Learn Speak Teach Episode #128 with Mike Swenson.

They say, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” But here’s reality: most businesses don’t. They operate without a crisis plan, and when trouble hits, they scramble to react instead of leading with confidence and communicating from one simple voice.

In this episode, Ben Albert sits down with veteran crisis communications strategist Mike Swenson, a man with over 30 years of experience helping fast-growing brands and iconic organizations weather their toughest storms. Mike shares powerful real-life stories that will change the way you think about preparedness as a business or organization.

For example, he recalls a 1990s case study involving Jack in the Box. The restaurant chain found itself in crisis due to one of its suppliers, but for the sake of its brand, the company had to take full accountability-illustrating the critical importance of owning the narrative during challenging times.

Mike Swenson and Sam Meers host The Kansas City Marketing Legends podcast. They interviewiew the people who built the marketing community in Kansas. Mike also runs Crisis Trak as his service outlet.

Listen to this episode and learn how to create a crisis plan that works when you need it most, from building your team and crafting crisis messages to communicating effectively during a crisis.

During this episode, you will learn about:

[00:00 ] Trailer

[01:11 ] Crisis plans for businesses

[02:14 ] Reactive vs. proactive in business

[04:37 ] Crisis examples

[08:00 ] Crisis track process

[17:06 ] Accountability in crisis messaging

[19:25 ] Jack in the Box case study

[22:42 ] How Mike got into crisis management

[28:24 ] Political crises

[31:08 ] Filtering the noise

[34:07 ] Mike’s most rewarding PR projects

[41:06 ] Mike’s entrepreneurship journey

[48:22 ] Steps to resisting crises

[50:52 ] Connect with Mike Swenson

Website: https://crisistrak.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeswenson1/ 

Key Takeaways:  

• “A crisis doesn’t have to be your fault to impact your business.” ~ Mike Swenson [06:05 ]

• Filter out the noise so you can focus on what really matters. ~ Mike Swenson [29:00 ]

• You can’t run a business long-term without facing a crisis at some point. ~ Mike Swenson [48:44 ]

People Mentioned and Other Resources:

1. Jack in the Box

2. March of Dimes

Keep In Touch with Mike Swenson:

Website: https://crisistrak.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeswenson1/ 

Podcast: https://www.kcmarketinglegends.com/ 

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