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 today
• Her passion for being in the fashion world and how she launched her own lingerie line
• How the fashion world led her into the writing world
• What Maggie is actively doing now as an expert in lifestyle and fashion writing
• The initiative she is working on to boost the Chicago fashion scene
• How Maggie can speak to both the source and journalist side of freelance writing
• Different groups and resources to use when pursuing press 
• Tips on making sure your pitch matches the expert source request
• And Much More!

Social media links:

• Instagram
• website
• LinkedIn

Resources for finding press: 

• PR Journo Request: ​​https://twitter.com/PRJournoRequest?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
• Press for Success:https://www.instagram.com/sabinaknows/?hl=en
  • https://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 journalism
• The path her career has taken over the years and her transition into full-time freelance journalism
• A recap of why media layoffs are happening industry-wide
• What ChatGPT is and how it's being used
• Her thoughts on what AI and ChatGPT mean for the future of the industry at large
• What type of stories and journalism we’ll see as AI continues to develop
• Alice Dubin’s personal pitching preferences
• Her thoughts on how to support freelancers during this time in the media industry
• And More!

Social media links:

• Substack: https://alicedubin.substack.com/
• Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter: @alicedubin
• Website: alicedubin.com

Sign 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 year
• The importance of sleep, health, and remembering how social media doesn’t always show the full picture
• Important PR and business tips to keep in mind as you head into 2023
• The power of collaboration and adapting a collaborative mindset
• How critical it is to stand top of mind as a brand, and how PR plays a critical role in such
• A reminder that life doesn’t slow down, so you have to
• And more

Sign 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 relationships
• Some differences between public relations and marketing
• Lexie’s entrepreneurial journey 
• Utilizing social media in the PR process
• Tips on the art of cultivating opportunities 
• Tips on handling constructive criticism and negative comments, especially on social media
• Tips on preparing clap-back statements
• Tips on handling cancel culture and getting neutral
• And More!

Check out the Limitless Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/limitless/id1612863029

Sign 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 pitch
• Standard lead times for the industry at large
• How 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 journalism
• How Aly uses Substack and manages to keep all of her ongoing projects organized
• Hear Aly Walansky’s pitching preferences
• The importance of formatting a pitch like the journalistic “inverted pyramid”
• How to craft a winning subject line, and what to avoid when pitching
• Hear what she’s working on currently for different publications
• And More!

Social media links:

• Substack: https://alywalansky.substack.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alywalansky/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alywalansky
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alywalansky/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alywalansky

• Sign 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 space
• How she launched her services for big-name brands as well as startups
• What live shopping and social commerce is 
• Her tips on how to increase e-commerce sales
• How the live shopping industry got its start and popular platforms to explore
• How to optimize your e-commerce site to convert
• How live shopping combines content, commerce, and community at the same time
• And More!

Social Accounts:

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizkressel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizkressel

Sign 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

In today’s episode, Lex gets personal talking about why she decided to expand THEPRBAR brand and launch a new boutique PR agency with a twist – THEPRBAR Agency. She breaks down the when and the why and shares insights on when it’s the right time to outsource PR and onboard an agency (and when it’s not).  

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why THEPRBAR is expanding and launching a PR agency
• What THEPRBAR brand at large looks like and offers today
• How Lexie came to this place in her own business and why she decided to launch
• Tips on knowing the right time to onboard or outsource to a PR agency
• The benefits of DIY PR and the benefits of outsourcing PR
• And More!

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

Samantha Bryant has nearly two decades of experience sharing the stories of businesses with media both locally and nationally. Her clients have ranged from retail giants, educational leaders, start-ups, renowned chefs, fashion designers, authors, boutique hotels, and non-profits. Samantha’s illustrious background allows her to truly know today’s media markets inside and out. She has been on both ends of the spectrum serving as a reporter at an award-winning publication in Iowa City and diving into production at a nationally syndicated television show in Chicago. 

In today’s episode, we dive into what it means to be timely  - we chat through timely strategies, follow-ups, pitches, and press releases, and wrap up by touching on how brands can utilize community relations to spread brand awareness. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How Samantha got her start in her public relations career
• How she dabbled in many different areas of public relations including journalism
• How Samantha got big name accounts on her resume
• How Samantha began freelancing and working for herself 
• The importance of client relationships when growing your PR business
• Learn Samantha’s tips on resources to stay up to date on pitch ideas
• Hear what a pitch needs to be considered timely
• How brands can utilize community relations to spread brand awareness
• And More! 

Website: https://www.samanthabryantpr.com/about

Instagram: @samanthabpublicity 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sambryant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaBryantPR

Sign 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

Allison Carpio is an author, podcast host of Hella Delicious Emails, and copywriting chef at The Conversion Kitchen. Her clients have used email to sell out their service packages, book more sales calls, and generate more warm leads. She ran quiz funnels with 8-figure businesses in the health and wellness space, converted influencer’s 1M followers into buyers, generated leads for B2B startups, and coached service-based businesses with digital offers on cooking up a palatable copy.

In today’s episode, we dive into all things email marketing. Tune in to hear how we go over 4 different flavors of emails, how to make mouthwatering “shut up and take my money” copy, and much more.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Hear how Allison got her start in writing and career
• Learn different email marketing strategies to uplevel your presence in emails 
• Learn different email marketing tools and programs to use
• Hear how Allison serves up content to her clients 
• Learn about Allison’s show and tips on email marketing
• Tips on copywriting that sells and how Allison works with her clients 
• And More!

Social Links: 

Website: https://www.theconversionkitchen.com/

IG: https://instagram.com/allisoncarpio

Listen to the Podcast: https://hella-delicious-emails.captivate.fm/listen

Sign 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

In this episode, your host, Lexie Smith breaks down Muck Rack’s 2022 State of Podcasting Report and gives notable stats on what the world of podcasting looks like today. She breaks down things from rankings to episode content and revenue with podcasts today. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Specifics on listeners in podcasts today
• Numbers of listeners per podcast 
• How current events are the top inspiration for new content ideas
• Stats on most popular podcast platforms 
• Ways in which podcasts are monetizing content
• Different publishing platforms that are popular for podcasts
• The use of social media to promote their podcast
• Learn the top reasons why podcasts are popular and the future of podcasting 
• And more!

• Find the full Muck Rack report here: https://info.muckrack.com/state-of-podcasting-2022
• Sign up For Lexie's Weekly Insider to Receive Insider Tips, Invites, & More at: https://theprbarinc.com/newsworthy/
• Instagram: @theprbar_inc