Part 2 of a crossover episode. Part 1 aired on Chip Griffin's podcast, Chats with Chip.
Episode Summary
In this episode — Part 2 of a special crossover with returning guest Chip Griffin — hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane take a frank look at what the current landscape really means for PR, communications, and marketing pros who work independently or in small agencies. The conversation spans the mixed economic signals practitioners are seeing right now, why client ghosting is more 'not yet' than 'no,' and the urgent need to evolve beyond a reliance on traditional earned media. Chip makes a compelling case for business acumen as the most underrated skill in the industry, and the group digs into what it really means to speak the language of the C-suite — connecting communications work to outcomes that actually matter to clients. The episode closes with a practical challenge: listen more deeply to your clients and peers, and get serious about learning AI — not at a technical level, but at a practical one — because the agencies that don't evolve will simply get smaller.
