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She wanted to be home with her kids, but she also wanted an income and a career. That tension is where freelance writer Stephanie Mickelson built her business, starting with small Upwork jobs and steadily growing into bylines at major outlets like Real Simple and Popular Mechanics.

We talk through the exact moments that made freelancing feel “real,” including the first $1,000 month that proved the work could move the needle financially. Stephanie shares how she chose niches like home improvement, construction, real estate and lifestyle by following genuine interests and leaning on hands-on experience. We also get practical about the work itself: a quiet 4:15 a.m. writing routine, balancing admin with deep work and how she keeps a flexible rhythm that still ships drafts on deadline.

If you pitch writers for a living or you are trying to land editors yourself, the middle of this conversation is packed with field-tested advice. Stephanie explains what makes an editor say yes, why timing matters, how a smart follow-up can help and how PR reps can tailor ideas by looking at recent bylines on Muck Rack and pitching adjacent angles. She also breaks down how product reviews and gift guide picks happen through testing, research and relationships, plus where she finds community and opportunities on LinkedIn and tools like Pitchcraft, Qwoted and Press Hook. We wrap with her Substack, The Simple Freelancer, and a glimpse of rural life that includes 14 chickens and more fresh eggs than one family can handle.

Subscribe for more conversations with working journalists and writers, and if this one helps you, please share it and leave a rating and review. What part of freelancing do you want us to unpack next?

Connect with Stephanie on: 

LinkedIN 

Simple freelancer substack: https://thesimplefreelancer.substack.com

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A destination can look perfect on paper and still feel unreadable until you sit down, open the menu and watch what locals actually order. That’s the lens we bring to this conversation with Emily Capiello, a travel, food, and beverage journalist whose work spans Travel + Leisure, Forbes, VinePair and more. We talk about how she went from a start in literature to a career built on reporting the intersection of travel, dining and drink culture, and why those three worlds tell the most honest story about a place. 

We get specific about what makes a strong travel story: the winemaker shaping regional identity, the restaurant that operates like a community living room and the cocktail traditions that carry history forward. Emily shares two standout pieces that matter to her on a personal level, including a Travel + Leisure story on widow travel groups and a Forbes story about an Oregon wine bar built as an accessible community hub. The thread running through both is the same question: can storytelling help people feel less alone and more connected to where they are? 

Then we zoom out to food and beverage trends that listeners can actually use, from intentional consumption and transparent sourcing to the wave of low-ABV and nonalcoholic innovation. Emily also offers a candid look at the PR side: why “trends” often show up late, what earns a response in a crowded inbox and how she decides which press trips are worth the time. You’ll also hear her hot take on Michelin-star-heavy itineraries and why they can flatten a destination’s real culture. 

If you care about travel journalism, food writing, wine trends, cocktail culture or smarter media pitching, this one will sharpen how you see the world. 

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Emily's Travel + Leisure story: How Group Travel Is Changing the Way Young Widows Deal With Grief

Emily’s Forbes story: How One Wine Bar Is Redefining Community—And Taking Snobbery Out Of Wine

Emily’s Substack: Gourmet Insider 

Emily’s Instagram

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Seoul can look like one giant skyline from a distance, but up close it’s a patchwork of neighborhoods with their own rhythms, histories, and quiet surprises. I’m joined by writer, editor, and author Charlie Usher, whose work spans South Korea travel, cultural storytelling, and the kind of reporting that starts by simply choosing a subway stop and wandering until a place reveals itself.

Charlie shares how he moved to South Korea on a whim, what shocked him early on, and why Seoul remains one of the most compelling cities for travel writing because it never sits still. We talk about his essay collection Soul Suburban and what he hopes readers take from it: a more textured view of Seoul that goes beyond the “monolithic city” stereotype. He also names specific areas that reward curious travelers, including Songbukdong and its literary feel, plus creative pockets like Yanam and Mangwon.

We also go behind the scenes of travel media. Charlie reflects on his time editing Korean Air’s in-flight magazine Morning Calm, where rigorous fact-checking and serious editorial standards shaped how he reports today. From there, we dig into what he’s writing now for outlets like Milwaukee Magazine and Midwest Living, his work on DK travel guides and a Lonely Planet Seoul project, and his simple advice for PR professionals who want their pitches to land: show you know who you’re writing to.

If you care about travel journalism, guidebooks, South Korea travel, or ethical storytelling built on empathy, you’ll get a lot out of this conversation. 

Subscribe, share this with a fellow traveler or writer, and leave a quick rating and review so more people can find the show.

🔗 Connect with Charlie Usher

Website: https://www.charles-usher.com/
Instagram: @charlesreclausher

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The travel stories you love rarely come from “perfect” trips. They come from patience, ethics, and a lot of unseen work. We sit down with Rosie Bell, an award-winning travel writer, editor, and educator whose bylines span BBC Travel, National Geographic Traveler, Wired, Forbes Travel Guide, Lonely Planet, and more. Rosie shares how she stumbled into travel journalism after moving to Panama, then turned one paid essay into a career built across Latin America and beyond.

We talk about the rule that guides her reporting: you’re always writing about someone’s home. That one idea changes how you interview people, describe places, and decide what not to include. Rosie also opens up about the less glamorous side of being a freelance travel writer: pitching without pay, working alone, managing admin, and staying resilient as the travel media landscape shifts with layoffs, smaller budgets, and fewer outlets buying freelance stories.

Then we get practical about press trips and travel PR. Rosie explains why she built Press Trip Pros, a matchmaking platform designed to align publicists, brands, and tourism boards with journalists and creators who are actually a fit. You’ll hear what makes a press trip great, why writers turn invitations down, how group trips compare to solo trips for deeper storytelling, and what a PR pitch needs to earn a real reply.

If you care about travel writing, travel journalism, press trips, pitching, and the future of freelance work, this conversation delivers clear takeaways you can use right away. Subscribe, share this with a friend in media or PR, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Rosie’s portfolio site
RosieBell.net

Press Trip Pros
PressTripPros.com

Instagram
@thebeachbell

Rosie’s books

• Escape to Self
• The Art and Business of Travel Writing

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A shy compliment at Art Basel turned into a passport to the world. We sit down with Miami native and freelance writer Amber Love Bond to unpack how she left corporate finance and built a career that spotlights chefs, bartenders and destinations through stories with heart. From the early days covering Miami’s cocktail scene to filing features from Hong Kong, New Orleans and the Caribbean, Amber shows how curiosity, consistency and relationships can take you farther than a perfect plan.

We dig into the rituals that make bars and restaurants feel alive—glassware choices, ice and the people behind the stick—and why a strong sense of place is the secret ingredient in travel writing. Amber explains how she evaluates hosted trips, the subtle red flags that can surface only after planning starts, and the simple test she uses when her inbox fills with invites. She also shares straight-talk advice for PR pros: personalized pitches win, strong relationships matter and once a freelancer files, publication timing is out of their hands.

Trend-watchers will find plenty to savor. We explore why early dinners now top reservation charts, how Gen Z is reshaping drink menus, and the rise of martini flights and “tiny teenies.” Amber makes a case for New Orleans as a must-visit food and cocktail city and relives a Tuscan feast with the world’s most famous butcher that still lingers in memory. Along the way, she offers practical guidance for breaking into food, drink and travel writing without a journalism degree—be kind, answer emails and invest in the relationships that become your career’s backbone.

If you love food journalism, cocktail culture or travel stories that feel lived-in and local, this conversation is for you. 

Connect with Amber on Instagram. 

Tap play, then follow and subscribe for more media insider interviews—and leave a quick review. 

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Want to know how a journalist turns a region into a calling and a career? We sit down with bilingual writer and editor Carly Rojas Avila to unpack how she built a trusted niche in Latin American travel, food, and spirits—earning bylines with Forbes, Travel + Leisure, and hundreds of syndications—while keeping her work deeply human in a noisy media world.

Carly traces her path from storytelling in marketing to reporting across Colombia, Argentina, Cuba, and Ecuador, explaining why narrowing her focus actually expanded opportunity. We explore Medellín’s energy and innovation, Ecuador’s overlooked mainland beyond the Galápagos, and how local kitchens and bars act as cultural translators. Carly shares why interviews beat email quotes, how chefs and bartenders carry memory and identity, and what makes a pitch stand out in travel and spirits: a clear why, timely context, and respect for the reader.

We also dive into building direct lines to audiences with two new Substacks—one connecting PR and media needs, the other a home for Latin American travel insights that don’t fit traditional formats. Carly offers candid advice on starting newsletters without editor guardrails, staying anchored to a personal why to avoid burnout, and setting smart criteria for press trips when time and attention are scarce. She closes with the growth that comes from living abroad, learning Spanish on the street as much as in class, and stretching into new outlets—including her first published story in Spanish.

If you care about travel journalism, culinary storytelling, or pitching that actually gets read, this conversation delivers practical takeaways and fresh perspective. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Latin America, and leave a review to tell us what destination you want featured next.

Carley’s Website

Substacks

Instagram: @carleyrojasavila

[email protected]

Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to the Media in Minutes podcast here or anywhere you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/media-in-minutes/id1555710662 

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Start with wonder, end with action. That’s the throughline of our conversation with travel and environmental writer Amy Brecount White, whose stories for National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, Sierra and more connect awe-filled journeys with the people and practices that keep wild places alive. We explore how she moved from early Washington Post essays to a career focused on regenerative travel, indigenous-led astro tourism and science-informed reporting that empowers readers to make change at home and on the road.

Amy opens up about the moment a small garden patch transformed her block into a buzzing wildlife corridor, and why native plants, oaks and even humble leaf piles can revive birds, bees and butterflies in weeks. She breaks down rain gardens, permeable design and the surprising truth about native bees versus honey bees. We dig into the telltale signs of responsible travel—B Corps, local guides conservation partnerships, and reduced tourism leakage—and highlight cruises and lodges that invest in coral restoration, community economies and cultural knowledge. Along the way, Amy shares reporting insights from Master Naturalist training to field interviews with scientists, park stewards and restoration crews.

If you’re curious about dark sky travel, wellness and longevity trips with real environmental benefits, or simply how to choose operators who leave destinations better than they found them, this episode brings clarity and momentum. We also talk PR pitching that actually helps journalists, Amy’s upcoming features from Yellowstone to Baja, and the environmental heartbeat of her new novel. 

Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who loves nature, and leave a review to help more listeners find conversations that turn curiosity into care.

Conntect with Amy at: 

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

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What happens when a line cook falls in love with magazines—and refuses to choose between the stove and the story? We sit down with Chandra Ram, celebrated food writer, cookbook author and former editorial leader at Plate and Food & Wine, to chart a career built on craft, curiosity and a relentless commitment to serving readers as well as diners.

We dig into the early days that shaped her taste for pace and hospitality, the consulting and PR pivots that revealed how media really works and the unexpected phone call that led to years steering a chef-focused magazine. From there, Chandra explains how she helped a legacy brand honor icons like Julia Child while welcoming weeknight cooks who just want perfect pancakes and fewer half-used cans. You’ll hear how real-time traffic, search behavior and reader pain points inform recipe development, and why small choices—like using a full can of coconut milk—build trust.

We also confront the forces remaking food media: social platforms with shifting rails and AI that answers before a click. Chandra makes the case for direct relationships through newsletters, the enduring power of cookbooks you can smudge and dog-ear, and a smarter approach to inclusivity that goes far beyond token dishes. Expect candid insights on developing a strong writer’s voice, creating entry points that invite readers into a story, and trends worth keeping—hello, crunchy sauces packed with seeds and nuts.

If you care about where recipes come from, whose stories get told, and how to cook better tonight, this conversation is for you. Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, share with a friend who loves food media, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Chandra’s Substack newsletter: Another Bite
• Chandra’s Instagram (@chandrasplate)
• Chandra’s LinkedIn
  
  
• Cookbooks by Chandra Ram
  – The Complete Indian Instant Pot Cookbook
  – Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces (with Bill Kim)
  – The Eiffel Tower Restaurant Cookbook (with Jean Joho)
  – Women in Food (contributor)
  – The Chicago Food Encyclopedia (contributor)
  
  
• Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers 
  
  
• Dianne Jacob's Will Write for Food 

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Step past the velvet ropes and into the rooms where power becomes personal. Angela sits with bestselling author and journalist Kate Andersen Brower to trace a path from midnight shifts at CBS to Bloomberg’s White House beat and the books that reveal the people who keep the presidency moving. From riding on Air Force One to riding a helicopter that touched down on the Buckingham Palace lawn, Kate shares electric moments that shaped her view of leadership, access and the stakes of getting the story right.

We dig into the origin of The Residence and the staff whose names rarely make headlines but whose work steadies every administration—ushers who know first families as people, butlers who carry institutional memory and housekeepers who witness history at arm’s length. Kate unpacks the power and pressure of first ladies, the private grief that often underlies public composure and the ethical knots reporters face when truth, privacy and politics collide. She explains why some stories humanize rather than sensationalize, and how multiple credible sources guide what makes it to the page.

Kate also opens up about her work being featured on screen as The Residence inspired a Netflix series, why she chose to stay focused on writing over producing and what she misses—and doesn’t—about daily journalism. Looking ahead, she previews a forthcoming book with Norah O’Donnell spotlighting overlooked women who built America, and a deep dive into the presidential secretaries who sit just outside the Oval Office, balancing loyalty with duty. If you care about media, history and the people who keep institutions running when no one’s watching, this conversation will stay with you.

Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• The Residence – Inside the Private World of the White House
  Kate Anderson Brower’s bestselling book offering a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the White House residence staff and the non-political professionals who serve presidents and their families.
• First Women – The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies
  An intimate portrait of modern first ladies, revealing the unseen pressures, influence, and complexity of a role with no formal job description.
• Team of Five – Former Presidents and Their Relationships
  A revealing look at how living former presidents interact, support, and sometimes clash behind the scenes.
• First in Line – The Lives and Power of U.S. Vice Presidents
  A deep dive into the often-overlooked role of the vice presidency and the individuals who have held it.
• Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon
  The first authorized biography of Elizabeth Taylor, tracing her extraordinary life, legacy, and activism.
• The Residence (Netflix)
  A murder-mystery series inspired by Kate’s book, produced by Shonda Rhimes and starring Uzo Aduba, using the White House residence as its dramatic backdrop.
• Kate Anderson Brower’s Website
  Learn more about Kate’s books, reporting, and current projects at katebrower.com.

Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more curious listeners can find the show.

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A chance assignment after the Gulf War put Jamie McIntyre inside the Pentagon at the very moment history refused to slow down. From Somalia to Haiti to Kosovo and Iraq, he learned that the defense beat isn’t just policy on paper—it’s operations, people and real-world stakes. Jamie shares how that era’s open access let reporters roam the halls, build sources, and pressure-test official narratives in real time, and why the shift to tighter control is more than an inconvenience—it’s a loss for the public.

We dive into how he rebuilt his reporting toolkit for a remote-first world: livestreamed hearings, transcript, and a carefully curated X feed that filters signal from noise. Then we compare that to an uncurated stream—an eye-opening look at how the platform can reward rage, rabbit holes and confusion. The takeaway is practical and urgent: your inputs shape your reality, and journalists now serve as both investigators and filters in an age that monetizes doubt.

Jamie also opens up about the hardest problem in the craft: convincing people to trust what’s true. He was in the Pentagon on 9/11 and later spent a decade engaging “truthers,” never changing a single mind. That experience informs a frank discussion on misinformation and identity, why facts alone often fail and how context-heavy reporting helps readers think more clearly. We wrap with candid advice for younger journalists, a look at Jamie’s book plans—either a study of disinformation or a Cold War-era memoir—and a measured sense of hope rooted in history’s long arc toward justice.

If you value clear, reality-based reporting on defense and national security, hit follow, share the show with a friend, and leave a quick review with the one insight you’re taking away today.

Links & Resources

• Daily on Defense – Jamie McIntyre’s weekday newsletter offering clear, experience-driven context on U.S. defense and national security. Sign up here.
• Elements of Disbelief – Jamie’s writing on misinformation, conspiracy theories, and why false beliefs persist, rooted in his academic research on 9/11.
• Jamie McIntyre – Washington Examiner – Read Jamie’s defense and national security reporting.