Pitchcraft™

Everyone's talking about gift guides right now, as the media world shifts to holiday season in August. Last week on Pitchcraft™, we took a different approach, inviting three national broadcast journalists to share what it takes to get your products featured on TV gifting segments this year (think TODAY, GMA and FOX). I learned a lot from this discussion and am sharing top takeaways for you here!

I did something a bit scary yesterday - I attended my first media networking event. It was out of my comfort zone as I still feel like a complete newbie in the #freelancing world, but it was awesome. Loved hearing all the tips from other moms in media. Thanks Kelsey Ogletree and Pitchcraft™ for hosting, looking forward to attending more!

This post is late because my little ones have been sick (typical back to school craziness), but the very cool ladies from this virtual event understand. Thank you Pitchcraft™ and Kelsey Ogletree for this fantastic event. The Maternal Edit was the boost I needed to keep navigating the challenges of motherhood and my freelance health writing career. Connecting with so many awesome working mothers who prioritize both family and career success was incredibly refreshing. Jess Ringgenberg Elisa Suri Natalie G.

As a new mom, I am still navigating the duality of what this new "title" entails. Running a business, caring for a baby, nurturing my relationships, caring for myself and doing so while my body readjusts both post-partum and post-cancer treatment often feels daunting at best and futile at worst. And yet, this season has paved the way for deep reconnection. Community and collaboration have been crucial to my new journey as a "working mom." Being surrounded by women who showed up vulnerably and unabashedly in that capacity today for Pitchcraft™'s "The Maternal Edit" was lovely. 💟 A big thank you to Kelsey Ogletree, working mom extraordinaire, for making it happen – and to all the inspiring panelists who candidly shared their experiences and insights into navigating our daily roles. How fortunate we are to exist in this generation of empowerment and sisterhood. How significant it'll be to leave that legacy for generations to come. #motherhood #media #communications #parenting

Kelsey Ogletree and Pitchcraft™ did it again! Kelsey is a powerhouse (who convened even more powerhouses!) to create authentic moments of connection among #WorkingMoms in media. So grateful to everyone who gave their time and talents, especially the panelists, at yesterday's Maternal Edit conversation. (Fun fact: when I attended the first Maternal Edit back in February, I was on the eve of launching The Society of Working Moms. It was through the chat that I met fellow attendee Jess Ringgenberg who would become the business baddie/bestie I didn't know I needed! So if you are a member of the WM community, you can thank Kelsey for inadvertently giving me the push I needed to go for it!)

Last month on Pitchcraft, we held an interactive session with three reviews editors overseeing testing and reviews in some capacity at their respective publications: Jonathan Chan, Noah Kaufman and Lily Alig. While they differed some in their approaches to deciding what and how to review various items, we discovered common threads I'm sharing in this post. (And, I reveal the winning combination for landing a product review pitch.) Do any of these surprise you? Let me know your thoughts.

Working in the media industry takes on a new meaning once you become a mother. The pressure to stay current, to stay relevant, to stay creative, to stay mentally on top of your game only increases once you're juggling a family, and if I'm being honest, the challenge feels insurmountable sometimes. The days pass too quickly and too slowly. Our inboxes, our homes, our cars, our schedules... they all feel messy, all the time. Hitting our stride as mothers and media professionals takes a long time, and just when we think we've found a little harmony — it changes again. In February, we brought together more than 50 amazing mothers in the media industry for an insightful panel discussion around all of this messiness called The Maternal Edit. Next week, we're back for round two! Next Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 11:00 - 12:15 CST, we'll convene again on Zoom for connection and conversation around being a working mom in the media industry. Designed exclusively for moms who are PR professionals, freelancers or editors, The Maternal Edit help moms work better and better, together.   For this event, we'll break things down into two parts:    1) The first half of the virtual session will focus on moderated conversation about unique challenges we all face, as mothers to young children constantly striving to create harmony between our careers and our families.   2) The second half will feature breakout rooms with each panelist, who will speak about how to best pitch them, what they're currently looking for, and what they need most heading into the upcoming fall and holiday seasons. You'll be able to hop around to each room to connect with each panelist. This is a new feature since our last Maternal Edit that's focused on helping you build connections on a practical level with other media moms. (This is an especially excellent opportunity for PR pros who work with parenting-focused brands!)   Our panelists: -- Jenny Altman, former editorial lead, Bobbie, parenting freelance writer -- Natalie G., senior lifecycle editor, The Knot Worldwide's The Bump -- Sara Goldstein, commerce editor, Motherly® -- Conz Preti, senior editor, parenting, Business Insider -- Laura Schocker, editor-in-chief, Apartment Therapy Media Tickets are $29, and you can grab yours here: https://lnkd.in/eJgs4CTF. If you're a mom in media, you don't want to miss this! Drop a note to tell me a challenge you're facing in navigating motherhood + career right now ⬇️

Pitchcraft is a membership platform that is fundamentally reshaping how PR professionals and journalists of all backgrounds work together. We are proud to have Pitchcraft™ as a sponsor on The PR Maven® Podcast and we have found so much value in using their platform. We recommend giving Pitchcraft a try! You can use the code PRMAVEN for $200 off your first month.  https://lnkd.in/gv5Gunfb  #JoinPitchcraft #PRMavenNation #MarshallCommunications #BuildingRelationships #PublicRelations 

Nearly every national consumer site out there will be producing gift guides in the coming months. The season starts earlier than those outside the PR world expect. (For instance, pitches for Oprah’s Favorite Things are due by Aug. 7!) Whether you're pitching your clients' products for consideration or you're a small business owner doing your own pitching, read my latest blog for seven essentials every gift guide pitch should include.

Personally and professionally, I'm so excited about the launch of Azure Road. I aspire (imperfectly) to a low-waste, ethical, green lifestyle (but I don't do cloth diapers, so emphasis on imperfect). Azure Road takes this *seriously* - their vetting criteria are based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and founder Lauren Mowery, J.D., D.W.S. can spot greenwashing a mile away. Love that there's a new publication I can't wait to read in my inbox, and that's a great match for my clients (like Cold Current Kelp). Make sure to subscribe at azureroad .io.