Tag: Member Stories

Ashley Bernardi is the Founder and Media Relations Director of Nardi Media LLC, a full-service media relations firm that specializes in media placements and training for authors, thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, companies, and more.

Tell me about your background and what drew you to your current position. 

Before joining the PR world, I served as a network television news producer for nearly a decade at CBS News, Bloomberg TV, and The Washington Post. My career as a journalist never came as a surprise – I was producing news stories even as a child. I created a family newscast where I would act as the executive producer and co-host with my little sister. The truth is, I was always curious about PR. When I started having kids, I didn’t want to travel as much as I was required to as a TV producer, but I wanted to transition to a career that would still allow me to keep my hands in the newsroom in some way. I love the thrill of covering the ins and outs of a news story and jumping on trending topics, interviewing compelling guests where the audience can learn something. After my second daughter was born, I thought it was the perfect time to try PR, and I ended up loving it! PR still gives me the feeling of being in a newsroom. I’m always creating stories and segment ideas for my clients, and it makes me feel like the journalist I’ve always been deep down.

Describe what excites you most about your job? 

I absolutely love creating compelling pitch and story ideas for my clients to deliver to the media. I also love utilizing the relationships we have in the media in order to book our experts on various outlets from national TV interviews to op-ed placements. But nothing beats the adrenaline rush I feel when I get bookings for my clients, especially on TV, which is my first love! At Nardi Media, we say that we love uplifting the voices of those who are uplifting the world, and that to me is more rewarding than anything else.

What is the most exciting or rewarding project you’ve done recently or in your overall career?  

There are so many! I loved working with Mel Robbins on her book The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life With One Simple Habit. We successfully secured a total of 93 media opportunities in top-tier media outlets including The TODAY Show, Dr. Oz, SiriusXM, and iHeartMedia, and in major TV/Radio media markets including New York and Los Angeles. We also secured a total of 63 podcast placements including On Purpose with Jay Shetty, The School of Greatness, The Minimalists, and more. It was so much fun!

Another campaign that was incredibly rewarding was working with Jamie Metzl, a leading technology and healthcare futurist on the paperback release of his book Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity. Our work with Jamie began the month that the entire world changed: the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic and states across the country began to implement lockdowns. Our team needed to think unconventionally and pivot our pitches to focus primarily on breaking news around the worldwide crisis. To garner top-tier placements, every pitch needed to tie back to current events. During our onboarding process with Jamie, we learned about his background and expertise and our light bulb moment was recollecting his role as a WHO advisor. Our ability to pivot quickly and get creative allowed us to secure a total of 63 media placements for Jamie during launch that focused around the book and current events, including Yahoo News, HLN, The Hill, People.com, Bloomberg, CNN Newsroom, Newsweek, a 15-interview iHeartRadio tour, and more! We were able to reach over 200 million people solely utilizing earned media.

The questions that are posed in Jamie’s book about the future of our species and the challenges to our beliefs, morals, religions, and politics, were unfolding on a global scale. Drawing these parallels between the book and current news headlines, paired with Jamie’s qualifications and expertise, allowed us to develop a nimble plan to secure opportunities with broadcast, radio, podcasts, and online outlets. We utilized past speaking engagements at the Vatican and participation in the WHO international advisory committee on the human genome to back up pitching and help us win more speaking opportunities at the Smithsonian and Singularity University. 

As a member of WWPR, what have you gained from your experience? I’m new to WWPR, and I am so thankful I joined! My decision to join was motivated by the opportunity to surround myself with like-minded and exceptional women in PR and to create connections and opportunities that allow me to learn and grow as a PR professional and woman in business. I’ve always been of the mindset that it’s not about competition, it’s about collaboration. I love any chance to support other women doing amazing things and to feel that support right back!

What PR trends are you and your company adopting this year and what have the results been like?  This year, we’re investing in securing more podcast placements. We’ve found that there’s so much power in podcasting because podcasts are so niche and 100% opt-in, meaning audiences actually choose to listen! We created a dedicated podcast team to focus on this, and the results have been well worth it. Our clients have gained more visibility, which has resulted in more book sales and more momentum overall. We’re definitely going to continue to lean into podcast placements moving forward!

Another trend we’re thankfully re-adopting post-pandemic  is in-person interviews. We’ve had almost three years of virtual-only interviews during the pandemic, but now that it’s safer to be in person, we’ve found that all TV shows – both national and local – prefer in-person interviews, and it’s happening on a daily basis. I’ve been in TV studios more in the past two weeks than I have in the past three years! While some stations still accept virtual interviews, I believe that in-person interviews are here to stay. As a former TV producer, I’ve found that in-person interviews make for a much more engaging conversation that audiences can better relate to.

Is there any particular book, podcast or influencer you would recommend? How has it impacted your life?   

My favorite podcast is We Can Do Hard Things By Glennon Doyle. What I’ve found is that my personal and professional life is so integrated as a PR agency founder, and the topics that Glennon, her wife Abby Wambach, and her sister Amanda Doyle cover empower me to embody and find synergy with these two sides of me.  And as someone who has always been passionate about health, wellness, science, and spirituality, I love the wide-ranging topics they discuss, from embodiment to boundaries to relationships, parenting, and so much more. The guests and experts they have are amazing, too!

CONTACT INFORMATION: Ashley Bernardi, Founder and Director, Media Relations, Nardi Media LLC, 202-316-3298, ashley@nardimedia.com, www.nardimedia.com

P.S. Check out my feature in Forbes where I share the biggest mistakes authors make when launching a book!

Stephanie Wight currently works at CURA Strategies as Vice President, Media Relations and is a past WWPR Board Member who served on the Emerging Leaders Awards Committee

Tell me about your background and what drew you to your new position.  

I’ve worked in healthcare communications for the past 11 years—first at The Reis Group, a boutique agency focused on healthcare PR, and then at JPA Health, a mid-sized agency focused on PR, marketing, and advocacy. I was very fortunate to learn and grow from seasoned media relations professionals early in my career, and I quickly developed a passion for pitching and elevating my clients in the news. Throughout my career, I’ve spoken to countless patients, caregivers, healthcare providers and nonprofit leaders who are so passionate about helping others and improving people’s lives. Aside from these conversations sometimes bringing me to tears, it’s been extremely rewarding to tell their stories and play a small part in helping them achieve their mission, whether it’s improving access to lifesaving treatments or providing hope to someone newly diagnosed with a debilitating disease. That brings me to CURA Strategies, where I’m specializing in earned media in my first role as a Vice President. In addition to the opportunity to specialize in an area of communications that I’m particularly passionate about, I was also drawn to CURA’s supportive and authentic culture. This stood out to me during the interview process and has been very apparent in my first couple of weeks on the job. CURA, which means care, concern, healing, and attention to others in Latin, is really at the heart of the organization and provides a great environment for people to thrive.   

What are you most excited about as you join CURA Strategies? 

I’m excited to dive into the important issues CURA supports – such as expanding access to post-transplant care and improving hospital-associated infection rates – and to be strategic and creative to elevate these issues among key audiences and help drive change. I’m also excited to join a team that was just awarded PRovoke Media’s Boutique Agency of the Year – a testament to the strong team CURA has built over the past seven years and the transformative work they’ve accomplished to date. 

What is the most rewarding project you’ve done recently or in your overall career?  

When you work in healthcare, it’s extremely difficult to choose! Most recently, I worked with the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) to build a resource for people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that goes beyond the medical aspects of the disease and addresses some of the social and emotional hurdles of living with a chronic illness. It was exciting to take this from concept to reality, starting with patient and provider research to determine the gaps in care, and then bringing patient experiences to life to help others who are struggling in their journeys. Seeing the IBD community’s response to the new resource—My IBD Life— was extremely rewarding, and securing a feature piece in WebMD was the icing on the cake. 

As a former Board Member and member of WWPR, what have you gained from your experience? 

Being on the board of WWPR expanded my horizons in many ways— it deepened my connections in the PR field, expanded my leadership skills, and challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone. As a member, I appreciate the value that WWPR continues to bring to my career, and the supportive environment it’s created for networking, friendships and learning. The opportunity with CURA actually came about through WWPR—connecting with another long-term member at the annual holiday party! 

What PR trends do you see happening in 2023 and what kind of influence has it had or will have on professionals in the industry?  

Generative AI is the big trend for 2023 that’s making a serious splash in PR and likely every industry. While many are weary about AI, my take is that PR professionals must embrace emerging tools that can streamline our work and free us up to be more strategic and creative. That being said, I think training and guardrails are necessary to avoid the pitfalls, such as inaccuracy, plagiarism, and unoriginal content, and to ensure we are optimizing the tool to best influence our work. 

Is there any particular book, podcast or influencer you would recommend? How has it impacted your life?  

I really love TheEverygirl.com – it’s a resource that I follow on Instagram offering great articles to help women lead well-rounded lives. They write about a variety of topics including career and finance,  wellness, and relationships. Also, every month they release backgrounds for your phone and computer with beautifully designed calendars…I love selecting a new one each month and it’s an easy way to reference dates when thinking about project timelines!  

Maggie Moore is a Senior Communications and Events Manager at Partnership for Public Service and serves on the WWPR Board as Co-chair on the Pro Bono Committee

Tell me about your background and what drew you to your current position.  

I work as the senior events and communications manager at the Partnership for Public Service, a position I’ll have held for two years this May. Prior to the Partnership, I was a communications officer at the U.S Agency for International Development, a highly rewarding but high intensity job that focuses on humanitarian disasters around the world. I was ready to leave the government, but not public service and found a mission-driven nonprofit that focuses on helping the federal government do its job better!

Describe a typical day at work. 

What I love about event management – and communications in general – is that no day is the same and you get to interact with every aspect of your organization. My days usually start with a few newsletters, Axios and Politico, and a few podcasts, the Daily and Up First, while I commute to work. After some email triage, I’m usually supporting an event, which usually focuses on vendor management – catering, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters – and helping to troubleshoot any last-minute issues. If there isn’t an event, I’m planning for events coming up in the next two weeks to six months. That usually entails meeting with my communications counterparts and the program team to ensure everyone is on track with their event-related deliverables. Because there are so many events happening, and at various stages, I live and die by my calendar and project management tool, Asana “my tasks” to know what’s taking top priority of the day. In addition to events, I manage the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies), which recognize career federal employees for their incredible work. Depending on the time of year, I’m either doing outreach for nominations, reviewing nominations, or coordinating various events and media for the honorees. 

 What is the most exciting or rewarding project you have done recently or in your overall career?

Every fall, I plan the annual Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies) awards gala at the Kennedy Center – it’s the culmination of literally a year’s worth of work. I get to see a theater full of prestigious leaders celebrate our nation’s top federal employees. Last year’s attendees included Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, author Michael Lewis, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. They get to see firsthand the public servants who are making a difference on behalf of the American government and its citizens. It is exciting to lead an effort that invigorates and inspires luminaries like that.

But more importantly, the Sammies are a moment for our honorees to feel special, seen and honored in a way that they might not have experienced before. It’s like they’re Cinderella and I’m their Fairy Godmother. I get to make dreams come true, without a wand or pumpkin carriages.

Bonus: I also found out this week that the 2022 Sammies awards ceremony received an honorable mention by PRNEWS’ 2023 Nonprofit Awards. 

What does Women’s History month mean to you?

Women’s History Month is a special time of year for me. My twin sister and I were born on International Women’s Day (March 8) and raised by a fierce feminist and a cadre of strong Southern women (we called them Boss Aunties). Growing up, we’d celebrate by learning about women who did big things and made good trouble. Later, I started my own women-focused nonprofit and would spend the month uplifting the stories of women we supported, who are making their own impact and trouble in the world. Today, I continue to uplift stories of women who paved the way and champion women pushing forward today (monthly giving! supporting women-owned businesses! dinner out with my girlfriends!).

Is there any particular book, podcast or influencer you would recommend?  How has it impacted your life?

I’m a big fan of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker. Even if you aren’t an event professional, it’s an amazing book that helps its readers think intentionally about events, focusing on purpose and attendee experience, which brings clarity about every decision and what’s right for this particular event. It’s applicable to events big or small, personal or public, casual or high-stakes. UN General Assembly down to dinner parties. I now begin event planning by asking “Why are we hosting this event?” and let that answer dictate everything from the guest list to venue, how to help your attendees prepare, experience and leave your event. 

What PR trends do you see happening in 2023 and what kind of influence has it had or will have on professionals in the industry? 

Prior to the pandemic, we defaulted to meeting in-person. During the pandemic, we met virtually. In the last year, I have seen a big swing toward hybrid events – where there are attendees in-person as well as online. Hybrid events are the most challenging of all and largely a new way for events to take place. Not an in-person event with a live-stream component, but one that encourages full participation equitably and inclusively for both. It takes a lot more preparation and requires a strong and skillful facilitator to pull it off effectively. We’re all still learning what hybrid best practices are and, if we want to gather in person what added value needs to happen in order to encourage people to come. 

 Why did you join WWPR and what have you gained from your experience?  

I chose WWPR for two reasons – I was looking to make a difference in DC and I was looking to broaden my communications community. Last year, I closed the nonprofit that I co-founded to help young women in Washington seeking careers in public service. I had a hole in my life where I was able to make a meaningful contribution to women in my community. When I heard about WWPR, its mission and what I can offer seemed to align perfectly – melding my experience in communications with my nonprofit background to serve as the Pro Bono Co-chair. I’ve only been a member since September 2022, but I’ve already felt like I’m meeting like-minded people and supporting my wider DC community.  

Tell me about your background and what drew you to your current position at Adfero.

I’ve always loved to write, especially as a tool to share the impactful stories or experiences I’ve learned from others. For the longest time I wanted to be a journalist, but realized there were aspects of both journalism and communication I enjoyed and wanted out of a career. When pursuing my masters at American University, I gained agency experience through an internship and quickly realized it’s what I want to do full-time. The energy and excitement of working with a variety of clients on a variety of projects was exhilarating. Following my graduation, I wanted to stay in DC and quickly found myself at Adfero. The ability to work across industries through Adfero’s public affairs practice and take on new opportunities to continuously learn and grow was, and continues to be, of great interest to me.

What is a typical day like in your current role as an Account Executive?

No two days are the same, but I generally like to start each morning by reading through the newsletters and alerts I’m signed up for – multiple Axios and POLITICO newsletters, New York Times’ The Morning, and a few others – to see if anything pertains to or would be of interest for my clients. Each day is typically spent doing a variety of paid and earned media projects, from writing copy to conducting research to launching ads, along with meetings to break up everything in between. I work a hybrid schedule and typically spend three days in the office and two working from home. My days spent in the office serve as a great opportunity to collaborate with teammates, ask questions and check-in on upcoming projects or events.

What is the most exciting or rewarding project or experience you’ve had in your career?

The best is yet to come and I’m sure the most rewarding moments are still ahead, but thus far I’d say successfully navigating graduate school along with various jobs and internships has been a highlight. Completing my capstone – also known as my “thesis” – in graduate school was very rewarding. I studied media usage and screen time among young children, how families implement – or don’t implement – screen time in their homes, and what this may mean for childhood development. The goal wasn’t to say screens are bad, but rather gain a better understanding of how we can best incorporate them into the life of a young child in such a technology-driven society. I interviewed more than a dozen parents of young children and conducted months of research and was so thankful to be recognized by American University’s School of Communication for my work at the end of the year.

Working in the creative space, how do you get inspired for a new campaign?

I’m always inspired by my team! Any time we are prepping for a new campaign, brainstorms always get me inspired. I like to scroll through various social channels and make note of what’s trending, whether it be creative trends such as memes or GIFs, or copy trends such as hashtags, emoji sequences and more, to see how we can incorporate these into campaigns and weave in our messaging. Bringing these ideas and others back to my team, while also hearing their ideas, always sparks great inspiration for what’s coming down the pike.

Is there any particular book, podcast or influencer you would recommend following?  How has it impacted your life?

A few months ago, I discovered Timm Chiusano on TikTok. He is a creative executive based in New York who shares daily glimpses into how he navigates his personal and professional life. He also shares tidbits of career advice and simply, how to make the most of every day. Chiusano is across platforms on Instagram and YouTube too, but he’s mainly known for his inspiring messages and words of wisdom on TikTok. Each post puts a smile on my face and reminds me to always look for the good in everything. If you’re on TikTok, definitely check him out!

What PR trends do you see happening in 2023 and what kind of influence has it had or will have on professionals in the industry?

I think the shifts across social media platforms will continue to impact the industry, specifically, Instagram turning its focus back to photos instead of videos and reels, and Twitter’s always changing advertising policies. I’m not sure how, but I can definitely see those in the industry altering their focus or content on these platforms. I also think the resurgence of being back in person will continue to influence the industry with more opportunities to convene, launch events, meet with the media and more.

What drew you to WWPR initially as a student and now professionally and what are you looking to gain from the organization this year?

I learned of WWPR when I was in graduate school at American University – I can’t remember exactly where, but likely through a newsletter or social post. I knew when I was in grad school that I wanted to stay in DC and launch my career here. WWPR seemed like the best place to start. I attended a few virtual meetings my first year as a member and am now excited to join folks in person. After joining Adfero, I met a few coworkers who are members as well and have been able to learn more about the organization through them. I’m excited for the opportunities WWPR provides to connect and learn from other women in Washington, enhance my PR skill set and keep a finger on the pulse of what is going on in the world of communication. As I continue to discover specific areas of PR that I want to focus on, I’m confident I can sharpen my knowledge through WWPR webinars and speaker series, and of course, through the members.

What other hobbies do you enjoy doing in the area?

When the weather is warm, I like to play tennis or go on long walks through the city with friends – this is usually followed by trying a new coffee shop or restaurant. I’m always keeping an eye on events coming to DC and often save Instagram posts from the Washingtonian and other accounts with details of upcoming shows, exhibits or festivals to check out. As the spring approaches, I’m looking forward to some upcoming shows at the Kennedy Center, concerts down at The Wharf, and Nats games.

At the height of the pandemic, Goodwill Industries International faced a pretty significant challenge. People knew the Goodwill® name, and our physical presence was strong — but there was a disconnect. Despite a 94% brand recognition rate, there was a gap in mission awareness.

Goodwill is a 120-year-old social enterprise; one of the oldest, legacy 501 (c)(3) nonprofit brands and the leading nonprofit workforce provider in North America. People knew about our donated goods retail stores, but most were not aware that the revenue from the sale of those donated goods goes toward providing skills training, support services and employment placement, enabling people to empower themselves and create their own economic mobility. 

Meanwhile, the pandemic lifted the veil on many inequities that exist in our society. It was time to tell our story and increase our visibility as a solution. Goodwill operates under a federated model, with local headquarters and leadership operating their own stores, donation centers and employment services in their communities. Each has a unique lens as they have boots on the ground, are embedded in their communities and know the needs of their local labor markets. 

So Goodwill leadership joined forces with social good strategic communications firm, BerlinRosen, to embark on a listening tour of local Goodwill organizations, partners and funders. Our aim was to reach people who could tell the Goodwill story and help provide expanded services. 

Our key takeaways from this effort revealed where we could put a stake in the ground:

• Goodwill’s long history makes it well-positioned to persevere through the pandemic. 
• Goodwill is uniquely flexible in meeting the needs of job seekers and employers.
• Goodwill is a premier nonprofit organization for workforce development.
• Equity is a growing priority for Goodwill.
  

Recognizing that the pandemic accelerated a massive transformation of our economy and workforce, we created a five-year strategic initiative called Rising Together™, which establishes a system that enables faster and more equitable economic recovery. The goal is to equip 1 million individuals with sustainable jobs by 2025. This involves a two-fold approach:

1. Leveraging media and PR to gain public support for the initiative.

2. Partnering with like-minded organizations with funds to expand services that create the right infrastructure to support job seekers and career advancers.

Rising Together™ provides the needed skills and supports to job seekers through a combination of holistic workforce services and support, as well as builds and expands upon Goodwill programs that address systemic barriers in the workforce. 

Our strategic partners in the Rising Together™ initiative include Fortune 50 companies, and global philanthropic and business leaders. To address an ongoing skills gap in the workforce that prevents many people from competing for available jobs and earning a sustainable wage, each of our partners made a specific commitment and provided dedicated resources to help people skill up for the available jobs. Read their commitments.  

To create can’t-miss news for media, we launched Rising Together™ and announced our partnerships in advance of Mother’s Day 2021 to tie into the she-cession hook.

To gain B2B support, we began an integrated campaign. We conducted a radio tour that garnered more than 23M media impressions. We strategically focused on markets where these partnerships existed as well as larger Goodwill markets. Native ads appeared in several leading publications, including US Weekly, Reader’s Digest, Essence, US News and World Report, TIME, Associated Press and others, which generated 150,000 impressions. A series of digital ads ran on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, resulting in more than 2.4M impressions.

Goodwill organizations and partners use a toolkit of resources to amplify the message, including a draft pitch note, social media graphics and messaging, and a content calendar for data and success story sharing.

Recently, Goodwill also commissioned a poll, in conjunction with PerryUndem and using YouGov’s online panel, to understand the challenges faced by job seekers ages 18-65 and to leverage the results for PR and thought leadership opportunities, including a recent op-ed in The Washington Business Journal. The poll revealed that the majority of adults, more than 54%, are not in an ideal job with opportunities for growth, and most say skills training would help. 

The Results

Goodwill leadership have been guests on television, including Cheddar, ABC and FOX, highlighting their positions as thought leaders and opening the door to ongoing opportunities.​ We received notable coverage through a steady drumbeat of responses to the monthly jobs reports and the news of the day in business and top-tier media, adjusting our story and storytellers as needed — educating our target audiences of donors and stakeholders about Goodwill.

We leveraged relationships with reporters who are contributors and influencers in their respective spaces. For instance, we secured a New York Post piece by Vicki Salemi, a Monster career expert, author, keynote speaker, and regular contributor for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Business Insider, etc. This relationship has staying power, as she plans to now include Goodwill in her upcoming book about employment. We also worked with Jack Kelly from Forbes, who founded two recruiting firms, has his own podcast and is well-known on Twitter.

Goodwill thought leaders are connecting and engaging with business audiences in a personal and meaningful way. When a potential partner hears our stories and experiences, they learn there are real people behind our brand, which allows Goodwill to earn trust and authority.

With the increased awareness, we have secured additional partnerships and resources to support our critical work in helping people earn jobs.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned

• Prioritize media requests from various outlets, not just top-tier media like The New York Times or The Washington Post.
• Allow ample time to review communications materials ahead of major announcements.
• Communicate internally consistently to ensure clarity and visibility for strategic planning and related coordination.
• Identify spokespeople who can be available for media requests ahead of announcements.
• Create a digital and social content calendar to share with key stakeholders and potential partners to leverage cross-posting opportunities.
• Plan to track impact data to highlight and break into the news cycle.
• Uplift real people and human-interest stories and those with lived experiences.

Rising Together™ started as a communications vehicle with a national focus. As it continued to take shape, it quickly led local Goodwill markets across North America to create programing on their own that coincides with the coalition goals. While Rising Together™ was created to drive national and local coverage and fundraising, it has now become the strategic narrative for policy, sustainability initiatives and more.

Lauren Lawson-Zilai is the former Senior Director, Public Relations for Goodwill Industries International, North America’s leader in workforce training and development, job placement and other support services for people looking for employment or career advancement.  As spokesperson for Goodwill®, she was quoted frequently in news media publications and networks, including the Associated Press, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Forbes, MarketWatch Radio, The New York Times, The NonProfit Times, PEOPLE, PR News, and USA TODAY. 

She recently transitioned from Goodwill to join Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. 

Lawson-Zilai is Past President of WWPR, the founder of the Emerging Leaders Awards and a former member of the Advisory Council. She is also a WWPR PR Woman of the Year honoree.