ICON - IC Connected Podcast by Sparrow Connected - Internal Comms

“You have to have a culture of empowerment. Employees have to be able to make decisions. If there's a bottleneck, if they always have to go to management before they make a decision or make something right for our customers, you lose something.” - Chris Izquierdo, CEO, Sparrow Connected   Julie Ford connects with Chris Izquierdo, the CEO of Sparrow Connected, live from Edmonton, Alberta to discuss the company’s recent recognition as one of Canada’s Top Startup Employers.    Chris Izquierdo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisizquierdo/   Julie Ford: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Book a Free 30-Minute Consult - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/book-consultation   Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

Julie Ford talks to Priya Bates, founder and president of Inner Strength Communication, and Advita Patel, renowned author and speaker and the founder of CommsRebel. Together they talk about building a culture of inclusivity, the challenges of internal communication in fostering diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI), and why it’s important for internal comms pros to bridge the gap in their knowledge on DEI for effective internal communication and overall success of the organization.       Advita Patel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/advitapatel/  Priya Bates: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyabates/  Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

"I want to encourage all internal communications professionals to be bold, to look at your data and what you've learned in your campaigns, to try new things, and to put forward a really sound playbook and strategy. And then once you have that firmed up, be courageous about it, be ready to stand for it."  - Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee, IT Communications Manager, Perkins Coie LLP   Julie Ford talks to Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee, a non-traditional communications pro in a traditional industry, with DePaul Double Demon degrees in political science and in information systems. Together, they indulge in an insightful conversation about the people effect and keeping it human when it comes to internal communication.       Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-k-4465955a/  Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

“Given the size of the sector, and the number of people we're trying to communicate to on a daily basis, within the healthcare field, who are not sitting at a computer, it's hard to get this group with a quick email. So, there's so much opportunity to think about how we could serve these teams in a better way. Why are we still tolerating things like intranets? Why would we think that people who are doing a job away from a desk, would be using this platform as the primary way to get their updates?”   - Jesse Cressman-Dickinson, Director of Communication and Community Engagement, Bruyère   Julie Ford engages in an insightful conversation with Jesse Cressman-Dickinson, Director of Communication and Community Engagement at Bruyère, on the critical importance of internal communication in the healthcare industry, where lives literally depend on it. Together, they explore the future of intranets, reaching the entire deskless workforce in every industry beyond Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, and what happens when internal communication is turned off.     Jesse Cressman-Dickinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessecressmandickinson/  Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

“We're in transformation right at this moment, and everybody is now grappling to get their heads around AI and how it works. My fear is that internal communication professionals will do exactly what we did with the advent of social media. And that is, we kind of waited. It was coming along, and we sat back. We need to be at the forefront and exploring this technology, not fearing it, but exploring it.”   - Adrian Cropley, Founding Director, Center for Strategic Communication Excellence   Julie Ford speaks with Adrian Cropley, a renowned strategic communication expert and founding director of the Center for Strategic Communication Excellence, on the intersection of internal comms and artificial intelligence. Adrian shares his profound insights on the rapid advancement of AI technology and the importance of equipping IC professionals with the necessary tools and strategies to harness its potential.   Adrian Cropley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cropleycommunications/   Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/