Monday: My top tips for being productive while at the airport + what I'm working on this week.

Happy Monday!

Greetings from LGA, where I have an 11 am flight to Miami, but was at the airport before 9 am.

You may be thinking….why on earth would you do that, AND ON PURPOSE? (Especially as someone who never checks a bag, and has TSA pre check…)

Well, for a few reasons. I actually love the idea of getting to the airport early, settling in, getting my coffee, and then having nothing to stress about as I focus on getting some work done uninterrupted until it’s time to board my flight.

You may not feel the same as me. In fact, you perhaps like to push it until the last possible moment. But chances are, at some point you’ll have a delay or a layover and end up hanging out at the airport on your computer as well. Here’s how to make the most of it:

1 - Get on top of your inbox. The way my morning emails tend to go, I take a quick coffee break and come back to a mailbox implosion.

So you can imagine what a travel day looks like. Use that unexpected downtime to get on top of your emails for the day, and remember my tips for working offline while traveling.

If you can prep Google docs and email apps to have all your email downloaded and pending docs set to work offline mode - you can still get things done even when technology and scheduling is working against you.

2. Make some quick phone calls. I don't mean to whine to all your friends about how your schedule is all up in the air. Though I do that too. I am human. But I mean take this opportunity to push back or reschedule anything you have pending that may be impacted by your schedule change if you have them, or to arrange your schedule for when you have your beloved beautiful on-time arrival.

3. Set a timer. This is SO important. Working in airports can feel as a kind of time vacuum. Almost like working in a casino cafe (which, I've done too...)...you don't want to get so in the zone with work that you lose track of time and miss your flight!

4. Do a brain dump. I don't know about you but my mind races when things are in any way outside of my comfort zone. Use that race. Jot down new project or story angles, they may be the nuts and bolts of your next great project!

5. Inventory the things you are currently working on.  Yesterday, I was finishing up those romantic cocktails for Valentine’s Day. I went through my list and made sure I had everything I needed. Do this for whatever you are working on. The most important part of doing what you need to do is to start by figuring out what has been done and what has not!

6. Find yourself some fun airport freebies. Recently, I wrote a story for Her Money about all sorts of free things (and experiences) you can get while at an airport. Getting to the airport early or having layover or a flight delay is the perfect time to do some exploring, walk off those airport snacks, and see what your airport has to offer.

This weekend’s Industry insights email dealt with pitching red flags — what they are, and what we can learn from them. You can still check it out here.

My romantic cocktails for Valentine’s Day guide for Forbes is now live - and it’s a big one! I included 40 cocktails, from pitches gathered from this community. (And before anyone emails and asks me to squeeze your cocktail in…there were HUNDREDS of pitches for this one…and the story is now wrapped!) However, scroll below for info on a pink cocktails story that I am now sourcing for!

Reminder: There’s just a few days left to get 25% off any item from my new RPZL x ALY Valentine’s Day capsule collection with code ALY25.

Newly published or freshly updated

Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.

This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.

This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!

• Forbes.com: 40 Romantic Cocktails That Will Add A Little Love On Valentine’s Day

• Clean Plates: The Healthy Trader Joe’s Sauce I Use in *Everything*

• RetailMeNot: Affordable Valentine’s Day Gifts That Show Lots of Love on a Budget

• Martha Stewart: 8 Storage Mistakes That Are Keeping Your Home From Being Organized

• Forbes.com: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Most Romantic Kitchen Gifts

• Today.com: 27 healthy fast food items at popular US chains, according to dietitians and doctors

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Brussels Sprouts?

• Forbes.com: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Heart-Shaped Food Gifts

• Forbes.com: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Bougie Culinary Gifts

• Clean Plates: 12 Weight Loss Strategies That Are Easy To Follow, Say Experts

• Clean Plates: 7 Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less

• Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This One Safety Device

• Forbes.com: Pantone’s 2024 Color Of The Year Is Resulting In Glorious Peach-Hued Cocktails

If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.

Here’s what I’m working on:

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.

Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.

Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.

RetailMeNot

Grocery Saving Tips That Actually Work: I’m working on a detailed guide on ways you can save on groceries. Looking for experts to weigh in with actionable tips, anything from actions to take wherever you shop, to suggestions on particular stores/chains to shop.

Meal Prepping Products That are Actually WORTH It: TikTok and Instagram are full of meal-prepping products (storage, kitchen tools, etc.) But there's always the possibility someone might be inspired, buy a bunch of this stuff, use it once and then let it collect dust. I’m looking for chefs/food writers/grocery shopping influencers to weigh in re: some products you swear by to keep meal prep easy. It can be aspiration stuff, or just simple things that are not glamorous.  If sending thoughts, be sure to include: Why it's a meal-prepping essential: what this thing does and why it helps with meal prepping. Why it's a good value: Maybe it's durable? Multifunctional? A good price? Where to buy it.

Forbes

Just in time for the new Mean Girls release, I’m working on a themed cocktail guide in its honor. It’ll be a roundup of hot pink cocktails. Please send me: name of cocktail, where available (MUST exist on a bar/restaurant menu somewhere), description (not a recipe), and a chef/bartender quote and image (of the drink, with photo credit) by this Friday.

Looking to up your affiliate marketing game?

Affiliate marketing is complicated, and it seems that the landscape keeps changing. If you are looking to be prepared for gift guide season and all other shopping-related content, you may want to try the Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. It's a brilliant course and it'll answer all your questions (including some you didn't know you had!)

Virtual (and now in-person!) consulting sessions...

Looking for a consult as you plan your next event or trip? Or just want someone to take a look at the pitches you’ve been sending and give some feedback? I’m available for PR team virtual meetings to answer questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective.  Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts.

Have a great day!

<3