Exec Comms Lessons from Salesforce, Toast and Wellhub & the Future of PR

Oct 30, 2025

In this discussion, Joe Ciarallo, VP of Global Communications at Wellhub, draws on his experience with Toast and Salesforce to reveal the evolution of executive communications. He highlights the shift from scrappy PR to a strategic approach, emphasizing category creation and the need for a unified messaging strategy. Joe discusses the growing importance of thought leadership, the integration of AI in communications, and the benefits of transparency, using Ryanair as a case study. He encourages founders to actively build their online presence and prioritize empathy in messaging.

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INSIGHT

Own The Category Early

Lead with category creation to own the narrative and force competitors to react.
Tie acquisitions to customer impact by asking what they can do today that they couldn't do yesterday.

ADVICE

Mix Owned And Earned Channels

Use a healthy mix of owned and earned channels; they amplify each other.
Leverage executives' LinkedIn and podcasts alongside traditional outlets for targeted reach.

ADVICE

Prepare Comms Before IPO

Start dressing and acting like a public company 18–24 months before IPO.
Define spokespeople, swim lanes, and what counts as normal course of business vs. material news.

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Joe Ciarallo led comms at Salesforce, Toast (through IPO), and now Wellhub (formerly Gympass), a $2.4 billion corporate-wellness company.

He’s seen what happens when scrappy startup PR turns into an IPO-ready machine.

In this episode, Joe breaks down exactly how to build that engine. From category creation at Salesforce to crisis playbooks at Toast, and how to make your founder’s voice a real strategic asset.

What you’ll learn:
- How Salesforce invented the “Marketing Cloud.”
- The shift from scrappy PR to strategic comms.
- The new PR mix: owned + earned.
- Where AI fits in comms, and why thought leadership will become more valuable, not less.
- How companies like Ryanair earned trust by explaining the logic behind unpopular choices.
- Why separating those functions is already outdated.
- How Salesforce and Toast decide who shows up, what to say, and why empathy is non-negotiable.
- Joe’s rule: just start. Post, iterate, learn, repeat.

Perfect for founders who:
- Want to look public-ready long before the IPO
- Need to balance credibility with control
- Are scaling fast and can’t afford to “wing comms” anymore
- Believe the founder’s voice is part of the brand
- Want to build real authority on LinkedIn without sounding corporate

Connect with Joe:
- Joe’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeciarallo/
- Wellhub: https://wellhub.com/

Connect with me:
- *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- *Website:* https://www.project33.io/
- *Podcast:* https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

Chapters
00:00 – “Dress for the job you want, even as a startup.”
01:20 – The Salesforce Marketing Cloud story
05:50 – How owned + earned media play off each other
08:30 – The rise of podcasts as the new PR
11:40 – Turning scrappy PR into an IPO-ready function
14:00 – How Toast prepped for IPO
16:15 – AI, content, and speed
18:20 – Why AI can’t create thought leadership
20:30 – The new transparency: explaining the why
22:00 – When journalists check your LinkedIn
25:50 – Internal vs external comms is outdated
30:00 – The rise of the Chief Comms Officer
32:00 – Coaching founders to lead industries, not just products
34:00 – Crisis playbooks and empathy
36:00 – Why comms leaders should post too
38:10 – CEO visibility and leading by example
40:00 – Wrap-up