Celebrate 10 Years: Something a Decade in Communications Taught Me
Ten years ago, I had just survived the loss of a lifetime and knew I had outgrown the agency I was at as I spent my time daydreaming of a better way to do communications with a notebook full of ideas and no real idea how far this would go. This year, I’m celebrating a full decade of Communications with Linsey shaping how clients and our own brand show up in the world.
A decade ago it was an era when communications leaned heavily on polish and control. Today, the work looks different and so does what audiences respond to. My approach has evolved into conscious communications: helping legacy leaders show up with integrity and authenticity, not just a well-rehearsed script. In a time where audiences can spot "manufactured" from a mile away, that shift has made all the difference.
The early years: When I started, the job was mostly about pitching journalists, chasing coverage, hoping for a mention. It was hustle-driven work, polished and image-first, and it taught me something that shapes everything I do now: visibility without a clear message doesn't build anything lasting.
The turning point: Somewhere around year four, the work shifted. Instead of asking "how do I get this covered," I started asking "what does this person need to start saying now, and how do they need to say it, to get audience visibility?" That's the difference between publicity and authority. It became the throughline of projects the last few years: developing branding for The National Hypertension Control Roundtable, solidifying Elation Health as the most trusted primary care technology platform, and guiding Texas Doula Association despite the current crises.
A more conscious approach to communications: The biggest shift over the last half decade hasn't just been in tactics, it's been in philosophy. Ten years ago, communications was still about controlling the message: polished talking points, curated images, saying the safest version of a truth audiences could handle. Today's audiences don't respond to this front anymore. They can see when its coming, and they've come to distrust it.
My approach has evolved right alongside this shift in trust, towards what I call conscious communications: leading with integrity, transparency, and real point of view instead of managed perfection. It's a harder standard to meet, and it's the only one that I’ve found works. Audiences today aren't looking for spokespeople who sound rehearsed. They're looking for people who sound true.
What this means for you: The thing I’ve seen over and over again is that most leaders have real expertise, they just haven't yet gained the skills needed to translate it into something a journalist, a stage, or a podcast host can use and increasingly, the leaders who break through are the ones willing to be authentic, not just polished. That gap is closable, and it's exactly the type of skills I help spokespeople develop with confidence.
Find out where you stand: To mark ten years of this work, I’m offering a complimentary Authority Audit, to assess your spokesperson potential and media readiness, grounded in the same conscious, authenticity-first approach hundreds of other media trained spokespeople have succeeded using.
Take my (free!) Authority Audit today → HERE
Cheers to the last ten years and to everyone I get to help build alongside during the next ten. Tell me your favorite story of us from the last ten years: Let me know.
Want to explore more about why an Authority Audit matters now? Dive into the full story on Substack.
