Today we have a special episode. Instead of one guest, we have two! Catch a glimpse of two industry friends being candid on what it’s like to work in food and wine media. You’ll learn about what works and doesn’t work when promoting a food/beverage brand. Gain insider knowledge to take your food and beverage PR strategy from OK to great, in this la…

Ever wonder how some experts get to share their expertise through contributed articles in big, industry outlets? In this episode, we chat with a community editor whose job is to vet these kinds of pitches. Tune in to this episode if you want to understand the ins and outs of pitching contributed content on behalf of your expert. In this episode, yo…

Today’s episode is all about media training. Our guest is a freelance writer (a repeat guest!) who has interviewed all sorts of experts and has a LOT of great insight into how we can all do better during this important part of the media relations process. Listen to this episode and walk away with new-found confidence and actionable tips needed to t…

Although the media industry is constantly in flux, we have seen some significant changes over the past year that don’t inspire confidence in the current stability of things. In light of news regarding layoffs across all industries, how can publicists become indefensible and solidify their spot at the table? Our guest today, a fellow publicist and d…

Today we have a guest who considers himself more of an SEO than PR. But, with the convergence of digital comes the reality that PR influences SEO and sometimes vice versa. With that in mind, we have a conversation all around clever ways to prospect and grow your media lists as well as answering the challenge of how to do this at-scale. In this epis…

We have a repeat guest joining us today. We’ll talk about something that’s been on her mind, which is the growth of asset-less PR in lieu of hero/content-led campaigns. We’ll discuss potential reasons why this may be, and what the potential opportunity cost is of forgoing the use of content in your PR strategy. Plus, she makes a pretty strong argum…

In this special episode, we explore mental health with executive coach and psychologist, Dr. Anne Welsh. We’ll cover perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and anxiety, along with actionable tips you can take to take control of your mental health through healthy coping mechanisms. From this, you’ll walk away with your very own “mental health” toolbox yo…

In this episode, we analyze a real pitch sent under embargo by the CTO of a tech company to a tech reporter at a leading business publication. We’ll learn how and why this pitch worked, and gain some takeaways of how you too might secure a dream, spotlight coverage like this for your own client or employer. In this episode, you'll learn all about p…

Today’s episode we connect with a TV producer who has worked with both Britt and Jaclyn. Catch a glimpse into both of our worlds and come out inspired to build your own, rewarding relationship with an awesome producer doing important work. Along the way, you’ll learn that some prescriptive advice (like brevity and digital-only) might not always app…

This season we will also be sharing the video recordings - yay! We figured we would test out the new video platform we're using and give a little teaser into the 2024 season. Keep an eye on your feeds for new episodes dropping in March. TTFN!

Today’s episode stems from a freelance journalist’s heartfelt confession of how she deals with nerves before conducting interviews. As publicists, we too deal with these nerves, but to hear it from the other side? Refreshing. We speak with our guest regarding her experience of working with sources and come out understanding just how much care goes …

Our guest today, a freelance health reporter, doesn't use PR pitches to write her stories. And, despite this, she still works with publicists! So how does it all work? This episode is all about the art of answering media queries. If you remember Casey's episodes, we've already talked about HARO extensively on the podcast. This week, however, we're …

This is the story of a piece that almost wasn’t meant to be. And, if you’re into interior design, you’ll especially want to give this episode a listen. Our guest shares how a trending topic, unlikely pitch, and serendipitous encounter with a stranger all culminated into a nice, long feature with beautiful imagery for the Wall Street Journal. Gain i…

In this episode, dive into a story of a digital fashion journalist who moved forward with a piece, despite pushback from the subjects’ corporate communications department. From it, you’ll learn how smaller brands can step up to the plate and provide value to a digital journalist in the age of TikTok, competing with corporations for coverage in a to…

Our guest today is a media veteran with over 30 years of experience. He’s been on both the PR and journalism side of things and lately has been the executive editor at a trade publication. We end up talking quite a bit of shop with him. Hear us chat about the past, present, and future of media, and so much more, on today’s episode. In this episode,…

Today’s episode features a guest who covers media agencies for Adweek and is very open about how to pitch her and others at her publication. We go over the bigger picture of what to do and not do when pitching her and her colleagues, as well as where she maintains all this information for publicists to review at any time. Walk away from this episod…

Today we have an awesome education journalist who focuses on consumer advice. Unfortunately, even some of the most well-meaning publicists get his name and his beat wrong all of the time. We find that even with some of the most seasoned professionals, these mistakes are surprisingly easy to make in a fast-paced, efficient environment. Listen on to …

In today’s episode, we analyze a product pitch that inspired a freelance journalist to write a gift guide for Forbes. We’ll learn the etiquette around offering a product to a journalist to test out, the fact that coverage is not always guaranteed, and the balance of being polite, direct, and professional. Walk away empowered with the skills to pitc…

In today’s episode, we analyze a story that experienced a complete pivot from the original pitch and follow-up. Get a glimpse into how this happened, and why having that rapport built already led to an active brainstorming and changing of the story altogether— talk about PR-journalist collaboration heaven! From it, walk away encouraged to do the sa…

Our guest today is active on Twitter and Substack, freely sharing the best tips for journalists in the travel space. In fact, we first heard about our guest through a Tweet she authored that went viral, which sparked conversation amongst journalists on what the best professional traits of go-to publicists are. We talk all about the best responses a…

Today’s episode is all about pitching startup and VC news to a reporter at Insider. Interestingly, the story we explore does not come from one single pitch, but many pitches, spanning the course of many months. Aside from exploring the extensive email organization skills that our guest possesses, we learn the ins and outs of having your pitch stand…

Today’s episode explores an exclusive series pitched by a publicist and written by our guest. This obviously piqued our interest, and we're certain it'll pique yours as well. In this episode, we further explore entertainment journalism and PR, and walk away with an expanded view of just how vast, expansive, and interesting the PR industry is as a w…

Today’s episode is all about the creative process! Our guest today has worked in an array of industries for some of the UK’s top agencies and has developed a set of skills and processes to ideate and produce digital PR campaigns that have consistently caught the attention of top-tier media outlets across the web.In this episode, you'll learn how to…

Today's episode is all about the art of subject line writing! Our guest has seen great, good, and downright awful subject lines. In fact, she's deleted emails based off the subject-- every PR's worst nightmare! But do not fret, she's not only written about her experience but shared her tips on the BuzzStream blog. Does personalization matter? Is it…

Do you ever email the same contact monthly or even weekly and wonder if it’s ever just, too much? Have you ever wondered if it’s ok to ask for interview questions in advance? Has a “Dear PR people” tweet from a journalist ever made you wince? If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions, then this is the episode for you! We’re going “old school…

Whether you’re a freelancer, agency owner, or employee, there will come a time in your career when you may need to make the case for another party to pay you more money. Especially in today’s economic climate, the question begs: “How do I know if it’s appropriate to re-negotiate my pay and how do I go about it in a strategic way?” Frankly, this is …

We all know that relationship-building outside of the inbox is important. In theory, we should be interacting with our contacts via social on a regular basis. For some, this is the best part of the job. For others, the worst part. Our guest today is a follow publicist whose passion is building rapport outside of the inbox. She shares real psycholog…

Whether you have charts or commentary to complement the story you're pitching, our guest today has insights on how to bring your story asset game to the next level. We start with a data report with embeddable charts that Britt pitched our guest. These charts are what caught their eye and incentivized them to write the story. (Go Britt, for a succes…

What do 2,000 digital PR pieces created by 11 agencies and in-house teams tell us about campaign success? Our guest shares her findings of this exact analysis with us. From this, you'll walk away with a greater understanding of what performance looks like across the board, and how your own work might fit into this landscape. In this episode you'll …

We have a friend of the show, Casey Bond, back for more HARO and general press query tips. You may remember Casey from our “To Catch a Fake Financial Expert,” episode, where she uncovers a fake expert on HARO. Well, despite her large exposé, spammers have not learned their lessons. In fact, Casey shares the growing number of transgressions she’s sp…

Remember our newsletter episode with Neal Freyman of Morning Brew? Well, we have the publicist he gives a shoutout to as our guest for today's episode! Not only does she represent Malcolm Gladwell, but she specializes as a publicist of authors, academics, and thought leaders with “big ideas” and thoughts to share with the world. Sometimes these cli…

We analyze a pitch for a social app that received a humble amount of funding, but captivated our guest to cover the story for TechCrunch. From it, you’ll learn about how authenticity can shine through in your brand. Amanda offers her unique perspective as a full-time contractor for TechCrunch with experience as a freelance journalist. You’ll receiv…

In this episode, we chat with Amanda Milligan about creating newsworthy content. Several of our previous guests have stressed the importance of following the news. Today, we’ll discuss how we can use it to create relevant content for your audience that earns future links. Not only will you get some tips from our guest, but you’ll also hear from Bri…

In this episode, we analyze a Vogue piece that stemmed from a different story idea entirely. From it, we learn how to nail down strategic pitching and story ideation, how to pivot when a reporter calls for it, and all the details that go into getting your client “Vogue-ready.” And, after our conversation today, you’ll walk away with newfound confid…

Today we have a personal finance and commerce editor on the show. We’ll analyze a data-driven story that stemmed from a PR pitch, however, the story that was pitched was different from the story that came out! From it, we’ll hear the tale of a time when a publicist was able to pivot effectively and give the editor what they needed. We also go into …

In this episode, we speak with seasoned TV reporter, Ken Molestina, who has reported from news stations all across the country. We focus on his real estate segment, but quickly dive deeper beyond the basic tips and get a good look at the current state of the local newsroom, despite the ever-evolving media landscape he’s actively navigating. You’ll …

In this episode, we chat with TechCrunch reporter, Natasha Mascarenha, about a pitch that led to a phone call, which inspired a 4-part series on a well-known edtech company, Duolingo! What stood out about the founder that led to such an in-depth look at the company? We’ll dive into how this series developed, leaving you with tips on how to pitch yo…

**In this special 2 part episode, we have a WEM first. Our guest (with the permission of the publicists!) shared some real pitches with us. Check out a full transcription of the pitch at the bottom of the notes!** In part 2, we analyze another pitch that led to a Q&A article about women’s personal finances. And while this second pitch looks very di…

**In this special 2 part episode, we have a WEM first. Our guest (with the permission of the publicists!) shared some real pitches with us. Check out our show notes for a full transcription of the pitches!** Larger, lifestyle publications like Real Simple and Better Homes & Gardens plan their stories months in advance, so how can following the late…

Daily newsletters are hot right now, and brands want in. But, it’s not that simple! In this episode, we speak with the editor of one of the most popular daily newsletters at the moment– Morning Brew. Our guest discusses the power of the newsletter and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how a daily newsletter is produced. With limited space, exceptio…

Health reporters, especially in the time of COVID, need to make sure they get it right. This goes into the stories they choose to tell, how they frame it, and whom they enlist to help tell the story. With the standards so high, this is likely to scare some publicists away. Never fear, listeners, because our guest today breaks down a story that stem…

Local news tips are coming your way from our guest, a local news anchor and segment host. He give us an insider look on how a local news station operates. From it, you’ll come out ahead with a more informed approach of how to reach out to a local news station— even when it’s not clear who you need to send your pitch to! In this episode you’ll learn…

Our guest is freelance journalist and editor whose mission is to help and inspire Black women and girls. Her work is intersectional, focusing on mental health, wellness, lifestyle, career and more. We dive deep into some in-depth reporting that demonstrates all the ways in which a publicist may have a positive impact on real lives, regardless of th…

Our guest today is a deals editor on a reviews section of a top-tier, online outlet. If you’ve ever wondered how an e-commerce section of a media outlet operates and how publicists fit into the equation, then this is the episode for you! And, bonus: our guest is a true evangelist of deals shopping, so, you will walk away with better shopping know-h…

One of our most popular episodes to date is episode 25, when we discuss how data-driven studies are developed, with the genius, VK. (If you haven't given that one a listen, what are you waiting for?!) Well now we’re taking it a step further (or back, depending on how you look at it!) to how these ideas even come about. We speak with a creative cont…

One of the things we miss most about the pre-pandemic world is in-person events. Enter the next best thing: virtual events! Our guest today is a former fashion editor (Real Simple) turned publicist who specializes in press events and has been hosting them virtually since the start of the pandemic. In this episode, we explore all the considerations …

We’re going meta this episode, because we’re speaking with a senior editor at a publication that covers all the latest trends in public relations and media. And while overall pitch tips don’t vary all too much from the norm, you’ll glean some extra special insights from a guest who knows our industry better than most.In this episode you’ll hear… Ho…

Fellow foodie listeners: we have a tasty episode for you. This week, we’re speaking with a weekend editor and contributing writer at Delish.com. Ni’Kesia Pannell covers breaking food news, focusing particularly on the intersection of food and culture. Our guest also depends on and loves working with publicists on a regular basis, so this one is cho…

Put on your spacesuits because we’re heading into worlds unknown with space journalist, Neel V. Patel. He sits down with us to what publicists should keep in mind when pitching journalists who cover highly-technical subjects for mainstream audiences. There are tons of details and nuances we had not considered before, so we’re very excited to share …

Britt and Jackie teach the art of the follow-up. Yes, that’s right, they take it so seriously that they do consider it an art. And, by the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say you earned your MFA in Follow-ups from WemU. ;-) In all seriousness, we share what it takes to craft an effective follow up that adds value to the conversation and incr…