Strategic Strikes : Mastering Your Communications in the Cage Match of Public Opinion

Strategic Strikes is not for the faint-hearted communicator. Patrick Riccards—a veteran strategist with decades in political warfare, crisis PR, and nonprofit leadership—offers a blunt, battle-tested guide to mastering communications when the stakes are high and the plan’s gone to hell.

Drawing parallels between strategic communications and mixed martial arts, Riccards shows that survival isn’t about polish—it’s about instinct, precision, and pressure-tested strategy. From corporate disasters to campaign collapses, his stories reveal what really works when you’re backed into a corner and the cameras are rolling.

You’ll learn how to:

• Spot and counteract bias in media and public perception
• Strike first with messaging that hits—and sticks
• Read your audience like a fighter reads an opponent

No buzzwords. No fluff. Just the hard truths about how to lead communications under pressure, drawn from real-world experience. If you’re tired of stale PR tactics and ready to dominate the narrative, this is your book.

Public opinion is a cage match. Stop dancing. Start striking.

Dr. PATRICK RICCARDS is a veteran strategic communications expert and award-winning author with three decades of experience advising Fortune 500 firms, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations. He has worked across three presidential administrations and helped shape communications for key departments including Education, Treasury, and Defense.

A frequent speaker and media commentator, Patrick is the CEO of the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement. His accolades include honors from PR News, Bulldog Reporter, and IATOP, recognizing his leadership in both public affairs and nonprofit advocacy.