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The king of global communications.” That’s how NBC’s Al Roker describes Jon…
Articles by Jon
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FINAL PREDICTIONS: BUZZWORTHY BANDS AT #ACLFEST
FINAL PREDICTIONS: BUZZWORTHY BANDS AT #ACLFEST
#HarrisRanks is back with your final list of must-see, buzzworthy artists at #ACLFest ‘14! In case you missed my…
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Using Social Analytics to Predict Breakout Bands at #ACLFest
Using Social Analytics to Predict Breakout Bands at #ACLFest
#HarrisRanks is back with a new list of buzzworthy #ACLFest bands! In case you missed my original post, I’ve been…
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Breakout Bands of #ACLFest '14
Breakout Bands of #ACLFest '14
I am absolutely LOVING my experience here in NYC, closing out launch week as new Announcer for the Meredith Vieira…
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Jon Harris shared thisThe struggles are part of the story, too. They test us. Teach us. Humble us. And, if we let them, make us stronger. Don’t let it break you. Let it make you. #Leadership #Resilience #Perspective
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Jon Harris shared thisWe will always remember those we lost on September 11, honor those whose lives were forever changed, and remain grateful to the brave men and women who answered the call. We remember. We honor. We will never forget. 🇺🇸 #September11 #NeverForget
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Jon Harris shared thisBad days are inevitable. They’re also temporary. Don’t let a difficult day convince you that better ones aren’t ahead. They usually are. #Perspective #Resilience #Leadership
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Jon Harris shared thisThere are times when wanting something different isn’t enough. You have to move differently. Think differently. Be willing to leave behind some of the things that once worked for you. That can be uncomfortable. But maybe that’s the point. Old keys won’t unlock new doors. Here’s to finding the new keys.
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Jon Harris shared thisA pretty good reminder for all of us. We’ve made it through every hard day that came before this one. The ones we worried about. The ones we never saw coming. The ones we weren’t sure we could handle. And yet, here we are. Give yourself a little credit. You’re doing better than you think.
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Jon Harris shared thisSome of my favorite quotes are about worrying. Probably because I’ve spent my fair share of time doing it. This one is pretty simple: “Worrying is paying a debt you don’t owe.” Think about how much time we spend worrying about things that never actually happen. I’m going to try to owe a little less. 😊 #Perspective #Mindset
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Jon Harris shared thisA good reminder for a Friday morning. Stay curious. Stay optimistic. And never underestimate how quickly something great can show up when you least expect it. You just have to be ready. Have a great weekend, everyone.
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Jon Harris posted thisToday, after 11 years, I’m signing off from Conagra Brands. Hard to believe, actually. I came here believing communications could be one of the most powerful disciplines in a business - helping shape reputation, culture, brands and, ultimately, enterprise value. I’m proud of what we built and even prouder of the impact we had. There were great days, hard days and plenty of days we never saw coming. We transformed a company. Navigated enormous change. Did some work that I think genuinely mattered. And we had a heck of a lot of fun doing it. But sitting here on my last day, I’m not thinking much about the work. I’m thinking about the people. The colleagues who became friends. The people I learned from and hopefully taught a few things along the way. The laughs, the late-night calls, the wins, the occasional spectacular miss and all the stuff that happened in between. And my Communications team. What an incredible group. Watching so many talented people grow into exceptional leaders has been one of the great joys of these 11 years. I could not be more proud of them. Eleven years is a long time. This place and these people have been a huge part of my life, and I’m going to miss them. I’m very excited for what comes next. And I’m very thankful for everything that came before it. Universe! Let’s get cracking’! Best, Jon
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Jon Harris shared thisI’ve always believed one of the greatest gifts we can give another person is confidence. Not false praise. Not telling someone what they want to hear. Just helping them see something in themselves that maybe they can’t see yet. A little encouragement at the right moment can stay with someone for years. The best thing you can give someone is a reason to believe in themselves. Who helped you believe in yourself?
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Jon Harris liked thisJon Harris liked thisOne of my favorite wise women recently observed that I was at a terrific point in my career, a time where I could “play free.” What Carlette Patterson meant was that I’ve been through enough seasons to know that tensing up and overthinking kills performance. Like a professional athlete, playing free means competing without the fear of failure or consequences dominating your mind: not gripping the moment too hard, not fearing mistakes, not calculating every risk before you act. A young or anxious player often plays "tight" (tentative, overly cautious, second-guessing) while a veteran who's playing free trusts their preparation and instincts and just executes. They've learned that hesitation and self-consciousness are what cause errors, not the situation itself. Reflecting on her comments, I’ve realized that I “gripped the moment too hard” for a chunk of my career. Probably because my profession has been a big part of my identity. Likely, too, because my job was important to my family’s financial stability – nothing has generated more stress for me than the fear of messing up at work and somehow jeopardizing the security of people I love (holler if you can relate!). As a result, sometimes I’ve played not to lose rather than to win. As my mom (the OG of wise women in my life) frequently reminds me, I can’t have done it differently. Perhaps, though, I can pass along what I’ve learned: the sooner you get comfortable playing free, the better you’ll be. And, importantly, the less stress you’ll experience. One caveat: I’m not suggesting that I know it all. Learning is a key driver for me, and I love challenging my personal status quo. But I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with not knowing and still moving ahead. The past 10 years of my career have been incredibly rewarding. And I’ve never had as much joy and fulfillment in my career as I’m having now. Don’t wait: playing free was the best career decision I ever made.
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Jon Harris reacted on thisJon Harris reacted on thisCue Points: Strategic Comms Lessons from the DJ Booth — Driving the Bar Tab There’s a simple truth every DJ learns quickly: you’re not just playing music, you’re supporting a business. The dance floor (or at least the semblance of one) matters, but so does the bar. If people aren’t ordering drinks or bites, the night isn’t working - no matter how “good” the set is on paper. I’ve felt that tension firsthand. It’s easy to get locked into playing for reputation and credibility. But if your set isn’t consistently rotating the floor - bringing people in, giving them a breather, and pulling them back - you’re missing the objective. The best nights create a rhythm beyond the music: peaks that energize, moments that sustain, and enough familiarity to keep people comfortable staying, spending, and coming back. And over time, you start to see patterns. What fills the floor. What sends people to the bar. What loses them entirely. You adjust and not based on instinct alone, but on observed behavior, repeat signals, and a willingness to refine in real time. That’s not so different from how the highest-performing communications teams I’ve led approach the work. Communications operates in service of the business. Whether you’re building or protecting reputation, supporting a launch, navigating an issue, or engaging the workforce, the work has to connect to outcomes like growth, retention, trust, shareholder value. And like DJing, you learn quickly that outputs aren’t enough. You need signals. Behavior change, engagement, audience reach and relevance, message pull-through, stakeholder response, speed of recovery. These are your equivalents of a packed floor or a busy bar. You test, you learn, you optimize. Activity without impact is just noise. A track I often come back to that captures this dynamic is “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” by Pet Shop Boys. Released in 1985 and re-recorded for broader success in 1986, it’s a sharp, slightly tongue-in-cheek take on ambition, commerce, and knowing your role in the equation. One brings the ideas, the other makes them land. Not a bad metaphor.
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Jon Harris reacted on thisJon Harris reacted on thisCue Points: Strategic Comms Lessons from the DJ Booth - Don’t Blow the Speakers When the volume meters on a DJ mixer start hitting red, it can feel like you’re giving the room exactly what it wants: more volume, more energy, more impact. What you’re usually creating is distortion. Push the system too hard and the music loses definition. The bass gets muddy. The highs become harsh. Eventually, you risk damaging the equipment carrying the sound. Experienced DJs know impact doesn’t come from turning everything up. It comes from managing the levels so the parts people need to hear remain clear and the experience doesn’t drive them away. Leaders today face a similar temptation when an issue surfaces. Misinformation appears online. An employee raises a grievance in Slack. A negative post starts gaining attention on Reddit. The instinct is often to respond quickly and immediately - another statement or response, another town hall, another social post. But as Bradley Akubuiro explores in his new book, Faster. Messier. Tougher., the loudest issue isn’t always the one with the greatest impact. Before adding more volume, we need to understand what’s actually happening. Who’s driving the conversation? Are the customers, employees, investors who can materially affect the business paying attention? Is this a high-volume but low-impact distraction, or a quieter concern reaching the people whose trust really matters? Responding too broadly can give an issue more oxygen, distract from the organization’s mission or create expectations the business isn’t prepared to meet. This is where experienced communications counsel matters. Sometimes the moment calls for speed and broad visibility. Sometimes one brief targeted message from the right leader is enough. Other times, the organization needs to listen, address the underlying problem or hold its position rather than trying to satisfy every critic. Yes, it might not feel like a clean win. But the goal is to make a decision that protects trust with the people who matter most to the organization’s reputation. That isn’t inaction. It’s judgment. It helps leaders focus limited attention and resources, avoid conflicting messages and keep a manageable issue from becoming a larger one. The objective isn’t to produce the most communication. It’s to create the clearest signal and make sure the organization can stand behind it. A video from my sets that fits this theme is “Panic” by The Smiths. Released in 1986, it channels anger and urgency into two minutes of sharp, memorable pop along with one of the most infamous references to a DJ in alternative rock music. The emotion is loud, but the song never loses its shape. Whether you’re running a sound system or leading through a difficult moment, turning up the volume is easy. Knowing the frame that actually matters takes experience.
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Jon Harris reacted on thisJon Harris reacted on thisSuch a great reminder by Angela Duckworth that none of us gets very far entirely on our own. Never hesitate to reach out when you need a little help along the way, and when someone else reaches out to you, be the person who makes the time.Opinion | I Study Successful People. They Have One Habit in Common.Opinion | I Study Successful People. They Have One Habit in Common.
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Jon Harris reacted on thisJon Harris reacted on this𝐂𝐮𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 - 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐉 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡: 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 I spend a lot more time practicing my DJ sets than people probably realize. Not necessarily running through an entire set from beginning to end. Most of the time, I’m experimenting: • Working through the flow between songs and different vibes • Moving a mix point earlier or later • Letting a song breathe a little longer • Testing two tracks I think should work together And sometimes a transition that looks perfect on the DJ software just doesn’t sound right once you actually hear it through the speakers. That’s really what practice gives me: a place to experiment without the experiment becoming the performance. I can try something, figure out why it works (or doesn’t), make an adjustment and try it again. The goal isn’t to script every moment of the night. It’s to know the music well enough and test enough possibilities so that I have more freedom once I’m actually in front of a crowd. As communications leaders, I think we could create more of that same space for our teams. We talk a lot about experimentation right now, whether it’s with AI, new channels, different types of content or new ways of reaching an audience. But experimenting doesn’t have to mean rolling something out broadly and hoping it works. Let's give people room to: • Pressure-test a narrative • Pilot a new format • Experiment with an AI workflow • Try something with a smaller, targeted audience first • Have something not work while the stakes are still low • Learn from it, adjust and try again There’s a great visual for this in New Order’s “The Perfect Kiss”, one of my favorites to play in my sets. Director Jonathan Demme filmed the band performing in their rehearsal space, surrounded by instruments, equipment and technology. Watch it closely. Everything feels incredibly precise and practiced, but it never feels overly rehearsed. There’s still that sense that something is happening in the moment. That’s the balance I think we should be going for. Practice shouldn’t make us more predictable. If it's done right, it gives us more freedom to experiment.
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Jon Harris reacted on thisJon Harris reacted on thisReposting publicly so this can be shared: Amplifying this deeply concerning police alert and asking friends and colleagues located across the greater Washington, DC area to please share it as well. I had the privilege of working with Antoinette Forbes at Lilly and know how much she means to so many people in this community. Right now, the only thing that matters is helping bring her home safely to her son, family and friends. Please keep Antoinette and her family in your thoughts.
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Jon Harris reacted on thisJon Harris reacted on thisA tourist day in Philadelphia with my mom Melissa R. Brown, JD turned into a meaningful moment of reflection for me. History is woven into every corner of this city. Walking through the same places where people challenged existing systems, fought for change, and helped shape the future reminded me that history is not only something we study—it is something we continue to create. As I pursue my Master of Public Health and Master of Public Administration at University of Pennsylvania , I have been thinking deeply about the mark I want to leave. My goal is not simply to earn two more degrees, but to use my education to advocate for communities, address inequities, and help create systems that allow more people to thrive. I am grateful to call Philadelphia home during this chapter of my life, and I look forward to learning from its history while working toward meaningful and lasting change.
Experience & Education
Honors & Awards
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The Plank Center for Communications Legacy Award
The Plank Center for Communications
From The Plank Center for Communications: Jon Harris has been named the 2024 recipient of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations Legacy Award for his transformative contributions to the field and unwavering commitment to mentorship. His visionary leadership and dedication to ethical, impactful communication have left an enduring mark on the industry and its future leaders.
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PRWeek Hall of Fame
PRWeek
From PRWeek: Jon Harris, a visionary leader in public relations, has been inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame for his transformative impact on the industry through innovative storytelling, strategic leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence. His dedication to mentoring future professionals and driving meaningful change has solidified his legacy as a true pioneer in the field.
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PRSA PR Professional of the Year
Public Relations Society of America
From PRSA: In 2018, Jon Harris was named PRSA Chicago’s Professional of the Year, honoring his exceptional leadership and transformative impact on the public relations industry. His innovative approach to communication and dedication to mentoring future leaders set a new standard of excellence in the profession.
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Dean Acosta
Dean Acosta
Serve as IonQ’s first Chief Corporate Affairs and Government Relations Officer, overseeing all communications, public affairs and government relations activities. I took a non-traditional path to this role. Starting my career as a journalist -- first in sports, then in the investigative unit and business -- I eventually made the leap from asking questions to answering them as the chief spokesperson at NASA. Since then, I’ve held executive leadership roles in technology-driven industries, such as aerospace and defense, energy and consumer tech. I have deep experience with crisis communications and issues management, M&A and spinoff communications, and CEO and high-profile leadership transitions. I currently serve on the board of directors for the STEM Next Opportunity Fund and previously served on the board of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.<br><br>Proud to be a Texan through and through and #girldad to four daughters.<br><br>My key principles:<br>• Be curious. Always question the status quo, have a growth mindset and bias for continuous learning.<br>• Broaden your experience. Get out of your comfort zone, take on stretch assignments, don’t be afraid of career risks.<br>• Connect the dots. Look around corners and always be prepared for a bad day.
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