Tuesday: My top 8 tips for working inflight + fresh job leads & more!
Good morning!
Today’s email is coming a bit later than initially intended because getting inflight wifi to work has been a journey…
(Well, today in general has been something of a journey so far, but more on that another time!), but now that I’m here, I have a rather apropos topic for today’s email!)
I’m inflight today headed to San Diego (but I’ll only be for as long as it takes to get into a car and head out to Temecula for the rest of the week!). As this will be a busy week with tons on my schedule, I’m trying to be as productive as I can inflight — and inflight wifi makes that possible. Assuming it cooperates, of course.
I’ve written in the past about how I couldn’t even hope to stay on top of my work without being productive in flight, and I’ve even shared tips a few times. But I figured it was time to update that with a few new tips, for anyone else who is trying to make more of that flight time other than catching up on their screen time!
1 - Wifi is notoriously spotty (see above!) Don’t ask it to do more than it has to do, because then you’ll just end up hella frustrated. Before boarding your flight, download any necessary files, photos, documents, etc to your device so you won’t have to do it inflight.
Consider privacy and security. Remember there’s roving eyes all around you. A plane isn’t a great time to be entering your bank account details and crucial passwords and account numbers onto a screen. You’re also on a public, not private, network. So proceed with caution and also use a privacy screen if you can.
Use headphones. I may be on a plane transcribing an interview (or, as the case may be, keeping up with voice notes from my friends), but no one else needs to listen to all that. So if you will have any sound coming out of your device, use your headphones.
Portable charger. Power outlets on planes often aren’t accessible and often also don’t work. Having backup power is incredibly helpful in all circumstances.
Make sure your devices are fully charged before boarding.
Turn off AirDrop (you sure as heck don’t want to be sending other passengers your private files or documents!) - and you don’t want to accidentally be receiving files from others, either. (Just open your Settings app and tap General > AirDrop. Then select Receiving off.)
Focus on small tasks, not big ones. Go into the flight knowing what you will be working on and commit to do that to-do list. You’ll probably have distractions and technical difficulties, and you don’t want that to happen while working on huge, high-stakes work. So, choose something low lift, and you’ll feel good about getting it off your plate.
I use Google Docs often and I like to take the step of opening those documents before I get on the plane, and then clicking on the make available offline tab under the file dropdown—this keeps my work available, even if the wifi goes out!
Job leads
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is seeking a Senior Social Media Manager: The Senior Social Media Manager will drive Hadassah’s social media and play a key role in developing strategy and policies for the national organization and will manage daily activity across Hadassah’s social media platforms. Recruitment (adp.com)
*PS: My best friend works there, so if you get the job, you’ll be guaranteed at least one amazing work friend!
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: 30 Dishes And Cocktails To Enjoy On National Lobster Day
Forbes: TikTok Sensation Cucumber Bowls Are Now Available In Real Life
Saatva: How to Improve Sleep Hygiene: 12 Best Sleep Hygiene Tips.
Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer Photos of My Tangled Mess of Cord Clutter — Here’s How She Fixed It
Travel & Leisure: This Flight Attendant-approved Jumpsuit Is My Go-to Comfy Airplane Outfit — and It’s Only $27 Right Now
Today.com: 11 healthiest fast food breakfasts, according to dietitians
Forbes: 30 Great Dishes To Try In Honor Of National Cheeseburger Day
Apartment Therapy: The One Thing You Always Travel with That’s Actually Disgusting (And How to Keep It Clean)
Travel & Leisure: I Tried Amazon’s ‘Magical’ Sleep Mask on a Long-haul Flight — and Now It’s the Most Important Item in My Bag.
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Frequently, and This $18 Gadget Makes Me Feel Safer in Hotel Rooms
Today.com: The best drugstore eye creams to tackle wrinkles, dark circles and dryness, according to experts
Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer a Photo of My Messy Kitchen Junk Drawer — Here’s How She Fixed It
Yahoo Life: The best cooling fans of 2024, tested and reviewed
Travel & Leisure: These Arch Support Sandals Are the Only Shoes I Wear in the Summer — and They’re Only $47
Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer a Photo of My Cluttered Medicine Cabinet, and Here’s How She Fixed It
Travel & Leisure: You Don't Want to Step Foot in a Waterpark Without These 18 Essentials From Just $9
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.
Apartment Therapy
My Mom's Method for Cleaning Makeup Brushes Isn't Makeup Artist Approved (But I Still Love It Anyway) - My brilliant mom taught me how to wash our makeup brushes in the washing machine and this is what I do/love, but know that it's probably not best for long term use (can cause wear and tear). I’d love to speak to a makeup artist about this technique (here’s a Tiktok of me doing it, for reference!) and and get their thoughts/suggestions on pros/cons/what I should be doing instead.
I Asked a Chef How to Best Organize My Fridge, and Here's What They Recommended - I would love to email with a chef and ask how to best organize my fridge (like a chef does and store food better/smarter to last). I’ll send a before photo/video so you have an idea of what I’m working with!
Saatva
For Saatva, I’m working on the story I was probably born to write - ways to sleep like royalty. I’m open to historians/royal family experts to weigh on this but I warn you - I’m kind of serious about my own knowledge of royal family history and it may be hard to tell me something I don’t already know - but I’d love to hear from you, even if we are just going to geek out together. Basically, I’m looking for sleep tips that are inspired by things that royals have really done.
Clean Plates
Fall TJ's products RDs love: For Clean Plates, I’m also doing a roundup of great fall products at Trader Joe's. But I’m also very into savory items (they have a gluten-free pumpkin ravioli I've been eyeing for instance...). Everyone is so into pumpkin spice and maple and such for fall - I’m rounding up picks at TJ’s hat RDs love that have the spirit of the season without being super high in sugar/calories. So, if you have an RD, have them email me a rundown of some of their favorite flavors of fall products at TJs and why they are great to try - and maybe even how to incorporate them into fall meal/menu planning in a household.
Forbes
I’m putting out feelers for a potential piece with advice for how college students can cook/prepare food in their college dorms, and save money in the process? I’m going to have to figure in some restrictions that may exist, what is generally allowed/not allowed, and how to make the most of your resources to stay healthy/save money, and not rely on takeout/junk food/expensive meal plans to stay well fed. This may include how to get a dorm room prepped to cook/prep healthy well-balanced meals, as well as how to stock dorm fridge/freezer-- keeping in mind the common appliances you'll find in a dorm kitchen (and those you probably wouldn't). I'm looking for value, so think products that you can get at a good price and easily ship vs. fancy stuff a kid wouldn't need (so, no wagyu or caviar or lobster for this one), but also, commentary/ideas for what they will need, and what they will actually use. So, think, foods that will fill them up and keep them healthy and happy and will be easy to pull together to make meals they'll actually enjoy (tall order, I know!) Also, looking for dorm-friendly small appliances — with the understanding that dorms and dorm communal kitchens usually have certain restrictions in place.
You may have recently seen my pieces about celebrity chef airline menu partnerships and everything from high tea to caviar service inflight. To that end, I’m also researching for a Fine Dining At 30,000 Feet roundup with the most luxurious dining options on different airlines. Please email me if you represent an airline and have something that may be a fit!
Plate Magazine
I’m putting out bites/drinks of the week feelers, which is sort of a drink/dish spotlight piece. (Some examples are this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato in Savannah and a molecular banana daiquiri in Chicago.) Basically if you are pitching me something for this, think along the lines of: Is this dish/bite something new? What interesting techniques are used to make it come together? If the technique is simple, what’s the hook? An interesting ingredient? Something being made in house or in an interesting way? What’s the story behind the dish? What inspired it? Is there a cultural/family story behind the dish? An ingredient the chef got their hands on? Love to hear what you might have for me!
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<3
aly