Press, speaking and commentary
Selected writing, interviews and media coverage from Jessica Whitcutt MCIPR, founder of It's a Shovel. Earlier work was published under three former bylines: Jessica Yellin, Jessica Whitcutt Yellin, and Jessica Whitcutt Fagan. The same author throughout. Each entry below carries an attribution note where the original byline differs from the current professional name.
Bylined writing
Articles, columns, and the ongoing LinkedIn newsletter Thoughts on noughts, written by Jessica Whitcutt MCIPR. The 2018 CFO South Africa pieces are framework-adjacent, drawing on the Reputation with Purpose methodology first published in March 2018. The 2022 LinkedIn series is a primer on thought leadership for senior practitioners.
LinkedIn · 2 July 2022
How to be a thought leader, part 1
Opening piece in the series, setting out what thought leadership is and what it is routinely confused with.
(originally published under Jessica Whitcutt Fagan)
LinkedIn · 9 July 2022
How to be a thought leader, part 2
Middle instalment of the series, on producing a substantive point of view rather than restating what is already widely agreed.
(originally published under Jessica Whitcutt Fagan)
LinkedIn · 25 July 2022
How to be a thought leader, part 3
Third piece in a three-part series on what durable thought leadership looks like for senior practitioners, beyond the LinkedIn performance theatre.
(originally published under Jessica Whitcutt Fagan)
CFO South Africa · 29 May 2018
How to get sh!t done with a sense of purpose
On translating corporate purpose statements into operational practice rather than treating purpose as a press release.
(originally published under Jessica Whitcutt Yellin)
CFO South Africa · 10 April 2018
Your business needs a clear Purpose to survive
Argument for the commercial case for purpose, written for finance leaders six weeks after the Reputation with Purpose framework was first published.
(originally published under Jessica Whitcutt Yellin)
CFO South Africa · 6 March 2018
Corporate SA deserves the reputational mess it's in
Argument that the South African corporate scandals of 2017 to 2018 were a predictable consequence of reputation work treated as PR rather than strategy.
(originally published under Jessica Whitcutt Yellin)
Interviews
Video interviews recorded in 2020 with UK and South African business audiences. Each was filmed under Jessica's previous professional name, Jessica Whitcutt Fagan, and links to the original YouTube upload.
YouTube · 17 August 2020
Conversation with Jane Bayler on The Smart Connector
Jane Bayler interviews Jessica, founder of the boutique consultancy It's a Shovel. The conversation focuses on the intersection of reputation management and business purpose.
(originally featured under Jessica Whitcutt Fagan)
YouTube · 18 June 2020
Conversation with Rob Law MBE on Trunki Daddy
Jessica interviews Rob Law MBE, creator of the children's luggage brand Trunki. Law discusses his entrepreneurial journey, the inspiration behind his book 65 Roses and a Trunki, and how he navigated significant professional and personal challenges, including his cystic fibrosis and a well-known rejection on Dragons' Den.
(originally featured under Jessica Whitcutt Fagan)
YouTube · 15 May 2020
Webinar with the South African Chamber of Commerce UK
Webinar hosted by the South African Chamber of Commerce UK. Jessica discusses 'Embrace the Curve', a framework for navigating change and personal or business challenges during times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
(originally featured under Jessica Whitcutt Fagan)
Media coverage
Pieces where Jessica is the subject or a cited source, not the author. The 2018 MarkLives piece is Simone Puterman's monthly column, citing Jessica's commentary on the South African PR industry. The 2016 Bizcommunity piece is Leigh Andrews's coverage of the SABMiller #BeTheMentor campaign, which Jessica led from inside SABMiller corporate affairs.
MarkLives · 19 July 2018
#TheInterlocker: Solving issues, skills, advice, digital PR, BBBEE
Commentary by Jessica cited inside Simone Puterman's monthly round-up column on the South African PR industry.
Bizcommunity · 14 January 2016
SAB swirls international anti-underage drinking ad waters
Coverage by Leigh Andrews of the SABMiller #BeTheMentor anti-underage-drinking campaign, which Jessica led from inside SABMiller corporate affairs.
For current work, the full Reputation with Purpose framework, and a complete professional biography, visit the about page. The framework, first published in March 2018, is the methodology behind much of the writing collected above and the spine of It's a Shovel's current client engagements. The press list is curated rather than comprehensive, and is updated as further pieces are recovered or new ones are commissioned.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Earlier work appeared under three former bylines: Jessica Yellin, Jessica Whitcutt Yellin, and Jessica Whitcutt Fagan. The current professional name is Jessica Whitcutt MCIPR (Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations). The earlier bylines reflect marriage and subsequent professional name changes, and each entry on this page carries an attribution note where the original byline differs.