Wednesday: How I turn "lost" time into "found" time. Also: New pending assignments!
Also: New job leads + A 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions!
Good morning!
So much going on this week. Yesterday, I attending a planning session for something pretty exciting I have coming up in a few weeks - I’m going to be part of a panel of speakers during a Freelancing 2024 session of the NYU Summer Publishing Institute's Digital Media Strategies program.
(I know, as I told a close friend yesterday, it’s SO Felicity, I’ll totally have to stop at Dean & Deluca after for a coffee.)
And the day after I do that, I’ll be headed to LA for a few days — also super exciting for me because it’s one of my favorite places, full of people I love, and it’s been too long since I’ve been there. More on that soon, once I know my schedule!
Lost & Found (Aly’s version)
But as for what’s going on TODAY…I wanted to take a few seconds to chat about how I turn “lost time” into “found time.”
I feel like sometimes we say we want to be productive and don't entirely even understand ourselves what we mean by that. At its core, all being productive really means is being efficient. That's doing more, and doing it faster faster, and maybe doing it with less tools than you'd hope for.
So, basically, you have to look at things from the perspective of time and space. (I know, trippy.)
If you can multitask in a way that you are using what resources you have to do more, you already win. So, that's why it's so great if you can use your commuting time or airplane time or time you spend sitting in that waiting room waiting on that dental cleaning to answer those emails and edit those documents, or even fine-tuning your own schedule or to-do list for the day.
If you can use time that you already allocated for that one passive thing (being in a car, being on a train, being on a plane) and use it to do something active, you've now used that time productively and saved what could have been hours of time you'd have to spend on that thing later.
We spend SO MUCH time hurrying up and waiting, and there's a lot of dead air between. Generally, I have about an hour commute from home to most of my NYC meetings/dinners/events. (Hence, why Uber vouchers are SO SO helpful!) So if I am ever in a situation where I have two things in one day -- perhaps an appointment or an event and then meeting a friend for dinner… I usually can be found killing time in a cafe or bar in between, since going home in between is not really feasible…but more often than not, I’m also using that commute time itself to catch up on emails.
If I wasn't able to spend that between time on my computer, it'd be such a time vacuum! I’m turning LOST time into FOUND time, and productivity (or, efficiency!), is my reward.
Always look for ways to make those pockets of lost time into pockets of found time. It'll be just so rewarding. And, it'll make it easier to say yes to those friend coffee dates or happy hours -- and at the end of the day, being able to make time for those you care about, it's more important than anything else.
A few newly published pieces since yesterday’s email, including for Clean Plates: 10 Low-Lift, Fast Trader Joe’s Lunches Nutritionists Love, and for Forbes.com: 25 Dishes To Enjoy While Celebrating National Lobster Day (some super yummy dishes in this one!).
Grab the Dads and Grads Gift Guide Pitching Webinar Recording Now!
Thanks to all who attended our Dads and Grads Gift Guide Pitching Workshop. We had a full house and an hour packed with really great questions and conversation — and now the full recording is available to any subscriber who may have missed it (or wants to go back and give another listen.) You can check out how to grab that recording and what we covered right here.
On occasion, people reach out to me for help with planning press dinners and events - from choosing the perfect location to keeping things fun and interesting to how to get top journalists to want to attend. If you are interested in me doing this for you, email me any time at alywalansky@gmail.com.
This newsletter goes out to well over 8,000 engaged publicists, business owners, and journalists each and every day. If you are looking to sponsor a daily installment of this newsletter or have a dedicated section about your client or product (assuming it’s an organic fit for the interests of my audience!), that is now available. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com to discuss.
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 pitching to followups to events or press trips or anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
Job Lead
Quinn PR is seeking an Account Supervisor - NYC - be sure to tell them you heard about it here!
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!
Clean Plates: 10 Low-Lift, Fast Trader Joe’s Lunches Nutritionists Love
Forbes.com: 25 Dishes To Enjoy While Celebrating National Lobster Day
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
Forbes: Father's Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Traditionalist Foodie
Forbes: 40 Cocktails To Enjoy In Celebration Of National Martini Day
Saatva’s Sleep Enlightened: 6 Surprising Sleep Mask Benefits
Clean Plates: 7 Grocery Store Shortcuts for Fast, Easy Lunches
Forbes.com: 20 Delicious Ways To Celebrate National Burger Day
Forbes.com: The Italian Wedding Cake Martini Is A Dessert Cocktail Perfect For A Celebration
Southern Living: The 9 Best Brown Sugar Substitutes That Will Be Just As Sweet
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Culinary Traveler
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Dad Who Wants To Be Bobby Flay
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Sandwich Lover
RetailMeNot: Father’s Day Gifts for Every Type of Dad
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.
Apartment Therapy
I’m working on a story - The One Item Pro Travelers Would Never Pack in Their Carry-on Again - for this story, I’m looking to chat with professional travelers (so, travel writers, but also travel agents or flight attendants) about the one item they've packed in their carry-on that they never would again. Maybe it's shoes they'll never wear, or a super heavy coat, or too many skincare products? But who knows! Please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you have someone game to weigh in.
Clean Plates
I’m working on a roundup of the best seafood choices at Trader Joe's for when you want to lighten up this summer (or just plan an easy no-fuss seafood or surf and turf night). There’s so many great new items in the seafood category there, and I’d love some RDs and nutritionists to weigh in on their faves as well. Please email me! (wrapping up this one by tomorrow AM!)
RetailMeNot
Budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter: As you all know, I write a lot of content for RMN related to budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter. I’m going to be working on a monthly column on the subject of cooking/eating well on a budget. The next column in this series will focus on bulk buying groceries and household essentials, which is something I personally SUPER believe in. I am constantly buying in bulk to save on per unit cost and benefit from the best deals. I even buy family packs of meat and fish to portion and freeze. I’d love some expert commentary on why bulk buying (rather at the supermarket on sales or at warehouse stores), is a great way to maintain a household meal plan and also live within our food budget.
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!)
<3
aly