business
Hosted by Gary Sheffer and Mike Fernandez · business · EN · 173 episodes
Hosted by one of the world's top communicators, currently SVP & Chief Communications Officer at Enbridge, the show tackles relevant and controversial topics in the field of communications that are shaping business, politics, and our lives.Prominent guests from PR, journalism, business, and academia discuss how communications can inspire, persuade, deepen one’s understanding, or move an audience - or even a nation - to action.
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Contact path
Public web form
Booking probability
34%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchHosted by one of the world's top communicators, currently SVP & Chief Communications Officer at Enbridge, the show tackles relevant and controversial topics in the field of communications that are shaping business, politics, and our lives.
The Crux of the Story is hosted by Gary Sheffer and Mike Fernandez. The show has published 173 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Episode 172: Congressman Clyburn Discusses the Importance of Communication in Advancing New Ideas and Political Change" (2 October 2026, 53 minutes), "Episode 171: What happens when companies stop renting AI capabilities and start building their own?" (22 September 2026, 55 minutes), and "Episode 170: Revolutionary Spin: How Public Relations Shaped America with Julie Hall" (10 September 2026, 46 minutes).
The Crux of the Story publishes roughly every two weeks, with episodes averaging 46 minutes across 173 episodes.
Booking probability for The Crux of the Story is 34%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The Crux of the Story requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The Crux of the Story's contact route on record: public web form.
The strongest fits for The Crux of the Story are Marketing, Advertising & PR. The Crux of the Story has a business audience.
Gary Sheffer and Mike Fernandez hosts The Crux of the Story, a business show with 173 episodes published.
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The Crux of the Story
Congressman James Clyburn reflects on the lessons of his early years in South Carolina, the civil rights movement, building coalitions across differences, communicating in a divided America, and making consequential...
The Crux of the Story
Defyner co-founder, Will Fernandez, discusses the rise of agentic AI and how it will fundamentally reshape marketing and corporate communications. He sees AI integration as the next industrial revolution (which...
The Crux of the Story
Julie Hall, veteran public relations executive and author of Revolutionary Spin: How Public Relations Shaped America, joins The Crux of the Story to explore a provocative question: When it comes to the American...
The Crux of the Story
Stacey Jones, Honeywell’s Chief Communicator, joins The Crux of the Story to discuss CEO transitions, enterprise transformation, executive visibility, and the growing role of data and AI in communications. We explore...
The Crux of the Story
Geoff Curtis, founder of Marshall Curtis Communications and former EVP of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Horizon Therapeutics, joins The Crux of the Story to discuss his new book Embracing Your...
The Crux of the Story
In this episode we sit down with Samantha (Sam) Stark, Founder and Chief Strategist of Phyusion, a consultancy helping communications teams work with generative AI. With more than 25 years of agency experience including...
The Crux of the Story
City of Hope’s mission is bold: deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today. As one of the nation’s largest cancer research and treatment organizations, it sits at the forefront of scientific...
The Crux of the Story
The public relations is now a profession with more women than men – yet the number of women in leadership positions lag. In this episode, Colleen Killingsworth and Professor Amy Thurlow (Mount Saint Vincent University...
The Crux of the Story
Behavioral scientist Professor Amanda Rebar unpacks the hidden forces that shape what we do—and what we fail to do. As Director of the Motivation of Health Behaviors Lab at the University of South Carolina, Rebar is a...
The Crux of the Story
We sit down with Joe Lockhart — former White House Press Secretary to President Bill Clinton and one of the most influential communicators of the last three decades. From journalism to the West Wing, from Facebook to...
The Crux of the Story
In this episode, we sit down with Andy Shain – long one of the most respected journalists in the Carolinas who now is a senior communicator at the University of South Carolina. After more than 30 years covering...
The Crux of the Story
Rob Jekielek, Managing Director of The Harris Poll, and Dr. Rochelle Ford, CEO of the Arthur W. Page Society, join Mike to discuss the 2026 Page‑Harris Poll Confidence in Business Index. Drawing on insights from more...
The Crux of the Story
Partner at Bully Pulpit International and former Boeing chief spokesperson Bradley Akubuiro previews his forthcoming book, Faster. Messier. Tougher.: Crisis Communication Strategies in an Era of Populism, AI, and...
The Crux of the Story
In a year marked by economic uncertainty, political tension, and AI tech disruption, reputation has become one of the most powerful—and fragile—assets an organization holds. In this episode, Stephen Hahn, Chief...
The Crux of the Story
Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald, joins The Crux to explore how leaders can steer organizations through today’s turbulence—AI disruption, geopolitical risk, layoffs, and rapid M&A activity. A pioneer...
The Crux of the Story
Three of the lead researchers behind the Canadian Public Relations Society’s landmark report, 2025 State of Public Relations in Canada: Ethics, AI and Reframing the Professional Field, join The Crux of the Story to...
The Crux of the Story
Bill Myers, Managing Director of Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility at Liberty Global, joins The Crux to reflect on the legacy of media titan John Malone and the shifting dynamics of global telecom. With a...
The Crux of the Story
Leroy Chapman Jr., Editor-in-Chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, discusses the paper’s bold decision to go digital-only in 2026—making Atlanta the largest U.S. city without a printed daily. Chapman shares his...
The Crux of the Story
Fernando Vivanco, Chief Communications Officer at Marelli, returns to The Crux to unpack one of the most challenging—and least talked about—topics in corporate communications: bankruptcy. Following Marelli’s Chapter 11...
The Crux of the Story
American Airlines’ EVP of Communications and Marketing Ron DeFeo, shares insights from a decade at one of the world’s largest airlines. We explore his approach to crisis management—from flight disruptions to viral...
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