I am writing to you after landing from an incredibly bumpy 6 hour flight into San Diego. It's so beautiful here, so don't worry – I'm not going to complain.

I'm here to enjoy John Carlton's Action Seminar II, which is a 2-day intensive on all things marketing and copywriting. I basically devour everything John writes, and am completely stoked to attend this conference.

But flying here to attend is even more than learning from the best of the best. It's also about getting out and meeting new people. Networking with folks without the barrier of your computer screen.

Now I'll be the first to admit that I've attended a TON of networking events in the past that were a complete waste of time. But the reason was because I didn't take the time to find the ones that were comprised of people within my target market, or those comprised of peers that I could partner/joint venture with.

If you have any reservations about hopping on a plane and spending your hard-earned money on a live event, follow these tips:

• Ask former attendees about their experience. Many of these folks are listed on the website if they provided testimonials. You can also reach out to your own network to see if anyone has attended in the past.
   
• Find out where your industry mentors are speaking and get there! This is a phenomenal way to meet the folks that you respect and also to join a like-minded crew of professionals that may be open to parternships.
   
• Get a sense of the event from the marketing materials and agenda. Most live events have some type of agenda and often use a sales letter or video to entice people to come. Go with your gut on this. If you don't have a good feeling from the marketing, it's likely the event itself will be a disappointment.

Do you attend live events and in-person networking groups? What were your experiences? Leave a comment below!

And, don't forget to check out the upcoming course that will help you Boost Your Fame Factor – http://www.boostyourfamefactor.com/

Among my coaching clients and entrepreneurs I network with every day, a few statements occur quite often:

"I can't wait until I hit that one big break."

"If I can just get that one big press hit, my company will take off."

"If I just land this one client, my business wiil skyrocket."

"If I win this award, I'll keep going."

While we should all aspire to land clients, get featured in the media, win awards, etc, believing that there is that "one big break" is actually self-defeating. I see people land a huge account that brings in 6 figures, only to lose them a few years later. Why? Because you can't rely just on that one client. What happens when they leave?

Actors film movies or television series all the time and end up going back to their temp jobs shortly after, or even in-between filming, to pay the bills. You can't rely on that one role catapulting you to 'A' list status.

A client and friend of mine shared a story of landing a huge media placement years ago that brought lots of sales. Then she spent the next year trying to recreate it, with no luck. She now realizes that instead of just chasing the press for a whole year, she could of done something better to serve her customers.

This week, I stumbled upon a video from actor Kevin Spacey on "Inside the Actor's Studio." He is answering a question from someone in the audience that's waiting for that 'one big prize.' His answer is so compelling, I was inspired to write a whole blog post on it. Take a moment to watch this video and leave your thoughts below!

This week I received an email from a reporter with the subject line "Interview – <client name>." I opened it and realized that she was responding to a pitch I had sent 9 months ago.

That's right – "nine" months ago.

I immediately responded to the reporter, set up the interview, and everything is peachy and set to run in their next issue.

Afterward, my client said to me "I'm so glad this happens, because I always get worried that the media doesn't like me, and then they respond and all my worries go way!"

She's not alone in this thinking. In fact, many entrepreneurs think if the media doesn't respond right away to cover your product, interview you as an expert, review your book, etc – it means that you're not worthy. This is simply not true.

Whoever said that 'public relations is a marathon, not a sprint' is a genius. There are hundreds of reasons that the media doesn't respond immediately including:

• They aren't working on a story that fits your company, product or service at this time
• They are just too darn busy
• They just covered a story very similar to yours
• They already have a go-to expert in a specific subject matter
• They want to see what you come up with next
• They love your product but it doesn't fit with the other products in a round-up

And the list goes on.

The important thing to remember is that if you want the media to tell your story, you have to be patient.

In the meantime, there are plenty of tools available to you to tell your own story without waiting for the media to be your spokesperson. Email newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, and connecting with influential bloggers are just a few strategies you can employ to build a buzz for your business and help you get noticed by the mainstream media.

We all know the best way to get the media to pay attention to our pitches is to get to know them personally.

This may seem like an impossible task, especially if you're send out tons of information and get little response in return.

But it's not impossible. You just might be targeting the wrong crowd.

Major magazine editors are hard to reach. There is no doubt about it. They are busy people inundated with hundreds of people pitching them things all day long. All while they have an important job that they are paid to do – edit the current issue.

If you flip through the issue of any current magazine, you'll find many articles with a writers name attached to it. Typically these writers are not listed in the masthead because they are freelancers working for a variety of publications. The great thing is that these writers need sources, and in some cases products, to complete their features.

If you take particular interest in an article that fits with your business, note the writers name and search for them through Google. Often times, they have their own personal websites with an email contact. Send them a brief personal note complimenting them on the article you read, and ask if they ever need sources in the area you work in (or, if relevant, if they sample products). This is a great way to start a relationship with a media professional and let it blossom over time.

This also works well for industry "experts" that you may find on television. If you notice an expert on a national show that is presenting products, use the same strategy above (make sure in this case you are contacting them regarding the testing of your products. They would not need expert advice if they are the "expert" already)

As always, I'd love to hear your feedback on how you've built relationships with the media. Please leave a comment below!

Last week I had the privilege of participating in an editorial photo shoot for a national magazine. Even though my role that day was working as a model, my inner-publicist couldn't help but sneak through. As I noticed the racks of clothing and scoured the table of accessories, I immediately empathized with all fashion and accessory designers who would die to have their creations make it into the shoot and score that elusive photo credit.

But the longer I sat through hair and makeup, I also realized the many misconceptions that come with getting publicity for a fashion or accessory line. The "old" way of scoring publicity would be to write a standard press release about your collection, compile a Look Book, and address both to the appropriate fashion or accessories editor at the publication. Here's the problem with this "old" method.

This particular shoot was scheduled a few weeks in advance. The editorial staff put in a call to a stylist and provided specific instructions as to what colors, sizes, and types of clothing they wanted. The stylist then pulled two racks of clothing that comprised these instructions as well as matching jewelry and shoes and brought them to the shoot.

There were five models at the shoot – each with two outfit changes. There was probably 10x the amount of clothing needed at the shoot (this is the stylists job to bring 'more than needed'- just in case).

Each model changed in and out of outfits several times to find the right fit. The stylist made her recommendation, but the two editors on hand had final decision. No two girls could wear the same color or style of dress. Also our hairstyles dictated what type of jewelry would be most appropriate.

So what does this mean for emerging designers looking to have their pieces "pulled" for fashion shoots?

1. Don't just rely on magazine editors. Build relationships with stylists who actually choose all of the designs that make it to the shoot.
2. Be easy to work with! If you get the call, send your stuff on time and give them a variety of samples. If you have a showroom, invite the stylist to come and pull the pieces he/she likes best. Otherwise get as much detail about the shoot and possible and send appropriate pieces.
3. Clearly mark each item so you get credit. Everything should have a tag with the name and ideally the price (some editors only want to feature things within a certain price point).
4. Don't be disappointed if your items aren't featured. Even more important – don't ever express your disappointment to the stylist or editorial team. There are multiple decision makers at a shoot and you are at their mercy. Always feel grateful that your items were called in, if you don't get a feature this time, there is always more opportunity in the future!
5. Always include instructions on returning the samples with your shipment. Most stylists and editorial teams have no problem returning samples, but it's always smart to take the extra step and include the instructions where they can ship the items back to and a detailed list of which items were included in the package.

By the way – check out this great announcement! I now offer email coaching – an effective, affordable, and fun way to pick my brain while you're carrying out your publicity strategies. If you want more info on this program, just send an email to casseracommunications [@] gmail.com with the subject line "I'm Interested" and I'll send you all the details