Ready to stand out from the crowd? Bospar’s Jessica Shein and Caroline Kamerschen are your guides to conquering SXSW! In this week's episode, we reveal how tech companies can rise above the frenzy of SXSW. Learn how to nail early media outreach, create buzzworthy booth experiences, arm yourself with killer virtual assets, and harness the power of a…

Dive into the wild world of CES 2024 with host Eric Chemi and his Bospar colleagues as they unpack the tech conference's most fascinating moments. From the AI explosion that dominated every booth to the surprising rise of content creators over traditional media, this episode offers an insider's view of the whole event. Prepare for next year's CES a…

This week our "politely pushy" PR agency celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special episode featuring industry leaders and long-time collaborators. The episode showcases the agency's journey from its founding to becoming a powerhouse in the PR world. Guests include: Curtis Sparrer, Bospar's Principal and co-founder, who reflects on the agency's…

Join us for an insightful episode featuring Tomio Geron, a seasoned journalist turned tech insider and content lead at Bospar. With his extensive background in covering technology, venture capital, and startups, Tomio shares his unique insights on the challenges of communicating complex tech concepts. Discover the intricacies of startup life, the s…

In this episode, we dive into the diverse world of Jeff Wilser, a versatile journalist, author, and the curious mind behind the podcast "AI-Curious.” As the host of his podcast, Jeff brings his unique perspective to the rapidly evolving field of AI. With eight books under his belt and bylines in Time and GQ, Jeff shares insights on his unconvention…

According to Lydia Dishman, the ethics of AI is a played-out topic. As the senior editor of growth and engagement, Lydia can expect nearly 200 emails daily, still receiving pitches featuring exhaustive best practices and what-ifs. Nearly two years after the explosion of AI, theories won’t cut it anymore. In this episode of Politely Pushy, Lydia urg…

Meet Todd Eury, the CEO of Pharmacy Podcast Network, the world’s largest network of podcasts dedicated to pharmacy professionals. In this episode of Politely Pushy, Todd, also known as the Rx Podfather, shares his passion for connecting pharmacists to new audiences and markets. Tune into the latest episodes spanning 30+ podcast shows: https://pharm…

In this episode, The Globe and Mail technology reporter Sean Silcoff discusses his fascination with the Canadian start-up scene and his decision to pursue a journalism career. Tune in as Sean recounts his origins in tech and venture capital journalism and his process for tracking down modern-day unicorns. Keep up with Sean’s latest work: https://ww…

In this episode, ComputerWorld columnist Evan Schuman discusses his journey in tech and B2B journalism. Evan shares his insights on AI's over-promising in generative technology, the challenges of privacy compliance, and his prediction on the decline of cyber insurance for enterprises. He also discusses the importance of tailoring stories to the aud…

Award-winning freelance journalist Mary K. Pratt prefers to keep a low profile, giving her a unique opportunity to approach her work with a clean slate and unjaded by public opinion. In this episode, Mary and Eric discuss her career in journalism, including her latest venture, launching a community newspaper. Twenty-four years of experience has sha…

Jacob Robbins returns to Politely Pushy to share media relations wisdom as PitchBook’s venture capital reporter. Throughout the episode, Jacob shares his do's and don'ts when pitching and navigating the PR-to-journalist relationship. On a final note, Jacob discusses the role of AI leading up to the presidential election and the future of politics a…

In this episode, Eric Chemi chats with GOBankingRates senior writer Nicole Spector about her journey from freelance writing across entertainment and pop culture to full-time journalism in the finance industry. Tune in as Nicole shares her insights into the evolving media landscape and how the current economic climate and upcoming election influence…

Freelance technology journalist Adrian Bridgwater sits down with Eric Chemi in this episode of Politely Pushy. Tune in as Adrian shares his experience publishing work with Computer Weekly, Forbes, Techzine, Techstrong, and other digital publications. Keep up with Adrian’s latest work here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianbridgwater/…

Microsoft, Apple, and Google all began as small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), eventually growing into the mega corporations we know today. During that growth, these corporations scaled their processes while simultaneously scaling what made them unique. In this episode of Politely Pushy, Tom Fitzgerald, CFO at Earnest & Associates, joins Eric t…

Jacob Robbins, known as “Captain Wetblanket” by his colleagues, often covers the AI industry and VC landscape through a skeptical lens. Jacob uses his carefully trained eye to weed through the industry’s flashy headlines to share stories of action and anxiety bubbling just below the surface. For those unfamiliar with PitchBook, it isn’t just a data…

How does one navigate a career that began with a law degree and settled in B2B medical marketing and media? For Larry Dobrow, editorial director at MM+M, it was all in mastering the art of the pivot. After the pandemic, more companies, including big brands like Apple and Lululemon, became health companies. Even if these companies didn’t realize it …

So, you want to be a tech startup founder. Now what? Walter Thompson knows a thing or two about the journeys of successful–and not-so-successful– founders. As many know, securing investment is only part of the role. In this episode, Walter chats with Eric about his experience curating and creating content for digital publications and leading interv…

On this episode of Politely Pushy, Eric takes the dive with host of Tech Talks Daily, Neil C. Hughes. At 16 years old, Hughes imagined an exciting career as a radio host or a writer before leading into a career in IT. Finding a balance between technology and business, he sought to clarify the complexity of the evolution of technology for the masses…

AI is the moment, and Michael Nuñez, editorial director at VentureBeat, unravels the tension between journalism and the business of technology in this episode of Politely Pushy. Inspired by the early development of large language models (LLM) and AI, Michael sought a way to break into the space. Enter VentureBeat. Michael’s regular conversations wi…

In the age of tech disruption, who is responsible for leading a company through digital transformation? Isaac Sacolick, founder and president of StarCIO, identifies these leaders as “digital trailblazers.” In this Politely Pushy episode, Isaac quiets the buzz around generative AI advancement by comparing its hype cycle to the expansion of mobile te…

Sustainability is arguably one of the largest threats facing humanity today. You may have heard the terms CSR and ESG thrown around increasingly in the past few years. CSR refers to “corporate social responsibility,” and ESG refers to “environmental, social, and corporate governance.” Both are critical to brands striving to capture consumer loyalty…

Imagine this: You’re at a physician appointment. In the background, innovative technology documents your conversation and creates accurate notes for your physician to reference later. Need a prescription? Ambient clinical intelligence (ACI) works alongside a generative AI program to deliver appropriate and available prescription treatments that mat…

The 2024 awards season is right around the corner, and winning is on the brain. If you’re preparing to submit for upcoming industry awards, there’s no one better to consult than PR industry veteran and awards secret weapon Betsy Quinn. Betsy has dedicated her career to zeroing in on the “why” behind the work. Her expertise in informing and directin…

And with that, the 2023 season comes to an end. But what’s the benefit of jumping into the new year without proper reflection of the past 365 days? Ken Jacobs returns to the Politely Pushy podcast to give a masterclass in leadership. In his conversation with Eric, Ken discusses the steps to lead through a downturn expertly – something many leaders …

When Jonathan Evans, Founder of KinectAir, isn’t building software that charters Pilatus PC-12 aircraft on a KinectAir flight, he’s chatting with Eric on a new Politely Pushy episode. Jonathan dives into the novelty of regional air mobility and the niche KinectAir occupies in on-demand private charter: accessibility and decreased environmental impa…

Data privacy, ESG, AI? Laurence Evans of Reputation Leaders and Eric cover it all and more on today’s Politely Pushy episode! AI has veered its head once more, this time as a major ESG issue - I know, we’re as surprised as you are. According to Laurence, AI has proven to be more of an opportunity than a threat with limitless possibilities, but the …

Dan Head is the brand new CEO of Phrasee, the AI-based digital marketing company. One of the first things on his to-do list: a sit down with Politely Pushy. Dan tells Eric why he took the job, what his role as CEO will be, and the priorities he’ll be focusing on. He also explains where he thinks the future is for brands and AI companies alike, alon…

We’re joined today by Adriel Sanchez from WalkMe. Adriel is ready to talk shop…and how we should view the hype around AI. He shares the concerns of many about what all-automated-everything might mean for our future. Adriel explains that we’re not that far off from a very transformative experience. That’s where WalkMe comes in. The company has been …

If you’ve ever been a victim of data hacking or a privacy leak, this one’s for you! Today we’re talking about data privacy with Ryan Lasmaili, CEO of Vaultree. Ryan is driven to solve major cybersecurity problems with his biggest undertaking to date: solving today’s and tomorrow’s data encryption and protection challenges. With a background in fina…

After years of working in the real estate industry, Thomas Ma saw the shift toward large proptech and decided to develop a new way for agents to showcase their listings. REAL Messenger (REAL) is the No. 1 social app for real estate, and Thomas’ goal, he says, is to make agents’ lives easier. One way that REAL is shaking up the space is adding a vid…

Our conversation with Sheena Iyengar is a lesson in creativity and power. Sheena is an author, professor and “expert on choice and decision-making.” Her book "Think Bigger: How to innovate" has just been released, after her breakthrough award-winner "The Art of Choosing". Today she speaks with Eric about how to maximize your potential, the importan…

Bospar’s Curtis Sparrer and Cannes’ most famous drag queen Michael Sanchez AKA Holly White are both joining us on today’s episode of Politely Pushy. When Curtis attended Cannes Lions last year, he noticed there wasn’t any LGBTQIA+ nightclubs for attendees. This year, he took a page from Bospar’s tech clients (who are always looking to meet a need) …

Today we’re tackling a new subject for Politely Pushy: fertility and family planning. “It’s a human experience,” says Tamar Knoller when speaking about infertility. It’s not just for the LGBTQIA+ community, or for 40-year old women, and that’s a myth that HRC Fertility is fighting to debunk. Other myths: IVF is expensive and inaccessible, and infer…

We’re joined this week by Brendon Craigie, founder of Tyto PR. Tyto is an international PR agency, and much like Bospar, has operated as a remote agency even before COVID. So what made Brendon decide to build a fully remote company? He knew he could create a better way of running a business. He also found that the best way to make his employees car…

Wondering what’s going on with the banking crisis? Thankfully, Simon Grunfeld is here to shed some light on the situation, including some of the differences between the various bank closures. In this episode of Politely Pushy, he talks about Web3 and what it means for our money. According to Simon, Web3 is the “digital version of sticking it in the…

Elena Davidson, CEO of UK-based Liberty Comms and long-time Bospar friend, joins us this week in a long-overdue conversation about tech PR and how she’s preparing to face the upcoming economic crisis. The key to withstanding challenges, Elena says, is equal parts sticking to what you do best, but always being willing to adjust to changes. And while…

Aloha from Hawaii, with this week’s guest John Merrifield. Hailed as the “Don Draper of Asia,” John’s journey to working with brands like Adidas and Singapore Airlines actually started on the waves of the California coast. Though he’s done a lot of world-famous work in the ad world, he’ll tell you that he’s a surfer with an advertising problem, not…

What motivates people to do good work? That’s the question on Jamie Aitken and Doug Dennerline’s mind as they tackle some of the American workforce’s most challenging problems. The answer, they discovered, is quickly changing due in large part to the pandemic. Luckily for us, they compiled their research in their new book “Make Work Better,” chroni…

We’re joined today by Israel's “top marketer” Hillel Fuld, here to talk about working with tech startups and giants alike. Hillel says there’s only one thing he looks for before he embarks on a new journey with a company: good people. How quickly can he tell if people are good?, our host asks. “Within 30 seconds.” That, plus injecting humor into hi…

Juda Englemayer is the crisis communications expert who takes on a lot of taboo clients that many people won’t touch. You have heard their famous names in the media. They are controversial and, dare we say, “unsavory” (our host says it for us) individuals. Juda doesn’t take these well-known, shunned people on as clients willy nilly; he sits down wi…

Today we have a fascinating discussion with Alex Zekoff, the CEO of Thoughtful. It’s interesting because bots have often gotten a bad or questionable rep. But here’s the thing: bots can be your friends in automation and helping humans organize and streamline their tasks, tackling that process and more at scale. Alex founded Thoughtful to employ int…

Today we welcome Katie Banks to the podcast. Based out of Dublin, Katie is Nitro's vice president of global people and workplace. Nitro helps accelerate businesses globally through digital documents resulting in powerful productivity for all. Katie discusses how important it is for companies to look out for their employees and handle the most chall…

Today we welcome Shamir Karkal, Chief Strategy Officer of Sila, to the podcast. Sila means “strength” in Russian, and Shamir wants you to know that having a secure payments platform (using robust APIs) is vital in a world where software is delivered over the Internet. How does Sila ensure that this payment platform is entirely secure? How does it p…

As they say in the U.K., today’s episode of Politely Pushy would best be accompanied by a “cuppa.” That is because Jon Geater sits down with our host and speaks to us in the most elegant Queen’s English (the royal majesty’s accent, that is – no reference to that borough in New York). Jon discusses how complexities related to the supply chain can co…

Shekar Ayyar is a CEO committed to delivering the best network architecture for clients, the “plumbing” underneath their 5G architecture. Words like “inflation” and “recession” don’t scare him; he considers himself an eternal optimist committed to meeting the needs of companies that have to keep up with 5G networks. He founded Arrcus to enhance bus…

Today we are joined by Stacy Quackenbush and Paige Dansinger, two women building “worlds” in the metaverse, providing people with the opportunity to learn and engage through virtual reality spaces. The metaverse hasn’t exactly gotten the greatest rep since Facebook changed its name. But Stacy and Paige explain how there is a lot of misinformation t…

When an organization buys a product from a vendor, its journey does not end with the purchase. Instead, it has just begun. That’s because several steps must take place as the company onboards the product and it becomes a part of the business. Today, we are joined by Sri Ganesan, co-founder and CEO of Rocketlane, a purpose-built project delivery and…

Today’s guest is Ahmed Reza, who has quite an exciting story! Ahmed started his journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur as a child actor in Bangladesh. From there, he would become a Milken scholar at Cornell University while homeless, an engineer at NASA, and eventually a successful small business entrepreneur multiple times. Ahmed founded Yo…

Today’s guest had our host circling back, wondering how he could have begun the episode more fascinatingly. That is because Mario Juarez specializes in compellingly communicating messages as the founder and CEO of StoryCo. Companies seek Mario’s counsel on how to share their stories – their communications – most effectively and transformatively. He…

Today's guest is Rick Hammell, founder and CEO of Atlas. He has visited 117 countries, lived in Barcelona, and manages the most extensive direct employer of record (EOR) company with entities in over 160 countries. Rick discusses the idea behind Atlas, a tech platform supported by experts, delivering flexibility for companies to expand across borde…