Hey y’all. No White Lotus spoilers here — safe to proceed.
This weekend, my beloved cat, Jazzy — my first baby, predating my twins, and almost as old as my marriage — took a sharp turn. I raced her to the emergency vet, and she was admitted for hospitalization. If you have ever loved an animal, you know the pain and anxiety (and then they hand you the bill).
Jazzy came home yesterday but is still deep in the woods and we’re not sure how this will go. She requires 24-hour medications and monitoring. That is all to say… I just cancelled my family’s plans to go to Mexico next week during my kids’ spring break. It was the warm, relaxing resort-style trip we all needed given…. *literally everything*. Ouch.
So then I had my next idea: I was going to turn our plans into a desert or coastal short road trip and we’d bring Jazzy in the car! What could go wrong? I had literally already written a handful of headlines I was going to pitch around our new adventure. Until my husband brought me back down to earth: He pointed out rightly that she would hate it, everything is fragile and unpredictable, this is a bad idea.
So! Here we are: staying in Los Angeles next week and trying to find some family-friendly joy and diversion. Please please send all of your ideas my way. We’ll go to the beach (once I figure out how to get somewhere given the PCH road closures due to the fires). I have to test out a new beach wagon for T+L coverage anyway, so win-win.
Maybe I’ll try to find a day pass for a hotel pool cabana? Mother-daughter spa day?!
What else should we do? Especially excited for ideas that won’t be ultra crowded given the school district’s spring break! I am all ears (and definitely will be pitching a story around the pivot — as I always do.) OK, so that was the sob stuff…
Now let’s talk about work.
Specifically, I want to talk about jobs today in the age of AI and layoffs and looming recession and everything else.
First, who has read this New York Times story? The Gen X Career Meltdown. It makes people like me feel very seen. And it makes me feel grateful for my diversified revenue streams (hello Substack, consulting, content marketing writing, product testing, etc.) Discuss!
Also — there are multiple great new PR jobs within this newsletter, so scroll below and be sure to check those out if you’re looking.
AND! One more thing on the topic: I’ve decided to add a new section to this newsletter to announce PR and media job changes. New job? Promotion? Left a job? Just shoot me a note at any time if you’d like your news (or a colleague’s) to be included in the next edition.
On with the show…
Mother’s Day Pitching Session Recording Available
ICYMI: The Mother’s Day gift guide pitching session was jam-packed with tips. We had so many valuable takeaways and answered 50+ of your most pressing questions, including:
What are this year’s product trends dominating gift guides?
How has gift guide pitching changed over the last year?
How can you stand out if you're not part of an affiliate network?
What are the best practices for email pitching?
What’s a no-no that will get your pitch deleted?
What are some tips on pitching products for moms without playing into gender norms?
How can you successfully pitch regional events or products that are not available nationally?
You can catch the recording here.
Open press opportunities
For Southern Living, I’m working on this story: Airplane Etiquette Rules You Might Be Breaking, According to Flight Attendants. Would love flight attendants to weigh in!
Still open: For The Hollywood Reporter, I’m working on a travel story around the best things to do/see/stay/play/eat in the Cotswolds region outside London. Please pitch away if you work with a compelling place that fits the bill.
Tools of the trade
You already know my own press opportunities are in this very Substack! I’m also a media member of Press Hook, where publicists can create and manage press kits and brand profiles on behalf of clients and use the AI-driven platform to connect with journalists in a streamlined way. If you’re not using Press Hook yet, you should definitely give it a try: It’s designed as a platform to connect journalists looking for story sources with brands who want to showcase their products and experts, and it’s all really built on trust and meaningful connections (it’s not spammy). It also offers a suite of helpful workflow tools. Journalists can search by product and category, and participating brands get exposure and affiliate opportunities — so it’s designed as a win-win for everyone (in the same vein as this Substack, I like to think). Give it a try — and let me know what you think.
Are you a publicist who needs help understanding the affiliate game? This course can really help: Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. (It’s from Sarah Karger, a brilliant affiliate expert who you might remember from some of my past Zoom workshops.) In this course, you’ll learn what affiliate marketing really is, why it has taken over the industry, and how to navigate the waters of all things affiliate to be successful.
Buy an ad and reach ~6,000 engaged publicists
Do you have a coaching program, online course, service, platform, or anything else that makes sense to get in front of my highly engaged PR and media readers? Reach out to me at alice@alicedubin.com to discuss sponsorship in this newsletter.
Recently published or updated
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Open jobs
Job posts in this newsletter are now a free perk for paying subscribers. Do you have an open opportunity you want me to promote? First, upgrade here if you need to. Then email me at info@alicedubin.com.
GV Public Relations is currently looking to hire an account director. This person needs to be based in LA and have 6-8+ years working in travel and hospitality PR, preferably at an agency. “The AD would work on acclaimed travel and hospitality clients that span hotels, resorts, destinations, restaurants, real estate companies, and hotel management companies across the country. The ideal hire excels at consistently providing thoughtful communication in a fast-paced, autonomous environment and mentoring other team members. GVPR offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits.” Interested candidates can email their resumes and cover letters to: greta@gvpublicrelations.com. More information on LinkedIn.
Modern Currency PR is looking for a digital marketing executive. “The ideal candidate must be highly organized and creative, and possess a willingness to deploy a proactive and scrappy approach to driving digital campaigns for the agency’s award-winning luxury travel & hospitality clients.” Must have at least 2-3 years of direct experience in social media strategy/management (preferably with an PR agency/firm or like-minded hospitality and/or travel company), with a true go-getter mentality. MCPR offers a competitive benefits package with a competitive base salary, new business commission structure, year-end discretionary bonus, fully remote work environment, 401k matching, work flex policy, birthday PTO, Summer Fridays, holiday office closures, generous vacation policy, medical, dental, life & vision insurance, travel perks, and more.
All candidates MUST be based in L.A. to be considered. Send resumes to kim@moderncurrencypr.com and jordan@moderncurrencypr.com.
Modern Currency PR is also hiring a highly skilled, scrappy, and strategic public relations account supervisor with 3-4 years of public relations agency experience within the hospitality, culinary, travel, tourism, restaurant and/or consumer lifestyle arenas. MCPR offers generous benefits, including a work-from-anywhere program, 401k matching, comprehensive healthcare benefits (medical, dental, vision, life), generous PTO, summer Fridays, annual holiday office closures, PR travel perks, incredible mentorship, training, and more. “Those who enjoy a small-company feel and who are drawn to a service-based and hospitality-driven culture should apply. While this is a remote position, candidates must be based in Los Angeles to ensure on-site presence at select meetings, client venues, and events as needed. Interested candidates can drop us a line with resume at contact@moderncurrencypr.com.”
Work with me
I am available for project-based consulting. Please reach out to discuss your needs: info@alicedubin.com.
Here’s how to pitch: Simply respond to this email with a new subject line or pitch me at pitch@alicedubin.com.
Are you a writer hoping to reach my engaged audience of publicists? A publicist hoping to connect with brands? A digital media type with a product or service for the industry? Maybe you’d like to sponsor this newsletter with a featured ad. I’m also open to well-matched affiliate partnerships. Let’s chat: info@alicedubin.com.
How to help
Donate to the International Committee of the Red Cross and Save the Children.
Donate to the Anti-Defamation League to support the fight against hate.
Donate to Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety.
Donate to Planned Parenthood.
Donate to Pasadena Humane Society
And this new org from a reader: “A few hospitality friends recently founded Out of the Fires LA - the first project is to help the 25+ displaced firefighter families who lost their homes while protecting the community, hence naming our cause the 25 Families Mission. The goal is to return a sense of agency to affected families by gathering around the dinner table and breaking bread together. We firstly offer dining credits to inKind's network of restaurants and once they are housed, help them rebuild their homes - starting with the kitchen - through appliances, homeware, pantry items, and more.”