Politely Pushy with Eric Chemi

With the tech world constantly pushing forward and focusing on the next best thing, AI has been a very hot topic. While many are looking for ways to incorporate agentic AI workstreams, Lorri Freifeld, Publisher of Training Magazine, is hesitant.In this week's episode, Eric and Lorri discuss tech trends over time, as well as what magazine publishing looks like in an increasingly digital age, and why print magazines are still important.

National reporters get between 100 and 200 pitches every single day. These range from great pitches they want to write about, to emails that have the vague impression of being a pitch, with no concrete information.Andy Medici of The Business Journals is writing seven to eight stories every single week.In this episode, Andy sits down with Eric to discuss the metrics journalists are focused on, how news coverage has changed overtime, and how PR professionals can provide value to reporters in their pitches.

Local journalism is changing fast. Smaller newsrooms, digital platforms, and AI are reshaping how reporters cover the stories that matter to their communities.Tucker Caraway, News Producer and Saturday Anchor at Redwood News, is no stranger to navigating these shifts. Tucker sat down with Eric Chemi to discuss her experience in the newsroom, the evolving role of local news, what makes a PR pitch resonate with local media, and where the industry is headed next. Explore Tucker’s reporting: https://www.redwoodnews.tv/users/profile/tcaraway/ 

So many articles treat AI as magic. However, that approach doesn’t fly with reporters.In this episode, Eric Chemi speaks with veteran journalist and Bospar AI Strategy Analyst and Content Director, Clint Boulton, to break down what it takes to move beyond the hype and position AI capabilities around real, lasting value. They explore why the strongest AI stories are grounded in practical impact, and where the industry is headed next.

In this episode, Eric Chemi is joined by Bospar's Curtis Sparrer, John Ward, and Bospar's first client, Priti Khare to discuss the 300 award wins Bospar has under its belt, after winning 5 PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards last week.The conversation dives into what award winning work looks like, how Bospar prioritizes business results, and why awards are important not just as industry accolades, but in attracting new talent and excited clients.Their biggest takeaway: The award is not the end goal, the end goal is business results for the client.

Every company claims to have an AI strategy. Blaine Mathieu says that's hardly the point.In this episode, Eric Chemi sits down with Blaine, founder of the River Group and author of "The River Doesn't Wait," to unpack why a technology strategy is table stakes for the AI era and how the real competitive edge comes from an operational strategy. Eric and Blaine dig into the "river" analogy behind the new book and the importance of a content marketer's POV (Blaine's son) in adding that context. The conversation also covers whether size still matters for the agentic era and how the gap between early adopters and laggards is widening faster than in any past technology shift.Blaine Mathieu spent more than 30 years as a CEO, Chief Product Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Gartner analyst before founding The River Group, which helps senior executives navigate agentic AI disruption across their organizations. In his new book, "The River Doesn't Wait" distills that experience into a practical framework for deciding where to retrofit existing operations and where to reimagine them entirely. You can get your copy here: https://therivergroup.ai/book/To learn more about Blaine's work, visit: https://therivergroup.ai/

Introducing something new in the AI industry is rare after several years of roaring momentum, innovation, thought leadership, and company launches.Yet Sharon Goldman, a renowned AI reporter, is leaning into just that with the launch of the AI newsletter Ground Level AI.Sharon sat down with Eric Chemi to discuss the "why now" behind launching this newsletter and her sharpened focus on the beat to help readers better contextualize the AI market.Before launching Ground Level AI, Sharon zeroed in on AI at VentureBeat and Fortune just as the industry started picking up steam. While she broke ground on stories involving the most influential companies and individuals and industry-shaping policies, AI itself amassed significant investment and strategic attention in the business sector. At Fortune, Sharon also co-authored Eye on AI, Fortune's flagship AI newsletter.Sharon's perspective on AI was shaped well before Fortune and VentureBeat, where her beat spanned technology, enterprise software, and business strategy. Her articles, bylines, and coverage spanning across Business Insider, Forbes, Deloitte, and dozens of other publications set the stage for her AI journalism career. For intrigued readers, Ground Level AI delivers original reporting by a journalist who's been covering AI pre-ChatGPT, with a keen sense of who and what is shaping how AI is built and deployed. You can read and subscribe here: https://www.groundlevel-ai.com/

At the 27th annual PRWeek Awards, Bospar won Best in Financial Communications for its campaign with fintech platform Smarty, “How Smarty Owned the Tariff Moment.” The campaign prevailed over finalists that included Citi and a major IPO communications campaign, showing how strategic storytelling can help emerging financial technology companies compete with some of the largest global institutions.In this episode, Eric Chemi sits down with Bospar's VP of Media Relations, Brent Shelton, to discuss how Bospar's creative storytelling helped Smarty go toe-to-toe with some of the largest global institutions.

Behind every "disruptive" and "innovative" product or service is a team of expert communicators who fuel the company's story and break through in a competitive market. Mastery of storytelling is a must-have for survival.In this episode of Politely Pushy, Eric Chemi is joined by former tech journalist and PR expert, Cliff Edwards. Cliff shares anecdotes from his coveted roles at Bloomberg Businessweek, Netflix, and NVIDIA, where he deepened his knowledge of high-growth companies from the inside out and honed his craft as a seasoned storyteller. Tune in to hear Cliff discuss his pivot from journalism to global communications to gain a bird's-eye view of the tech industry. He also highlights how effectively leveraging PR and communications can mean the difference between growth and stagnation.

During the 27th annual PRWeek Awards, Bospar and San Francisco Pride celebrated winning Best in Community Relations for the "Queer Joy is Resistance" campaign. This campaign underscored the nonprofit's 2025 theme and the community's resilience during a complex cultural moment.In this special edition of Politely Pushy, Shaun Leavy and Patience Baldacci interview Executive Director of San Francisco Pride, Suzanne Ford. Hear how the team activated the campaign, carried momentum into 2026, and positioned for the challenges ahead.Bospar continues to lead strategic public and media relations for San Francisco Pride while helping the nonprofit promote the 2026 Pride Celebration. Learn more: https://sfpride.org/