We’ve spent the whole second season of Infernal Communication talking about storytelling. So it’s time we focus on the other side of the conversation: listening. You know the old saying, we’ve got one mouth and two ears, yet for some reason, listening can really take a back seat to talking, let’s flip the script. In this episode, former 9-1-1 operator, Doug Showalter, shares real world examples of how careful listening saves lives. And then, How to Listen Like You Mean It, author Ximena Ve...
Mar 21, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 12
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again (and again…), know your audience! Get specific and think of them early and often. It’s all too easy to try to be all things to all people, and casting too wide a net that can leave you connecting with no one. But sometimes getting very specific and using insider language leaves people out. Metaphors, allegories, and unique shared experiences can make us feel connected while alienating others. How do you toe that line? How can you target a niche audience...
Mar 14, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In the moment, it’s awful. And often for many moments afterwards, still awful. But inevitably we are going to embarrass ourselves, let’s figure out how to flip the script. In this episode, we’ll hear the story of how restaurateur Will Beckett’s humour and kindness turned a very expensive mistake into great press and a boost in sales. Then, branding expert and leadership coach Tori Lazar speaks to the benefits of seeing the levity in humiliating experiences, and facing it all head on. Join ...
Mar 07, 2024•21 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Messing up is often all too easy. But then what? How do you make it right? You apologize and you make it good. But the days of switching blame with, ‘sorry if’ or explaining away your responsibility with, ‘actually,’ are long gone. We expect better from our apologies. So, how do we do that— how do we apologize like we mean it? That’s where Marjorie Ingall & Susan McCarthy, co-authors of Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies and co-creators of the super fun site sorrywatch.co...
Feb 29, 2024•21 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Why did I walk into this room? And, why was I pulling out my phone again? That’s right, to listen to Infernal Communication’s episode on memory. Join us as we speak to two time Canadian memory champion, Francis Blondin about the power of memory palaces and how to access the untapped capability of our brains. We also speak with psychologist Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway, who has both short term and long term hacks for boosting our brain power. Dr. Alloway also answers the nagging question that creeps...
Feb 22, 2024•21 min•Season 2Ep. 8
There are so many uncomfortable conversations to be had, or avoided, depending on the day. But uncomfortable doesn’t have to be bad, it just means it isn’t easy. In this episode, we dive into the notorious "F word" – Feedback! Without it, we might run around convinced we're flawless employees with perpetually minty-fresh breath, blissfully ignorant of any missteps we’ve taken. But a world without feedback would also mean a world without improvement. Our guest, Joe Hirsch gives us his exper...
Feb 15, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 7
We all put our foot in our mouths once in a while. A joke that isn’t funny for all the wrong reasons, going into too many details about just about anything, or slagging off your place of business. It's easy to do, but hard to bounce back from. In front of family or friends it can make for an uncomfortable meal, in front of an audience it can mean disaster. In this episode, host Brian Tomlinson, leads us through examples of the good, the bad and downright ugly when it comes to CEO blunders. Renu ...
Feb 08, 2024•20 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Those who like grammar, like it a lot. For the rest of us, it can be a bit of a nuisance. But, we do our best to follow the rules because bad grammar is a bad look. Whether we’re looking for love, a job or an apartment, improper grammar can take us out of the running. But according to our experts these preconceived notions around grammatical rules are off track. According to Dr. Anne Curzan, author of ' Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words' , good g...
Feb 01, 2024•20 min•Season 2Ep. 5
The almighty internet algorithm, we know it's out there, dishing out content it thinks we care about most, but how does it really work? As communications pros, it’s easy to feel powerless in the face of tech giants who get to pick and choose what lights up our screens. But there’s a way to become active participants in these systems, rather than just passive users. In this episode, Cameron Hickey, CEO of the National Conference on Citizenship, walks us through the payoffs and pitfal...
Jan 25, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Did you ever hear the one about Tough Laroque? No? Well, have we got a story for you. Our guests are three Métis aunties and scholars, Sheila Laroque, Tanya Ball and Kayla Lar-Son. All three are lovers of books, they even have their own podcast called Book Women or masinahikan iskwêwak . But Sheila, Tanya and Kayla are also huge proponents of oral storytelling, both because they know a lot about it and they’re pretty good at it. There is often a lot of importance placed on writing things d...
Jan 18, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 3
The hero’s journey is a familiar tale. It’s an archetype that follows The Hero on a quest where challenges are faced, insights are gained, after which the hero returns home transformed. That’s it. Simple, and very well used (see The Matrix, StarWars, The Lion King, etc). Join host Lottie Bazley as she takes us on a journey with a new storyline. This one includes flipping this well-known narrative on its head to find different perspectives, and rejecting the all encompassing confines of the hero’...
Jan 11, 2024•22 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Everybody’s got a story, but how do you best tell yours? To delve into the depths of what makes a good story, we have storyteller extraordinaire, Kate Tellers to guide the way. She’s a host, director of MothWorks at The Moth, and co-author of the book How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling. The Moth is a non-profit storytelling extravaganza with a podcast heard by millions. With host, Staffbase’s Brian Tomlinson, Kate gets personal and down to business as she reveals ...
Jan 11, 2024•25 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Welcome back to Season 2 of Infernal Communication, where we take a deeper look at the wild little fires communicators have to put out every day. Join our hosts Lottie Bazley and Brian Tomlinson of Staffbase as they bring together experts, authors and even a former private eye – for fresh perspectives that will soothe the burn of your latest communication breakdown. We’ve got new ways to look at the hero’s journey, and the art of the apology. We’ll talk about how to have difficult conversations,...
Dec 14, 2023•2 min
In this final episode of season one of Infernal Communication, join host Kyla Sims as she speaks with Genevieve Von Petzinger, paleo anthropologist and author of The First Signs: Unlocking the Mysteries of the World's Oldest Symbols, as well as Dan Everett, linguistic anthropologist, author, and one of only four second-language speakers of the Amazon Basin's Pirahã people. They’ll talk about what we know about our earliest communications and how communication has shaped what it means to be human...
Mar 23, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Our host Kyla Sims chats with neuroscientist Dr. Carl Marci about what happens to our brain when we spend too much time online and what we can do to protect ourselves. Then, “Master of Decibels” Paul Mellor shares his tactics for making brands famous and cutting through all the noise. Do you work in communications? Join us at Staffbase's VOICES Conference in NYC April 26-27th, 2023. Get your ticket at voices.staffbase.com/us and use promocode VOICES-PODCAST-25 for 25% off your ticket. See omnyst...
Mar 09, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Our host, Kyla Sims, sits down with writer and Yale English professor, Verlyn Klinkenborg, about how he teaches writing. Most of his students know how to write well, but do they understand how to think about writing? According to Verlyn, there is an important distinction. From sentence structure to personal motivation, this episode takes a deep look into what it means to be a “good writer.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 23, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Our host Kyla Sims chats with researcher and psychologist Dr. Sophie Wohltjen about the intricacies of human connection and what goes on in our brains when we look someone in the eye. Jennifer Britton joins in to discuss what it was like to work remotely before digital workspaces were even possible. From the neuroscience of eye contact to effective online leadership, this episode looks at whether we can really connect through remote work the same way we do face-to-face. Do you work in communicat...
Feb 09, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Getting lost in translation is bound to happen when languages, accents, and cultures collide. In this episode, our host Kyla Sims speaks to linguist and polyglot, Dr. Luis Miguel Rojas-Berscia, about how language works and what happens when languages and their variations don't quite line up. Global Communications Specialist, Heather Hansen, then weighs in on what we lose when we dub people “bad” English speakers. Hansen encourages us to stop being language snobs and shares her tips on understand...
Jan 26, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 8
WARNING: This episode deals with sensitive subject matter, including school shootings, sexual harassment, and racism. We all have to deliver bad news at some point, but is there a better way to do it? First, we will speak with Tangia Renee Estrada, Co-founder of BIPOC Podcast Creators and Amplify BIPOC, about her experiences as a crisis comms professional, her learnings, and her regrets. Next, we'll speak with Robin Stickley, a former Global News Canada journalist, who has delivered the news (go...
Jan 12, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 7
How are you? Most of us answer without really thinking about it. The truth is that many of us are not doing well — including those of us in the comms industry. In this episode, two brave communicators (Haleigh Brouillette, Sr. Comms Manager at Hudl & Tangia Renee Estrada, co-founder of BIPOC Podcast Creators and veteran communications pro) share their stories of burnout, loss, and mental health, to help break the stigma and start a conversation about how we're really feeling. Resources: Talk...
Dec 29, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 6
WARNING: This episode contains swearing, suggestive language, and references that some listeners may prefer to avoid. How does a simple font elicit such strong emotions? Is Comic Sans the villain we've made it out to be, or is it just misunderstood and misused? Listen in as Comic Sans stands trial for crimes against typeface, obstruction of font protocol and indecent exposure on documents both printed and digital. While the kangaroo court is in session, join host Kyla Sims and graphic designer C...
Dec 15, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 5
WARNING: This episode contains swearing, suggestive language, and references that some listeners may prefer to avoid. In this episode, Kyla sits down with Professor Timothy Jay, psycholinguist and the foremost expert on swearing and curse words. Together they unpack the origins of benign office jargon, how certain naughty words develop from childhood, and the story of one comedian's infamous bit that ended up in front of the Supreme Court. We also hear from Jennifer Saul, Chair in Social and Pol...
Dec 01, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Our host Kyla Sims sits down with Tech and Culture reporter Christianna Silva from Mashable. Together, they unpack why our world is obsessed with constantly trying to pursue internet virality. Patrick Yurick, Head Comic at MakingComics.com also joins the show to tell the tale of his own internet virality and what he learned. From unpacking the neuroscience to recounting stories of going viral for the wrong reasons, this episode will make you question whether going viral is really what it’s crack...
Nov 17, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode of Infernal Communication, host Kyla Sims sits down with microbiologist and science communicator Dr. Siouxsie Wiles to talk about arguably the most successful communication campaign of our generation. Together Kyla and Dr. Wiles walk us through the journey of collaborating with award-winning illustrator Toby Morris to make "flatten the curve" go viral and potentially saving millions of lives, to the aftermath and fallout. Do you work in communications? Join us at Staffbase's VOIC...
Nov 03, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In this episode of Infernal Communication, Kyla sits down with Director of Design Strategy at Mural and author Stephen P. Anderson, to get to the heart of the intangible request that infuriates communicators and designers alike: "Make it pretty." They dive into Stephen's article “In Defence of Eye Candy” and discuss the value of “Beauty” as a design concept and what pitfalls professionals make in trying to capture it. Then we go even deeper with Forbes contributor, and disability and beauty advo...
Oct 20, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Communication is hard. Being a communications professional is even harder. In each episode of Infernal Communication, we take a deeper look at the wild little fires communicators have to put out every day. We stop, drop and uncover the surprising reach of these oh-so-common problems in internal comms and beyond. Join Kyla from Staffbase as she recruits authors, scientists, and experts to help get some fresh perspectives that will soothe the burn of your latest communication snafu, and help you t...
Aug 18, 2022•2 min
