PRfect Pitch

This week, Nicole welcomes Jerry Doby, Editor in Chief of The Hype Magazine and an internationally recognized arts and entertainment journalist. Jerry talks about his time both in public relations and entertainment, how Hype Magazine went from a labor of love to the #1 Digital Magazine in the world, and how he manages to focus his time and effort on so many endeavors. He and Nicole talk about the most effective strategies for making sure an editor can quickly understand the information you want to convey, why it’s imperative to take time and understand your audience, and what they want the new school of PR practitioners to know.

Nicole welcomes Stacey Higginbotham, tech journalist who has been covering technology for major publications for two decades. Stacey was a Senior Editor at Fortune and is the publisher of Stacey of IoT and host of Internet of Things podcast. Stacey talks about her path into journalism, what she never wants a PR person to do again, and what makes a good company spokesperson. She also gives an example of a great pitch that came her way recently and breaks down what made it a definite “yes.”

Nicole welcomes Howard Bloom to the show. Not only is Howard PR and Journalism royalty, but he has been called “the greatest publicist ever known,” the “next in a lineage of seminal thinkers that include Newton, Darwin, Einstein, and Freud'' by Britain’s Channel 4 TV, and “the next Stephen Hawking” by Gear Magazine. Howard has authored seven books including The Lucifer Principle and speaks about his new work on the way. Howard also talks to Nicole about how the new generation needs celebrities with substance and shares some wisdom and takeaways from working with legendary icons such as Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Prince, and many more. Howard talks about engaging with the media in a fresh way every time, and what sets apart a superstar from the herd.

This week, Nicole is joined by Jefferson Graham, veteran USA Today Tech Journalist, host of the travel photography series Photowalks with Jefferson Graham on Tubi, and contributor to many media sites such as AARP. Jefferson knows a good pitch when he sees one, and after more than 20 years in the industry as a highly respected and sought after journalist, he shares his wisdom on this week’s episode. Jefferson and Nicole talk about the rise of citizen journalism, how to craft a short yet powerful pitch, and how he schedules his work day with so much on his plate between editing, shooting, and the occasional set as a rock star guitarist.

Sharon Edelson has been a journalist for over 30 years, serving as the senior editor for W Magazine, close to two decades at Women’s Wear Daily, and presently a contributor for Forbes. Sharon covers a wide variety of subjects in her stories including retail, fashion, and now emerging technologies such as NFTs. She joins Nicole to talk about the role of PR professionals as a bridge rather than a gatekeeper, the balance between getting out key information and being too rehearsed, and her tips for making your mark as a credible journalist. Sharon also talks about how the pandemic has affected her information gathering, and shares how she best likes to be approached with a pitch and potentially a follow-up.

Whether he’s writing about the latest in Arts & Culture or listening to Mariah Carey curse on set, David Rabadi has carved out a career in journalism that is authentic to his personality and talent. He talks with Nicole about how he got into journalism, what he feels makes up a good pitch, and words of wisdom for those looking to follow their passions in the field of journalism and writing. He and Nicole also talk about breaking out of the stigma surrounding mental health, and David shares more about his latest book, How I Lost My Mind and Found Myself, an entertaining read where David opens up about embracing his own life, identity, and struggles to help others do the same.

This week, Nicole welcomes Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communications, host of the Women Worldwide Podcast, and author of Answers for Ethical Marketers and the children’s book A Whisper From Noelle. Deirdre’s infectious positive energy serves as a mechanism to highlight other amazing women on her podcast, and she shares her advice on how to craft a pitch that is concise, grammatically correct, and rooted in a deeper connection rather than just a one time connection. Deirdre discusses the importance of reliability and transparency in both PR and podcasting, how she handles pre-interview prep for her show, and what her “FEEL Model” is and why it can benefit PR professionals.

This week, the very busy and insightful Seth Arenstein joins the show. When he’s not making people laugh through his improv comedy, Seth is the Editor of PRNews, host of many PRNews webinars and programs, an award-winning journalist, and television critic, contributing weekly columns to CableFAX Daily. Seth talks about the type of pitch that gets him excited, what happens when sensitive information is accidentally leaked, and why it’s important to set the ground rules before meeting with a journalist. He also stresses the importance of knowing your niche, double checking your work, and why “pitch and pray” isn’t always the best option!

This week, Nicole welcomes the fascinating force of nature, Eileen Shapiro. Eileen joins Nicole from New York to share her journey of how she came to be the feature celebrity correspondent for Get Out Magazine and contributor to 85 different publications, interviewing artists from Adam Ant, Cyndi Lauper, and Annie Lennox to Jennifer Hudson, Rick Springfield, LeAnn Rimes, and thousands in between. Having major success as both a writer and PR professional, Eileen’s advice on pitching clients, landing interviews, and general journalism best practices is invaluable. As a World Star PR partner, Eileen believes that the relationship between media and PR professionals should be fun, professional, and synergistic. Tune in, you won’t want to miss what Eileen has to say on how to score interviews with celebrities and legends in the biz.

Tara Seals is the Senior Editor at Threatpost, and has much sage wisdom to offer from her 20 years experience as a journalist working with PR people. Tara talks with Nicole about what makes a great story, why doing your homework before pitching a journalist is key, and some of the exciting things about working in the cybersecurity space. Tara and Nicole also chat about keeping it professional and fun with your journalist friends through social media, a few mistakes she’s seen PR people make, and what new resources you should be putting your energy into.