Download Podcast TranscriptToday’s guest is Bri Amaranthus, an Emmy-winning producer and reporter who prides herself on forging relationships, telling stories that create connections, and showcasing her friendly and playful personality. Bri actually started her career during undergrad as an intern with NBC Sports NW and quickly worked her way up within the network, serving in a variety of positions from beat reporter to digital media producer to prime time host and more. Then, after a successful seven-year career with NBC Sports Northwest, she decided to explore Dallas, Texas, and now Bri is currently covering the Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks for Sports Illustrated.Highlights:Bri has always loved sports and has always had a competitive soul; although she loved playing softball as a young girl, she realized that was not going to be the career of her life. Instead, she decided to go for journalism because telling stories and interviewing were her true passions.When Bri was a sophomore in college, she started interning for NBC Sports, which gave her a great opportunity to learn a lot. However, she shortly had the chance to go for a part-time job at the same company and she decided to go for it and she got the job!At NBC Sports NW, Bri carried a 7-year experience where she excelled in different roles as a prime time host, beat reporter, social media manager and digital media producer. After all of this, Bri decided to challenge herself: she moved to Dallas, Texas, where she got her current job at Sports Illustrated.Bri’s job has completely changed because of COVID-19: in a normal context, she would be going to all of the games of the teams as well as the practices, doing interviews and taking amazing shots and videos of the game. However, that’s not currently possible, but she still manages to record some interviews via Zoom.Bri explains how she created content for the Cowboys’ website that got the most views ever, and she highlights the importance of realizing that part of a journalist's job is to create content that gets viewed because it’s a business.Stories that focus on powerful emotions or human connection mostly do well because people empathize with those feelings. Bri dives into two of her favorite stories she got to cover and these are the ones she mostly feels proud of. To learn more about Bri, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a  Discovery Call here.

Download Podcast Transcript On today’s episode we’re talking with Sara Alepin, CEO of Photos From the Harty, 2X podcast host, and CEO of District Bliss Events, a community of ambitious creatives and business owners who want to expand their networks quickly, build their businesses with ease, and just find their people. Sara is a master connector and a cross-community promotions queen! Tune in to hear her best organic community growth hacks, tips on all things collaboration, social proof, and how to make accessible content for your business. Highlights:Sara talks about her journey from getting injured as a photography teacher and not being able to go back to her profession to creating District Bliss and then creating her two podcasts.She discusses the concept behind District Bliss: it’s a community of entrepreneurs and creative small business owners who support each other. She talks about the importance of creating strong community relationships in any business which is often overlooked by many entrepreneurs.Sara says that hosting an event is great PR: getting a business in front of a community is key and collaborating with others who are interested in what you do is also important.She tells how testimonials can really help your business: it’s basically another person selling what you do and really great social proof!For Sara, social media and blogging are two organic tools that have really helped her to spread awareness about her businesses.Understanding the concept of “accessibility made easy”: inclusivity should always be taken into consideration when creating content for a webpage or for a podcast, for example.To learn more about Sara, visit her District Bliss webpage and her Photos From the Hearty webpage. Also, you can listen to her podcast called “The Wedding Dish” here. Want to make your business accessible? Visit MabelyQ.com Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Discovery Call Here.

 Download Podcast TranscriptA former CBS reporter, today’s “Guest Trifecta” is Toni Harrison, the founder and CEO of Etched Communication and Managing Partner and President of the Ten35 Agency. Toni has managed award-winning public relations campaigns for a diverse client roster that includes Fortune-ranked organizations, global consumer brands, governmental entities, and community-based nonprofits. As a former journalist, she also has an in-depth understanding of the 24/7 news cycle and unmatched expertise in helping clients navigate crises and high-profile interviews.Highlights: We discuss Toni’s journey from graduating college to going back and forth professionally between journalism and public relations. Spoiler: her passion for PR won!We talk about how Toni decided to start a business of her own: she created Etched Communication, a PR firm, which then became part of Ten35, a comprehensive communications firm. Toni explains why press releases should actually be called news releases. Also, she gives her opinion on whether the news release concept is dead or not. Toni explains the importance of having a content strategy when using news releases: being methodical and strategic is key. Toni talks about the realities of Pay for Plays and why the blurred lines between PR and advertising are a serious disservice to the industry and consumers.Toni gives out her best advice for cultivating relationships with reporters, writers, and peers.Using our voices and communication skills are key factors in order to progress towards a more inclusive world and we can’t deny it. Toni explains more of this topic in this article. To learn more about Toni, check out her LinkedIn or visit her website.Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call here.

Download Podcast ScriptComing up with an invention that no one has ever heard of before sounds like a one in a million circumstance, but it’s totally possible! Today’s guest is Georgia McKinney, inventor and founder of Flight Fillow––the reinvented travel pillow. Entrepreneurship was never the goal for Georgia; she was simply solving her own frustrations when she came up with the idea for Flight Fillow. In fact, nowadays she works a full-time corporate job during the day and works to change the way people travel on nights and weekends. Georgia has also been able to successfully DIY PR landing press opportunities with outlets such as WGN, Business Insider, MSN, and many more! Highlights: Georgia details how she came up with the idea of creating her own ingenious product called the Flight Fillow based on a necessity she encountered when traveling.Learning as one goes through the path of PR is totally normal, and mistakes turn into lessons learned. Georgia describes some of the most common mistakes she used to make as soon as she started DYI-ing PR.Georgia discusses the importance of organic PR and how it can move the needle of your business. In Georgia’s case, a radio show where she was featured was a game changer for Flight Fillow.Georgia describes how she applied for Shark Tank and how she made it to the third round. Although she did not get into the show, this was a huge achievement for her.Before getting started with DIY PR, it’s important to think about having different pitching templates based on the person or company you are reaching out to. Personalized pitches tend to be quite effective!To learn more about Georgia, check out her Flight Fillow website and follow her on Instagram.Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call Here.

Download Podcast TranscriptToday’s guest is PR Pro Crosby Noricks, the Founder of PR Couture – an industry-leading career platform and sourcebook for communication professionals ready to lead with authority and get paid accordingly. With a resume full of four-figure paid speaking gigs, more than 100 articles and podcast wins, international award-winning programs and workshops, a consistently sold-out agency mastermind, and even her own book, Crosby gives listeners an inside look into the PR industry, realities surrounding the cost of PR, and of course her top tips and tricks of the trade.Highlights:Crosby’s journey before officially launching PR Couture.While PR Couture started out as a fashion and lifestyle PR blog, now it is a resourceful platform for communications professionals who are in the entrepreneurial side. The realities of what it costs to hire a PR agency and how it can be really difficult to price services. Crosby thinks pricing is actually quite a challenge. The importance of understanding that a strong PR strategy involves so much more than just media relations. It should be seen from more of a holistic perspective.Crosby shares some do’s and don'ts for pitching and gives out a special recommendation. If you want to succeed in PR, make sure to be interesting: sparking up your audience’s curiosity is key!To learn more about Crosby, visit the PR Couture, webpage and join her Facebook community!Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call Here.

Download Podcast TranscriptRaising capital is one of the most challenging factors that an entrepreneur can face. Luckily, today’s guest is here to tell you all about how to rock the world of investor relations! Marie Kloor is the Cofounder and CEO of Hydra Studios, a start-up creating upscale wellness studios for the modern workforce. After launching her career at Goldman Sachs, and prior to founding Hydra Studios, she was Director of Business Development at the political journalism start-up, News Deeply. All of these experiences combined enabled her to lead her company to raise more than $3M in venture capital through two financing rounds. A true powerhouse, Marie teaches listeners about a very important component of PR, Investor relations.Highlights:Marie explains how her previous professional experience, both in Goldman Sachs and in a startup called News Deeply, helped her to create her own company: Hydra Studios.Marie describes the concept and vision behind Hydra Studios and she narrates how it was impacted by the pandemic and how she plans to adapt it’s services to the new post pandemic world. A company can have different types of investors, and Marie details three of the most common ones: friends and family, angel investors, and venture capital. The importance of having a great pitch desk: it’s everything that you want an investor to know about you and ultimately it’s how you are going to get your idea funded and off the ground.Marie describes the key elements of a pitch desk and how press placements can play a huge role (or not) depending on your company or product.Once you’ve got investors who trust in your company or product, it’s important to give them constant updates on how the business is going: the good, and the bad news. To learn more about Marie’s company, visit the Hydra Studios website or check out her Instagram.Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call Here.

Working inside the media world can have its ups and downs. Today’s guest is here to tell us all about it! Brianne Nemiroff is a freelance journalist, travel writer, Product Sourcing Specialist for Kinder Beauty, and the Co-Founder of ItsBreeandBen.com - an ethical vegan travel blog. Brianne first started her career as an entertainment reporter covering the entire U.S. Then, upon moving to Los Angeles, she worked her way up to become Managing Editor of VIVA GLAM Magazine, a vegan lifestyle publication for which she launched a travel column and interviewed more than 400+ public figures, including Zachary Levi, Megan Mullally, Avril Lavigne, Fifth Harmony, Lady Antebellum, and the Goo Goo Dolls, to name a few.Highlights:Brianne takes us back to her professional beginnings and all the different topics she has written about during her career—everything from music to lifestyle and veganism!Some of Brianne’s stardom moments include interviews with well-known celebrities, roundtables for Netflix movies, and behind-the-stage Broadway experiences.She stresses the importance of doing your research and coming up with interesting and unique questions when interviewing people. Brianne explains the purpose of “itsbreeandben.com”,  its core values, and how it got started. She also delves into the true meaning of travelling, eating, and shopping kindly.From Brianne’s perspective, the “writing in the media” industry has changed over the course of the years and she tells us why.Brianne shares her do’s and don’ts in order to pitch herself correctly, which sheds light on how to pitch writers in general.Producing content for social media and writing blog/magazine articles can have its crossovers, especially now that social media has widened its tools and added longer captions, for example.To learn more about Brianne, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call Here.Download Podcast Transcript

Believe it or not, the world of sports and the world of global communications have a lot in common. Today’s Pitchin’ and Sippin’ guest, Lindsay Krasnoff is living proof of that! Lindsay is a historian, consultant, published author, and journalist who works at the intersection of global sports, communications, and diplomacy. She also holds a PhD in History, MA degrees in both Journalism and French Studies, and a BA in International Affairs. She’s written for outlets such as CNN International, VICE Sports, ESPN, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and many others. This makes her a true sports specialist dedicated to bringing innovative information strategies and storytelling to diverse audiences worldwide. And she’s here today to tell us all about it!Highlights:Lindsay walks us through her impressive resume and explains how she managed to cross her love for sports from a really young age with her background in storytelling and communications. What is sports diplomacy and why is it so important to global communication?How storytelling goes beyond borders, as a universal practice that the media and audiences both respond to around the globe.A typical  day in the life of a sports diplomat.What working as a French sports specialist looks like.How becoming a business owner launching her own consulting services provided a new perspective into the world of communications and media.The importance of identifying your added value and niche in order to differentiate yourself from others when starting your own business.To learn more about Lindsay, you can visit her website, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call Here.

 If you want your business to land press, you MUST have professional pictures of your services or products! This is a basic rule for today’s guest, Bernadette Marciniak, a Los Angeles-based brand photographer for entrepreneurs and companies. A former New Jersey journalist, video journalist, and publicist, Bernadette spent a decade becoming a fixture in the communities she covered, focusing on amplifying the message of those who made a difference. Today, she creates powerful imagery, videos, and designs for business owners that help tell their story in a captivating and cohesive way.Highlights:Bernadette’s journey from starting out her work experience as a reporter, then  transitioning to video journalism and finally becoming a brand photographer in LA Most people don’t know what a video journalist is, so Bernadette explains how her day to day routine used to look like and what role she had in the media industryWhen being on the other side of the e-mail, Bernadette describes what kind of pitches were used to get her attention and stand out from the crowdThe importance of sending a complete B-roll when pitching: this additional footage helps your story to be illustrated clearly!Photos are a huge component of being “press ready” so Bernadette shares some advice on which kind of pictures should always be present for a brand to look professional. Bernadette’s do’s and don’ts for appearing great on camera when having a business or professional  photoshootBatch Planning as a great way to show consistency and to focus on your business’s messageTo learn more about Bernadette, make sure to check out her website or follow her on InstagramInterested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call Here.

Today's Pitchin’ and Sippin's guest, Anje Collins, is the Executive Agency Director of her own firm called The Luxe PR Group, The Art of Luxury, and now the newest division The Luxe Style Lab. Eager to share her wealth of knowledge with the next generation of women in public relations, Anje also co-founded the organization Women In PR. Anje has represented artists such as Pink, Outkast, Usher, and Linkin Park, and has worked PR and events for the VMAs, Grammys, Billboard, and the American Music Awards. Now, something’s clear: Anje knows everything about creating meaningful relationships with the media, what it takes to excel in the world of PR, how to navigate difficult communications strategies, and much more!Highlights Anje describes how she began her career in PR, wanting to empower women in business. That's how she created Women in PR – an organization that provides high-quality online and on-demand educational programs, and features top thought leaders and industry influencers sharing their insights at live events throughout the country.Anje reveals the skills you should develop once you’re out of the classroom to excel in the world of PR, valuable lessons you don’t learn in school, and two key points every professional should have: good people skills and good writing skills.Anje shares advice on how to navigate topics of race, politics, and other social justice conversations. Anje shares how to work a communication strategy that is both authentic and good for PR. Creating meaningful relationships with the media is key and Anje gives advice on how to write an email that will please writers, journalists, and editors.Investing wisely on your journey to PR, finding good companies and recognizing people who are actually publicists are essential steps to succeed in this industry. Anje gets a bit more personal and reveals her favourite drink, her hobbies, and her favorite shows currently streaming.   To learn more about Anje, you can follow her personal Instagram, or visit Women In PR through Instagram or their official website.    Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Mini PR Strategy Call Here.