RUE magazine announced today that—along with their acquisition by Danny Seo—they will launch the first print issue of RUE in January 2021, and I'm bringing you an exclusive video interview with newly promoted Editorial Director Kelli Lamb!

Now before you think RUE doesn't apply to you, they cover much more than design. For over ten years, they have been "the pathway to stylish living," which includes entertaining, travel, beauty and style.

We here at The Storied Group love to use lifestyle and design publications as a fun and unique way to shine the light on your business—like this feature we secured for the founder of ghee company, Fourth & Heart or this gorgeous feature of Blinking Owl Distillery, or this travel feature we secured for Golden Door or this feature for Pamela Salzman sharing a recipe. I even announced our company name change in this bar cart story!

What do all those features have in common? Gorgeous photos. Which we talk a lot about in the video.

Like last time, for those who still want to read text, I have broken down The Short Story below in five quick takeaways.

But trust me, you're going to want to watch this entire video. Getting face-to-face time with an editor is a luxury, and Kelli spills all the do's and don'ts if you want to be in the magazine.

Just keep in mind that every magazine is different. The rules of RUE might not necessarily apply at other publications—except for the part about photos. Oh yeah and she pretty much 100% confirmed everything I wrote in my ebook for interior designers if you want to get published. That felt good.

Sipping a Chai Latte over here,
Molly

By 2022 online videos will make up 82% of online traffic. In fact, video drives more views, more engagement, and more response than any other social posting option.

And with those staggering facts, I bring you the first ever video interview for this edition of The Short Story.

If you don't follow Virginia Kerr, you will after this interview. She is a news anchor turned video strategy coach and has built a large following on TikTok and Instagram giving people quick and humorous tips to be more confident on camera.

Never fear, for those who still want to read text (all 43% of you!), I have broken down five quick takeaways below.

But trust me, you're going to want to watch this entire video. Virginia gets real candid about how she recovered from being called out as a copycat by a big influencer on TikTok (the kids were making memes of her face, y'all!). Hear it at the 14:15 mark. If she can pull herself up by her bootstraps to find her own voice after that experience, so can you! Just make sure to stick around for all the video tips that come toward the end.

As always, I love hearing from you. Hit reply to this email and let me know what you thought of the first video interview. Should I do more?

Stuffing my face with pumpkin muffins (tis the season!),
Molly

Fun fact: The Beatles were the first famous guys to understand that the media is someone to be courted, not avoided. They understood that the media can take a message you want to deliver and blast it to more people than you could ever do alone. Years ago, media training taught you how to be on the defense, how to not screw up—essentially how to control the message.

But unlike back then, the media is now fragmented. We have cable, streaming, newsletters, social media, your mom's friend's blog! So now the goal is not so much to control the message, but rather to control the lens through which the message is viewed. I had the pleasure of chatting about all of this with my longtime and very brilliant colleague LeeAundra Keany of Keany Communications. She has worked with the C-suite of major companies like Adidas, Apple, HBO and New Line Cinema, as well as with countless celebrities like Marcia Cross and Pierce Brosnan. I asked her to debunk the myth that media training is only for people who, ahem, suck at media interviews— newbies, novices, those who can't string a sentence together. (Because that could not be further from the truth.)

If you are embarking on a high stakes situation with oral communication (keynote speech, press interview, negotiations, giving testimony before legislature, executive presentation, CEO interview), media training will help you prepare. Let's dive in on how.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk,

Molly

“Take care of the people, the products, and the profits. In that order.” -The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Well, here we are—six weeks since I last wrote a newsletter, never once thinking I would still be typing to you from my home "office," a nook in my kitchen that was a big point of contention when we remodeled. (Do we spring for the expensive French doors that open up from my desk onto the patio?) I've never been more thankful my husband relented.

The media has moved from stories about Zoom meetings and how businesses are being immediately impacted to how our country will begin to reopen and what our new normal will look like. You're seeing stories about businesses not ever going back to an office and how hotels are starting to reopen and what the Emmys could look like this year.

Last night, my husband told me that someone he manages at his company mentioned how stressed out they were. It didn't even occur to him that someone not in a management position could feel stressed out right now. That small interaction gave him a completely different perspective on how he is managing the team.

This morning, my client who has had to make some really tough decisions about employees called to say, "Hey, I wanted you to hear my voice and tell you about some of our upcoming plans AND to say that as long as I run this company, you will be part of our team." That call meant everything to me. To quote Carrie Bradshaw, "This is not an economy of which to be whipped cream."

Both of these stories prompted the topic of this newsletter: Communication. I also happen to have a degree in it! Of course it includes how you communicate with your employees or those you manage, but I am also urging you to remember those who aren't full time employees: clients, freelancers, and even "fans" who follow you on social media.

Not everyone is in a position to keep employees. That is the harsh reality. But everyone is in a position to have clear and frequent communication, compassion, and transparency with the people who help you in business. People will remember how you made them feel. Make sure you come out looking like the hero.

We are still here for you from afar,
Molly

Hi, friends. How are you holding up?

We here at The Storied Group seem to have found our stride WFH and are so grateful that our business allows for a  easy transition. We've kept each other sane by encouraging daily walks, sharing funny memes, and continuning the usual celebrity gossip over a virtual watercolor in our Slack channel.  We highly recommend the free Gray Malin Virtual Zoom backgrounds that will take you to far off lands without ever having to leave home.

Over the last two weeks, our main goal has been to learn as much as we can about how the media is pivoting so that we can best serve you right now. If you missed my IGTV about that, here is a link. 

The biggest thing to know is point number one below—the media is still taking pitches. They may be doing interviews via Skype and publishing magazines from their living rooms, but there is still an opportunity for press. 

Below are a few things we have learned these past few weeks that I think are important for you to know. Please don't hestitate to ask if you have specific questions.

We are here for you from afar,
Molly

Seth Godin, one of the best minds we have today in the field of marketing, is notorious for saying that modern marketing boils down to the stories we tell, and the defining belief that, “People like us do things like this.” What that means is that you create impact through empathy and telling true stories that resonate.

PR (changing the story) and Publicity (getting earned media) is only a part of marketing, but in order to get the best results from them, it really helps to take a deep dive into figuring out who you seek to change, and then putting yourself into their shoes to understand their deepest desires. Only then can you solve problems for a specific group of people. 

No doubt the media landscape is quickly changing, but is print media dead? This writer doesn't think so. Every month it seems there is more news about beloved titles ending their run, so where do things stand?

We recently had the pleasure of attending a PR Net media panel here in LA, and the editors had a lot to say about the future of publishing. It's important that you understand what's happening, so that you can work with your publicist to clarify your media goals in the coming year. And if you want to see this on video, we did a recap on IG TV here.

A decade ago, Apple coined the phrase “There’s an app for that,” with TV ads showcasing the breadth of apps available through their store—at that time there were 500. Today, there are 1.96 million apps on Apple’s App Store and 2.46 million on Android’s store. No matter what you’re trying to accomplish via your mobile device—whether it’s getting a date, getting a ride somewhere, managing your finances, ordering food, learning how to milk a cow, or going hunting for the paranormal—Apple’s adage has never rung more true: no really, for better or for worse, there’s an app for THAT. Here are some of the coolest apps that have proven to be uber-useful in our world of media and marketing.

Twenty-some years ago before social media existed, Cindy, Claudia, and Naomi were the go-to “influencers” of their time – commanding top dollar from the world’s most prominent brands for appearances and endorsement deals. Today, Rocky, Chiara, and Shea are a few of the influencer powerhouses who can move the needle for a brand with just a single sponsored mention or post. As the global number of internet users, online transactions, and social media subscribers continues to grow, brands are increasingly adopting the influencer marketing platform to enhance brand exposure, generate higher customer engagement, and ultimately raise their bottom lines. This month, Matt Kirschner, Partner and EVP at Talent Resources (a premier full-service celebrity/influencer and social media marketing agency), gives us the short story on influencer partnerships. Whether you are an influencer wanting better brand deals or a company wanting to work with influencers, these are the five things you need to know right now.