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In the 50th episode of CultivatED Marketer – your go-to marketing professional development podcast – hosts Brent Bowen and Julie Masson are joined by Colleen Powell, the Strategic Communications Bureau Chief for the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Colleen Powell shares an extraordinary career journey that took her from more than two decades behind a radio microphone to leading communications for one of Iowa’s most visible public service organizations. While her career path is certainly unique, the lessons she learned apply to marketers, communicators, nonprofit leaders, and public relations professionals in every industry.

CultivatED Marketer Ep. 50 — From Radio to Public Safety: What Every Marketing Professional Can Learn About Trust, Storytelling, and Career Reinvention with Colleen Powell

 

Reinvention Starts Long Before the Career Change

Career changes often look dramatic from the outside, but they’re usually built on years of preparation. That was certainly true for Colleen.

After spending 22 years co-hosting a successful morning radio show, she recognized that the media landscape was changing. Streaming services and digital platforms were transforming how audiences consumed content, and she realized the radio industry wasn’t likely to provide the long-term stability it once had. Rather than waiting until she was forced to make a change, she began preparing for one.

She enrolled in courses focused on digital marketing and strategic communications while she was still working full-time in broadcasting. When the opportunity finally came to leave radio, she wasn’t starting over. She was building on decades of experience in audience engagement, interviewing, storytelling, and relationship building.

The Skills That Matter Don’t Expire

Moving from morning radio into government communications might sound like an enormous leap, but the core responsibilities aren’t as different as they first appear. In both careers, success depends on understanding your audience, asking thoughtful questions, listening carefully, simplifying complex information, and telling stories that people actually care about.

Technology will continue to evolve, but organizations will always need professionals who know how to build relationships, establish credibility, and communicate with empathy. Colleen’s career demonstrates that while industries may change, those foundational abilities continue to create opportunities.

Why Continual Learning Is a Competitive Advantage

Colleen acknowledges something every communications professional has experienced: by the time a curriculum is developed and taught, the industry has already evolved.

Artificial intelligence changes almost monthly. Social media algorithms shift constantly. New platforms emerge while others disappear. Formal education provides an essential foundation, but it can no longer be viewed as the finish line.

Instead, continual learning has become part of the job description. Today’s most successful communicators recognize that professional development isn’t something you complete. It’s something you practice throughout your career.

That mindset helped Colleen transition into an entirely new field, and it’s the same mindset that will help communicators remain valuable no matter how much the industry changes.

Building Trust Instead of Protecting Image

When people think about communications departments, they often assume their primary responsibility is protecting an organization’s reputation. Colleen offered a different perspective.

Her team’s job isn’t simply to protect the agency’s image—it’s to protect public trust. Every press release, media interview, social media post, and public statement is evaluated through the lens of credibility. Their goal isn’t to be first with information or to control the narrative. Their responsibility is to ensure that when information is released, it is accurate, verified, and communicated responsibly.

In an era where organizations often feel pressured to respond immediately, that’s a valuable lesson. While most marketers don’t operate in life-or-death situations, every organization benefits when it values credibility over immediacy.

The Question Every Communicator Should Ask

The conversation closed with a deceptively simple question: What is one word every communicator should lead with? Colleen’s answer was immediate.

Why.

The question encourages marketers to think strategically before acting tactically, ensuring every message supports a larger objective rather than simply filling another spot on the content calendar.

In many ways, that single word captures the entire conversation. Technology will continue to change, industries will continue to evolve, and communication channels will come and go. But organizations that consistently communicate with clarity, empathy, and purpose will continue to earn something far more valuable than attention—they’ll earn trust.

 

01:41 Why Trust Matters

08:15 From Radio to DPS

11:12 Roadside Chat Signs

14:00 The Communication Skills That Translate Across Every Industry

18:00 Career Pivot Advice: Growth Starts with Being Uncomfortable

21:15 Protecting Trust vs. Protecting Your Reputation

25:33 Transparency Through Restraint

26:58 Accuracy Over Assumptions

28:18 Balancing Curiosity And Risk

29:06 True Crime Request Surge

35:15 Managing 20+ Social Media Channels with a Three-Person Team

39:24 How Small Communications Teams Stay Effective

42:00 The One Word Every Communicator Should Lead With