Episode #40: Analyze Real Pitches with Mia Taylor (Part 2)
“I just want a good story. I want it backed up by real, relevant data, and then I want an outstanding source. I’ll take that and run with it— massaging and manipulating it into something that works for us— a story that I think will work for our brand.”
-Mia Taylor, on what she wants to see in a pitch
**In this special 2 part episode, we have a WEM first. Our guest (with the permission of the publicists!) shared some real pitches with us. Check out a full transcription of the pitch at the bottom of the notes!**
In part 2, we analyze another pitch that led to a Q&A article about women’s personal finances. And while this second pitch looks very different from the first, similar themes are re-explored through a different lens, proving that there truly is no one-size-fits-all approach to media pitching. Finally, Mia discusses the evolution of PR assets and story pitching through her time in the industry. You’ll walk with a full understanding of the “big picture” as well as inspiration for little details you may include in your next pitch.
A special thanks to Cat Soroush from Grithaus Agency for providing and allowing us to republish the pitch in its entirety!
In this episode you’ll learn…
What matters most in a story pitch to an online money reporter
When and if exclusives matter to an online lifestyle publication
How to strategically tip toe the line of formal/informal in a pitch
Our guest is:
Mia Taylor is a staff Finance Writer for Real Simple, Health, Parents, and Better Homes & Gardens. She is an award-winning personal finance and travel journalist who has also covered wildlife conservation, sustainability, eco-tourism, climate change, the hospitality industry, technology, AI, robotics, and single parenting.
Stories we talked about:
Love this episode? Subscribe on Apple Podcast and please leave us a review on iTunes!
Show Notes:
0:00 -- Britt welcomes our guest back for today’s episode.
1:02 -- Britt asks Mia for a brief overview of the Q&A-style article we’ll discuss in this episode.
1:31 -- Mia discusses what stood out to her about this pitch.
2:55 -- Britt, Jackie, and Mia begin to analyze the pitch.
3:10 -- Jackie asks Mia’s thoughts on how the publicist opened the pitch.
4:58 -- Jackie asks Britt what stands out to her about this pitch.
5:40 -- Britt asks Mia about the exclusivity aspect of the pitch.
8:57 -- Britt asks Mia how she feels about lengthy pitches.
11:11 -- Jackie asks Mia her thoughts on follow-ups.
12:55 -- Jackie asks Mia what her work hours are like.
13:27 -- Britt asks Mia a few questions about her interview preferences.
17:09 -- Britt asks Jackie and Mia if they have any final thoughts or questions about the pitch before moving on to housekeeping questions.
19:21 -- Housekeeping questions! Mia gives shoutouts to Cat and Gina.
20:51 -- Britt asks Mia if there are any PRs she works with frequently and tips on building relationships with journalists.
23:32 -- Jackie and Mia discuss experts in personal finance PR.
24:43 -- Britt asks Mia which assets she considers most helpful.
The Pitch We Analyzed:
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Q&A: The Secret to Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Ditch the Cat Fights and Unite
Hi Mia,
Cat here, reaching out with an exclusive Q&A offer with Stephanie Redlener, managing director of talent strategy at boutique consulting firm Gather and the founder of Lioness, an underground society for women leaders.
Stephanie has decades of experience working alongside women in Fortune 500 companies (like IBM and TD Ameritrade) to find their voices and feel good inside their bodies, to help them rise up in their careers. We chatted with Stephanie about the culture of jealousy, rivalry and competitiveness amongst women in the workplace, and how years of societal conditioning has left women depleted.
You can see the full Q&A below, The Race to Shatter the Glass Ceiling Isn’t a Sprint; It’s a Relay: How a culture of rivalry in the workplace has conditioned women to compete for their place at the top, and what happens when women unite to support one another in the mission to break the glass ceiling.
We'd like to offer this to you to run, or to pull any quotes that might support a story you are working on. Alternatively, we'd be happy to arrange an interview between you and Stephanie to discuss this as well as other topics she is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable on, including:
· Why equality in the workplace is the wrong conversation
· Why sensuality should be a part of women’s leadership conversations
· Feminine Intelligence as a vital leadership approach - and the secret missing ingredient to business success
Thanks in advance for your time & consideration, hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
CatPS: If you need a break, here is an awesome meditation led by Stephanie that will help rejuvenate your day.
The Race to Shatter the Glass Ceiling Isn’t a Sprint; It’s a Relay
How a culture of rivalry in the workplace has conditioned women to compete for their place at the top, and what happens when women unite to support one another in the mission to break the glass ceiling.
Did you know that currently, there are only 41 female CEOs in the Fortune 500 top companies in the U.S? That means women hold only 8.2% of these positions. While there are many contributing factors to this, rivalry and lack of support amongst women play a role in keeping women out of leadership positions. As, Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, put it: "The glass ceiling will go away when women help other women break through that ceiling."
We sat down with Stephanie Redlener, managing director of talent strategy at Gather and founder of women’s coaching consultancy, Lioness, to discuss some of the questions that arise when discussing jealousy and competition amongst women in the workplace. Where does it stem from? Why are we still competing with each other, as opposed to lifting each other up? There’s room for everyone at the finish line - yet our societal “norms” and conditioning are preventing women from seeing this.
The culture of rivalry has gotten pretty intense amongst women in the workplace. Why is this?
Because women have not been taught to support each other, there is a culture of ego and jealousy when women work together. There’s an unspoken assumption that there is only room for one woman (or, very few) at the top. This creates an environment of rivalry and a breeding ground for jealousy amongst women, which discourages women from supporting each other.
I have a client who is an amazing, incredible woman running HR at a startup. She told me, “I used to hide my happiness, because I didn’t want to make other people feel bad.” At some point, women have become ingrained with the sense that they should not bond or celebrate one another in the workplace. Particularly, ambitious women leaders have this sense that they need to show up really strong and independent; they have to prove themselves. Therefore, they don’t want to show any weaknesses or vulnerabilities. I see this all the time - really strong badass accomplished women afraid to ask for help or let their guard down, because they don't want to be perceived as weak.
Additionally, we often hold back celebrating another woman’s achievement because we feel bad about ourselves compared to her, or we fear that uplifting her will somehow jeopardize our own success or opportunities to move up in our careers.
In your experience, are jealousy and workplace competition specific to females?
I think jealousy is present with both genders, however it seems to be more prevalent among women. Going back to the above point, when there is this belief - and evidence - that there’s only room for one woman at the top, it sets up a different dynamic among women working together and potentially competing for that spot. When there are many opportunities to succeed (as there are for men), the competition becomes less fierce.
When it comes to men competing in the workplace, because there’s more room at the top, because they grow up with sports and competition as the norm - the stakes aren’t as high for them; they feel comfortable with competition (known as “friendly competition” when it’s amongst men). This is not about men and women being equal, this is about men and women bringing their unique qualities and skill sets to the table, which allows for a more productive and open workspace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
A woman is in her full power when she is speaking up and speaking her truth. Society has taught women to be good girls, to follow certain rules. A lot of what women experience in society has to do with our internal chains - the shame, judgement and comparisons that keep us from fully expressing ourselves. Men aren’t held to the same standards.
Women have been forced to adopt masculine traits that are often characterized as leadership qualities: assertiveness and competence. Why are these women often viewed in a negative light by their peers?
It is common for women who are assertive to be labeled a bitch, to be feared. Women don’t get to be fully expressed - they’re pigeon-holed into one persona, so there’s this sense that they’re not “allowed” to be both assertive and kind. Some women take on qualities of toxic masculinity because we’re also taught that these are the only qualities that are valued in leadership roles. You see women going one of two ways - being assertive, taking on more masculine qualities, feeling like they need to act in this way to get their point across. Or, we see women who are afraid to speak up; they quiet themselves and dim their own light so as not to “be a bitch.”
A woman who is in her power, who is creatively, emotionally and sexually expressed, who feels good inside her body and trusts herself - she can be assertive and competent while still celebrating and uplifting other women in her community.
How has societal and cultural conditioning impacted women in the workforce, and how does this translate into harmful competition amongst women at work?
We live in a culture that puts women down, and we absorb that conditioning. Women start to believe those thoughts in our head. We are not conditioned to celebrate ourselves. We step back from our true power and radiance. And the result is that women develop a deep conditioning and inner judge/critic...we are so hard on ourselves.
This conditioning begins at an incredibly young age, and it stems from our upbringing and cultural conditioning, what media conveys. We have grown up in a culture that shows us images of women - either as a sex symbol with perfect body or a powerhouse woman who has cut off everything about her that is “woman.” Because of that we are constantly comparing ourselves to an unrealistic ideal. Living up to these ideals becomes proof of our worth and of our value. The cattiness, jealousy and competition starts at a young age and we’re not taught to bond with one another over celebrating. Women are taught to bond over complaint and gossip, typically starting in school systems. This gets compounded throughout life and festers in the workplace.
We cannot break this inner conditioning alone. It takes women seeing each other, relating to each other and celebrating each other to see ourselves in positions of leadership that are rooted in strength, connectivity and openness, rather than a need to put others down in order to remain in a position of power.
The truth is, women are collaborative by nature. If you look back in ancient times, women gathered together throughout history. It's our natural way of being in community and we've lost it as cultures, particularly American culture, has put the emphasis on individualism and patriarchal systems. Naturally, when there is intense conditioning to be “out for oneself,” we become afraid to support others so as not to get stabbed in the back. Women especially become afraid to show up too bright and make other women feel bad. There’s a fear of showing oneself too much.
What impact did the pandemic have on women’s progress in the workplace?
In a way, the pandemic has humanized everyone. Even for powerful executives, we got to see the inside of their homes, their kids, their dogs - it has equalized us all to experience this shared struggle we are all going through. Just by nature of that, it provides a space for deeper connection. Once we feel more connected, we have a shared humanity, and we can show up differently.
On the other hand, the pandemic has screwed women. Nearly 3 million women have left the labor workforce (source). It’s been a big step back for women’s success. Perhaps in some weird positive way, women are tired. We’re tired of the way things have been done, and because of that there is a willingness to want to create and show up differently. A desire to create a new system, a new world, a new community. Bubbling in the bleakness is a new world where there is more focus on community, on the whole person.
When women are in their true power and feel good in their body, and aren’t held back by their own internal judgment, women will naturally rise and be driven to create an environment where women can rise together.
We constantly talk about “breaking the glass ceiling” - how can women reverse the conditioning to support one another in breaking through?
By learning to support and celebrate one another, I believe we can truly change this dynamic and tear down the cultural norms that have been so deeply ingrained within ourselves. When women begin celebrating themselves, it gives permission for them to support others.
As soon as women start to share and show up more truthfully, it creates an instant bond. We do a lot of bragging in my work. But women do the opposite - we talk shit about ourselves because we don't want to seem boastful. When women start celebrating themselves and each other, it gives permission for others to do the same and creates a ripple effect.
Here are some practices you can start doing today to break down the conditioning we’ve been taught our entire lives:
· Celebrate your wins with a brag. In The Den (a discreet personal network for professional women), we practice bragging, which just means sharing a personal win or something you are proud of. Each woman shares a brag with the group, who then celebrates by saying “well bragged!” From the smallest (waking up early for a walk) to the biggest (a major promotion) brag - nothing is off limits.
· Find your courage, even if it starts as a whisper. This is tricky, because we must start flexing this muscle before we feel ready - we can’t wait until the fear disappears to speak up. The revolution is in the small daily actions over fear, and doing what’s right even when it feels super uncomfortable. Start small and continue to grow in your courage - suddenly you’ll realize very few things intimidate you.
· Allow time and space to tune into your intuition. When we allow our intuition to turn on, the feelings of jealousy and competitiveness fade away. The first step to inviting our intuition is simply slowing down - your intuition is there waiting for you to get quiet enough to hear it. To practice tuning in, avoid overscheduling and cultivate time to be in flow, create, move. Fostering intuition is one of the most productive things we can do—for our creativity, our innovation, and our feminine edge.
· Find your sisterhood. Humans and especially women were designed to live and thrive amongst our sisters, but by the time most women reach the height of our careers, we’ve lost this kind of connection. Dedicate time to cultivating relationships with women whom you trust to support you, and vice versa. Real, compassionate, life-giving conversation with women who truly know, love and hold you in your power is the deepest form of self-nourishment you can give yourself.
If all women embraced each other’s strengths to lift each other up, instead of fighting for a spot at the top, we’d have the power to create space for everyone, helping women collectively shatter the glass ceiling, together.
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