Meet Rachel Noerdlinger — founding equity partner at ACTUM, one of the top 10 fastest-growing public strategy consultancies in the world, and one of the most powerful crisis communications strategists in the country. With 35 years in media and PR, Rachel has been behind some of the most historic civil rights cases of this generation.In this candid conversation with BIG CED on My Friends Are Better Than Yours, Rachel opens up about her extraordinary career, her personal journey, and why she runs toward crisis when everyone else runs away.💥 In this episode:How growing up in chaos shaped her career in crisis managementGetting her start under legendary publicist Terry WilliamsHer first clients: Johnny Cochran and Rev. Al SharptonBuilding the National Action Network’s media presence from the ground upThe most historic civil rights cases of our generationWhat ACTUM is, why it was built, and where it’s headedBeing the only Black female founding equity partner at a global firmHer work in health equity and the current Medicaid crisisMental health, self-medication, and losing her mother to suicideHer son’s redemption story and the next generationAI, social media burnout, and the future of Black mediaWhat she would do differently — and why scars matter🌱 Rachel is also hosting a vegan wellness retreat in Costa Rica — tune in for details!🔗 Connect with Rachel Noerdinger:📱 Social: @RachelNoerd🌐 Website: actumlc.com🎙️ The Industry Cosign turns 23 years old on March 15th!Subscribe, like, and share to support independent Black media.0:00 Intro & Welcome1:41 Rachel introduces herself — 35 years in media2:25 What is crisis management?5:20 Growing up in chaos — the origin story 6:09 Dropping out of Columbia & discovering PR 7:07 Learning from legendary publicist Terry Williams7:38 First clients: Johnny Cochran & Rev. Al Sharpton11:48 28 years with Reverend Sharpton & NAN12:30 Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo & more15:13 Getting close to victims — the emotional weight16:44 What is ACTUM and why was it built?18:27 Bipartisan strategy & ACTUM’s global offices 19:17 The goal: becoming a billion-dollar company 20:27 Being the only Black woman equity partner 22:20 Lifting as you climb — acquiring Sky Blue Media24:09 Health equity work & the Health Equity Coalition24:51 Vegan wellness retreat in Costa Rica26:27 Fighting health disparities under the current administration27:06 Al Sharpton + Newt Gingrich — strange bedfellows for change28:05 Mental health in the Black community29:06 Rachel’s personal story — losing her mother 30:54 Self-medication, sobriety & finding tools to cope33:07 Midterms, rebuilding, and revolution34:04 Dark-skinned Black men — power, targeting & identity40:32 From entertainment PR to politics — the shift42:43 Why entertainers aren’t as active today43:34 The role of Black journalists and media voices46:27 AI, robots & the death of entry-level jobs48:02 How BIG CED came to accept AI as a creative tool50:54 How ACTUM built their own AI tool 52:08 What’s next for Rachel & ACTUM53:40 What would you do over again?58:26 Closing — gratitude & how to connectConnect with BIG CED: https://www.instagram.com/bigced328/ https://www.facebook.com/bigced328 https://x.com/bigced https://bsky.app/profile/bigced328.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigced/ https://www.twitch.tv/bigced328 https://rumble.com/user/bigced328https://www.dailymotion.com/bigcedhttps://open.spotify.com/show/35yBW0BTd4c7HvCnh9dVXz?si=HvZeE8RfTJGH6YjvHBiYzg&nd=1&dlsi=a147a471e6ab4c5c https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-industry-cosign/id1638654676 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-industry-cosign-105171601/#RachelNoerdinger #ACTUM #CrisisManagement #BlackExcellence #TheIndustryCosign #PublicStrategy #RevAlSharpton #NationalActionNetwork #BlackWomenLead #HealthEquity #BlackMedia #CivilRights #BlackEntrepreneur #MediaStrategy #BIGCED