Ep. 041 Why You Should Be Pitching To The Press with Rebecca Heaps

Welcome to the Cracking Content Podcast, helping entrepreneurs to amplify their expertise through storytelling, content, and PR so they can get more sales and make a bigger impact. Every business has a story to tell. Don't be afraid to tell it.

In this episode, I'm going to be talking to Becca Heaps, the founder of Tentshare, and also the curator of Tentival 2021. It is really exciting to have Becca on the podcast for lots of reasons; we've worked together, she’s been a client of mine, she’s done some of my courses, and also does coaching with me. But I'm more excited about her new project, Tentival 2021.

{1:09} Rebecca: I'm Rebecca, founder of Tentshare, which is a people to people, tent lending platform. So, the idea is that if you've got a tent, it's an asset. So, you can pop it on the Tentshare website and rent it out to someone local to you, and make a bit of extra money at the weekend. But also if you'd like to go camping and you don't want to invest in a big old tent, or invest in a tent that you may only use once or twice, you can go onto the Tentshare website and rent the tent that would be appropriate for your camping trip.

{2:00} Rebecca: From that has grown Tentival. I hosted and curated Tentival last year, 10 days after lock down. Because I was absolutely gutted that there was going to be no more festivals, plus I'd launched Tentshare, and I wanted people to pitch up their tents and have a lovely day looking at each other's tents, and having a glorious day outside. So, that's how Tentival started. And this year, I'm bring Tentival 2021, which is coming back bigger, and better, and brighter, and more sparkly than before.

{3:09} Rebecca: There are a lot of virtual festivals and events being streamed online. But the thing that's very different about Tentival is it is interactive.

{5:01} Rebecca: So, the idea is that you pitch up a tent in your garden, or you go to a park, maybe take a picnic, bring a device. As long as you've got a device and the internet, you can access this festival from anywhere.

{10:04} Claire: Can you tell us a bit about your content marketing journey with this business?

Rebecca: I launched it February 2020, and then a really lovely friend gifted me a four-week course, Pitch the Press course, which happened to be yours Claire.  And it landed in my lap at just the right time. And I went on that four-week course, and my goodness, what a lot of information I learned. And by the end of it, I had pitched. I'd been in The Mirror. I'd had an interview on BBC Radio Kent and I've been in a camping magazine.

{12:04} Claire: It's just been phenomenal watching you grow your business and grow awareness about what you're doing. And obviously, you're really active on Clubhouse as well, and you've made some great connections there, which has enabled you to take Tentival to the next level.

{12:25} Rebecca: You invited me into Clubhouse. And whoa, it's just been incredible. The contacts that I've made, and the people. And once you're in there and you find your people, and you're all like-minded and in alignment with all your ethos, it's just incredible. It's been great finding people who, at last, I feel like I have a voice, where I haven't felt I've had a voice before. So, it's been wonderful. So, I've got you to thank for that as well, Claire.

{12:59} Claire: I think that is probably my mission. I've been redefining it, and it is, it's like helping women amplify their reach, and find their true, authentic voice and share it with the world. I think it's needed more than ever.

{16:17} Rebecca: For every ticket sold, we're going to plant a tree. We've teamed up with Tree Sisters, and they do an amazing initiative planting trees where they're most needed and where they're most effective. And tickets are pay as you can. So, we don't want wealth or lack of wealth, especially coming out of COVID, when people haven't been able to work and