If Susan McPherson's career has a theme, it's that a business should make the world a better place. Her communications agency McPherson Strategies focuses on corporate social responsibility, and McPherson herself advises women-led startups such as Hint Water (where she's also an investor) as well as in non-profits such as Girls Who Code and the Lower Eastside Girls Club. We talked to her about connecting people, managing an eternal to-do list, and working with a remote team.
Now that everyone has a blog and two podcasts, you don't have to be a rarified expert to field questions from a journalist, or to appear as a guest on a show. Talking to the media can be exciting but terrifying. What if they misquote you? What if they secretly want to do a hit piece on you? What if you're so boring that they cancel the show forever?
The Equifax data breach, in which 143 million accounts were compromised and which might have years-long consequences for consumers, was historic in its scope and potential for damage. But it's also notable for how extraordinarily badly the company, at least from a public-relations standpoint, handled the fallout.
Picture the scene: You're socialising with co-workers and decide to let off a little steam by joking about how annoying Mary from accounts is. Maybe you even accompany your act with, say, an imitation of Mary's mannerisms or voice. And you're overheard. Mary is enraged and mortified; you wish you had stopped at two drinks or maybe that someone had stuffed your head in the punch bowl before you got up a head of steam. What do you do?
