How to Share Professional Communications with Brian Hannon

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“Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Twenty-five years ago, long before there was MailChimp, one of my projects for Microsoft was to email out their program offers to their 60,000 partners on a quarterly basis. I remember it as one of the most nerve-racking tasks of my job at the time. Not because of the technology, which was no problem, but because if something was wrong with the message we sent out, it had such visibility.

It really is amazing to think about the potential impact that technology has given us. But it also puts a lot of stress on how we share to a wider audience. Whether it’s work-related, part of volunteering on a committee, or a personal appeal to friends to join a cause, we have the ability to reach a broad group. Like my email project, that puts a lot of pressure on how we do it.

That’s why I love this latest episode of the How To Share podcast with corporate communications professional, Brian Hannon.

Brian and I talk about the nuances of professional communication. We explore the importance of understanding the audience, the timing of messages, and the need for authenticity in sharing information. Brian shares insights from his 30 years in corporate communications and journalism, emphasizing the significance of clarity, repetition, and empathy in effective messaging. The conversation highlights the evolution of communication formats and the challenges of simplifying messages for better understanding.

Here are some key takeaways:

  • Understanding your audience is crucial for effective communication.
  • Timing can significantly impact how messages are received.
  • Repetition helps ensure that important messages are not lost.
  • Segmenting your audience allows for more targeted communication.
  • Authenticity builds trust in corporate messaging.
  • Clear and concise messaging is essential in today’s fast-paced environment.
  • Empathy plays a key role in understanding how messages are perceived.
  • Feedback loops enhance the effectiveness of communication.
  • The evolution of communication formats requires adaptation in messaging strategies.
  • Effective communication is about sharing ideas, not just delivering information.

And a short clip from the episode to whet your appetite:

I’d be honored if you’d listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe. Here are some ways you can listen and watch to the full episode:

48-How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience, and Coming Alive – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What happens when you say “yes” to an adventure? Host Wynne Leon talks with tech entrepreneur and author Michael Yang about his memoir Coming Alive on the Ride and the way motorcycle travel became both a literal journey and a powerful metaphor for personal growth. Michael shares how stepping outside your familiar environment can help you hear “life’s invitation” to dream, venture, and rediscover what makes you feel fully awake.Together they explore resilience through the Korean concept of han—the accumulated weight of difficult circumstances—and how setbacks can become fuel for perseverance. Michael reflects on immigrating from Korea at 14, building a life through gratitude and hard work, and learning (again and again) that rejection doesn’t have to be the end of the story.From riding thousands of miles with a lifelong friend to a memorable run-in with Steve Jobs at Macy’s in 1982, Michael’s stories remind us that courage grows through companionship and curiosity. They also discuss the Korean guiding philosophy of Hongik—living in a way that benefits all humankind—and how our bravest tries can ripple outward in ways we may not expect.In this episode, we cover:Why “accepting the invitation” is simple—but the road rarely runs straightHow to tell the difference between healthy risk and avoidable dangerHan, perseverance, and turning setbacks into strengthThe immigrant mindset: gratitude, effort, and going for opportunityFriendship as a confidence builder—on the road and in lifeCuriosity, rejection, and holding onto a vision (plus the Steve Jobs story)Hongik: living for the wider benefit and making a positive dent in the worldWhether you’re craving a literal road trip or a fresh start at home, this conversation will nudge you toward your next brave yes.The Life of Try is a personal growth and self‑help podcast about getting unstuck, navigating uncertainty, and choosing to try—even when it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, or not your idea.Hosted by Wynne Leon, the show explores how real growth, reinvention, and discovery often begin not with confidence or clarity—but with a single attempt. Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real‑world case studies, each episode examines what it looks like to keep going when doubt shows up, plans fall apart, or life forces a change you didn’t ask for.This podcast is for anyone who:Feels stuck or uncertain about what’s nextIs navigating change, burnout, or reinventionWants to live more intentionally without pretending growth is easyBelieves progress starts by trying—again and againThe Life of Try isn’t about hustle or perfection. It’s about learning as you go, surfacing what matters, and sharing what you discover along the way.If you’re ready to surf the uncertainty, outlast the doubts, and step into your own try‑cycle, you’re in the right place.Links for this episode:48-How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience, and Coming Alive transcriptMichael Yang's websiteComing Alive on the Ride at Barnes & Noble, Amazon
  1. 48-How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience, and Coming Alive
  2. 47-From Stuck to Momentum: Thomas Edison’s Method for Progress (Try, Learn, Improve, Repeat)
  3. 46: The Quiet Transformation That Changes Everything
  4. 45: The Life of Try: Alex Honnold Case Study
  5. How to Share a Reimagined Sci-Fi Trilogy with Dr. Wayne Runde

Links for this episode:

Brian’s blog: Writing from the heart with Brian

Brian Hannon on LinkedIn

Next up!

Stay tuned for next week’s episode when we get great guidance from Dr. Vicki Atkinson on how to receive when others share. A fantastic episode that comes with many great tips about how to deepen our ability to listen.

38 thoughts on “How to Share Professional Communications with Brian Hannon”

      1. Just finished! What a great conversation — I especially love Brian’s thought about the power of repetition…it CAN BE comforting and helpful related to change management, supporting employees under stress. Great point…and I loved the giggle about “Friday” communiques. Right? If you WANT info to get lost in the shuffle, communication pros like Brian know how to bury info based on when emails and notifications go out. Geez, yes! Great job, you two! 🥰

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Oh, you have such a knack for pulling out great nuggets. Yes, weren’t those insightful points! Thanks for listening, dear Vicki! ❤

        Like

    2. Between The Heart of the Matter and Wynne’s Sharing Personal Stories . . . My ego is starting to inflate. Just call me Mr. Podcaster. Maybe I should use that as a calling card. “I know nothing about nothing, but I’ll come on your podcast.” Ha, ha.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. I enjoyed listening to how communications have changed through the years. Isn’t that the truth? No more memos and to keep messages short and to the point. I also found timing to be a good discussion. When I wrote for SwimSwam, the CEO would post my stories at 6 a.m. EST because he said they’d get the most play at that time.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Such a great point about timing, Elizabeth! If you email or post at the wrong time, it can get buried so quickly! Thanks for listening!

        Like

    2. Oh stop Elizabeth! You’ve fought the same struggles. You know as much or even more than me. I even made fun of Wynne for having me on. So many others she could reach out to talk about this. Ha, ha. I hope I did it justice. Let me know if I missed anything. Ha. ha.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. You’ve been at this career twice as long as I have. I stopped after having kids and was quite young without your experience and wisdom. I really enjoyed the discussion.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. You gave me a good laugh! I enjoyed the Mark Twain quote about not having time to write a short letter from Wynne. I remember writing an article for a magazine, from another PR person. I went out for the interview. Wrote the article and then had to chop it down to one quarter the size. The editing was the biggest part and the PR person I wrote it for questioned me about the time and price it took me to write “such a short article!”

        Liked by 2 people

  6. great advice from Brian and while tech has always been a challenge for me, I’m now retired and don’t have to deal with it too much, but interesting to hear the perspective about getting the message out.

    as close as I’ve come to communicating to a large group was accidentally sending a message to my entire school system, or company, and so…. probably not the best example of getting a message out to a group )

    Liked by 2 people

    1. That’s such a great example, Beth! I think we’re all scared of doing those kinds of things and it works to make us share less. Thanks for listening and the great comment!

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Your timing is impeccable Wynne. I don’t think I had much interesting to say in this podcast, but I was in a meeting this week and an attendee was upset that they weren’t able to generate more excitement about something they shared with the team. Unfortunately, they sent their invite out during a very busy time. People were confused by the message. And something that should’ve been a positive became a negative. People need the “sharing” message now more than ever. Love your mission and focus.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You had so many great nuggets in this conversation, Brian! And what a great example you offer from just this week. Love how you say it turned a positive to a negative — it happens too often, doesn’t it? Love your focus on authenticity and conciseness. It makes such a difference!

      Liked by 1 person

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  9. Always a treat to hear you talk love the intro. What blows me away is the technology is easy. It was the communication lol I struggle with that. I’ll tell you right now vice versa here. Have a great day. I’ll look forward to listening when time permits.🩷
    PS I missed something. I think you wanted me to listen to and I looked for it, but didn’t see it. Sorry to say unless I missunderstood. 🩷

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Who could understand an auto voice message! 😆
        The visa versa is I’m lousy with the technology, most of the time ok with the communication (which you wouldn’t know with the above message.. lol
        We both sound on par with memory.. lol 😂
        Thanks, I’ll head there now.. xo 😘

        Liked by 1 person

  11. I’m so sorry I missed this Wynne, but saw it on Vicki’s post, so here I am, haha! As a Speech Communications major, I was going to listen! There are many great points about framing the message to the right audience and I love Brian’s comment about repetition – that’s great. And this is timely, I just received a one-year subscription to Master Class as a gift and the first person I chose was George Stephanopoulos. His comments on communication are fantastic and super thorough! I encourage you or anyone (with the free time we all have, hahaha) to check out the classes. Thanks, Wynne!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, what a great idea, Melanie! I bet that class with George Stephanopouls is fabulous. You are so right about repetition. I know that I often think saying things once is enough and that’s rarely the case. 🙂 Thank you so much for listening and this great comment! Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Lovely chat, Brian and Wynne. Full of wisdom and warmth and good humour. I love the advice around knowing when and who to communicate to and how to sequence it. So important in an organization, especially with multiple stakeholders and priority projects.

    Like Brian, I also studied journalism and so I chuckled at Brian’s comments around journalism vs public relations; the latter of which was considered the dark side in journalism school! But so many transferable essential skills in both industries.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I didn’t know you studied journalism. Wow – how interesting. Love how you call it the dark side of journalism. So good! Thanks for tuning in and these great comments, Ab!

      Liked by 1 person

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