Rachel Chang, a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of editorial experience, has built a successful career in travel and pop culture reporting. Formerly a Senior Editor at Us Weekly, Editor-in-Chief at J-14, and Entertainment Editor at CosmoGIRL!, today Rachel is a freelance writer and editor. She regularly contributes to Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, and has taken on editing projects for Tripadvisor and Time. Additionally, she has written for Lonely Planet, New York Times for Kids, Wall Street Journal’s Buy Side, Washington Post, and Hemispheres, among other media outlets.
In this week’s episode, Lexie Smith and Rachel Chang discuss Rachel’s career and her expertise in producing SEO-driven news pieces and stories. Rachel walks through her tips on how to incorporate more SEO-driven news writing into content and freelance work in the digital age of journalism.
Here’s What You’ll Learn:
Listener Links:
Instagram: @theprbar_inc
Rachel Chang, a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of editorial experience, has built a successful career in travel and pop culture reporting. Formerly a Senior Editor at Us Weekly, Editor-in-Chief at J-14, and Entertainment Editor at CosmoGIRL!, today Rachel is a freelance writer and editor. She regularly contributes to Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, and has taken on editing projects for Tripadvisor and Time. Additionally, she has written for Lonely Planet, New York Times for Kids, Wall Street Journal’s Buy Side, Washington Post, and Hemispheres, among other media outlets.
In this week’s episode, Lexie Smith and Rachel Chang discuss Rachel’s career and her expertise in producing SEO-driven news pieces and stories. Rachel walks through her tips on how to incorporate more SEO-driven news writing into content and freelance work in the digital age of journalism.
Here’s What You’ll Learn:
Listener Links:
Instagram: @theprbar_inc
Lexie Smith
Hey guys, I'm Lexie Smith, a mom, multi hyphenate entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of the PR bar Inc, coaching platform and agency. In my career I've had the privilege of guiding countless brands, genius, publicists, eager students and ambitious entrepreneurs on their PR journeys. I've danced with the Giants and nurtured startups, directed in house PR departments lend my expertise to boards and spread knowledge across universities nationwide. Throughout all of this, I've seen our industry change and evolve while simultaneously proving that some timeless fundamentals remain unshaken. This show takes you behind the scenes of the world of media, marketing and PR, aiming to teach you all the new tips, tricks and how the best and brightest are achieving success overseas. Now it's time to grow. Welcome to the show. With more than two decades of editorial experience, travel and pop culture journalist Rachel Chang is a former magazine editor, US Weekly senior editor J 14 Shodo. Editor in Chief, Cosmo girl entertainment editor turned freelance writer and editor. She's a regular contributor to Conde Nast Traveler and travel and leisure and has edited projects for TripAdvisor and time and written for Lonely Planet. New York Times for kids. Wall Street Journal's buy slide, Washington Post hemisphere, among others. Rachel, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to chat with you today. I want to kick it off with Where is let's do part two, where is home base? And I know the answer. But where are you now? And what do you like to do outside of work for fun?
Rachel Chang
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to chat. I am originally a California girl I grew up in the bay area and I now live in. Well, depending on how well I send your city by technically live in Hoboken, New Jersey, which I know is kind of controversial to say I live in New York when I live in New Jersey. But I can see Manhattan from my window which I know doesn't count. I'm still in Jersey and I am now proudly in Jersey during the pandemic I learned to love my garden state. But I am currently actually back home at my parents house in San Jose, California. That was the next question right outside of work.
Lexie Smith
I asked like I like stalked three on top of each other, which is anti journalism, like one on one, no one take notes from that. But yes, next question. So when you're not writing and ruling the world, what do you like to do outside of work?
Rachel Chang
I guess the kind of funny thing is I've turned my hobbies into my job. So I obviously love travel. And I love entertainment. And that's what I do. So that is both amazing, amazing. I'm so grateful that my work is my work is at everything I love. But sometimes it can be a little challenging to turn off the button and be like, okay, just relax and enjoy. But I think that's a lovely problem too. But outside of that, gosh, um, gosh, am I so one note that I only travel and entertainment?
Lexie Smith
No, I mean, like nose, kudos to you. Right? Like that's, that's the dream let's let's do this instead. Because also lover of travel. What are maybe like, I know, this is always the hard fun question top two places you've been to?
Rachel Chang
Oh, you've narrowed it down to IR three, three. I know that one at all. Maybe three. I know one but three is I don't Okay, let's go for top. I feel like it's Patagonia is just, I mean that everything there is just more vibrant. Every color is brighter. With like, you're just like you've stepped into a Technicolor world. And I think that at least when I went I hope that overtourism doesn't go crazy there. But it was just so isolated. That you truly feel like you're bonding with the place because you're you're I mean you're one of just a handful of people there and I went on a solo hike for like eight hours. And it was both terrifying but also just so empowering. And I think there's just something about really connecting with a place in nature and the world without having people and anything man made in the way it was just nature. Ironically,
Lexie Smith
my I just was in Denver and my with a co founder of a second business her sister just got back from Patagonia this Saturday. So I was hearing all about Patagonia. Now you're saying Patagonia and I feel like it's not a place that's talked about and been fact I live in Ventura, California, which is the headquarters to the company Patagonia
Rachel Chang
and like I Having like most of us, I learned what Patagonia was through the logo on the Patagonia brand. And that's the mountain mount Fisher. I didn't submit it by what to the it's not base camp, but the base. And there's a beautiful lake. And so that's the hike I went on. And it's just so crazy. Now I constantly have reminders of it every time I see anybody who aren't Patagonia, which is what right
Lexie Smith
now you'll forgive me because that's where I live. You know what I mean? Amazing, well, I feel like okay, so we can we can end there
Rachel Chang
because that was the only one
Lexie Smith
you can certainly give a shout out. But you give like such a lovely shout out that I feel like that one was like,
Rachel Chang
I'll do a couple of quick ones. i Well, I'm just like obsessed with London. I wish I was British. So London is just always my favorite thing to do with London is just get on a red bus and not know where I'm going and just like see where the adventure takes me. I didn't. And then I recently went to Estonia, which is also not talked about a lot. And I just absolutely fell in love with the country. It's just so easy to travel there. And it's also I heard later that it's a good country for introverts. And I'm like, that's why I bonded with it. But it's like everyone gives you their space. But yet they're still very friendly. And like there's no words like everything's on time, like I took the train from one city to another. It was just like, I had no anxiety that anything was just so easy. And lovely.
Lexie Smith
Yeah, that you're right. I mean, that's not one that's been on my radar. British This is a fun fact, mostly for our longtime listeners. But for you, too. In fifth grade, I was Oliver Twist and Oliver Twist. So for the entire fifth grade year, I walked around with a British accent because I thought I was in character. So here we are.
Rachel Chang
I'm not going to try to attempt by British accent. So terrible.
Lexie Smith
Oh my god. Okay, so that's a bit about my past career. Now what we're going to do is refocus a little bit and talk about some of your career cliff notes. So I read a condensed version of your bio, but I'd love to hear a little bit more about your career journey up until today, of
Rachel Chang
course. So I knew I wanted to go into media. And I didn't know till I got to college, that that meant so much. I just thought, Oh, that's a path. I didn't realize that's 1000 million different paths these days. So I started in entertainment growing up in California and going to school at UCLA. I just had my eyes on Hollywood. And so I was a little bit of a internship. I don't know the right word, but I did four internships at one time. So I wanted to try everything. Like I just wanted to understand the industry. So mostly, it was I mostly did television internships at first so and I started my first job out of school was also in television, I started the WB network that which totally dates me because it doesn't exist anymore rip. But it was during the heyday of Dawson's Creek, Felicity Buffy, and it was just such a fabulous time to be part of a team because they depended on our opinions as assistants, because we were the demographic. And so it was just such a wonderful, absolutely jumping headfirst into the industry. And I love being I was in the photo publicity department, which was, again, something I didn't know existed just dealing with imagery. And I loved it. But I also wanted to write and I also wanted to be on the other side of the business. So I went back to graduate school at Syracuse, shout out to new house, SI Newhouse School of Public Communications fully as we're taught to always say. And I got my degree in at the time, it was called M N. O magazine, newspaper and online journalism. And then I went down to went to New York City where I really wanted to, I had my eye on a magazine career. And much, I don't know how my grad school professors felt about me going to grad school to pursue teen magazines. But that was my goal in life at that point at that point, and I'm so glad I did it then because I definitely think there are certain things you need to do at certain age and a certain point in your career, and I couldn't have done that. Now. I can't relate to the audience. So I worked my way up from a smaller magazine called pop star, which was three of us in an office. And the great thing is I did everything. And the hardest part was that I did everything. But I also just made contacts and really, like knew everyone in that industry, and was grateful that I'm assumed kind of recruited over to J 14. But then I saw an opportunity at Cosmo girls, of course, I had to apply for that. Unfortunately, Cosmo folded less about two years into my time there. And then I was grateful that J 14 asked me to come back at events. Eventually I became editor in chief of j for a team for about four years. And then it got to the point where I felt like I was closer to age to the parents of the team. Celebrities like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez young mothers. And so I felt like I needed to age myself up. And so I transitioned over to s weekly, and was there for about four years, ironically, editing that hotpicks session. So kind of taking my original photo publicity experience from the web and focusing on imagery again and telling stories through pictures. And then also writing there too, and short quippy lines more so than long form. And then on the side all along, I was getting this opportunity to travel to cover stories. And I ended up falling in love with travel, though it does still slavery isn't that large. But I just thought there was such a universal, universal attitude to travel. Like I was once on the Cheetah Girls set Cheetah Girls to set in Barcelona. It was just I think it was like an assistant, one of the towel. I can't remember which girl's mother and like there was just a group of us. And we're just all chatting about this market that we'd all happen to go to. And there was just such a bond about it. And like we all were so passionate about something that experienced in different ways. And it was almost like that moment, I was just like, there's just something so everybody's on the same page. It doesn't matter who you are. And I just really was like, Okay, this is something I want to pursue, I was grateful I had an opportunity to start writing for Travel Leisure a bit when travels, solo travel was just kind of getting more talked about. So I wrote kind of their first group of solo travel stories. And then kind of from there, I I ended up having a travel a job that traveled for about two years at travelzoo and use that time to really build my network. And I've wanted to go freelance. So I haven't realized my choice. And I'm grateful that I'm in a position where my biggest problem is that it's hard to say no to more projects. And so it's been really, really amazing. And I'm just so grateful.
Lexie Smith
I feel like I just fangirled like 20 times during that. You're speaking to my childhood to my teenage hood. I'm sorry, Cheetah girl, girls. Are you kidding me? Oh, I can't believe it. Okay, I definitely read a 14 I definitely read Cosmo girls, and I graduated to Cosmo. Wow. Okay, you're living in 13 going on? 30. Great. That's basically been your career. Incredible. Okay. I'm like calm down Lexie. Okay, so let me let's go here, we're gonna go from Fun, fun, coverage magazines digitally, the world has changed a lot to your point, like you kind of chose to change into freelancing. Whereas what I'm learning and we're seeing more and more people being forced into that. So you were ahead of the curve. And as I was doing my research for today's show, and trying to decide of the zillion things, we could talk about what I want to talk about something caught my eye and your LinkedIn bio, that I think is becoming more and more prevalent. And again, you're ahead of the curve. And that specifically you you I'm just going to literally read what you put on your, your LinkedIn, you are an expert in producing SEO driven news pieces and stories. So here's where I want to go with this. First off for everyone listening, if you don't know what SEO means it's Search Engine Optimization. Broadly speaking, this role, at least in my mind was always kind of outsourced to like an SEO team. But now I am seeing even in call for source pitches like this need to as post sisters writers include more SEO into your writing. So long winded question way of asking is talk to me about how SEO has become part of your role as a freelance journalist.
Rachel Chang
Yeah, that's I mean, that's a huge and such an important question. And I think that having been raised in the print world, obviously, we just focused on content content content that time and headlines and but then if you think about it, headlines were SEO RSE Are they still are in the headlines are SEO but just in a different way. For print I'm talking about but with the I think we had more freedom with print headlines, right, you could just be kind of more fun about it. It didn't matter if it really like I'm thinking about celebrity headlines where we were just like, I can't think of a good example now. But like kristen bell rang about whatever, that's a terrible example. But like, you could do that. And you can't do that with SEO Right? Like you need to have the full name and it's more Layton. So I mean, I've definitely had different types of approaches to different outlets I've worked with and at one point in time, I did strictly do SEO content for an outlet where it was like every morning I looked up Google Trends and saw what was trending. And then I knew what they needed and kind of married those two together to be like, Oh, well, you know, today. I don't know why Travis Kelce is the first person comes to my mind. But here we go. I'm not even. I'm not not a fan. But, but like, if he's trending, then maybe there's a football related story that could be tied to travel or whatever it might be. It might not be a one to one link. But I think I'm seeing a little change just recently that those short tip that's short, like those moment in time stories don't seem to be, as I think people want a little bit to be a little bit stickier than that quick hit, because yes, you want to get to the top of Google News. But you don't want to only have that hit that day. So I think there is, and this could completely just be the outlets are the stories that I'm working, working, like maybe I just shifted to a different priority within these outlets that I'm writing for right now. But I feel like right now, it's not so much moment in time, there is a little bit more of a of a look ahead. And I think that whether or not I'm actually packing my stories with SEO, keywords and whatnot, I think there's still that mentality of when you're pitching, you're really thinking SEO first, right? You're thinking what's going to get that because you're you're basically pitching with headlines that you hope will be clicked. And yes, we have this whole thing about clickbait being awful. But I think that ultimately, we do want people to click on the stories, and it is important. So you know, with more most of my stories, I turn it with five different headlines. And when I'm writing those five headlines, I'm thinking of five ways into the same story. But it is kind of trying to capture that world of what are people searching for to get here is always thinking about that search, what are people? What are the words people are plugging into? So I, I mean, in some ways, I know that I don't know if it's something to be grateful for, per se, but I think because of my magazine roots I haven't worked for, I haven't been told, like you have to plug in all these words. And you have to plug this in, in the first 10. I mean, there have been a couple of times where I get this phrase in the first 20 words, but in general, I have editorial freedom. And then my editors kind of take it to the next level with the complete SEO optimization. But I think that we all have to We all live in the SEO driven world. So we have to all think about it. Did
Lexie Smith
you know that I send out a community newsletter roundup every Tuesday, chocked full of resources, media kit, downloads, journalist contact information, event invites visibility opportunities. Basically, if you're not on the list, hit pause and sign up. It is super simple. All you got to do is go to the PR bar inc.com/newsworthy. That link is in the show notes too. Okay, back to the show. 100%. And thank you for sharing to the the kind of more timely tactic of looking at the Google News trends. But as we think about being sticker and we think about more evergreen content that's going to live at the top of Google for longer. Are there any other tools that maybe not now as you're sharing, you're doing more editorial, but when you are in the SEO mindset, tangible tools you use? Or is it really just how do people think? Are there any other kind of tips there?
Rachel Chang
I mean, sometimes I'll just look at how that like the the recent stories of the help headlines of the outlet I'm writing for and quickly you'll see trends I mean, I don't want to say their formulas but there are often like this TK TK Do people still use TK in this world that's very old school magazine. But it's this fill in the blank is the most fill in the blank, that you'll you know, it's kind of like a formula of sorts system. I mean, it's still obviously you should always be looking at that layer right before read out whether it's print or online. But I think just studying what people are putting forward in that moment, like right now these three headlines are working or it's sometimes it's even silly work but that's silly but like there'll be a word that everyone's using like I noticed when I worked for was using stunning a lot and so I started pitching stories with the word stunning so sometimes is not the actual subject but just the way you present it. Yeah,
Lexie Smith
you know what a thank you for highlighting that it's outside of agency land. I teach entrepreneurs how to do PR and one of the tricks and tactics I say is go go whether and I actually think this works for podcasts is for digital this works for magazines, but go look at the history, the titles, the headlines, the byline, and can you find patterns or formulas to how they write their or articles? Are you seeing how to blink how to blink, then in turn when you're pitching a story, idea, plug and play the formula with your new and innovative idea. So that's when I'm kind of hearing you. You do as well on the Freelancer side. Yeah,
Rachel Chang
absolutely, exactly. And like the five headlines, I pitch, I always try to make them a different approach. I'll always have one that starts with how to, like you said, and then another will be this something something is the most this. So I tried to plug and play a few of them. And then I tried to freeform a couple just, I will say nine out of 10 times. None of the five of my headlights are using exactly. But it'll be some combination of all of them. And yeah, so. So it's always it's just kind of exercising your brain. I also I know this isn't the ideal way to do I write my headlines first. So I know the directions I'm heading. I'm a little, I know that I would this is not what I learned in school, or how I would teach others but it's just my habit. I also can't write a story without knowing exactly what the first line should be. I understand I can go back and change it but I rarely do. So that's just kind of my own habit. But I know those two jumping off points to really kind of formulate were like kind of have my direction set before I dive in. So
Lexie Smith
well actually before asked this question, do you get pitched as a writer to people from clients? Yes, absolutely. Okay, so you want to assume but I assumed, I assumed Yes. So is there a way when someone's pitching you? Especially kind of now? Or maybe you've started starting to see it a way to highlight any I don't even know what to call it like SEO elements in a pitch? Or does that really matter? Or do you have any advice? Or what do you kind of seen in that lane?
Rachel Chang
Hi, had been saying something which that I soon realized was my personal preference. That is probably not everyone's preference. But a lot of times pitches would come to me completely packaged, like this is the story. And these are the examples of the story. And to me, I don't know, this might just be my old school magazine, competitiveness. I'm like, Well, if you're pitching this to me, you probably pitch this to other people. So I wouldn't take that to an outlet completely bow interrupt with the tide with whatever the expression is, but tied with the bow like that I would. I almost feel like it's my job to find this. The exact story. Like I just want to know what the news is. And I know that's not everybody's preference, but I kind of feel like it's my job to find the story. And for the pitch to just be this is what the news is. That said, I do think oftentimes, what that element is, is often seen just from like, I mean, this is an example I always give but I feel like it just like if a hotel is opening a new restaurant, that is a huge deal to the hotel. But to the world at large, how many hotels are there and how many are opening new restaurants every month, it's not really a news items. I feel like just like pulling back and really looking at the like just letting me know what the news is. But then perhaps I also know of three others that also happen to be having new. I mean, this is awful. I'm terrible examples. But like beekeeping, beekeeping farming on their rooftops, and so now they're using local honey or whatever, maybe I'm seeing that, like within that pitch, there's something I'm pulling out. So I almost kind of like the quick hits of what are the aspects that make this unique. And then I'll stitch together the story, but I understand that other people like having it stitched together already. But from my perspective, I wouldn't because oftentimes, that's just the agency kind of sewing all their clients together. And like I would want to diversify and not just have, obviously can't have just one agency store clients in one story. So I feel like I just eat it. So I don't know, I think I'm a little different in that realm. But I do feel like across the board, what is the actual like, new what makes this so different than everything else in the world of that?
Lexie Smith
Well, that's, that's harder or easier said than done? No. You know, I just want to comment like this is why I have this show is because we can talk about best practices. We can talk about what we learned in journalism school, I have a journalism and PR background. But at the end of the day, like you are you I am me and we all come with our personal preferences. And that's what six seasons in I've had such a it's like wonderfully helpful and very frustrating at the same time. It's just right like how do you how do you No. And I think that goes back down to really doing your research and, and listening to shows like this or trying to make relationships so you can get to know what are the preferences? And how how do this what is this specific writer or editor or freelancer prefer because to your point, someone else, like I had some TV producers who want to deliver prepackaged VO, they're like, God bless you. Where I've also seen journalists be offended when I offer a headline because they're like, I'm sorry. Are you the journalist? No. So I do think it's nuanced. And there's not one, it's not a one size fits all approach. So I actually want to thank you for highlighting that. And everyone listening, like hear that, like it is really like high highlights the the importance of taking the time to customize the pitch to whom you're pitching.
Rachel Chang
And it's so difficult, I don't envy the PR side at all, like literally, so no, right? You're just shooting, you're just throwing darts, and you have no idea. And then I'm maybe receiving darts. But then I'm also shooting darts at the outlets. So like I don't know what they have on their editorial calendar. So it's completely a game of chance, I hate to say, but there are obviously ways to funnel into make the chances higher, right? Like I writing, working with the editors that I working with Redditors regularly, we develop, like I developed the relationship with them, and they will come to me for certain stories, and I'll come go to them for certain things. And then right away, it's like no questions, of course. And I think obviously, that's what, that's what I think works the best. Like when I get approached for something that's celebrity meets entertainment. I'm like, oh, that person has really found me because they've looked at my background know that I'm the right person for this. And sometimes it'd be a cold pitch. Like years ago, somebody came to me from who's repping a hotel, and they had an opportunity with Shonda Rhimes. And I was like, wow, they really like looked and saw that I have both. And then it ended up being a print piece and Travel Leisure. So like, I was so touched that they had looked at me and conversely, somebody else was pitched a recent one story that I thought it was pretty obvious for my social media that I was perfect for and it was fast to somebody else. And I'm like, Oh, why did you come to me with that? Yeah. I'm grateful. It actually went to a friend who, who eventually got to me, but I was kind of like, Oh, I thought I was pretty out there.
Lexie Smith
Yeah, yeah, for sure. Okay, so actually, what we're going to do now, on this line of preference and personal preferences, which is what preference means, I digress. We're doing a rapid fires. So basically, it's what do you prefer? Have a short list of questions. So I'm just going to jump right in if you're ready. Let's
Rachel Chang
go. I usually I'm so used to giving the rapid fire I just gave one yesterday, so I'm like, oh my god, I haven't been on the receiving end.
Lexie Smith
I have to like do the graphics now on YouTube, where there's like the little starter flag like Oh, okay. Is there a time of day you prefer to be pitched?
Rachel Chang
Morning? Morning, okay. Actually, like, like, not not like, like, as early like between nine and nine and 911 ish, like earlier morning.
Lexie Smith
And East Coast time. Yeah. Okay. day of the week you prefer to be pitch or you can answer the opposite. Like don't pitch me on.
Rachel Chang
Don't miss pitch me on Friday, maybe? Or don't the day before the events or the day before the opportunity because I have to also go to a I have to go then go to my editor. That's all going to take some time. I get a lot of day. befores Yeah. Okay.
Lexie Smith
pleasantries. Do you want them to take a line or two to kind of prove they have researched your work?
Rachel Chang
depends on my mood. I am. I am. I am touched when they I feel like they've done their research to come to me. But also find a lot of people will link to my story. It's like, I know what.
Lexie Smith
Yeah, so like da Yeah. Okay.
Rachel Chang
Other times I'd like actually, no, I do write a lot of stories first or Dalit? Maybe I do. I don't remember. So.
Lexie Smith
It depends on my mood. Depends on your mood. Fair enough. Answer. No, it's it. There is no right or wrong. That's the fun part. Right. And I actually totally understand. Follow up. Are you okay with someone following up?
Rachel Chang
Absolutely. I think there's definitely times when, when, you know, they're just caught up in on a deadline. I think there's so many aspects to all our jobs that like, if I'm on a crazy deadline for a big story, I will just shut everything down. So it does help. Obviously, I think a few days, like a week later usually seems to feel right. In general depends on the event. Obviously, if it's something that's more timely, I feel like a week later and I feel like one follow up is good. I will say my recent pet peeve because I had my out of office on was that nobody was paying attention to me out of office and I kept getting like, repeated follow ups for like, I was very clear when I was out of the country. And it was like, well, you come to our event in two days, and I was like, no. Yeah, so I Yeah.
Lexie Smith
Okay, so as a freelancer Do you and this is I know, it's gonna depend on the story. So are you required to feature a pillow links and any amount of your work?
Rachel Chang
I get, I mean, I'm getting an increasing because I do cover a lot of products, travel products, I get a lot more pitches, like, oh, this was, you know, a greater percent or this is a better deal. And I am very, I guess, I don't know, it's just the outlet. So I've been working for I've been so editorial that it's all been done on the back end. So I really picked my, I mean, the affiliate. Sounds terrible. The affiliate links don't benefit me personally. Right. So I try to keep it. I mean, I do have, I kept my objective objective. i That's where I am like a journalist about it. And I pick the best products and I try not to pay attention to those so often, I'll delete those pitches just because it doesn't affect me. And it didn't affect me objectively, I should be picking the best products.
Lexie Smith
Thank you for Thank you. Grapes. I gotta see, I always play devil's advocate with it. See it? It's a business. I understand. People need to make money. But on the flip side, the journalist in me, like cringes as a consumer, blah, blah, blah, the bat, the battle is real. The back and
Rachel Chang
forth. Yeah, I mean, and yeah, I'm a consumer of things I don't cover and I'm just like, Oh, I get become that skeptic. Right. Like, actually, just before I saw this amazing deal on this code I was about to buy. And I was like,
Lexie Smith
you see things from a whole new perspective. Now when you're in this lane, my favorite friends and family don't get it. But I'm like such. They're like, Oh, this is the best restaurant in town. I'm like, Isn't
Rachel Chang
they paid this many influencers?
Lexie Smith
But so it's good to hear when I come across a journalist who, who doesn't live and breathe by affiliate, so Thank Thank you. Thank you for your service. And like, I
Rachel Chang
was just having this car. I was just in Taiwan for a month. And I was having this conversation with my dad's friend because he was like, why is this place so popular? And it's because the internet had kind of like it had gone viral. And he's like, this place is awful. And I was like, well, that kind of way. That's my job. Right? I should follow I need to go and check to see if it's really real. Yesterday, I stood in line for an hour out of tea place here in California. And I was like, it was good. That was back. Right?
Lexie Smith
Yeah. Totally. Okay. And then my last question here is social media. DMS? Are you pro them against them? Do you feel
Rachel Chang
again, maybe this is because I on the older side of social media, but I'm against. I'm against? I feel like that's, I mean, I can't say that I was gonna say, I feel like that's my personal personal lane. But that's not true. Because I use it too. I just used it to, for a call for pitches when I was looking for it. I can't say that it's completely personal. And most of the stuff I do post is work related in some way, because it's about my travels. So for some reason, I feel like pitches I prefer as email it just, yeah, mine feels more professional. And I get that sometimes there's a timely element, and I might have missed it. But then I also, my big thing is I feel like with DMS you're not staying out of why am I so stuck out of office. But I feel like I have had a few people be pretty, pretty aggressive on DMS. And I'm like, Well, if you just sent me an email, you would have known that right away.
Lexie Smith
Again, why I asked because we all have different preferences. And I will say I really resonate with you when you say it depends on the day, because it depends on it depends on my day to for a lot of these things like anyway, so I I resonate with that. But
Rachel Chang
hopefully 0% helpful. It's helpful if someone's
Lexie Smith
listening, and you're on their radar, right. And I think it's worth the call out because it makes people slow down and think through the nuances. And remember, especially in a world where there's like robots, all the places like how to interact with humans, not to like take us on a whole new podcast, but as someone who's about to raise a daughter in this world, I'm like, terrified of like, you know, them not having the communication skills of anyways, like I said, I digress. It's important to highlight though
Rachel Chang
it is also important for me to remember that publicists are people too and there aren't, you know, I really empathize too, because I came from that world and it's like you can't be on call 24/7 Just because I happen to be on the other side of the world and email your three buttons at what's three in the morning your time like there's definitely a you're right, like there's an element of humanity that we all need to remember all around
Lexie Smith
call to action, empathy. Okay, so looking forward, so we're recording this in q4, and this will probably will drop in q1, roughly. So when we look ahead q1 Next year, we'll just say next year, do you have any topics you already know front? You're you're interested in writing or you're looking for sources give us like the insider scoop on what would be helpful to you? Well,
Rachel Chang
this is something this isn't new. But for q1, it's just timely, because of the way the holiday dress. I personally, I'm trying to hold myself more accountable for telling more Asian American stories, because I feel like, I feel like I was always growing up in between worlds. And I felt like I didn't have a voice in any world. Like, when people asked me to edit an Asian American package, I also was like, I can't tell that story. I only I grew up in California like, right, but that's what it is. But like, I feel like I had a very particular sliver and like what I see on TV isn't what I feel like I lived. But that all said, I'm realizing these stories just need to be elevated. And so I'm trying to pay attention to all that. That is all to say Lunar New Year is so and I and while I and then obviously Asian American Pacific heritage, I just mix up the words A P I, the Heritage Month is in May. And so with those coming up, I feel like I am I do want to elevate those stories more, especially in the travel world. But also if they happen to be beyond, I'm open to that, I just feel like there are only when I edited that package for it was for TripAdvisor, I realized how few Asian American journals there are. And I feel like we all need to band together. And I feel like I hope we can, and so open to really pitching any ideas in that realm. And I feel like in the greater world of just travel entertainment. It's, I know that the word experiential is so thrown around these days, I feel like it used to be immersive, experiential, all these things. But I think there is that element where people don't just want a thing, they want to take away something they've done something that really touches their lives. And so even if it is a product, even if it is a destination or a place, I feel like emphasizing what the possibilities of our of how it The Takeaway And the really being in a place, whether it's a post pandemic, still a post pandemic, like, I can't believe I just said that, because I'm very much of the mindset, we're still in the pandemic. pandemic, new value of really having, being able to experience something firsthand, I think just experiences are still, even if it is a tangible item, I think, emphasizing what the experience is still very important and just give something a higher value.
Lexie Smith
And for the those I think can be a little more evergreen for the Lunar New Year in the AAPI. Heritage Month, when would you like to see pitches in your inbox?
Rachel Chang
That's a great question too. Because I do feel like there's this whole calendar of when we get pitches, like, you know, obviously right now, I'm still getting the Black Friday, Cyber Monday pitches, and it's like we're days around. It's a little late. I don't think it's too early right now, I realized we're not this isn't coming up early q1. But I do feel like, also I have a I have a folder in my inbox. I'm always filing things away. So if it's not now, it could be like, I don't feel like it's ever too early. I do feel like it's often too late. Because there is that time, especially if there is an element of having to actually research it. I mean, there should be an element of actually researching. I like that time often isn't built in. It's like a press release is set. And like he covered this for tomorrow. And it's like you're not really giving me the opportunity as a journalist to look beyond just repurposing that, that press release in that moment. Like I really shouldn't be looking at outside sources, how to package this or whatever it might be for the particular element in particular particular.
Lexie Smith
Fantastic. Okay, biggest question of the entire show. about pitching. What can we find you sipping? Oh, non alcoholic or alcoholic?
Rachel Chang
Oh my gosh, okay, this is really weird. But I was in Taiwan. And I went to this crazy amazing. It's the most expensive but also the highest buffet. It's on the 86th floor of Taipei 101 The height the skyscraper that was number the highest in the world, and is now the 11th I don't know how it dropped to 11th and 20 years but that shows how skyscrapers are changed. And they were serving coffee with mango juice in it which sounded disgusting to me. I was like why would you mix fruit and coffee the way To vote please do not mix these two and it was like they have a brand called simple cloth which is their top number one coffee brand in Taiwan and it was the most amazing thing ever had I then went back for the other option which was sounds even more disgusting coffee and tomato juice and actually grateful too and so then I became obsessed with cup of fruit infused coffee and they had it was most of the time was called Sicilian coffee and had lunch with lemon and coffee but then there were other times I had like orange tangerine like just different coffee shops around Taipei but shout out to a joy because that's they really fall in love with fruit and use coffee. That
Lexie Smith
is a first for the show. I love it that's really cool. Yeah it's definitely not like a flavor profile I would intuitively put together but I'll keep an eye on I don't know if there's anywhere like stateside I'm sure there's brands somewhere but
Rachel Chang
there's a business idea maybe there we
Lexie Smith
go on Shark Tank. Fruit and tea right
Rachel Chang
so that's true. I'm
Lexie Smith
I guess I'm drinking a fruit tea. It's so true. It's true. Okay, where would you like people to connect with you if they want to get in touch?
Rachel Chang
Absolutely. They can definitely connect me socially on Instagram is probably where I'm the most prolific though not that prolific right now. But I should be more I need to I'm always about three weeks behind with my posts but but I am on Instagram to kind of follow along and give a sense of what I'm up to and then just emailing me my my the email addresses in my Instagram profile my business email is just Rachel it by Rachel chang.com Perfect.
Lexie Smith
And we'll put that in the show notes for you guys. Rachel, thank you so much for taking the time and for sharing with us all of the things and what you prefer in literally why I started the show is to get to know the people behind and the stories and the career paths so I know you're not you're not home to which adds another layer to this being a little more complicated. So thank you for your time today and for just like being a good journalist which is very, very clear.
Rachel Chang
All thanks so much. Thank you so much for having me and thank you for doing what you're doing and kind of turning us from email addresses into real human beings.
Lexie Smith
You You're welcome, pro human. Until next time you guys on the pigeon and sipping podcast. Hey guys, if you are enjoying the pigeon and sipping podcast, please do me a huge favor and leave a review wherever you are listening. If you want to connect with me to learn more about the PR bar Inc. You can do so on Instagram at the PR bar underscore inc or you can check out my website at the PR bar inc.com Cheers