In this inspiring episode, host Kevin P Nichols welcomes back Gina Balarin — TEDx speaker, author, and communications expert — for an insightful discussion on authentic leadership communication. Together, they explore what it truly means for a CEO or any leader to find and use their authentic voice. Gina shares why empathy, storytelling, and emotional resonance are essential for leaders today, and how these elements can help organizations build deeper connections with their audiences.
Throughout the conversation, Gina explains how leaders often struggle to communicate authentically after years of corporate conditioning, and why overcoming that barrier is vital to inspiring trust and driving real impact. She reflects on her own experiences coaching C-suite executives to express themselves more clearly and with greater emotional depth, showing how content strategy and executive communication intersect in meaningful ways.
The discussion also dives into the growing importance of video communication in today's digital landscape and customer-generated content's role in creating brand authenticity. Gina emphasizes how vulnerability, balanced with strength, can transform organizational communication, building lasting trust internally and externally.
If you are a leader, communicator, content creator, or simply passionate about the power of authenticity, this episode offers invaluable knowledge and motivation.
Gina Balarin is a passionate corporate storyteller with over 15 years of marketing and leadership experience. She is a marketing consultant, working primarily with B2B technology companies. Previously, Gina worked as a content marketer and a marketing director. She is the author of hundreds of blog posts and too many B2B case studies to count. Gina speaks regularly on panel discussions and at marketing conferences and counts herself lucky to have spoken at TEDx. She blames her success on having been on stage in various guises over the years, doing everything from being a magician's assistant and performing lead roles in ballet and drama productions, to having worked with top C-level executives and entrepreneurs. She has a Master's Degree in Education in the subject of Management Communication, is a Chartered Marketer and Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, has a BA (Hons) in Linguistics and English Language, and a BA in Drama and Linguistics. Currently, she continues to help companies create soulful content as the Founder and Director of Verballistics, a B2B marketing communications agency.
Gina's Info:
Gina's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginabalarin/
Gina's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/Gina.Balarin
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Throughout this podcast, we have continued to highlight the role of content in the customer experience. Whether through technical documentation, product descriptions, or webpage personalization, content guides the customer in every interaction with a brand. But what role does content play to internal stakeholders such as employees or B2B clients?
In this episode of "All Things Content," host Kevin P. Nichols discusses with Gabe Weiss of CXify the idea of "business experience content". Gabe dives into the importance of effective asset management and collaboration within organizations, sharing a case study of a company struggling with lost marketing assets due to employees storing files on personal hard drives instead of a centralized system. The company developed a centralized brand and campaign management portal to address this, allowing easy access to templates and source files. The conversation also touches on the concept of business experience, emphasizing how employees collaborate and work together, and the need for digital systems to streamline these processes. The discussion highlights the role of company culture in shaping effective work practices and the importance of investing in employee-centric environments to enhance overall brand value and customer experience.
Gabe Weiss helps companies modernize and innovate customer experiences. Through co-creative human-centered design methods, he enables organizations to design better business and product experiences that unlock value and build resiliency and agility. As a seasoned leader, Gabe has led sizable cross-functional teams serving large integrated programs in complex environments across industries. He has built and matured experience consulting/strategy teams and enjoys mentoring team members. Over his 27+ year career, he has helped Fortune 500 brands across financial services, insurance, retail/commerce, telecom, automotive, and manufacturing, while working at leading companies such as Sapient, R/GA, and Capgemini.
Gabe's Info
Gabe's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabeweiss/
CXify Website: https://www.cxify.cx
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
One of the first purposes of the Internet was to be a tool to foster and empower communities. What was first nurtured through chat rooms and forums has exploded into countless ways for people to connect, from social media to video chats to event pages. While online communities are often created for recreational purposes, they can also be utilized for business. What are these business purposes, and how are they implemented in a large organization?
To answer this question, Kevin P Nichols interviews Danielle Miller, Director of Community Content at Workday. The discussion revolves around the importance of community in digital spaces, particularly for companies like Workday that provide enterprise cloud applications. Danielle shares her background in English and Creative Writing, emphasizing the need for effective content strategies that cater to user experiences. The conversation highlights how communities can foster learning and engagement among users, allowing them to share insights and solve problems collaboratively. They explore the balance between user-generated content, the necessity for moderation, and the role of technology in enhancing community interactions. The episode concludes with a reminder of users' evolving expectations for digital content and the importance of creating accessible, engaging experiences. Overall, the dialogue underscores the value of community in enhancing customer satisfaction and knowledge sharing.
Danielle Miller has spent the past 12 years at Workday, where she now holds the position of Director of Community Content Experience. She holds an MFA in English and Creative Writing from Mills College, a BA in English from UC Santa Barbara, and a minor in French.
Danielle's Info:
Danielle's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellehmiller/
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
It cannot be understated that the world is experiencing rapid change. Finding genuine fulfillment while navigating an environment full of technological advancements and volatile economic fluctuations is a daunting task. How can content professionals maintain career success while still finding purpose through their work?
In this episode of "All Things Content," host Kevin P. Nichols interviews Michael Lawrence Restiano, a seasoned content designer with a rich background in content strategy. They discuss the importance of balancing passion and lifestyle, emphasizing that merely following one's passion may not lead to fulfillment. Restiano shares insights on resilience and determination in a rapidly changing world, particularly in the evolving tech landscape and the rise of generative AI. He highlights the necessity for human intervention in content creation despite advancements in AI technology. The conversation also touches on diverse leadership styles and the often invisible strategic work that content designers perform. Restiano encourages professionals to embrace their creativity and take small, impactful steps in their roles, ultimately fostering growth and authority within their teams. The episode concludes with a reminder of the potential for positive outcomes amidst challenges.
Michael Restiano is a seasoned UX Writing / Content Strategy / Content Design (really whatever those in the field call themselves these days) vet with 10+ years of experience on various product teams. Michael is currently based in New York City, where he is a Staff Content Designer at Webflow. He has previously worked at Instacart, Uber Eats, Facebook, and SapientNitro. In addition to his content expertise, Michael is a yoga instructor and has recently started as a life and executive coach.
Michael's Info:
Michael's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelrestiano
Michael's Website: michaellawrencerestiano.com
Michael's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeyrest/?hl=en
Michael's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.restiano
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Since the early days of the internet, search engine optimization (SEO) has been a significant point of interest for web developers and marketers. A website’s ranking in a search query can make or break a business, so there has always been close attention paid to the tips and tricks needed to be ranked higher. However, these rules are constantly changing according to the current business environment. How have things changed over time, and what are the current rules? What market conditions shape search engine rankings, and how can one navigate them to succeed?
Frank Watson, SEO expert and the CEO of Kangamurra Media, joins host Kevin Nichols to answer these questions. They delve into the evolution of SEO strategies over the years, emphasizing the importance of quality content, readability, and user engagement. Frank shares insights on optimizing web content for search engines, the significance of meta elements like titles and descriptions, and the impact of user behavior on search rankings. The conversation highlights the need for authenticity and relevance in online content to enhance user experience and improve search engine visibility. Some key takeaways from the discussion include the importance of SEO readiness in content strategies, optimizing digital properties for organic and paid search, the significance of internal and external linking, the value of quality and rich content, the impact of usability and accessibility on website ranking, and the use of AI tools like Gemini and ChatGBT for SEO insights.
As the CEO of Kangamurra Media, Frank Watson hails with more than 30+ years of experience in digital marketing. Frank thrives at helping his clients achieve their business objectives online through content strategies specifically formulated for SEO readiness and by assisting them in optimizing their digital properties for organic and paid search. Frank’s expertise in SEO reigns supreme, and he has years of experience and client success to prove it. He has worked with various industries, from adult and gaming to finance and automotive, and has delivered results in SEO, SEM, web analytics, and social media. Frank has spoken at numerous SES conferences, is a forum editor at Search Engine Watch, and is a host of SEO Rockstars at WebmasterRadio.FM.
Frank’s Info:
Frank’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aussiewebmaster
Frank’s Website: kangamurramedia.com
Frank’s Email: frank@kangamurramedia.com
Frank’s X Account: https://x.com/AussieWebmaster
Frank’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092411289609
Kevin’s Info:
Kevin’s Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin’s Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin’s LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Personalization has become so ubiquitous that nearly every content-related service has incorporated it, from social media algorithms to email lists to training blogs. Personalization allows content to cater to an individual’s unique needs and interests, improving stakeholder engagement and comprehension. But how does one maintain these benefits while attempting to personalize content at scale?
The podcast episode features a discussion on how standardization equals personalization for content. Kevin P. Nichols is joined by Christine Ceuller of Scriptorium, a company specializing in structured content solutions and enterprise content strategy. They talk about the importance of content strategy in organizing and streamlining content creation, management, and distribution. They also highlight the role of standardization in setting up effective personalization for organizations. The conversation touches on the benefits of structured authoring, the reuse of content components, and the connection between creativity and limitations. Overall, the episode provides valuable insights into the relationship between standardization and personalization in content strategy.
Christine is an experienced marketing strategist and content marketer passionate about connecting people. As the Marketing Coordinator for Scriptorium, she excels in identifying target audiences, creating seamless connection pathways, and showcasing the company’s talent. Known for optimizing processes, Christine has developed project management systems that enhance efficiency and reduce friction. Starting as a copywriter, she advanced to content marketing management and strategy, making her a perfect fit for Scriptorium. Outside work, she enjoys coffee, kayaking, hiking, stand-up comedy, and movies, and she holds black belts in karate and kickboxing. Christine graduated with a BA in finance and a minor in banking from New Mexico State University and has GDPR and CPPA certifications. She lives in Seattle, Washington.
Resources Mentioned:
Standardization = Personalization Article: https://www.scriptorium.com/2024/02/training-content-paradox-standardization-personalization/
CaaS and Componentization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdytjtH8jeU
Personalized Content: Steps to Success White Paper: https://www.scriptorium.com/2022/01/personalized-content-steps-to-success/
Dr. Carlos Evia’s book, Content Operations from Start to Scale: https://publishing.vt.edu/site/books/e/10.21061/content_operations_evia/
LearningDITA: https://learningdita.com
LavaCon 2024: https://lavacon.org
Christine’s Info:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-cuellar/
Articles: https://www.scriptorium.com/author/christine/
Media: https://www.scriptorium.com/media/
Bio: https://www.scriptorium.com/about/christine-cuellar/
Kevin’s Info:
Kevin’s Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin’s Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin’s LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
AI is a groundbreaking technology disrupting nearly every industry, especially the content field. Services like ChatGPT are making writing many forms of content exponentially faster than traditional methods, and similar tools are being integrated into products like Dropbox and social media platforms to improve their usefulness and efficiency. Because of the explosion of interest and implementation into AI, terms like generative AI, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning are assumed to be referring to the same concept. What are the differences between these terms? And how can a content specialist without a background in computer science start to learn how to utilize this revolutionary new tech?
Kevin called on his friends from Reltio, Megan Gihooly and Rob Sylvester, to help answer these questions. They explore AI's definitions and use cases, particularly in content development. Megan and Rob expound on the importance of machine learning in AI and how it can solve customer problems. They emphasize the need for clear and structured content to train AI models effectively, as these models are only as valuable as the information fed into them. Lastly, the episode concludes with a reminder to approach AI tools cautiously and focus on solving specific problems rather than relying on plug-and-play solutions.
As a Sr. Director of Self-Help and Content Strategy at Reltio, Megan Gihooly, leads innovative initiatives that help customers unify their data autonomously using the Reltio platform. With over 20 years of experience in technical and marketing content, change management, e-learning, and process development, she is passionate about creating engaging and effective content experiences that drive business outcomes and customer satisfaction. She has successfully launched an award-nominated documentation portal, adopted a new content tech stack that supports publishing in minutes, and secured executive support for a generative AI assistant inside the doc portal and the product. Megan also has a strong background in customer experience, having worked at Zoomin, a SaaS content delivery platform, where she delivered customer insights, collaborated with cross-functional teams, and impacted revenue and growth.
Rob Sylvester, a Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer at Reltio based in San Francisco, was born and raised in Alaska. He's pretty good with computers but much better at working with people, and he enjoys it a lot more. His background is in full-stack web development and linguistics, but nowadays, his professional interest is centered almost entirely on NLP and deep learning. He has a degree in Italian and is an avid fan of Italian cinema.
Megan's Info:
Megan's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/megangilhooly
Rob Info:
Rob Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/robmsylvester
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Given that the modern consumer ecosystem is so complex, finding ways to organize and optimize the customer experience can be difficult. There are countless ways customers can interact with a brand, whether that be through email, mobile apps, SMS messages, in-person experiences, and many more. The amount of options for consumers to utilize and for companies to track can be overwhelming. Due to how complicated customer experiences are today, diligent use and maintenance of customer journey maps are a necessity.
To help outline best practices for customer journey mapping, Kevin Nichols is joined by his good friend, Steven Keith of CX Pilots. Steven and Kevin share their experiences of clients ignoring journey maps and the benefits when those maps are given proper attention. They also go over the process of creating a customer journey map, its components, and how to get all the relevant and necessary corporate teams involved. Steven and Kevin provide an updated view on how customer journey mapping is important in 2024 and how AI is evolving traditional processes.
Steven Keith is an internationally recognized expert and keynote speaker for customer experience in professional services firms. Steven works with companies in the Fortune 10 as well as the Fortune 10,000 by helping them transform their strategies and operations to become more systematically empathetic to their internal and external customers.
Steven’s Info:
Steven’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stevenkeith
Steven’s Company Website: https://www.cxpilots.com
Steven’s Blog: https://www.cxpilots.com/epiphanies
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
The AvenueCX team has been doing a bit of traveling! We recently attended LavaCon 2023 this year in sunny San Diego and had a wonderful time. It was a great opportunity to reconnect in person with many friends we haven’t been able to see for the past few years. One of those friends is the incredibly talented Paula Land. Kevin sat down with her to catch up, talk about her current projects, and learn about content audits and how to properly execute them within a diverse organization. Paula Land is the founder and principal content strategist at Strategic Content, a Seattle-based consultancy offering various services in web content strategy, digital strategy, user experience, content management strategy and CMS implementation, and content development and marketing. She is also a Guest Lecturer at the University of Washington Information School, co-founder of Content Insight LLC, and author of the book "The Content Inventory and Audit Handbook". You can see her full resume and purchase her book here: https://strategiccontent.com/about Paula’s Info: Paula’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulaland/ Paula’s Email: paulaland@gmail.com Kevin's Info: Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Because of the competitive nature of the corporate world, it is incredibly easy to become cynical and jaded. This is especially true for those who work in marketing, as the entire practice is about getting the attention of potential customers before a rival grabs it up first. As a result, a mindset of “by any means necessary” becomes the norm. Manipulation and partial truths are often preferred over sincerity and honesty. This makes Marketing a field of study and practice many consider simply as a means to provide income and nothing to be passionate about. Enter today’s guest: Gina Balarin. Gina is not only an accomplished marketer who has worked with countless prestigious brands but also has an excitement around marketing that is infectious. Her optimism and passion are shared with Kevin on this episode of “All Things Content”. In this installment, she talks about her idea of “Content with a Soul”. Instead of seeing content as just a way to sell a product or service, she views it as an opportunity to make viewers feel deep emotions that will affect them on a personal level. She shows this in action by discussing different campaigns that do this well and how they did it. Gina also goes into the power of words, and how words in content can have the power to better the world and help it strive towards a more egalitarian ideal. Gina Balarin is a passionate corporate storyteller with over 15 years of marketing and leadership experience. She is a marketing consultant, working primarily with B2B technology companies. Previously, Gina has worked as a content marketer and a Marketing Director. She is the author of hundreds of blog posts and too many B2B case studies to count. She speaks regularly on panel discussions and at marketing conferences and counts herself lucky to have spoken at TEDx. She blames her success on having been on stage in various guises over the years, doing everything from being a magician's assistant and performing lead roles in ballet and drama productions, to having worked with top C-level executives and entrepreneurs. She has a Master's Degree in Education in the subject of Management Communication, is a Chartered Marketer and Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, has a BA (Hons) in Linguistics and English Language, and a BA in Drama and Linguistics. Currently, she continues to help companies create soulful content as the Founder and Director of Verbalilistics, a B2B marketing communications agency. Gina's Info: Gina's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginabalarin/ Gina's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/Gina.Balarin Kevin's Info: Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG Kevin's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
On this episode of “All Things Content”, we’re trying something a little different. Instead of Kevin acting as the host and interviewer of the show, he is the guest! Join him and Mark Yirrell, Marketing and Sales Manager at AvenueCX as well as this week’s interviewer, as they discuss Kevin’s predictions for the content industry. They discuss everything from Web 3, the end of the third-party cookie, market adaptation to permacrisis, and more. Kevin is an award-winning thought leader, digital industry expert, and author with over 25 years of experience in digital strategy, user experience, and content. He was a key contributor to creating MIT OpenCourseWare, grew one of the largest content strategy teams in the world at SapientNitro, and has worked on content for dozens of global brands. At AvenueCX, Kevin continues pursuing his passion for content, working with international enterprises to improve their content and customer experiences. This dedication to his field is exemplified through the writing of his book Enterprise Content Strategy: A Project Guide, and co-authoring of UX for Dummies. Besides being the host of this podcast, Kevin also hosts the webinar series “Let’s Talk Personalization” produced by The Content Wrangler, leading conversations on the latest trends in personalizing content. In addition to writing books and hosting videos, Kevin supports his colleagues by serving as the Chair of Content Strategy Alliance’s Best Practices initiative. Mark-Joseph Yirrell is a marketer fascinated with emerging technology and its influences on content. Since his freshman year at Bentley University, he has managed campaigns, both as a freelancer and while working at agencies. He has worked with countless startups and nonprofits in the local Boston area, including Moira Studio, The Video Creators Lounge, and The Cambridge Society for Early Music. After transferring and graduating from Emerson College with a BA in Media Production, Mark’s mission is to merge his passion for producing visual and audio content with his background in marketing. He has continued this mission to Los Angeles, where he continues to educate both individuals and organizations on how to improve their digital presence through content and social media. Mark’s Info: Mark’s Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mark-yirrell-0b967765 Mark’s Email: myirrell@avenuecx.com Kevin's Info: Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Did you know that more people would rather clean a toilet than call customer support? Due to this, combined with the fact that employing a customer support team during a recession is an expensive luxury, many companies are opting to close down their support teams. Instead, they’re shifting their focus to developing knowledge-center content, where customers can find their own answers to their questions. However, does this turn meet all customer needs? How can you make the best knowledge center possible? Are there benefits in maintaining customer support teams?
Join Kevin as he interviews his longtime friend and content industry veteran Scott Abel. They discuss different forms of content that can be housed in knowledge centers, the different purposes that content can be used for, and the changes to knowledge-center content caused by the recent pandemic. They also discuss how personalization can be utilized for that content and how the knowledge centers fit within the entirety of the customer experience.
Known as "The Content Wrangler," Scott Abel is a content strategist who helps companies improve how they author, maintain and deliver information to those needing it. He's co-authored "Intelligent Content: A Primer" and "The Language of Content Strategy" and creator of the Content Strategy Series of books from XML Press. In addition, Scott hosts the most popular content-focused webinar show on BrightTALK, attracting tens of thousands of viewers annually. Scott co-produces several events including the annual Information Development World, Technical Documentation RoundUp, and Content Intelligence conferences, and is a presenter at content industry conferences including Intelligent Content Conference (an event he co-founded and later sold to Content Marketing Institute), Content Marketing World, Localization World (North America, Europe, Asia), Content Strategy Applied, and Society for Technical Communication Summit. His blog, TheContentWrangler.com, is a popular destination for communication pros seeking information about content management strategy and related topics.
Scott’s Info:
Scott’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottabel/
Scott’s Twitter: twitter.com/scottabel
Scott’s Blog: thecontentwrangler.com
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
In the current digital space, the field of content design remains a topic of fascination. What exactly is content design, and what is it not? As explained by content strategist and this episode’s guest Sarah Johnson, it can be described as “designing with words”. She talks with Kevin about how she discovered her calling in content design after a career as a novelist and a computer programmer. Later, she explains the difference between content design and content strategy, as well as between content first design and content design. Sarah then speaks about the process and framework she leverages for effective content design. Sarah and Kevin also discuss the importance of communication skills in the field, the role of empathy and conversation mapping, and the intersection of content design, user experience, and customer experience.
Sarah is an Associate Senior Manager of Content Strategy at CVS. She also teaches content strategy at Bentley University’s User Experience Center in Waltham, Massachusetts. She has twenty-five years of experience with companies such as CVS, TIAA, Fidelity Investments, and Bank of America. Sarah works with content teams to help them grow leadership and user experience skills, running content strategy summits within her UX teams. She also spearheaded a workshop entitled “The Art of the Difficult Conversation”, which she developed in conjunction with Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. The workshop went on to be offered corporate-wide at TIAA. Sarah is a graduate of the InnerMBA offered by SoundsTrue, LinkedIn, and NYU.
Sarah's Info:
Sarah's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sajwriter/
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
How can designers leverage content as a vehicle for social change? What legal ramifications will proceed from new forms of content like Augmented Reality and the Metaverse? These are just some of the questions Heather Snyder Quinn is asking. In this episode, Kevin sits down with Heather to inquire about her work on her project “Mariah: Acts of Resistance”. “Mariah”, co-designed by Adam DelMarcelle, tells the story of a young woman who overdosed on heroin that viewers experience as they tour the Sackler wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. They do this by holding up their cell phones to artifacts procured by the Sackler family, viewing pieces of Mariah’s story via the augmented reality app that Heather designed. Kevin and Heather talk about how art responds to authority before delving into the topics of speculative design and design fiction. Their conversation leads to further discussions around the future of freedom of speech, the power of Big Tech in modern society, and the impact the Metaverse and other emerging technologies will have on our conception of reality.
Heather is usually where she “isn’t supposed to be.” You will find her playing in unexpected places, physical or virtual, and collaborating with people from an array of backgrounds. She uses design fiction to empower communities to imagine possible futures and understand technology’s impact on human freedoms. Yale Law School, The World Economic Forum, MIT Press, The Washington Post, Hyperallergic, and NASA have recognized her work. Dedicated to improving society through the field of design, she serves as Director of Design Futures for Design Incubation, Co-chair of Speculative Futures Chicago, and was previously co-chair for AIGA Chicago’s Women Lead. She is an Assistant Professor of Design Futures at Washington University in Saint Louis, Director of the Parallel Futures Lab, and mother of two daughters.
Heather’s Info:
Heather’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersnyderquinn/
Heather’s Email: heathersnyderquinn@gmail.com
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Is academia a potential career when working in content? Professor Kim Sydow Campbell is living proof that it is, but what is the typical course of action for someone looking to join her profession? Kevin discusses this topic with her, a valuable conversation for any student looking for a career in writing. They also talk about what technical communication is, the history of the field, its importance in various industries, and how she incorporates it into her courses. Professor Campbell describes the class projects that involve her students working with private companies to gain real-world experience.
Kim Sydow Campbell is a professor and Director of Corporate Relations at the University of North Texas. As the Director, she develops and maintains relations with corporate partners on behalf of the University’s Department of Technical Communication to increase the relevance of degree programs to the industry, sponsorships of course projects for students, access to industry data or sites for faculty research, and the quantity and quality of full-time and internship placements for students. She previously was a professor and associate dean at The University of Alabama. Before this latest period in academia, she was Editor of Transactions on Professional Communication at the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Professor Campbell originally got her BA and Ph.D. at Louisiana State University, first getting her degree in English Linguistics, and later her Ph.D. in Linguistics and Professional Writing.
Kim's Info:
Kim's Twitter: https://twitter.com/_dr_kim_?s=20&t=jTiXN6gHeD_Q6b0vKKsnRg
Kim's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimsydowcampbell/
Kim's Email: Kim.Campbell@unt.edu
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
What is the connection between media studies and content strategy? On this episode, Robert Mills, founder of Fourth Wall Content, explains how his background in narrative theory led him to working in content. Kevin and Robert discuss the many ways forms of media, particularly film, subconsciously convey information to observers. Using examples ranging from cinema to fairy tales, the two decipher media codes that storytellers and directors use to tell and create stories. In addition, Robert explains how an understanding of these covert and subtextual themes can apply to the world of marketing and branding across a customer journey, empowering content specialists with the knowledge needed to tell their client’s own stories.
Robert Mills is a content and communications strategist based in the UK. Having a track record at multiple agencies, he started his own in 2021 to work with clients on various content-focused projects. A writer with a diverse skill set, he graduated college with a journalism degree and has also worked as an Audience Research Executive at the BBC. He now runs his businesses out of the log cabin at the bottom of his garden.
Robert’s Info:
Email: rob@fourthwallcontent.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertMills
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertmills81/
Website: https://www.fourthwallcontent.com
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
In this episode of “All Things Content”, Kevin is joined by content strategist, musician, and documentarian Matt Geraghty. Matt describes his journey growing up as a musician and becoming fascinated with the musical traditions of other cultures. He talks about how those interests led him to creating multiple documentaries highlighting the untold stories of many artists and communities in Latin America. In addition, he and Kevin discuss the intersection of content and art, and how Matt’s work in the corporate world and artistic landscape supplement each other.
Matt Geraghty is a multi-instrumentalist, music producer and filmmaker best known for his cross cultural and inclusive music collaborations across New York City, Chicago, Europe and Latin America.
Matt founded JUST PLAY in 2013, a music and documentary project developed from meetings and improvisations with musicians from New York, New Orleans, Havana, San Juan and Peru. Matt created the project to increase the visibility of artists across the African Diaspora in the Americas. JUST PLAY, now with 275 artists, is a traveling artist collaboration project based on 3 central pillars: creativity, freedom, and global unity.
For news about upcoming performances, news and ongoing projects follow Matt through the links below:
Matt’s Info:
Email: matt@justplay.world
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattgeraghty
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-geraghty/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattgeraghtyproject
Website: http://www.mattgeraghty.com
Just Play Project: http://www.justplay.world
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
In this episode, Kevin is honored to interview his good friend and content pioneer, Rahel Bailie. Listen in as Rahel describes her journey developing the very fields of content strategy and content operations during the early stages of the internet. In addition, learn how content operations are a necessity for growing organizations looking to scale their content libraries and processes.
Rahel Ann Bailie is Chief Knowledge Officer at Scroll, an STC Fellow, an industry author, and a results-driven content strategist. She has a strong track record of developing successful digital content projects, tackling the complexities of managing content for clients globally. Her strength is diagnostics: calculating how to use content to deliver compelling experiences and to increase ROI of product lifecycle content. She is also a supporter of content structure and standards.
Rahel is the co-author of Content Strategy: Connecting the dots between business, brand, and benefits (XML Press, 2013) with Noz Urbina, and co-editor of The Language of Content Strategy (XML Press, 2014) with Scott Abel. She has contributed to a number of other industry books. Rahel also teaches in the first-ever Content Strategy Master’s Program at FH-Joanneum in Austria.
Rahel's Info:
Book: https://contentstrategy-thebook.com
Email: rahel.bailie@scroll.co.uk
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rahelab
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rahelanneb...
Website: https://www.scroll.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScrollLondon/
Kevin's Info:
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
On the third episode of “All Things Content”, Kevin sits down with Professor Steven Grindlay to reminisce about the history of content, beginning with the early days of the internet. They discuss what trends have continued into today and the role content will play in the future.
Visionary, highly creative, and motivated, Steven is passionate about content and how it’s evolving in the digital space. A McGill University professor, he has over 30 years of experience working in the field of communications, including being the past owner of two advertising agencies and a designer of several niche news publications. Steven has in-depth expertise in designing and developing the framework, structures, and processes that enable organizations to focus their communications on creating and supporting a competitive advantage. In addition, Steven has worked with Fortune 500 companies to develop content strategies and build the architecture that supports the end-to-end digital content life-cycle and ecosystem.
Most recently he co-founded the Content Strategy Alliance, a growing international organization of thought leaders committed to the advancement of the field of content strategy.
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
Steven’s Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3yH7tdm
Content Strategy Alliance Website: https://bit.ly/32nXw8E
On this episode of “All Things Content”, Kevin and John discuss whether the “default” digital experience will retain its current position in digital personalization. If the default state goes away, what will it mean for content and digital experiences, and what will replace it?
John Berndt is a person of many talents with accomplishments and interests in a number of fields including business, music, philosophy, and art. When the Web began in 1993, John was able to design some of the first large websites—a professional momentum which has never slowed. Having worked on hundreds of significant websites in varied markets, he has a world-class sense of what it means to build leading digital properties.
Today, John focuses on making TBG the best national Web design firm of its size—working with his colleagues to solve the many pressing practical and intellectual issues of Web strategy, Web operations, multi-channel tactics, and content personalization. Because of his contributions to the Sitecore community, John holds the esteemed distinction of Sitecore Digital Strategist MVP (Most Valuable Professional). He is the author of the book Personalization Mechanics: Targeted Content for Web Teams of All Sizes (2015), the first truly detailed book about the intersection of Web personalization and Web operations, available here: https://amzn.to/3mZgj1J
Kevin's Website and Blog: https://bit.ly/3in284l
Kevin's Twitter: https://bit.ly/3jhscNG
Kevin's Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3xn9SHG
AvenueCX Website: https://bit.ly/3lsSFdR
John’s Twitter: https://bit.ly/3qkXLLo
John’s Blog: https://bit.ly/3n0pnU9
