Stockholm Syndrome in PR: The Boutique Uprising - with Barrie Cohen
Fri Jan 30 2026
Does PR have Stockholm syndrome? We're held captive by every disruption that promises to kill us—internet, social media, now AI—and what do we do? Fall in love with each threat, scramble to prove relevance, then wait for the next existential crisis.
In this episode, Dan Nestle sits down with Barrie Cohen, founder of Barrie Cohen Public Relations. The real evolution isn't technical—it's structural. While holding companies lay off hundreds, boutique firms are landing top-tier placements and major contracts. The question: do you need 50 people to do what one strategist with AI and the right relationships can accomplish?
Barrie walked away from Philadelphia agency life and built an operation that secured placements big firms couldn't—not by throwing bodies at accounts, but by doing what large agencies forgot: caring deeply and telling clients the truth.
Listen in and hear about...
Why the traditional agency billing model creates misaligned incentives
How podcast pitching is outperforming traditional media relations
The tangible ROI clients are seeing from targeted podcast appearances
What AI-driven pitching services get wrong about human judgment
Building a boutique practice on transparency and flexibility
Why the fight is real when you actually know your clients
Notable Quotes from Barrie Cohen
"PR needs to be accessible to everybody. Telling your story is critical no matter the size of your business." [00:22:51 – 00:22:57]
"I could write, and I'm a great communicator, and I know how to talk to people, and I'm honest and transparent. Everything else, like you said, I'll figure it out." [00:15:00 – 00:15:08]
"I am not worried it's going to take my job. No one can do what I—like, AI cannot be at the level with my clients that I am, but can they write me an outline for a three-page article and then I can do the bulk of—yes." [00:49:27 – 00:49:41]
Resources and Links
Dan Nestle
Inquisitive Communications | Website
The Trending Communicator | Website
Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack
Dan Nestle | LinkedIn
Barrie Cohen
Barrie Cohen Public Relations | Website
Barrie Cohen | LinkedIn
Timestamps
0:00:00 Introduction: PR Industry Disruption, Agency Evolution, and Guest Intro0:06:31 Denver Airport Metaphor—Is PR Built for Purpose?0:12:35 Barrie Cohen's Journey: Breaking Away from Agency Traditions0:18:02 Scaling a Boutique PR Business: Growth, Team, and Challenges0:22:18 Rethinking the Traditional Agency Model and Flexible Client Engagements0:28:17 Deep Client Relationships and the Value of Deliverables Over Hourly Billing0:34:36 The Shift to Podcasts: Earning Attention in Modern Media Relations0:41:33 Podcast Pitching: Personalized Approaches vs. AI Automation0:48:12 AI Tools, Content Repurposing, and the Human Advantage in PR0:54:09 PR: The Long Game—Managing Expectations in a Fast-Paced Tech World1:00:57 Why Human Connections and Relationships Remain Essential in Communications1:07:19 Looking Forward: Staying Current, Embracing Podcasts, and the Future of PR
(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic)
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Does PR have Stockholm syndrome? We're held captive by every disruption that promises to kill us—internet, social media, now AI—and what do we do? Fall in love with each threat, scramble to prove relevance, then wait for the next existential crisis. In this episode, Dan Nestle sits down with Barrie Cohen, founder of Barrie Cohen Public Relations. The real evolution isn't technical—it's structural. While holding companies lay off hundreds, boutique firms are landing top-tier placements and major contracts. The question: do you need 50 people to do what one strategist with AI and the right relationships can accomplish? Barrie walked away from Philadelphia agency life and built an operation that secured placements big firms couldn't—not by throwing bodies at accounts, but by doing what large agencies forgot: caring deeply and telling clients the truth. Listen in and hear about... Why the traditional agency billing model creates misaligned incentives How podcast pitching is outperforming traditional media relations The tangible ROI clients are seeing from targeted podcast appearances What AI-driven pitching services get wrong about human judgment Building a boutique practice on transparency and flexibility Why the fight is real when you actually know your clients Notable Quotes from Barrie Cohen "PR needs to be accessible to everybody. Telling your story is critical no matter the size of your business." [00:22:51 – 00:22:57] "I could write, and I'm a great communicator, and I know how to talk to people, and I'm honest and transparent. Everything else, like you said, I'll figure it out." [00:15:00 – 00:15:08] "I am not worried it's going to take my job. No one can do what I—like, AI cannot be at the level with my clients that I am, but can they write me an outline for a three-page article and then I can do the bulk of—yes." [00:49:27 – 00:49:41] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Barrie Cohen Barrie Cohen Public Relations | Website Barrie Cohen | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00:00 Introduction: PR Industry Disruption, Agency Evolution, and Guest Intro0:06:31 Denver Airport Metaphor—Is PR Built for Purpose?0:12:35 Barrie Cohen's Journey: Breaking Away from Agency Traditions0:18:02 Scaling a Boutique PR Business: Growth, Team, and Challenges0:22:18 Rethinking the Traditional Agency Model and Flexible Client Engagements0:28:17 Deep Client Relationships and the Value of Deliverables Over Hourly Billing0:34:36 The Shift to Podcasts: Earning Attention in Modern Media Relations0:41:33 Podcast Pitching: Personalized Approaches vs. AI Automation0:48:12 AI Tools, Content Repurposing, and the Human Advantage in PR0:54:09 PR: The Long Game—Managing Expectations in a Fast-Paced Tech World1:00:57 Why Human Connections and Relationships Remain Essential in Communications1:07:19 Looking Forward: Staying Current, Embracing Podcasts, and the Future of PR (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices