This episode is extra special, featuring a guest trifecta from the Qwoted team, the network and platform that fosters relationships between the media, experts, and PR talent. In this episode, Lexie Smith speaks with Vannyda Thach (Media Support Manager), Maddy Kislovsky (Head of Sales), and Shelby Bridges (Success Manager). Each guest breaks down their respective role with Qwoted, sharing insights into the platform’s uniqueness and how listeners can best utilize the platform to foster high-quality connections and land press! This episode highlights what sets Qwoted apart from other platforms and elaborates on how to leverage and operate the platform for success. 

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• More about what Qwoted is/does
• Qwoted's role in fostering connections with journalists and PR pros
• Advantages of using Qwoted for your business and generating press contacts
• The ins and outs of how Qwoted works - with insider tips and tricks
• Examples of successful networking and strategies for connections on Qwoteed
• How to use Qwoted and interface with it on a daily basis
• The benefits of basic and pro Qwoted plans
• Data insights into pitch performance through journalist connections
• How PR pros and members of the media are using Qwoted successfully
• And more!

Listener Links:

• Sign 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/
• Learn more about Qwoted: https://www.qwoted.com/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Kells McPhillips is a health and wellness writer whose journalism has appeared in The New York Times, Well+Good, Fortune, Runner’s World, Outside, Yoga Journal, and others. Kells also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School in New York City. In 2022, her short fiction was shortlisted for The Masters Review Summer Short Story Award for New Writers, and she is the 2023 recipient of theOffice fellowship in Santa Monica. She’s hard at work on a novel in the early mornings.

In this episode, hear how Kells got to her place as a freelance writer and her many different positions held at the highly regarded wellness magazine, Well + Good. Hear her thoughts on the world of freelance writing and how the world of journalism and media is changing now more than ever. 

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• Kells McPhillip’s journey into freelance journalism
• Kells McPhillip’s beats and favorite things and topics to cover
• The difference between a staff writer and news writer on an editorial team
• Kells McPhillip’spreferences on lead times for pitches
• Her personal pitching preferences
• How her time at Well + Good as a staff writer shaped her work today
• Her favorite aspects of writing and journalism
• Her perspectives on the world of media today and how it’s evolving
• And more!

Listener Links:

• Website: kellsmcphillips.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellsmcphillips/
• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Ways you Can Work with THEPRBAR inc.: https://theprbarinc.com/the-bar-menu/
• Learn about THEPRBAR Agency: https://www.theprbaragency.com/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

In the season 5 finale minisode of the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ Podcast, Lexie Smith shares how she ‘made it’ in PR and key tips on landing press. She discusses the six things that led to her success in public relations and shares valuable lessons learned along the way. 

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• Lexie’s background in PR and her path to success
• The different types of PR roles she’s had throughout her career
• Six things that helped her succeed in her career and business
• Lexie’s thoughts on hustle culture in business
• How to ‘hustle mindfully’
• Strategies for networking and building long-term relationships
• Ideas on building a portfolio as an aspiring PR professional
• The importance of continuing to learn and develop your skills professionally
• Mindset advice on reprioritizing your time and how this has been a key part of her success

• Sign 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_inc

Nicole Pearl is a former national magazine editor turned On Air Beauty, Fashion, and Lifestyle Expert known as The Beauty Girl. She’s written for countless magazines, such as Marie Claire, Allure, Health, In Style, Byrdie.com, and Parents, to name a few. She regularly appears on local and national TV shows sharing the latest trends, tips, and products to try.  Her mantra is "Beauty Shouldn't Be a Bitch"... and neither should getting on TV. Tapping into her 25+ years of industry experience, she launched her PR & Media Consulting business during the pandemic, which you’ll learn more about in today’s show.

In this episode, Lexie Smith and Nicole Pearl discuss Nicole’s transition from working in editorial, to freelance, to launching her own consulting business. Nicole tells listeners how to land a TV segment at both a local and national level and reveals her personal pitching preferences. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Learn Nicole’s journey in starting her consulting business during the pandemic
• Nicole’s advice for pitching yourself for TV
• Where she suggests people start when pitching for TV
• How a TV pitch is different than an editorial pitch
• Tips on who to reach out to when pitching for TV 
• Advice on what to put in a pitch to land a TV segment 
• Core information to put forth when pitching a producer 
• Ideas on how to get your pitch to stand out
• Her personal pitching preferences
• How to get connected with Nicole
• And More

Social media links:

• IG: @nicolepearlbeautygirl
• TikTok: @nicolepearlbeautygirl
• Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-pearl-5413516/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAb-2CrL4H9kA3kf4tayzPQ
• The Beauty Girl Blog: https://www.thebeautygirl.com/

• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Kelsey Ogletree is an independent journalist covering travel, food, design, and golf. Her work has been featured in various print and digital outlets, including Midwest Living, Conde Nast Traveler, The Wall Street Journal, and Food & Wine. Alongside her husband, Derrick, she's also the co-founder of Pitchcraft, a journalist-led membership platform helping PR professionals build relationships with freelance writers and editors in the national consumer lifestyle space.

In this episode, Kelsey shares her journey from a successful journalism career to becoming a founder, business owner, and new mom. Kelsey and Lexie discuss why pitching content marketing writers is strategic, how to do so, and the added PR benefits for all parties involved. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Kelsey Ogletree’s career journey from journalism to becoming a founder 
• Her personal pitching preferences
• Examples of successful content marketing pitches that land well
• How Kelsey operates her business, Pitchcraft
• The importance of knowing journalists’ pitching preferences 
• What motivated Kelsey to start Pitchcraft
• Insights into the content marketing industry and strategies for pitching content marketing writers
• Tips on how content marketing can uplevel relationships with journalists and drive traffic and sales
• And more!

Social media links:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kbogletree/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseyogletree/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KelseyOgletree
• Pitchcraft Information: https://pitchcraft.media/

• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

This week’s minisode recaps Muck Rack’s State of PR 2023 report. Your host, Lexie Smith, offers her most notable findings from the report, including the challenges PR professionals encounter and breaks down numerous challenges the PR industry faces. She also highlights key findings related to diversity in the workplace and the workload of PR pros based on the survey conducted by Muck Rack to gauge the state of PR in 2023.  

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• The most notable stats from Muck Rack’s State of PR 2023 report
• Challenges PR pros have faced over the past year
• Statistics on the most used social media platforms
• What the findings mean for the PR industry as a whole
• Lexie’s thoughts based on her experience as a PR pro
• And more

Muck Rack full report: https://info.muckrack.com/state-of-pr-2023

• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Christine O’Donnell is an Emmy-Nominated TV Journalist, Podcast Producer, professor, and the founder of Bright Sighted, a purpose-driven podcast consulting and production house. As seen in media outlets such as NBC, ABC, FOX, and CNN, Christine was also the very first guest on the Pitchin' and Sippin' Podcast.

In this episode, Christine and Lexie explore the process of finding and vetting quality podcasts to pitch that align with your business. Christine shares her insights on the evolution of the podcast industry, her favorite podcasting tools, and how to use them to discover shows that align with your business or goals in a specific niche.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How the podcast industry has grown over the past decade
• Current developments and trends in the podcast industry 
• Insight into how Christine’s podcast production business works 
• Christine’s trusted systems for vetting podcasts 
• Tips for advertising on podcasts
• Advice on activating brand deals or sponsorships to promote your podcast 
• Techniques for vetting the quality of a particular podcast
• How to discover podcasts that align with your business or goals in a specific niche
• And more in the world of podcasting!

Social media links:

• Brightsided website: https://christine-odonnell.com/about/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinelodonnell/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechristineod/?hl=en
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMt8Sl3qwkOOwU8vXTdu6lA

Resources: 

• ListenNotes: https://www.listennotes.com/
• Chartable: https://chartable.com/chart

• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Amanda Joy Foley is a PR strategist and consultant with 20+ years of experience. The Founder of Curate Your Soul, she sees what makes people magnetic and guides clients to unlock their personal messaging and PR strategy using Human Design & The Gene Keys. 

In this episode, Amanda explains human design and how publicists and entrepreneurs can utilize it to craft a successful and intuitive PR strategy. Reading Lexie's human design chart, Amanda explains how the results can be leveraged to help her further excel in PR and business.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• What human design is
• How Amanda pivoted from corporate PR into Human Design and entrepreneurship 
• What The Gene Keys are
• How knowledge gained from human design can be used to craft a PR strategy for yourself or your clients 
• An example of a Human Design chart reading about Lexie
• Tips on incorporating Human Design to create aligned and authentic brand messaging
• The types of clients Amanda works with and the relevance of Human Design in PR
• And more!

Social media links:

Website: www.curateyoursoul.com

IG: @curate.your.soul

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandafoley/

Get your Free Personal Human Design Chart: https://www.emmadunwoody.com/get-your-chart

• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

 This week’s minisode is an extra special episode, marking the 100th episode of the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ Podcast! Lexie Smith takes a moment to reflect on the podcast's impact on her life, clients, and business and then shares with listeners exactly how to effectively pitch and secure a guest spot on Pitchin’ and Sippin’. 

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• How the podcast has impacted Lexie’s business
• Lessons Lexe’s learned from having a podcast
• Successful pitch examples that landed guests a spot on the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ podcast and why they were effective
• The exact steps to submit a pitch and apply for a guest spot on the podcast
• Tips on how to nail your application and Lexie’s personal preferences
• And more!

• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Learn how to Work with THEPRBAR: https://theprbarinc.com/the-bar-menu/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc

Danielle Directo-Meston is The Hollywood Reporter's first E-commerce Editor and the founder and publisher of UncoverLA.com. Over the past 18 years, she has covered local communities, fashion, and lifestyle for the LAist, Patch, Racked, Curbed, C, and other LA-based print and online publications. Her bylines also appear in Rolling Stone, MyDomaine, Where LA, and Pacific San Diego. 

In this episode, Danielle discusses her freelance journey and shares tips for aspiring freelancers. Highlighting her role as The Hollywood Reporter’s first e-commerce Editor, she does a deep dive into the world of affiliate links and SEO-based journalism and shares her personal pitching preferences. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How Danielle got started in freelance journalism
• Her journey into creating her media website, UncoverLA
• The types of stories she writes for The Hollywood Reporter
• More on her role as an e-commerce writer
• The application of affiliate links in her stories
• Legal considerations when it comes to using affiliate links in publishing
• Danielle’s thoughts on the world of AI and its application in journalism
• Danielle’s personal pitching preferences
• Types of pitches she is currently interested in 
• And more!

Social media links:

Instagram: instagram.com/danielledmeston

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danielledirecto

Website: uncoverla.com

THR: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/author/danielle-directo-meston/

Website: https://danielledirecto.com/

• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc