Ep 100 - How AI Is Changing Public Relations With Nancy Marshall

Mar 1, 2026

Nancy Marshall, the PR Maven and founder of Marshall Communications with 35 years in media relations and storytelling. She recounts old-school PR tales and shows how AI reshapes visibility, search, and trust. Hear practical chat-based prompting, CRIT for team training, AI-ready press releases and media rooms, plus using AI for crisis prep while keeping human judgment central.

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ANECDOTE

Old School PR Road Warrior Days

Nancy described hand-typing press releases and driving VHS tapes to TV stations across Maine before the internet.
She recalled driving a Saab with studded tires to Bangor and Portland to drop off tapes and chat with TV personalities late into the night.

ADVICE

Use CRIT To Turn ChatGPT Into A Teammate

Use the CRIT prompt framework: provide Context, assign a Role, ask the model to Interview you, then request Tasks.
Nancy used it to coach ChatGPT to act as an HR director, ask one question at a time, then draft a performance improvement plan.

ADVICE

Talk To AI Like A Colleague

Have a two-way conversation with AI: ask for clarifying questions and iterative back-and-forth rather than one-shot prompts.
Nancy often asks ChatGPT to produce a Word document she can download and iterate with her team.

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Episode Summary

In this episode, Cary sits down with Nancy Marshall, also known as the PR Maven and founder of Marshall Communications, celebrating 35 years in business. Nancy shares stories from her early days in public relations - literally driving press releases and VHS tapes across snowy Maine - and connects that experience to today's AI-driven world.

They dig into how PR has evolved from mimeograph machines to media rooms optimized for AI search. Nancy explains why business owners need to think differently about visibility now that AI tools like ChatGPT are influencing how information gets found and trusted. She also shares how she's using AI in her agency for leadership decisions, crisis prep, and even liver recipes from her gym.

The big takeaway? AI isn't replacing humans - but it is changing how we show up, how we build trust, and how we get discovered.

3 Key Takeaways

AI rewards structure and credibility. Well-formatted press releases, updated websites, expert quotes, Q&A sections, and trusted media coverage all help businesses show up in AI-driven search.
Talk to AI like a teammate. Nancy learned to move beyond one-and-done prompts and instead have a back-and-forth conversation. Giving AI context, assigning it a role, and asking it to interview you can dramatically improve results.
Humans still matter. AI can brainstorm crisis scenarios and draft plans, but validation, ethics, relationships, and judgment still belong to people.

About Nancy Marshall

Nancy Marshall is the founder of Marshall Communications, a Maine-based PR agency celebrating 35 years in business. Known as the PR Maven, Nancy has built her career on relationship-building, storytelling, and helping brands earn trust.

She began her PR career at Sugarloaf, where she mastered media relations long before the internet existed - typing press releases on an electric typewriter and hand-delivering video footage to TV stations across Maine.

Today, Nancy continues to evolve with the times. She actively studies AI, recently completing leadership training based on Jeff Woods' book The AI-Driven Leader. She applies those tools to crisis communications, media training, and strategic planning for clients - including work connected to Maine's tourism industry.

Nancy is also a strong advocate for LinkedIn as a trust signal in the AI era and encourages professionals to stay visible and credible online.

You can connect with her at:

Website: www.prmaven.com
LinkedIn: Nancy Marshall

RESOURCES SHARED

You can find those here: https://chatgptexperiment.com/episode-100-how-ai-is-changing-public-relations-with-nancy-marshall/

Cary offers customized one-on-one ChatGPT training in 60 minute sessions. Find out more information on the sessions, answers to frequent questions, and how to register at www.ChatGPTExperiment.com

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CONNECT WITH CARY

ChatGPT Podcast Website: www.ChatGPTExperiment.com Marketing Podcast: www.PracticalMarketingShow.com Cary's Agency Website: www.CMWeston.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryweston

LINKEDIN NEWSLETTER The Chat GPT Experiment is also a LinkedIn Newsletter and you can find it here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-chat-gpt-experiment-7110348839919702016/

MUSIC CREDITS The instrumental music used in this podcast is called "Curious" by Podington Bear".