Why You’re Still the Best Kept Secret in Your Industry w/ Lyndsey Akers

You’re showing up, creating content, doing the work, so why do you still feel invisible in your industry?

In this Business Chaser episode, Lyndsey Akers breaks down what actually gets people featured, booked, and seen. It’s not the most qualified people winning these opportunities. It’s the ones who are positioned clearly, tell better stories, and understand how credibility is built through earned media.

She also unpacks what’s changing right now with AI and why visibility is no longer about how often you post. It’s about where you show up and who is validating your expertise. From trust transfer to editorial authority, this episode breaks down what’s actually driving growth and what’s been keeping you stuck instead. 

So if you’ve been doing everything “right” but still feel like the best kept secret, this will help you see what’s missing and how to start getting in the right rooms.

Connect with Lyndsey:

Instagram: @lyndseyakers

LinkedIn: @lyndseyakers

Chapters:

00:25 Why being good isn’t getting you featured 

01:25 What actually gets people chosen for opportunities

02:25 The difference between branding and credibility

03:25 Why your story matters more than your resume

04:25 Why specificity wins in crowded markets

05:25 How AI is changing visibility and attention

06:25 Why earned media is more valuable than ever

07:25 How PR impacts AI search results

08:25 Why magazine features still matter

09:25 The long-term impact of digital media features

10:25 Why podcasts are powerful for visibility

11:25 How speaking builds authority quickly

12:25 Where to start with PR opportunities

13:25 Why awards are an underrated strategy

14:25 How editorial calendars can work in your favor

15:25 Why most pitches get ignored 

16:25 The mindset shift behind getting featured 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Welcome to the Business Chaser, your quick pour of strategy, clarity, and momentum. We skip the small talk and get straight to the strategy here in these bite-sized episodes. We're here to help you grow smarter, market better, and chase what matters all in 15 minutes or less. I'm your host, Lauren Nijar. Tune in and let's chat.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Hey everybody. So great to be back with you. My name is Lindsay Acres, and I am the CEO of Acres Co. We are a communications advisory firm, and for the past seven years, we have been supporting impact-focused, mission-driven founders. Like so many of you, our industries are rapidly evolving. AI is changing everything, and so many of us were trying to keep up. My industry is exactly in the same place. And while there are so many things that we want to evolve and pivot with and through, I'm really excited about this moment that our industry is going to be having. The rules of PR are largely the same, but the mechanisms and the KPIs are actually evolving, which position publicists and communicators who are AI savvy to really rise above the fray. And that's what I want to dive in today. Now that everything is evolving and shifting, how can you properly position yourself to where your name and your brand is showing up in the AI, Chat GPT, Claud, Perplexity, Google search results, AI search summary results to where you do not have to be found on a website or a Google search. You are found where people are actually searching. And that is in those platforms. So, Lauren, thank you again for this opportunity. Let's dive into this 15-minute chaser. First, I want to start with something that I've watched happen over and over again in the 17 years that I've spent inside of communications and public relations. I got my start on Capitol Hill. I've worked in national nonprofits, and now I support innovative companies inside of my public relations firm, Acres Co. What I can tell you with certainty is that the people get chosen for the opportunities, the magazines, the bylines, the stages, the podcasts. They are not always the most accomplished, but I can tell you that they are for sure the most positioned and the most compelling. And here's what I mean by that. Positioning is not necessarily personal branding. It's not a polished bio or your color-coded calendar, your content calendar. Positioning equates to credibility. And that's what PR can do for you. And today I want to pull back the curtain on how that actually works, especially for you, someone who's already built something that is real and has a story worth telling. Because if you're not using earning media, you're leaving opportunities on the table. I have been doing this long enough where I have watched media completely transform brands and thought leaders from print to digital, digital to social, and now what shows up in the AI platforms. And across all of these things, there are three components that have not changed. The first is that trust transfer. When a credible outlet, a magazine, a podcast, or an event chooses to put you in front of their audience, that trust transfers to you. You cannot buy trust. You've got to earn it. The thing is, the reader, the person in the audience or the listener, they're not seeing your pitch. If you're already there, they believe that you are the real thing. You have already been vouched for. So that endorsement in itself is highly valuable. The second thing that still remains true is that your story reigns over your credentials. I cannot tell you how many pitches I have seen or written or helped clients with that lead with their accolades and their accomplishments rather than their story. We do not need to share our resume. Editors do not place resumes, they place stories and expertise. So the pitch that wins is the one that makes the readers feel something or learn something or be inspired by something before it makes them think. And I'll just say that your bio is also not your story. Your story can be your origin story, lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur, things that have inspired you over the years that you can help inspire others and also share the lessons with them that you have learned. The third thing that remains true is that specificity wins and generic does not get placed. Editors, podcast hosts, event curators, they are all looking for a very specific voice with a specific perspective. And the business owners that I see break through consistently are not necessarily trying to appeal to everyone or who are trying to sound like everyone. They own a specificity about their expertise, their story, what makes them compelling, that helps them rise above the rest. Now, for as many things that have stayed the same, there is so much that is changing right now. We are living through the most disruptive era in the history of media right now. And candidly, I'm seeing a lot of people either really panic about this moment or simply dismiss what is coming around the curve. And neither of those are the right move. AI is generating content at scale that no human can match. Every platform is flooded. Attention is a very scarce resource. And in the middle of all of that noise, do you want to know what has become more valuable and not less? Trusted humans speaking on trusted platforms. Editorial selection has become the new gold standard, precisely because it is the thing that AI cannot replace. Sure, an algorithm can generate a blog post, but it cannot make the choice that a respected editor can make when she decides that your story belongs in front of her readers. And here's the thing that I'm particularly excited about and something that the business owners of today should absolutely absorb. You are going to have a distinct advantage if you can prioritize PR right now, because being featured right now does not just build your reputation for today. It is actively shaping how you get found tomorrow. If you're up for a little exercise, I would highly recommend going to Claude or ChatGPT or Perplexity, searching your name and your business. And that is going to tell you whether or not an accurate representation of your brand is being displayed. I can tell you that the names and descriptions and credibility markers that Claude or ChatGPT are publishing, those are the names and businesses that have been featured on credible third-party platforms. Not the people with the most followers, not the people who post the most, but people who have the most earned media and the best strategy behind it. So when I tell clients that a magazine feature in a digital publication is infrastructure, I mean that so literally. That feature is being read by the algorithms that will determine how you show up in AI-generated search results for the next decade. And that's not a small thing. So with everything else that you have going on, hopefully AI is simplifying some things for you. I would highly recommend pouring some time into pursuing PR features because now is not the time to slow down those efforts. This is the moment to get more intentional about them. So if you are looking for a few easy wins when it comes to PR opportunities and opportunities that drive earned media results, let's start with three channels that have been proven methods to building the kind of reputation that works before you even walk into a room. One, as I just mentioned, magazine features are still a tried and true asset. It is the gold standard. And here's why a magazine feature is an editorial decision made by a professional whose entire job it is to protect their readers' trust. They are the gatekeeper. So when they say yes to your story, they are staking their credibility on you. This lives permanently in search results if it's a digital feature. It influences what comes up when someone types your name into Google or asks an AI tool who the authority is in your space. Every feature that you land is a permanent data point that compounds over time. That's not a vanity metric. That is a distribution strategy. One of the ways to put this into practice is to browse online publications that have either newsletters or digital magazines, or perhaps you could be a byline writer for their online community. Finding ways to show up on those online platforms will signal trust and it will convert to AI search results. I'm still a very big believer in podcast appearances. Again, these offer really great content opportunities, networking, relationship building, being in front of someone else's trusted audience. But in the age of AI, it definitely serves as an opportunity for the Chat GPT and the AI tools to pick up the commentary, the content, and the theme from those podcast interviews. Also, podcast transcripts are indexed, so they are searchable. These clips live on YouTube and Reels and they get shared for months. I am also a big proponent of getting my clients speaking on stages and in front of audiences as either panelists, moderators, or keynote speakers. Here's what I love about stage opportunities: this proximity signals authority in a way that no other format does. When you are on the stage, you are the expert in the room by definition. What also is very beneficial about speaking on stages is you get tons of content and social proof. That clip becomes your speaker reel. And your speaker reel is what gets you on the next stage. And as your stage opportunities grow, so does your positioning. It is the single fastest way to grow your brand. One of the most common questions that I get from established business owners is how do I get started? I have a great story, I have a great reputation, but I need to be seen and more visible and more respected and trusted within the audiences and industries that really move the needle for me and my business. Where do I start? And typically my answer touches upon these three avenues. The first one is awards are such an underrated avenue. I know that sounds really simple, but an award is not just a trophy. It is typically something that comes with both credibility, earned media, magazine features, byline, storylines. And a lot of the publications that we're talking about positioning clients for, they have award programs. And therefore, these award programs oftentimes come with stages, editorial opportunities, proximity to other people who are the leaders in their field. And here's the thing: you are not cold pitching someone who has an awards program. You are simply answering an open invitation. Now, you may not win every time, but even positioning yourself in front of that decision-making authority, the editorial team or the jury, that is getting your name in front of people that you would not otherwise have that opportunity to do. So I find that the biggest question when it comes to awards is, but I don't have anyone to nominate me. And the reality is that so many people are self-nominating. So I would not look past an opportunity because you don't have someone to nominate you. Secondly, I would ask a trusted mentor, peer, or friend who believes in what you're doing to nominate for you. Hey, make it easy for them. Create the package and say, here's what I would recommend, here's my bio, here are the questions. I would be really grateful for this opportunity if you would consider it. The next avenue that I'm going to share with you is kind of like playing inside baseball. Not everyone knows that they exist, but typically if you are interested in being featured in a magazine, they operate off of editorial calendars. These are assets within a publications media kit, and it shares throughout the entire year the content and the topics that they're going to be talking about. And you have the opportunity to review that and position yourself properly to send them an aligned story or opportunity. Now, the thing is, publications, along with other maybe podcasts or events, they plan these things out months in advance. So you really have to be ahead of the game. If you were to pull the editorial calendar for your three target publications right now, you will know exactly what they are covering six months from now. But the thing is, you need to pitch six to eight months in advance to really get in front of them at the right window of consideration. And then the third avenue, I would just recommend finding a really aligned opportunity with a target outlet. Understand who is the decision maker at that publication, whether it's the editor, a producer, podcast host, and understand what it is that they may be looking for. Look at past podcast episodes or magazine features and be a resource for them. And then send them a pitch. Typically, this is an opportunity for you to talk about a trend or a data point. Heck, even an incredible story that's going to again inspire or inform their audience. And it also demonstrates that you have actually read their publication and you understand what their readers want. When a pitch is done well, it does not feel like a cold outreach. It feels like a gift to the editor. And that should be the standard that you're aiming for. So as we close, I want to share one thing that I really believe deeply about the work that I do. And I find myself coming back to this often with people who want to be in more opportunities, featured in the media and on more stages. The leaders and experts and business owners who get booked on the shows, who get featured in magazines, they were not always the most famous. And sometimes they weren't even the most polished, but they were the most convinced and convicted that their story matters and that their name belonged in those publications. Their story was worth telling. And that takes courage, but it also takes strategy. And if that's you, and I believe it is, or else you wouldn't be listening to this episode, then the question isn't necessarily whether you have a story or not. The question is actually whether you believe it's worth telling. And that sentiment is wrapped up in how I feel about the clients that I work with. They believe that their story is worth telling. That is the work that I do. We are specifically working with mission-driven business owners who are ready to stop being the best kept secret in their industry. And if you would like to learn more or connect, I would love to connect with you on LinkedIn or Instagram. You can follow me at Lindsay Acres, and I would love to continue this conversation with you. And before we depart, I will leave you with this sentiment. Your reputation is not something that you declare. You earn it through proof, through proximity, and through trusted platforms that validate that you are who you say you are. So take the leap, take the jump, believe in yourself, and put yourself out there.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

That's your quick hit of clarity and momentum for the week. If it sparks something, share it with a friend or tag us in your stories at Business Over Cocktails and or at Lauren Major. We love seeing what resonates. Don't forget, Mondays are for full-length episodes with rich conversations. And Fridays are the Business Chaser episodes. These are bite sized insights pulled from our guests to keep you inspired and aligned throughout the week. Do you have a question or takeaway? DM us at Business Over Cocktails. We just might feature it in a future episode. Cheers.