Wednesday Newsletter: Going Below The Belt & Last Night's This Is Us (And, Of Course, Story Opps!)
What a night last night was!
Last night, Amber and I went to the world premiere screening of Hillary Clinton's Below the Belt documentary.
This is a film about endometriosis, but it's also about all the problems in our healthcare system, including the taboos and gender bias that still exist when it comes to women's health issues and how healthcare remains profit-driven instead of patient driven, especially when it comes to women.
It's also about how all this leads to millions of women who need care and compassion and understanding effectively being silenced. I strongly recommend seeing it and making it an action item as soon as you can.
I have my own scary health history (it was not endo, but another women’s health issue that very nearly killed me about a decade ago) that I don't talk about often, and there were aspects of this film that felt especially jarring.
I told Amber after the screening I felt like I had experienced a bit of PTSD watching it even though my own experience was years ago. But I think, honestly, many people have their own story and their own scars (literal or figurative) and will feel the same. And that's why a movie like this is so incredibly necessary.
This Is Us Finale!
After the screening, I came home and was able to catch the finale of This Is Us...and I have a lot of feelings.
I honestly feel like...and I know this may be unpopular, LAST WEEK's show would have made a better finale.
It was a stronger episode with a lot more emotional payoff. This week felt a bit more...like a sweet nostalgic hug. A retrospective, even. Not a finale.
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. (And I thought the final 10 minutes or so were fantastic)...but I also think it could have ended last week and been more impactful. Just my two cents. Would love to hear yours!
Newly published
Clean Plates: The Best Plant-Based Meats for the Grill, According to Vegans
The Kitchn: Tahini Magic Shells Are an Elevated Take on a Fun Childhood Treat
Food Network: Ritz and Oreo Join Forces to Satisfy Your Sweet-Salty Snack Cravings
If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares tagging @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.
Southern Living
It's my first assignment for Southern Living! For this story, I'm covering how to extend the life of your nonstick cookware. Would love chefs and cookware experts to weigh in! Not looking for products for this story, this is more of a tips/advice story.
RetailMeNot
This just in: Working on 3 new stories for June for RetailMeNot:
1. The Best Father's Day Sales to Shop Now: I'm looking for the biggies for this one, places like Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Ancestry, 23andMe, Fitbit IF they are throwing a sale. I'm looking for retail sales only for this one (NOT restaurants - I have a different story at a different outlet for that). TO pitch for this one, please include what's on sale, how to shop it, the promo code.
2. Fourth of July Store Hours + Stores Open Fourth of July (similar to the Easter and Memorial Day store hours roundup I did for this same outlet). This is for major retailers, look at my versions for other holidays for an idea of what I'm looking for.
3. Stores That Let You Bring In Your Old Clothes for Recycling - quite simply, I'm going to round up retailers that let you bring (or mail) in your clothes for recycling. To pitch me for this one, please send me detailed instructions about how to take advantage of these services, so if the retailer gives any kind of reward (discount? coupon?) if you bring clothing in for recycling? and a link to learn more (whatever URL makes the most sense for the reader to go for more info).
Today.com
For Today.com, I'm working on the following stories:
I'm rounding up restaurant deals/freebies for National Donut Day (which is the first week in June)
I'm also going to be rounding up Father's Day and graduation related deals/freebies at chain restaurants (so if you happen to have those now feel free to send ahead!)
If pitching me restaurant deals/discounts for any of these holidays, please be sure to include what the deal is, how to claim the deal, and any disclaimers, as well as exactly how long it lasts and where it’s good. (I run into A LOT of last minute changes on these deals, so please be sure what you are pitching me is actually the deal being offered before proceeding…it helps us BOTH down the line.)
Forbes.com
I am working on a bunch of Father’s Day gift guides. My topics are:
Father’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Foodie Gifts For A Dad Who Loves History -- This can go in a lot of different directions. Perhaps it's a food or spirit with some incredible history behind it (tell me what that history is) - but maybe it's also a food/drink that celebrates a moment in history, like a commemorative bottle of wine or whiskey from some historic event.
Father’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Martini Gifts
To pitch me for any of these guides, please email the following:
Which guide you are pitching
Name of product
description
link where sold, price
LINK to high-res image (no attachments please)
Unfortunately, due to the volume of responses I receive, if you do not have all these components, you cannot be considered (and if you think a pitch is just emailing me a stack of URLs, then you really can’t be considered).
To pitch me for ANY of these stories, please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com (and start a new thread, please!).
Virtual consulting sessions...
I've been popping into a lot of PR team virtual meetings and making myself available to answer all sorts of questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. 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!
Are you confused about affiliate marketing?
If you are having trouble learning how to navigate issues of affiliate marketing (trust me, we've all been there!), you may want to try out my friend Sarah Karger, a publicist, and former editor Dana Baardsen (and all-around fab girl!)'s 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!)
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<3
aly