Earning Your Seat

Hear more from Dan Nestle by listening to his full episode of Earning Your Seat here!In this bitesize episode of Earning Your Seat, Dino Delic revisits his conversation with Dan Nestle, a veteran communications strategist, the Founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, host of the podcast The Trending Communicator, and a leading voice in the discourse around AI. While AI can be a powerful tool for individual use, Dan highlights the significant gaps in AI literacy and the cultural barriers that organizations face when trying to implement AI at scale.Dan has also co-founded Lilypath, a company that’s pioneering AI-powered solutions to help interpret and evaluate professional authority, creating new standards for how authority is understood in the digital age. Dan shares insights on how AI adoption isn’t just about the tools or training, but about creating a culture that fosters experimentation and collaboration. He explains that true AI integration requires overcoming policy limitations, addressing governance friction, and embracing a mindset where learning and failure are part of the journey.This episode is a must-listen for team leaders, communicators, and anyone looking to understand the organizational hurdles of adopting AI and how to overcome them.Earning Your Seat is a Meltwater podcast.Episode Highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Earning Your Seat(00:16) Dino’s daily use of AI and the personal workflow challenge(00:34) Scaling AI from personal use to team-wide adoption(00:53) Dan Nestle on moving AI from individual habit to organizational capability(01:00) The gap between individual AI upskilling and organizational readiness(01:20) Addressing AI literacy gaps across teams(01:43) The friction caused by governance and policies in AI adoption(02:12) Cultural barriers hindering AI scaling in organizations(02:30) AI adoption is more than just training; it’s about culture(02:43) Getting the whole team comfortable with AI(03:00) The importance of leadership in creating an AI-friendly environment(03:37) Scaling AI is about culture, not just tools(03:49) Leaders experimenting publicly with AI to reduce barriers for teamsFollow Earning Your Seat:Connect with Dan Nestle: http://linkedin.com/in/nestleDino Delic, Head of the Data-Driven Comms Research Lab on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinodelic/Genevieve Brammall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevieve-brammall/Stephanie Lerdall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniesheppard/Sign up for the weekly “Now What” newsletter: https://ddc-research-lab.beehiiv.com/subscribeResources:Take the Data-Driven Communications Free AssessmentReady to see where you stand with Data-Driven Communications? Take the DDC Assessment and get your personalized report to explore the framework at https://bit.ly/meltwater-ddc-assessmentJoin the Data-Driven Communications Community: https://community.meltwater.com/p/ddcGet in Touch With UsIf you have any questions about this interview, email us at [email protected]

Hear more from Johna Burke by listening to her full episode of Earning Your Seat here!Most communications leaders think credibility with leadership comes from better data, stronger dashboards, and more polished reports. But what if the opposite is true?In this bitesize episode of “Earning Your Seat,” Dino Delic is joined by Johna Burke, CEO of AMEC, to challenge one of the most common assumptions in communications. Johna argues that credibility isn’t built on the certainty of your data, it’s built on your willingness to question it.Johna shares practical ways communicators can move from simply reporting numbers to becoming trusted advisors. From auditing past reports and challenging flawed methodologies to inviting contrarian perspectives, she explains how intellectual honesty and scrutiny can strengthen both your data and your influence.We also hear a real-world example of how small inconsistencies in measurement can lead to misleading results, and how applying the right discipline can transform the way teams evaluate success, especially in areas like social media and influencer engagement.This episode is a must-listen for communications leaders and practitioners who want to build credibility, challenge assumptions, and earn greater trust at the leadership table.Earning Your Seat is a Meltwater podcast.Episode Highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Earning Your Seat(00:16) The credibility question every comms leader faces(00:31) Why more data doesn’t build leadership trust(00:41) Credibility comes from challenging your data(01:03) Shift from reporting data to advising leaders(01:19) Stop being overly attached to your data(01:30) Audit your last five reports for credibility gaps(01:50) Why “perfect” data isn’t realistic(02:12) Connect data to real business outcomes(02:28) Use contrarians to pressure-test your data(03:40) Example: flawed campaign measurement(04:30) Fix inconsistent methods and briefings(05:27) Why reach fails for social and micro-influencers(06:24) Move from reporting numbers to owning the truth Connect with Johna Burke:Follow Johna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gojohnab/Discover AMEC: https://amecorg.com/Follow the Hosts of “Earning Your Seat” on LinkedIn:Dino Delic, Head of the Research Lab at Meltwater: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinodelic/Genevieve Brammall, Head of Consumer PR & Talent Relations at News Corp Australia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevieve-brammall/Stephanie Lerdall, Head of Corporate Communications at Morningstar, Inc.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniesheppard/Resources:Take the Data-Driven Communications free Maturity Assessment: https://bit.ly/meltwater-ddc-assessmentJoin the Data-Driven Communications Meltwater Community: https://community.meltwater.com/p/ddcSign up for the weekly “Now What” newsletter: https://ddc-research-lab.beehiiv.com/subscribeGet in touch with us: If you have any questions about this interview, email us at [email protected]