Liz Nable 0:00
There's two majorly exciting things about this episode of the podcast. Firstly, today's guest is our inaugural international journalist on the show. And secondly, she's talking all about pitching your product to get featured in gift guides, which is such perfect timing since Christmas is just around the corner. Margo Lushing is a wellness, travel, design, weddings and wine writer. Sounds like a dream job right? based in Los Angeles and has been a freelance journalist for more than a decade. Margaux is self-confessed as a wellness and travel obsessed writer. She has been featured as an expert in the New York Times and on-air on Spectrum and has won awards for her work with well and away from sunset and departures magazines. Margot's work has been featured in dozens of high profile and trusted media outlets such as Forbes.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, brides.com Well and Good, Seven by Seven, Los Angeles Magazine, and so many others. She also founded the Well and Away vital guides the first healthy city guidebooks series for which he has won awards in Sunset and Departure magazines as well. Through her work with Well and Away, Margo has designed wellness programmes for luxury hotels, including Four Seasons and the VICEROY, as well as Soho House San Francisco. She recently earned her W set three award in wines, and is currently studying for the French wine scholar exam. In this episode, I use my Aussie charm to grill Margaux all about nailing the ultimate gift guide pitch. Plus, we talk timing your pitch, email subject lines, the power of great product images, what not to do when pitching, and how the American media like their pitches best served. There's a real art to it. So listen up, learn all you can and get yourself featured for the first time in the largest and most competitive media landscape in the world, the United States of America baby, get featured in the US media and get ready for your brand to blow up because this is a game changer for your business. Hello, I'm Liz naval and you're listening to enable my business, the podcast. When I first started in small business almost 10 years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. You see my background was in the media. I had spent 15 years as a television news journalist and reporter working at several major networks in Australia. And then as a freelancer in the US and around the world. I spent years dividing my time between working long shifts on a news desk and travelling the world chasing stories. It was unpredictable and exciting. Until it wasn't anymore. I decided I wanted to live where I was in charge of what happened next. And where I was working to build my own empire, not someone else's. I also never wanted to work a midnight new shift again. Now, I don't have to. There was a lot I had to learn about running my own business. But one thing I already had in the bed was how to get media coverage and free PR. I knew what the media wanted. I knew the secret formula for what made us and I knew how to leverage those organisations to build my business, get more exposure and ultimately make more sales. During my decade of building my business, I have managed to get featured in almost every major news outlet in the country. I've been interviewed on television countless times, had personal profiles written up in women's magazines, done point of view pieces for large newspapers, and been listed in top 100 List women in business and in my industry. And I've never spent a single sent on PR. I took that knowledge for granted until it dawned on me one day that I could teach what I knew to other businesses, let them in on the secret and they too could build their businesses, leveraging the media and gaining free PR. They could use my insights in the industry and my behind the scenes experience in take their business from Best Kept Secret to well known brand simply by following my formula. Welcome to Nable My Business, The Podcast. Welcome Margaux to the Nable My Business podcast. It is an absolute pleasure to have you on the show.
Unknown Speaker 4:31
Thank you, Liz,
Liz Nable 4:32
you are our first international journalist expert to feature so congratulations. It's super exciting to finally meet you and to have you here. We've got so much that we want to learn from you. Thank you. I'm
Margaux Lushing 4:46
excited for our conversation. Yes. So
Liz Nable 4:48
if you could maybe give me a little bit of background to start with on your journey as a journalist and what your areas of expertise are. I know you're freelance now, but perhaps a bit of background to your story. Sure.
Margaux Lushing 5:03
So I've been a freelance reporter for over I think it's over 10 years now, which is kind of surprising to me. But my first assignment was, as my BT was wellness, my betas still wellness. But when I was up in San Francisco, I'm now in Los Angeles. But when I was in San Francisco over 10 years ago, I did some wellness writing for refinery 29, which your listeners might know, they used to do city, they used to do city content. So I wrote further, they're a city, vertical for San Francisco, and is really great. So through that I had done a lot more wellness writing for well, and good and Rob report and the San Francisco Chronicle, and Britton Co, a number of them. I currently write for forbes.com, and a few others local and national, but mostly what I cover is wellness, which is so broad in itself, right? There is like beauty and fitness.
Liz Nable 6:08
It's such a massive market in the US as well. You know, huge.
Speaker 1 6:12
It's like over I think it's now well beyond a $4 billion industry here. But yeah, and I do design and travel and a number of verticals within lifestyle.
Liz Nable 6:23
Wow. Okay, so I have so many questions for you. What I thought we could concentrate on today is gift guides, because I know you have spoken a lot about those in the past, and you've written those for Forbes. But before we start with the gift guidance, I'd love to know a little bit about the pitch process because I wrote in the US as a freelancer, but that was many moons ago. Now does that pitch process work? Because in Australia, it's pretty straightforward. You find a journalist contact details, hopefully you've done some of your research, you reach out to them brief introduction, pitch your story. And then you know, fingers crossed hope for the best. So how does it work in the US? Because it's such a, such a big market. And it you know, it's there's such, you know that the media is such a huge juggernaut there. How does the process work in the States?
Speaker 1 7:18
I mean, I think there's a lot of what you've mentioned, and I think that's the ideal scenario for people like me. I think on the flip side, there are so many media outlets, and so many people are moving around all the time, I understand that it's hard for people to keep track. So I do know that people use these databases, like scission, and they'll send out these huge lists. And it's like, they just customise the name field, you know, auto customization, they send out this one pitch, and it goes to a bunch of people. So I get those all the time, too. So I think, I think that it's a lot of it, I wish everything was people are researching the reporter and sending it perfectly tailored. But i i That is definitely not even percent of the pitches that I get, right.
Liz Nable 8:08
So when you are getting pitches, obviously people would, you know, know you and see your byline in Forbes and you know, a tonne of lifestyle and travel and wellness magazines, when they're pitching you, for you as a freelance journalist, because you're obviously then going to take that story and hopefully get commissioned to write it for one of those outlets. What are you looking for in those pitches? What are the best pitches look like?
Speaker 1 8:32
I, I will be honest, and I think a fair amount of it is really serendipity. And is the timing aligning with the assignment, I know what the gift guides that I have assigned are right now in this moment, and if you know, maybe 5% of what I'm getting inbound right now actually does work with one of these gift guides and then within that 5% Some of those have really beautiful imagery and a person on the other end be they a PR person or a business owner or a marketing person and they're they happen to be very responsive and fast and the information is good. That just makes it all so easy. What
Liz Nable 9:12
about the subject line? Does that give you any kind of are you more likely to open a certain kind of I guess it depends it's gift guide season right so if you know if it's relevant to you, you might open up more now but is there any sort of formula you're looking for or
Speaker 1 9:27
Okay, so I actually had a a friendly disagreement about this with some another journalist on a panel a little while ago, and for her having like a first name so like my first name, for example, in the subject line for her that worked for her she took that as this is not going to a huge major list like a spray and pray list. This is an individualised pitch, but for me, I was I don't know this could still be some 22 year old like brand new pair Since starting at an agency, juggling four bajillion clients, and just copying and pasting the same thing, she's just forced to put in my name and subject. So I don't know about that one. But yes, of course, a great subject line that somehow manages to be descriptive, and concise and clever, but also exactly what I'm looking for, like a holy grail, subject line. Of course, those are so great way, especially when they can be fun. And still, you know, informative,
Liz Nable 10:31
and to you looking for like, obviously, your inbox list or your inbox, I'm assuming just explodes everyday because you're a journalist. Are you looking for people that you know, or relationships important? When you're, you know, going through your inbox in the morning people that, you know, you're more likely to kind of engage with those kinds of pitches or like if say, for example, if I just emailed you out of the blue, and you had no idea who I was, what I get equal opportunity to pitch?
Speaker 1 10:59
I mean, yes, when I am waking up in the morning, and I have like, one eye open, and I pick up my phone, because I'm like, flipping between the baby monitor and the box like, yes, if it's a friend, a PR friend, who I've known for 10 years, I will respond to their email first. Sure. But at the same time, like once I get through my, my BFFs, you know, in my inbox, then if there's a pitch that's really great, and happens to align with something that I'm working on, then yeah, I'll respond to that. The other part of this, and I don't know how helpful this is for gift, I know, maybe I think it is helpful for gift guides, is sometimes I, I don't look at something or I forget something or it just is in my inbox. And then months later, sometimes honestly, years later, I'll get an assignment. And I'm like, shoot, I don't actually know what to use for this. And I'll just use the search bar. So if there's something in the subject line that works with what I'm searching for, I will I will pull from that seven months later. Every gift guide I write, I feel like I'm going into the old times of my inbox.
Liz Nable 12:06
Yeah. And I give that advice. Because we have had that from Australian journalists and producers and editors as well, they'll often either file it away, or leave it in their inbox and go searching for it months and months later. So it's definitely not a dead email. Even if you don't get a reply right away. Right. 1,000%,
Speaker 1 12:24
I had this experience. Last week, I had a very short turnaround time on an assignment I had, I think like two days. And it was a subject I was sort of familiar with and not super familiar with. And I knew one great PR person who I knew was all those things, right? fast, reliable, great clients, great images did it ended up, I went to her first and she can do the whole story for me. So I got like 30% of what I needed for her, but he needed to fill in another 70%. So I went through my inbox, and I think I you know, the other 40% I was able to solve just by going through old emails and it was really helpful. Yeah, wow.
Liz Nable 13:05
Okay, let's talk about gift guides. You said you're working on some at the moment. Can we start? I guess, at the beginning, what are you working on at the moment? What are you looking for at the moment in the lead up to the holidays?
Speaker 1 13:17
or so? Of course, I know you have an Australian audience. shipping to the US is very, very important. We do have an international readership. But I think my readers, I'm pretty sure primarily American readers. shipping to the US is important. The stories for me right now are varying between. I have some for new moms, I think. And then there's something related to active toddlers. And there's one other one, but I think Oh, and some, and home chefs like designing home chef gifts.
Liz Nable 13:58
So they're like gift guides, like the top 10 things, you know, top 10 best gifts to give your active title of this all of these holidays or something. It
Speaker 1 14:06
is the top however many I can. My deadline? Yes.
Liz Nable 14:12
And so in the end, will you work on you know, gift guides right up until like the last minute or how does that timing work with gift guides and other other gift guide opportunities that you would traditionally undertake over this period of time?
Speaker 1 14:27
Um, it really varies. I mean, sometimes I do get last minute assignment like oh, hey, can you can you do this? Or I had someone verbally give me an assignment. It went away. I don't know. She might text me tomorrow and be like, Oh, can you pick this back up for a different outlet? I know everyone is so so different. I've written for other outlets who have all of their gift guides buttoned up by September and others who don't even assign until October so and the other piece of this going back to the old email thing is sometimes if someone is pitching me six days out from whichever holiday it is, it's, it's probably not going to work this year, but I might need to pull it for Mother's Day gift guides.
Liz Nable 15:07
So it's, it's worthwhile, even if you think you might be really scraping, scraping it fine for the deadline?
Speaker 1 15:14
I think so. I mean, you know, organisation is good getting it out with a little more time is probably best for everybody. But it would it won't be for nothing. If you really feel like you need to get something out the week before you go on break.
Liz Nable 15:29
Yeah. So what if obviously, I'm assuming like the general, you know, business owners and or marketing people or PR people might not know specifically that you're looking for, you know, gifts for active toddlers or gives gifts, you know, gift gift guide, you're working on a gift guide for stay at home moms or whatever. So when someone's pitching you their product or service or a PRs pitching you on behalf of their client, what are you looking for in those pictures? Is it a specific like point of difference or like a price point or as multiple different things so you could potentially slot them in different gift cards?
Speaker 1 16:08
It's so dependent on the outlet, I know some outlets that I've worked with, do you have a price point limit, whether that's like the floor of the price, or the ceiling of the price? It really depends. There is that I think imagery is so important is a link, like a really quick, easy description, a link to what the product is a link or an image an image is really helpful and think
Liz Nable 16:36
that I raise images or just a low res to start with. And then you go back and ask
Speaker 1 16:42
if there's a great question. And it is night and day between different outlets. So I some of my outlets, it needs to be under a certain resolution so that it fits within their system. And others, it needs to be high high high res and normally, I mean, you know this, like the high high res when it's for print, and then somehow I get Yes, it really, it really depends. But all to say images are so important. And also, if you can clarify on the other end, like we hear the folder with low medium and high res images, like here's a low res image embedded in the email. So you can see, for me, some of my outlets, most of them require lifestyle images, or I've written for other media outlets where they anything but white background is good. Like if it's if it's a product shot on a white background, it will not work at all. So I think just having great photography for me ends up being so so important. I mean, the other the other stuff is obvious, right? Like, no one's gonna send an email without a link. No one's it happens actually more frequently than it so but nobody should send an email without a description of what the product or service I suppose is.
Liz Nable 18:00
Yeah. And are you looking in the, let's say in the copy in the email are you looking for, for the the business owner or the PR person to say, like we've you know, introduced themselves? You know, these are our top three products, you know, that we feel would make great gifts this season? Like how does that pitch copy work? And do you want dot points from them about how that gift could be suitable to I'm assuming if you're freelance, they might have to be generic in where they think their product would fit. And then you would say, this is good for Forbes or this is good for a wellness magazine. How does that work?
Speaker 1 18:40
I mean, I think it's really dependent on the person and I and this is all it's all just just me, right? I don't know what works for somebody else. But I don't I like when something has some personality. So if they're like, if they're quirky gift guide ideas, I know what I'm looking for when I go back and I search for that old subject line or if I'm getting something and I'm looking at it with my morning coffee. I don't think it needs to be anything specific. But what I do think is really helpful. If it's factual. The one thing that I find really, that can be frustrating if it happens to have a great subject line, or if the product itself is compelling or feels like it could work with something I'm working on. But then the copy is like, this is the best. This is the premiere. This is the most amazing. This is the most unique and like one that haven't said what it is, or two like it's probably not, it's probably not the most unique, it's probably not the premier, it's probably not the best. So I feel like those things are just, you know, not the most there are other things that are more helpful.
Liz Nable 19:51
So are there any other like I know we spoke about this briefly before we hit record, what not to put in a gift guide pitch if you're trying to Pitch your product for a gift guide, what not to do, particularly, you know, things that might be different to how we pitch in Australia. Is there any advice there? Sure.
Speaker 1 20:10
So I have seen this more frequently from international pitches and less though US base pitches but and more so I mean, to give these people credit more so for for the well and away blog that I've written for then then media outlets, but who knows where people will say, Can we send you buy this product? It has a retail value of X amount of dollars? And in exchange, can you please include it in, you know, wherever they want me to include it? And that is, I think that's like the biggest what not to do for a number of reasons.
Liz Nable 20:55
You Yeah, obviously. So don't like assume you can just offer your product for free. And obviously, you're not an influencer, you're a journalist. So that relationship is quite different, right?
Speaker 1 21:07
It's really different. And also, I think, just the ethical stuff. My job I think, is specifically being a US based reporter. I know, friends who are writing for different media outlets and the UK and Europe, where, you know, if they're doing a travel story at Hotel, we'll reach out to them and say, okay, we can host you for this amount of nights and an exchange, can you give us a page, a page and a quarter with three images? Any words? And my friends who are writers in other places can say yes, they can say yes, this is a tit for tat arrangement. I don't know if this is still true, this may not be a practice that people do anymore. But that just doesn't this the idea of a tit for tat we give you this, you give us that it's just it doesn't work. And I think it burns a bridge before you even start it here.
Liz Nable 22:04
Such good advice? No, I know, you do a lot of gift guides for Forbes, which is very highly regarded high profile media outlet. Are they looking for specific things? When they do these holiday gift guides? Or or, you know, Mother's Day gift guides? Or whatever the special occasion might be? Is there something specific about those Forbes gift guides that you could share with our listeners?
Speaker 1 22:28
Um, you know, I don't I don't I don't honestly know the answer. Because I'm freelance. I don't know the answer to that question from their perspective. But I can tell you, from my perspective, as a freelancer, we are rewarded with the more clicks that we get. So I had the experience of doing a profile recently on someone, and it went super viral, I have more views than any other story I've ever written. And it was like not, I don't know, I was like, it was such a wonderful thing. And they shared it on their social channels. They shared it on a bunch of different channels personal, their own, but they just had such a diehard community. And this community was just so into reading about this founder and reading this q&a that I had to like, keep refreshing the number of views I got, because I didn't believe it. It was really amazing. So staring, sharing, it is really helpful and saying, you know, we will share it and supporting the story from there and to
Liz Nable 23:32
wow, that's super interesting. So you wrote the article for Forbes, was it? Yes, yeah. And that company then shared it with their community. And that's
Speaker 1 23:41
awesome. But it is just, I mean, they're like, it's a wonderful company, like everybody who was there is wonderful. Like, the product is wonderful. It's called posh peanut. It's a kid's clothing company based here in Los Angeles. And the founder has this amazing story of bootstrapping her business. She didn't take any investment money. She has all these employees now. Like it's just a really, it's a really beautiful story. But even the q&a, the q&a, it sounds very human, but it's also full of these great facts. I don't even think I had to, like touch it really with editing. And I didn't ask and they just, they shared it everywhere. And they just kept sharing, and I think their product is so great. And this founder is so invested in her community, that it was just this very natural, wonderful thing.
Liz Nable 24:30
Yeah. Wow. That's so interesting, because as part of what I teach my students is how to repurpose media so if they get featured, it's really important that they share it on their socials, you know, send it out in an EDM to their to their email database, you know, you know, the cut it up and pull out quotes and all that sort of thing. But it's interesting that it was the company sharing it that actually helped. It was like a really great partnership. You're an organic partnership.
Speaker 1 24:58
I honestly Don't know how much of it was due to them sharing, I think, a good amount because they do have a big following. But also people were just so interested in his founders backstory. I also saw there's a lot of Google searching. So when it comes to subject lines, I guess, and when it comes to you're asking, like, what can people put in the copy? story ideas that people will actually search for. So it's like, I mean, you know, you know, these more marketing a subject lines or salesy subject lines that are kind of evergreen and generic that people just aren't searching for, if you know what people are actually searching for, it's really helpful to me, and perhaps it's selfish, but if you're, if you're, you know, helping me it makes my job easier. And I always like that or helping me Sure, but it's really helping the readers because the readers are, are who are searching for these things. Well,
Liz Nable 25:47
that's a really reassuring story, because that's part of what I teach as well, in my media masters Academy is brand story, and how to tell your story in a really authentic, captivating, genuine art. You know, everyone loves an underdog, everyone wants to hear that bootstrapping story or, you know, the failure piece, and they're getting back up and, you know, having another crack and look how far they've kind of like, that story is so important, isn't it in being able to share authentically and not to in Australia, we have a tendency, particularly women in business, women in general, to downplay our story is not very important or a bit boring or not exciting enough to share. But it's the story that sort of separates you or makes you different to your competitors, right. Sure.
Speaker 1 26:39
And I will also say yes to all of those things. But it also made me think that it wasn't just like, and she this woman does use a PR person. Now I doubt she did in the beginning. But she does use a PR company now. And it wasn't like, Oh, hey, can you do a feature? Sure, let's do this feature. It started out I think is actually I think, for gift guides. And I ended up including one of these products and a gift guide. And then there was something else, I think I covered a launch of a new collection or something and it did well. And then the feature just sort of became a natural next step. But it all did start with a gift guide. I'm
Liz Nable 27:19
pretty sure, yeah. Wow. And okay, so she started that relationship with you with a gift guide, and then pitch to you again.
Speaker 1 27:27
Yeah, and it's one of these things where the relationship building is so important. Like when I'm, you know, getting up in the morning and looking at the emails of the people that I know, we actually started working together on a totally different client of hers. And she she just asked me and she was like, is this interesting? You think that this could work? I know you cover this, but are you also interested in this? And I spent some time looking at it. And it did seem to be a fit. And ultimately, it was a great fit, because it performs so well. But yeah, their relationship building I think is really helpful. Yeah, she pitched me again, and a soft pitch, you know, not this like, Cool. Great. Doesn't say thank you. Also next, here's what we're doing tomorrow, you know, yeah, thank you also goes really far.
Liz Nable 28:10
Yeah, thank Absolutely, thank you is really important. So just on that just to start, like deviating from gift guides just for a second. Obviously, you know, Services is a lot harder to get featured in a gift guide, I'm assuming?
Speaker 1 28:29
I think so too. I think in terms of my gift guides. I think for larger businesses, if it's, I'm in California, right? So everything is tech related. Everything is like Wi Fi enabled. Insert product here. So if we're talking about a service where it's like a fitness subscription that comes with your peloton. Okay, fine. But I think for the most part, it is really hard to fit a service business into a gift guide. That said, I think if you're offering support to a writer, like oh, there's this is a very interesting person for these reasons, because I do get the pitches where it's like, she's the best, she's the most interesting. She's the most unique. Here's how many followers she has. Let's you know what we'd love to do a feature with you. That's not going to work. But if there's actual, you know, if someone's listing out why this person so interesting, and they're sharing, these are our favourite products for these interesting gift guide ideas, let us know if you're interested and I can connect you with those organisations but also if you'd like to talk to this person about why she thinks these are interesting. Sometimes those things can work sometimes, but based on how much bandwidth someone has in their day, especially if they're running their business and doing their own PR and their own this and that. Maybe Maybe you take if guide season to sit back and pit and put together your spring stuff or maybe It's the other thing that I haven't worked on so much recently, but local gift guides, and maybe there's partnering with someone in your local community, because my experience and hearing feedback from people who have become friends on the other side is that sometimes it's a local, it's a local story or a local gift guide that has that moves the needle just as much, if not more than something national, our broadcast.
Liz Nable 30:27
Yeah, knowing your market, right, and sometimes local, even if you've only got 300 eyeballs on it, it's 300 people that are going to buy your product, as opposed to 100,000 people who, you know, can't go to your gym or use your service for whatever reason,
Speaker 1 30:43
or so I think that, um, so I've talked to friends about this, who were they ended up doing a partnership, you know, if they are, I don't know, nutritionist and they partner with their local wine shop on low sugar, low calorie wines for the holidays. And then you can pitch this locally, I think there are solutions, but I do think it's really hard if you're like, Yeah, you know, yeah,
Liz Nable 31:08
it's difficult. I know exactly what you're saying. So are there any kind of ideas that you know, during giftcard season, if you are a service based business, you're better off, sort of, I guess, pitching like your founder story, or like you say, collaborating with another business and pitching, you know, how to stay the top five ways to, you know, stay healthy during the holidays, or something like that. They're the sort of things you think service based businesses should focus on rather than the gift guides. I
Speaker 1 31:38
think for me, personally, and everyone's so different, and that's why PR can be so hard, right? Because I'm this one in a sea of a bajillion freelancers. So that's, that's my answer. I mean, something else to maybe keep in mind is that it's a stressful time for us as freelancers. So it is something I'm wellness all the time, right. So wellness is always on my mind. Where it's stressful for us where if you are a meditation teacher, and you're like, how do I get my service business out there? I'm launching an app next year, you can always just email reporters, especially freelance, not even, especially freelancers, anyone and say, Listen, like, do you want to do a 30 minute session? I know it's crazy. Like next spring, this is what I'm going to be launching, I'd love to stay in touch. But for now, like, can we just can we do this? Like no?
Liz Nable 32:27
Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Excellent advice. How hard would you say, as is, let's say the audience is mostly Australian, for this podcast, is breaking into that US media doing your own PR? Like, are you better off just paying the cash and getting a PR company, either in Australia or the US? If you're looking to start, you know, either shipping your product internationally, or you're breaking into the US market? Do you have any advice on? Is it worthwhile trying to do this on your own? If you're coming from outside the states? Are they well, you know,
Speaker 1 33:03
I think if you love it, I think if it really stresses you out, and then maybe that's where you deploy your money. But if you enjoy it, I don't think that there's any hindrance, you know, if you're doing it yourself from Australia, versus trying to do that from within the states. And also, I'm curious to know if you know this, I feel the same way. But a lot of like, the cool startups here, and the cool branding agencies are all Australian. So people are kind of like extra Intuos drilling and things right now, especially when it comes to like summer related like swim and denim and sunglasses. I feel like and branding. I feel like in the states in California Navy at least.
Liz Nable 33:46
Yeah, there's always been a little bit of that Australia on a novelty, I feel like in the States, which I think gives us a little advantage. So that's good to know that, you know, being Australian doesn't put you kind of 10 steps behind someone else pitching to the media in the US.
Speaker 1 34:03
No, absolutely not. I agree. I think it I think it really can be an advantage. Yeah, as long as you're shipping to the states. Exactly.
Liz Nable 34:11
That's long guy can
Speaker 1 34:13
reply during American business hours a little bit sometimes. Absolutely.
Liz Nable 34:19
And that's the same, you know, and the same thing we you know, I teach to my students here, you have to be replying quickly, because if you don't reply, and someone else does, you've missed your window of opportunity. So being on the ball with those things being flexible and easy to work with. And of course, being able to ship to the States is key. There's no point pitching to US media if you can't get your product to the states in good time. So so just a little recap before we finish, so maybe your top three tips for pitching to give guides, you know, coming from overseas would be a No you said images,
Speaker 1 34:54
images, number one, two, I think A factual copy and not just using superlatives that your mom or your dad tells you because they love you more than anyone else. And number three I don't know, I think just treat the person on the other end like they're a person.
Liz Nable 35:20
Yeah. Yeah. Just conversational and kind. Yeah, yeah. Would you include if you've won? Like any awards? Or if you've got had other media, or is that not relevant for your first pitch? Oh, that's
Speaker 1 35:34
a really great question. Um, I know people really vary on this answer, too. For me. I don't other media outlets that I almost feel like, Oh, is it old news? You know, is that yeah, I got this for months ago. But awards if there are no if they're an award that I am familiar with, and I'm that I'm interested. Sure. And especially if it's an Australian company, and they're like, we've won these, you know, these awards, and you spend four words explaining what that is. To me. That's also helpful to
Liz Nable 36:07
Yeah, excellent. Amazing, Margot. Well, I could keep you here for hours and hours asking you every question under the sun, but I won't. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. There's so much important and really helpful information in there. We appreciate it so much. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 36:25
Thank you so much.
Liz Nable 36:27
Thank you for listening to this episode of Nable My Business. If you've loved it, please share it on Instagram and Facebook for your friends. I'm all about listening and learning from you, my audience. So please pop a review on iTunes and let me know how you're enjoying the show. I'd love to hear from you. So if you have any questions, email me at least at least Nable dot com And if you want to know more about what I do, head over to Liz Nable dot com. I truly hope this podcast is a game changer for you. Whether you're a small business owner, a franchisee you have a side hustle or you're just starting out. This is where you truly begin to build your own empire and the life of your dreams.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai