Shownotes
- Importance of Authentic PR: Aquila emphasizes the value of earned PR in building and expanding brand reach. She helps debunk the myth that PR is inherently deceptive or manipulative, showing that genuine PR is about honest communication and relationship-building.
- Journalism to PR Pathway: Many journalists make a seamless transition into PR due to their existing newsroom knowledge and contacts. This transition can often make PR strategies more effective because of their deep understanding of media dynamics.
- Effective PR for Small Businesses: For small and medium-sized businesses, being nimble and agile in PR strategy is crucial. Authentic connections with journalists and targeted media outlets can yield better results than broader, less personalized efforts.
- Building Long-term PR Strategies: Aquila and the hosts stress the importance of focusing on long-term goals rather than short-term PR bursts. Comprehensive marketing plans that integrate PR are essential for sustained brand building and maximizing the benefits of media coverage over time.
- Red Flags and Best Practices in PR Agencies: It’s essential to critically evaluate PR agencies when choosing one. Agencies that guarantee outcomes might be relying on paid media rather than earning genuine coverage. A good agency should feel like a partner and show sincere interest in your business’s growth while also being transparent and honest in their capabilities and plans.
Transcripts
What is happening, everybody? I'm Larry Roberts.
Sara Lohse [:And I'm Sara Lohse. And this is Branded, your comprehensive guide to creative branding.
Larry Roberts [:And on this episode of the podcast, we have an amazing guest with us once again that's going to talk about one of my favorite things, and that's PR. How do we get PR? Because earn PR is one of the best ways that we can build our brand and really get it out in front of new audiences, bigger, broader audiences. But sometimes it's hard to get that, again, earned a PR. So Aquila Mendez Valdez is the founder and CEO of, and we love the name of the company, Hot in Texas, because if you've ever been in Texas during the summer, you know, it's very, very hot. However, it's spelled a little differently, so we're going to play with that a little bit. Hot in Texas is a full service pr marketing agency that specializes in helping small to medium sized businesses propel and curate their online and in person presence. So with that, Aquila, thanks so much for joining us.
Sara Lohse [:Hi.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Thank you guys so much. I'm excited to be here.
Larry Roberts [:We're excited to talk to you because when I did the intro there, I wasn't kidding. PR and earn PR is some of my favorite ways in order to get out there and reach a bigger audience. Talk to us a little bit about how you got in the pr business and how it's helped you build a brand.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Absolutely. So I went to college, actually, as a journalism major. I thought I was going to be a foreign correspondent and be in war torn areas and was gung ho about that for a couple years of my undergrad. And then slowly but surely kind of realized, I think I want a career that's a little bit more stable. I think I want a little bit more options and potential to actually make a little bit of money. So I got pulled over to the dark side of PR a little faster. Most journalists start out and they give it 510 years, and then they go into PR. And I just cut ties pretty quick and dove right in.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:So that was my undergrad.
Larry Roberts [:It's funny, though, you said, you said the dark side of PR. What's so dark about PR?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Well, we get a tough rap sometimes, you know? I mean, when we learned about PR 101, like, one of the first examples of classic PR spin kind of thing is when the founders of PR told everybody that cigarettes were good for you and you're fine, incorporate it into your healthy routine. And that was literally one of the first examples of public relations.
Sara Lohse [:I feel like we I love that example. And I actually use that example in my book because the Marlboro man is actually my mom's ex boyfriend.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:What? That's crazy. Wild. I mean, charismatic. I get it, I get it.
Sara Lohse [:But aren't some, like. I think the fathers of PR two were like, Barnum and Bailey.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Wasn't it like, barnum, too, of, like, spin and, you know, misdirecting people and, you know, bait and switch kind of advertising or marketing tactics? So, yeah, I think we struggle a lot with people thinking that PR is a lot of, like, voodoo and you're just making bad people look good. And I, you know, we definitely don't adhere to that, but we have to fight against a lot of misconceptions, for sure.
Sara Lohse [:Yeah. When I was in college, I was a advertising and PR double major. I ended up dropping PR just because I didn't want to go through all the courses. But I remember thinking, like, I, like, oh, I could totally be like, do PR. I can lie so easily. Like, this would be great. And then I took the class. I'm like, oh, there's a little bit more to it.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yeah. It probably doesn't help that I'm a Gemini. I feel like we get a bad rap for being, like, liars or two faced. Right. So I feel like I'm just doubling down on, you know, struggling with image, which is ironic, but I love it.
Larry Roberts [:That's so fun. And I love the correlation there between journalists and PR. You know, one of the biggest PR firms here in Dallas is real news PR that's owned by a gentleman by the name of Jeff Crilley. And actually, Jeff is down in Austin as well. He just opened up a location down there, and he's a good friend of mine. And, you know, he was a. He was on, I think. I don't remember which network was it? Fox.
Larry Roberts [:I think he was on Fox News here in the Dallas area for 20 plus years, and then he transitioned from that and launched a pr firm. So that seems to be a fairly common pathway for journalists to transition into PR.
Sara Lohse [:Well, I feel like PR is kind of like the liaison between businesses and journalists.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Right? Yeah, yeah. Make those switch. It's, you know, we already know the inside of the newsroom, so well. We have all the contacts, all the relationships. Now we can totally handle your pr and. And go that route. And absolutely a lot of them do it very, very well. So it's.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:It's a smart business move for them, for sure.
Larry Roberts [:So I love the fact that you focus on small to mid sized businesses because that's ideally what our, where our listeners are in their, growing their brand and growing their businesses. What are some of the things that small business owners can do to start getting some of that earned pr?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yeah, that's a great question. So I think that is, you know, one of our passions to work with that level of business, because I always felt like if we worked with those enterprise level clients, it was always gonna be so much bureaucracy. We're gonna be fighting red tape to get any decision made and, you know, taking six months to move the ship and that kind of thing. So I love that a small to medium sized business is much more nimble and open to moving fast and trying new things pretty quickly. So I think one of the easiest things to do is to start connecting with those journalists on social media. A lot of them have their preferred networks and platforms that they're on, and especially in a local market, a lot of them are very open to hearing from you and the community and learning what you have going on. Some will even grab a cup of coffee. So as long as it's coming from a very genuine, authentic place, I think putting yourself out there as a small business is definitely feasible without that, like, massive, you know, six figure budget depending.
Sara Lohse [:On where you live. Like, if you're in a big city, there's so many, like, news outlets. How do you choose which ones are going to be the best to reach out to? Cause, I mean, if you're reaching out to the biggest ones, you're going to be probably competing with a lot of people. The smallest ones, you might not get as many eyes.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Like, how do you choose 100%? I mean, I think, like most things in marketing, pr, it all comes back to your target audience. So understanding your consumer really, really well, and understanding, maybe they don't watch the evening news. Maybe that wouldn't even do any good for you to be, you know, on that as well. You know, even though it would be a nice, you know, sound bite, it wouldn't be where your customers are. So I think honing in on what type of media does your consumer or your target audience actually consume and then drilling down that those are your priorities. And sometimes that means influencers that have sort of a news angle to their platform, and they are presenting themselves as a local news outlet. Sometimes that means digital publications that don't have a print version, but they're also building a really strong audience that's in a little bit of a niche. But we talked about that earlier, that that niche audience can sometimes be way more potent than just a big splashy headline on a big name brand.
Larry Roberts [:Well, that's typically where you end up starting, too, right? I mean, it's kind of a, it's an evolutionary process with PR. You're not just going to end up on, on ABC right out of the gate unless you're me. But if you're not me.
Sara Lohse [:Waiting for it. I was waiting for it. Like, he's got to bring it up. He's going to say it. Did you know I was on ABC?
Larry Roberts [:But hey, here's the thing, man. Even back when I was many a couple of decades ago, I was still using local media up in Sherman Dennis. I would get on the local news stations there promoting karate schools because I was a karate instructor back in the day and get on there and do demos and talk about karate and the benefits for kids and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I had that exposure on these smaller networks. Then eventually, it's the same thing with speaking. You know, I speak all over the country, non Sarah does as well. And I personally started on virtual events and I started on virtual events where I know literally no one was watching. So.
Larry Roberts [:But at the same time, it gave me that experience. It gave me that, that opportunity to hone my craft, to hone my skills, to hone my talks, and I eventually built up to being on some larger stages that are out there. So I think it's the same way with PR. And correct me if I'm wrong, is it beneficial to start in something like a voyage Dallas, or some of these smaller online print opportunities and then build your way up?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Totally. Yeah. I mean, again, just like running your own business, there's no such thing as an overnight success. And there's very, very rarely, you know, going to be an example of somebody who is on the New York Times front page, like day one of pitching. So I think, absolutely. When we're pitching clients that are shooting for those tier one publications, we really try to encourage them to kind of build up that, you know, we call it like a sizzle reel where we could show your portfolio of here's them on camera. They're really great. They're really dynamic.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:This is how well they present their concepts. And then you're kind of building up to the point where you're considered by some of that larger media. And the other thing I think, too, is maybe don't look for a absolute, like 100% feature on you and your business in a tier one or larger publication, but look for ways that you can be an opinion or an expert or referenced as the subject matter expert on something where the journalist doesn't necessarily want to write the entire piece about you, but they need someone to just add that little bit of color commentary. And that's a wonderful way to be able to get your foot in the door where the next time they are looking to do an actual feature, you know, you're. You're a name that's in their Rolodex, if we can still use that term, Rolodex.
Larry Roberts [:I know what it is. I don't know if I know what it is.
Sara Lohse [:But you said something about publications being in print, and I don't really know what that means to, they used to.
Larry Roberts [:Put it on paper. Like real paper. Yeah, it was crazy. It was the craziest thing.
Sara Lohse [:Terrible for trees.
Larry Roberts [:Yeah.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Wild world.
Larry Roberts [:Yep.
Sara Lohse [:With, so I have, like, a marketing, advertising, pr background, and I think that, like, advertising and PR should go hand in hand. And I love that you do pr and marketing. So when you do get, whether it's a small pr win or even a big one, you still, like, I feel like there's still things on the marketing side you want to do to get more eyes on it. What do you recommend for that, especially if someone does get just a small mention in a smaller publication? How do you really capitalize on that and get the most value out of it?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yeah, 100%. I think that, you know, initially, when you have that mention in a news piece, it's okay to kind of let that breathe for a couple days and see, you know, on its own. Did it drive, you know, a bunch of traffic? Did it drive people to call, you know, let it kind of see what it does on its. But I do think for sure it's not enough to just expect that that will be it. People want you to share about it on your own social media. They want to, you know, especially if you can share some of the behind the scenes. You know, they love to find out what was it like, you know, backstage and what was it like before you went on air. And, you know, they want to see pictures and videos and all of that, you know, kind of authentically taking them through the journey with you is really fun to share.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:So absolutely capitalize on it. Have content on your website that connects with the topic of the feature as well. Have your social media have a mention of the press coverage and highlight it and have it sort of in an easy to find spot. That's where you really see PR. Take things to another level for you and your business, where you start getting that feedback and conversations of, man, I just see you guys everywhere, you're killing it. You're doing amazing. This is wonderful. And it's just a handful of news pieces that can start to kind of drive people to think that you've got so much momentum going, and that's always a good thing.
Larry Roberts [:So let me ask you this. We're talking about landing PR and getting out there and getting in front of people, but if we're not able to capitalize on these opportunities, they're going to fall flat. And if we are investing in PR and we're not prepared for that level of exposure, we're just throwing money away. So what can people do to prepare themselves for PR so that they are ready when that camera comes on or that article is being written? How can they train themselves to be ready for something like this?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Number one, the thing that comes to mind is make sure your website is ready if people are going to start searching for you. And that goes for your social media, too. But make sure your website is ready for that additional traffic and conversions. Is there an easy way to get those people on your email list? Is there an easy way for those people to contact you for a consult? Like, what are we doing to make sure that anybody that does discover you through this news piece? We're not just one and done. We're actually like roping them into our community in some way, shape or form. And then the second thing, I think would be to work with a PR agency or, you know, consultant. Anybody in that publicist sort of role should be able to do some media training with you. Because again, if you're, you know, building yourself up to do this live tv segment, it's going to feel like you're just, all of a sudden you're just going to be deer in the headlights and you blink and it's over.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:So you've got to be prepared with speaking points. You've got to be prepared to be eloquent in your responses and really make sure that you've got those key points. You know, you want to get across because again, you're just going to blink and it's over. And then you're like, I wish I would have said this, or, oh, I feel like I didn't convey this very well. That takes a lot of prep work and not very many people can just wing it.
Sara Lohse [:Yeah, I've heard, like, people say, like, okay, can you get me on, like, Joe Rogan? Or can you get me on, like, the evening news and all this? I'm like, have you done anything yet? Because you don't want your first interview to be that. And, I mean, I talked about. I talk about this a lot with podcast guesting and trying, like, starting with smaller shows, but I did the opposite, and I started with some of the biggest shows, and I look back and I'm just like, can I send an apology note to the host? Like, I am so sorry I made a mockery of your award winning podcast. I should. You should not have let me on. I can come on now. I'll do fine. But that was a mistake.
Larry Roberts [:But at the same time, Sarah, think back to all the training you had leading up to that. So, although you may not have been prepared to be on a massive audience, like. Like Joe's show. Right. But stacking Benjamin's, for some reason, I couldn't think of it when I wanted to. So you may not have been prepared to be on a podcast that large, but I. You did have education in stage speaking. You did have education in being in front of audiences.
Larry Roberts [:You did know how to conduct yourself professionally. So although you didn't train specifically to be on a podcast, you were specifically able to stand up and present yourself in a very professional manner and talks.
Sara Lohse [:About a penis tattoo.
Larry Roberts [:Well, I wasn't going to go there, but just. Yeah, yeah. So. But you did prepare yourself by getting shit faced in Ireland and getting a penis tattoo. So you did a great job there, too.
Sara Lohse [:Thank you.
Larry Roberts [:Thank you.
Sara Lohse [:My parents are proud.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:That's one way to loosen up. Absolutely.
Larry Roberts [:But, you know, at the same time, you know, it goes back to. Because. And this is why I was asking the question. Because when I did get called for that first time that I was on ABC here in the Dallas market, I had 12 hours to prepare. I got called the night before. They said, hey, you want an ABC slot in the morning? I'm like, sure. They send me a script and I have all night long, which I stayed up till, like, three in the morning going through that script and preparing myself to be there at 06:00 a.m. and then get in front of one of the women that's been established in the Dallas market for 30 years, and I'm like, oh, my God.
Larry Roberts [:I'm standing in front of Jane McGarry and she's asking me questions. And I don't know how many tens of thousands of people were watching, but I had been to toastmasters for years and years and years. I had speaking experience in my back pocket. I had been on stages already. I had done thousands of podcasts already. So I had invested in myself to a degree, to somewhat kind of be prepared for that. But you're spot on there in the fact that it's just over. I mean, I think we had a six minute segment, and it felt like six second segment because it just.
Larry Roberts [:It's just gone. You're there and you're. And I even had to call Sarah for that first one, too, because they changed the questions when I got there, and they had a little gotcha question in there, too, that I'm like, oh, my God, I have no idea how to answer this one. So I called Sarah, go, what do I do? How do I answer this and not sound like an idiot? You know? So there's that preparation on the back end, and that's kind of what I was trying to get at with you there, how people can kind of prepare for that type of exposure.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yeah, well, and I love that you still said yes. I think that's a lot of, you know, what we have to prep our clients for is there's going to be a lot of things when we really get the ball rolling. We're going to be tossing opportunities at you that are going to feel a little scary. And we need you to just be willing to trust us and say yes and know that we'll prep you. We'll get you as ready as we possibly can. But if you're truly wanting to get your name out there, there's gonna be some things I need you to do that are gonna feel a little bit intimidating. And I promise it'll be okay. I promise we'll get you through it.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:But just remember, you asked us to get you on tv. You asked us to get you, you know? And when that moment comes, just say yes. It'll be all right.
Larry Roberts [:Yeah. Yeah. So it makes it. It's definitely scary. But, I mean, I kind of get a kick out of it, you know? And I think as. As people start to get these opportunities and they get bigger and bigger, you. You get that dopamine hit. You get that adrenaline rush when you're doing these bigger.
Larry Roberts [:Look at Sarah's like, no, I don't. No, no, no, I don't.
Sara Lohse [:Nope. I black out a little bit. I want to cry and call my mom. Yeah. No.
Larry Roberts [:So when is somebody ready to work with you?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:That's a great question, too, I think, you know, it's interesting. I just started reading a book who not. How have you guys read that before?
Sara Lohse [:I know it. I haven't read it yet.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Okay. It, you know, self. Self explanatory title. It kind of talks about instead of worrying about how to do something. Just find a who. Find somebody who can go out and do that for you. So kind of what we were just talking about, I think the right time to hire a PR agency is when you feel like you're ready to trust a who to handle that for you and know that they're going to do their job, they're going to be accountable, they're going to absolutely deliver on what they say they're going to do, but let them really shine and handle that part of your business for you. And then I think, too, we typically work with businesses where they've got a pretty established revenue or that maybe they've got some funding, they're a startup, but they've got some series a things like that.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Once you're in that position, then it's not as scary to bite off a retainer of an actual PR agency. But we're definitely, I think, understanding that as a small or medium sized business, you need to feel secure that, okay, I'm going to be able to track what you guys are doing. I'm going to be able to see some results or at minimum know what sort of traction we're getting and what's going on. So we don't mind being held accountable to that. But, you know, it's certainly a service where if you're going to be counting your dollars and worrying about every single cent, then you might not be ready for PR quite yet.
Sara Lohse [:For those who aren't ready that don't have that budget in place, what are a few, like, entry level steps that they can take for themselves? Like, how do you get yourself picked up by some local media?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yeah, like I mentioned earlier, I think, you know, following those reporters and kind of building those relationships with them organically is, is not a terrible way to kind of get started and throw your hat in the ring for some opportunities. I also think, you know, there's plenty of platforms online where you can create an expert profile for yourself in that database, for journalists to be able to find and podcasts to find, to offer to have you as a guest, because they're looking for, again, a very specific expert. And if you are the one who can speak to that subject for them, they're desperately needing to move fast and churn out multiple stories every single week. So I think there's definitely opportunity to put yourself out there on those platforms as well and see some traction. The biggest thing I think where that gets challenging is you'll start to get overwhelmed with the amount of requests. And if you don't have the time necessarily to sift through, respond, follow up. That's where it's helpful to kind of have a team behind you to just handle all of that and you don't even have to give it a second thought.
Larry Roberts [:What's with the framed black rectangle on.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:The background right here? Wait, right here?
Larry Roberts [:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:It's actually. So it's a local artist. His name is Albert, and you can't see it, but it's got like, a very faint outline of a flower. And it's one of his, like, series called Wabi Sabi. So, yeah, it looks like a very inconspicuous black square. But I promise it's cool up close.
Larry Roberts [:I was about to say he's very talented with the black rectangle. Very, very great edges. Yeah, no, I'm kidding. But anyways, I had to ask. I'm sitting going, I don't get it. So I needed to get right up.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Above that would be the famous artist, Issa Mendez Valdez, who is my nine year old.
Larry Roberts [:So that's beautiful. That's beautiful.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Equally on par with, you know, a local, you know, name.
Larry Roberts [:I mean, I would definitely, based on what I can see in the video, I would give it to the nine year old all day. So, yeah.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:We won't tell Albert.
Larry Roberts [:No, I don't tell Albert. It's not a personal attack or anything, brother. It's just. That's just kind of what I'm saying. Real quick, tell me some of the cautionary tales that would be out there from a PR perspective, because, I mean, I've been hit time and time again. Hey, for 2500 bucks, we'll do this, this, this, and we'll get you here and we'll get you there. We'll do this and we'll write an article and you'll be the biggest thing since sliced bread. So what are some cautionary tales that you could share with us that people can avoid? Some of these, I don't know.
Larry Roberts [:They're not thirst traps, but just pr traps.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yeah. I think the main thing that we always try to help people understand and we talked about a little bit at the top of the segment that, you know, earned media is sort of how we define PR. And by earned, we mean that we didn't pay that journalist to write this story about you. It's not an advertising piece, it's not a sponsored piece. There's now, you know, what we call, like, advertorials, where it looks very much like it's a editorial piece, but it was actually a paid piece. So that's usually when you've got those companies reaching out saying, like, we've got Forbes and Inc. And entrepreneur who really want to write about your type of business, they're just buying ad space in those publications, and then they're putting you into an advertorial segment in that publication. So there's a place for that if that is what you are wanting.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:If you just want to slap your name and be able to say, I was in Forbes, I was in Inc. I was in entrepreneur, maybe that's a route for you, but just understand what it is exactly that you're getting. And I feel the same way about wire releases. So when people talk about, oh, I can just put it out on the wire, right? Yes, you can. But all we're doing in that instance is basically syndicating your press release across the wire, which just means it's going out and being distributed to hundreds of newsrooms across the country or region or whatever parameters you set. But it is literally just being syndicated. Copy paste, put on a website, there's no journalist that's saying, oh, absolutely, absolutely, I'd love to talk to you, or I'd love to interview you, or, you know, it's not building on any sort of relationships with those media outlets. So again, if you're good with that, if you're fine with that, there's a place for it.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:But just know what you're getting yourself into and why. Earned, truly earned media with a journalist where they're writing something organic and truly, you know, genuine about you might be a more powerful or potent thing to be going after. You just have to be willing to be a little more patient for that. Possibly a little bit more expensive of a route to go. But, you know, you have to just sort of weigh your options as far as what will truly get you closer to your goals.
Larry Roberts [:And do you ever know if you're ready for the Pr? And I'll tell you why I asked that question, because I did the whole advertorial thing with Podcast magazine, and I bought me a spot in podcast magazine, Sarah.
Sara Lohse [:I didn't know that.
Larry Roberts [:It's $250. I couldn't pass it up. So. Yeah. And in all honesty, every article in podcast magazine at the time was a paid spot. That's so. Every article was, there wasn't a single piece that was written unless it was, like, Jordan Belfort because they picked him up a couple times and you had some big celebrities on the COVID They weren't, they didn't buy for it, but.
Sara Lohse [:Everybody else, like the, like 40 under.
Larry Roberts [:Whatever or, no, no, I did not pay for that one. I was in there twice. Okay, so. Okay, that's a great example because I forgot about that, too, so much. I did pay for my first spot in podcast magazine, but at the time, I wasn't ready for that kind of exposure. I didn't have a solid brand. I didn't have these beautiful teeth. I didn't have, you know, I weighed nearly 350 pounds.
Larry Roberts [:I was a big, sloppy piece of crap. And it just. I put myself out there, and it was just very. It was more damaging to me and my credibility than anything else because I wasn't ready. Now, to the second point, there was a list of 40 over 40 influencers in the podcast space, and I did get on that and did not pay for that. But. So that one's legit, Sarah. But I did pay for this one, and I wasn't ready.
Larry Roberts [:So how do you know? And should you avoid getting PR, looking for PR, or hiring a PR firm before you know you're ready?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:I think it's fair to still, you know, have conversations with PR agencies when you're considering it. And a good pr agency should be honest with you, you. That they don't think you're quite ready yet. There you go. They shouldn't take you on if they think, hey, we need to see some of these other pieces in place before we're ready to say yes and go ahead and move forward. And to me, that's exactly when you bring in a branding agency to say, we need to back up a little bit. Let's do some of the work to actually make sure your visual identity, your messaging, everything is really, really pulled together and cohesive. And that is some of those foundation building blocks that we want to see in place before we say, okay, we're ready to start putting you out there to the media.
Sara Lohse [:Are there some? So when I was working in financial advising, I know, like, a list of red flags of, if a financial advisor says this to you, run, so what are the, like, red flags of? Because you said, a good pr agency will do this. How do you know if it's a good one? Like, are there red flags that they say this and you just know, walk away?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:If they're promoting the Marlboro man, run away. Thanks.
Sara Lohse [:Yeah, mom.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:He was a lovely gentleman. No, I think the biggest. The biggest one to me is when they guarantee results. I think that that is a clear sign that they're buying, you know, segments. They're just, you know, they've got their cost to do what they do, and then they're marketing up by, you know, XYZ a percentage, and then they're saying, yep, we'll guarantee five pieces. There's no finesse or skill or talent involved in that at all for a PR agency, and they're not in that capacity. They're not going to be treating you as if they are a partner with you in the growth of your company. Like, to us, we feel like we are, you know, your in house pr and marketing department, that we want you to rely on us to ask us, you know, questions.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:We want to consult with you. We want to know how the business is going. But if they say, hey, we'll guarantee five pieces and here's the amount and this is it, they're just going to be cut and dry, in and out. They don't want any more time wasted with you as a client than what they absolutely have to do. So to me, I think that's a big red flag if they say, we'll guarantee coverage, and then in general, it's the same as shopping for any other service, like find somebody who you'd want to grab dinner with, find somebody who you feel like is going to be a cheerleader for you and your brand. If you don't enjoy talking to them, if you don't feel like they get you and they can speak your language and really, you know, enjoy spending time with them, you're probably not going to like how they present you to media or how they tell your story. And that's, you know, one of the most important components of hiring an agency.
Larry Roberts [:No, I love that because a firm that I may have already mentioned in this conversation guarantees 30 placements in 30 days, and that's their pitch. And yeah, you do get 30 placements, but there, you know, maybe five minute segments. Matter of fact, a lot of folks that work with this company, they sit down one morning and they do like ten spots on ten different radio stations across the country. And, you know, they're, they're 32nd spots and that's a placement. And while you're getting some exposure there, I personally don't really see a whole lot of value in those short bursts of me just giving my take on whatever the hot topic of the day is. It doesn't do anything from my perspective. I'm building your brand, building your company, and really reinforcing you as a thought leader in your niche. So.
Larry Roberts [:But it shocked me because that was the first time I'd ever talked to a PR agency and he's like, yeah, I'll do 30 placements. In 30 days. Then I talked to others. They're like, well, we'll get you two or three spots a month. And I was like, what? How did, what? What's the difference here? But I think you've done a great job here presenting what the difference there is. So I appreciate that.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yeah, 100%. And again, it really just goes back to what your goals are. If that 30 placements in 30 days is going to be a quick burst that you just want to be able to say, yep, did it, you know, check that box. You know, there's a place for that. But I think that we want to be a long term partner with you in your business. And, you know, we don't just do PR, we do a lot of other facets. So we want to add in, you know, components of, like we talked about. How do you cross pollinate that PR coverage? How do you make sure that it has the most, you know, longevity and benefit to you and your brand? So as we start layering things in over months and years of working together, eventually we want you to feel like, okay, I have a really comprehensive, robust marketing plan, so we're not putting all of our eggs in just one basket.
Larry Roberts [:Akilah, I was on your website and I noticed that, well, I didn't see any dudes on there. So do you primarily work with women?
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:We do, yeah. I would say female founders are a little bit of our specialty. We always say we'll work with the dudes as long as they're cool, as long as they don't mind having a bunch of women telling them what to do. So, yeah, we're happy to mix it up, but female founders are really where our passion lie. And the best part, I think, is that 99.9% of the time, a female founder is also going to be a total badass at what she does. There's no average female founder. They're all disrupting. They're doing really amazing, cool things.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:They're doing more often than not, something different than their male counterparts. And so we really feel like, number one, that gives us a huge advantage in the media, that not only are they a female in a man's world, but they're also doing something unique and different. Cool. And then, number two, it just is so gratifying for us to tell those stories and give them more visibility.
Larry Roberts [:No, I think I love that and say, I don't want a good job. Go ahead. No, no, touche.
Sara Lohse [:Go ahead.
Larry Roberts [:No, no, I'm going to go. No, you go age before beauty, don't you? Hang up first. You hang up. No, you. Okay. I was just going to say that. No, I love working with women, and I do a ton of work for the e women's network. I mean, I'm a speaker for e women.
Larry Roberts [:So I travel all across the country speaking at e women hubs, and I'm getting ready to go to Phoenix next month in Calgary a couple weeks after that. So I think it's super cool that you focus primarily on women. And people ask me all the time, why are you so involved with e women? And it's that exact same reason. Women are there to do business. They're there to rock and roll. They're there to disrupt things. And that's what I like to think that I'm there to do as well. So it's very cool to work in that same environment when you work with dudes most.
Larry Roberts [:And granted, I'm 52, so my whole testosterone days, I'm pretty low t these days. Okay, so. But it's just always ego there, man. I don't have time for that. I'm trying to grow a business. I'm trying to grow a brand, and I don't need to get into an ego match with you. And I love just working with women because like you said, they're there to do business. So, Sarah, with that didn't mean to cut you off.
Larry Roberts [:Sorry.
Sara Lohse [:You're fine. No. When I first got into advertising and marketing, my first job was at an ad agency in Baltimore. And I was kind of expecting, like, everyone. When I would say, I'm like an advertising copywriter, they're like, oh, you're like mad men. Like that tv show about the ad world. And that that show showed how much of advertising was just dog eat dog, man's world. And the first agency that I worked for was 100% women.
Sara Lohse [:Internally, we worked. The clients were whatever they wanted to be, but internally, everything was women. And it was so interesting to see the lack of ego because that was something. I mean, I interned at different agencies, interned at, like, internal marketing departments and all of it. And I had to actually say the sentence, being a woman is not a political statement. When I worked marketing for a financial company, I won't say who they were, but it rhymes with Taran or finance, but they, when, when I worked with all women, there was no ego. It was just best idea wins. And it doesn't matter who had it versus.
Sara Lohse [:I had seen so many things like, oh, no, this has to be the best idea because it was mine.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Mm hmm.
Sara Lohse [:Yeah, it's so, it was so interesting. Like, I'm sorry, Larry.
Larry Roberts [:You're not hurting my feelings. I'm totally fine with it. Totally cool. So again, that's. I think that's why Sarah and I work so well together as well. So. So, Aquila, tell everybody where they can find out more about you. Find out more about hot in Texas and how they can work with you.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Absolutely. So our website is hit pr. So hitpr.com. you can find me on almost all social media networks. Haute intexas. And you mentioned earlier it's spelled a little different. So it's h a u t e I N. Texas.
Sara Lohse [:Is that pronounced haute?
Larry Roberts [:Is it hoat? You let me say hot, like three times and you didn't correct. Like, he's saying it wrong, but I'm not going to say shit. I'm just going to let him embarrass himself.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:We always say if you're, you know, fancy schmancy and, you know, the French, you know, fashion couture, it's haute couture. But I think that, you know, we 100% started it because it's a play on words that it is hot in Texas. So we let people. Yeah, you could say it either way.
Larry Roberts [:Let people embarrass themselves. It's. It's cool.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Yep. Just a little inside joke that we like to play and just laugh at you internally. Yeah, absolutely.
Larry Roberts [:Especially if you're a dude. Especially if you're a dude. So once again, hitpr.com is where they can find up all about you and look into your services, too. So I really appreciate you joining us today.
Aquila Mendez Valdez [:Absolutely. Thank you guys so much. I had a great time.
Larry Roberts [:Cool deal. Hey, everybody, if you had a great time and you want to learn more about hit PR, check them out. But in the meantime, if you want to learn more about us, hit that subscribe button so we can continue to bring you these amazing episodes each and every week. And with that, I'm Larry Roberts.
Sara Lohse [:I'm Sara Lohse. And we'll talk to you next week.
