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"We want eyeballs on our businesses, because eyeballs on our business usually mean sales. So getting that meeting can help with that - the visibility and the street cred. We want people to know we exist." - Allison Carter
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Our first ever repeat guest here on the show, Allison Carter, teaches us all things media and how to get featured on your dream media outlet - we're talking Oprah, Forbes, Buzzfeed, and more! She is a Seattle mom of two and the founder and CEO of Allison Carter Celebrates. Allison is all about helping make busy mom’s lives easier and way more fun with her special occasion subscription boxes, and is now opening the doors to teach you how to be "scrappy" and successful when it comes to getting your business in media. Allison and her business has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Forbes, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart, Buzzfeed, Real Simple, and more and she now coaches other small businesses to get featured as well! Listen in or read below to learn how to get more eyes on your business!
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Michelle Hagen 0:00
All right, friends, I am so excited to bring back the first person who is a comeback for a second time on the podcast. Alison Carter celebrates who is the queen of parties and now the queen of scrappy media. And so today we're going to talk about how to get yourself seen in a media outlet. So Alison, welcome back to the show.
Allison Carter 0:23
Thank you repeat guests. That is what I mean fancy fancy fancy pants.
Michelle Hagen 0:29
You are fancy pants. It was like yesterday, it dawned on me, I was like, ah, we've reached a new level of a return guest.
Allison Carter 0:36
But time to up level, it's a sign.
Michelle Hagen 0:40
But I'm so excited that we're bringing you on and that you're getting to talk about the other side of your business that a lot of people don't necessarily know about that you do, because it's kind of new and upcoming. And before it was like behind the door, if you knew where the magic curtain was, you could get into Allison's
Allison Carter 0:58
secret club status. It's still a little secret club status, because I think that that makes it a little fun. But yeah, I I'm coming out of the hole, like opening the closet door and saying like, Hello, I'm doing this now kind of sort of come join the fun. But yeah, I'm excited to talk about it and get these listeners of yours off their booties in into where they would love to see their business. So we're gonna we're gonna we're only talking to action takers today.
Michelle Hagen 1:27
Yes. Well, I'd love to chat first. So the last time we had you on the podcast, we were trying to figure out ending school and what is it going to look like to make the summer feel special? Because there was like, no true end to anything. And now we're halfway through the school year over halfway, and your kids finally went back to school. Oh, and so I would love for you to chat about I've just been talking a lot with guests about what is your current mom working life situation looking like for you?
Allison Carter 2:02
Yeah, so the heavens opened up. I've seen the light, I pushed my kids towards it. And we are now like, actually working from home in a way that's like the working is actually happening. And we're not just like at home pretending. So Abby went back to she's seven. She's in first grade, she went back to hybrid in person school. So she's there for half, four half days. And then we are part of a neighborhood pod school where she on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, she goes to the pod school after school and then all day Wednesday, because you know, apparently we can't go to school five days a week. So she's their husband's in full time preschool. And my husband and I are on opposite ends of the house, like completely separated texting each other are you still home and actually had dog getting some work done. And so I really do feel like I can just breathe because I have never had to deal with my kids being mad at me for working or resentful because I started my business when they were three and six months old. It's all they knew. But they also either were a baby and don't have any memories, or they were at school. And so I built my business when they were at school. So they didn't see the day to day they didn't see how many people mommy talks to or the interviews that I do. And it has to be quiet or you know, sit down and working. They didn't see that. And so this year, they've had a front row seat and they're also now seven and four. And so they are very tuned in to the fact that mommy's not paying attention to me. She's choosing work over us and that has been Oh, something I really I'm not a mom guilt person. I never have been Intel this year have been like you guys are always number one. But there's also a bunch of stuff that I have to do just because you're home that doesn't change. And so we've had do a lot of expectations, a lot of time blocking, setting a lack of like routine building of Okay, Alexa goes off, mommy's on, and then mommy's back and but now I at least have three days during the week, about nine to 330 that I can just breathe, be by myself and not be interrupted constantly because it is just one of those most frustrating things in the world to start a project and then mom can I watch my iPad like how long like I have a lollipop Look, I found a lollipop under the couch and I'm just like, please leave me alone. Like please just give me a solid 30 minutes moms are superheroes we can do so much in 30 minutes to an hour. I want to get interrupted a million times I can't do a whole lot in five minutes. And so I do feel like there's this coming out stage of life where things are getting to be a little bit more light a little bit more Reasonable unrealistic, and I'm able to be mom again, instead of working when they're home all the time, Mom, yes,
Michelle Hagen 5:08
I can totally relate to that. And we've been having the same thing because the boys are two years older than when I kind of started doing stuff. And before it seemed easier to do stuff, but like, it's like a different, like, now I could put them in front of a TV or an activity, and they could do it, but they still come interrupt you, but at the same time, they get pissed when I bought. I don't know what it is. But facture hates that. Like he can listen like have a podcast going and it's fine. But if I am like Vox serene, while in the car, or whatever. Like I have a text, I'm yeah, I'm not texting, and I'm just holding it in talking. Yeah, he gets mad. And like he literally will scream until I stopped doing it. And so we've had to be like, well, this is like bombs like working and how you know, it's juggling that in between. But I can totally relate to like having that resent because you're working or you're always up in your office? Well, yeah, mommy has to earn coins. That's what we always say. But
Allison Carter 6:17
well, we I mean, we're in the middle of a big renovation right now. And we're and like, it's one of those things where you know, you get to make your room literally however you want to do, but we pay like that cost money. Like we it costs money to move to the place that we are living in, it costs money to do the things we're doing in horse riding lessons, which Yay, her for picking literally the most expensive activity that you can pick, but she's so in love with it. And so we're happy to do it. Because she's so so happy. And it's teaching a lot of responsibility. But we're very vocal with her about how expensive that activity choice is. And that we do have to, you know, be a little bit mindful of the money that was coming in. And I say, you know, when mommy's working on boxes, or when mommy's talking to other mommies helping them with their business, that is helping pay for your horse riding. And so I think I'm very vocal about Mommy, as always helping other mommies. And I get to help other mommies have fun with their kids. And I get to help other mommies grow their businesses. And that helps me and us as a family, go on vacation that helps us be able to buy the things that we want to buy that makes it so you can get new bedding, whatever it is, like, go ride your horse or have soccer on the weekends or, you know, whatever it is, and there I do feel like just in the past couple months, they've started to realize that because things in their life are starting to get a little bit more tangible. Like they can see the house kind of becoming a house so they get it a little bit more or she goes to riding lessons. So she gets it and understands like this is money and new boots and all the gear and everything. So Hudson is still oblivious to everything but at least is still understanding a little bit Hudson's the one that takes my boxer and continues the message like, so he's like, I that I did a Batman and have you seen Star Wars and like a boxing bag, interrupting my audio dmws like, I want to go on this thing. And I'm like, Oh my God, we just finished this message all on audio like to these poor people I'm talking to and I'm like, well, this is what it's like to work with me. I mean, and this is why I help other moms because they get it and they get interrupted on a call with you know, your kid whispering in his Batman reel. Like that's just part of it. And that's part of life and I can still build businesses and help others while answering my kids telling them nobody that means not real.
Michelle Hagen 8:45
Yeah. Oh, the voxer I have to say so Alison, we are in a group boxer. And Thatcher had my phone. Like when I shower. He gets to play kids Khan Academy on my phone like because then I know where he's at. And I can shower peacefully, was in the bathroom, and he comes in with my phone. And he's like, hey, Mommy, something happened. And of course, I have no clothes on. And I could see a video on the like this recording somebody Luckily, it was someone else's video that they sent. But like it was that moment of like, I was like, well, at least it's the people I know.
Allison Carter 9:24
Yeah, totally. You're like
Michelle Hagen 9:28
If Allison saw me me naked. Well, so it is.
Allison Carter 9:32
Yeah, have you watched it on zoom one time with her class? She had a zoom question and I was on the toilet. And she like had her computer turned around. Like and I was like, ya know, very early on where we like I didn't think I had to, like express that rule. Like actually talk about the fact that when we're on zoom, we don't go walking around the house like we stay in one spot. I didn't think I had to lay that out. But apparently I did. And I did it. So that was default, but never happened after that. Yeah, kids are fun, man. Oh, man, I
Michelle Hagen 10:10
hope that there's some teacher somewhere that's making like a community blog of like, all of the things that they did like while watching.
Allison Carter 10:20
I'm sure they're all in like, teacher Tiktok. Like, they're out there. Yes.
Michelle Hagen 10:26
Oh, man. Okay, let's talk about getting media and being a business owner. And I love that you're like, key term is scrappy media that any of us can do it. And no matter how big or how small you are, that there's still a place for you in media. So why don't you just kind of first start off by talking about like, even if you're a small person, or like, where do we even start with media should maybe be our first thing that we should chat about?
Allison Carter 10:57
Okay, so yes, I call myself like super scrappy. I have gotten media very scrappy, like, this is a down and dirty like this is, you know, pulling out all of our ex boyfriends, stalking on Facebook, you know what I'm talking about skills, like we're pulling out all those detective skills. And now we're just applying them to our business. And so you know, we're all well versed in that. And we've all gotten done, or gone down the rabbit hole. And so now we get to be like really scrappy, and nitty gritty when it comes to getting media features for our business. And so I think the first place is understanding the importance and the value of what this means. So a lot of the women that I work with, they're like, I don't think I'm anywhere near ready to, like, start getting media for my business, because you know, I have like 1000 followers, or I don't think I'm really considered an expert, or I don't know that I have credibility. And it's like, well, you got to start somewhere. So like, you need to get that credibility somehow. So why not try and get it in a way that like, makes a giant splash and increases your visibility by like, a bajillion. And so that is one of the things that I really made as a goal for my business very early on, because I started with these digital party planning guides and checklists. And it was a new way of party planning. And so I was planning in this certain way. And before moms either went on Pinterest and like rabbit holed themselves into a party where they like were miserable, crying in the bathroom, stressed the whole time dread parties for the next year. Or you go to a play place. And then you're like, Oh, my God, I'm that mom that's like at the blow up inflatable place. I'm such like a bad mom. And you're like, no, you're not like you're whenever it's your kid's birthday, that they're happy there. But then there's an added guilt to that, or you just like don't even do it. And so there's like, that's the, or you hire someone, but like, Who the heck is actually going to do that, like, we're normal people hear like, we're not the Kardashians, we're not hiring any party planner for my kids second birthday. So I needed to have this like, way for people to know I existed for people to know that the way that I was planning parties was something that was existing hook, see if someone outside, so if you hear him, sorry. And so I decided to do that with media. And I had probably like, a couple 100 followers at the time, like not anything big by any means. And I was like, Okay, here I go, like big girl panties on, I'm going to get myself featured in media because I need way more eyeballs on my business, I need to know I need people to know I exist. And so then I just went about saying like, how do I actually even do that. And so I think understanding like, we want our business to grow. We want eyeballs on our businesses, because eyeballs on our business usually mean sales, and we got into business to make an impact. And we got in our business to like serve all that like nice thing that we're supposed to say. But we also got in business because we're trying to make money to contribute to the financial freedom of our family. That's why we're here. And especially as moms we have that like I'm if I'm taking time away from our family literally exactly what we were talking about. I'm taking time away from my kids. I'm taking time away from my family to build this. I better have some return like on that. Like I don't, yes, it fulfills me and yes, I love what I do. I feel successful and all that stuff. But like I want to make an impact financially on my family, like I want to contribute to my family as well. And so getting that meeting and getting that big kind of splash can help with that. And so, the visibility and the street cred, what I call it is the other aspect. So we want people to know we exist. And we also want like credibility we want to be like vetted I have a ton of names behind my brand. I have Oprah, I have Martha Stewart, I have Forbes I have real simple I have all of these big names behind my brand. And they act as like a checkmark. Almost like think of Instagram like verified like with a blue checkmark.
Which I apply for literally all the time until I get a no. And then I'm like, Okay, let's try again. But I have, like, you know, that blue checkmark means that they're the real person. They're not like fake Jessica Simpson, they're like real Jessica Simpson blue checkmark. Um, I kind of consider those logos on my website as my like brands, blue checkmark, my verification because these people, like found value in the content that I had to give them and featured it and highlighted it as basically their content, because they're putting it on their website and serving it to their audience. And so I've been vetted basically by all of these big names. So if somebody comes to my website, they're like, Oh, dang, like, she knows her stuff, like, maybe we should take her a little bit more seriously. Or like, wow, if these people trusted her, she's pretty much the real deal. So it has that mental aspect to it as well. So those are the two kind of like, my big convincers to people that are like, I just don't know if this is for me. I mean, you really can't beat those two things. So in terms of getting started, it's thinking, what is my overall goal? When it comes to media? Is it visibility? Is it that street credit? Is it sales? Is it whatever it could be? And then thinking how the best way to do that? So where is my audience hanging out? Where do I get in front of the names that are going to impress my audience, but then also the outlets that are going to be in front of my audience. So they come back to me, and hopefully get on my email list? or hopefully buy from me or hopefully, you know, like, for me, I have a monthly subscription box, hopefully come back and become a subscriber. All that stuff. So that is the ultimate goal of getting in front of the right one, figuring out the right one. So is that blogs, is that podcasts? Is that Instagram takeovers, is that working with influencers? Is that TV is that print media, like, Who are your people listening, reading, watching? But then on the flip side of that, what are those names that your people are going to be like? Oh, my gosh, my parents magazine, no way. Oh, my gosh, she was on gold digger. Like, that is amazing. But like for me if I was like on, like Dr. Phil, or some people would be like, Wow. Okay, well, yeah, that's kind of fun. Tell me about that experience. But it doesn't like make sense. Or if I was featured on some like health blog or something like that, or wellness community, like it wouldn't make sense. If I was, you know, the cover of outdoors magazine, everyone would be like, Who? That is not you. And so like, there's that aspect as well. So this, this media journey needs to make sense for you your brand. And overall, your audience.
Michelle Hagen 18:16
Hmm, yes. Okay. So, and I loved how you were saying like to make sense for you. And, like, sometimes it's like, well, and I mean, you and I have seen it, where there are people because you have your podcasts that pitch us? And I'm like, Did you not even look at anything like, how did you even find my email, clearly, you had to get to my website to find my email in order to be pitching me and you have nothing to do with anything that we have ever talked about. Which I love how you always talk about, like the scrappy part is like digging into the people or the places that you're trying to get in front of. So I would love for you to kind of talk a little bit about that, like, What do you mean, like using our stalker skills to get into media and in creating that pitch.
Allison Carter 19:10
So we're not just like pitching to like, parents at parents magazine.com or something like, that doesn't there's not just like this big place where you get to like, jump in the pool with these people. You have their real people behind their screens writing for these publications or it like recording for these podcasts coming up with the segments for these TV spots, like their actual people. So when we figure out like what that outlet looks like, when we figure out like, Okay, what am I actually going to say, when I find these people so when we have those story ideas, when we have those like headlines kind of figured out when we have those expert buckets that we really want to be known for and teaching when we have all that figured out, then it's go time for well, who the heck am I going to even send this to. So then it is looking for editors that have written similar things to this story that you're then going to pitch. And doing that big old deep dive social media crawl of trying to find their email, email is king, for most people, if you're Michelle to not but for most, start with email, always follow up in a DM if you do not get an email response. But you want to start with email because these are professional. For the most part, these are professional publications, podcasts, big name brands, they want to they are doing things over email. If you do a follow up in a DM, like, Hey, I sent you a story idea, just double checking to see that that was the best email for me to send that story to, that's a great way to follow up in a DM but like doing your whole like shebang, once you find an editor on Instagram or something is not something that I would suggest doing. So it's googling their name, looking at them on internet or on Instagram, Twitter, a lot of editors hang out on Twitter. So like, you know, going back to 2007, or whenever that came out. And you don't have to have like a Twitter account or something like that. But like sometimes they put like, hey, send me a story idea or something. There are free resources online that are looking for sources, there's a company called a hero, it's h AR O, you can go to their website and look them up and sign up and get a whole bunch of like story ideas sent to you and finding editors through that.
But that's really what I what comes with being scrappy. And then on the other hand, it is really getting yourself out of all of this, like none of this is about you. This is everything that you are serving is about their audience, their listeners, their readers. And so Michelle and I can put together way more horrible pitches than we can great pitches because the number one differentiator in a horrible pitch versus a really knockout star pitch is that they talk about themselves one day like are not personal in any sort of way and a weakened spot and sniff out a copy and paste that pitch mile away to I don't care about you, I don't care about how fancy you are and how much you've written a book and all of these things that you do. And you do and you like and this and this and I don't care who you are, I care about who you are going to come and serve. Like, I'm fiercely protective of my podcast listeners of my readers of my community. And I sure as heck, I'm not going to put an anyone in front of them, that is going to come on and just promote themselves all the ways. So unless you are going to give intense value to my people, unless you're going to teach them something if they are not going to walk away with something to try or a takeaway or a switch, they can make a tweak away to turn up the volume in their life. You're not coming on and you're probably not even getting a response because it's not worth my time. And so when you're sitting down to really craft that pitch, it is like okay, how do I want to serve? What is the story idea that I can write for them or that I can share with them or the topics that I can come on their podcast and share that is going to give so much value to their people. That is where you start value always action steps take away. Inspiration is great takeaways are better. Depending on the show, obviously to like if you're highlighting stories or something like that, like having it in, like a unique and inspiring story is great. But I have found that most editors are like, give me something my readers can read and do today. Give me something that they can try Give me something that they can put in there, like file cabinet and pull out when they're ready. Those are the pitches that are the best and the most successful. Mm hmm.
Michelle Hagen 24:14
And like you said, I can attest there's so many pitches that I almost I feel bad for ignoring but like Allison said, I am not an email Queen, please don't email me. But you know, but the best pitches like the one Ashton who was just a couple episodes, I don't know the number but she talked about meal planning and of course, like at first and the subject and I was like Oh another meal planner like no, but her pitch was amazing. She like was like I was folding my laundry and listening to this episode and this is how this episode helped me. And here's like my different take and how I want to tell your people about meal planning that's different than anyone else and I was like done. I don't even care whatever like you because you care enough to have invested in listening Then I'm gonna let you on the show, compared to, like you'd said, How many times do we hear? It's like, Well, here's all my accolades and everything that I've done, like, Okay, well, that's great. But I can tell when you've never listened to my show at all.
Allison Carter 25:14
Totally. And this is where also, because people are like, oh, okay, do I invest in doing this myself? Or do I invest in like, do I really save up and hire someone to do it? For me, this is where I have a very unpopular opinion on this, because I do feel like PR people are great in certain ways. But I personally hate pitches from PR people as a media outlet. Because they are copied and pasted there, that PR agent is not listening to my show, if they are not perusing my blog, they are not learning anything about me, their sole goal is to get their person, their client who pays them to get the most features the most spots as possible. But what they're not realizing is all of those blog writers, all of those podcasters, all of those media outlets are actual people who have actual communities, that they have busted their butts in building, like, I am not going to swipe out for years of building a community that knows likes, and very much trusts me to put someone on that is like just going to sell them for an hour. Like there's zero chance. And I think what people forget is, we already know that you want to come on our show to promote yourself, we get it. I'm here for a reason. I'm here to serve Michelle's community. But I also do help business owners with this as part of my business. That is like, we know that everybody knows that. And so I don't need as the outlet. I don't need to be reminded of that over and over. I already know you have a book to sell, honey, I are a we will talk about it at the end of the show, I promise. I don't need to be like I got this book. And I have this book. And then I like I tell you, I wrote a book. And like all the ways that I'm so fancy, and I'm like, haha, you told me I get it. Best of luck. Stick it on Amazon and I'll cross my fingers from you. But you're not coming on. Because you can't talk about anything else about your other than your book, apparently. And so there's that aspect as well, unless I'm doing like a book study or a book club episode. I don't mean to just sell your book for 30 minutes. What else do you have to talk about? How else are you going to relate to my audience. And so really switching that mindset of you are there to serve, you are not there to like, one of your motivations, obviously, is to grow your business. But you're going to do that by showing up and showing up so well. That you immediately get DMS like that I learned so much. I immediately wrote a podcast pitch after I listened to you on that episode, I immediately started writing down my story ideas, I came up with my dream list, I am going to be on the Today show one day and I like would never have the guts to say that. But I'm gonna have this list and I'm going to backtrack on how I'm going to do that. Like, those are the best episodes. Those are the best publications, those are the best articles. Because you're both inspiring and kicking someone in the butt to take action to actually do something. And you're making a change in that person's life business, whatever
Michelle Hagen 28:30
it is. Yes. And I can attest to when an agency pitches versus someone physically sends me an email. I think I've maybe said yes to an agency person once, maybe twice. Because it's not it is it's totally copied and pasted. I can tell that they're just there to sell. And honestly, I've said yes to a couple, a few other agency people and their people never book. So I'm like so you've just wasted my time of going back and forth talking about what we're going to talk about and how I think that they could fit my show because you didn't fit it in but I liked the book that they wrote. Yeah, so I I can totally attest to that. So if there is someone that's listening, saying, Alison no way I don't have time to do that.
Allison Carter 29:18
Mm hmm.
Michelle Hagen 29:19
Like it's it will work better when it does come for you. For sure.
Allison Carter 29:24
So and there's there's something to say real quick. There's there's something to say like I got myself in freakin Oprah. Like, there is something to say about that feeling. Versus you getting a call from your publicist that you paid like 20 grand and saying like, hey, by the way, you're gonna be featured in Oprah, which is exciting also, obviously, but like I did that by myself, like I did the work to get that moment. I got to get that email. I got to do it all on my own. And you know what? I like that feeling. I like that feeling of being like I am in control with this. I can do this. I have zero formal training isn't any sort of way I was a second grade teacher before I started my business. And it is a very insanely creative visual party celebration to holidays business, literally nothing to do with being like a fancy PR marketing person. I never even taken a business class there. But I have figured it out. And I am very, I believe that Marie Forleo like everything is figure out a bowl, and that and that way, that's the way that I like run things. And that's the way that I learn things. I look to people to help me. I learned from experts in what they're doing. But at the end of the day, like I, I like sit down, and I can do this and having somebody hold me accountable is huge. But all of these things like I'm not a fancy person that went to school for all of these things. I'm just a mom who like, never puts deodorant on and probably didn't brush my teeth yet today, because I did free school I did pre school drop off Randy get on this interview, and have still been able to, you know, really like put myself out there and suck it up and not care about the nose, which is another big thing that a lot of people are like, Oh my god, what did they say? No, I'm gonna be so embarrassed. Oh, well, move along. Like, who cares?
You already didn't have it. Like, that's the biggest thing that I teach the women that I work with. You already are not in this. You already are not featured on the Today Show. I'm not on the Today show yet. I'm not there yet. So if they say no to me is not taking anything away from me. Like it is a disappointment. Sure, doesn't mean I'm not going to pitch them again. And I'm going to cry, like crawl in a hole and my business is over? No. Like, I'll pitch them in a couple months again, like it's just not the right fit for what they're looking for at that time. So I literally have nothing, you have nothing to lose. You get to know you get to know, I promise you you will get ghosted and you will get more nose than you will yeses. But when you get that Yes. Is Good one like that feels so dang good. When you get that? Yes. And it really does snowball It is one of those things where the yes turns into another Yes. And another Yes. And you use that then you have that like street credit behind you feeling more confident. And then you get to move forward and continue to like, go go go. That's exactly how I did it. And I can do it. anybody listening can do it. I promise I got featured in Forbes, I for sure had less than 1000 followers, for sure. For sure. For sure. I was very new in my business, like not even a year. So, you know, there's that.
Michelle Hagen 32:41
Yes. I love that you had said you know, it's like that feeling which I haven't done media. But you've helped me pitch to some of like, my bigger podcast people, which now has snowballed into big people that I'm like, and people are like, how could you ask them? I'm like, what are they just gonna say no to me and whatever. Like if they want to be on my show, like, Hey, you have the street cred behind you.
Allison Carter 33:03
Because that person now is able to be like, Oh, well, that girl, I follow that girl or like, Oh, I'm friends with that person. Like, okay, she took the time to talk to Michelle, like, That sounds fun. I bet she probably like I you know, she thought it was valuable enough. So I mean, I think it's valuable enough to like, that's how a lot of this works. If you're on the other side looking for podcast guests or lists, looking for blog contributors, different places like that. It's it works both ways.
Michelle Hagen 33:30
Yes. Oh, this has been such great conversation. And I think you've given some great tangible little tips. I know you have a freebie around kind of doing your pitches and stuff like that. So I'd love for you to tell the audience about that. And kind of what this piece of your business and how they can continue to work with you.
Allison Carter 33:52
Sure, so you can find everything that Alison Carter celebrates.com slash media dash roadmap link will be in the show notes, I'm sure. And that is just a free download. It's a PDF workbook style, like jumpstart into this. And so before you write a pitch before you search out your editor, you need to get everything like prepped and ready to go. You need to get your like, what are you an expert in, you need to get those nailed down, you need to get your story ideas nailed down. So when I do pitch this person, this is what I'm going to write about. A lot of people start with like, okay, who am I going to pitch first? And then you're thinking like, Okay, well, what am I going to actually say? Like, how do I know what to pitch them and everything. So your roadmap puts everything in the order that you need to so then it boils right down into like writing that pitch and going like figuring out your dream list, figuring out your podcast. And so then when you have your little media hour or whatever that you set aside during your day that you block or the week that you've blocked off your calendar, you're like cherry picking this story, this podcast, here's their contact information email go and it is not some big long blank cursor blink blink blinker. So that is in that roadmap and is all very easily laid out for you to print out go and then you know, we can go and write the pitch and then I have a new group of girls mastermind style. It's a group coaching hybrid that is coming in May. And it is a seven month mastermind because I'm running a three month right now and it's too short. Okay, all of these girls they're like win after win after win. They really are like they're killing it. Really big names that are happening like I had a girl get in parents magazine, like three weeks after she started work, we started working together and a bunch of print stuff is coming out for another girl massive podcast, really fun. But it's like oh my god, three months is up already. And another thing is holiday media is a big, big push like holiday time for media is their biggest biggest time and I really want to work with my new set of girls in pushing towards that holiday plan really getting that holiday plan on lock gift guides and just that whole thing. And so we are that's opening soon. And this is a like I'm a no boundaries kind of person, like full access to me. My brain pitch ideas writing I was just on a coaching call yesterday we literally wrote down like a her whole podcast pitch to tweak and everything. But it's me sitting down writing and editing and auditing and stalker status girlfriend, like back to the AOL days where you're sitting with your girlfriend, like finding people to flirt with. That's what we get to do together. And you know, just a lot of story, idea generation stuff like that. And it's just so fun to be in community with people that have similar goals. But expert trainings we're going to Nashville for a moms weekend in summer. So if you want to learn more about that, that that Allison Carter celebrates calm slash mastermind, and there's an application and you know, all that jazz, but there's ways to work with me in like, while the virtual, I'm gonna say physical, physical at some point, maybe. But also download your roadmap. And that is the first place to really like start, jump starting the journey. And really, you know, putting this in motion and write your first thing pitch, send it out, put some do air out your pits after you do it. Because you get all nervous and sweaty, and you're like, you're all like, Oh my god, I can't even fly. I'm not gonna push that. I'm not gonna push that. Oh, my God, I push that. And so we all have we've all had that moment. I still have that moment. I just picked someone very big yesterday. And I was like, no, they're like, okay, no turning back now. But I believe in you guys. And you really do have value to share, you have content editors are looking for content, like crazy, they have so much content that they're pushing out into the world every single day. And you can help them like you can help take some of that off their plate by sharing the value that you have. And just keep thinking of it like that service service service service. I'm here to serve. And if I get a kick butt logo on my website, like because of it, I guess it's true. Like when big big win?
Michelle Hagen 38:31
Yes. Such great content. Okay, so the last question I always ask everyone is, if you could go back in a time in your life and give yourself advice, what advice would you give your younger self?
Allison Carter 38:47
I think to pay attention to the things that you are strong in and like, let yourself step into that. There was so much of my life that I all my whole goal was being a teacher since I was really, really little. And now it's funny, because I am a very strong teacher. I was a very successful teacher, I was a curriculum writer for my school, like, I was on leadership. And just in my short time teaching, before I became a mom, I was a very good teacher. And now it's like, okay, now I'm teaching moms to celebrate and be able to, like, have these fun things with their family and enjoy parenting. I'm also now teaching all this media stuff and teaching businesses how really to scale and grow in in this way and utilizing this to your advantage. And so when I look back, I was I'm not one of my biggest strengths is teaching, and I'm not a teacher in the classroom. But I've continued to like follow those success clues of teaching. And so when a lot of times as moms we like, quote unquote games up our previous life and now we're, you know, with kids and wrapped up in our whole life is our family and we had this whole life for a reason. And so it really is kind of like what are those things that you can thread through your life and really let come out and follow. So you are fulfilling a different part of yourself doesn't have to be building a business necessarily, but it could still be like, if you are like an awesome teacher, there are different things that you could be teaching that don't necessarily have to be in the, in the, you know, classroom setting. Like if I was a virtual teacher right now stab me in the eyeballs like I would die. But I'm like, okay, like somebody told me the other day, like, Isn't it weird that you're a teacher again? And I was like, Oh, god, did I did I ever stop being a teacher? I guess like I thought I did, but I don't think they did. So finding that thing for you and going after it and continuing to nurture it. Even though it looks different in preseason preseason.
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