Thursday: How To Be Productive While Working From A Hotel Room + new pending assignments!
Good morning from LA!
I’ve been having a LOVELY visit so far, including reuniting with a dear friend that most of you know quite well <3
For today's newsletter, I wanted to talk a bit about working from hotel rooms, and specifically why this is useful (and necessary).
Here's what I need in order to work in a hotel room, and what you should always look out for when working from your own:
It all begins with creating a working space for yourself. This may be a spot to charge your laptop, phone, and anything else you need, a spot in the room that the wifi is especially solid, and a coffee and water source nearby. You want your office to be set up for maximum productivity, even if it's a makeshift office.
Then, you need to schedule your time as you would at home, an office, or anywhere else. When I travel, I'm usually working around a set itinerary. For example, today, I know that I have something on my schedule at 10 and then pretty much straight through until late evening after that.
So, my work-from-room schedule began today at 5 am and will end at 9:30 am (LA time), giving me time to prep for my day. Having an agenda will help you stay focused and get what you need done. And don't forget to put that do not disturb tag on the door!
1. Fast and reliable wifi.
I mean, of course. You need it. Luckily, I'm staying somewhere with really solid and fast wifi (even by the pool, where I might be found working from later today...), but there's been many times that was not the case.
Having a mobile hotspot can really help you in these situations. I always ask about the internet situation before committing to things if it's not obvious and apparent - and I'm not shy about being creative.
I once worked from a van between vineyards in Tuscany, meeting a deadline, while in transit, all thanks to my hotspot! And the fine people I was with, who did not mind me typing away.
2. A place to sit
Now, I have no problem sitting on a bed if necessary, but a room with a comfy chair is always a great thing. Especially if you are like me and developing a lower back situation with age. And don't feel bad about changing your scenery. I often work from balconies or pools when available.
3. Lighting
You can't work in the dark. So a hotel room with good lighting, be it natural light or lights in the room is essential.
4. Quiet!
Not easy to come by, but you really can't be writing if in the room next to you there's a wild orgy happening. We can't control this. But we can hope against it.
If there is an orgy, this is always a good time to check if your hotel has a co-working space, business center, or a fun and comfy lounge.
5. Well-situated power outlets
This is essential, as being powered up is necessary not only to work, but stay on top of our social media, phone calls, and other communication.
6. Go paperless
Declutter all you can. It's the best way to maximize cramped desk space
Is there someone you want to gift a subscription?
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Perhaps it’s a new member of your team? I’ll give that person a comped one year annual subscription. If Shelly buys a monthly subscription, I’ll comp the person of her choice a one month subscription upgrade.
If they are already a free member, they’ll get an upgrade. Call it a scholarship, call it a fellowship - this is a way of trying to add value to everyone - including those who may not have budget to subscribe right now but still want its benefits.
If you buy a group subscription (which is already at a 50% discount currently) - then everyone in the group person gets to choose a person to give this scholarship to!
Hope it’s helpful!
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The steepest discount I’ve ever offered on consulting sessions
In exciting news, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: I’m currently offering 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions. Times are really tough and I am hoping to make these insights as accessible as possible to any of you who are interested. If you want to schedule a session for yourself or your team, to discuss anything from planning an event, media dinner, or press trip to mailers, pitching best practices, followups to…well… anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
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!
Travel & Leisure: This Genius Gadget Is the Travel Accessory Everyone's Wearing to Stay Cool in the Heat — and It's 20% Off
Clean Plates: 7 Cookout Faves from Trader Joe’s That Dietitians Love
Forbes.com: The Haute Tea Cocktail Honors Pride Month And Pivotal Role Played By Tea
Forbes.com: Prepare For ‘The Bear’ Season 3 By Learning To Make Some Of The Series’ Most Iconic Dishes
Clean Plates: 11 Best Seafood Picks at Trader Joe’s, According to RDs
Forbes.com: Red Robin's Latest Burger Is Inspired By An Actual Olympic Gold Medal
Southern Living: What Is An English Cucumber?
Forbes.com: Crystal And Beefbar Collaborate On First At-Sea Location Of Global Steakhouse.
Apartment Therapy: We Asked 6 Travel Writers for Their Best Packing Hacks, and Their Tips Are Ingenious.
Travel & Leisure: I Always Wear These Comfy, Wide-leg Amazon Pants on Flights — Plus, 13 More Pairs I'm Eyeing From $12
Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They've Upgraded Their Seat — and It's Only $35
Apartment Therapy, I’m a Travel Writer and This Is My Time-Saving Packing Hack
Clean Plates: 10 Low-Lift, Fast Trader Joe’s Lunches Nutritionists Love
Food Network: Is Panda Express’ New Hot Orange Chicken Really Even That Spicy?
Forbes: Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak Has Finally Arrived In New York City
RetailMeNot: Don’t Spend a Fortune at Those Salad Places: How I Build My Own Salads At Home
Travel + Leisure: The One Safety Item You're Likely Forgetting to Pack, According to a Longtime Solo Female Traveler
Saatva’s Sleep Enlightened: 6 Surprising Sleep Mask Benefits
Clean Plates: 7 Grocery Store Shortcuts for Fast, Easy Lunches
Southern Living: The 9 Best Brown Sugar Substitutes That Will Be Just As Sweet
Clean Plates, 11 Mediterranean Diet Foods You Can Get at Trader Joe’s
RetailMeNot: How Using My Air Fryer Makes Cooking on a Small Budget (and In a Small Space) Possible
RetailMeNot: How to Save on Food Delivery Apps: 10 Tips That Actually Work
RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget
Clean Plates: How to Clean and Organize Your Fridge for Spring
RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget
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.
Southern Living
I’m writing a story about a TikTok Packing Spreadsheet That Went Viral -- I want to chat with a travel expert a bit about the technique and why it's beneficial.
How to store bell peppers: I’d love to chat with a chef or food safety expert, ideally southern, please - I have a list of questions to ask, so please email me if interested but please wait on sending commentary until you hear back from me.
How to clean grapes: Seeking same as above (but for grapes! haha!)
How long does cut cantaloupe last? - Ditto!
RetailMeNot
I’m working on a huge guide to the best student discounts of 2024. This is actually an update of this story from last year. For this article, I’ll be fact-checking the discounts included already, and keeping any/all as they are, if they are still correct - so if you represent someone included last year, it’d be a huge help if you can email me with any changes/updates to that deal. the same. As I’ll be removing many that are no longer active, and want to keep the list length about the same, I’ll also be adding a bunch more, so please feel free to pitch deals that are not on this list and include the elements that the current items do (just take a gander at the link above for format!) - so far as what chain it is, what the deal is, how to claim it, any disclaimers, etc. As you can see from last year, open to deals across the gamut, from travel to tech to clothes and restaurants.
Forbes.com
National Caviar Day is a few weeks away, and I’m starting to round up some fun dishes AND cocktails involving caviar! This is going to be more fun than in years past because caviar is just seen in SO MANY unexpected places these days. If you have a drink or dish involving caviar (must exist on a bar or restaurant menu), please send me name of dish, where it can be found, description, and a quote about the dish with name of person being quoted (and a photo, also with appropriate credits).
National Fried Chicken Day is almost here, and I’m working on a roundup of really creative or special or interesting fried chicken dishes. Same parameters as above!
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<3
aly