PR is a Leadership Strategy - with Kristel Valaydon

How many of us are stuck playing media relations hits-and-misses while the real opportunities to drive business transformation seem to be just out of reach? In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle sits down with Kristel Valaydon, founder of KV Communications, to explore her revolutionary Five Spheres of Connection framework and our capacity to transform PR into a leadership strategy. After 25 years in the industry and 15 years developing her approach, Kristel challenges the traditional view that PR is a marketing function. Instead, she positions communications as a business strategy that creates community around ambitious founders and forward-thinking teams. Their conversation digs into why most communications work is just broadcasting, how the fractured media landscape demands new approaches, and why AVEs (advertising value equivalents) need to disappear forever. Kristel shares insights from working with what she affectionately calls "rebels and misfits" – innovative leaders trying to shift minds, models, and markets while building genuine communities around their missions. What We Talk About: The Five Spheres of Connection: Visionaries, Trailblazers, Champions, Discoverers, and Pathfinders Why PR as media relations is only one-fifth of what communications professionals should be doing How community building differs from audience development and why it matters The evolution of media companies and the rise of niche, trade, and newsletter platforms Why founders and rebels need different communication strategies than Fortune 500 companies The role of AI as a research and strategy partner while maintaining human-first approaches Moving beyond AVEs and impressions to business-aligned measurement frameworks Notable Quotes On the Evolution of PR: "I came out into the real world of business and an agency and I just noticed for pretty much the duration it was media relations. It was very much focused on celebrity." - Kristel Valaydon [6:50 → 7:05] On Measuring PR Impact: "We're having those business conversations and discovering actually no one's measuring this. How are we measuring this? And as it turns out, what benefits are we giving the clients here?" - Kristel Valaydon [7:35 → 7:50] On Working with Rebels: "We call them rebels and misfits, but it's a term of endearment. They don't call themselves that at all, but they're so creative and innovative and they are trying something completely different." - Kristel Valaydon [9:10 → 9:25] On the Role of AI in Strategy: "I love AI from a strategic point of view. It's a strategic, you know, sort of sparring partner for me. It's really testing my ideas and really going, how can we make this better?" - Kristel Valaydon [59:00 → 59:10] On Challenging Clients: "We're in services. We're not in servitude, and we are the experts." - Kristel Valaydon [1:06:13 → 1:06:14] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | WebsiteThe Trending Communicator | WebsiteCommunications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's SubstackDan Nestle | LinkedIn   Kristel Valaydon KV Communications | Website5 Spheres of Connection | KV Comms WebsiteKristel Valaydon | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00 Intro: The future of communications 5:43 Kristel's journey from agency to entrepreneurship 11:29 Working with rebels and misfits as clients 18:51 How media companies are adapting to change 25:12 The five spheres of connection framework 34:28 Discoverers: Customers and early adopters 41:00 Pathfinders: External partnerships and media 46:43 Measuring success across the five spheres 53:05 Starting with an audit and prioritization 58:11 AI as an enabler for the five spheres 1:04:37 PR's role in building a better world (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and  Flowsend.ai ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices