Today marks a milestone — we've launched Earning Your Seat, the first Meltwater-branded podcast available globally on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
This isn't your typical podcast.
This isn't a bunch of talking heads trading opinions. Earning Your Seat is hosted by three people — two communications leaders and one Data-Driven Communications Coach — who set out to interview industry experts and learn alongside you. We went looking for real tips and tricks. Techniques that actually move needles. The stuff that helps you earn and keep a seat at the table.
But here's what makes this 11-week series truly different: you're going to witness three transformations unfold.
Each of your co-hosts went on a real journey:
- Stephanie Lerdall (Head of Corporate Communications, Morningstar) unlocked new leadership skills and learned how to lead a global team with greater confidence. Her DDC Maturity score went from 45 to 58.
- Genevieve Brammall (Head of PR, News Corp Australia) turned instinct into a repeatable framework. Her DDC Maturity score jumped from 46 in May to 75 in December.
- Dino Delic learned what thought leadership actually looks like — and discovered new ways to help Meltwater customers succeed. In the process, he built the DDC Research Lab, which will be delivering research, insights, podcasts, reports, workshops, and playbooks throughout the year.
What is the Data-Driven Communications Research Lab?
The DDC Research Lab is a special unit within Meltwater created to help communications professionals transform into strategic business partners — without overspending on tools or overcomplicating their tech stack. We produce workshops, white papers, playbooks, best practices, and original research. We bring industry experts together to share what's actually working. And we focus on helping practitioners harness the power of the tools they already have by building three core skills: Strategic Alignment (connecting comms work to business goals), Actionable Intelligence (turning data into decisions, not just reports), and Demonstrating Impact (proving the value of communications in terms leadership understands).
Our mission is simple: help communicators earn and keep a seat at the table.
Follow & Subscribe:
Spotify 
Apple Podcasts 
YouTube
Want to go deeper?
The podcast is just one piece of what we're building. If you want to benchmark where you are today and start your own transformation, check out the DDC Starter Kit — it includes:
- An overview of the Data-Driven Communications framework
- The DDC Maturity Assessment (the same one Steph and Gen used)
- Access to keynotes, workshops, and the full DDC Playbook
