Skip to content

Storylines Live

Episode 27: Turning Panic into a Plan with Jonathan Bernstein

YT Card Episode 27

Jonathan Bernstein, Chairman & Founder of Bernstein Crisis Management, has over three decades of experience helping companies handle high-stakes situations. In this episode, Paul and Jonathan share real-life crisis management stories, essential strategies, and actionable tips to help business owners stay calm, make decisive moves, and protect their brands during a crisis.

Key Takeaways

  1. Many crises are preventable with proactive planning and attention to warning signs. 
  2. Effective crisis communication relies on compassion, confidence, and competence. 
  3. A swift and responsive approach is crucial to minimizing reputational damage. 
  4. Crisis management success is often measured by damage prevention rather than clear metrics. 
  5. Adaptability and expertise set strong crisis management firms apart from competitors.

Timestamps

01:54 Host Introduction 

02:36 Guest Introduction: Jonathan Bernstein 

05:15 The Importance of Crisis Management and Proactive Planning 

09:04 Jonathan’s Philosophy on Crisis Management 

10:46 The Role of Storytelling in Crisis Communications 

12:00 The Importance of Controlling Your Own Narrative Before Others Do 

21:00 Preventing Crises Before They Happen 

23:11 Why Jonathan Started Bernstein Crisis Management 

25:44 The Three Cs of Communication: Compassion, Confidence, and Competence 

34:18 How to Connect with Jonathan Online

Related Episodes

Storylines Live Episode 7 (1)
Storylines_Live_Episode_13
Storylines Live Episode 19

Connect with Paul and the WordWrite Team

Follow Paul on LinkedIn. 

Follow WordWrite on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X). 

Subscribe to WordWrite’s YouTube channel for more marketing tips and tricks. 

Learn how WordWrite helps businesses uncover their Capital S Stories. 

Connect with Jonathan Bernstein

Learn more about Bernstein Crisis Management. 

Read his book, Manager's Guide to Crisis Management. 

Read his book, Keeping the Wolves at Bay - Media Training. 

Follow him on LinkedIn.

AI Transparency Statement: WordWrite uses AI to assist with some research and early stages of content development at our company. To ensure transparency, accountability, quality and security, we adhere to internal AI usage standards. We strongly believe that AI should be used to assist in content creation, not fully produce or automate it. Our standards ensure that every piece of content we develop is crafted and reviewed by people who understand our audience and AI’s limitations.
© 2025 WordWrite