Pitchin' and Sippin' with Lexie Smith
Going into its 7th season, Pitchin’ and Sippin’ is one of the world’s top-rated PR and Media podcasts. Hosted by publicist and entrepreneur Lexie Smith of GROWTH MODE Agency and THEPRBAR inc., the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ Podcast showcases interviews with top-tier journalists, leading PR pros and Marketers, and inspiring brands and entrepreneurs on the rise. For those who need to craft pitches regularly – whether to reach an audience, land a client, earn media coverage, bylines, and beyond – listen up, take a sip, and get ready for a gold mine of invaluable tips.
Past media guests include: Danielle Belton, Editor-in-Chief, HuffPost; Maria Streshinsky, Executive Editor of Features, WIRED; Jennifer Chan, Editor and On-air Host; Rachel Chang, Freelance Writer and Editor; Thatiana Diaz, Editor-in-Chief, Remezcla; Alice Dubin, Freelance Writer; Danielle Directo-Meston, Editor, The Hollywood Reporter; Aly Walansky, #1 Ranked Food Journalist; and editors and writers for outlets like Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, Today.com, Travel & Leisure, The New York Times, and many more.
Episodes
138 episodes
Pitching Podcasts and Podcast Trends for 2025 with Podcast Producer Daniela Albertina
In this episode, podcast producer Daniela Albertina shares key insights on effective podcast pitching and expected trends in 2025. Daniela Albertina is a seasoned podcast producer and marketing strategist with over seven years of experience hel...
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Season 7
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Episode 138
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38:17
Holiday Gift Guide Pitching Dos and Don'ts with Freelance Writer and Editor Joni Sweet
In this episode, Lexie Smith and Joni Sweet dive deep into the do's and don'ts of pitching for holiday gift guides, offering invaluable insights for publicists and brands eager to make their mark. Joni Sweet has been a writer, editor, and conte...
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Season 7
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Episode 137
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34:13
Understanding Pay-for-Play vs. Earned TV Shows with TV Host, Producer & PR Pro Christina Nicholson
In this episode, Lexie Smith sits down with Christina Nicholson, a TV host, producer, correspondent, and the owner of Media Maven, a public relations and content creation agency. The two dive into the complex world of pay-for-play TV segments a...
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Season 7
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Episode 136
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37:23
Hospitality PR and Scaling a Remote PR Agency with Whitney Lee of True Story Public Relations
In this episode of Lexie Smith sits down with Whitney Lee, APR, CPRC, a marketing and PR expert and the founder of True Story Public Relations – an award-winning creative agency helping companies in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industri...
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Season 7
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Episode 135
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36:59
5 Things That Are Working Right Now in PR
In this minisode, Lexie Smith discusses five PR strategies that are actively yielding success for her agency, GROWTH MODE, and coaching clients at THEPRBAR Inc.From pitching podcasts to landing TV segments, Influencer Marketing wins, and...
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Season 7
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Episode 134
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11:23
How to Land a TEDx Talk with Speaker and Author Marie Icontrera
In this episode, Lexie Smith sits down with Marie Incontrera, a two-time TEDx speaker and founder of Incontrera Consulting. Marie Incontrera is the CEO and Founder of Incontrera Consulting, a digital marketing and thought leadership consulting ...
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Season 7
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Episode 133
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31:41
Building Your Brand: Paid vs. Earned Media Strategies with CEO John Sampogna of Wondersauce
In this episode, Lexie Smith sits down with John Sampogna, the CEO and Co-founder of Wondersauce, an agency specializing in brand storytelling, paid media, e-commerce, and digital experiences. With over 15 y...
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Season 7
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Episode 132
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32:33
BDG Commerce Writer and Journalist Jessica Booth on Pitching Products and the World of Commerce
In this episode, Lexie Smith sits down with Jessica Booth, a freelance writer, former editor and a Commerce Writer for leading global media company BDG. She has written for a wide variety of outlets, including Refinery 29, Bustle, Elite Daily, ...
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Season 7
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Episode 131
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32:03
The Gray Zone - Defining The Fourth Pillar of Media Coverage (Minisode)
In this podcast episode, Lexie Smith dives into the evolving media landscape, challenging listeners to rethink the traditional media categories of paid, earned, and owned. Lexie introduces the "gray zone" – a hybrid media category that bl...
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Season 7
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Episode 130
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14:51
Trendspotting in the Media with Journalist and TV Personality Emily L. Foley
In this episode of Pitchin’ and Sippin’, Lexie Smith sits down with Emily L. Foley, a prominent journalist, TV personality and expert trendspotter. Emily, whose career spans beauty, fashion and lifestyle journalism, shares her insights into the...
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Season 7
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Episode 129
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35:38
Next-Gen HARO - Source of Sources (SOS) with Entrepreneur Peter Shankman
In this episode, Lexie Smith talks with Peter Shankman, a 6x best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur. In the world of media he is best known for founding HARO; an online service for journalists to gather feedback from the public, a...
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Season 7
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Episode 128
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31:04
Journalist & Communications Pro Imani Bashir on When to Pitch a Freelancer and Creating Measurable Content Strategies
Journalist and communications pro Imani Bashir joins Lexie to talk about when to pitch a freelancer and how to create measurable content strategies. Imani Bashir is a media professional with over 13 years in the field of communications. She beg...
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Season 7
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Episode 127
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36:02
Updates and Announcements for Season 7 (+ Call for Pitches!)
Listen to quick updates and announcements as we wait for Season 7 to Launch this Summer!Submit pitches online at theprbarinc.com/podcastsEmail topic requests to
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Season 6
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Episode 126
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2:04
8 Core Takeaways from Conversations with Journalistic Royalty
This week’s minisode is the final episode of Season 6 of the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ Podcast. On this wrap up episode, Lexie Smith reflects on this season of the podcast and all that she’s learned and taken away from her conversations with ‘Journa...
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Season 6
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Episode 125
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13:37
How to Save Journalism with HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Danielle Belton
Danielle Belton is the current editor-in-chief of HuffPost where she led the Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom to profitability in 2021, after her first y...
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Season 6
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Episode 124
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41:06
Writing and Landing Features with Maria Streshinsky, Executive Editor of Features at WIRED
Maria Streshinsky is the executive editor of features at WIRED. Before joining WIRED she was the editor-in-chief of Pacific Standard, a magazine she launched in 2012. In its first year Pacific Standard was nominated for a National Magazine Awar...
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Season 6
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Episode 123
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41:34
Wine Journalism & Niche Reporting with Freelance Writer Shana Clarke
Shana Clarke is a wine, sake, and travel writer and author. Her work has appeared in Decanter, Saveur, Fortune, NPR, Wine Enthusiast, Vinepair, Conde Nast Traveler, and Hemispheres. She was shortlisted for the Louis R...
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Season 6
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Episode 122
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31:57
I Rebranded My Agency, Here's Why! Introducing GROWTH MODE PR & Communications Agency
This week’s episode holds a very special announcement for the next chapter with THEPRBAR Agency. And for Lexie. This minisode walks listeners through Lexie’s brand new rebrand for her agency, now GROWTH MODE PR & Communications agency. She ...
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Season 6
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Episode 121
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15:17
2024 State of AI in PR & A Simple Approach to Media Training with Linda Zebian of Muck Rack
Linda Zebian is Senior Director of Communications & Community at Muck Rack, where she sets communications strategy for Muck Rack’s enterprise, both internally and externally, including messaging, issues management, media relations, social m...
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Season 6
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Episode 120
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36:15
Decoding RFPs & Winning Client Briefs with Agency Search Consultant Rachel Huff of Victoire & Co
As an agency search consultant, Rachel Huff, President and Founder of Victoire & Co, builds brand-agency partnerships that drive long-term success. With a keen understanding of clients’ communications and business needs and a network of tru...
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Season 6
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Episode 119
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38:07
Minisode: Mastering the Art of Crafting Timely Media Pitches
This week, Lexie Smith takes listeners through her process of mastering the art of crafting timely media pitches. This finely tuned methodology is built on Lexie’s foundation of 13+ years in the PR industry, leading to the founding of THEPRBAR ...
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Season 6
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Episode 118
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10:17
How to Strategically Nail Your Instagram Growth & Paid Influencer Partnerships with Content Creator & NYC Lifestyle Expert Viveca Chow
Viveca Chow is a NYC Lifestyle Expert and the first Hong Kong born and raised Broadway musical performer, rewriting the international city’s history. Featured on NBC, CNN and Cheddar News, her storytelling skills seamlessly extend to her role a...
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Season 6
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Episode 117
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33:31
From Pen to Profit: The PR-Sales Connection with Travel Writer and Founder Jordi Lippe-McGraw
Jordi Lippe-McGraw is a seasoned freelance journalist with an eight-year tenure writing about travel, parenting, and wellness for esteemed outlets such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Vogue, Brides, The New York Times, Elle, and Forbe...
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Season 6
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Episode 116
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37:47
Minisode: 7 Things My Team and I are Doing This Month to Reset our PR Strategy for Success in 2024
This first minisode of 2024 breaks down 7 things that host Lexie Smith and her team at THEPRBAR Agency are doing this month to reset their PR strategy for success in 2024. From collecting media kits to up...
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Season 6
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Episode 115
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15:06
The World of Indie and Freelance PR with Teresa Bigelow of Spiral5
Teresa Bigelow is the founder of boutique agency and career platform Spiral5. Throughout her 12+ years of experience in public relations, Teresa has worked with a wide variety of brands, from global media companies to music tech to psychedelics...
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Season 6
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Episode 114
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33:55