Amber Sabri is a Creative Consultant, and Founder & CEO of Azhar PR, a New York-based PR & Digital Marketing agency that amplifies female founders + minority-owned brands in the online space. Throughout all of her career endeavors, in industries that have been dominated by the majority, Amber’s mission is to help empower the minority + even the playing field. In this episode, Amber talks about Gen Z’s perspective on the  ever-changing landscape of media and  PR. She shares what led to her launching a PR firm at the age of 24, her predictions on  the future of digital media and traditional PR, and how to effectively pitch creators and influencers on TikTok and beyond.Here’s what you’ll learn:How Amber got her start in the media and PR industryHow Amber started Azhar PR at 24 years oldHer perspective and the ‘Gen Z’ perspective on the media landscape at large and how social media is a part of itHer thoughts on the future of digital media and traditional PR PR and pitching strategies she’s used with her clientsTips on what to do during a gifting suite with clientsHow to integrate social media into a PR strategyHow to let your brand’s authenticity makes a big impactThe difference between creators and influencers How to pitch creators and influencers on TikTokAnd more!Social Media Links:Personal IG: https://www.instagram.com/missambersabri/Business IG: https://www.instagram.com/azharpublicrelations/Business Website: https://www.azharpr.com/Consulting Website: https://www.missambersabri.com/Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Catharine Montgomery founded Better Together - a VC-backed full-service, Black woman-founded, and purpose-driven public relations agency - in 2022 following a successful global agency and in-house PR career. Holding a Bachelor of Science in PR and Marketing from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business, Catharine is passionate about using her expertise to support social justice efforts and bring about meaningful change.In today’s episode, Catharine talks about her unique entry into starting, launching, and growing her PR agency and the lessons she’s still learning. She also discusses how to navigate serving worthy accounts with small budgets and how to represent marginalized and underserved clients and communities effectively.Here’s what you’ll learn:Learn about Catharine’s career in PR before starting her agencyHear the unique opportunity that allowed her to start Better TogetherHear how she landed her first paying clientLearn the importance of networking connections when entering the agency worldHow to navigate diversity, equity, and inclusion when serving clients in PR How to handle worthy clients with small budgetsThe importance of remembering the mantra: ‘hire slow, fire fast’How Catharine is building her team at her agencyAnd More!Links to/about Better Together:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebettertogetheragencyhttps://thebettertogether.agencySign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Host Lexie Smith shares four things you can do with your pitches that don't land in this minisode. From new systems to repurposing strategies and beyond, Smith believes you shouldn’t have to let your hard work go to waste when pitching.Here’s What You’ll Learn:Lexie Smith shares what to do with pitches that don't land. She offers four suggestions to ensure that the hard work put into PR pitches doesn't go to wasteShe emphasizes the importance of saving pitches and offers different ways and systems to do so effectively. She also talks about repurposing pitches for future content, social media or using them for a byline.She shares how to reuse content for future pitches by integrating previously unused data points, quotes, or angles into new pitches.And moreSign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Ways you Can Work with THEPRBAR: https://theprbarinc.com/private-workshops/Instagram: @theprbar_incGo back to the homepage

In this week’s episode, we’re Pitchin’ and Sippin’ with writer and editor Melanie Rud on all things beauty, bylines, and mastheads. Prior to becoming a full-time freelance writer, Melanie held beauty editorial positions at magazines such as ​​Shape, Good Housekeeping, and Health. Today she contributes to outlets such as Byrdie, People.com, RealSelf, RealSimple.com, Brides.com, Women's Health, Midwest Living.Tune in to learn all about how to pitch for beauty, the reality of newsroom mastheads, and Melanie’s personal pitching preferences and pet peeves. Here’s what you’ll learn:Melanie’s background and career in the fashion and beauty industryHow her journalism journey progressedHer different roles and titles and how they evolved How she landed coveted internshipsMelanie’s pitching preferences when being pitched in the beauty spaceHow she built up her portfolio and used her contacts to establish herself as a freelance writerHer preferences in receiving products when writing about a productPet peeves when receiving pitchesAnd More!Social media links:Website: https://www.melanierud.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrud_/?hl=enSign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Maggie Gillette is a multi-talented multi-passionate entrepreneur, moderator, expert, and freelance writer covering the fashion, lifestyle, and home beats for both print and digital media. She’s written for outlets such as Better Homes & Gardens, Influenced Magazine, Byrdie, Insider, and much more. In today’s episode, Maggie talks about all things freelance journalism, the start of her career in the fashion industry, and how she got to where she is now as a writer. She shares how she writes as an expert, and how to promote yourself as the expert in a pitch. She shares tips for pitching writers and important components to make your pitch stand out. Here’s what you’ll learn:The highlights of Maggie’s career that led to where she is todayHer passion for being in the fashion world and how she launched her own lingerie lineHow the fashion world led her into the writing worldWhat Maggie is actively doing now as an expert in lifestyle and fashion writingThe initiative she is working on to boost the Chicago fashion sceneHow Maggie can speak to both the source and journalist side of freelance writingDifferent groups and resources to use when pursuing press Tips on making sure your pitch matches the expert source requestAnd Much More!Social media links:InstagramwebsiteLinkedInResources for finding press: PR Journo Request: ​​https://twitter.com/PRJournoRequest?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorPress for Success:https://www.instagram.com/sabinaknows/?hl=enhttps://sabinaknows.com/start/ Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Alesandra (Alice) Dubin is a Los Angeles-based travel and lifestyle writer. Her bylines appear in outlets such as Insider, Travel + Leisure, Esquire, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, AFAR, Prevention, Woman’s Day, Shondaland, Southern Living, Fast Company, and countless others. She has a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s in journalism from New York University.In this special sneak peek episode of Season 5, Alice and host Lexie Smith talk about the current state of the media industry and where it’s headed with the emergence of AI and ChatGPT. From delving into her career to discussing the future of freelance writing and her personal preferences when being pitched, Alice shares her opinion and expertise on what’s to come in the world of media and PR in 2023 and beyond.Here’s what you’ll learn:How Alice Dubin got her start in the world of journalismThe path her career has taken over the years and her transition into full-time freelance journalismA recap of why media layoffs are happening industry-wideWhat ChatGPT is and how it's being usedHer thoughts on what AI and ChatGPT mean for the future of the industry at largeWhat type of stories and journalism we’ll see as AI continues to developAlice Dubin’s personal pitching preferencesHer thoughts on how to support freelancers during this time in the media industryAnd More!Social media links:Substack: https://alicedubin.substack.com/Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter: @alicedubinWebsite: alicedubin.comSign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Instagram: @theprbar_inc

 In this episode, I get personal in reflecting on 10 things I learned in 2022. From business and industry trends to personal life lessons, I break down the most important things I will be taking with me as I head into 2023. Hear how my business grew, life grew, and everything in between. Here’s what you’ll learn:10 things that Lexie learned this last yearThe importance of sleep, health, and remembering how social media doesn’t always show the full pictureImportant PR and business tips to keep in mind as you head into 2023The power of collaboration and adapting a collaborative mindsetHow critical it is to stand top of mind as a brand, and how PR plays a critical role in suchA reminder that life doesn’t slow down, so you have toAnd moreSign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Instagram: @theprbar_inc

We are doing a feed drop this week with Lexie’s interview with Jamie Ratermann on the Limitless Podcast. This episode focuses on PR & Marketing. While there are many similarities, there are also crucial differences that tie up PR and marketing to create an almost perfect communication strategy. Jamie Ratermann chats with PR coach Lexie Smith, about cancel culture, communication crises, and how PR can be a long-term strategy that focuses on the credibility of your brand while also creating visibility for you.Here’s what you’ll learn:How Lexie refers to PR looking like collaboration and relationshipsSome differences between public relations and marketingLexie’s entrepreneurial journey Utilizing social media in the PR processTips on the art of cultivating opportunities Tips on handling constructive criticism and negative comments, especially on social mediaTips on preparing clap-back statementsTips on handling cancel culture and getting neutralAnd More!Check out the Limitless Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/limitless/id1612863029Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Book a Free Consultation here.Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Aly Walansky is an award-winning travel and food journalist with over 20 years of experience in the field writing for outlets such as Food & Wine, Food Network, Forbes, TODAY Show, Southern Living, AllRecipes, The Kitchn, and many more. Muck Rack rated her the #1 Food Journalist of 2022, and her Substack, which she sends out six days a week to thousands of subscribers, was recently rated a Substack Bestseller. In today’s show, we dive into the worlds of Food, Travel & Lifestyle Journalism. We talk about press dinners, lead times, and the editorial process, and review Aly’s personal pitching preferences. She also breaks down the difference between a journalist freelance pitch and a PR pitch, subject line winners and don’ts, and more.Here’s what you’ll learn:How to pitch as a freelance writer to an editor and the difference between a journalist freelance pitch and a PR pitchStandard lead times for the industry at largeHow to get Media to attend press dinners (and are press dinners still even a thing?)How Aly got into the world of food and travel journalismHow Aly uses Substack and manages to keep all of her ongoing projects organizedHear Aly Walansky’s pitching preferencesThe importance of formatting a pitch like the journalistic “inverted pyramid”How to craft a winning subject line, and what to avoid when pitchingHear what she’s working on currently for different publicationsAnd More!Social media links:Substack: https://alywalansky.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alywalansky/Twitter: https://twitter.com/alywalanskyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alywalansky/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alywalanskySign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Liz Kressel currently is the CEO of Lizard Strategy where she works with retailers and consumer brands both large and small — such as Keurig, Eagle Creek, and Crunch Fitness - to craft, launch and grow digital sales into sustainable revenue streams. Liz started her early days in e-commerce working on lifestyle-based subscription models for the big media giants and previously launched and ran a million-dollar shopping partnership with A+E Television Networks to sell products from their shows online and on TV in real-time, achieving complete product sell-out within 3 months' time. An early pioneer in the shoppable content space, she also serves on the  Board of BEON, a shoppable OTT channel.  In today’s episode, we dive into the world of live shopping, social commerce, and e-commerce. We learn how live shopping and social commerce can be used as effective strategies to increase sales and how to ensure your website is optimized to convert when you land your next big media feature.Here’s what you’ll learn:How Liz got her start in the e-commerce and social commerce spaceHow she launched her services for big-name brands as well as startupsWhat live shopping and social commerce is Her tips on how to increase e-commerce salesHow the live shopping industry got its start and popular platforms to exploreHow to optimize your e-commerce site to convertHow live shopping combines content, commerce, and community at the same timeAnd More!Social Accounts:LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizkressel/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizkressel/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizkresselSign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Book a Free Consultation here.Instagram: @theprbar_inc