Back From Tucson, Where it SNOWED!
Plus: Last chance to RSVP for next week's Pitch Perfecting Workshop + got my first assignment for People + PR job opps + more!
Happy Friday, everyone!
I just got back from 6 lovely days in Tucson, where I was doing research for my debut assignment for Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). I’ve lived in Arizona for 23 years altogether (3 of those years were in the late ‘70s, as I was born in Phoenix before growing up in the midwest) and my parents/brother moved to Tucson when I was in college. So I’ve visited them in Tucson dozens of times, but this was a great refresher and I got to explore plenty of things I hadn’t seen on prior trips.
We stayed at 3 different hotel properties, went fishing, threw axes, rode horses, went to the Desert Museum and the U of A Art Museum, did a guided cultural tour in the historic city center, visited the Mission Gardens and San Xavier Del Bac Mission, toured a distillery, and ate at SO many amazing restaurants. I can’t wait to share all of this in my upcoming article!
Did I mention we saw SNOW?? Yes, it SNOWED in Tucson this week. Crazy! And no, we didn’t have an ice scraper in the car, because why would we? Had to resort to using a credit card to clear the windshields!
Do you need help reworking a pitch that’s not landing coverage? Are you stuck on story angles for a tough client? Are you looking for pitching best practices, tips and tricks that’ll land you even more top-tier coverage? Join my small group Pitch Perfecting Workshop on Tuesday, February 21. All the info is below… and we’re closing out the remaining seats by EOD today (so that we have enough time to prepare for each attendee, as we’ll be going over your pitches live!). Nicole Pajer and I would love to see you next Tuesday; let me know by 7pm EST if you’d like the last seat!
Have a great weekend … a long one for many of you, but I’ll be catching up on emails and assignments, of course, so don’t be surprised if you hear from me :)
Jill
PS: Did you see this Getty Images lawsuit aimed at AI? Fascinating.
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PR Job Opportunities
The Fiske Group, an award-winning national public relations firm specializing in results-driven campaigns for a variety of industries including luxury hotels, resorts and spas, fashion, art, and general travel and lifestyle brands, is looking for a part-time freelancer specializing in Food & Beverage to join the team. This is a part-time role for about 3-5 hours/week, applicant has excellent writing skills, strong media relationships in the NYC region + national, and knowledge of the food and beverage space. Experience in travel, food, beverage, and hospitality brands is preferred. Please email resumes to lindsay@thefiskegroup.com
Mack Media Relations is looking to hire an ambitious Account Coordinator and/or Account Manager to support its stellar roster of clients in Phoenix. Open to someone new(er) to the industry OR a seasoned professional with agency experience. This position provides crucial support to our PR clients across food/beverage, hospitality, non-profit, professional services and other B2C industries. The ideal candidate is eager to contribute to our team’s best thinking, enjoys the news and social media, keeps up with business trends and has a positive and collaborative attitude. Work directly with our small but mighty PR team to help increase each client’s brand awareness through public relations, community relations and media relations. Responsibilities include identifying media to cover client programs, conducting research to guide media strategy, analyzing media coverage, and supporting team initiatives. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Must live in Phoenix-metro. If you think you’re a match, please email Robyn@mackmediarelations.com to introduce yourself and get more details.
You can always email these job opps to me at JillSchildhouse@gmail.com — but please use PR Job Opps as your subject line so I can find them easily! And please let me know if you land/fill a job based on this listing … it brings me joy :)
***Recently Published Pieces***
(Thank you for your help!)
Better Homes & Gardens (my debut!): Best Self-Storage Unit Companies
Reader’s Digest: 12 Best Oregon Wineries
The Spruce (my debut!): 6 Best Light Therapy Lamps of 2023
USA TODAY (my debut!): 10 Features to Look For When Buying a Security Camera
Business Insider: I’m a Cirque du Soleil Performer. I Grew Up in the Circus and Now I Travel the World with My Husband and Kids.
Reader’s Digest: 28 Beautiful Gifts for Your Wife That Say I Love You
TripSavvy: The Cheapest Islands in the World to Visit
Reader’s Digest: 7 Best Foundations for Mature Skin
Family Handyman: 6 Best Basement Odor Eliminators
Taste of Home: How to Cook Cabbage So It’s Less Gassy
Travel + Leisure: The 7 Best Laptops for Travel of 2023
Now, it's time to get the word out! When you and your clients share your coverage on social media, please be sure to tag my accounts: Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn (and please connect with me yourselves!).
—— Current Editorial Needs ——
1. Luxury Travel for Less (last call!)
Looking for seasoned travel agents or other pros to discuss ideas for how to enjoy the perks of luxury travel while spending less money. This could be for transportation (car rentals and airfare), accommodations, high-end activities like safaris and helicopter rides, etc.
Some questions I’d like to answer in this piece (this is just a starting point, so please feel free to think far beyond this!): Is it possible to travel in business class or first class at a lower rate? If so, are there search engines/aggregators to find good deals? Are there specialized travel agencies? Does it make sense to buy packages or is it cheaper to price everything separately?
Please send credentials AND commentary for luxury travel hacks on a budget. The more unique, the better their chances of inclusion.
Subject line: Travel Agent Luxury Hacks
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Monday
2. People: Best Mediterranean Diet Meal Kits (this is my debut for this outlet!)
Please reach out if you rep one of the following (not looking for any other pitches at this time):
Sunbasket
ModifyHealth
RealEats
Territory Foods
LifeChef
Diet to Go
Subject line: People + Name of Brand
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Monday
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