Pitching Powerhouse

Award-Winning PR Agency Owner, Jen Berson
  • 5.0 (27)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Join award-winning PR mentor, Jen Berson, to learn and implement the strategies that top PR experts are using to score high-quality media coverage for their clients that don’t cost you tons of time, money, and sanity — AND how to find & land your dream retainer clients. It's 100% possible to have a fulfilling career in PR without sacrificing your personal & family time… listen to discover how!

  1. 2d ago

    Overwhelmed & Optimistic: The Power of "And"

    Jen's best friend is a golden retriever in human form, and she's also a lawyer who sees every hard thing coming and chooses happy anyway. In this episode, Jen makes the case that being positive isn't a personality trait, it's a decision you make again and again, especially when life is lifing. She breaks down what her friend Erika, a customer service call gone wrong, her grandma's honey and vinegar wisdom, a storyline on Ted Lasso, and a dear friend's lesson about the ampersand taught her about holding two opposite feelings at once. This isn't toxic positivity. It's finding the good on purpose while still feeling the hard stuff, and it changes what happens to you. ➡️ Why positivity is a choice you make over and over, and why it isn't toxic positivity ➡️ How shifting from frustration to kindness changes the way people show up for you ➡️ What Ted Lasso's Alice and the improv rule of "yes, and" teach about becoming magnetic ➡️ How the ampersand lets you feel overwhelmed and hopeful at the same time Try it this week. Next time life hands you something heavy, swap the word "but" for an ampersand and let both be true. Then tell Jen in the comments which ampersand you're holding right now. Be a golden retriever. Find the joy and bring it to someone else. 📌 Links + Resources: → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/ 💬 Let's Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/ Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    Overwhelmed & Optimistic: The Power of "And"

  2. Sep 18

    When the Story Is Great and Nobody Bites

    The pitch was timely, targeted, and genuinely good. The tiny detail nobody cared about got picked up, and the real story got nothing but silence. When you've pitched every angle you can think of and the media is still ghosting you, it's easy to decide you've lost your touch. In this episode of Pitching Powerhouse, Jen explains why that's not the case. She shares three reframes that turn silence from a verdict on your skills into a problem you can actually solve, plus why it matters more than ever in the era of AI discoverability. ➡️ Why silence is usually a hook problem, not a story problem, and how to write five headlines instead of five pitch angles ➡️ How access and exclusivity get small, niche outlets to say yes fast (and why those placements get amplified) ➡️ Why "we're holding this until October" is a win, and how to show it on your client report ➡️ How earned media on smaller, high authority outlets drives AI discoverability (GEO) Jen is also teaching a free class, Strategic Pitching in the Era of AI, where she walks through her proven four step pitching plan for getting AI models to recommend your clients. It's all new content and it's coming in September. Grab your seat with the link below, then go pitch something with a headline worth clicking. 📌 Links + Resources Mentioned in This Video: → Save Your Seat for the Free Class, Strategic Pitching in the Era of AI: https://jenerationacademy.com/masterclass → Get Your Agency AI Assistant: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-assistant → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/ 💬 Let's Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/ Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    When the Story Is Great and Nobody Bites

  3. Sep 6

    What to Do With a Difficult Client Who Rejects Opportunities

    → Register Free for Strategic Pitching for AI Era Visibility: https://jenerationacademy.com/masterclass  We have all had this happen. You land an amazing opportunity for a client. You crafted an incredible pitch. You got the yes from the journalist. They're interested, they want to interview your client, and it lines up perfectly with the strategy you built around their goals and objectives. You send it over, all excited to share what you landed for them, and your client says: "We're gonna pass." So annoying. So frustrating.  And now you get to go back to the editor with nothing, which, let's be real, isn't just annoying. It's really embarrassing.You got the yes from the journalist. Your client got the email. And your client said pass. Now you have to go back to the editor with nothing, and a month later that same client wants to know why they aren't getting any coverage.  In the latest episode of Pitching Powerhouse, Jen breaks down what's actually happening when a client rejects the opportunities you bring them, and why "difficult" is almost never the real answer. Most clients are grading your work against a scorecard nobody ever explained to them. They can see the flashy placements their competitors are landing. They cannot see the strategy underneath any of it. In this episode she walks through three reframes, gives you the exact language for the alignment call that gets everyone back on the same page, and covers what to do when the client is fine but the deal itself is broken. ➡️ Why "difficult" usually means your strategy evolved and nobody resold it to the client ➡️ The plain language script for explaining AI discoverability, so small niche outlets finally make sense to them ➡️ Why clients ration their yeses, and the tracking habit that turns your ideas into proof ➡️ The three contract clauses that stop an underpriced account from draining you and your team If you have been avoiding this conversation with a client, this is your permission slip to book the call. Get on the same page, get your yeses back, and go crush it this week. 📌 Links + Resources Mentioned in This Podcast: → Register Free for Strategic Pitching for AI Era Visibility: https://jenerationacademy.com/masterclass → Get Your Agency AI Assistant: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-assistant → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/   💬 Let's Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/ Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    What to Do With a Difficult Client Who Rejects Opportunities

  4. Jul 29

    Your Client Doesn't Know What They Want, And That's Your Job to Figure Out

    A client tells you they want Forbes. They can't tell you why. That's the exact moment most agencies get it wrong. In this video, Jen breaks down what to do when a client hands you a wish list of big-name placements with zero reasoning behind it. She walks through the discovery questions that uncover what a client actually needs versus what they're asking for, how to map that real goal to the right PR strategy, and why chasing vanity metrics sabotages the whole relationship. ➡️ The exact questions to ask on a discovery call to uncover a client's real goal, not just their wish list ➡️ Why credibility, sales, investor confidence, and validation each require a completely different PR strategy ➡️ A wild story about a viral Instagram foodie that shows what happens when a client isn't ready to handle the visibility they asked for ➡️ How to shift from being an order-taking vendor to an indispensable strategic partner Ready to stop taking client requests at face value and start leading with real strategy? Grab the Premium Positioning Audit linked below. It takes five minutes and shows you exactly where your positioning needs work. 📌 Links + Resources Mentioned in This Video: → Get Your Premium Positioning Audit: https://jenerationacademy.com/audit → Get Your Agency AI Assistant: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-assistant → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/ 💬 Let's Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/ Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    Your Client Doesn't Know What They Want, And That's Your Job to Figure Out

  5. Jul 20

    The Riches Really Are in the Niches

    Niching down feels like cutting your client pool in half. Jen makes the case that the generalist is the one actually leaving money on the table. In this episode, Jen breaks down why narrowing your PR agency's focus is the opposite of turning away revenue. She walks through three reframes that turn niching from a scary subtraction into the clearest path to premium clients, higher retainers, and getting discovered in AI search. She also shares the exact fill-in-the-blank line for defining your niche and the script for handling leads who land outside your lane. ➡️ Why niching down makes you the obvious choice instead of one more fish in a crowded pond ➡️ The sneaky trap of staying broad: competing on price and defaulting to impressions ➡️ How to define your niche by client, stage, or outcome, not just industry ➡️ Why specialists win in AI search, plus the exact script for referring out off-niche leads Pick your pond, plant your flag, and become the go-to in a space you actually love. Watch the full breakdown now. 📌 Links + Resources Mentioned in This Video: → Watch the Masterclass Replay (How PR Agency Owners Are Making Themselves More Sought After Than Ever in the Age of AI): https://jenerationacademy.com/june → Get Your Agency AI Assistant: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-assistant → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/ 💬 Let's Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/ Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    The Riches Really Are in the Niches

  6. Jun 17

    The moment I stopped selling press and started selling revenue

    Two clients. Same results. One renews every month and refers everyone she knows. The other churns the second her contract ends. After 21 years in PR, Jen has watched the era of reporting on impressions and reach quietly come to an end. In this episode, she breaks down what's actually keeping clients in the door for the agencies with the highest retention rates: moving the conversation from deliverables to outcomes, and tying the press you land to the one thing clients actually care about, their revenue. ➡️ Why two clients with identical results have opposite outcomes (and the frame that gets set before the work even starts) ➡️ How to shift your reporting from deliverables like impressions and reach to real business outcomes like pipeline and branded search ➡️ The AI discoverability reporting opportunity almost no one in PR is using yet ➡️ Why niching down is the lever that unlocks premium pricing and longer client retention If you're ready to stop competing on price and start selling revenue, this is the conversation that changes how you sell, how you retain, and how you grow.   📌 Links + Resources Mentioned in This Episode: → Save Your Spot for Jen's Free Masterclass (June 20th): https://jenerationacademy.com/june → Get Your Agency AI Assistant: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-assistant → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/   💬 Let's Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/ Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    The moment I stopped selling press and started selling revenue

  7. Jun 7

    What I'd Do Differently If I Were Starting My Agency in 2026

    Twenty-one years ago, Jen emailed a stranger on the internet, asked her to mail over a box of free product, and somehow turned that into a whole PR agency. Now she's pulling back the curtain on everything she'd keep, ditch, and lean into harder if she had to build her PR agency from scratch today. This is the honest version of two decades of trial and error, condensed so you can skip the long learning curve. ➡️ Why niching down on day one (who you serve AND how you serve them) is what actually lands premium retainers ➡️ How to offer introductory pricing without getting trapped at a low rate forever ➡️ The case studies, tools, and "yes to everything" habits worth cutting loose ➡️ Why rest, relationships, and your own instincts are the real business strategy in the age of AI 📌 Links + Resources Mentioned in This Video: → Free Live Masterclass "How PR Agency Owners Are Making Themselves More Sought After Than Ever in the Age of AI" (June 20): https://jenerationacademy.com/june → Get Your Agency AI Assistant: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-assistant  → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab  → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/  💬 Let's Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/  Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    What I'd Do Differently If I Were Starting My Agency in 2026

  8. May 31

    Commoditized PR is dying. Here's what's replacing it.

    Join Jen's free live masterclass on June 20th and get the complete system for positioning, pipeline, and pricing your agency for the AI era: https://jenerationacademy.com/may PR and earned media budgets are predicted to double by 2027 because of AI. The agencies that understand why are already winning. There are two groups in PR right now. One is asking if the industry is dead. The other just had their best quarter ever. In this episode, Jen breaks down exactly what's splitting the market, why commoditized PR is getting squeezed, and what the agencies that are thriving are doing differently. The answer has nothing to do with experience or tools. It comes down to one decision most agency owners were never taught to make. In this episode: - Why it's not PR that's dying, it's a specific kind of PR - How earned media placements now feed directly into AI search results like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews - The positioning shift that turns you into the only logical choice for your ideal client - Why depth and authority are the things AI simply cannot commoditize Links + resources mentioned: → Free Live Masterclass "How PR Agency Owners Are Making Themselves More Sought After Than Ever in the Age of AI" (June 20): https://jenerationacademy.com/may → Get Your Agency AI Assistant: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-assistant → Join The Pitch Lab: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-pitch-lab → Subscribe to My Newsletter: https://jenerationacademy.com/ Let's connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerationpr/ Website: https://jenerationacademy.com/

    Commoditized PR is dying. Here's what's replacing it.
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About

Join award-winning PR mentor, Jen Berson, to learn and implement the strategies that top PR experts are using to score high-quality media coverage for their clients that don’t cost you tons of time, money, and sanity — AND how to find & land your dream retainer clients. It's 100% possible to have a fulfilling career in PR without sacrificing your personal & family time… listen to discover how!

Information

  • Creator
    Award-Winning PR Agency Owner, Jen Berson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    168
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Pitching Powerhouse

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