Top Of The Feed
This week I’m traveling as the talent for a video shoot with a large publication (more details to come in a couple months…), but it’s what inspired today’s newsletter.
The project is an opportunity that came completely unexpected. It’s a tangible output of putting myself out there online and showing up as my own PR.
In corporate, we see how self-promotion is often something the comms team manages, usually reserved for the C-suite or a select few VPs. And even in the world of entrepreneurship, so many founders leap to the idea of paying for PR in order to feel like their story can be shared. But why have we been trained to depend so heavy on others to tell our own stories? PR is a resource, but it shouldn’t feel like the unlock.
What excites me is that we’re in a new age where the tools are in everyone’s hands. We don’t have to wait for someone else to validate our voice or grant us permission. We can shine a light on the value we bring — and when we do, opportunities have a way of finding us.
Spotlight
Black Influencer To Follow: Necole Kane
Necole Kane is a media entrepreneur and cultural voice whose journey spans entertainment, lifestyle, and women’s wellness. First known for founding the celebrity news site Necole Bitchie, she later pivoted to create xoNecole and most recently My Happy Flo. With proven impact as a storyteller, moderator, and brand partner, she leveraged her platforms strategically throughout the years.
Food For Thought
Are you promoting yourself before you expect someone else to do it for you? Too often we look to PR teams, media features, or corporate comms to tell our story—when the first step is making sure we’re telling it ourselves.
A few simple ways to start:
Be strategic with your bio. Your LinkedIn headline, Instagram bio, or email signature should make it instantly clear what you do & for what you’re known.
Tell your story across mediums. Like a publicist pitching the same brand in different ways, share your updates across formats: a LinkedIn post, an Instagram reel, a podcast, a newsletter reflection. Each one reinforces your narrative from a new angle.
Track engagement to build relationships. Pay attention to who is engaging, what companies they’re from, which email addresses open consistently, who reposts. When the timing feels right, reach out personally—quiet signals like these often lead to opportunities.
Don’t be afraid of repetition. Most people miss posts or forget details. Repetition and consistency are what make your story stick. You should feel like you keep saying the same thing over and over.
Stop gatekeeping your email. Share your email in your bio, on your website, and in your newsletter footer so that reaching out is easy. Some of you are missing out because you are to hard to get in touch with.
Before anyone else can amplify you, you should be solid and consistent in your own amplification. So ask yourself: Would someone outside your immediate circle know your value from what you’ve put out publicly?
Worth The Click
Today’s articles aren’t directly tied to the topic of PR, but thought I’d share some reads that caught my attention this week:
Continuing to cement his undeniable influence, while in the midst of Mafiathon 3, Kai Cenat has hit 1 million Twitch subscribers (the first to do so on the platform).
A new Instagram trend is turning ultra-wide videos into cinematic strips, where even your old footage can get new life. Learn how to shoot, crop, and publish “thinnest videos” (5120 × 1080) across Reels.
CultureCon 2025 is bringing together a powerhouse lineup next weekend (Oct. 4-5) in Brooklyn with panels and experiences centered on culture, creators, and community. “The ultimate creative homecoming,” it continues to be a space where Black creativity is celebrated.
Behind The Feed
When I first started getting serious about building my personal brand, I looked into hiring an independent PR consultant. The quotes came back at $10K+ a month, which was an investment that wasn’t realistic for me then (and still isn’t now, quite frankly).
Instead, I leaned into the basics: doing the work & making it visible. Launching the first iteration of my newsletter in 2023 and getting consistent on LinkedIn became my biggest form of “free PR”. Those small, steady efforts added up, led to my first Forbes article shortly after. And fast forward, I’m consistently pushing myself to continue the momentum.
This organic and roundabout path of generating buzz isn’t always the easiest, but when the recognition comes it certainly feels earned.
Before You Log Off
Yes, you control the narrative.
