This is a data-driven, practically grounded conversation about the specialization economy: the growing body of research across the freelance and independent consulting world in 2026 that shows generalists getting squeezed and specialists pulling away. Karen and Michelle aren't just reporting a trend — they're translating it specifically for PR and…
data-driven, practically grounded conversation about the specialization economy: the growing body of research across the freelance and independent consulting world in 2026 that shows generalists getting squeezed and specialists pulling away.
How to really succeed in media relations, without ending up on the black list!
If you are a late stage career professional you may sometimes feel like opting out of learning more things. We see you! We all get tired and want to give our brains a break and just do the status quo. But are you asking the right question? Check out our…
Who knew when you decided to become a solo PR pro practitioner that you were future proofing your career! Wisdom and experience are winning in 2026!
Muck Rack's State of PR 2026 report surveyed 971 PR professionals. Only 18% were solos. The rest were mostly from agencies and in-house teams — which means that when the report says 66% of PR pros rate their stress above five out of ten, or that 55% worked more than…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-3pfqg-1b15398 Episode Summary Muck Rack's State of PR 2026 report surveyed 971 PR professionals. Only 18% were solos. The rest were mostly from agencies and in-house teams — which means that when the report says 66% of PR pros rate their stress above five out of ten, or that…
Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-3pfqg-1b15398 Episode Summary Muck Rack's State of PR 2026 report surveyed 971 PR professionals. Only 18% were solos. The rest were mostly from agencies and in-house teams — which means that when the report says 66% of PR pros rate their stress above five out of ten, or that…
AI versus human? Not in 2026. AI highlights the value of human judgment and this is an area where late stage Solo PR Pros shine.
Are you in the later stages of your Solo PR career? Today’s episode of That Solo Life is one of the most grounded, research-backed, and genuinely useful conversations the show has had about what it means to be a late-career practitioner in an AI-dominated landscape — and why the narrative…
Are you in the later stages of your Solo PR career? Today’s episode of That Solo Life is one of the most grounded, research-backed, and genuinely useful conversations the show has had about what it means to be a late-career practitioner in an AI-dominated landscape — and why the narrative…
Episode Summary It's the week after the Fourth of July, and Karen and Michelle are talking about a different kind of independence. It turns out that the future of PR looks a lot like its past: closer to the work, the relationships, and the accountability that got lost as holding…
It’s the week after the Fourth of July, and Karen and Michelle are talking about a different kind of independence. It turns out that the future of PR looks a lot like its past: closer to the work, the relationships, and the accountability that got lost as holding companies scaled.…
The USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations 2026 Global Communications Report, titled A Quiet Shift, surveyed over 700 PR professionals, more than 1,000 members of the general public, and conducted one-on-one interviews with Fortune 500 chief communications officers.
Just a few short years ago we had just started to discuss AI and in this video, expert Axel Ebermann discussed the challenges facing public relatios professionals.
That Solo Life Episode 345: The New Rules of Trust but Verify Episode Summary Every solo PR pro has heard the same directive for the past year: show up in AI search. Get cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, and the rest. But Karen and Michelle pose a different question: when AI…
When AI mentions your client, does anyone actually believe what it says? New research says visibility and believability are two distinct jobs, and most practitioners have only been working on one. Karen walks through Burson’s new Credibility Paradox report (with Profound), which analyzed roughly 55,000 believability forecasts across 85 companies…
Jake Isham describes himself as an accidental marketer. He went to film school, realized he wasn't going back for a grad degree, and spent his 20s learning to build a business the hard way. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Creative Minds, a creative agency rooted in filmmaking and…
Jake Isham is a filmmaker and accidental marketer. In this episode he shares the lessons he has learned about branding, marketing, and running a business without letting go of your art.
Episode Summary Sharon Toerek has spent her legal career making a case most lawyers never make: legal protection is not a cost center for your agency. It is a profit center. As founder and principal of Legal+Creative, an IP law firm devoted exclusively to independent marketing, advertising, PR, and creative…
Most solo practitioners have contracts. What they don’t have is a strategy. Sharon Toerek, founder and principal of Legal+Creative and an intellectual property attorney whose entire practice serves independent marketing, advertising, PR, and creative services agencies, joins Karen and Michelle to make the case she has been making for years…
NEW data from @uscglobalpolicyinstitute804 shows hoe the topic of conversation is changing.
Episode Summary The USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations 2026 Global Communications Report, titled A Quiet Shift, surveyed over 700 PR professionals, more than 1,000 members of the general public, and conducted one-on-one interviews with Fortune 500 chief communications officers. Karen and Michelle read it with the solo and independent…
The USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations 2026 Global Communications Report, titled A Quiet Shift, surveyed over 700 PR professionals, more than 1,000 members of the general public, and conducted one-on-one interviews with Fortune 500 chief communications officers. Karen and Michelle read it with the solo and independent practitioner in…