In this episode of the commsHERO Podcast, we welcome Greg Reed, CEO of Places for People, to explore why he’s an active presence on social media and internal comms. From engaging colleagues online to running alongside them in real life, Greg shares how being a visible and accessible leader strengthens culture, communication, and the brand. He’ll reveal how he balances authenticity with leadership, the impact of open conversations, and why an hour with the CEO, away from the boardroom, can be priceless. If you’re in comms or marketing, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

In this episode, Anisah will talk about her ‘interesting’ journey into the magical world of PR and Communications- it certainly was never in her so -called plan of life- but with a little bit of confidence, some talent spotting and a bunch of incredible leaders in her corner. Anisah talks about how she now manages the PR, Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment for the first ever established and fourth largest Sixth Form College in the country… all whilst trying to make a small difference in a very special town.

From a degree in Education and Philosophy from UCL, to starting her career off in the Student Recruitment field, Anisah fell into PR in your not-so traditional way. She is now Head of Student Experience and Corporate Communications for one of the oldest, largest and most academically successful sixth form colleges in the country. Call it luck, or fate but she couldn’t have chosen a more perfect career for herself. Anisah is the youngest female, ethnic minority Head of Department in the colleges history!

Anisah is also a Trustee of Level Trust, Ambassador for Step Forward Luton and more recently won the Asian Women of Achievement Award for Young Achiever of the Year 2023.

‘Don’t be the magpie’ - how marketers need to avoid overlooking the essential elements of a plan for the sake of the quick fix.

With the constant pressure to present value, busy marketing teams frequently fall victim to short term fixes leading to influences on a strategy that are subjective and poorly informed.

It’s all too easy to lean on short term fixes at the expense of the essentials that make up the foundation of a good marketing strategy that will last into the long term. This is where the real value in marketing lies. It’s handy to take stock of the essentials often so we know that we’re still on the right track and avoid a marketing strategy with more holes than a Swiss cheese.

In this podcast, Jim runs through the thinking behind this and the essential components that he relies on to maintain a true course.

Guest Biog:

Jim is an award-winning Chartered Marketer specialising in digital marketing and marketing strategy with over 10 years of experience. Having cut his teeth in a range of agency and in-house positions, Jim is a keen believer in sharing his learnings and experiences (good and bad) so like-minded marketers can benefit in kind. Jim is currently serving as Head of Marketing at Onfigr - Interactive Inspiration Tools. On top of this, Jim curates the Marketing Meetup sessions in Leeds.