Spring Clean Your PR

It’s that time of year again when everyone is spring cleaning. Are you? Well, even if you’re not think about angles that could land you choice media coverage. We pitched our client Pamela Yellen, who teaches financial self-sufficiency, around a ‘spring clean your budget’ angle and Fox Business picked it up. You never know what a little clean-up job can uncover. Turn over a new leaf and spring-clean your PR. I did so and even found the above lovely photo of Pamela with Richard Branson. (Don’t you just love looking at old photo albums?!)

Have A Heart … Associate!

Wasabi Publicity client, Carrie Woodward, a fitness expert,  had a heart attack during our client intake call. Doctors say she wouldn’t be here today had she not been exercising and eating right like she does … and teaches. During the call, I didn’t know she had a heart attack. In fact, she just seemed a bit tired in the call. Weeks later she told us the story and our team said, “Wow, let’s share that with the public as I’m sure it will inspire others.” And boy has it. It’s not only inspired media, it’s also inspired the American Heart Association creator of the “Go Red for Women” PR campaign.  This organization is known for spreading good information to women about how to prevent heart attacks. In fact, they featured the story once they heard about it. Read the article here. So, have a heart! Share your story with associations most likely to be inspired by your story. Share good news and you’ll find others sharing yours.

Stay Positive

“Stay positive.” It’s about as cliché as it gets, right? Well, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Truth is, in my experience people gravitate toward the positive and that’s not only true for media contacts I know, but also any successful business leader, athlete or community leader I’ve met. Think about your own life. How often do you say, “no” throughout your life? I bet it’s directly related to the level of success you have (or don’t have). One of my favorite movies is, “The Yes Man.” In it, the character attends a motivational seminar and takes on saying yes to all opportunities that comes his way in the future. It’s quite funny. Take a look, if you’ve not already seen it. Speaking of motivational speakers, I’m thrilled that Wasabi Publicity client and prosperity motivational speaker & author, Randy Gage is featured in this Investors Business Daily article I placed for him. Gage often speaks about the power of staying positive and teaches that steering clear of negative naysayers can increase your health, wealth and knowledge. All you pro-positive people reading this are saying, “Yes, that’s true, Michelle!” Alternatively, skeptics will be thinking, “Hmmm, but you know, the media and most people I know love a good drama. People victimize themselves and that’s opportunity, too.” I can see your point, skeptics. I’ve had my fair share of playing victim and thwarting my own success. However, standing at the top of my career, I will tell you this … at a party, everyone loves laughter. At night, bugs love light. At the end of the day, people want to feel good, speak good and BElieve THEre is GOOD in the world; so BE THE GOOD and stay positive. Your wallet, your heart and her mind will thank you. Shoot, with a little laughter, you might even create the next Facebook or write the next bestselling book (like Randy Gage did when he wrote, “Risky is The New Safe.“). When you stay positive, you are open to solutions. You see things you couldn’t see before. Be a positive source to the media on PitchRate.com — help them report to their readers, viewers and listeners what’s possible in their industries. That will make you  a top go-to media expert. If you’re stuck in drama or constantly see why things won’t work, that will be relayed to media in your interviews. Transform your drama. Find solutions. Track trends. Talk possibility. The media will love you for it and clients will swarm around you like bugs to a night-light. Happy 2013 everyone … and let me leave you with my favorite e.e. cummings quote on staying positive, “Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds.” Let me know how you plan to say yes this year.

End-Of-Year; End-Of-Time Media Pitching

Drew Gerber & Michelle Tennant, co-founders Wasabi Publicity, Inc.

Drew Gerber and Michelle Tennant Nicholson (me) recently had new photos taken. Write & let us know if you like the photo in this post. I asked people on my Facebook account and 50+ people loved it while two had reservations because the photo shows us too close. “Perhaps people will think you’re married,” said one. Sometimes I feel more married to my business partner, Drew, than my husband, Shannon. So, I’ve chosen to keep the shot. Right? In the end, you gotta call your own shots. {{snicker}} Also, it’s the end-of-the-year and I wanted to be sure to wish everyone a Happy Holiday. As it turns out, it’s also the end-of-time according to Mayan calendars. So, if the world were to end this month, what would you wish you had done but not completed yet? Write it down. Just in case we do get to 2013, a great thing to plan is pitching magazines three to six months in advance. Perhaps you always wanted to be featured in a glossy national magazine but haven’t yet. Well, don’t delay. Magazines are already working on spring 2013. What fabulous story idea do you have for them? Simply contact your favorite magazine through their website and give them the idea. They actually want to hear from their loyal readers and fans. That’s how they’re currently getting their story ideas. So, share yours! For me, I’m planning my annual New Year’s theme for 2013: freedom. In 2012, my theme: unstoppable. Was I unstoppable? Well, after ten years on the back-burner, I completed my masters degree in human development (got the paper and now I’m free), did a Vision Quest with my spiritual community, ran/paddled/biked a 4 hour triathlon (one that actually scared me to finish) and landed prize placements with Anderson Cooper, GQ Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, More Magazine, and endless spots with ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. I will need to take on something new for 2013 and to usher in “freedom” I’ve started a macrobiotic diet, meditating daily and plan to get my yoga certification (just for fun). Plus, there’s a trip to Budapest in-the-works. Freedom includes living anywhere in the world and working. So, that’s what’s cooking over here … even though the end-of-the-world may be upon us. What are you doing to make the most of your day, month and year? Today, this month and every year? I hope it includes letting the media you love know what you’re up to. I know I love hearing from you. Happy days-to-come to one and all.

Superhero

Most people who hire publicists are at the top of their field. However, even industry superheroes have kryptonite aka over-promotion during interviews.

One of the biggest challenges for publicists is to teach clients the media’s pet peeves. After executing PR campaigns for the past twenty years, one thing I know for sure about messaging is leading with education will make you a go-to expert, but promoting your product during an interview will kill your media superpowers faster than a speeding bullet.

Here are three ways to be sure your messaging will soar above the others so you (or your client) remain a go-to media superhero (as seen in the article I wrote for PR News’ Media Training Guidebook): 1) Be the expert. 2) Educate. 3) Tie-in news. Read the whole article here.

 

Building Buzz … In Your Grocery Line

Ever stand in line at the grocery store and read the glossy magazines? I do. In fact, I often thumb through to see who the current editor is. I did that two years ago while at my neighborhood whole foods co-op and noticed Well Being Journal.  It was a pleasant surprise when I emailed the address I saw in the magazine and heard from the editor. I told him I was a publicist and I represented some of the world’s thought leaders in well-being. I wondered if he’d like to review some articles from my clients. He said he’d be delighted. So, since then, he’s reviewed the articles I send to him from my clients. Sometimes he publishes the article, like he did from my client, Dr. Matt in this article. Forming relationships with magazine editors can be as easy as walking in and out of the grocery. Snack on that!

Spinning Front Page Stories Summer ’12

As you all know, for fun I teach Spinning at Lelia Patterson Fitness Center in Fletcher, NC. Well, this summer, the gym asked me to volunteer my PR prowess to guide their college intern, Chris Janetzco, into getting buzz in the community about their upcoming Hunter Subaru LPC Triathlon. From the beginning, I coached this intern into using members from the actual gym to inspire the community. Viola — not only did we get coverage, but we got the FRONT PAGE last Saturday. It’s not the front page of a section, but rather the front page of the entire paper! I’m so excited. You’ll recall how excited I was to get the front page of the Wall Street Journal last year. Front page coverage is oh so rare in PR. While scoring front page may be hard, ‘spinning’ stories isn’t. It’s simply finding inspiration around you and then opening your mouth to the media. That’s spinning a great story for the media. Just reflect on inspiration not promotion. Who knows? You might be on the road to front page coverage too.