Aly's Newsletter: Thursday Edition

I actually forgot what day it was for a second...

Good news for everyone who is joining me in binging on scam-tainment of late...

The Dropout has just -- well, dropped -- on Hulu, and it's the story of Elizabeth Holmes. It’s yet another miniseries dedicated to so-called entrepreneurs who are actually complete fraudsters. I'm just two episodes in right now, but it's so far pretty fascinating.

I feel like this is becoming a genre all its own and we should give it a name...fraudstertainment? Any ideas?

PS: Three days until the return of Outlander!

Here’s what’s cooking!

I’m taking a (virtual) paella class tonight, and I’m so excited. I’ve never made this dish before, but I love to eat it. It looks rather complicated, so lets see how I do…will share my results on my Instagram after.

LOTS of open story opportunities!

Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.

Clean Plates

For Clean Plates, I'm rounding up Delicious Ways to Supercharge Your Morning Coffee for Increased Health, According to Nutritionists - I'm looking to chat with nutritionists, re: ways to make your morning coffee healthier, and would love them to comment on collagen powder, coconut oil, MCT oil, cacao butter, among others as recommended by nutritionists. Not looking to mention specific brands, but rather "types" of products. 

For Clean Plates, I'm working on a roundup of the healthiest, best-tasting jarred tomato sauces available at grocery stores. This is a continuation of the series I have done (examples of previous stories in this series: chicken soup, chicken nuggets,  mac and cheese), for this story, I'm looking to include tomato sauces that are organic, pesticide-free (if not organic), no added sugar (or extremely low added sugar, EVOO > any other oils. Have any tomato sauces to pitch me? Email me! Nutritionist who wants to comment on this topic? Please email me also! Please make sure to glance at the examples above first so you have a clear idea of the kind of story this is.

Forbes.com 

 For Forbes.com I'm rounding up Kosher For Passover wines and spirits for an upcoming story. I'm also doing a story on fun finds in Kosher For Passover snacks/treats/new products. These items must exist online and they MUST be shippable. And please please make sure the item is kosher for passover certified (that's a different thing than kosher, so if something is kosher, it's not necessarily KFP) - I'll do a dedicated newsletter soon explaining the difference for anyone who doesn't quite understand. But meanwhile, you can always email me questions. And, please, pitch me!

I'm also working on a roundup of fun St. Patrick's Day-themed cocktails and desserts (and dishes) at restaurants nationwide. This is similar in format to the Mardi Gras story I did last week. To pitch me for this, please use the following format and include ALL components to be considered:

Name of drink/dish

Where sold: name of restaurant/bar, city, state, URL (MUST exist on the menu, or as a special)

Description of drink/dish

Quote from chef/owner/bar manager about drink/dish

LINK to high res image of dish/drink

Today.com

I'm working on a  big roundup of restaurants open on Easter. We’re looking for a big list of big and small chains across the country –high and low. It's the Easter version of this story we did for Christmas, if you want an idea of the format I'm looking for.

For Today.com, I'm also rounding up food/restaurant chains doing special deals, discounts, and freebies in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Finally, I'm looking for restaurant chains nationwide doing special deals/discounts for tax day (i have a few weeks to play with this one...a rare feat!)

HerMoney

For Her Money, I'm doing a story on how to order takeout/delivery in a way that is smarter. Personally, I RARELY order delivery. It's such a hit on the budget. But when I do, I do my best to avoid the third-party delivery apps with a ton of added fees, and often take advantage of the tail end of a lunch special to get dinner cheaper (or order a special that has more food at a good price, so I'll have leftovers, and thus, bang for my buck. I would love to speak to some experts on the smarter way to do takeout/delivery.

Also for HerMoney - speaking of food delivery...those grocery delivery apps. Are they worth it? Do you end up spending a lot more money for the convenience? And how do we get the best value? I would love to speak to experts for this one as well. As most of us, I spent the BULK of the last two years relying on grocery delivery, and it was a life saver (quite literally). But are we paying a premium for that convenience?

To pitch me for ANY of these stories, please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com (and start a new thread, please!).

The Affiliate PR Masterclass 

This live and collaborative affiliate PR training  starts again March 29! This is for you if you don't desire to "try" and learn affiliate from the internet, your clients already have an affiliate program and/or want to start one, and if you're burnt out and want to expand and scale your PR business. 

Still on the fence? Here's what the last masterclass attendees had to say: 

• "The course covered everything from understanding the cost implications, how to select the right affiliate platform, how to approach commerce content leaders at top publications (and where to find them), and so much more."

• "Not only did Emma and Kaila create a supportive environment, but they shared information that you'll never get anywhere else.  They shared valuable tips that I put to good use immediately.  I loved the Slack group and their terrific answers to every question. It's expensive, but you can't afford not to do it."

• "This is a must take course for anyone working with DTC and consumer brands looking to evolve their PR career."
  

Masterclass price is $2,500 - BUT if you use ALY50 at checkout you'll receive $50 off! Learn more and secure your spot here.

That’s it for now, have a good day!

<3

aly