What happens when your reputation is on the line? Karen Kessler has been in the room for some of the toughest calls in crisis PR—guiding clients through scandals, lawsuits, and the headlines they never wanted.

In this episode, she shares why she walked away from Roger Ailes, how her firm later supported the women who spoke out, and what drives her firm's every decision. We discuss the anatomy of a genuine apology, the distinction between accountability and performance, and how to prepare for conversations that no one plans to have—such as telling a spouse about an affair, a board about a breach of trust, or a team about layoffs. Karen explains why most “crises” burn out in 48 hours, the cases that don’t, and the quiet work of rebuilding reputation when headlines fade. We dive into outrage ecosystems around Middle East commentary, doxxing,

Karen also traces her path into high-stakes crisis communications with no business plan, just curiosity and persistence—and explains how she’s now helping turn New Jersey into a booming film and TV hub.

If you care about leadership, resilience, and handling tough moments with integrity, this conversation is packed with lessons you can use right now.

Subscribe, share with a friend who needs media-savvy guidance, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway!

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The Bellevue Theater is back and so is the Montclair Film Festival. We sit down with Montclair Film’s Artistic Director, Tom Hall, to break down the 14th edition: what’s bold, what’s risky, and what’s bound for awards season.

Highlights include opening night's Jay Kelly, Noah Baumbach’s meta comedy starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler. Nicholas Britell who scored the film will be there for a Q&A. Get tickets for headline events with Spike Lee and Stephen Colbert, and Pam Abdy on Hollywood’s future. Cinephiles can dive into Rebecca Miller’s Scorsese portrait, Richard Linklater’s black-and-white Godard homage, Jesse Plemons in Bugonia, and Palme d'Or winner It Was Just An Accident by Jafar Panahi.

Docs bring the emotional punch with Come See Me In the Good Light (Tig Notaro + Ryan White), while Saturday pairs the deeply moving (Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value) with the urgent (Laura Poitras’s Cover Up). Brendan Fraser shines in Rental Family, and the festival closes on Christy, a fierce Sydney Sweeney performance that refuses the easy sports-biopic arc.

Grab your tickets, join the Q&As, and meet us in the dark—this year’s festival promises films to argue over, cheer for, and remember long after.

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Neal Lipschutz, former deputy editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal and standards editor, discusses his transition to fiction writing with his debut novel, "No Write Way to Die," exploring characters from Brooklyn who take different life paths before their worlds collide.

• Neal shares his journey from Brooklyn to New Jersey and his 40-year career in journalism
• As WSJ's standards and ethics editor, he ensured content was fact-based and properly contextualized
• His debut novel is a suspenseful, rollicking ride
• We learn how his character development explores how people's backgrounds and early life decisions continue to influence them
• The book examines provocative questions about parental sacrifice and ethical boundaries
• Neal's favorite thing about moving to New Jersey is the ease of getting any book he'd like to read through the Bergen County Cooperative Library System

No Write Way to Die by Neal Lipschutz is coming out in July 2025!

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