Well, it’s not really July yet, but it is time to think about the holiday season if you’re pitching glossy, national print magazines. I like to prepare a “round-up” of current clients and story ideas I have available for my media friends. Once I start working directly with the media contact, I then customize the stories and sources they need. Until then, I prepare and share something like this. Here is my actual round-up from this week. {{Jingle jingle.}}

I’ve represented top sources with connections to everyday families, businesses and endless profiles in every state for the past 20 years. How can I be of assistance to you? – Michelle Tennant, Publicist, 828.749.3200

 

Here are a few things I have in my back pocket right now:

 

Secret Study/Life Skills from Top Students and Corporate Executives – Award-winning study and life skills experts Rick and Teena Kamal teamed up with education experts from Stanford, Boston and Duke universities, the University of Chicago and MIT, to create MCS3 – The Most Complete Student Success System. With three editions for students in middle school, high school and college, it’s a complete program for students to learn study strategies, master all types of tests and get better grades. Rick and Teena were motivated to create this system, which has won multiple consumer awards, based on their extensive corporate hiring experience and their concern as parents for the future of America. From adults going back to school to change careers to grade school students, these study secrets have helped most students increase their GPA by 1.7 points. I’d love to show you the system.

Is Your Favorite TV Program Teaching You to Be Poor? – Named as one of 25 hot speakers in Speakermagazine, Randy Gage is the author of eight books and dozens of audio and video resources on success that have been translated into more than 25 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. He asserts favorite TV programs, movies and the company you keep may give you subversive perspectives that keep you from making money. He should know. He’s a jail-bird turned drug addict turned failed business owner into a multi-millionaire successful entrepreneur. While covered extensively abroad, his remarkable story remains largely untold in the states.

Are You Financially Fit? – Savings Expert Pamela Yellen, author of the New York Times Bestseller BANK ON YOURSELF: The Life-Changing Secret to Growing and Protecting Your Financial Future, lost money investing the traditional way. Then she decided to research 450 savings and investment strategies, some that have been around for 100 years. Why aren’t people talking about these strategies used by people like Disney, J.C. Penney and more? So now, Yellen is teaching people how to be financially fit.

What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You! – Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz, MD., Ph.D. is in demand by all the major television talk shows and explains how to understand our five basic emotions. Whether it’s the brain, body or health, Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz has fresh insights. No wonder she’s in demand for interviews all the time.

How Multi-tasking Wilts Relationships and Results – Integrative psychologist and expert in NLP and Huna Matthew B. James, MA., Ph.D.,, discusses why multi-tasking simply doesn’t work and actually harms your health. He blogs for the Huffington Post and for Psychology Today.

Religiously Rigid? – Sai Maa is the first woman ever to receive this special, distinguished spiritual title; the first one in 5,000 years. Ask me about the title. See what she says Americans need to learn about religious tolerance.

Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary – Ever wonder how everyday athletes, business owners, parents and leaders break through what stops them to achieve extraordinary results with others? Landmark Education is the leader in personal and professional growth and development in 20 countries. Time Magazine calls them the “first stop on any transformation tour.” People take their courses and turn ordinary lives, business and performance into extraordinary results. I have tons of stories and experts from this global source.

Millenial Makeovers – Chelsea Krost was the youngest radio host ever at the tender age of 16. Now in her 20s she’s the voice of her generation. From fashion to bullying, no topic affecting the Millenial Generation is off-topic for Chelsea. Recently, she’s taken on Millenial Makeovers.

Music for the Masses – In this economy what parent can afford piano lessons? With the pocket-sized, easy-to-learn “sweet potato” everyone can afford to offer the gift of music to their family. The ocarina is famous again thanks to popular video games. It dates back thousands of years. The teachers at the St. Louis School of Music can teach children to play the ocarina in one week’s time. The wind instrument is even a great workout for growing bodies.

 

I am here to assist you with your source needs.

Thanks

Michelle Tennant Nicholson, Chief Creative Officer aka http://www.SourceSlave.com

Wasabi Publicity, Inc.

michelle@publicityresults.com

828.749.3200

XXX.XXX.XXXX (after hours cell/texting)

Got rated sources? http://www.PitchRate.com 

My blog: http://www.StorytellerToTheMedia.com

PS: If you can’t use my story ideas and source suggestions, simply email me and I will remove you from my personal update list.

Have a nice day.

Filed under: Topics Tagged: magazine pitching, Michelle Tennant Nicholson, pitching, PR, PR secrets, PR Tips, public relations, sources for media, top publicist

Ever wonder how people land earned editorial mentions in major magazines? In this Woman’s Day article Wasabi Publicity client Pamela Yellen discusses not her book and product, “Bank On Yourself” but rather tips couples can use to be ‘financially fit’ in their marriage. See, if you focus on your book or product, media contacts will immediately send you to advertising. That’s fine … if you want to pay for advertising. However, if you’re trying to score the cherished “as quoted by” or if you want to be a go-to media source (which the public perceives as an endorsement), then give the magazine editors and TV producers something they can bite their teeth into: content their readers and viewers will salivate over. So, feed your media contacts a steady dose of ‘fit’ content. Another way of saying it, is educate and entertain them. Give them something that will make them stand-up and move. If you’re pitching angles that make a difference for the media contacts’ audiences, you know your stories are fit … and will be a fit. Happy spinning. This time I mean spinning stories, not Spinning at the gym – which I also love as you know

Filed under: Topics, Uncategorized Tagged: bank on yourself, how to do PR, how to get mentioned in magazines, how to get PR, landing magazine coverage, Michelle Tennant Nicholson, pamela yellen, PitchRate, pitchrate.com, scoring magazine coverage, spinning, spinning stories, wasabi publicity, woman’s day

A few weeks ago, a compelling story was brought to my attention by former TV producer, Shawne Duperon who scored an amazing article in her local paper, The Detroit Free Press.   I didn’t hesitate to share it with my media contacts over at CNN — Soledad O’Brien’s producers. The segment featured two participants who had taken courses from my client, Landmark Education. The participants had learned how to forgive the unforgivable at Landmark Education and now were exploring how forgiveness hurts and helps in a new documentary. It’s an incredible project and after watching the CNN clip be sure to check out Project Forgive because they’re still raising money.

Want to know about my secrets on how I scored it? Publicity Hound, Joan Stewart, interviewed me about that in this video.

In fact, soon, I’ll be doing a PR Happy Hour on it. So sign up for that at PitchRate so you get alerts on when that’s coming.

Filed under: Topics Tagged: CNN, joan stewart, Landmark Education, Michelle Tennant Nicholson, PitchRate, PR Happy Hour, project forgive, publicity hound, scoring cnn, scoring national, sharing your story with media contacts, shawne duperon, soledad o’brien, vimeo, wasabi publicity

This time last year, I shared with you my organic eating tips while attending my graduation ceremony in Pasadena, California. After ten years, I celebrated [finally] with my masters degree in human development. Or so I thought. Trouble came after the ceremony when my thesis wasn’t accepted. This past year, I’ve worked diligently to get the right type of content into my thesis and happy day: on the last day of March 2012, I got an email that said, “This is acceptable and I love it.” I don’t need to tell you to choose your colleges in a careful manner. However, most of us don’t. We choose what family and friends think best. Or we choose a school based on what paths we cross during our early education.

http://dadofdivas.com/the-ultimate-college-preparation-blueprint

Me? I chose my undergraduate school, DePaul University because I originally had interest in Northwestern (I can’t even remember why I was interested in THAT school) but ended up choosing DePaul because their theater program was more of a conservatory-style and I could get an undergraduate degree in education. (Mom and dad were sticklers for ‘fall-back’ degrees. Thanks mom and dad.) Years later, I chose my masters degree program at Pacific Oaks College because I had launched a TV network for the National Head Start Association and found most of the national early childhood education thought leaders coming from Pacific Oaks. Looking back, I’m not convinced I would have researched my path to higher education word-of-mouth like I did. In fact, I’d hope that I would approach my higher education in a more research oriented way (like I do most things now in my middle age of life). So when my media contact and blogger friend, Dr. Christopher Lewis, shared with me his new book — I couldn’t wait to help him get the word out about it. If you or someone you know is looking to choose a college any time soon, check out, “The Ultimate College Preparation Blueprint: Everything You Should Expect And Do When Planning for College.”  Oh, and if you’re interested in how my thesis turned out, feel free to read it. I call it, “The Art of Aha: How to Find Health, Wealth and Love in the 21st Century.” And feel free to come to my REAL graduation party. It’s going to be June 9th at the Saluda Inn and Wine Cellar at 7 pm. Hope to see you there. Oh, and if you missed my “why you need a college degree to impress the media” video, I’m including it here again for you. And if you have a good college story, send it to me. I love stories (as you know:-)

Filed under: Topics, Uncategorized Tagged: choosing colleges, dad of divas masters degree, DePaul University, graduation, Pacific Oaks College

Shot-in-the-gut Author Randy Gage on Trayvon Martin & Stand Your Ground Laws

Do you share personal information when you pitch the media? From gruesome to glorious, the media needs to know your personal stories. It’s what adds depth to the segments they’re producing and the articles they’re writing. I even had a Good Morning America producer say to me once, “I have the doctor I need to provide tips; I just need the characters to round out the story for the public.” So, think about the areas of your life that are dramatic and compelling. Then share them! In this case, I did a quick Skype video on breaking news related to the tragic Trayvon Martin breaking news and how it’s impacting ‘stand your ground laws.’ You can do a quick video like this too so producers and journalists see your perspective as they prepare the news for public consumption. Just reflect and be sure you are okay with how personal you get. In the end, trust your instinct. Don’t share about your life unless you are comfortable with it. This is because the media will dig into every nook and cranny about your story — they need to in order to get their jobs done. But hey, if you’re willing to dig deep, get personal and share from the heart — all of us can learn from your story and insights. The world will be better for your contribution. So get personal and then get booked with the media.

Filed under: Topics Tagged: al sharpton, florida, miami, randy gage, shot in stomach by crack addict, stand your ground laws, trayvon martin, using skype video to pitch media

Are you tying your news releases into popular movies? Recently, we tied PR outreach to the very popular environmental movie, The Lorax (one of my personal favorites from Dr. Seuss; second fav is “Oh The Places You’ll Go”). Our client, Landmark Education, inspired one if its graduates to plant 1 million trees in Ethopia with their course, Self Expression and Leadership. It’s also the course where my business partner Drew Gerber and I met. (Did you know that about Drew? He taught my course. Well, he is quite self-expressed. He’s also quite a leader. We teach each other a lot — even to this day almost two decades later.)  PR coverage is already rolling in. A TV show is looking at doing something next week on this “real life Lorax” we know impacting a whole country with his enviromental leadership. So when the Hollywood reels apply to real life, tie it in. Media venues love it.

Filed under: Topics Tagged: gashaw tahir, Landmark Education, lorax, real life lorax, self expression and leadership, selp

Want media coverage? The best way to get media coverage is to be of service to the media. In fact, here’s a secret tip I’ve been using lately … Skype. You say what’s so special about that tip? You say you’ve been using Skype for years? Well, are you taping yourself using sound-bites related to breaking news, though? It’s the quickest way for the major media to get an understanding of what you’ll say on what’s breaking today in the news and it gives them a sense of what you look like. Consider, our Wasabi Publicity client, Dr. Raymond Hamden who specializes in forensic psychology. When he came on board, I shot a quick Skype video demonstrating how he’d classify the four types of terrorists. Watch the video of Dr. Hamden and ask yourself, how can you break into breaking news today with your own sound-bites and your own analysis of how to make sense of a tragedy being reported in the news. And maybe your topic is lighter. That’s okay. Then talk about how to have fun. The media covers St. Patrick’s Day just as much as they cover war. After you shoot the video, add the clip to your online press kit or send it to your media contacts via email. The bottom line is, just break out your voice. Skype’s a great media megaphone for the job.

Filed under: Current Client Links Tagged: break, breaking news, dr. raymond hamden, media pitching, seasonal and breaking news, using Skype for media coverage

Does your story have “legs” for the media? It will if you tie it into breaking news of the day. For example, have you noticed how many people are legbombing since Angelina Jolie’s leg bomb at the Oscars on Sunday? Celebrity, seasonal and breaking news tie-ins make your story interesting and usable to the media. It answers the question for them, “Why now?” They need to know why what you’re saying is relevant now. Look, even if you don’t really have a natural tie-in to what’s breaking or seasonal in the news, roll up those pants legs and show some skin. The media will appreciate it. You never know, your interview dance card might even fill-up! Get a leg-up on the competition and follow those trends! My business partner, Drew Gerber, created PitchRate, a free media lead service connecting the media with rated expert sources. It’s also a great place to watch for trends because media ask for interview sources there. So get one step ahead. Okay, too many “leg” puns already? You’re probably right. Okay, let me step aside (hee hee). Show some skin with your media outreach. You can’t go wrong.

Filed under: Current Client Links, Topics Tagged: Angelina Jolie, Drew Gerber, leg bomb, legbombing, PitchRate

Does your story have “legs” for the media? It will if you tie it into breaking news of the day. For example, have you noticed how many people are legbombing since Angelina Jolie’s leg bomb at the Oscars on Sunday? Celebrity, seasonal and breaking news tie-ins make your story interesting and usable to the media. It answers the question for them, “Why now?” They need to know why what you’re saying is relevant now. Look, even if you don’t really have a natural tie-in to what’s breaking or seasonal in the news, roll up those pants legs and show some skin. The media will appreciate it. You never know, your interview dance card might even fill-up! Get a leg-up on the competition and follow those trends! My business partner, Drew Gerber, created PitchRate, a free media lead service connecting the media with rated expert sources. It’s also a great place to watch for trends because media ask for interview sources there. So get one step ahead. Okay, too many “leg” puns already? You’re probably right. Okay, let me step aside (hee hee). Show some skin with your media outreach. You can’t go wrong.

Filed under: Current Client Links, Topics Tagged: Angelina Jolie, Drew Gerber, leg bomb, legbombing, PitchRate

WOOF! We landed the front page of the Hendersonville Times News daily paper over the weekend. Do you know how rrrrrough it is to score front page ink? [Dog whine.] Rrrrrough. After 20 years generating earned editorial media coverage (aka PR coverage), I’ve learned one thing… front page coverage doesn’t come around unless you do this one thing: serve the media’s needs first.  Joan Stewart aka The Publicity Hound used to edit newspapers. She taught me years ago that media people loathe press conferences and prefer fun and engaging events. So, when I wanted to gift the Blue Ridge Husky Rescue a media bone, I suggested in a PR Happy Hour training session they offer a fun and engaging event to publicize their new nonprofit. So an urban mushing event was born and I volunteered to “mush” my foster dog with my roller blades. You can see us barking up the newspaper’s front page with smiles. Best of all, the foster-turned-poster dog, Smokey, now is barking up and down his new backyard. See some video of his new home below. WOOF!

Filed under: Topics, Uncategorized Tagged: blue ridge husky rescue, earned editorial, earned media coverage, front page news coverage, hendersonville times news, joan stewart, pr coverage, press conference alternatives, publicity hound, siberian husky rescue, urban mushing