This article was originally published on Forbes.com on October 9, 2026
Whether you are navigating a complex corporate ecosystem or a daunting personal life event, the formula for moving forward remains surprisingly similar: Define the goal, embrace the pivot and relentlessly pursue the result.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining a podcast hosted by my alma mater, the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, to discuss the evolution of strategic communications. As we unpacked relevance, differentiation and the power of information, I realized how closely these business strategies mirror my career path.
The media business is, fundamentally, the information business. As an aspiring broadcast journalist, I remember writing my college essay about the value of information, and seeing it as a currency I valued and wanted to relay. Today, the work I do through both Pursuit PR and my new venture, Fertilyfe, a clinically informed coping community and patient navigation platform, centers squarely on the power of that information.
In today’s digital ecosystem, information alone is not enough. Founders and CEOs need to understand how their organizations fit within a broader digital ecosystem and prioritize relevance and differentiation to embrace change effectively.
The Synergy Of Ecosystems
Algorithms are designed to build off one another to create momentum. Earned media coverage informs the large language models, the new digital search. Human ecosystems should do the same, yet many companies struggle to change their antiquated systems. This is fueling individuals’ and departments’ territorialism, draining productivity and hindering results.
For example, the traditional hierarchy, where PR and communications report to marketing, is fundamentally flawed. These are peer disciplines. When PR and marketing report to the CEO as peers, they can work together to achieve the ultimate end game: generating money and driving sales.
Just as technology platforms interact, human teams must work together to achieve relevance and differentiation.
Relevance Versus Differentiation
To stand out, companies should understand the critical distinction between relevance and differentiation.
Relevance is about the now. It shows you are current, not stale. Differentiation proves you are unique, top of mind and competitive.
Yet, a common mistake companies make, especially during times of uncertainty, is being silent. Silence keeps you stuck on pause, resisting reality. To compete, you must show that you are embracing the current environment through action, whether that’s innovating, staying the course or pivoting.
The Power Of The Informed Pivot
During my early days, I learned to pivot from broadcast journalism to communications by applying the same skills and passion for the power of information from a different lens. That grounding and passion for broadcast has guided my PR focus on network TV coverage, as well as my role as host and producer of custom podcasts.
A pivot doesn’t need to be a radical change; it can be a new pathway to achieving the same goal. Pivots can be significant, such as making an acquisition or going public, or they can be more subtle, such as aligning marketing and comms, diversifying leadership visibility or evolving your point of view.
In my personal life, the need to pivot resurfaced when trying to achieve the goal of parenthood. And now, that same pivot has inspired us to blend our communications expertise and lived experience by expanding Pursuit into a new segment of tech: health tech, with an emphasis on fertility.
Clear, accurate information is power. In business, explaining complex topics simply helps audiences care and take action. In the fertility space, clear information empowers aspiring parents to make informed decisions, embrace their own path and achieve their family-building goals. Just as business departments must align, the doctor and the patient need to work together in the fertility room, using shared information and content to execute as strategic partners.
Mastering Your Pivot
The idea of pivoting can feel daunting. First, recognize that change is the only constant we can rely upon as humans. And in business, change is essential to staying relevant and competitive. If you are stagnant, then expect your competitors to bypass you.
Second, gather information. Assess what’s working, what’s not working and why. Based on that, make a decision about what needs to be tweaked, shifted and changed more significantly. Oftentimes in the course of a pivot, it’s some combination of the three. You will likely also find that many of the insights from the prior experience pay off, and just needed to be applied in a different direction.
A pivot can be gradual, even if it’s more significant. It all depends on how well you are listening to the subtle shifts, including customer feedback, employee feedback and market moves that are driving headlines. If you’re focused only on yourself—your to do list, spreadsheets, or your plan from last year—you will miss it.
Find ways to integrate new information into your everyday decision making. Operationalize it as intelligence. For example, we apply our method of “Pursuit News to Use” to every client. This allows us to constantly share news intelligence applied to the company’s market position, unpack why it’s relevant and how they can apply their voice to it. Even though it appears as an external communications workflow, it’s way more than that. Intuitive and forward-looking leaders take this information to not only inform their point of view for major media coverage, but to talk to their sales and marketing teams—and better yet, directly with investors, customers and partners—from a relevant lens.
These actions compound over time and end up informing strategic decisions about opportunities in the market.
The Ultimate Currency
Ultimately, whether you are in the boardroom aiming for market leadership or the fertility clinic striving to build a family, the playbook is centered on information, decision making and strategic execution.
Information is the ultimate currency. That includes external facts, research and emotional cues, all of which are also signals of your intuition and key to informed decision making (more on that another time).
By prioritizing information, embracing change, pivoting and finding new ways to achieve your goals, you are more likely to be more relevant and differentiated in your field. And perhaps most importantly, your life will have an even deeper meaning as well.