Listen Here

| |
Subscribe

Actionable
Takeaways

Authenticity beats perfection in media training:

Colleen's approach focuses on amplifying a founder's natural communication style rather than trying to transform them. "I can't take an executive who's kind of subdued and say, 'okay, jazz it up. Let's get some jazz hands.' That will never work." Work with your natural tendencies, not against them.

The momentum shift is everything:

Watch for the moment when journalists start calling you instead of you pitching them. As Colleen puts it: "CNN called and I'm like, this is the moment we didn't have to call them and beg them. They called us. They knew we were doing something cool." This inbound interest signals your narrative is gaining real traction.

Complex stories need long-form formats:

For technical companies, podcasts have become essential because "nobody really thinks about [batteries], much less really know how they work." When your innovation can't be explained in a soundbite, lean into formats that give you 45 minutes to tell the full story.

Reputation follows you across companies:

Your credibility as a founder or exec isn't company-specific—it's personal. Colleen warns: "You have your reputation whether you're at the startup or three startups later. You carry those with you." Every media interaction is an investment in long-term trustworthiness.

Trade publications are your secret weapon:

While founders often focus on mainstream tech press, trade publications offer audiences that already understand your category. "Trades do amazing work in every industry," and they provide a foundation of coverage that mainstream outlets can later reference.

Conversation
Highlights

 

Colleen Rubart leads communications for Group14 Technologies, a battery materials company that’s working to solve some of the hardest storytelling challenges in tech: explaining complex technology to skeptical journalists in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. After decades in comms—from the early days of fax machines and phone pitches to today’s newsletter economy—Colleen has mastered the art of building authentic relationships with reporters who’ve been burned by too many startup promises.

At Group14, she faces the dual challenge of translating battery chemistry innovations for mainstream audiences while navigating a media environment where fewer reporters have less time and higher standards. Her approach centers on radical authenticity, factual precision, and understanding that today’s best stories often need the long-form format of podcasts to be properly told.

 

Topics Discussed

  • The evolution of tech journalism: How the reporter-founder relationship has shifted from collaborative storytelling to skeptical gatekeeping, and why there are fewer journalists covering more ground with less patience for unproven startups
  • The authenticity imperative in media training: Why successful founders can’t be coached out of their natural communication style, and how to amplify genuine personality traits rather than manufacture fake charisma
  • Managing complex B2B narratives: How battery materials and other technical innovations require different storytelling strategies, from leveraging trade publications to using podcasts for deeper explanations
  • Crisis communication and reputation recovery: Practical frameworks for handling negative coverage, including the “next time will be better” approach and using content marketing to rebuild narrative momentum
  • The journalist-adjacent media landscape: Navigating the explosion of independent newsletters, Substack publications, and solo journalists who’ve left traditional outlets to build direct reader relationships
  • Building momentum through earned media: Recognizing inflection points when journalists start calling you instead of you pitching them, and how inbound media interest signals narrative traction
  • The strategic separation of PR and marketing: Why communications works best as a standalone function rather than being subordinated under marketing, and how to maintain editorial independence while collaborating on campaigns