Wednesday: Happy International Women's Day! Also: New job leads and newly published stories!

And: A deal in honor of International Women's Day you wouldn't believe.

First of all, happy International Women’s Day!

I’m so lucky and blessed to have a circle of amazing women in my life who are supportive and always there for me, always while out there in the world doing incredible things.

This isn’t something everyone is lucky enough to have — I didn’t always have it. But I do now and I can’t even say how much richer and more fulfilling life is. Toast to a woman in your life today — and never, ever take them for granted!

Speaking of amazing women in my life…

Amber and I are offering sweet deals this month in our Substacks in conjuction with our beloved Lisa Richards at RPZL, who is teaming up with WEGAVEWHAT for the month of March.

Use code WWW30 to get $30 blowouts at RPZL’s Plaza Hotel location and $30 off their amazing Polisher Brush (which I love so much, I own two! One for home and one for my travel), all March long.

alywalansky

A post shared by Aly Walansky (@alywalansky)

Also, if you saw the headband I was wearing in my Instagram from dinner last night, Amber and I are both offering those at half price to our Substack subscribers with code HARDHEADBAND20.

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A post shared by RPZL (@rpzlrpzl)

To use any of these codes, apply them at checkout at RPZL.

Today’s story updates!

Since yesterday morning’s email, I had a new Taste of Home story publish where I delve deep into the concept of hero meal prep — this is the traditional meal prep concept I’ve written about at length - but taken to the next level. Obviously, I had to get involved.

Aly Walansky alywalansky.substack.com @alywalansky

What Is "Hero Meal Prep?"

tasteofhome.comWhat Is “Hero Meal Prep?”Meal prep has been taken to the next level.

Also, for Clean Plates, I rounded up all the healthy and delicious organic peanut butters I could find and studied them (i.e. ate them and judged them). Here’s the ones that reigned supreme.

Aly Walansky alywalansky.substack.com @alywalansky

We Found the Healthiest and Best-Tasting Organic Peanut Butters cleanplates.com/shopping/organ… via @CleanPlates

cleanplates.comWe Found the Healthiest and Best-Tasting Organic Peanut ButtersWe tasted tons of different organic peanut butters and found two clear winners in the no-stir and natural categories. Here are our top picks.

Job leads

My awesome friends at KLG PR are hiring an Account Manager or Account Supervisor to work on several F&B brands including Katy Perry’s De Soi and Donnafugata Wines. The ideal candidate has at least 2 years of wine and spirits experience and is based in NYC or LA. Hybrid role. Email kate@klgpr.com if interested.

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!

• In case you missed it, I was recently a guest on a podcast. Check it out here — I share some easy-to-follow tips on how emerging brands can get the attention of busy editors.

• Speaking of podcasts, I was a guest on the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ podcast last month (I ADORE Lexie Smith!), and you can still catch it here. We chatted at length about pitching, the ever-changing landscape of the editorial process, and more.

• (Also, if you host a podcast that has anything to do with media/PR/writer content or food/bev/travel content and are interested in me coming on as a guest, I’d love if you reach out!)

• The Kitchn: Wild Harvest Oysters Are Being Recalled in Multiple States Due to New Salmonella Outbreak

• Taste of Home: What Is “Hero Meal Prep”?

• Clean Plates: We Found the Healthiest and Best-Tasting Organic Peanut Butters

• YourTango: How To Do An At-Home Facial In 10 Easy & Relaxing Steps

• YourTango: The Secret TikTok Hack That Gets Rid Of Split Ends In Just 10 Seconds

• Forbes.com: Celebrate Purim With Fun And Inventive Hamantaschen Variations

• Forbes.com: Cocktails Perfect For Sipping On St. Patrick’s Day

• Forbes.com: Nobu Has Launched A Limited-Edition Tequila And It’s Very Special

• The Kitchn: This Super-Simple Recipe for Homemade Biscoff Twix Bars Deserves All of Your Attention

• Forbes.com: Have A Sweet Saint Patrick’s Day With These Festive Desserts

• Taste of Home: You Need These 4 Simple Tricks to Make the Crispiest Air Fryer French Fries Ever

• Eat This, Not That: 7 Best Fast-Food Sandwiches, According to Chefs

• HerMoney: The Top Ways To Travel For Free in 2023

• Taste of Home: What Is a Reverse Grocery List? Here’s How to Save Time at the Store With One

• YourTango: What Dietitians Have To Say About How Healthy It Is To Eat Sushi

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.

TODAY.com

I’m beginning to round up Cinco de Mayo food deals at chain restaurants. I’m not looking for free delivery or reward point type of deals at this time but more BOGOs, freebies, discounts, etc. Please be sure to tell me how to claim the deal (i.e. coupon code, downloading app, etc) when responding.

Forbes.com

Looking forward, I’ll be working on a story on great wines, snacks, and products to buy for Passover 2023. It is IMPERATIVE for this story that everything I include be certified as kosher for Passover (not just kosher - it’s a distinct certification). Please be sure to confirm before pitching.

I’m also looking for Passover-inspired cocktails you can find at bars and restaurants. This one is trickier because I realize for this one a lot of submissions will probably come from places not kosher for Passover or even kosher — that’s fine for this story (but not the other one). This one, I need name of drink, where served, a description, a quote about it, (how is it inspired by Passover?), and an image of the cocktail.

Also for Forbes, I’m looking for Easter-inspired cocktails found at bars and restaurants (same parameters as above, please!).

Finally, I’m rounding up creative Easter baskets brands are doing (must be food or spirits related) — are you a bakery that is doing a basket of fun cookies and pastries that is shippable, in honor of Easter? Or a chocolate shop doing the same with a basket of fun confections? Please let me know!

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've been popping into a lot of PR team virtual meetings and some other fun stuff and making myself available to answer all sorts of questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective.  I like to keep these things chill and comfortable and relaxed all by sharing perspective and learning from one another. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat!

If you are interested in setting anything up for your own team in the coming months, please email me and we'll get something on the books! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts. If you are a freelance publicist and want to join in with a few other freelance publicist friends and set something up, we can do that as well!

Have a great day!

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