Powerful Communication Podcast

In this episode of the Powerful Communication Podcast, Colin Kelly from Comsteria dives deep into the fascinating world of costly signaling theory and the controversial small penis rule. This communication theory suggests that when a public figure admits a devastatingly uncomfortable truth, the public automatically assumes they are being honest about everything else. From Donald Trump and Boris Johnson to Scottish political figures like Lord Malcolm Offord and Ross Greer, Kelly explores how modern leaders are ditching the traditional PR gloss in favor of radical honesty. By unapologetically flaunting wealth or admitting their manifestos are unfunded, these figures captivate voters who are tired of fake politicians, earning them the ultimate pass: 'I don't like them, but at least they're honest.'  But is this refreshing candour genuine, or is it a deliberate, calculated manipulation tactic? Tune in to discover how this powerful communication strategy is reshaping our political discourse and why it might soon infiltrate the business world.

In this short and powerful episode, host Colin Kelly from Comsteria shares a personal story from his vocal coaching sessions to reveal a crucial lesson in leadership and self-development.    Discover why we sometimes fail to hit the high notes during routine "warm-ups" but manage to reach them when we are "up on the tight rope" of an actual performance. Colin explores how stepping out of your comfort zone, and giving your team members the opportunity to step up, can uncover hidden potential in your professional life.   Are you holding back, or are you ready to see what you can truly achieve when you are in the moment? Tune in to learn why taking that chance can elevate your career and help you discover what you and your team are truly capable of.   Plus, the podcast is expanding! If you would like to be profiled or interviewed in upcoming episodes, we want to hear from you. Email [email protected] to get involved.

Are you tired of just getting through your presentations and thinking, "Thank God that's over"? In this episode, we share a much better way to speak in public, whether you are chatting in a small team briefing or presenting on a massive conference stage. We dive into Comsteria Limited's signature "Purpose, Audience, Message" method to help you turn presentation panic into a genuine glow and sense of accomplishment. You will learn why you need to move beyond simply wondering what you want to say and how to say it.  Instead, we will show you how to start by defining a clear outcome or business objective—your true Purpose. Next, we discuss how to stop seeing your listeners as a "generic mass" and start connecting with them as real people with unique needs, problems, and barriers. Finally, we will teach you how to craft a perfectly tailored Message that actually inspires those specific people to take action. This simple framework will give you the discipline to stop rambling, build better rapport, and actually enjoy your time in the spotlight. Tune in to learn how to make a lasting improvement to your communication skills, and don't forget to reach out to us at Comsteria if you are looking for personalised coaching, practice, and support!

Think you don't need media training just because you want to keep journalists at arm's length? Think again. In this episode, we break down why media training remains a crucial investment for senior professionals, politicians, and business leaders, even if you never plan on doing a traditional TV, radio, or newspaper interview. We explore two hidden realities of the modern professional landscape.   First, the mainstream media still holds a disproportionate amount of influence behind the scenes. We reveal how key stakeholders, like investors, banks, and community councils, rely on media monitoring agencies and daily clippings files to track industry moves. Earning a mention in the press carries serious professional currency, providing you with a credibility boost that can open doors before you even step into a meeting.   Second, you are already running a media organization. Whether your communications team needs a quick update for Instagram, you are hosting a company webinar, or you're appearing as a guest on a video podcast, the camera is everywhere. We discuss how proper training ensures you don't waste time stumbling through multiple awkward takes when a phone is inevitably shoved in your face.   Tune in to discover how practicing in a safe space gives you the agency to dictate exactly how your message is delivered. Stop crossing your fingers and hoping the spotlight goes away, and learn how a little extra shine can give you a massive competitive edge over everyone else in your field.

This guide from Comsteria provides essential advice for high-profile individuals on how to handle difficult media inquiries without resorting to dishonesty. Media trainer Colin Kelly argues that claiming an inability to comment is often a transparent lie that makes a speaker look defensive and invites further aggressive questioning. Instead, Colin advocates for total candour, suggesting that professionals should explicitly state they are unwilling to speak on a topic at that moment. By asserting this boundary truthfully, speakers maintain a position of strength and prevent journalists from exploiting inconsistencies in their story. This strategy helps politicians and executives navigate the pressures of public life while maintaining their integrity and personal agency. Ultimately, honest communication is the most effective way to manage a reputation during investigations or sensitive situations.

Colin Kelly of the communications firm Comsteria expresses deep gratitude for his company's recent growth and credits their success to a client-focused philosophy that prioritizes value over profit.  The core of his message encourages organizations to look beyond traditional corporate writing by harnessing the creative hobbies of their employees, such as music, fiction writing or animation. Kelly suggests that businesses should act as content publishers for their staff's artistic talents to build audience engagement without forced product placement. By empowering workers to use their skills in-house, companies can develop a unique brand presence that rivals large-scale media strategies.

In this podcast, Colin Kelly highlights trading card games like Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic: The Gathering as undervalued media assets with immense marketing potential. He compares the current independent media surrounding these games to the underground football fanzines of the 1990s, which allowed brands like Oasis to reach dedicated audiences at a fraction of typical costs. Kelly argues that because these players represent a diverse and affluent demographic, businesses should move away from expensive, overvalued traditional advertising. Instead, he suggests that companies can build brand awareness by sponsoring niche content or hosting gaming events in their own physical spaces. Ultimately, the source encourages entrepreneurs to tap into these high-loyalty communities to gain a competitive edge in a fragmented media landscape.

In this podcast Colin Kelly highlights how personalized touches and unexpected generosity can significantly strengthen the bond between e-commerce businesses and their customers. He shares a story about receiving a hand-written note and a small gift with an online order, suggesting that such gestures of goodwillc reate advocacy even if they do not lead to immediate repeat sales. Kelly also encourages sellers of digital products to provide physical tokens, like printable gift vouchers, to improve the consumer experience. He argues that many creators and small businesses underestimate the loyalty of their fans, who are often eager to provide financial support if given the right opportunities. Ultimately, the podcast serves as a call to action for entrepreneurs to prioritize human connection and creative merchandising to tap into existing market potential.

In an ultra competitive environment, don't get your friends to run your media training and crisis comms. It's absoltuely essential you get an insight into what people are saying about you. What assumptions the media are making about you and what stories they are looking to tell. A sympathetic outsider will be worth their weight in gold. Someone who isn't afraid to spell out how it is and then help you gain the upper hand. 

This podcast episode from the Powerful Communication Podcast features Colin Kelly emphasizing the critical need for individuals to exercise their influence rather than deferring action until they achieve perceived success. Kelly illustrates this principle using the recent example of musician Olivia Dean, who used her platform to successfully challenge major corporations over exorbitant secondary ticket resale prices. Dean's swift, public communication resulted in companies like Ticketmaster agreeing to both refund fans who paid above face valueand cap future resale prices within days. This narrative serves as the central argument that people must use their power and stand by their values immediately instead of delaying principled action until they feel safe or established. Kelly concludes by encouraging listeners to tap into their fundamental purpose, asserting that effective communication is akin to the irresistible power of a crying baby whose instincts command unavoidable attention and rapid results.

Colin Kelly from the powerful communication podcast from Comteria examines the significant lessons available following the disruptive Celtic Annual General Meeting (AGM). The meeting was closed after continuous protest and disruption, including shouting, booing, and showing red cards, preventing shareholders from asking questions in the open format.   The episode argues that Celtic PLC should have anticipated the protests, given prior fan statements and protests at games, knowing that many unhappy protestors were also shareholders. A key communication failure was placing Chairman Peter Lawwell in the weak position of appealing directly to shareholders to behave.   Kelly advocates for having an independent, good communicator host the proceedings, representing the venue rather than the PLC, to handle enforcement of rules—a tactic mirrored by venue security procedures often used in situations like WWE wrestling events. Furthermore, the episode critiques the decision of a major majority shareholder to send his son to read a pre-prepared statement that used "tough language" about behavior and disruption, arguing that this was asking for trouble, especially since the shareholder was not prepared to face the people being referenced.   Based on the events, Kelly states he would be very surprised if Peter Lawwell remains in post.

In this episode of the Powerful Communication Podcast, host Colin Kelly explores why it is vital for board members, owners, shareholders, and "silent partners" to cultivate some form of public profile and speak out.   The central argument is that silence creates risk: If the only time the public hears from governance leaders is when a crisis occurs, they have done nothing to build goodwill, rapport, or a relationship. This absence of communication means that when something goes wrong, the public might not trust or like the leaders because they were never given an opportunity to get to know them.   Learn why the typical governance argument—that boards should not "tread on toes" or speak when the day-to-day management team should be addressing issues—is often used as a shield or a diversion to justify avoiding public engagement.   Kelly discusses real-world examples, including situations involving Historic Environment Scotland and Celtic football club, where the anonymity of leaders resulted in a vacuum filled with rumor, speculation, and innuendo. He argues that proactive communication is good for transparency, democracy, and accountability.   Communication is a learnable skill, and leaders should embrace routes like social media or their own YouTube channel to give people the chance to get to know them. When leaders—like Sir Richard Branson—cultivate a reputation while things are good, the public is more likely to trust them when difficulties arise. Stepping into this truth brings "freedom" and "peace and security".

The Value Of Your Archive Welcome to another powerful communication podcast from Comsteria, hosted by Colin Kelly. Every business is, to some extent, in the content business, requiring written content, video, and audio to populate social media, bring internal communications to life, and drive specific business objectives. While many businesses are realizing that content holds real financial value, they often get caught in the cycle of having to create material from scratch. In this episode, Colin encourages clients to think about the immense value of their content archive. Drawing lessons from television and radio—industries that have long understood that they do not always need to create things from scratch—we explore how to maximize the value of your existing materials. You will learn how to ensure your content has a proper lifecycle by recycling and repurposing it across different formats, instead of just putting it out once and crossing your fingers. We discuss how to evaluate content to determine its ongoing value, where else it can be used, and when. The archive can contain "real gold", including material that was never even published. However, this value is only realized if the archive is properly managed and used. We detail the essential disciplines needed for an accessible archive, including: Labeling and tagging content correctly at the moment of creation. Ensuring content is stored securely, accessibly, and backed up (offline, offsite, and potentially in the cloud). Creating a non-laborious, searchable system so you can turn things around quickly and repurpose them. Whether you are digitizing materials from 20 or 50 years ago, or just starting good practices today, this podcast offers quick thoughts and insights on how to transform your content archive from mountains of forgotten stuff into a crucial business asset.

Colin Kelly takes a long, deep dive sharing his personal reflections on the history of the internet from 1996 to the present day.

Colin Kelly discusses a report in The Times Scotland about unruly behaviour in our schools. A report from the Commission On School Reform says the education system is struggling to cope with a growing problem of indiscipline.  Read the full article  Colin explores the issue and looks at the SNP government record on school exclusions since it came to power in 2007.   

Welcome to Comsteria's powerful communication podcast. This is Colin Kelly, and this episode is for every academic. For years, we've watched the tension, maybe conflict, maybe just a lack of understanding between academic experts and the PR and marketing teams trying to amplify their impact. If you've ever felt misunderstood or like your brilliant work isn't getting the attention it deserves, this is for you. We're cutting through the noise with practical, no-nonsense advice: ditch the two-and-a-half-page biography for a snappy intro, learn to stop talking after a 30-60 second answer (this isn't a lecture, it's a conversation!), and for goodness sake, don't reiterate what another academic just said – it's actually quite rude. Your academic reputation isn't the currency here; genuine connection is. This might be 'unfamiliar, scary territory', but it's where your work truly 'makes a difference' and your reputation grows. It's tough love, but it's what you need to go from ivory tower to impactful public voice. Suck it up and enjoy the empowerment. Share this with someone who needs it and get in touch if we can help you bring your work to life. Visit Comsteria's website  or call us on +44 141 628 8228.

We're going full on into a speculative vision of the future in this episode.  One where local businesses diversify into running radio stations and supermarkets employ journalists and produce local news. We also talk about the politics of Charles Dickens and how profit making enterprise can play a role in bringing communities and society back together.  Time will tell how accurate Colin Kelly's predictions are!

Straight talking advice for HR and comms professionals. In this episode, media trainer and strategic communications specialist Colin Kelly from Comsteria explores how businesses should respond to the current wave of protests around the UK government's immigraiton policy. If you need support with any aspect of your communications strategy, Comsteria is here to help.  Get in touch today by calling 0141 628 8228 or visit us online at www.comsteria.co.uk   In this episode of the Powerful Communication podcast, host Colin Kelly dives into the delicate balance between personal freedom and organizational values in the modern workplace. Drawing from real-world experiences in crisis communications and internal training, Colin explores how businesses are navigating the challenges of employee behavior—both online and offline. He discusses the impact of social media, the importance of upholding company values, and the consequences of failing to address disruptive conduct. With candid insights and practical examples, this episode is a must-listen for leaders, HR professionals, and anyone interested in the evolving dynamics of workplace culture and accountability.

Comsteria is here to help every organisation communicate with power.  And we want public relations, marketing and communications professionals to achieve their full potential.  Subscribe our podcast for straight talking advice and insight to super charge your career. And visit our website for training and consultancy incouding media relations, presentation skills, crisis comms, video and podcast production and AI training for comms teams. 

We can't let the summer pass without celebrating this Powerful Communication hero of ours. You might not know Zoe Lister (although she's working very hard to change that!) but you'll certainly know her voice. And we think there's loads to learn from the way she has proactively seized opportunities presented by big changes in her industry instead of sitting around whining. Have a listen to find out more and get in touch with us if you'd like to supercharge your own profile. 

Colin Kelly with reaction following the former Principal of Dundee University's appearance at the Scottish Parliament's Education Commitee.

It's perfectly natural to feel excited or a bit scared when you're about to speak in public.  Whether it's a big audience at a conference, a small group at work or that strange sensation that comes with Teams and Zoom, being in the spotlight can feel strange. Sometimes, this manifests in physical ways. You might perspire. Feel shaky. Or suddenly acquite a washing machine on the spin cycle in your stomach. In this short episode of Comsteria's Powerful Communication podcast, Colin Kelly shares some advice on getting the nerves and adrenaline under control. We help people every day get their messages across with clarity and personality. Get in touch and let's chat about what we can do for you.

The days of 'leaders' or any senior figure in an organisation 'flying under the radar' are over.  You need to let people in, give them the chance to get to know you, and above all, spend time listening to them. This cultivates goodwill and gives you the benefit of the doubt when the heat's on. I think some senior figures in organisations shy away from media engagement and speaking in public because deep down inside they believe themselves to be arrogrant, elitist and out of touch. If that's you - you're probably right. And the bad news is the clock's ticking. But the good news is, it's never too late to change. And we are here to help. It might be that the organisation or the job you're doing has made you like this. There's a culture you've had to fit into and it's made you someone you hardly recognise.  You've convinced yourself you're 'not good with people' or that you 'don't need people' or even worse you tell yourself 'people don't want to see me'. Let us here at Comsteria put that right. It starts with showing up and we can support you as you make the necessary changes and become a modern, visible leader. Our work with you will be highly confidential.  Call us anytime on 0141 628 8228 or visit our website. Executive media and presentation skills training for leaders who are ready to change.     

When you give an interview to the media, you can get powerful results by using a key statistic as a 'hook'. Journalists are trained to look for these as they can make stories more engaging and give them a sense of urgency. There's a great example today in the story from Police Scotland about how easy it is for online paedophiles to make contact with childen 'within 30 seconds' of trying. The use of that tangible number stops the audience in its tracks, gives the whole story a new dimension that we haven't heard before and is being used in headlines across the board. Here's Comsteria's founder and media trainer Colin Kelly to explain more and highlighting what you can learn from this. 

Here's a clip from a recent writing workshop delivered by Comsteria's Colin Kelly. We love to tackle corporate jargon whenever we encounter it. The trick is always to focus on your audience and challenge any words or phrases that they wouldn't use in every day speech. There are lots of redudndant, empty phrases uses on websites, social media and in interviews where the writer or speaker - for whatever reason - uses a jargon phrase instead of what they really want to say. Here's some advice on what you might do instead.  Looking to improve your writing? Our 'Writing Engaging Online Content' video on demand training is availale to watch right now.

I've seen a lot of business leaders end up overwhelmed because the comms colleague briefing them before their media interview gives them far too much information. This is often done with good intentions (better to include too much than risk missing out something important) but it can have negative consequences because the interviewee can't possibly remember everything. In this episode of Comsteria's Powerful Communication podcast, our media trainer Colin Kelly shares some advice on how comms profesisonals should take briefs from journalists and use that information to prepare their colleagues ahead of the interview. And listen to the end for essential advice about how to deal with journalists who betray your trust. 

Comsteria's Colin Kelly outlines his QCARDS system for evaluating AI tools. If you are thinking of using a particular AI software within your marketing, comms or PR role, consider evaluating each tool against the following criteria: Q - Quality. Can the tool do the job to a higher standard than I can? C - Cost. How much does it cost? Explore the limits and potential savings by, perhaps paying annually or accessing the tool via the API. A - Access. Does this tool enable people who might lack particular technical skills to do the job? Does the technology widen access to our profession or team? R - Reputation. What's the reputation of the tool? Can you trust the people behind it? Do you know who they are? If your clients, customers and other stakeholders knew you were using this tool in the course of your work, what would they think? D - Duplication. Does this AI tool reduce or eliminate duplication for your work? S - Safety. Is the tool safe? What are the privacy credentials? How does it work? Is the information the results are based on from a safe source? What measure are you putting in place to ensure your use of the tool complies with your commitments and responsibilities? Comsteria delivers AI training for PR, comms and marketing professionals and small business owners. Contact us today and join our Powerful Communication revolution. 

We're often asked to give advice to clients interested in starting their own podcast. In this episode, Colin Kelly shares some thoughts around what it takes to find an audience for your podcast and how to make it stand out.  He also looks at the emerging trend for location or topic based email newsletters, such as the Edinbnurgh Minute on Substack.  Might it be possible that the publishers of these newsletters might be interested in using some of your podcast content? So rather than building an audience entirely of your own, from scratch, you could provide some content to someone who has already built the audience you're interested in? Comsteria has been helping businesses and organisations of all sizes cut through and get attention since 2012. We deliver media training, social media training, crisis comms, PR support, video production and much more.  Get in touch to discuss what we can do for you.

Your sceptical friend, Colin Kelly, suggests remaining cautious when surveys seem to throw your current approach to digital marketing up in the air. What's really going on and who should you trust? What should you do? Help is at hand!

00:00:00:09 - 00:00:41:00 Speaker 1 Unlimited inventory is the scourge of powerful communication. Let me say that again. Unlimited inventory is the scourge of powerful communication. You know, it's not PowerPoint that causes death by PowerPoint. There's no problem with PowerPoint. The issue with PowerPoint is you can always add another slight. The problem with your website is we can always add another page. If you're using AI, if you're writing in Microsoft Word, whatever you're doing, you can just keep going and keep going and keep going and adding more and more and more. 00:00:41:02 - 00:01:20:20 Speaker 1 We've got unlimited data on a lot of our phones. We've got unlimited storage on a lot of our devices. We need to stop. We need to impose some restrictions on ourself. If you listen to some of the great creative minds in art, they'll tell you that creativity comes from the restrictions, from the format, or from a scarcity. I have to make this, collage, but I can only use pebbles of a certain size. 00:01:20:22 - 00:01:54:04 Speaker 1 I have to make this song, but I can only play these two instruments, and I've only got 2.5 minutes and three chords. There's a freedom and the creativity that, ironically, comes from the scarcity and the restriction. What we've got in modern communications is we've got absolute abundance. We've got unlimited inventory, and we've lost the gatekeeper because nobody wants to be the bad person anymore. 00:01:54:06 - 00:02:32:08 Speaker 1 The awkward customer that says, no, you're not publishing that. No, that can't go on. No, we don't have space. No, that's not a good use of resources. No, the audience doesn't want the unlimited inventory lets us just run riot. And it dilutes and diminishes the product and overwhelms our audience. I'm turning on an old hack now because of my roots in journalism and newspapers and linear, old fashioned broadcasting, where the news bulletin had to be three minutes. 00:02:32:10 - 00:03:19:23 Speaker 1 That's it. Or the newspaper had to have 36 pages. And of, Only very, very rarely would they add additional inventory to the newspaper. Limiting the inventory will improve the quality of your work. It will lead to constructive discussions with your colleagues, decision making, and a far greater respect for the audience. The audience's Steve Jobs says the audience don't really know what they want to tell you, that they like all the freedom and the looseness and the no rules of podcasts and, you know, choose whatever you like from Netflix and all that stuff. 00:03:19:23 - 00:03:56:15 Speaker 1 But the truth is that the audience needs an element of curation. They need to be told what's important. They need you to prioritize the information that you give them. And if you can do that, then you will win their trust and respect. And ultimately you will gain influence, which I'm assuming is exactly what you want. If this strikes a chord, you're most welcome to subscribe to this podcast or get in touch with us here at Comm Studio. 00:03:56:15 - 00:04:07:07 Speaker 1 We can send you our training and consultancy brochure. We can talk about what you need to get the results that you want. Thanks very much for listening. Share this with someone who needs it.  

Almost every business will advertise at some point in its existence. I realised we have hardly mentioned advertising on this channel and I wanted to share 2 quick bits of advice today. For more on every aspect of #powerfulcommunication visit Comsteria. From video production and podcasts, to media training, presentation skills and crisis comms our training helps businesses like yours every day.

An embarassing encounter at the supermarket reminded me to tell you about this.

Here's a deep dive inside local newspapers and in particular the work of the local democracy reporting service. In this episode, Colin Kelly explores page by page, today's Paisley Daily Express explaining where the stories come from, how the newspaper comes together and its relationship with other titles in its group. Find out more about the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Media training courses from Comsteria.  Local news is still alive and it matters. 

It's amazing how many communications teams do neither.  Work with me and we can change that in 2025. www.comsteria.co.uk

Rule Number 1 - assume everything you say is being recorded. You might know this already.  I bet there's someone working near you who's forgotten and could put your business at risk in 2025. Share this and remind them.  https://www.comsteria.co.uk

We need to realise that demographic cohorts (Baby Boomers / Generation X etc) are lazy marketing constructs with no more value than horoscopes. I'd urge communications professionals to stop referring to these and to resist the urge to label and divide particular generations. It simply doesn't follow that someone born in 1975 is automatically more likely to exhibit particular behaviours, attitudes or cultural preferences than someone born in 2001 simply because of the generation they belong to. Real life and human beings are far more complex and sophisticated than that. We all have much more in common than that. What began as a semi helpful method of targetting marketing towards certain groups has completely overtaken its original premise and now causes uneccessary, damaging division in society and in many workplaces. We should say 'no' to demographic cohorts and support people who are so needy that they  cling to them and adopt behaviours they think they ought to because they've read something telling them they should have a particular character trait because of when they were born. If you're with me, share this. If you're not, get in touch and tell me why.   www.comsteria.co.uk/contact

If you deliver training and consultancy and ask clients 'what are your business objectives?', you might not be getting the full picture. At Comsteria, we probe a little deeper! LIsten to this episode and find out how we do it. www.comsteria.co.uk

Unnamed sources have an important role to play when it comes to exposing wrongdoing, whistleblowing and corruption. But they've become overused in much of our media and run rampant online with no controls or accountability. Worse, they give rise to the myth that there's a secret elite of connected 'insiders' that know more than you and me.  It's time we called out this nonsense and made sure unnamed sources and people who quote them are held to a higher standard. 

Comsteria's Colin Kelly delivers Linkedin traning and is getting asked this question A LOT! Here's a quick explainer.  Visit Comsteria online and find out more about our training and consultancy work, all designed to help you communicate with power!  www.comsteria.co.uk

It's time the poltical podcast chataratti realised just how out of touch they are.