Mike Petchenik

I've spent years telling clients that PR isn't a direct line to sales. Two weeks ago, I got a chance to test that theory on myself. A Netflix “Instadoc” put my true crime brand, Trial Watchers, in front of roughly 6.6 million viewers. The show spent about a week in Netflix's Top 10. At the same time, our PR outreach resulted in my business partner Neil appearing on ABC’s Nightline, in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and in local news coverage that got nationwide syndication. Our website...

I still remember my first live report for a real TV audience. Junior year at the University of Missouri. I was cutting my teeth at the university-owned NBC affiliate as part of my broadcast journalism classes. I don’t even remember what the story was. Breaking news. Friday night. Cold, dark, and raining. I’m standing on a bluff over the Missouri River. Between me and thousands of eyeballs? A camera lens. A blinding light. One very calm photographer. His pre-shot wisdom:“Breathe. Collect your...

(Originally published by Tarkenton) Whether you dream of becoming a go-to expert whenever the media covers your industry – or you dread...