring you respect and showcase your leadership. 
• Focus on Outcomes: Push for metrics tied to organizational goals. For example, if return-to-office policies aim to boost collaboration, ensure results are measured in relation to collaboration - not simply whether bodies show up in the office or retention numbers. 
• Consider Corporate Comms. Consolidation: Crisis comms and incident preparedness is having a moment - out of necessity. If you don't already have a consolidated corp. comms. function with Internal Communications, Public Relations, Crisis Communications, Public Affairs, Event Planning, Executive Communications and business functional communications in the same area - now may be the ideal time to make the case to consolidate. It's not only good for the organization, but also good for the department because they can go in on it together. Together they can ensure that all who need to be engaged in decisions are weighing in. That there is a voice at the table in important discussions because the sum of the parts (or individual comms. functions) are looking at the whole … more on this soon. 

If you've enjoyed the Communications Business Advisor Podcast™ so far, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh, where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast™ is brought to you by Raise the Tide™, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. 

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh, your go-to platform for corporate communications professionals who elevate their work, build influence, and solidify their role as critical advisors at the decision-making table. In this episode, we continue our discussion on Moms in Comms, and we tackle it a bit differently this time. 

We hear YOUR voices … YOUR stories … many of them. 

We start with an interview with a Communications leader in the Corporate environment working at a billions-of-dollars, known brand in North America and we end with sharing several perspectives from many women from the Senior Manager to Senior Vice President level at Corporations - all in Communications functions (PR, Internal Comms, Executive Comms, Public Affairs, and Crisis Comms). 

We purposefully kept full names and companies out of this episode so we could encourage candid conversations. And here's what we tackle: 

Motherhood bias

Motherhood biases still impact women in the workplace, from doubts about leadership capabilities to unfair societal expectations. From navigating fertility treatments, announcing pregnancies at work, and being "typecast" as a working mom. This episode challenges the "mom vs. child-free" divide, emphasizing that structural change is the key to advancing our field and the women in it. 

Child-free women perspective and Male allies

Tara speaks with her guest, Andrea, about what it was like for them both before they became parents and what biases they remember from that time, as well as the systems set up to divide us rather than unite us. Related to this, we discuss men's role in being active advocates and allies in this mission of inclusion and growth for women in our field. 

Challenging Workplace Norms

From outdated maternity leave policies to rigid return-to-office mandates, corporate systems can keep Moms from elevating in their careers. Tara and her guests encourage leaders to push for inclusivity, remote or hybrid solutions, and even innovative ideas to continue the growth path for women. Success stories showcase women securing promotions, negotiating confidently, and driving change within their industries.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program for women communications leaders working in the corporate environment.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

Share your thoughts by rating and reviewing! For more insights, subscribe to Level Up: Be Extra and elevate your Communications leadership game.

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. This week, we kick off a two-part series on navigating communications leadership through the lens of motherhood, bias, and systemic challenges. Tara shares her personal experiences navigating being in this field both as a mom - and as a child free woman for quite a long period of her career. And she ties it all to why we deal with it and what to do about it.

In this episode of the Communication Business Advisor Podcast, Tara McDonagh explains:

• The Motherhood Penalty & Gender Bias – Women face pay gaps, earning less than men for the same roles. The numbers reduce even worse when you become a mother - the motherhood penalty. Tara shares her own experience navigating workplace bias when she was a child-free woman, challenges in the workplace on the path to motherhood including fertility treatments, and the reality that she was unsupported in a system that made her choose between being a present parent or taking a role truly worthy of her expertise and leadership - but one would need to be sacrificed.
• Bridging the Mom vs. Non-Mom Divide – Workplace structures often pit mothers and non-mothers against each other. Tara highlights shared struggles and calls for collective action to create supportive, equitable environments.
• Fixing the System, Not Ourselves – Citing Nobel Prize-winning research, Tara advocates for systemic reforms like flexible policies and remote work, emphasizing that workplaces—not women—must adapt.
  
  

Tune in next week for Part 2, featuring candid insights from women in communications.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program for women in corporate, healthcare, and higher education communications.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

Share your thoughts by rating and reviewing! For more insights, subscribe to Level Up: Be Extra and elevate your Communications leadership game.

This one was first released last year and listening to it again, I was struck by how relevant it still is. If you're a woman in this field, or just interested in learning more about the unique challenges women in this field face … maybe you manage them or are managed by one, or collaborate with them … this is the episode for you. Listen in and let me know what you think. 

Women dominate the Communications field in numbers, but not in leadership roles. Why? Couple gender bias together with our misunderstood and oversimplified field and we have a fight on our hands. 

In this episode of the Communication Business Advisor Podcast, Tara McDonagh explains:

• Equal Pay Day and International Women's Day - and why companies will recognize one while ignoring the other (or maybe they'll ignore both in 2025).
• Gender bias in the workplace and its impact on women's careers - and how and why that shows up even more for women in Communications. 
• How second-generation bias, the just world hypothesis and the double-bind impact women at work. 
• What to do about this challenge. 
• Where to follow more content on women in communications: www.linkedin.com/company/raise-the-tide-for-women 

If you've enjoyed the Communications Business Advisor Podcast so far, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics. 

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

Welcome to Episode 22 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with your host, Tara McDonagh. This week, Tara explores the love and frustration many communications professionals feel for their field. She candidly discusses challenges like small teams, underfunded departments, and underappreciation, while also talking about the emotional highs of getting that seat at the decision-making table as an underdog and knowing we made a difference.

The Trials and Triumphs of Communications Leadership 

• Tara dives into how ambitious overachievers are drawn to this field.  Not because it's easy. But because it's hard. 
• She addresses the frustrations of limited resources, paired with the satisfaction of being the underdog who positions communications as a key advisory function - and delivers. 
• Tara challenges professionals to stop seeing leadership opportunities as a privilege and start treating them as the norm. 
• Listeners will leave inspired to advocate for their teams and reframe their mindset around their role as an essential business leader. 

Explore more at taramcdonagh.com and sign up for the "Level Up: Be Extra" newsletter for exclusive career resources. 

This episode is proudly sponsored by the Raise the Tide™ program, elevating the Communications field and the women in it.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the podcast—your support helps elevate these conversations and the communications profession!

 

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor Podcast! This episode dives into a fundamental question every communications leader should ask: "How Important Is It?"

Tara McDonagh shares insights from a recent strategic planning session with a comms team, where the question revealed surprising opportunities for efficiency, clarity, and advocacy. If you're a communications leader juggling endless priorities, struggling with resource constraints, or looking for ways to focus on what truly matters, this episode is for you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Rethinking Prioritization as a Gift
  Tara challenges the notion of prioritization as a "dirty word," reframing it as a tool to unlock more—more resources, clarity, and focus.
  
  
• A Fresh Approach to the Prioritization Process
  Discover how Tara's simple yet strategic framework evaluates tasks based on risk, business importance, and communication expertise required. Learn why adding a "people-pleasing bucket" can help identify work that distracts from critical goals.
  
  
• Empowering Others Through Toolkits and Processes
  Why letting go of low-risk, low-value tasks isn't just about delegation—it's about empowering colleagues and preserving your team's capacity for impactful work.
  
  
• How to Advocate for Resources While Holding the Line
  Tara offers practical advice on navigating conversations with executives who may not understand the nuances of communications. From socializing strategic plans to using advocacy questions, she provides actionable steps for negotiating effectively.
  
  

Keep advising, my friends. Keep advising.

If you're ready to partner with Tara for a workshop, speaker engagement, or ongoing counsel, reach out soon—spots for 2025 are filling up fast. Visit www.taramcdonagh.com for more details.

Raise the Tide™ proudly sponsors this episode, supporting communications leaders as they navigate their careers, connect across industries, and redefine success. Learn more at www.raisethetide.net.

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor Podcast! It's 2025, and with a new year comes the chance to adopt a new mindset - because mindset can change everything. 

Today, Tara McDonagh challenges communications leaders to rethink the way they prioritize their time and energy in their organizations. If you've ever struggled with justifying your workload, advocating for resources, or redefining your leadership role, this episode is for you.

Why "Because I Get Paid Too Much" Matters: Tara challenges the misconception that strategic leaders recognizing their value is arrogance, reframing it as essential business thinking. By aligning task complexity with expertise, leaders enhance their presence while safeguarding company resources. 

The "Must Do" Exercise for Work and Life:  Tara presents a simple yet powerful exercise to categorize responsibilities into "Must Do" (tasks only you can handle) and "Someone Must Do" (tasks that can be delegated). By adopting a mindset of strategic delegation, leaders can create space for high-value work while achieving better personal balance. 

Building the Case (and Mindset) for Resources:  Tara highlights the importance of mindset, urging communications leaders to recognize their value as a foundation for advocating for resources. She shares how building a business case for resources doesn't start with writing or research but rather mindset - even if people think they have that part covered. It likely still needs some work before an impact can be made.

Want support in navigating this journey? Swing by www.taramcdonagh.com.

And be sure to sign up for Level Up: Be Extra emails for even more exclusive insights. 

Raise the Tide™ is proud to sponsor this episode, empowering women in communications to amplify their careers, connect across industries, and redefine leadership on their terms. For more, visit www.raisethetide.net.

Welcome to the final episode in 2024 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with your host, Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara addresses a specific challenge faced by communications leaders looking to elevate their strategic role in corporate environments.

In this episode, we explore…

No: the professional communicators' word of 2024 was "no." And it raised some eyebrows and also some shouts of enthusiasm. In this episode we talk about all things saying no. From how to navigate getting to 'no' with co-workers, executives and even within your own team. Boundaries - not just setting them, but keeping them - is critical for sanity and impact. 

Partner:  Tara emphasizes the shift from being seen as a service department to becoming true partners with business areas, working together to achieve shared business goals. This word is less of a lightning rod, but just as critical as we proceed to elevate our function. That's why 'partner' is the word of 2025. 

To explore more insights from Tara McDonagh Communications and sign up for our newsletter, visit Level Up: Be Extra.

Want some help so you're no longer alone in navigating all of this? Swing by www.taramcdonagh.com  

Shoutout to our sponsor, Raise the Tide™, for helping women in communications working in a corporate environment reach new career heights.

Welcome to Episode 18 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast, your go-to for advancing in corporate communications as a strategic business advisor. Today, we're diving into that all-too-familiar feeling—wondering if you're losing your mind from handling off-the-wall requests, lazy requests, and "I don't want to admit I don't know how to do this" requests. 

We often question these requests because they're shared with such confidence by the requestor that we begin to wonder, 'Am I supposed to do this? Is this a thing my peers do in other organizations?' 

So let me tell you if you haven't heard it before: You're (probably) not crazy. 

In this episode, we address 

Navigating Random Requests: Ever feel like you're stuck fielding requests about tasks that have nothing to do with Comms.? Like making a bathroom sign or fixing a voicemail system? Let's clear the air about what we're really here to do and listen to some advice about how to handle the inbound random stuff without losing your mind. 

The Lazy Request Dilemma: Sometimes we get stuck with 'lazy requests'—the stuff anyone could handle but somehow lands on our plate. Think about those PowerPoints intended for an audience of 12 or email edits for a departmental email. You don't have to do these - yes, even when the request comes from someone more senior. 

The "I Haven't made a Business Decision" (but won't say that out loud) Requests: We get pulled in to communicate something and quickly realize when asking some basic questions that a business decision hasn't been made. We can't communicate without knowing WHAT we're communicating. While frustrating, this is an area where we make the most significant impact and can elevate ourselves as critical business advisors. Listen in for more. 

Want some help so you're no longer alone in navigating all of this? Swing by www.taramcdonagh.com  

And be sure to sign up for my Level Up: Be Extra emails for even more exclusive insights. 

Shoutout to our sponsor, Raise the Tide™, for helping women in communications working in a corporate environment reach new career heights.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara steps back to reflect on the biggest insights emerging from her ongoing Path to the CCO+ conversations — and speaks directly to communications professionals who may feel that the CCO seat, or even strategic influence, still feels out of reach.

Drawing from her interviews with Judy Rader, Stephanie Roberts, Libby May, and Bianca Olson, Tara distills the common threads that define today's most successful communications leaders. She explores how communicators can elevate their roles from tactical execution to true business partnership — and why progress in this field is less about a single leap and more about consistent movement along a continuum of maturity and influence.

Tara shares what every communicator needs to know to advocate for their function, design structures that earn trust, and communicate with authority — even when the organization isn't "ready" yet. She also reframes ambition, structure, and business fluency as the cornerstones of lasting credibility, encouraging listeners to see themselves not as support players, but as essential architects of strategy and reputation.

In this podcast episode, Tara covers:

• The evolution of the Path to CCO+ series and what patterns have emerged
• Why no one's career path … or company … is ever truly "ready
• The myth of "it's different here" and the universal challenges communicators face
• Ambition as an asset: self-authorship and permission to claim your influence
• Business fluency as legitimacy: learn how your company makes and measures value
• Structure matters: centralization, visibility, and proximity to decision-makers
• From seat to strategy: shifting from communication about decisions to input on them
• Measuring what doesn't happen: recognizing and communicating the invisible wins
• Communications as governance: why the function now shapes risk, trust, and reputation
• Encouragement for communicators at every level: influence begins before the title
  
  

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

 

Welcome to another episode of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with your host, Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara delves into the ways Communications leaders and their teams in Corporate environments work with her and her company, Tara McDonagh Communications (TMC).

TMC Consulting

Tara provides a glimpse into the consulting suite, focusing first on the Total Communication Strategic Planning program using the TMC framework - including an audit, strategic plan creation, and a year of consulting partnership to help make those plans operational. Discover how TMC achieves alignment with executives, helps with team empowerment, and often helps clients secure more budget and resources - even when they've been told no in the past. 

Communication Business Advisor Counsel Program 

Explore the wildly popular Communication Business Advisor™, or "Bat Phone" program, an advisory service for Communications leaders that ensures you're never alone. Because at some point you become the highest-level person at your company in your field. Yet, you can get stuck wondering if you're approaching something the right way, or even get stuck not knowing what to do next. Imagine having someone else who's also skilled and experienced at that high-level and can see things you can't - because you can't see the label when you're inside the jar.  You get this with the Communications Business Advisor program. Whether you need counsel on major company or communications initiatives, verifying components of your strategy or team structure, or support with ideas on how to navigate your leadership team - this program ensures you always have another smart and skilled communications voice to help you make a difference within your company.

Community and Coaching

On the community and coaching side, Tara discusses helping people with career progression through three coaching programs but she spends the most time sharing more details about the in-demand Raise the Tide™ program. Raise the Tide is a program for women leaders and emerging leaders working in the Communications field in a corporate, healthcare or higher education setting. The program offers professional development., mentorship, support to reach career goals, and a tight-knit small group community. Women network and progress in their careers differently than men.  Raise the Tide answers that unique need through a total program approach that makes all the difference in women's careers. Proven - over and over again. 

If you're ready to launch a transformative partnership with Tara McDonagh Communications, visit taramcdonagh.com.

Welcome to another episode of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with your host, Tara McDonagh. This episode is all about taking that shiny new Communications Strategy off the shelf and turning it into something operational.

You've finally crafted that amazing Communications Strategic Plan. Congratulations! What do you do next? Tara shares her expertise to ensure your strategy doesn't gather dust.

She walks listeners through:

• Engaging Your Team: Whether you created the plan solo or with a small team, it's time to bring everyone on board on next steps. Learn how to involve your team to operationalize the strategy and make it part of your everyday work. Integrate it into all you do. 
• Executive Alignment: Align your Communications Strategy with business areas' goals looking for the common denominators that connect the priorities together. Reset leaders' expectations of you and your team. Set those expectations higher. Tara explains why roadshows don't work in this process and what to do instead. 
• Open Dialogue: Understand the importance of being open to feedback and adjustments, emphasizing that buy-in requires a willingness to adapt your strategy to fit the needs of the business. Note: this does not mean throwing the plan in the trash and starting over because an executive doesn't like hearing about new ways of doing things!
• The TMC process: Hear some of the components of the Tara McDonagh Communications (TMC) framework for creating, getting buy-in and operationalizing a Communications Strategic Plan - proven to work time and again. 

Your Communications Strategy isn't just a thoughtful document—it's a tool for achieving business goals. Ensure it resonates with everyone, from your team to executives. Make it a core part of your decision-making and operational processes. 

For those of you who want even more insight on Communications Business Advising, sign up for the Level Up: Be Extra emails. Visit taramcdonagh.com/levelup to sign up. 

The Communications Business Advisor™ Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide™, the program that elevates our field and the women in it. For more info. Visit raisethetide.net.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share a rating or review. We can ignite a movement when we share a message.

 

In this episode of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast, Tara McDonagh explores the complexities of Communications (PR, Internal Comm. etc) reporting structures within organizations and answers the important question: Does it matter who Comms. reports to?  . Dive into the debate about where communications should fit within a company's hierarchy and the potential challenges and opportunities that arise from different reporting scenarios.

Tara delves into:

• Why centralized communications structures may benefit some organizations more than others. 
• How reporting to different departments like HR, Marketing, or Finance can impact the success of being a "Communications Business Advisor" 
• The unique challenges faced by communications leaders in advocating for their role and resources when they report to different business areas. 
• How the undervaluation of Communications as a business function can sometimes lead to missed opportunities for strategic business counsel that makes a critical difference.

Packed with Tara's candid insights, this episode encourages communications leaders to advocate for their field despite the hurdles posed by misaligned reporting structures. 

For more insights and tips on communications-related topics, sign up for Tara's Level Up: Be Extra newsletter at taramcdonagh.com/levelup.

The Communications Business Advisor™ Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide™, the unique coaching, community, and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. Learn more at raisethetide.net.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share a rating or review. It helps others discover our podcast and join the movement to elevate the communications profession.

 

In this episode of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast, host Tara McDonagh delves into the evolution of communications professionals from what she calls "communications waitressing" to becoming strategic communications business advisors. Tara takes listeners through the career journey—from starting with tactical tasks to eventually becoming proactive, strategic leaders within organizations.

Listeners will hear Tara discuss:

• The early stages of a communications career, where you focus on "doing the stuff"—the tactics that win people over.
• How transitioning from a manager to a director shifts the focus from tactical work to proactive strategy.
• The pitfalls of holding onto tactical tasks when it's time to step into a leadership role.
• How staying too comfortable in tactical work can harm your team's growth, your leadership potential, and the reputation of the communications field.
• Why hiring strategic help isn't a weakness but a critical step in advancing your career.
•  

Tara also offers practical advice on how communications leaders can stop doing it all and embrace their advisory roles, guiding their teams to success and earning the trust of fellow executives.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for communications professionals ready to level up their careers and take their place at the decision-making table.

For more exclusive tips and insights, sign up for Tara's Level Up: Be Extra newsletter at taramcdonagh.com/levelup.

The Communications Business Advisor™ Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide™, the unique coaching, community, and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.Learn more at raisethetide.net.

In this episode of The Communication Business Advisor Podcast, host Tara McDonagh discusses the challenges internal communicators face with Rachel Miller, founder of All Things IC, and author of Internal Communication Strategy.

Listeners will hear Tara and Rachel discuss:

• Challenges in creating an internal communications strategy and maintaining its relevance. 
• Confidence as a critical piece of the puzzle when advising. 
• Using a third-party to help you thrive vs steal your shine.
• AI's impact on internal comms.

To get your hands on a copy of Rachel's book Internal Communication Strategy: design, develop, and transform your organizational communication. Visit https://www.koganpage.com. Use code: RAISING THE TIDE to get 20% off your copy. 

Hot top: Tara's insight is included as an expert in the book. Check out the index for where.

Links & Resources:

www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmiller01

allthingsic.com

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the intimate coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

In this episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara McDonagh explores the concept of the "shadow communicator"—individuals hired within specific business areas to handle communications tasks independently of the central communications team. 

Listeners will hear about: 

• The challenges these shadow communicators pose, such as undermining established communication efforts and spreading irrelevant messaging. 
• How to prevent shadow communicators from showing up in your organization.
• Why you don't hate the shadow communicator (Really, you don't). 
• What to do if YOU are the shadow communicator. 
• Tune in for practical advice on preventing and managing shadow communicators. 

Get even more exclusive insights, advice, and inspiration on this topic, and level up your inbox at: taramcdonagh.com/levelup.

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community, and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

 

We're wrapping the first season of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast! But not before we talk about HR and Marketing … and Comms too. The HR and Marketing departments can be powerful allies, AND they can also be kind of a nightmare to work with. Let's break it down. 

In this episode, host Tara McDonaugh explains:

• The two categories HR and Marketing fall into when it comes to relationships with Comms.
• Reteaching people how to treat you as a Comms. professional
• Anchoring change to a big project 
• Getting experts involved & how to make it happen

Tara would love to hear from you before Season 2 next fall! What was your favorite episode so far? What are you struggling with? Is there something you'd like a part 2 for? Reach out! tara@taramcdonah.com. 

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

"If we set up our structures to match what agencies look like, we lose something significant in our partnership, thinking, and actions. Most importantly, our field continues to lose the battle for treatment as a critical function, a critical business function, not a service area." --Tara McDonagh

People with an agency background bring a strong skill set to whatever business area they move into next, including the ability to juggle multiple projects, being a very quick learner, and building strong relationships.

Unfortunately, many with agency background, especially at a senior level, come in ready to implement an internal agency model, and this creates a model where the comms department becomes order takers. Exactly what communicators fight against. 

There are some components agency hires bring in that can strengthen a communications function in a corporation and some that need to be left behind. Let's discuss. 

In this episode, host Tara McDonagh explains:

• The unintended impact an internal agency model can have on corporate comms.
• What makes agency staff great hires for communications roles inside corporations … and what they need to leave behind at the agency. 
• Teaching people how to treat you. 

As we get close to wrapping up Season 1 of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, take a moment to share this episode, or the show, with someone. Drop a rating or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

"It became really clear what we could do and do well with the resources that we had, and those were limited resources. And I never stopped talking about what we could do with more."

--Jessica Onick

 The dirty word on this episode of the podcast is "prioritization." Host, Tara McDonagh has invited Jessica Onick, Senior Director of Internal and External Communications at GitHub to share how prioritizing and setting boundaries ended up doubling the size of her team in just over a year. 

 In this episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara and Jesscia talk about: 

• Jessica's experience losing staff and being required to prioritize 
• How to go about the prioritization process and be intentional, NOT ruthless
• The art of telling others, "No, it's not a priority"
• Determining where you're really needed to do it all, where to guide, and where to empower self-service
• Using up-front prioritization as a framework for the day-to-day
• Growing your team and budget as a result of the prioritization process 

 Links & Resources: 

Jessica Onick on LinkedIn –– www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaonick

Raise the Tide - Join the movement.

 If the topic of today's episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

 Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

Process––you're not alone if that word makes you cringe. You may find processes stifling to your creativity or just generally something that's a necessary evil. 

On this episode of the Communications Business Advisor podcast, Tara challenges the way we think about processes.

It's time to turn the dirty P word into something fun. Something that works for you and the business areas you partner with. Let's use processes to get to the ultimate goal easier so you can spend more time on things that energize you. 

In this episode, host Tara McDonagh explains:

• How to NOT be the DMV of process
• Making a process audience-friendly AND Communications-area friendly
• Focus on accomplishing the business goal easier and more quickly, not necessarily making your life easier (though this should be an outcome)  
• Uncovering hidden processes 
• What to use instead of Communication Request Forms
• The time you'll save by having the right processes in place

If the topic of creating and finetuning processes resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. 

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Bianca Olson, Chief Communications Officer at HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)—a learning company focused on the K–12 market—where she reports directly to the CEO.

Bianca traces her path from agency PR during the dot-com era to leading a modern communications function inside a complex, mission-driven organization. She shares how she broadened from external PR to a full corporate scope (internal, external, CSR, and more), why relationship-building is the cornerstone of strategic influence, and how communicators can be seen and used as critical business advisors rather than "order takers." The conversation digs into measurement (including the "invisible" wins), team design in different business models, and the future of the field amid polarization, AI, and shifting media.

In this podcast episode, Tara and Bianca cover:

• Career path: agency to in-house, and growing from specialist to enterprise-level leader
• Core skills of the craft: crisp writing, strategic storytelling, and making complex topics simple
• From tactics to strategy: building trust so partners seek counsel (not just press releases)
• Relationship-building that lasts: be likable without being an order taker; partner, don't placate
• Learn the business: curiosity, cross-functional fluency, and asking the "obvious" questions
• Team building: hire experts, empower them, and lead without "knowing it all"
• Structure realities: why the "right" comms org depends on industry, regulation, team expertise and goals
• Measurement that matters: quality over volume, trendlines over time, and narrating risk avoided
• Budget/resource advocacy: use metrics and executive-friendly rationale to win support
• Future of comms: polarization, evolving earned/owned media, AI's impact, and the "chief sense-maker" role
  Encouragement for rising leaders: stick with it—this work is impactful, rewarding, and growing in strategic importance
  
  

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Meet Bianca Olson:

Chief Communications Officer

HMH

Bianca Olson is a seasoned communications and corporate affairs executive with deep experience driving strategic transformation and shaping identity. She brings a proven ability to lead through change, build trust across stakeholders, and craft compelling narratives that align purpose with performance.

As Senior Vice President and Chief Communication Officer at HMH, Bianca has been instrumental in guiding the company's evolution—from a traditional publisher to a modern technology-driven organization—while leading communications and corporate affairs at the intersection of innovation, impact and growth. Her leadership has helped define HMH's voice through major milestones including an IPO, multiple acquisitions, leadership transitions, and a private equity buyout, with a strong focus on change management and stakeholder alignment.

Over more than a decade at HMH, she has led external and internal communications and corporate social responsibility, helping the organization navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

Bianca began her career on the agency side, where she advised Fortune 500 companies and mission-driven organizations on reputation management, media strategy, and stakeholder engagement. That experience honed her ability to manage high-stakes communications and laid the foundation for her thoughtful, high-impact leadership in-house.

She is known for her principled approach to sensitive issues, helping HMH communicate with authenticity in a polarized environment. Bianca has also championed thought leadership platforms that elevate executive voices and position the company as a forward-thinking force.

A trusted advisor to C-suite leaders and a collaborative partner across functions, Bianca brings a unique blend of strategic insight, operational rigor, and creative storytelling. She is passionate about aligning purpose with performance and believes in the power of communications to drive culture and earn trust.

Bianca is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts with her husband and son.

 

"If you're not measuring, you don't know if you're successful." --Natalie Papaj

Host, Tara McDonagh talks with guest Natalie Papaj, VP of Communications at Wells Fargo to answer listener questions about measurement in Communications - internal and external. 

In this episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara and Natalie address questions on:

• Aligning your metrics with business objectives
• The many uses for measurement 
• Balancing time/bandwidth with measurement and analysis
• Creating a culture of measurement
• What Natalie uses for measurement in her role at Wells Fargo (and why)

Links & Resources:

Natalie Papaj on LinkedIn –– www.linkedin.com/in/nataliepapaj/

If the topic of today's episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. 

 

Can you truly grow your career without working EVEN more? This is a key question host, Tara McDonagh, is asked regularly by ambitious, exceptional, overachieving women. The assumptive answer is always - no. What most of us have always seen and assumed is that when you continue to rise in your career, company demands on your time will grow. Most women are eager and ready for growth, but don't want to sacrifice even more time with family and friends. Is there another way? 

Host Tara McDonagh, invites Megan Witherspoon, VP of Communications at Altria, to discuss how she's both grown her career, and embraced a new level of personal fulfillment through remote work.

Megan not only works remotely, she moved her family across the country and continues to take on more responsibility in her role at Altria, while enjoying more time for family and hobbies as well. 

In this episode of Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara and Megan discuss:

• How Megan was able to move across the country while advancing responsibilities in her company.
• Using data to measure if there are differences in remote vs in-person worker performance - make the case with data. 
• Proximity bias. It is a thing. Will it ever die? 
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion implications tied to remote work.

Links & Resources:

Follow Megan Witherspoon on LinkedIn -- linkedin.com/in/megan-witherspoon-8b315958/

Harvard Business Review article -- Why Many Women of Color Don't Want to Return to the Office

If the topic of today's episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

Women dominate the Communications field in numbers, but not in leadership roles. Why? Couple gender bias together with our misunderstood and oversimplified field and we have a fight on our hands. 

In this episode of The Communication Business Advisor Podcast, Tara McDonagh explains:

• Equal Pay Day and International Women's Day - and why companies will recognize one while ignoring the other. 
• Gender bias in the workplace and its impact on women's careers - and how and why that shows up even more for women in Communications. 
• How second-generation bias, the just world hypothesis and the double-bind impact women at work. 
• What to do about this challenge. 
• Where to follow more content on women in communications: www.linkedin.com/company/raise-the-tide-for-women 

If you've enjoyed the Communications Business Advisor Podcast so far, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we  share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

Metrics are a massive subject for all Communications leaders in every area of our field - PR, internal communications, executive communications - you name it. 

In this episode of The Communication Business Advisor podcast, Tara McDonagh explains:

• The area of metrics she sees many Communications teams miss.  
• How to approach intentional metrics-gathering with business partners, and how it makes a massive difference
• The dirty phrase "self-promotional" and how to tackle it. 
• The impact to you, your team (and our field) if you don't focus on continuous awareness campaigns for your department

Tara notes that she can't cover all the metrics and measurement topics in this single episode, but she promises to cover more on future episodes. 

If you've enjoyed the Communications Business Advisor Podcast so far, please take a moment to drop a rating or review. We can ignite a movement, when we share the message. Help us spread the word. 

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about the work Tara is doing. Or connect with her on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community, mentorship, and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. 

 

Why is normalizing asking for feedback so helpful and 360 reviews so awful for Communications and PR Pros? 

In this episode of The Communication Business Advisor podcast, Tara McDonagh explains:

• How to normalize getting feedback continuously and why - as an entire team.  
• Asking for feedback without using the word feedback
• The biases that come with a 360 review 
• How to counterbalance a 360 review

If you have enjoyed the Communications Business Advisor Podcast so far, please take a moment to drop a rating or review. We can't ignite a movement, without sharing the message. Help us spread the word. 

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about the work Tara is doing. Or connect with her on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

Overworked, understaffed, under-resourced, and overwhelmed. Sound about right? It's a common description for Communications leaders working in a corporate environment.

In this episode of The Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara McDonagh emphasizes the need to align communications' work with company business goals through a long-term strategy, and making a compelling business case for resources.

Tara explains:

• The top challenges for both PR and internal communications leaders.
• How to fix these challenges.
• Why asking for "more" doesn't work, and what to do instead.

If you want help taking comms within your company from being seen as helpful to essential in driving company success, Tara's signature communication strategy roadmap might be just the thing. Visit taramcdonagh.com to find out more.

Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. www.raisethetide.net 

 

The most important work we do as professional communicators, meaning PR, Internal Comm. Public Affairs and related fields, lies in advancing business goals and protecting brands using the lens of Communications to advise. 

In this powerful first episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, host Tara McDonagh guides listeners through Communications acting as editor of a business decision, not only content.

Tara explains:

• What it means to edit a business decision as a Communications leader inside a company. 
• How to go about it, using an example to bring life to this approach. 
• Why it's critical to embrace the uniqueness of your perspective to both advance our professions' reputation and our own careers. 

To learn more about ending triage-mode and elevating your department's reputation as a critical business advisors, visit taramcdonagh.com. You can also follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. Together, we are the force of the tide elevating the ships for all in our field. www.raisethetide.net

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Libby May, Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)—the nation's largest provider of nonprofit higher education, serving over 200,000 learners.

Libby shares how she built and now leads a 65-person External Affairs and Communications team encompassing communications, events, alumni engagement, donor and community relations, and government affairs—reporting to the university president. She explains why SNHU intentionally separates marketing from communications, how her centralized model and evolving structure strengthens reputation management and responsiveness in a highly regulated industry, and what it takes to grow a function from a team of one to a team of many.

Tara and Libby discuss:

• The scope and structure of a 65-person External Affairs and Communications team
• Why marketing and communications sit separately—and still work hand-in-hand
• Leading through regulation: how comms and government affairs integrate in higher ed and what similar highly regulated industries have in common. 
• The difference between being "likable" and being an order taker—and how trust drives influence
• Centralizing communications: how to align internal, PR, and external relations for impact
• Measuring the "invisible" work of communications and taking credit for unseen wins
• Advocating for budget and resources: using evidence, readiness, and audience awareness
• The power of systems thinking: how being a "business advisor first" and a universal leader brings you a level further in your career
• Libby's evolution from agency leader to CCO—and how she shaped her own role
• Why curiosity, ambition, and continuous learning (including earning her MBA) fuel long-term leadership success
• AI as "the best intern you've ever had"—how to embrace technology while elevating "heart work"

Libby also reflects on the importance of being approachable and human as a leader, and the courage it takes for communicators—especially women—to own their ambition and advocate for their seat at the table. (YES!!) 

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Stephanie Roberts, Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, a global company within the Hitachi Ltd. family. Joining from Japan, Stephanie shares how she leads a 25+ person global function spanning Japan, the U.S., Europe, China, and Southeast Asia—and why Communications now reports directly to the CEO.

Stephanie walks through how she evolved Communications from a department nested under "sustainability" into a centralized, C-suite–level function that integrates corporate communications, branding, events & exhibitions, and digital. She also gets candid about advocating for resources, educating executives in different cultural contexts, and measuring the value of good counsel—especially the crises that never happen because Comms shaped smarter decisions upstream.

For anyone aiming to lead at the highest levels of Communications, this conversation is packed with practical guidance on structure, influence, and impact. In this episode, Tara and Stephanie cover:

• Why Communications moved to report to the CEO—and what changed
• Team design at a global scale: four sub-teams (Corporate Comms, Brand, Events/Exhibitions, Digital) and why internal + external were combined
• Centralizing the function to align messaging and increase effectiveness across regions
• Benchmarks vs. business need: how to size and shape a team without "comparison traps"
• Educating executives (and peers) so Comms is required in the room, not invited late
• Measuring the "art" of counsel: using outcomes, behavior change, and credible anecdotes
• Budget & headcount advocacy: tying roles to business risk, reputation, and AI-era search visibility
• Skills for senior leaders: relationship-building, tenacity, and being a truth-teller
• Global realities: leading in Japan, KPI-heavy cultures, and the rise of internal comms
• The field's opportunities and pressures: crisis readiness, employee engagement, AI ethics
• Career advice: raise your hand for hard assignments—the moves that accelerate growth
  
  

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Meet Stephanie Roberts:

As Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems (HIES), Stephanie Roberts is responsible for the company's internal and external communications and branding strategy. She serves on the senior executive committee, leading a global team across internal and external communications, media relations, branding, crisis communications, social media, the company website, events and more.

More than three years ago, Stephanie moved to Tokyo as the first expat sent to HIES' HQ. She also works with teams across the Americas, China, Southeast Asia and EMEA and, driven by her passion for storytelling and exploring different cultures, has traveled to more than 30 countries.

Follow Stephanie Roberts on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn from her global perspective on Communications leadership.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation, the nation's largest producer of clean energy. 

Judy shares what it takes to lead a 60-person corporate affairs function at a Fortune 200 company, why she holds both the CCO and SVP of Corporate Affairs titles, and how her team secured and maintains its critical seat at the executive table. 

For anyone aspiring to a leadership role in communications, this conversation is packed with actionable advice on building business acumen, developing your team, and proving your value as a strategic business advisor. In this podcast episode, Tara and Judy cover: 

• The rise of the Corporate Affairs Officer 
• What B2C Comms. can learn from B2B 
• The model for Communications and Corporate Affairs at Constellation 
• The team size, structure, reporting structure and approach to filling gaps needed in the team (hint: a review of the current structure and design is needed)
• The three critical skills required for a CCO (beyond knowing Comms). 
• Training and development approaches for advancing comms. as advisors 
• Navigating today's changing environment as a Communications and Corporate Affairs leader 

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Meet Judy Rader:

Judy Rader is the senior vice president of Corporate Affairs and chief communications officer, leading integrated marketing communications strategy, planning and execution for Constellation and managing the company's brand and reputation.

She serves on the Constellation Executive Committee, which sets strategy and direction for the company.

Rader's team of about 60 professionals has expertise across a wide range of corporate affairs disciplines, including:

• reputation and brand management, advertising, customer marketing, employee communications, media relations,
• public affairs and advocacy, issues/crisis management, digital/social media, community relations, charitable giving and
• foundation management. Under her leadership, the team is responsible for enhancing and protecting Constellation's
• reputation with all internal and external stakeholders, strengthening Constellation's brand awareness and favorability,
• fostering employee trust and engagement, and advancing the company's policy and business objectives through
• compelling communications, marketing and community support.

As part of her role, she oversees Constellation's philanthropic activities, including more than $18 million in annual company, employee and foundation giving and the volunteer efforts of the company's nearly 14,000 employees. She also serves as executive director of the Constellation Energy Foundation.

A Fortune 200 company based in Baltimore, Md., Constellation is the nation's largest producer of clean, emissions-free energy and a leading supplier of energy products and services. The publicly traded company produces about 10 percent of America's clean energy, making it a leader in the clean energy transition.

Community Work

Rader is a member of the Board of Directors and chair of the marketing committee for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and a member of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, PAC 7 Committee on Radiation Education, Risk Communication and Outreach.

Educational Background

Rader has a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and English from the University of Maryland.

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara kicks off a new season by tackling one of the most pressing questions for senior communications professionals: what does a clear career path look like in a field that often feels misunderstood, oversimplified, and muddy?

The Reality of Q4 for Comms Teams
Tara opens with a candid look at the fall and winter season—when benefit enrollments, IT security pushes, engagement surveys, and town halls collide with corporate restructuring, financial reporting, and external events. It's a whirlwind that leaves communications leaders carrying the weight of competing priorities while fighting to remind colleagues of the real purpose of the function: advancing business goals and protecting company reputation. It can feel impossible to think of something as long-term as career path advocacy when it's so busy all the time. 

Why Career Pathing Feels Elusive
Communications pros - especially around that director level - often find themselves forging their own paths. Tara highlights the isolation many feel when they're the highest-level communicator in their organization, expected to act as both strategic advisor and often, execution arm too. She acknowledges the frustration of being underestimated, but reminds listeners that communicators consistently shine when given even a crack in the door to demonstrate their value.

The Path to the CCO (and Beyond)
This season, Tara is launching a series of conversations with Chief Communications Officers and SVPs in our field across industries. They'll share the skills, experiences, and hard truths that shaped their journeys. Listeners will hear what it's like in the CCo seat, the skills required to get there, and help communicators chart a more visible career path in communications leadership … as we normalize the CCO position everywhere. 

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

Tara is hosting a Raise the Tide Open House on Sept 19. Click here to pre-register.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

 

Episode 29 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host, Tara McDonagh, dives into Raise the Tide™, a program for women leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field working in a corporate (or related) environment. Tara unpacks exactly what Raise the Tide™ is, why it was created, and how it works. 

Raise the Tide™ is a complete program for women in the Communications field that involves community, coaching, mentorship, counsel, and professional development specifically for women in corporate communications roles. Unlike other programs,, Raise the Tide™is created specifically for women in this field working in corporate and does not seek to change women, but rather creates space for them to grow.

 Built on Tara's vast experience in communications and her academic study of gender differences, this program is uniquely equipped to address the challenges and celebrate the strengths of women communicators.

Crew members are placed in small groups where they engage in monthly meetings, stay connected through active group messaging, and benefit from one-on-one coaching sessions for personalized goal setting and progress. From strategic mentorship matches to a curated retreat experience, Raise the Tide™ offers everything women need to advance their careers with confidence, clarity, and camaraderie.

Visit RaiseTheTide.com to learn more and fill out the interest form. Many participants get company sponsorships for the program while others invest in the program themselves. Both options can lead to a highly rewarding and in some cases "life changing" experience (as stated by some women). 

If today's insights resonated with you, please rate and review this episode—it helps spread the message and supports the growth of our profession.

 

Welcome to Episode 28 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. Today, Tara tackles a big question for communications leaders: how do you create a long-term plan in uncertain, volatile times like right now? She shares practical strategies to help Communications Leaders make it happen, even during chaos.

Start from the (Ever-Changing) Business Strategy

• Tara explains how to align communications plans with  business plans even as they evolve to adjust to the current environment. She shares how to identify key business goals and develop or adapt long-term communications plans, using examples like shifting from international to domestic growth or a new focus on acquisitions vs organic growth. 
• Start with what's certain—your organization's core product and/or service remains. The "what" remains consistent, it's "how" that may change. Tara discusses how to pivot in these wild times with specific examples. 

From Overwhelm to Action 

• Leading through uncertainty, balancing short-term demands (and commands), crisis issues and/or incident management, team management, and uphill advocacy are all massively taxing right now. Tara encourages leaders to seek help, whether through strategic planning partners, execution-focused support, or both. 
• Instead of only considering the option of hiring extra hands, she highlights the value of working with experienced advisors who bring clarity and help implement impactful strategies as an option. 
• Tara reframes seeking help as a smart investment in success. She urges Comms. leaders to rethink resourcing in alignment with today's new commands. 

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program for women in communications focused on mentorship and leadership growth. 

For more insights, visit taramcdonagh.com/levelup to sign up for the Level Up: Be Extra newsletter. Don't forget to share this episode and leave a review—it helps spread the message and elevate the communications field. Until next time, keep advising, my friends!

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara explores what happens when you're not in the right room — and how the right room can completely change your thinking, decisions, and authority.

Building on recent conversations about isolation and helpfulness, this episode focuses on a key shift: strong leadership isn't built in isolation. It's built in dialogue.

Tara shares how even experienced communicators can miss critical angles when thinking alone — not because they lack skill, but because of natural blind spots. The right conversation, with the right person, can change everything.

This episode reframes "finding your people" as something much more than support. It's a leadership strategy that directly impacts how you think, advise, and show up in your role.

In this episode, Tara explores:

• Why strong communicators can still have blind spots in their thinking
• The concept that judgment sharpens in dialogue, not isolation
• How thinking alone creates efficiency but can limit accuracy
• The difference between a room that validates you and a room that sharpens your thinking
• Why most professional environments don't provide the space for true, honest thinking
• The importance of shared context when discussing complex communications challenges
• How consistent dialogue over time strengthens decision-making
• Why psychological safety is essential for real, strategic conversations
• The connection between better thinking, stronger counsel, and increased authority
• How the right room changes not just your confidence, but how your organization experiences you
• The room where your thinking gets better is not optional.

It's how better decisions …  and strong leadership … are built.

Resources:
Raise the Tide Shoreline: https://www.taramcdonagh.com/shoreline/

Raise the Tide Surge: https://www.taramcdonagh.com/surge/

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor, Level Up: Be Extra, and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications — helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review — it helps more communicators find the show and strengthens our collective voice.

Until next time, keep advising. Always keep advising.

 

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this solo episode, Tara explores a counterintuitive pattern she sees repeatedly in her work with communications leaders: many talented communicators don't stall in their careers because they're underperforming. They stall because they've become exceptionally good at being helpful.

Helpfulness builds trust early in a career. It creates reputation, reliability, and momentum. But over time, that same instinct can sneakily become a ceiling. When leaders experience communications primarily as the function that executes, smooths, and fixes, it becomes harder for them to experience communicators as strategic partners whose judgment shapes decisions.

This episode unpacks how that shift happens, why it's so common in the communications field, and what communicators can do to reposition themselves from executor to advisor.

In this episode, Tara explores:

• Why many communications leaders plateau not from lack of talent, but from being too helpful
• The difference between being needed for execution and having authority in decision-making
• How communicators unintentionally train organizations to experience them as executors
• The subtle signals that shape whether leaders bring communications in early or late
• Why authority is built through consistent behavior, not titles or structural changes
• The connection between strategy and executive behavior change
• How communicators can shift from refining decisions to reframing them
• Why the transition from tactician to strategist is especially difficult in a misunderstood field
• The role of judgment, business framing, and questioning assumptions in building authority

Helpfulness builds credibility.
Judgment builds authority.

The organizations' communicators serve don't need more messaging volume. They need communicators whose insight and judgment shape better decisions before messaging ever begins.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor:, Level Up: Be Extra and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field Raise the Tide emails for women in the field. 

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications - helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review — it helps more communicators find the show and strengthens our collective voice.

Until next time, keep advising. Always keep advising.

 

Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor podcast. In this solo episode, Tara shares an update, perspective, and invitation. Because right now, if there's one way to describe the collective experience of communications leaders, it's this … it's a lot.

The world feels heavy. The mental swivel factor is high. We are absorbing headlines, advising executives, managing reputational risk, running teams, parenting, partnering, and trying to remain reasonably stable humans.

Tara shares a personal story about a crisis in her own family that revealed something important about high-functioning leaders: when things get overwhelming, many of us isolate. We narrow the world. We close ranks. We "handle it."

But while isolation can often feel like control, it actually makes the load heavier.

And for women in communications leadership, that isolation is frequently normalized.

This episode explores why connection, not withdrawal, is what allows us to move forward.

In this episode, Tara explores:

• The "mental swivel" reality of modern communications leadership
• Why high-functioning women default to isolation during crisis
• The difference between professional processing and emotional processing
• How isolation slowly becomes normalized in leadership roles
• Why communications leadership is uniquely heavy right now
• The cost of carrying complexity alone
• Why connection is not weakness, but a leadership strategy
• How peer spaces reduce the invisible weight of this work
• What authentic leadership looks like during polarized and uncertain times

Tara also shares an update on the Raise the Tide ecosystem and why it exists — not as generic professional development, but as intentional connection and growth for women in communications leadership and emerging leadership..

• Shoreline: The brand new, Raise the Tide community space for connection and ongoing growth in any location or professional environment (agency, consultant, in-house, non-profit). For listeners interested in exploring Shoreline, Tara shares a limited-time discount code for early members (code: NEWCREW) 

• Surge: The deeper, more intensive leadership experience for in-house women leaders and emerging leaders with coaching, mentorship, and an in-person retreat. After the upcoming April retreat, Surge membership will close for at least six months to allow the group to deepen.

Learn more at raisethetide.com.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor:, Level Up: Be Extra and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field Raise the Tide emails for women in the field.

Until next time, keep advising. Always keep advising.

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host, Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara continues the Path to CCO+ series with Laura Duda, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Goodyear. Laura shares what it really means to lead communications at the enterprise level, how she built her path from "writer first" to executive leader, and what communicators need to develop if they want a true seat (and voice) at the decision-making table.

From navigating matrixed teams and "shadow communicators," to earning authority through stakeholder insight, to leading through volatility, AI, and modern crisis dynamics, this conversation is packed with practical guidance for directors, VPs, and emerging comms leaders.

In this episode, Tara and Laura cover:

• What the CCO role looks like at Goodyear
• The scope of Laura's remit across internal + external comms and closely adjacent functions
• Team size and global structure
• How to lead in matrix environments and work effectively with "shadow communicators"
• Laura's career path: from writer to executive leader, including a pivotal industry switch
• What "authority" really means in communications: shaping decisions, not just messaging
• The uniquely cross-stakeholder lens communicators bring to the leadership table
• The CCO skills that matter most: business fluency and humility (especially across generations)
• Navigating today's reality: AI, volatility, and modern crisis dynamics
• Why data-driven response protects leaders from overreacting to "viral" noise
• Advice for directors/VPs who feel stuck: assess your readiness, pursue stretch work, and evaluate whether your environment will sponsor your growth

Laura's message is clear: authority is earned daily through credibility, stakeholder insight, and business fluency. Leadership at the CCO level requires both confidence and humility. The path isn't always linear, but communicators who keep learning, keep showing up, and choose growth-oriented environments give themselves the strongest chance to rise.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor:, Level Up: Be Extra and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field Raise the Tide emails for women in the field.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications - helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review — it helps more communicators find the show and strengthens our collective voice.

Until next time, keep advising. Always keep advising.

Meet Laura Duda

Laura Duda is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. As the Chief Communications Officer, Duda leads all internal and external communications for the company, including public and media relations, employee communications, corporate reputation management, philanthropy and community relations, as well as Goodyear's fleet of world-famous airships.

Duda joined Goodyear in 2016, serving as Vice President of Communications for the company's Americas business unit. Before joining Goodyear, Duda led corporate, utility and commercial communications for Chicago, Illinois-based Exelon Corporation and corporate and utility communications for Tampa, Florida-based TECO Energy, Inc.

Raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Duda attended Western Carolina University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing & Editing. She later received her Master of Arts degree in Mass Communication from University of Florida and her Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Tampa. She is accredited in Public Relations, is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and is a graduate of Leadership Tampa, Leadership Greater Chicago and Leadership Akron.

In 2023, Duda was named a Top 50 Chief Communications Officer by the National Diversity Conference. In 2020 and 2021, she was named to the National Diversity Council's Power 50, honoring women in the C-suite from top corporations who endeavor to improve not just companies, but communities as well.

She has also been named to PR Week's Hall of Femme, recognizing inspiring women who set the bar higher within their organizations, nominated by their peers and colleagues, and as one of the Women of Note by Crain's Cleveland Business. Duda is an executive sponsor of the Goodyear Black Network, a board member of the Humane Society of Summit County, United Way of Summit & Medina and the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. She is a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and serves on the editorial board of Corporate Communications Review. She served as the 2024-2025 co-chair for the Harvest for Hunger campaign supporting the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Anthony Farina, a seasoned global communications leader whose career spans journalism, government, and corporate communications at the highest levels. Anthony currently leads Corporate Communications for Fujifilm in the Americas and previously served as Chief Communications Officer at CSL, where he built a global communications function from the ground up.

Together, Tara and Anthony explore what it really takes to grow into senior leadership in communications — not just in title, but in influence. From building strategy-first teams and earning executive trust, to navigating career trade-offs, mentoring the next generation, and giving back to the field, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom and lived experience.

In this episode, Tara and Anthony cover:

• Why Communications should be treated as a vocation
• Why great CCOs focus on three things: strategy and governance, removing obstacles, and being the team's chief cheerleader
• Building a global communications team from zero to 65 people 
• How to prove the value of communications through strategy
• Challenging industry "groupthink" by hiring for diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• Developing teams through professional growth, not just output
• What hybrid and remote work require from communicators who want to stay visible and trusted
• The power of listening as a leadership skill
• The difference between self-promotion and self-advocacy
• Why shining a light on others' work builds credibility faster than talking about your own
• Advice for directors and VPs aiming for CCO roles: start behaving like the role you want
• The responsibility senior leaders have to give back through mentoring, teaching, and guidance
• Why passion for the field  and generosity with what you know creates lasting impact
  
  

Tara and Anthony close with a shared belief: communications leaders have both the opportunity and the responsibility to elevate the field by developing people, not just delivering outputs. Authority is earned through strategy, helping transfer your knowledge, and sustained leadership. 

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor:, Level Up: Be Extra and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field Raise the Tide emails for women in the field. 

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications - helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review — it helps more communicators find the show and strengthens our collective voice.

Until next time, keep advising. Always keep advising.

 

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara opens the new season with a declaration — not a trend forecast or resolution — naming the official word for communications professionals in 2026: authority.

Building on last year's word, no, Tara explains why the moment has shifted. While boundaries and discernment remain critical, communicators are facing a deeper challenge: being held accountable for outcomes without being empowered early enough to influence them. This episode unpacks why burnout, frustration, and stagnation persist even in "successful" roles — and why authority, not resilience or effort, is the missing piece. Tara reframes authority not as hierarchy or ego, but as earned weight, judgment, and influence that allows communicators to help the business think, not just speak.

In this episode, Tara covers:

• Why authority — not visibility, speed, or helpfulness — is the defining need for communicators in 2026
• How being "deeply accountable but not deeply empowered" leads to burnout and role erosion
• The difference between responsiveness and judgment, and why one gets rewarded while the other gets sidelined
• What authority actually means in communications (and what it definitely does not)
• How over-functioning and perpetual helpfulness quietly erode influence over time
• How strategic communications planning can reset leadership expectations and elevate the function
• Practical ways to start practicing authority without damaging trust or relationships
• Why authority is about business impact, not personal validation or ego

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor:, Level Up: Be Extra and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field Raise the Tide emails for women in the field.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications - helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review. We create a movement when we spread a message.