Pressing Matters: Recent Episodes
Big Valley Marketing
Pressing Matters, from Big Valley Marketing, features conversations with the top influencers in B2B Technology. From Fortt Knox to Audible, the (mostly) journalists we interview on this podcast have been there for all of it – and they have thoughts on where things are going. Whether you're interested in humans, chips, cybercrime, or long-necked lutes ... welcome to Pressing Matters, presented by Big Valley Marketing.
In more than three decades covering technology, John Swartz has met a lot of people: engineers, journalists, CEOs, and he's got a story for all of them. As a student at San Jose State, he was part of a newspaper staff that was led by AP's Mike Lidke and included at least a half dozen other pioneers in tech journalism. As a reporter for 17 years at USA Today, he witnessed online advertising's slow but inevitable impact on a once major newspaper. And as a reporter today at TechStrong Group, he's covering AI from a skeptical but hopeful perspective.
John joined us to tell us about his engineer father's influence on his career, the good old days of tech trades, and just a few of the stories he has about all those people he's met over the years for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's top 200 media and influencers, including John. Here's our chat with John. Enjoy.
Back when Maribel Lopez left Forrester and became an independent analyst in 2008, she was taking a great risk. Independent analysts were not the force they are today. Social media was just getting going, blogs were still in their infancy, and podcasts were still called online videos.
But today, in part because of Maribel's pioneering work in the field, independent B2B tech analysts thrive. And Maribel is a great example. Yes, she still does great analysis, now largely on the AI market, but she blogs, contributes articles to various outlets, and has her own successful podcast, the AI with Maribel Lopez. She's also a road warrior, spending upwards of 25 weeks a year at tech conferences in the US, Canada, and EMEA.
Nonetheless, she somehow found the time to join us to discuss the evolution of the analyst space over the past three decades, her approach to choosing projects, and how she got rid of that pesky Boston accent for this fourth season premiere episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, Head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Maribel.
Here's our chat with Maribel. Enjoy.
We all know the internet has significantly impacted media's business model over the past three decades, and the conventional wisdom is that AI will do the same. Many believe it will replace reporters, lead to computer-generated news stories, increase misinformation, produce more fake news, and generally make a struggling industry even worse. But what if the opposite is true? What if AI can free up reporters' time to do the kind of deep reporting they used to do? What if AI can lead to more, not less, human creativity in journalism and beyond? What if AI tools could be used to reduce bias and filter out untrustworthy sources? What if AI actually is the technology that saves journalism?
Okay, I might be pushing it with that last point. But these other questions are definitely worth discussing. In fact, we had that very discussion with Fred Vogelstein of CrazyStupidTech and Michael Nuñez of VentureBeat for this special third-anniversary episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing—the podcast that features conversations with top media figures and influencers in B2B Tech.
I'm Dave Reddy, Head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's Top 200 Media and Influencers, including Michael and Fred. Here's our conversation with Michael and Fred. Enjoy.
Whatever stodgy image you have in your mind of the typical finance news reporter, I guarantee it isn't Allie Garfinkle. And yet still relatively early in her career, Allie has established herself as one of the best in that business with a resume that includes Forbes, The Deal, Yahoo Finance, and of course Fortune, where she serves as senior finance reporter, co-chair of Fortune Brainstorm Tech, the lead writer for Fortune Termsheet, their VC newsletter, and now the host of the Termsheet podcast, which debuted in July.
Despite all that, Allie actually wanted to be in theater. She's an accomplished alto. She's also a scuba diver and a free diver who finds spirituality in the ocean. And we didn't even have time to discuss her love of magic and pipe organs. Allie joined us to discuss her Miami upbringing, which probably explains a lot, where venture capital is heading other than AI, and of course, to preview Fortune Brainstorm Tech, which takes place in Utah in early September.
For this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's media and influencers practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Allie. Here's our chat with Allie. Enjoy.
This week, we're highlighting another great podcast, Misadventures in Marketing, that is produced by our friends at the American Marketing Association San Francisco (AMASF).
In this, the 4th episode of Misadventures in Marketing, hosts Steve Haney and Peter Farago dive into the fun-filled world of corporate messaging, start-up style. They discuss the importance of creating a messaging house, understanding customer pain points, and the iterative nature of the process. The conversation highlights the significance of crafting compelling messaging that resonates with customers’ worries and pain points, focusing on three core pillars, and the role of repetition in delivery. Corporate messaging, product positioning, and visual identity all play a role in defining even an early-stage tech company’s success.
Annie Saunders has been a tech journalist for several years now, but her diverse career background, local news, commodities, food, had her questioning why we'd even invite her on this show. No need to question yourself, Annie. Generalists make great tech journalists, as is evidenced by the reporting on AI, EV transportation, and climate tech for Morning Brew's Tech Brew, where Annie serves as editor.
She's a lifelong Pittsburgher – seriously, it's the only place she's ever lived or will live, she tells us. Annie told us that her Yinzer dowry, which is a great phrase, was getting Steelers season tickets from her dad after she got married. She grew up 30 miles outside Pittsburgh, ran the school paper at the University of Pittsburgh, and spent five years on the editing desk at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Yinzer, indeed.
Now, aside from Pittsburgh, Annie joined us to talk about the woeful state of local journalism, her vision for Morning Brew, and how her career is her way of fulfilling her late mother's legacy for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's media and influencers practice, and I'm your host.
Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Annie. Here's our chat with Annie. Enjoy. Annie, thanks so much for being on the podcast. Really appreciate your time.
Julie Bort has been in tech journalism long enough to have had not one, but two tenures of 13 plus years – first at Network World and then at Business Insider, now editor of VCs and startups at TechCrunch. You might be surprised to learn that one of the most prolific voices in B2B Tech reporting nearly became a teacher, and you'll definitely be surprised to hear that she and her husband gave it a go at being scuba bums (her term) on the island of Maui.
Julie joined us to talk about tech culture, the year she spent diving off the coast of Hawaii, and where she thinks tech startups are headed for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Julie. Here's our chat with Julie, enjoy.
Jeremy Owens just landed a new gig as the latest editor in chief of the San Francisco Business Times. In this market, that's a minor miracle. Jeremy joined us to talk about that change, his early plans for the outlet's mission, and why he thinks San Francisco is the New Orleans of the West.
That's a new one for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Jeremy. Here's our chat with Jeremy. Enjoy.
Are you ready for RSA 2025? Matt Kapko of CyberScoop is, and he definitely doesn't want to hear about AI, although he and I–and everyone listening to the podcast today–all know he will. In addition to AI, Matt joined us to talk about his early days singing in a punk rock band in Orange County, his time in a string of hyperlocal newspapers, and more of what he expects from RSA for our annual conference preview episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech.
I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we have identified B2B tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Matt. Here's our chat with Matt. Enjoy. Matt, thanks so much for joining us on the pod today. We're about a week out from RSA, and I know everyone's getting excited about the show.
Fred Vogelstein wanted to be a Moscow bureau chief. He did manage to get to Berlin as a student in the months after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, but he still hasn't been to Moscow. Instead, Fred became one of the most influential technology reporters of his generation, with stints at the Wall Street Journal, Wired, The Information, US News, and Fortune. Today he and fellow tech legend Oh Malik are the Co-Founders and Editors of Crazy Stupid Tech, the newsletter on innovation that's quickly building a big following.
Fred joined us recently to discuss the true definition of innovation, his laments about the death of the traditional newsroom, and why he won't be covering the hot topic of tech and politics. For this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, Head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old -fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Fred. Here's our chat with Fred. Enjoy.
Unlike most of our previous guests, Catherine Sbeglia Nin didn't set out to be a reporter. She was a doctoral candidate in film theory. When realizing she was miserable, she figured she'd find other ways to tell stories after dipping her toes in the journalism waters. RCR Wireless, one of the magazines of record for Telco Wireless and networking, offered her a reporter job in 2019. Within three years, she was managing editor. And if you know anything about the often arcane three letter acronym filled world of Telco and wireless, you know that rising that quickly could not have been easy.
Now, among the most influential journalists in the space, Kat joined us to discuss her Italian upbringing in Brooklyn, and life as a new working mom, as well as to preview next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Kat. Here's our chat with Kat. Enjoy.
It's pretty rare these days to find anyone in tech media who has been at the same outlet for a quarter century. But Patrick Seitz has been covering the fascinating world of tech, finance, and the stock market for exactly that: 25 years at Investors' Business Daily. A Chicago-area native who cut his teeth covering courts and crime, Pat switched to covering tech in Washington DC in the early nineties, and he's never looked back.
He joined us on the pod recently to discuss how that city has changed in 30 years, the AI chip world (one of his favorite beats), and his fascination with obscure halls of fame – the latest topic on his tech media-tainment blog for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech.
I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Patrick. Here's our chat with Pat. Enjoy.
Michael Krigsman doesn't call himself a journalist. Yes, he has produced 800 podcasts and videos in the past 11 years as the founder and host of CXOTalk, but he doesn't have a journalism degree or any editorial training, and his pieces are a mix of editorial and sponsored. That said, Michael does have an innate sense of story. He's not afraid to challenge a paying client to let him produce a video that's got a newsy feel to it as opposed to an advertising one. In fact, at a time when more and more companies are trying to figure out how to utilize paid media or even what to call it, advertising, demand gen, sponsored journalism…Krigsman has a pretty clear sense of what does and doesn't work. No surprise, perhaps, that he tells us that the videos with the most journalistic feel are the ones that perform the best.
Krigsman joined us recently to discuss his advice for brands looking to tell smart sponsored stories (not to mention good old fashioned PR), how he managed to spend nine years on the board of the Americas Cup Hall of Fame (even though he really doesn't like sailing), and AI ethics (another of his specialties) for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Michael. Here's our chat with Michael. Enjoy.
At the age of eight, Esther Ajao did something braver than most of us will do in our entire lives. Having spent her early years in her native Nigeria, raised by an extended family of grandparents and uncles, Esther moved across the ocean to Brooklyn to reunite with her mother, who had moved to America when Esther was just six months old. Removed from her home and a big family that helped shield her self-proclaimed introverted personality, Esther became the classic latchkey kid – reading, watching the TV news and learning while her mom worked. She was so taken by writing that she'd add on to the Babysitters Club novels she read with new stories of her own. But it was all that TV news that really intrigued her. She started a career in TV journalism at Today and various local and national jobs. And then in 2021, she shifted gears and moved to New Hampshire to join TechTarget to cover AI. If only she knew then how big a move that would turn out to be.
Esther joined us on the pod to discuss her latchkey afternoons in Brooklyn, how the AI beat changed overnight with Open AI's Chat GPT in November 2022, and the evolution of her podcast targeting AI for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice. And I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Esther. Here's our chat with Esther. Enjoy.
The path Michael Nuñez took to a seemingly straightforward gig – Editorial director at VentureBeat – was anything but direct. He covered the fun side of Hong Kong, the travel beat in Korea, and even wrote for an airline magazine in New York City after various tech writing gigs. He spent two years and change as head of marketing at a VC, but for coming on two years now, Michael has led VentureBeat, one of the most influential outlets in tech journalism.
The son of an undocumented immigrant and an airline worker from the Chicago suburbs, Michael joined us to talk about the story that got him kicked off his high school newspaper, his controversial take on AI, and – here's a hint – the fact that he thinks long-form journalism is dead for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Michael. Here's our chat with Michael. Enjoy.
Hello everyone. We've got a very special episode for you this month as we celebrate the pod's second anniversary. Given that AI is the topic of the decade, not just in tech and journalism, but the whole wide world, we asked two of our favorite guests back to discuss where this is all going. Jennifer Strong of the Shift Podcast, who also was a Pulitzer Fellow for AI accountability. And Connie Guglielmo, the former CNET executive editor, who for nearly two years now has been its SVP of AI edit Strategy. Together they are two of the foremost authorities on AI in the tech and journalism world. We brought them together to discuss AI as a technology, AI and journalism, and a few of our favorite quotes from this past season's guests for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech.
I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Jennifer and Connie. Here's our special chat about AI with Jennifer and Connie. Enjoy. Jennifer, Connie, welcome back to Pressing Matters. My first two repeat guests for this very special episode about AI in journalism.
In this edition of the Pressing Matters podcast, host Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, speaks with Jennifer Strong, a seasoned podcaster who began her radio career at 12 in Tennessee. Jennifer's extensive experience includes work with NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and MIT Tech Review. Now at Shift, she produces and hosts podcasts that delve into AI and other emerging technologies, addressing their global impact and the challenges they present. In this episode, we explore her deep coverage of AI and discuss how she’s working to ensure these technologies make a positive difference in the world.
Diana Goovaerts initially got into the publishing business. But frustrated by that industry’s speed - or lack thereof - she shifted to the fast-paced world of journalism, first as a local reporter in her native North Jersey and, later, in the past decade, at WirelessWeek, GSMA and now Fierce Network, where she serves as executive editor. We’re all glad she made the change.
An expert on all things wireless and, more recently, the important but sometimes arcane world of cloud and data center, Diana joined us to discuss AI - both as a beat and a change agent in journalism; her early days covering county board of education meetings into the wee hours of the New Jersey morning; and just how damned glad she is to finally leave near a Starbuck’s for this episode of Pressing Matters, from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech.
I’m Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing’s Media + Influencers Practice and your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship-building, we’ve identified B2B Tech’s Top 200 media and influencers, including Diana Goovaerts. Here’s my chat with Diana. Enjoy.
Next month, Fortune Brainstorm Tech will once again bring together the top thinkers in tech and business in Park City, Utah. And for the first time since 2020, Andrew Nusca will be leading the show as editorial director. He promises the typical knockout conference with big-name keynotes, Olympic-level networking and panels on everything from AI to security to how to communicate with Gen Z. The son of a dance instructor and a nurse - yes, he can tap - the Philly-bred Nusca played drums in a rock band for a while. But while we’re sure he’s a darn good drummer, he’s a really great storyteller. So we’re quite pleased that he eschewed rock and roll for reporting. He’s proof that hard work works. He turned a dizzying array of internships while attending NYU and Columbia, into his first tech reporting job with ZDNet, and then - in his mid-20s - into an editor gig at FORTUNE in 2013. After a brief three-year rumspringa with stops at Morning Brew and Activision PR, Nusca rejoined the FORTUNE team earlier this year. Ahead of the show, Andrew joined us to discuss his the many faces of his FORTUNE job, why he considers himself a publisher and a journalist, and who he thinks the world’s best drummers are - he picked two - for this episode of Pressing Matters, from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I’m Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing’s Media + Influencers Practice and your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship-building, we’ve identified B2B Tech’s Top 200 media and influencers, including Andrew Nusca. Here’s my chat with Andrew. Enjoy.
Rich Jaroslovsky’s career goal was to be the D.C. correspondent for a major newspaper.
He achieved that - at 22 - for a little outlet called The Wall Street Journal.
He covered Gerald Ford’s doomed re-election campaign in 1976. Five years later, mere hours after President Reagan was shot by would-be assassin John Hinckley, Rich was at the White House, standing a few feet from Secretary of State Al Haig when Haig infamously said, ‘I am in control here.’ Unfortunately for Secretary Haig’s legacy, the Constitution says otherwise.
But covering all that history is just the first part of Rich’s story.
In 1994, he combined his two loves - technology and journalism - and started WSJ.com, the Journal’s website. Through that role, his founding of the Online News Association in 1999, his work at Bloomberg and Smart News, and his role as a lecturer at numerous journalism schools over the years, Rich Jaroslovsky is quite possibly the most important person in the history of digital journalism.
Rich recently joined us to discuss his multi-faceted career, digital journalism’s next chapter (hint: AI), and his connections to everyone from tech journalism legend Walt Mossberg to Canada’s finest singer/songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, for this episode of Pressing Matters, from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech.
I’m Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing’s Media + Influencers Practice and your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship-building, we’ve identified B2B Tech’s Top 200 media and influencers, including Rich Jaroslovsky.
Here’s my chat with Rich. Enjoy.
Are you an aspiring reporter looking to get a job at Axios upon graduation? I have three letters for you: UNC, the University of North Carolina. Sam Sabin, this episode’s guest, is the second Axios reporter we've had on the pod, and, like her colleague and previous guest, FinTech reporter Lucinda Shen, she's a Tar Heel.
Since 2022, Sam has covered cybersecurity for Axios, a job that includes two weekly newsletters - naturally - the Smart Brevity style.
On this episode, Sam:
- previews the RSA conference, taking place May 6th through 8th in San Francisco,
- shares what (or whom) scares her most in cybersecurity,
- and shares just how tech-savvy politicians really are.
Pressing Matters, from Big Valley Marketing, is the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech.
I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Sam Sabin of Axios.
Enjoy.
Are you interested in more from Sam Sabin?
- Read Sam Sabin's work on Axios.
- Follow Sam on X and LinkedIn.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology. Our firm specializes in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about us at www.bigvalley.co
Here’s something a bit random. We’re only midway through our second season on the podcast, and - Ryan Chacon, this episode’s guest - is the second person we’ve had who served as his college soccer team’s captain.
Remember the first? I’ll tell you in a moment.
In the meantime, give it up for the teamwork one learns on the soccer fields, which Ryan said has helped him in his work as co-creator and CMO of IOT for All, as well as host of its eponymous, seven-year-old podcast. Ryan’s work ethic - instilled by a stay-at-home mom and a Chilean immigrant dad who didn’t know a word of English when he moved here, as well as his natural understanding of how to best curate journalistic content also helps explain why the IOT for All brand is as big or bigger than the IOT tech company that supports it, Leverege. In other hands, IOT for All might have been just another forgettable corporate content site. Instead, it’s an IOT bible. And now it’s expanded into AI with, naturally, AI for All.
Ryan stopped by to discuss his early business ventures, the mission behind IOT for All, and what he thinks AI has in store for us for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing. This podcast brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech.
I’m Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing’s Media + Influencers Practice and your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship-building, we’ve identified B2B Tech’s Top 200 media and influencers, including two former college soccer captains - our chat last year with Dark Reading’s Kelly Jackson-Higgins and now Ryan Chacon.
Here’s my chat with Ryan. Enjoy.
Are you interested in more from Ryan Chacon?
- Visit IOT for All and AI for All
- Or find him on X.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology. Our firm specializes in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about us at www.bigvalley.co
Monica Alleven has been covering the wireless industry since 1995 - a time when the notion of wireless was so limited, almost everyone was still using a landline to connect to the Internet, very few people had a cell phone and no one - of course - had a smartphone, since those were 12 years in the future.
Almost 30 years since she started, Monica is still at it - and incredibly successful, having helmed two of the biggest titles in mobile industry journalism. Given that deep experience as the past Editor in Chief of WirelessWeek and, for the past five years, Executive Editor of Fierce Wireless, we figured who better to bring on the podcast to preview Mobile World Congress, which starts on February 26 in its longtime home of Barcelona.
From 5G to Wif-Fi 7 and acronyms aplenty, Monica can explain it all when it comes to the ever-expanding and oft-confusing universe of mobile and wireless technology. Not bad for a Minnesota farm girl who began her career covering city council meetings in her home state and then Oregon and Redding, Calif., before - almost accidentally - finding her way to technology.
Monica stopped by to discuss the evolution of mobile across almost three decades, her childhood gaggle of 40 bunnies - and the childhood story they inspired, and why she remains optimistic about journalism despite the daily grim headlines for this episode of Pressing Matters, from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech.
I’m Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing’s Media + Influencers Practice and your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship-building, we’ve identified B2B Tech’s Top 200 media and influencers, including Monica Alleven.
Here’s my chat with Monica. Enjoy.
Are you interested in more from Monica Alleven?
- Read Monica's latest at Fierce Wireless.
- Or find her on X.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about our team at www.bigvalley.co
Andy Greenberg is a senior writer for WIRED, where he covers digital security and privacy, freedom of information and the finer points of hacker culture. His latest novel, Tracers In the Dark, is a non-fiction true-crime thriller set in the shadowy realms of cryptocurrency.
On today's pod, he joins Dave to share notes from his journey to the present and the forks in the road that led him to his particular corner of technology journalism.
Welcome, Andy, and welcome all again to our first episode of 2024!
Are you interested in more from Andy Greenberg?
- Read Andy's latest at WIRED.
- Or find him on X.
- Check out Andy's books.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about our team at www.bigvalley.co
Lori Ann LaRocco hears more than most. As the Senior Editor of Guests at CNBC, she sets up interviews that make news, move markets and forecast the future. When she's not helping to break the news or coordinate on-location productions, she's an author.
Her work includes "Trade War Containers Don't Lie: Navigating the Bluster" and "Dynasties of the Sea: The Untold Stories of the Postwar Shipping Pioneers."
Welcome, Lori, and welcome all to our final episode of 2023.
Are you interested in more from Lori Ann LaRocco?
- You can find Lori Ann LaRocco on X.
- Or on LinkedIn.
- Check out Lori's books.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about our team at www.bigvalley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Alex Konrad is a senior editor at Forbes, covering venture capital and startups. He edits the Midas List and Under 30 for VC. He's interviewed some of the world's most consequential business leaders and innovators. This time, though, he sits across the (virtual) table and answers some questions himself.
As you might surmise, the future is in play in this conversation. Welcome to the second episode of Pressing Matter's second season.
Are you interested in more from Alex Konrad?
- You can find him on X.
- Or on LinkedIn.
- His latest is on Forbes.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about our team at www.bigvalley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Evan Kirstel is a true B2B and technology influencer with more than 300K social media followers. A prolific content creator, he boasts a network including a who's who of technology leaders, visionaries and pundits.
Hear from the man himself on how he got started in technology, his feelings on the state of the industry and the technology he's keeping tabs on (ahem, AI, of course).
Welcome to Season 2 of Pressing Matters!
Are you interested in more from Evan Kirstel?
- You can find him on X.
- Or on LinkedIn.
- He also has a website.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Throughout season one of Pressing Matters, we've asked the world’s foremost B2B technology media and influencers one question.
Are you optimistic about the future of journalism?
Indeed, we believe there is much cause for optimism (as did many of our guests). New technology has raised new voices and revealed new avenues of expression. Yet we also see much cause for concern (as did some of our guests). AI is simply the latest threat to journalism and the concept of journalistic standards. As a collective, we continue to grapple with the ever-diminishing line between good and good enough.
In this episode, Pressing Matters host Dave Reddy is joined by two Big Valley colleagues, Ashley Paula-Legge and Charles (Coop) Cooper to reflect on a season of answers to our questions on the future of journalism and ponder their responses.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Sue Marek is a 25-year veteran of the telecom and technology industries, where she's covered many seismic evolutions in wireless technology and personal computing. Based in Colorado, the former "Cable Capital of the World," Sue has seen mobile devices go from curious luxury to everyday tools.
In this episode, she joins Dave to talk about that experience and her opinions on new horizons, such as what it will take to realize true 5G.
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Would you be interested in more from Sue?
* Read Sue Marek's writing on Fierce Wireless.
* You can find her on X (Twitter) at @SueMarek.
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Lucinda Shen has been around the world and back (several times), and we are flattered to have her on the 11th episode of Pressing Matters to tell us about it! Lucinda covers financial technology (fintech) for Axios.
In this interview, she shares her thoughts on crypto, its leaders and–as always–thoughts on the future of journalism. Will it replace us all? Thanks for listening!
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Would you be interested in more from Lucinda?
- Read Lucinda Shen's writing on Axios.
- You can find her on Twitter at @ShenLucinda.
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
It is an interesting time to be a technology editor, and our guest this week brought all kinds of interesting topics with him! Harry McCracken, Global Technology Editor at Fast Company, joins Dave to talk about covering life-altering technology as it comes of age, coding games on a TRS-80, and bidding adieu to computing magazines.
Join us!
Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Would you be interested in more from Harry?
- Read Harry's writing for Fast Company.
- You can find him on Twitter at @harrymccracken.
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Cory Johnson, CEO of the Business Podcast Network, joined Dave on the podcast to talk about SLAM 🏀 Magazine, surprising Carmelo Anthony, the stories we tell and where we choose to tell them, a past (and potential future) in music ... so much ground was covered. We are excited to bring it to you!
Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Would you be interested in more from Cory?
- Listen to Cory on The Drill Down Podcast.
- You can find him on Twitter at @CoryTV.
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Dark Reading Editor in Chief Kelly Jackson Higgins graciously accepted our invitation, even as momentum for RSA 2023 gathered steam. Kelly and Dave covered a lot of ground in the episode, moving effortlessly from the dominance of U.S. Women's Soccer to the wild (and wide) world of Cybersecurity, then back to ... Dave Matthews?
This is a deep and fascinating conversation. We're thrilled to bring it to you.
Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Interested in what we're doing at RSA? The Big Valley team has kept its pencils sharp, drafting some great content leading up to RSA. We're biased, but you should still check in here.
Interested in more from Kelly?
- You can read Kelly's journalism here.
- Check out the great work her team is doing at Dark Reading.
- You can find her on Twitter at @kjhiggins.
In this episode, Agam chats with Dave about his path to a career in journalism, being user #57 on the early Indian internet, brushes with Vince MacMahon, traveling the world, and much more. He was also gracious enough to share his experience with epilepsy.
This was simply a lovely conversation, and we're excited to share it with you.
Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology. We're a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Looking for more of Agam?
- He tweets from @agamsh.
- You can also find him on Mastodon at agam@journa.host.
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
We've got the inimitable Don Clark on Pressing Matters for episode 6! For the past 40 years, Don has covered the highs and lows of technology, interviewing its leading players and charting the progress of companies like Apple from youthful hubris to halftime sponsorship.
In this episode, Don shares his experience over the years, from getting into journalism at the dawn of investigative reporting to the current state of performance-driven media.
What's a bouzouki, you say ... prepare to be informed.
Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology. We're a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.
You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co
Looking for more of Don?
* He freelances for The New York Times.
* He also tweets frequently from @donal888.
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
In the fifth episode of Pressing Matters, a series of conversations with the top media + influencers in B2B technology, Dave Reddy continues his conversation with Tiernan Ray, writer for ZDNet, publisher of The Technology Letter, and more!
Interested in more Big Valley? Check us out at www.BigValley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Looking for Tiernan?
- Subscribe to The Technology Letter
- Read his pieces on AI at ZDNet
In the fourth episode of Pressing Matters, a series of conversations with the top media + influencers in B2B technology, Dave Reddy continues his conversation with CNET Editor-in-Chief Connie Guglielmo.
Interested in more Big Valley? Check us out at www.BigValley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Looking for Connie?
- Find her on Twitter at @techledes and on LinkedIn.
In the third episode of Pressing Matters, a series of conversations with the top media + influencers in B2B technology, Dave Reddy interviews CNET Editor-in-Chief Connie Guglielmo.
Interested in more Big Valley? Check us out at www.BigValley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Looking for Connie?
- Find her on Twitter at @techledes and on LinkedIn.
In the second episode of Pressing Matters, a series of conversations with the top media + influencers in B2B technology, Dave Reddy interviews Fortune Editor-at-Large & Editorial Director, Live Media, Michal Lev-Ram.
Interested in more Big Valley? Check us out at www.BigValley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Looking for Michal?
- Find her on Twitter at @mlevram
- Michal's Audible Original series, "Operation Firewall: Tracking Hackers in the Early Days of the Dark Web," is available at the above link.
In the very first episode of Pressing Matters, a series of conversations with the top media + influencers in B2B technology, brought to you by Big Valley Marketing, Dave Reddy interviews CNBC's Jon Fortt, one of the hardest working men in tech journalism.
Interested in more Big Valley? Check us out at www.BigValley.co
Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co
Looking for Jon?
- Find him online at news.forttknox.com
- Find him on Twitter at @JonFortt and YouTube at /forttknox
- Jon's course on The Black Experience in America can be found at be.forttmedia.com