Summer bucket list ✅

Yesterday, my kids had a lemonade stand with all their neighborhood besties. They raised $75 for Everytown for Gun Safety (shout out to subscriber Natasha Dressler for contributing remotely!) as well as a chunk of change to buy their own treasures.

It was great fun (the parents’ sidewalk party was lit) and also a chance to check off one of the items on my summer bucket list. (I’m coming for you Santa Monica Pier, beach, and Hollywood Bowl!)

Indeed summer is well underway now; it seems the weather turned from overcast to full sun on the exact date of the summer equinox here in L.A. And we’ll be in July by the end of the week!

July is my birthday month, as well as my twins’ birthday month — my very favorite month of the year and the calendar page that represents my true essence. It’s also typically a time when I travel — and indeed I have a packed flight schedule with Las Vegas, Mexico, Italy, and France all on the horizon. I’m so excited!

I’ll also be OOO for chunks of time so allow me to dig into the week without further ado — including, appropriately, a Town & Country pitch call for birthday restaurants below.

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Tools of the trade

• My professional guru Jennifer Goforth Gregory has launched a course that I consider essential continuing ed right now: “Improve Your Productivity With AI Tools.” The course is geared toward not only understanding the fundamentals of AI for business writing but also knowing how to use it to actually make your job easier. You also get access to a live monthly Q&A so I consider this a great bargain at $125 (and it’s a write-off, to boot). I learned so much from it. It’s really not daunting — just a straightforward tool, broken up into easily digestible short sessions, with learnings you can implement right away. And it’s even kinda fun, too (if you’re a digital media nerd, like me). Sign up for the course here. And if you take it, do tell me what you think!

• Is anyone using Press Hook yet? If you haven’t heard of it, it’s designed as a platform to connect journalists looking for story sources with brands who want to showcase their products and experts. 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). Give it a try — right now there’s a 14-day free trial available — and let me know what you think.

• Freshbooks is the bookkeeping tool I use exclusively for my invoicing, expenses, and reporting. It’s the best, IMHO, so I evangelize. Get FreshBooks here.

• Are you a publicist who needs help understanding the affiliate game? This course, Affiliate Marketing for Publicists, can help.

• I’m obsessed with the game-changing platform Otter.ai. I use it to both record interviews and also to transcribe them in real time. You can also use it to record/transcribe any type of meeting — so anyone who missed it can easily access the Cliff’s Notes version. There’s a pro plan for agencies/companies with a ton of neat features. Check out Otter.ai here.

• My TV reporter and PR agency owner friend Christina Nicholson (who hosted me on her podcast ) hosts a 3-day program for pitching media. Once a seasonal event, she’s now made it available on-demand. You get the masterclass, a personal branding workbook, and a fill-in-the-blanks pitch template — all for $37. It’s a steal, so don’t let it pass you by.

Open press opportunities

• For Town & Country, I’m working on a roundup of the best restaurants for birthday dinners in NYC. In the pitch, please call out in brief what makes the venue good for a birthday — like good for groups, fun cocktails, festive food options, splurge places, outdoor places, places with great views, etc. Please include photos in the pitch: Photos should show the vibe/ambiance as well as possible.

Recently published or updated

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• Saatva’s *affordable* foam mattress topper totally transformed my years-old mattress (Real Homes)

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• The 20 Best Luxury Travel Accessories of 2023 (Travel + Leisure)

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• The Best Things to Do in Los Angeles (Esquire)

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• 23 of the best places to travel to around the world in 2023 (Insider)

Open jobs

Job posts in this newsletter are now free! Have an open opportunity you want me to promote? Share it with me at info@alicedubin.com.

• Modern Currency PR is hiring a PR account executive. Applicants must have at least two years of direct experience in PR with well-rounded hospitality, lifestyle, travel, food, and/or lifestyle media contacts. “Must possess a true go-getter mentality, love of luxury travel, restaurants, food culture/lifestyle, and wanderlust for international travel/tourism.” Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills and have foundational PR experience working with hospitality, culinary, lifestyle, and travel brands. Be a “self starter with innovative ideas who is ready to hit the ground running!” This position is fully remote but must be based in L.A. with the ability to be mobile for on-site client meetings/shoots/media tours and meet-ups etc. For more information and to submit a resume, contact meghan@moderncurrencypr.com.

Work with me

• 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 list 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. Let’s chat: info@alicedubin.com.

• Yes — thanks for asking! — I am also available for project-based consulting.

How to help

• Donate to the Anti-Defamation League to support the fight against hate.

• Donate to Moms Demand Action and Everytown.

• Donate to Planned Parenthood.