175 | The Power of Press for Professional Organizers with Rachel Rosenthal
I wanted to learn more about how professional organizers can harness the power of the press to make their businesses even stronger, and I turned to an expert—Rachel Rosenthal of Rachel & Company in Washington, DC.
Rachel started her professional organizing business 15 years ago, and quickly realized how she could multiply her reach using the press—and now has been featured in countless publications that you might have heard of (!!!) including CNN, NBC, HGTV, The Washington Post, The Wall St. Journal, and many more.
I got so much wisdom from Rachel about how to use press to your advantage in your organizing business—and I am excited to share it with you.
“Who else is going to talk about your business and know the most about your business or know the most about your clients or want to serve the people that you want to serve clients…than you. You're your best spokesperson.” -Rachel Rosenthal
LINKS FOR LISTENERS
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
Melissa Klug: Hey pro organizers it’s your podcast, host Melissa. So this week, I am watching football right now, as I am recording this, it is playoff time. But it's a double-header this week. That is a different sport, but that's what it is. I'm bringing you two episodes this week with my guest, Rachel Rosenthal. And I met Rachel at the How To Summit, which by the way, the How To Summit, and I'm going to be talking more about it. In the upcoming weeks, but I am thrilled to be attending this year in September, they have an early bird special for the Summit until January 31st. And I would love for you to get it on that. I will put the link in the show notes, but I met Rachel at last year's How To Summit.
And she was talking about the power of press and doing press in your organizing business and what it brings to you. And I wanted to have her on the podcast and have a more extended conversation with her because I do think this is something that is really important. It's something that I don't do a wonderful job of in my organizing business.
So like a lot of times I'm bringing you things that are good for your business, but they're also good for my business. I am still an organizer. I still go out to see clients. So this is something that I wanted to have her on and have a really great conversation with her about how we should be using press. I'm going to break it up into two episodes. This episode is all about kind of the why of doing press. And then the second episode is going to be pretty meaty on how do I actually do it? How would I go out and pitch people? What do I do?
So between these two episodes, you will have a really actionable plan and then Rachel additionally has a course where she goes even more in depth. I will put that link in the show notes, if you really get energized by this.
And you're like, yes, I want to go do this for my business. I got energized talking to her and hearing her enthusiasm about it. And I really encourage you to check out all of her stuff. So I am thrilled to introduce you to Rachel Rosenthal.
Rachel, I am so excited to welcome you to the Pro Organizer Studio Podcast. So Rachel was at the How To Summit, which I have talked about extensively on this podcast. It was such a great event, wasn't it? It was a great event. Yes. And you did a session, several sessions actually about PR and press.
And I wanted to have you on the podcast because this is something that I think organizers are absolutely sleeping on just entirely. I was like, so excited that you are on the podcast with us today. So thank you.
Rachel Rosenthal: Of course. I'm happy to be here.
Melissa Klug: People who went to the How To Summit, this will be a little bit of a refresh, but can you tell us a little bit about your journey on PR and just on your business.
Rachel Rosenthal: Sure. I was a lawyer for many years and then just decided it wasn't for me. And so I started getting into organizing about 15 years ago, which just seems crazy. And started my business here in the Washington DC area.
It's grown over the years. And I've obviously used several different marketing techniques I would say. But I would highly, highly, highly recommend and say that my number one most successful marketing technique would be using press. And I feel like I just kind of fell into it many years ago, and it has been something that I've worked at ever, you know, since I haven't paid for press any of these 15 years, but I've landed myself in, you know, over 100 publications like Real Simple and Better Homes and Gardens, CNN, Wall Street Journal, all of those publications.
And I think it is the absolutely number one thing, at least for my business. And for many of my coaching clients, the number one thing that I suggest professional organizers, or just really anyone in a service based business looks to implement within their marketing strategies and techniques for their business.
Melissa Klug: Well, tell us a little bit about why it's important because I think a lot of people hear like, okay, well, I don't live in Washington, D. C. So what, why would I want to be quoted in the Washington Post? And I know it sounds silly, but can you give people the lay of the land of like why these things are important?
Rachel Rosenthal: Yes. So I would say live wherever you live, and I would say it start with something local. It is important because you want to get your name out there to your local community. I mean, I would think about who your ideal client is first and then say, Where are those people reading things? What are they listening to?
What are they watching? And then you're going to go from there. You don't necessarily want to be in the Washington Post if you live in Minneapolis, for example, that will not get you clients in your local market. However, if you then go on to wanting to Span into the national market, then maybe a hit in the Washington Post would be helpful and successful.
But you have to think about the whys of press and the wheres first before you just start going at it. I know a lot of people are like, oh, it's too overwhelming, I don't wanna do it. It's, it's. very complicated, but it really isn't.
And I will say, I talked about this at the How To Summit. I am a very, very, very shy person.And I think most people don't know that because I am in the press or I do go on Instagram or whatever it is, but the press is just a way for me. And what I think for other people listening is a way to talk about. Your business, a way to talk about who you wanna serve and what your interests are and your businesses just in general.
And, you know, stuff that's going on in the world that's related to your business or chips for your business. It's just such an amazing conduit to get the word out there and education. And so I really look at it as a thing to serve anyone who is listening to whatever I'm talking about or reading it.
But it's a way to hit a lot of people versus just the people who you're working with locally. Well, and
Melissa Klug: I love what you said too about you are not someone who is like, Hey, please shine a spotlight on me. I think that's what, and I want to talk about that a little bit because most people say about networking or any of these other things that might make us a little bit uncomfortable is, yeah, well, I don't really, I don't love having my picture taken. I don't really love being out there. How have you been able to get over some of that?
Rachel Rosenthal: Yeah, I feel like when you start a business, no one talks about this and they're like, yeah, but you're the face. So you gotta go. I mean, photo shoots, hate them press and being the spotlight a hundred percent hate it.
And so because of that networking, I do it if I can, but then that exhausts me. That's my personality. I will go and then I'll have to come home and, you know, be in my house for a little bit. No, I mean, I just hibernate for like three weeks. I just feel like, You know, it's it's one of those things that who else is going to talk about your business and know the most about your business or know the most about your clients or want to serve the people that you want to serve clients.
Other people who just want to read, you know, organization tips, for example. Then you and you're your best spokesperson. That's why again, I've never paid for press because I've always come back to me.
And yes, I don't want to be in the spotlight But that's not what i'm using the press for. And so if I switch the way I'm thinking about press and how it actually helps my bottom line like triple, I don't know what the percentage is. Then I realized, okay, I'm not going after press to be in the spotlight. So someone could be like, oh yeah, she was on X, Y, or Z TV show or in this magazine, I'm doing it so that I can grow the bottom line of my business. And then I think about it in such a different way that it's like. Oh my gosh, if I wasn't doing this, what would my business look like?
And if I slept on not doing press, I would not have the numbers that I have in my business. So it just makes financial sense. It makes marketing sense to me as a no brainer. So once I flipped the switch of, you know what, I'm not doing this for, the big lights and headlines and all of that.
And I'm, I'm shy, but I'm not doing it, you know, for that. It really changed the way I thought about press.
Melissa Klug: Well, I like what you said too about it changing the lens to it's a service. You are actually serving people by bringing this message to them. You know, whether it's, even if it's someone that maybe never uses your services, you get to the people that will use your services, but you can also get to service people that maybe would never be able to, to utilize your services too.
Rachel Rosenthal: Yes. And to get even more into it, but the people I work with in the press. I've worked with for, 15 years, let's say, and all of those people come back to me and there's a reason they've come back to me and I keep asking them. Well, why do you come back to me? They either switch publications or they go off on their own or they come back to me because I provide so much more than they're asking me.
They might ask me one or two questions, but I'm writing paragraphs because I want to get one who serve them. If they do good and they post a story where tons of readers are responding or, you know, writing in and thank you. So the. Then they're going to come back to me and say this person serves me so well.
And I served my audience so well. So it's kind of this whole little line flowing down of I'm serving obviously the readers, but in turn, the author or the writer. And so they're much happier and then their publications much happier with them. So it's all this connected you know, whatever you want to say, but I just think I'm doing it because I want to provide value.
And yes, it's free value. It is my time, but I am so passionate about everything I'm writing about to a degree, you know, with different degrees that it shows through, I think. And that's why I don't talk a lot about, I don't know, I'm not loving garages. I will comment on garages, let's say for example, but I'm sure my passion shows through and other topics much, much greater.
Melissa Klug: Let's talk a little bit about, you know, some of these low. So starting local because I think a lot of people just hear real simple or the better home, you know, we've we hear about these big publications. I think when we hear when we think about press and PR, we think about the big publications, Martha Stewart Living, whatever. Tell us a little bit about local things that people should be considering.
Rachel Rosenthal: Yes. So I, my biggest press hit, people always ask me, what's your biggest present to date? It is a local newsletter and that changed the trajectory of my business. When I first started, and people I don't even think the newsletter is actually in existence anymore.
It was called Daily Candy was for local every single major city had one. And I actually had to discount my services to be in the newsletter, but I just decided for me, that was why I wanted to do it and get my name out there locally. It changed my business. Um, exponentially. And so locally is where you want to start, especially if you are looking for clients.
Locally is where you don't aim for the Martha Stewart and the Real Simple. And that's not to say you're not going to get there one day, but that doesn't actually help you at all with local businesses, local networking, all of that. So I always say, start local and that's as local as a school newsletter, or our local interior designer sends out a newsletter to her list. Get on that list. Where are your referrals coming from? Look to see if they have small newsletter lists or big newsletter lists, or if there is a local paper at your supermarket, like Whole foods or a co-op. Do they have a you know, monthly paper that goes out that you can write an article for these things don't have to be these giant, scary, real simple Martha Stewart Living.
I want them to be obtainable because that's where your clients are reading and watching and looking local news. You know, what programs have this sort of lifestyle segments that you can go on and show your skills on TV and if TV scares you, there's podcasts. There's tons of podcasts around here that talk about local restaurants, bars, happenings, all that kind of stuff.
You want to be on that podcast as the local organizing expert for your area.
Melissa Klug: I tell people all the time, you've got to look at local podcasts because there are more than you can possibly imagine because everybody has a podcast now. There are a ton of them out there and whatever your niches, if you like to work with moms, I guarantee there's a local one for moms in your area.
And the local television thing too, is you guys, I mean, we might not realize it cause I don't watch a lot of daytime television. There are local television shows for every municipality, unless you live in a very tiny area.
Rachel Rosenthal: Everything, everything. And I totally agree with you on the podcast. I feel like that's an underrated area where people can actually go on locally and those people are looking for guests, just like you're looking to go on.
But before you, scatter yourself too thin and because there are going to be a million options, no matter what area you are in. I would think about why and who your ideal client actually is, because if you don't have that in mind, then you could go on, I'm making this up, a local dentist podcast where like dentists aren't your, you know, niche.
Or you could go on a mom's podcast and moms are actually not your clientele. You're working with the elderly and so think about all of the different clients and or narrow it down. I'm a big fan of narrowing it down and then spread your wings and say, where can I go locally to find this press?
Melissa Klug: You don't want to go to the work and go promote yourself and get something and then have it be like, Oh, these are 0 percent of my ideal clients.
Rachel Rosenthal: Right? Right. Time. I mean, the press is time. It's just, it's time.
And so you got to think about it and be strategic about where you want to go right down those top 10, top 20 places that have your ideal client that would. That people are listening to locally. So if there's, I'm just making this up 25 podcasts that are mom podcasts. What are the top two? What are the top three that are really going to give you the most bang for your buck or where the moms who have the income or the interest or live in that actual area really are and are really listening to because again, there's so much out there, which I think a lot of times intimidates people because they don't know where to actually start.
Melissa Klug: And then the, the point that you made, which is very important. And as someone who has a podcast who you know, we are always looking for content, right?
Like it is very challenging. Whether it's television or a podcast or anything else. It is very challenging to make sure that you're constantly churning out content. There are people who are looking for that, but you also have to demonstrate why you're an interesting, you know, potential thing for their audience to write, right?
Rachel Rosenthal: It's not just an email. Hey, I'm a professional organizer would love to be on your podcast. Because then they would be like, reject. No, I mean, yes, but you have to be talking about something interesting, whether it's something currently going on that you can relate to, or a seasonal a lot. I talk about a lot about this in my press course, or Something that is interesting to you, that is something that is a passion project of you.
I have a lot of coaching clients that are working with. People with ADHD or something else that really you have a passion for, then that's what you want to be pitching to talk about, because again, the end point, what is the end point that we're looking for it's press around your specific business.
And so just being this generalist, I don't really think helps too much, but it is going for the, what you want to be known for what types of clients you want, especially when you're talking about local markets.
Melissa Klug: So let's say that someone has pitched, Let's just fast forward and say you've gotten something great. This is something that comes up a lot when I talk to people and they've gotten a TV spot or they've gotten something like that. And then they are paralyzed of like, what am I supposed to do? One of the things that I try to remind people is you've got to have little sound bites, right? Like you've got to have kind of some preparation for. If you are going on something like this, so can you talk to us a little bit about how to prep?
Rachel Rosenthal: I think preparation is key. It goes to the same thing of when I'm writing for, a magazine or something online. Let's just take a TV show. Since you mentioned that prep is key. Most. TV segments are like three to five minutes.
If that, okay. That seems long five minutes actually, but like, let's say two to four minutes. This is if you have enough time to prep. I've had a lot of people that will be like, can you be here tomorrow? So that's a choice whether you can do that or not. But in the downtime, I tell people be prepping for when those people come because press is, we need it yesterday.
We need it in eight hours. We want you on the next day. And so again, a lot of those you can do, but a lot of those you're going to have to turn down because you don't have the prep in, you know, your arsenal. In this downtime where you are pitching and waiting, I would just suggest prepping for things.
You don't know exactly what it's going to be. But if you are pitching certain topics, three to five topics be prepped in your arsenal around that. So for example, on TV, if they were to call you and say, Hey, we love that segment that you pitch. We want you on next Tuesday. What you're going to do. TV is mostly live. And it's visual. I would prep number one, look at that TV show and see what have the segments looked like before. Are they with one anchor? Are they with two anchors? Are you at a big table? Are you sitting? And ask those questions ahead of time because that will also help with your prep.
Do you need to bring in props? Probably for TV, the answer is yes. So thinking about what those props are going to look like and set them up on the same type of table that is, you know, on that TV segment or a round table or a long table, if you can, and go down and rehearse what you are going to say.
You also are going to have to account for, there's going to be time in between that anchors are talking to you on TV. You're going to be nervous. I think everyone's usually. You know, thing you don't want to be left with nothing to talk about and or you're going to have to worry about chitchat that goes on and then hit your points.
So practice, practice, practice. I mean, write it out. Think about questions that they might ask you. Provide the TV stations with questions to ask you. I mean, a lot of times again, it's not that they're necessarily lazy. They just don't know exactly what they're trying to get out of the segment. Especially if you've pitched it, right?
So prepping all these things ahead of time, your outfit, I mean, I know that sounds. Maybe crazy to some people, prep your outfit for the weekend. I mean, you don't, I love black just like the next girl, but I'm not wearing black on TV. That's when I get my color out. You gotta think about these things beforehand. What shoes? You're not putting on brand new shoes that day that are heels. And like, you're going to be standing for, it's not that long, but by walking there, standing, if you're in heels that are killing you, those are It's going to show somewhere in your body. So prepping literally everything from the segment to your outfit to, getting out the door.
As us organizers, I know like to do like just prep. I mean, this is the time to shine in that way. I've never regretted over delivering and yes, maybe I only get to two of the five tips, but I just feel like that much more prepared to that actually calms my nerves.
When I'm, you know, again, for a TV segment, if we're taking that for an example.
Melissa Klug: When I think to learning how to talk in soundbites, because we're used to talking to people, you know, like a little bit more long form, or we might have a client for three hours, but learning how to, like you said, two to four minutes.
You've got to be really succinct, which is not a skill that I personally have. And so the times that I've had to do interviews, I've had to see like, okay, I've got to dial myself back a little bit. Right. So it's just realizing that it's a different form that you are dealing with.
Rachel Rosenthal: I know we're using TV, but think about if you are watching TV and if you haven't watched this actual segment, go and watch it and see when someone's on there, you are going to only take away a few different tips.
So what are those tips that you really want someone to go? Oh, wow. I just watched Rachel and I learned one, two, three, or I learned one, two, three, four, whatever it is, you want to know what those things are and not making it up in the moment because that will never work.
Melissa Klug: It's, it's not going to be a great plan.
Rachel Rosenthal: never, never, it never has worked. For me, I should say. Yeah.
Melissa Klug: Let's talk about if there are people that are like please stop talking about television. It's giving me anxiety. Just thinking about it. Like there are a lot of ways that you can get into press that have nothing to do with the camera being shoved in your face. Right.
Rachel Rosenthal: Correct. I don't like TV. And every single time I'm like sweating and, you know, but they're always live. But again, I've done it because I wanted to just be more versatile in my press. Once you do it, I think you feel better afterwards. That you can go on to the next one, but there are podcasts, as we talked about, and then there's a ton online.
So online, the amount of places that you can be online are endless. And so. We talked quickly about the magazines and print and print magazines go to print many months in advance. So that's a whole different ballgame. But online, I think, is the easiest way to actually dip your toe into press.
And so locally, if we're talking about that, think about those local places that have online newsletters or online forums that you could write for. It's just thinking about where you where your client would read online. So again, local events. If you are hosting a local event and speaking at your public library, I would then go to the public library, do they have a newsletter that you can write for?
Is there something that attaches to the library that talks about events that there's just a little bit more of a blurb that you could then write for whether it's Expanding on the topic you're talking about or something else. There's so many options. That online for me is the easiest. And when I say write, a lot of people always say, Oh my gosh, do I have to write the article?
The answer is no. You have to write a pitch, which is different than writing the article. But if someone came back to you and said, Hey, I loved that article that you want to do on, I don't know, sustainable products in your kitchen. Can you send me a few tips or they'll give you some questions to answer.
So you're not writing the article for them. Although I feel like a lot of the times I'm, I'm giving them a lot of information to use for the article. You're not actually writing the article for them. So if you're, if you think you're not the best writer or your grammar isn't great or you know, you don't worry about it.
That's the, and I think that stops people from actually pitching because they feel like they have to write the whole thing. But don't worry about it. It's not about that when you're writing.
Melissa Klug: Well, and I think that that's a great point is all of, so a lot of the things that we're talking about are things that we're asking you to get a little bit out of your comfort zone.
And because I will hear a lot, I'm not a writer, I can't blog, I can't do it. But I want you to think about expanding because these are things that are important to make your business work. Like all we're trying to do is help you make your business work. And so if you don't feel like you're a strong writer.
Let's figure out how to give you some more confidence in that. Or let's figure out how you can take something that you would say and talking to someone and then put that into writing. There are a lot of things that you can do to hone those skills. Right.
Rachel Rosenthal: And I would say, and that's very true. I would say it's like, it's one of those tools in my toolbox for as a business owner that maybe I didn't think about having to do when I started my business because all I thought about was social media.
But it's the same thing when someone says to me, Oh, I hate going on social media or I don't know how to do the pitch, you know, the captions or the reels or whatever it is, it's just the same way. It's a different medium to get the word out there. Social media, we keep scrolling.
We don't see half of the people we actually follow and, you know, whatever, go to the point. that you are going to try something. And again, you might not get, you probably won't get a hit that first pitch, but I say keep up with it. And think of it as another tool to marketing and don't spread yourself too thin because you're going to end up being, everywhere and nowhere type of thing. If that's the case. And so you have to be strategic about it, just as I would say, be strategic about another social media platform. But then see where is it impacting my bottom line, right? If it is getting you more clients or people say, I always ask every single client that walks through our door, where did you find me?
Yeah, not always going to translate and them saying, Oh, I just saw you in the Washington Post. Right. But it lends to credibility. If I as a consumer, look at there's, you know, 10 organizers in my area, which is not true. There's like 10 organizations. A billion. Every block. But if I were to say, oh, I was just in the Washington Post and my nine other quote unquote competitors were not, as a consumer, I'm like, whoa, the Washington Post thinks Rachel is good enough and had Rachel—I want to go with the one that the Washington Post wants to go with.
So that's always also been my, strategy is like, okay, it's going to somehow turn into bottom line numbers, which it does, because they are already vetting you. I mean, that's huge. You're not having to vet yourself this, this publication, your local paper, whatever it is, is vetting you already.
You're going on someone's podcast and they're saying, I want this guest. This guest is good enough to be on my podcast. So they're good enough for you to hire. It gets me so excited, and I feel like it's such a missed opportunity for small business owners that they maybe take some time away from Instagram and commenting on people's on Instagram stuff and go on and figure out some press hits because that's going to be lasting business for you.
Melissa Klug: It's a huge credibility builder and this is important, you can leverage it for so long, you know, I was on our local television station, which I mean, I'm, Twin Cities is pretty big. Is that it was four years ago. Is it still on my website? Prominently? Absolutely. It is because I was on KARE 11, right? Like that's a big deal. And so you can continue that going on for a really long time. And. It's also about, because my passion is building people's digital foundations. It's great SEO for you a hundred percent. You know, you get back links on someone else's. It's, it's credibility for your website and for you as an organizer.
Rachel Rosenthal: It's incredibly important. I mean that SEO I'm so glad you brought that up because people don't think about that. I mean, there, I'm not doing press for fun. I mean it's just, it's not, I'm doing it as a business. It gets so many back links.
That's how people come to my site. And that's how I can sort of cut through. And in a lot of different areas because I have all these backlinks to my site, they are posting about me, a TV station, they then repost their content online, then you get the video sometimes then they put it on YouTube, then you can use your press just like you said For years, I would be I've been using my stuff for years and you can repurpose that you can then write your own blog and link to the, TV spot that you did, you can then put it on social media, multiple different ways, you can then put it on to Pinterest, which is another way that, people find you so utilizing that press is it's gold, and you can do so so much with it.
And in your signature line, like something as small as that was recently featured in, whatever the publication is that whatever the new station is that to me again, when I'm a client getting that email with a signature line that has something like, Whoa, you're credible. You are not just some random person that hung a shingle, and said, you're an organizer.
Melissa Klug: Okay, so that was part, one of my conversation stay tuned for later this week, when I will bring you part two, where we learn how to pitch. All of those things. I want you to have a couple of days to really think about, Hey, what would this look like in my business? And then in a couple of days, I will give you the, how do I go do it so that you can put those two things together?
Just a quick reminder, if you would like to spend another hour with me, I would love to spend time with you on the Pro Organizer’s Profit Plan, which is a free workshop that I put together. You can go hit that up at poroadmap.com and also be on the lookout for an email from me, our Organizing Essentials program. Is going to be open for enrollment until Valentine's day.
I want you to give yourself the best gift possible and it's becoming an even better organizer. So stay tuned. Look for that and hit up the show notes. If you want some additional information on that. And if you're not on our email list, send me an email. hello@proorganizerstudio.com. And I'll be thrilled to add you.
I don't spam you. I only send you limited emails, but I promise that I always make them really good. All right. I hope you guys have an absolutely unbelievable week and I'll see you in a couple of days with part two with Rachel.
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