I just got back from my first trip to London… and it was amazing.

I loved hanging out with the Storyblok team and learning more about creating and executing marketing campaigns from Forrester Research.

I went to The Black Dog (yes, the one we tracked because he forgot to turn his location off), Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Kensington Palace, and a road full of unique bookshops.

​Click here to see a bit of it!

Flying Solo

Traditional newsrooms are shrinking, and journalists are burning out.

But here’s the twist: They’re not disappearing.

They’re going independent… and they’re thriving.

Big-name reporters are leaving corporate media to launch newsletters, podcasts, and their own platforms.

For PR pros, this is massive.

Independent journalists often have:

• Huge, loyal followings
• Freedom to explore deeper stories
• Diverse platforms to share content

But working with them isn’t plug-and-play.

Here’s how to build meaningful relationships:

1. Treat them like pros. No corporate email? Still top-tier talent.
2. Do your homework. Understand their voice, tone, and audience.
3. Support them. Subscribe, collaborate, and invest in their platforms.

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The game is evolving. Indie journalists aren’t just the future—they’re the now.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll tell you where you can find them to add them to your pitch list.

But in the meantime, a little story time (if you missed it on LinkedIn).

I Sound Like a… Girl

Imagine being told you’ll never make it because your voice doesn’t sound 'believable'—yeah, that happened.

When I worked as a reporter in Fort Myers, I had my eye on the anchor desk.

On my weekends off, I’d come into the station, hair and makeup ready, to record the A block about an hour before the news started.

I turned over those tapes to the assistant news director week after week for feedback. I did this for months.

Then, I was told I didn’t sound “credible” because my voice was too high.

Looking back, I realize how sexist that was—telling a woman she needed to sound more like a man to be “believable.” But, I digress.

I never got to anchor in that market, which was ranked 63rd at the time.

Fast forward, and I landed at the NBC station in Miami—market 16.

There, I became an anchor without needing to record any fake newscasts first.

One day, I was walking through the newsroom, and Hank Tester, a news legend in South Florida, told me he loved my voice because it sounded so natural. (Imagine my shock!)

In Inside Out terms, that moment is a core memory for me.

The lesson? You may not be for everyone, but you are for someone, somewhere.

In my case, it was in a bigger market with more viewers.

What I’m Reading

I just finished The Sequel, which is the 2nd book in a series that starts with The Plot.​

The covers of the books are genius as is the writing –– very unique.​

But don’t even think about reading the description of The Sequel before reading The Plot. You’ll ruin it for yourself.

Read something over the Thanksgiving break… and let me know if you liked it (as if my TBR list isn’t long enough)!

Speaking of... did you hear Instagram is doing away with hashtags?!

Like, how will I see all my #bookstagram favorites in my feed now 🤬

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