Anvil & Iron

Creative Revenue Outsourcing

We're on a mission to introduce you to the most innovative minds shaping the future of business. Each episode, we sit down with leaders who are forging new paths in business and beyond – the kind of people you definitely want in your network and absolutely need to know. Expect genuine conversations, real insights, and zero corporate fluff. We keep it light, keep it honest, and keep it interesting. Because the best ideas are forged through authentic connection, and the most successful leaders are often the most down-to-earth people you'll meet. Join us as we hammer out what's next in the world of financial innovation, one conversation at a time.

  1. Mar 5

    No Blast Policy | Nicole Rodriguez's 26-Year Blueprint for Building Real Media Relationships

    Nicole Rodriguez has spent 26 years building something her former boss told her would never exist: a PR firm where blasting 200 media contacts is forbidden, and sending 20 thoughtful emails that build real relationships is the only way forward. As founder and CEO of NRPR Group, Nicole took a contrarian stance that's kept her team intact for an average of seven years in an industry notorious for burnout—and grew LA Comic Con from nine press hits to 800 credentialed media flying in from around the country. In this conversation, Nicole breaks down the fundamental differences between PR, marketing, and advertising that most executives conflate under one umbrella, explaining why earning third-party validation from unpaid sources requires an entirely different skillset than buying eyeballs through ad spend. She shares how a San Jose State professor steered her away from broadcast journalism into PR, why she spent 14 years mastering every level from intern to VP before betting on herself, and how rolling out the red carpet for media with handwritten thank you notes and personal cell phone numbers transformed events that couldn't get coverage into must-attend destinations. Nicole reveals her take on AI's role in PR—where it can help overcome creative walls and piece together headlines, but why it will never replace the human instinct of texting her "homies" at Nerd New Social or CNBC with the perfect story pitch. She explains why most founders should start PR with just a website and something newsworthy to celebrate rather than locking into 12-month contracts, and how Pizza Forno went from unknown on the West Coast to fielding so many meetings the CEO couldn't keep up—all from strategic regional press that opened doors to college campus contracts. Whether you're a founder wondering when to invest in PR, an agency owner struggling with junior employee turnover, or simply fascinated by leaders who refuse to automate away the relationships that make their industry work, Nicole's relationship-first philosophy offers a masterclass in doing PR right.

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We're on a mission to introduce you to the most innovative minds shaping the future of business. Each episode, we sit down with leaders who are forging new paths in business and beyond – the kind of people you definitely want in your network and absolutely need to know. Expect genuine conversations, real insights, and zero corporate fluff. We keep it light, keep it honest, and keep it interesting. Because the best ideas are forged through authentic connection, and the most successful leaders are often the most down-to-earth people you'll meet. Join us as we hammer out what's next in the world of financial innovation, one conversation at a time.