Hack Your Own PR Odette Barry

Today I'm joined by Euan Black, the Work and Careers Reporter at The Australian Financial Review. 
 
Euan began his career in journalism accidentally after finishing an internship in Cambodia. He landed his first journalism job at Southeast Asia Globe before moving to Australia where he now very happily writing for The Financial Review.
 
In this episode, Euan shared how he generates story ideas through one-on-one conversations with industry sources, the challenges of balancing idea generation with writing and insights into how much weight he applies to performance data and how that informs his storytelling.
 
Euan gave us a glimpse into the market trends and topics he explores, from the influence of Gen Z workers to the future of hybrid work. 
 
He also offered plenty of advice to improve our pitches, either as an expert or case study…and the importance of building a relationship.
 
If you’re keen to learn exactly how to tap into the AFR’s 3.5 million audience, you’ll want to tune in. 
 
Find Euan Black online: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/euanblackuk/
https://www.instagram.com/eaunblack/ 
 
Find Odette Barry online: 
https://www.odetteandco.com.au/authority-brand    
https://instagram.com/odetteandco    
https://instagram.com/hackyourownpr  

Polly Taylor is the Contributor and Page editor at Mamamia. Polly previously worked in the UK in the women’s lifestyle media space, when she visited Australia on a ‘quick working holiday’ and found the perfect job at Mamamia, she’s never left! 
 
Polly walks us through the contrasting stories you’ll find on the home page of Mamamia, from the latest celebrity drama to hard-hitting, gritty contributor pieces from survivors of domestic violence - there isn’t anything like Mamamia in the Australian media landscape.
 
We hear about what it means for content to “walk in her shoes” and how you can strategically hook your contributor pieces to a timely news event or trending conversation. 
 
She explains what she’s looking for in a contributor pitch, and most importantly…the question that’s on everybody’s lips: how to ace your pitch subject line to get the attention of her and her team, giving us tangible examples of what that looks like. Gold! 
 
If you have a vulnerable story to share, a trending hot take, or you’re an expert who has something important to say, stick around - this episode is for you. 
 
Find Polly Taylor online: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/polly-taylor-189439144/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp_l_-9BaWUseQSODgVvXmdfCFAnf8NPXk0asM0/ 
 
Find Odette Barry online: 
https://www.odetteandco.com.au/authority-brand    
https://instagram.com/odetteandco    
https://instagram.com/hackyourownpr 

Wendy Tuohy is a senior writer focusing on social issues impacting women and girls at The Age. 
 
With over 40 years of experience writing about social affairs, Wendy is one of the true advocates, who in particular, has chosen to use her position of privilege to amplify and influence the mainstream media narrative about issues that truly matter.
 
In a time when mainstream media is copping heat left right and centre for its misrepresentation and downright misbehaviour, Wendy occupies a corner of the media where she has the time to thoroughly and thoughtfully interrogate heartbreaking and sensitive issues that matter, but also, very delicately work with stories and spokespeople that require careful thought, unwavering honesty, support through the process of shining light on very personal circumstances.
 
In this episode, Wendy shares her approach, from running 10+ stories concurrently in her mind, the power of brave, courageous and outspoken spokespeople, the importance of humanising tough stories with lived experience, and her ridiculously patient approach to receiving and supporting young PRs in the industry.
 
From the ‘why do you need to know this right now’, to the power of 3, and tips on how to lighten Wendy’s load with deep backgrounding of the industry, Wendy generously shares how change makers and social warriors fighting for a more just world can get on her highly coveted pages.
 
Get in touch with Wendy Tuohy
https://www.theage.com.au/by/wendy-tuohy-h15ltx
wendy.tuohy@theage.com.au 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-tuohy-a22689b0/
 
Find Odette Barry online: 
https://www.odetteandco.com.au/hackyourownpr
https://instagram.com/odetteandco
https://instagram.com/hackyourownpr 

Sam Hussey is the head of news and lifestyle at Forbes Australia, having previously been the Channel Seven editor in chief for the 7news.com.au publishing a cheeky 120 news pieces daily.
 
The change of pace to business, entrepreneurism and luxury lifestyle is a welcome one, as Sam discusses, as he’s tackling a slower, deeper style of journalism, that allows him and the team to interrogate issues in the business ecosystem with more time - and perhaps a little more finesse.
 
With new content series coming out on video, a new membership for women, and a deeper focus on the female-led startup ecosystem, Sam walks us through what the Forbes readership get excited about, and how to win a pitch with him.
 
If you’re a startup innovating and changing the way things are done, or a thought leader with incredible industry insights to share, this episode will help you understand how to score a feature or contributor seat at the Forbes Australia table.
 
Find Samuel Hussey online: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-hussey-b59b1b8a/
https://www.instagram.com/samuel__hussey/
 
Find Odette Barry online 
https://www.odetteandco.com.au/authority-brand  
https://instagram.com/odetteandco   
https://instagram.com/hackyourownpr 

This week on the Hack Your Own Podcast, join me in conversation with Tarla Lambert, co-founder of Agenda Media and editor-in-chief of Women’s Agenda.
 
Alongside her business partner, Angela Priestley, Tarla has cultivated a wholly independent, women-owned, and operated media empire that engages over a million Australian women each month. 
 
Tarla shares insights into Women’s Agenda’s demographic and focus, catering to professional women aged 25 to 45, including 30% small business owners, with a recent emphasis on entrepreneurship and leadership stories. 
 
Tarla speaks on the importance of understanding what Women’s Agenda covers (you can skip your lifestyle and beauty pitches) as she delves into the publication’s content pillars, spanning foreign politics, business, tech, science, health, and sport, with a notable commitment to highlighting issues like domestic violence.
 
We discuss the evolving landscape of media, the impacts of Meta restrictions on news consumption, and the importance of supporting independent news sources. 
 
You’ll get actionable steps to pitch successfully to Women’s Agenda and how offering yourself as a contributor and a feature differs. Hint: it’s all about relevance, human-led stories, steering clear of spray-and-pray tactics, and aligning with their audience’s interests.
 
So, if you’re ready to take your media game to the next level and uncover how to tap into the highly engaged audience of Women’s Agenda, you’ll want to tune in. 
 
Find Odette Barry online 
https://www.odetteandco.com.au/authority-brand  
https://instagram.com/odetteandco   
https://instagram.com/hackyourownpr  
 
Find Tarla Lambert online
https://www.instagram.com/tarlalambert/
https://www.instagram.com/womensagenda/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarlalambert

Meet Nicole Maycroft, the PR & Communications Manager at Kic.  
 
Nicole walks us through what media efforts have successfully converted for Kic, how she gets Steph and Laura involved with timely trends and expert commentary, and how to create leverageable collaborations and events.  
 
We get to hear the behind-the-scenes strategy for Kic’s latest ‘feel good’ January campaign which saw a 100% increase in year-on-year sales, and how the Kic team was able to rise above the ‘new year, new me’ toxic messaging that the health and wellness industry communicates. 
 
Nicole tells about the importance of working with brands and publications that share a like-minded audience who align with your mission and why you should always follow up your initial pitch with a new story angle - it might just be the one that lands you top-tier coverage! 
 
Stick around to learn how this iconic brand has successfully landed thousands of media mentions and prestigious partnerships and how you can adopt elements of Kic’s PR strategy in your own business.