We've Got Issues

This month we were excited to welcome our own Executive Vice President, Rich Copp, who leads up our healthcare and mission-focused teams at IMG, as a guest on We’ve Got Issues. Rich came to our firm after serving as the Vice President of Communications and chief spokesperson for Mass General Brigham for 13 years. His impressive career also includes various senior communications roles at the Massachusetts Hospital Association and Brockton Hospital, as well time spent as the director of communications for two secretaries of health and human services.

During our conversation, Rich shared his insight into how the role of communication has changed in healthcare in the aftermath of the pandemic, and where the pain points are today for the healthcare sector in Greater Boston. He also helped to dispel some of the most common misconceptions out there today about the American healthcare system and shared some of the trends in healthcare that he’s keeping an eye on this year.

In this episode we sit down with two-time Super Bowl champion and local radio personality, Christian Fauria, to talk about what his transition from the NFL to on-air radio personality was like, how other well-known athletes have handled similar transitions into broadcasting careers, and what his advice is for rookies preparing to enter the media spotlight. 

Christian’s impressive NFL career as a tight end speaks for itself, but arguably his most important job began in 2019, when his son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The experience inspired Christian to become a staunch advocate and fundraiser for diabetes-related research and treatment, and launch the Christian Fauria 25-Hour Crusade for a Cure that same year. To date, the multimedia event has raised more than $550,000 in support of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). During our conversation, Christian shares what his experience navigating his son’s diabetes diagnosis has been like, and how his advocacy and the public’s support can help make a real difference in the fight against the disease. We hope you enjoy the conversation! 

With the holiday season upon us, and so many people enjoying well-deserved time off for vacation, we recorded a special episode of We’ve Got Issues answering frequently asked questions about communications and Public Relations.

In this episode we cover a variety of topics, including how to position yourself and your company’s key executives as thought leaders, navigating a reputational crisis, and best practices for dealing with trolls on social media. If you’d like to hear us answer your question on an upcoming episode, follow us on social media, @issues_group on Twitter, and issues_group on Instagram, and comment with your questions.

In this episode of We've Got Issues, we speak to Christina Gordon, CEO and Co-Founder of The Women’s Foundation of Boston. During our conversation, Gordon explained how investing in women and girls leads to a multiplier effect of resources, time and effort being put back into the community, and why it’s so important to support nonprofits that solely focus on that demographic. We also discussed The Women’s Foundation of Boston’s unique approach to grantmaking, and how the organization is planning for its next five years and beyond, with a focus on sustainability and expansion. We hope you enjoy listening!

In this episode, we speak to on-air personality, Jordan Rich! Listeners will likely recognize his voice from the long-running, overnight, Jordan Rich Show, or the many other shows he has or currently hosts for WBZ. Rich is also the co-owner of Chart Productions, an audio/video company in Boston, where he produces and hosts several podcasts and shows, and a national voice-over artist and coach, as well as celebrity auctioneer, keynote speaker and master of ceremonies.

During our conversation, Rich shared his perspective on the evolution of radio, and how the media landscape has shifted in light of the rise of podcasts. We also discussed what role radio/audio media plays in a given communications strategy, and the most memorable interview Rich has ever done. We hope you enjoy the episode!

In our most recent episode of We’ve Got Issues, we had the pleasure of speaking with M.E. Malone, the Deputy Director of the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety.

Prior to joining the Betsy Lehman Center in 2014, Malone spent 25 years as a journalist covering government affairs. During our conversation we discussed a variety of important health and safety topics, with a focus on using effective communications to produce the highest level of medical care in Massachusetts.

In this special episode of We’ve Got Issues, we sit down with our boss and the CEO and Managing Partner of Issues Management Group, Dan Cence, to discuss our agency’s new name, and his biggest takeaways since acquiring the firm in January of 2020. Dan touches on the evolution of communications and public affairs, and shares his perspective on leading a company virtually for more than two years. We hope you enjoy listening! 

In this episode we speak to The Boston Globe's Deputy Business Editor, Tim Logan, to discuss what headlines are catching his attention right now, and how the unceasingly active Boston real estate market has evolved over the last few years. Tim also shares how the pandemic and the rise of hybrid work has impacted the journalism industry, and how the development industry has approached efforts to increase diversity in the field. We hope you enjoy!

In this episode we sit down with MassBio’s President & Chief Operating Officer, Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, to discuss the explosive growth Boston’s life science industry has experienced over the last five years, and how she is supporting MassBio’s more than 1,500 member organizations in overcoming some of the industry's toughest challenges. During our discussion, Kendalle shares how MassBio is employing strategic communication to invest in DEI while holding its member organizations accountable as well. She also describes what her experience was like watching MassBio’s members create and distribute multiple vaccines for COVID-19 in record time, and what such a significant breakthrough means for the industry at large. We hope you enjoy the episode!

The latest episode of & Then Some features a conversation with Zineb Curran, Chief Communications Officer for Fenway Sports Group and our beloved Boston Red Sox.

In this episode, Zineb discusses a variety of fascinating subjects including how she got from her home country of Morocco to Boston, changes in the sports communications landscape since she started at Fenway Sports Group, and how the sports industry needs more women.