In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy is joined by Ana Metz, Founder and Editor of Future Travel, to explore how a niche travel tech newsletter has grown into one of the industry's leading media brands—and why community has become just as important as journalism.

From launching Future Travel during the pandemic to building the annual Future Travel Summit in Barcelona, Ana shares what she's seeing across travel technology, the biggest opportunities emerging around AI, and why founders need to think beyond product announcements if they want to earn attention.

The conversation also explores how specialist publications work, what makes a story stand out, the importance of understanding a publication's editorial rhythm, and why building genuine relationships is far more valuable than chasing coverage.

00:00 – Meet Ana Metz, Founder and Editor of Future Travel

01:00 – From EU-Startups to launching Future Travel during the pandemic

03:00 – What Future Travel covers and why travel tech deserves its own publication

04:00 – Inside the Future Travel Summit and bringing the industry together

05:30 – The biggest trends shaping travel technology today

06:00 – AI in travel: balancing automation with human experiences

08:30 – How the Future Travel newsletter is curated each week

09:50 – Using reader questions to demystify AI through industry experts

11:00 – How PR professionals can work with Future Travel

11:45 – Inbox zero, email pitches and managing a growing publication

12:30 – Quick fire: founder interviews, embargoes and pitching preferences

13:20 – Why understanding a publication's editorial calendar matters

16:00 – What PR professionals should do more of—not less

17:00 – Why travel tech founders need to professionalize their communications

18:30 – The AI travel startup story that's exciting Ana most

19:40 – How to get in touch with Ana and the Future Travel team

If you're looking for support with your communications, from PR and media relations to content strategy and thought leadership, get in touch with CEW Communications at cewcomms.com.

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy is joined by Damisola Sulaiman, Fintech Reporter at Sifted, to explore what it's like joining one of Europe's busiest startup newsrooms—and what founders need to understand if they want their stories to stand out.

From covering Europe's biggest fintechs to tracking emerging trends in AI, digital assets, and financial services, Damisola shares what catches her attention, how she works through more than 200 pitches a day, and why context matters just as much as the product you're building.

00:00 – Meet Damisola Sulaiman, Fintech Reporter at Sifted

02:00 – From financial trade journalism to Europe's startup ecosystem

04:00 – Why fintech moves faster than traditional finance

05:20 – The stories shaping fintech today: neobanks, AI, digital assets, and insurtech

08:10 – Revolut, growth-stage fintechs, and spotting the next big trend

09:20 – Inside a fintech reporter's inbox: managing 200+ emails a day

11:50 – How to write a subject line that catches Damisola's attention

13:30 – Why founders should build relationships before they need coverage

14:10 – What makes a great founder interview

17:10 – Quick-fire round: exclusives, data vs narrative, experts vs founders, and press releases

19:30 – The biggest mistake PR professionals make when pitching Sifted

20:20 – Why founders need to place their company in a wider context

23:30 – AI in journalism: research assistant, not replacement

24:00 – The rise of AI-generated pitches and why they're easy to spot

26:00 – How journalists are using AI for sourcing and research

27:00 – Why media coverage increasingly influences AI discovery

28:50 – The best way to pitch Damisola and the Sifted newsroom

If you're looking for support with your communications, from PR and media relations to content strategy and thought leadership, get in touch with CEW Communications at cewcomms.com.

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy sits down with freelance technology journalist and producer Tim Smith to explore how journalism is evolving.

Drawing on his experience covering startups and AI at Sifted, producing programs for the BBC, writing for The Infinite Loop, and creating documentary-style YouTube content, Tim shares practical advice on becoming a trusted expert source, why authentic opinions will always outperform AI-generated content, and the simple changes that make journalists far more likely to get in touch.

The conversation also explores how AI is really being used inside newsrooms and why the best stories are those that explain how technology affects real people—not just other people in tech.

00:00 – Meet Tim Smith, freelance journalist, BBC producer, and former Sifted news editor

02:20 – Why Tim returned to freelancing and the projects he's working on today

03:30 – Writing about AI for The Infinite Loop and the changing media landscape

05:20 – Producing documentary-style YouTube content about technology and work

07:15 – The difference between being a journalist and a producer

09:30 – How Tim finds expert sources for BBC programs

11:00 – The simple website mistake that stops journalists contacting startups

12:10 – How AI fits into Tim's daily workflow

15:10 – Why AI still can't write great journalism

15:50 – ChatGPT talking to Claude: the problem with AI-generated LinkedIn content

17:20 – Why authenticity is becoming more valuable in an AI-first world

18:00 – Journalists want original thinking, not average opinions

19:20 – Finding experts with genuine points of view

19:45 – Quick-fire round: pitches, exclusives, founders vs experts, and press releases

20:50 – One thing PR professionals should stop doing

21:30 – Tim's advice for founders: don't let your PR run the interview

23:10 – The AI stories Tim is most interested in covering next

24:00 – How to get in touch with Tim

If you're looking for support with your communications, from PR and media relations to content strategy and thought leadership, get in touch at CEW Communications via cewcomms.com.