Dena Gudaitis

I really think it's having supportive parents who encouraged me to experiment and to learn and to try. I think having that type of nurturing environment at such a young age has enabled me to thrive and adapt to new experiences and new environments. This might sound trite, but that foundation of trust and encouragement from my parents, like when my mom would wait in the parking lot while I was backstage with alternative bands when I was a teenager working on my music website, really shaped who I am. That element of trust and support gave me the confidence to explore communications in so many different ways throughout my career.

I think some advice I would give is, be yourself. Because I think being genuine and authentic goes a long way in the communications field. Be open to learning, and be adaptable. Be willing to roll up your sleeves and try anything. And network. Those would be the four things that I would recommend for new people coming into the industry.

I would say that AI is transforming how communicators do their work, whether it's streamlining and synthesizing transcripts and information to develop talking points, to developing communications plans with the help of AI, to giving you a working draft of a message that you want a leader or an executive to send out to your workforce. I think that's a really new and exciting challenge, but it's also, I think we're just at the first inning of a nine-inning transformation that's going to happen with technology. I think it's both exciting and challenging, and a little nerve-wracking at the same time, because you're learning a new way of thinking and new technology that hasn't even been, like, it's moving so fast that it's evolving at a pace that can be both a challenge and nerve-wracking and a little scary too. But I still think it's important to realize that humans are in the loop with everything. While AI can give you some initial drafts, you know your audience more attuned than any computer might ever be. I think there's still a significant role for experts who can advise leaders and organizations on how to communicate effectively and humanistically that no technology can replace at this time.

I think three of the most important values are being trustworthy, being a hard worker, and being approachable and collaborative. These are all facets of my both personal and professional life. I think my colleagues would say those attributes are part of my personality and showing up to work, and I would also say that those apply to my personal life as well, through cultivating the solo mom community.