You know you need media coverage. You know a press release is part of the process. But you are already running a business, managing a team, serving clients, and trying to grow — and writing is not exactly on your list of strengths.

So do you hire someone to do it or figure it out yourself?

In my experience working with entrepreneurs on media placements, the answer depends less on budget and more on what stage your business is at and what you are actually trying to achieve. I have seen business owners spend $2,000 on a PR writer and get nothing from it — and others write their own press release in an afternoon and land coverage in three publications.

This guide breaks down exactly when PR writing services are worth it, when they are not, and what the smartest options are in 2026 for every budget.

What Are PR Writing Services?

PR writing services cover a range of professional writing support for businesses looking to get media coverage. They include:

Press release writing. A professional writer crafts your press release from scratch based on information you provide. This is the most common PR writing service and ranges from budget freelancers to specialized PR agencies.

Media pitch writing. A writer crafts personalized pitches to specific journalists and editors on your behalf. More targeted and often more effective than a generic press release but requires more upfront research.

Feature story writing. A writer interviews you and crafts a full narrative feature about your business — the kind of long-form story that publications use as dedicated articles rather than brief news items.

PR agency retainers. Full-service PR agencies handle everything — strategy, writing, distribution, journalist relationships, and media monitoring — for a monthly retainer typically starting at $3,000 to $10,000 per month.

The Case for Hiring PR Writing Services

You Get Professional Quality Immediately

An experienced PR writer knows how to structure a press release that journalists actually read, craft a headline that gets opened, and frame your story in a way that resonates with media. If writing is not your strength, hiring a professional eliminates the learning curve entirely.

You Save Time

Writing a strong press release takes most business owners 3 to 5 hours — longer if it is their first one. A professional writer can produce the same output in a fraction of the time. For business owners whose time is genuinely worth more than the cost of the service, outsourcing makes clear financial sense.

You Get an Outside Perspective

One of the biggest challenges business owners face when writing their own press releases is being too close to the story. What seems obviously important to you may not be the most compelling angle for media. A good PR writer brings an outsider’s perspective and identifies the story angle that journalists will actually care about.

The Case for Doing It Yourself

Nobody Knows Your Story Better Than You

The most compelling business stories come from the person who lived them. No PR writer, no matter how skilled, can replicate the authenticity and specific detail that comes from you telling your own story. For businesses where the founder’s personal journey is central to the brand, DIY writing often produces better results.

The Cost Savings Are Significant

Professional press release writing services range from $200 for a freelancer on Fiverr to $2,000+ for a specialized PR writer. For small businesses doing multiple releases per year, those costs add up quickly. Learning to write your own press releases is a skill that pays dividends indefinitely.

AI Tools Have Leveled the Playing Field

In 2026, business owners have access to AI writing tools that can produce a solid first draft press release in minutes. Tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Jasper can generate a structured press release from a few bullet points — which you then refine and personalize with your own voice and specific details. This hybrid approach gives you the speed of professional writing at a fraction of the cost.

What PR Writing Services Actually Cost in 2026

Understanding the market rates helps you evaluate whether any given service is worth the investment:

The Problem With Most PR Writing Services

Here is what the industry rarely tells you upfront:

Writing the press release is the easy part. Getting it covered is the hard part.

Most PR writing services deliver a document. That document still needs to be distributed, pitched, and followed up on before it generates any actual media coverage. You can pay $1,000 for a beautifully written press release and still get zero coverage if it never reaches the right journalists or fails to connect with a timely story angle.

This is the fundamental limitation of PR writing as a standalone service. It solves the writing problem without solving the coverage problem.

A Smarter Alternative: Direct Feature Placement

Rather than paying for writing services and then separately worrying about distribution and pickup, some businesses choose a more direct path, working with a publication that handles both the writing and the publishing in a single package.

This is exactly what CEO Medium offers. Rather than delivering a press release document that you then have to distribute and hope gets picked up, CEO Medium writes and publishes a dedicated feature story about your business directly on the platform — permanently indexed on Google, written by experienced writers, and syndicated to additional outlets depending on your package.

The key difference is guaranteed placement. You are not paying for a document. You are paying for a published article about your business that is live, indexed, and working for you from day one.

When to Hire PR Writing Services vs. Each Alternative

Hire a PR writer if:

• You have a significant one-time announcement, funding round, major launch, acquisition
• You are targeting top-tier national media and need a polished, professional release
• Writing is genuinely not your strength and you have the budget

Do it yourself if:

• You are just getting started and need to learn the basics
• Your budget is limited and you are willing to invest time instead of money
• Your story is deeply personal and you want to tell it in your own voice

Use AI tools if:

• You need to produce multiple press releases regularly
• You want professional quality without professional cost
• You are comfortable editing and personalizing AI-generated drafts

Use direct feature placement if:

• You want guaranteed published coverage rather than a document that may or may not get picked up
• You want a permanent SEO-indexed article about your business on Google, the kind that top business magazines publish about entrepreneurs every day
• You want your story told in depth rather than summarized in a 400-word press release

How to Evaluate Any PR Writing Service Before You Pay

Before hiring any PR writing service, ask these five questions:

1. Do they have samples of press releases that generated actual coverage? Anyone can write a press release. Ask for examples where their writing led to measurable media pickup. If they cannot provide examples, that is a red flag.
2. Do they understand your industry? A writer who covers technology startups may not understand the nuances of real estate, healthcare, or financial services. Industry knowledge matters because journalists can spot generic, uninformed pitches immediately.
3. What is included beyond the writing? Does the service include distribution? Follow-up pitching? Revisions? Understanding the full scope of what you are paying for prevents surprises later.
4. What is their revision policy? Your story needs to sound like your business. A good PR writer should be willing to revise until the tone, facts, and angle are right.
5. Can they guarantee anything? Most PR writing services cannot — and will tell you so honestly. If a service promises guaranteed coverage from a press release alone, approach with caution. The only way to guarantee coverage is to work directly with a publication.

Building Your Own PR Writing Capability

If budget is a constraint and you are committed to handling PR in-house, here is a practical path to building the skill yourself:

Start with the basics. Read our guide on how to write a press release — it covers the exact format, structure, and common mistakes that kill your chances of getting covered.

Use AI as your first draft tool. Feed your key facts into an AI writing tool and let it generate a structured first draft. Then rewrite the opening paragraph in your own voice, add specific data points, and insert a genuine quote from yourself or a client.

Study what gets covered. Spend 20 minutes a week reading the business section of your target publications. Notice what kinds of stories they run, what angles they favor, and what their readers care about. The more you understand the publication, the better you can tailor your pitches.

Write one press release a month. Like any skill, PR writing improves with practice. Commit to writing and distributing one press release per month regardless of how polished you think it is. The learning compounds quickly.

Final Thoughts

PR writing services are a legitimate investment for businesses with the budget and the right announcement to justify them. But they are not magic and they are not the only path to getting your business covered in media.

Whether you hire a professional writer, use AI tools to produce your own releases, or work directly with a publication for guaranteed placement, the most important factor is consistency. Businesses that show up in media consistently are the ones that get remembered, trusted, and chosen.

If you are ready to skip the uncertainty and get a dedicated feature story published about your business today, CEO Medium works with entrepreneurs and small business owners across the US to make that happen.

Ready for guaranteed coverage? CEO Medium publishes dedicated feature stories for entrepreneurs and business owners. Get Featured Today or email info@ceomedium.com.

The post PR Writing Services: When to Hire One vs. Do It Yourself (2026 Guide) appeared first on CEO Medium.

They picture a Fortune 500 brand hiring a $10,000-a-month agency, sending press releases to hundreds of journalists, and landing features in major publications through sheer spending power.

That picture is outdated.

In my experience working with entrepreneurs and business owners on media placements, the ones who get covered consistently are not always the biggest or best-funded. They are the ones who understand how media works and position themselves accordingly.

This guide breaks down exactly how to get media coverage for your small business in 2026 – without an agency, without a massive budget, and without wasting months chasing journalists who will never respond.

Why Media Coverage Still Matters in 2026

Before diving into strategy, it is worth understanding why media coverage is worth pursuing in the first place.

A single feature in the right publication can do more for your business than months of paid advertising. Here is why:

It builds permanent credibility. A published article about your business lives on Google indefinitely. When a potential client searches your name, they find proof that a real publication thought your story was worth telling.

It drives compounding traffic. Unlike an ad that disappears the moment you stop paying, an article keeps sending readers to your website for years.

It creates a trust shortcut. Customers trust businesses that have been featured in media more than businesses that have not. Being featured in even one credible publication changes how people perceive you.

It opens doors. Media coverage leads to speaking invitations, partnership opportunities, podcast appearances, and more coverage. One feature often leads to five more.

The 5 Most Effective Ways to Get Media Coverage in 2026

1. Build a Targeted Media List

The biggest mistake small business owners make with PR is sending the same pitch to every journalist they can find. This approach wastes time and burns bridges.

Instead, build a targeted list of 20 to 30 journalists and editors who specifically cover your industry, your region, or your type of business story.

To find the right contacts:

• Search Google for recent articles about businesses like yours and note the journalist’s name
• Follow industry publications and identify their regular contributors
• Use LinkedIn to find editors at local business journals and trade publications
• Check the masthead of publications you want to be featured in

A targeted list of 25 journalists who actually cover your space will outperform a blasted list of 500 every single time.

2. Write a Newsworthy Pitch

Journalists do not cover businesses. They cover stories. Your pitch needs to answer one question immediately: why should their readers care about this right now?

A strong pitch has three elements:

A clear news hook. What is happening that makes this timely? A product launch, a milestone, a trend you are responding to, a problem you are solving.

A specific angle. Not “my business is growing” but “my business grew 300% by doing the opposite of what every expert recommended.”

A short ask. One paragraph. Tell them who you are, what the story is, and why their audience would care. Do not attach a press release to the first email. Just pitch the idea.

3. Use HARO and Similar Platforms

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a free service where journalists post requests for sources and experts to quote in their articles. You sign up, receive daily emails with journalist requests, and respond to the ones relevant to your business.

This is one of the fastest ways to get quoted in major publications as a small business owner. A single good HARO response can land you a mention in Forbes, Entrepreneur, or Inc. without ever sending a cold pitch.

Other platforms that work similarly:

• Qwoted — newer alternative to HARO with higher quality requests
• SourceBottle — good for lifestyle and consumer brands
• ProfNet — more suited to established experts and academics

Check HARO requests every morning and respond within the first two hours. Journalists work on tight deadlines and the first good response usually wins.

4. Leverage Local Media First

National coverage is the goal for many business owners but local media is often the fastest and most impactful starting point.

Local newspapers, regional business journals, local TV news, and community blogs are all actively looking for stories about businesses in their area. The competition for coverage is far lower and the relationships you build with local journalists often lead to national introductions over time.

Start by pitching your local business journal or newspaper. Frame your story around a local angle — job creation, community impact, a local problem you are solving. Once you have local coverage, use that as proof of credibility when pitching national outlets.

5. Get Featured in a Business Publication Directly

Rather than chasing journalists and hoping they pick up your story, you can work directly with business publications that feature entrepreneurs and business owners as part of their editorial model.

This approach gives you:

• Control over how your story is told
• A guaranteed published feature rather than a maybe
• A permanent, SEO-indexed article that ranks on Google
• Syndication to additional outlets depending on the publication

At CEO Medium, we work with entrepreneurs and small business owners to craft and publish dedicated feature stories that reach thousands of readers in their target market. Rather than spending months pitching journalists with no guarantee of coverage, you get a published feature that works for your business 24 hours a day.

What Makes a Business Story Worth Covering

Whether you are pitching a journalist or working with a publication directly, your story needs one of these elements to be worth covering:

Conflict or challenge. You faced a serious obstacle and overcame it. Readers connect with struggle and resilience more than smooth success stories.

Surprising data or results. You achieved something unusual — grew faster than expected, found a counterintuitive solution, reached a milestone that defies the norm.

A clear human angle. There is a real person behind the business with a real reason for building it. Personal motivation is one of the most compelling story elements in business journalism.

Timely relevance. Your story connects to something happening in the world right now — a trend, a shift in consumer behavior, a market change.

A local or community angle. You are creating jobs, solving a local problem, or building something that your community can be proud of.

If your story has at least one of these elements, it is worth pitching.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances of Getting Covered

Pitching too broadly. Sending the same generic pitch to 500 journalists signals that you have not done your homework. Personalize every pitch to the specific journalist and publication.

Making it about you, not the reader. Journalists write for their audience, not for your business. Every pitch needs to lead with why their readers will care, not why the story matters to you.

Following up too aggressively. One follow-up email after 5 to 7 days is acceptable. Multiple follow-ups within a week will get you blacklisted.

No visuals or assets. Make it easy for journalists to say yes. Have a high-quality headshot, company photos, and a one-page media kit ready to send the moment someone shows interest.

Giving up too soon. Most business owners pitch once or twice and quit when they do not hear back. Consistent, strategic outreach over months is how small businesses build real media presence.

Building a Long-Term Media Presence

Getting one feature is good. Building a media presence that consistently generates coverage is what actually moves the needle for your business.

To do that, think of PR as a habit rather than a one-time effort:

• Pitch at least 5 journalists or publications every month
• Respond to HARO requests every morning
• Publish content on your own platform that journalists can reference
• Build genuine relationships with 3 to 5 journalists in your space over time
• Document your business milestones so you always have something newsworthy to pitch

Over 12 months of consistent effort, a small business can build the kind of media presence that most people assume only large companies can achieve.

Final Thoughts

Media coverage is not reserved for big companies with big budgets. It is available to any business owner who understands how to tell a compelling story and gets it in front of the right people.

Start with a targeted media list. Write pitches that lead with the story, not the product. Use free tools like HARO to get quoted in major publications. Build local coverage first and use it as a springboard to national outlets.

And if you want to shortcut the process and get a guaranteed feature story published and indexed on Google, CEO Medium works directly with business owners to make that happen.

Your story is worth telling. The question is whether you are going to tell it or keep waiting for someone else to notice.

Ready to get your business featured? CEO Medium publishes dedicated feature stories for entrepreneurs and small business owners across the US. Get Featured Today or email info@ceomedium.com

The post How to Get Media Coverage for Your Small Business in 2026 appeared first on CEO Medium.

The British economy is still struggling to recover from the pandemic, according to the latest data. The economy is 0.5% smaller than it was before the pandemic, and experts say that the main reasons for this are the lingering effects of the pandemic and the tighter post-Brexit immigration rules.

The ongoing skills shortage is a major challenge for businesses, but it is also an opportunity for those who are proactive. Here are our top tips for businesses facing labor challenges in 2023.

UK industries with skills shortages

To begin, it is important to identify the industries in the UK that are most affected by the skills shortage. A recent study found that the country’s biggest shortfalls are in a variety of sectors, including:

• Transport and logistics: This sector is facing a shortage of skilled drivers, warehouse workers, and customs agents.
• Hospitality: This sector is facing a shortage of skilled chefs, waiters, and hotel staff.
• Manufacturing and construction: These sectors are facing a shortage of skilled engineers, carpenters, and electricians.

Invest in your workforce for long-term success

Recruiting top talent is a time-sensitive process, as there is only a limited pool of qualified candidates available. A recruitment agency can help you find the right people quickly and efficiently.

Recruitment agencies have wider referral networks as a third party, allowing them to identify candidates with the necessary work experience. They also focus on different industries, so you can locate an agency that meets your specific requirements.

Recruitment agencies can help you find new talent with the core skills to help your company reach its goals.

Invest in your workforce to boost your business
Often, the skills you need are already present in your workforce, but they may not be fully utilized. By upskilling your employees, you can give them the skills they need to take on new challenges and responsibilities.

Upskilling your workforce can be a great way to improve your business and the skills of your employees. By following these tips, you can make the upskilling process a success.

Organizations with more resources may even pay for their employees to enroll in external training programs offered by universities or colleges. This personalized investment in your workforce can build loyalty and even provide a valuable public relations opportunity.

Utilise Apprenticeship to train and upskill your workforce
Apprenticeships can be a long-term solution to skills shortages. They can help employers reach a wider talent pool and offer prospective employees a strong, high-quality alternative to the traditional university degree.

A multi-pronged approach to recruitment that includes building relationships with educational institutions can help businesses find top talent at the source.

Boost your marketing reach and visibility
A strong marketing strategy can make your company more attractive to prospective employees. This is because it can help to increase brand awareness and generate interest in your company. You can partner with local educational institutions, promote your job openings on social media and in the local press, and track your results to improve your marketing strategy and attract future employees.

Sources 

GDP – data tables – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)  

Immigration – Winckworth Sherwood LLP (wslaw.co.uk) 

UK employers struggle with worst labour shortage since 1997 | Business | The Guardian 

The post Overcoming Skills Gaps: A Guide for Businesses appeared first on CEO Medium.

Fauteux firmly believes in the responsibility of leaders to contribute to the preservation of our world. In his words, “I believe that everyone in a leadership position has the responsibility to ensure we are protecting nature and acting sustainably. Without it, little of what we do or achieve holds significance or meaning. After all, we have to ensure that we have a place where others following in our footsteps have the opportunity to achieve their own goals.”

Fauteux’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree earned in 1995 from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. He also pursued further education, completing a Management Certificate from the American Management Association of International in 1999 as well as an Indigenous Studies Certificate from the University of Alberta in 2017. 

In this capacity as Senior Director of P3 at EQUANS Services, he’s responsible for managing the strategic delivery operations of multiple P3 contracts in both Canada and the United States. His areas of oversight encompass transit, healthcare, transportation, and cultural infrastructure. 

What does your day-to-day generally look like given your position?

Contract, Vendor, and Client Management are the activities that take up most of my day.  Making sure we are delivering on our commitments and serving our clients in the best, most sustainable way we can.

What initially inspired you to get into the field you’re in?

Leadership has always been the thing that I’ve gravitated to normally and environmentalism and sustainability are things that mean a lot to me personally. So being able to lead and contribute in those important areas has been great.

What do you think makes a great leader?

I generally subscribe to servant leadership so listening is where everything starts.  As a generalist, I believe strongly in putting the right people in the right places and then making sure you can support success, help them grow, and clear barriers for them. I also believe strongly that what gets measured, gets done so I am a big proponent of having accountability systems in place to track success.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception is that environmentalism and sustainability are only for environmentalists and that simply is not true. Everything we build, operate, occupy, use, etc. can be better more sustainable, and less harmful to the environment around us.  Keeping this in mind, ALL of us are responsible for this, not just the environmentalists.

What do you believe your future career is going to look like five years from now?

I imagine that I will be leading sustainably in whatever industry needs me. 

The post Our Interview With Brad Fauteux, senior director of P3 Management at EQUANS appeared first on CEO Medium.

Dan Harvey, known as “Passion Dan” on Instagram, is helping business owners create their own apps without spending tens of thousands of dollars. He is the co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Passion.io, a company that helps users create their own apps in minutes.

Passion.io and the Future of App Development

Passion.io is an app development software that uses a drag and drop interface. This allows users (called “PassionFighters”) to create their ideal app in minutes. Dan and Matthias Bellmann co-founded the company in an effort to help businesses profit from their passion.

The program offers a number of easy-to-use features to help business owners create apps. Since they launched, Passion.io has helped over 4000 businesses in every industry. They help artists, fitness gurus, business consultants, and more. Because Passion.io is so versatile, business owners can create the exact app they need to expand their business’ reach.

Dan’s Early Entrepreneurship

Dan wasn’t always the success he is today. His first startup, a property management company called Be Street Smart, showed Dan how much he still needed to learn. He realized that he needed to adopt a growth mindset.

Once he realized his need, he surrounded himself with inspiring people. They gave him the confidence he needed to help make his passions profitable. His own entrepreneurial experience became the basis for his business coaching.

Business Coaching with “Passion Dan”

Passion.io isn’t the only way Dan is helping entrepreneurs create successful businesses. He also offers business training to walk business owners through every step of the building and scaling a thriving business. He hopes that sharing his experience will help business owners avoid the same pitfalls he faced in his early days of entrepreneurship.

Dan offers a couple of options for business owners. His “Expert Unleashed Challenge” gives business owners the tools they need to attract their first clients. Other business owners learn about marketing their products and growing their business through his “Expert Freedom” program.

Every business has the potential to impact the world in a positive way. Because of this potential, Dan is passionate about helping other businesses succeed. Through equipping business owners, Dan is able to increase the impact he has on the world.

He is active on social media, especially on Instagram where he’s called “Passion Dan.” Through his online efforts, Dan helps entrepreneurs reach new levels of success.

After all, Dan only views himself as successful once his clients have reached success. His highest priority is the success of his clients. This passion for helping others unleash their passions is why Dan puts so much into his business.

If you’re ready to create a new app for your business, you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to get it off the ground. Entrepreneurs at all stages can benefit from Passion.io’s tools. Find out more about how to get started with Passion.io by visiting their website here.

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Can you share a little bit about yourself?

I am a 24-year-old Puerto Rican entrepreneur. I grew up in Puerto Rico and then moved to Miami when I was 16. After I graduated, I moved to California. I originally intended to pursue an acting degree, but dropped out later when I realized it wasn’t the path for me. Instead, I chose to get a business degree online.

I later started my brand using what I’d learned from the experience of having aon online print-on-demand clothing brand. I decided in January to start building my Instagram page organically, then included the use of targeted ads.

With digital marketing and entrepreneur experience, I decided to help other entrepreneurs learn to develop and grow their brands. This way they can establish their mark on social media.

How did this develop into a business for you?

I’d recommended a few carousel creators which include graphic designers, entrepreneurs, and creatives. When I realized that I could bring what I had learned from school and previous experience to help others get started, I knew I was onto something.

Not only would I lean on this experience, but I could also use the experience of acting school and running an online store. In growing my brand, it taught me how to navigate the digital landscape. I knew I could relay this to others and help them do the same.

At first, I was more focused on teaching digital marketing and content creation, but I realized that people were following me for different reasons. It was about my mindset and branding. I decided to shift my brand toward those topics since they seemed to resonate with others.

One important factor is that I didn’t want to box myself in and only discuss personal branding and mindset. It’s topics within those niches I want to go deeper into and explore. I’m currently working on a couple of projects, one of them is a newly launched podcast called The Candid Creative (@candidcreativepodcast).

I always wanted to inspire others and help them find their passion. When it comes to the podcast, I think about how I wanted to create a podcast where I could interview people. Now, that’s a reality! Working on my podcast has primarily been about giving creatives and entrepreneurs a way to learn a wide array of topics.

What do you want your brand to represent?

I always do my best to maintain my brand as honest and personal as possible. I believe that since I am building a personal brand while creating personal branding material, mindset, and podcasting content, this is critically important.

I strongly believe that it is also my responsibility to discuss other topics whether they are social, ethical, or even political on my platform and brand. It wouldn’t be a personal brand if it doesn’t talk about the things I am passionate about and the things I believe in. More brands and especially personal brands should do this.

I always do my best to deliver my audience and connections with fresh, new, relevant topics and perspectives. It has always been a priority to inspire others to take the steps they need to create something themselves.

Is there something you would tell those just starting?

The main thing would probably be that your prior experiences can help you create something. I never thought that two years of acting school would help me develop my brand, but it has helped a lot. When I started to create video content that background began to show up. It opened me up to understanding how it was helpful.

Then of course there is running an online clothing brand for a year. While that company didn’t yield much revenue, it did teach me a few things: patience, branding, and how to define an audience. Never underestimate your prior experiences because you never know when they will become helpful.

What challenges have you come across in creating your brand?

The main challenge when working on brand creation usually comes down to differentiation. You always think you have this new and unique perspective, but there are probably others doing something similar. When I started my brand, I quickly realized that what I thought was different was quite similar.

Creating a brand is creating a persona. When it comes down to a personal brand it’s about finding who you are which is where it gets tricky. You need self-awareness and self-preservation.

What did I do? I decided to go deeper into my own experiences and explore the following: who am I? Because while there might be others doing similar content or talking about similar ideas nobody can be you as an individual.

Daily, the challenges come down to staying fresh and relevant. We live in a world where it’s constantly changing. You must always be on your feet and prepared to pivot. When something doesn’t work. quickly find a solution to make it work, otherwise, someone else will. The other challenge is related to self-awareness and self-preservation.

I’ll be honest, self-awareness is not my strong suit. For me, it means I have to constantly remind myself to be self-aware enough to be consistent in my brand. Also, to stay away from creating a persona. Comes down to being myself.

How are you handling the financial end of your business?

You know that’s a question that should be asked more. The first thing I do is identify priorities. At the moment the priorities for the business have been towards growth, meaning spending on podcast production costs. Soon, I hope to start also giving priority to paying myself more than I do now.

How do you hope to grow your business? What do you want for the future?

At the moment I want to gain traction on my podcast, The Candid Creative and hope to expand my brand through podcasting. However, a medium that I want to expand my brand into further would be video content. primarily YouTube. I do have some ideas on a YouTube channel…just working on the details.

Aside from that, I want to continue inspiring others, and for my brand to be a symbol & inspiration for others to begin their journey in business or entrepreneurship. I do think at some point I want to create something that can help people monetarily to create their first venture. A business that “scouts” potential talents and helps them grow. Sort of an incubator for entrepreneurs.

Do you have a message for our readers looking for motivation?

My message would be to start. Get started on developing a strategy, then begin doing it. I was always scared to start something. I always told myself next month I’ll do it and then one month turned into two years.

My second piece of advice would be to never underestimate yourself and have a plan. Never start something in a rush. It will not turn into something of value. My first business, the online clothing brand was one of those mistakes. I rushed into it. I didn’t establish a clear brand or audience which cost me money.

Lastly, know your purpose. Have a plan and be clear about your goals. What will you bring new to the table that others are not or cannot bring? And always be prepared to fail over and over again. That is something I have to remind myself of every single day.

Website: www.thecandidcreative.com

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MyMoneyEDU was founded by Conwell to fill a void in the minority population, specifically a lack of financial education and access to financial resources. The team has streamlined its processes so that anyone who is a suitable fit for their programs can engage without regard to time or location. Furthermore, all MyMoneyEDU’s products and services are available in digital format for your convenience.

MyMoneyEDU is designed for users who want more time and financial freedom, believing that the conventional American ideal of going to school, getting a job, buying a house, and saving in a 401(k) is no longer the only way to success.

The online curriculum teaches users a range of skills in critical areas such as cash flow methods, increasing income, investing, and leveraging in the stock market, and employing tax planning to avoid paying too much in taxes. 

MyMoneyEDU’s comprehensive financial education platform guides clients through all of the steps necessary to achieve their financial objectives.

About MyMoneyEDU and Kenney Conwell – Kenney Conwell, the founder of MyMoneyEDU, earned a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a certificate in entrepreneurship from North Carolina A&T State University in May 2009. His aim as an entrepreneur is to educate, inform, and equip those who are just getting started on their journey with the skills they need to succeed. He launched MyMoneyEDU with the intention of assisting 1,000,000 people in reaching a 700-credit score by 2029 or sooner so that they can begin the E.R.I. process (Entrepreneurship, Real Estate & Investing).

Conwell and his team are committed to providing the community with the tools, resources, and knowledge needed to achieve exceptional credit and financial success.

CONTACT: For interview opportunities or to learn more about enrolling with MyMoneyEDU

Website: https://www.mymoneyedu.com/

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Today, she specializes in helping independent professionals become in-demand service providers.

Renowned for her relentless pursuit of excellence and delivery of quality services, she strongly focuses on results and has a no-bs approach to business strategy. As a driven coach, she loves teaching entrepreneurs how to create profitable businesses while excelling in their industries. She does this by helping them master their systems, mindset, and marketing.

Tell us a little bit about your business and what inspired you.

“I started Shannon Bain Digital to help service-based business owners create more visibility and profitability online. Having started in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, I could see a lot of business owners struggling to transition their operations in the most effective way possible and I knew I could help them adapt (or ‘pivot’) easier,” she says.

“There was also an emerging number of aspiring entrepreneurs, people who were looking to start a business around their passions that needed guidance and clarity about how they could make it work.”

How does your brand work? 

 I help them master their systems mindset and marketing. There are three main areas that business owners were struggling with:

1. Systems: The way they were operating their business on a day-to-day basis, often limiting them in the amount of income and IMPACT they could make
2. Mindset: Clarity of their purpose and values, their ability to push through adversity and stay focused & motivated
3. Marketing: How they were creating brand awareness, generating leads, and making sales

These three areas are now my signature trio. I’ve got a growing number of clients crediting transformational results due to this method.

“We have seen how mastering these areas work time and time again for clients who want to systemize, start-up, or scale their business.”

“Most clients come to me because they need a marketing strategy or a new website. What they leave with is a whole new perspective on ways they can show up to their audience online, eliminate the things they are struggling with the most, and drive better results in less time.

What is your philosophy?

Our philosophy is to pursue constant, never-ending, consistent improvement. This method resonates through all that we do, with most clients gaining a long-term ’virtual’ business partnership with our team”

What was your biggest challenge when starting?  

My biggest struggle was overcoming the fear of being judged by others. I had to overcome my inner critic and make the decision to put myself out there from the beginning.

I was obsessed with mastering my business and associated my identity with it, and that’s scary for most people. We don’t want to put our hearts, minds, and identities all into something because we fear doing poorly or messing up. 

Before I started my business, I put a number of limitations on myself. Going beyond this meant letting go of things that were keeping me within my defined limits.

There are two ways you can live:

1. Devote your life to staying within your comfort zone or, 
2. Devote your life to freeing yourself from the limits you put on yourself

I seized the opportunity as the right business idea came to me at exactly the right time, but I also made the decision that I wanted it MORE than I feared it. And that the pain of not taking action, not growing, was way worse than the pain of pushing my boundaries.

Do you have a giveaway idea or thought for our readers?

I’d love to offer a free 30-minute coaching session to any service provider who resonates with my method. I’d love to help you achieve your business goals. 

Just book via shannonbaindigital.com/book-now. You can also find a number of free resources available on my website.

What’s your future vision for your brand? What’s your next level dream?

Shannon Bain Digital has big plans for the next 12 months, with team expansion, additional services for agency clients, and online courses to complement our coaching programs. (Launching in May 2020)

Do you have a message for those who are creating something of their own and hope to make a living through it?  

My message to anyone who has a vision of making it on their own, starting a business, or pursuing their passions is to remember that while it may seem like you will never make enough progress to get ahead, the steps you take together, while small, will compound into something great over time. 

And even if you fail 1000 times, you will be 1000 steps ahead of those that never tried at all.

Follow Shannon Bain Digital on Instagram

The post Shannon Bain Digital Can Help you Master Your Systems, Mindset, and Marketing appeared first on CEO Medium.

So I started as a private baseball instructor and coach for 5 Star National (top 3 travel ball organization in the country) from 2013–2017. I was placed in charge of the social media marketing for this company and I was fortunate enough to generate some massive results for them so I figured why couldn’t I do this for myself? In March 2017 I started focusing on my own personal brand and growing it. Flash forward 6 months later and I was growing at a 10k follower/M rate and getting a lot of attention from others looking for help. The next phase was realizing I had worked and helped over 100 other people over the next 3 months — it was booming. At this point, I decided to start a business. It kind of fell into my lap. I tell people all the time I speak to as a mentor — you don’t always have to have an A to Z strategy in place before you start taking action towards your end goal. Just starting DOING! The rest will fall into place.

What is your business model — how were you able to grow so fast?

My business model was simple. Go find big-time marketing companies with proven track records and loads of clients who weren’t yet offering social media marketing services. Show them enough value and get them to the white label. I traveled all over the country in my free time connecting with marketing company decision-makers. Once they saw what I could do — the rest was history. The white-labeled under their own names added us to their pitch decks and had their own sales team already in place to sell our services. All we had to do was focus on the fulfillment aspect. Of course, we still sold our own clients at better margins, but fast growth can 100% be associated with our partner firms. We now currently have 9 partner agencies from all around the world including Australia and Bulgaria. We are in negotiations now with our potential 10th and 11th partner firms.

Can you give me an overview of who you are, what is your educational or overall background? What are some of your achievements?

I am 28 years old. 7 figure earner. I was my high school Salutatorian (Lanier County HS — Lakeland, Ga — a really small town of just 3300 people — only 92 students in my graduating class) in 2008. Played college baseball — that was my entire life before this move into entrepreneurship. I graduated Summa Cum Laude (3.95 or higher GPA) with a Bachelor’s in Accounting from Carson Newman University in 2012. Found out quickly a desk job was not for me! While in college, I was a member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society.

What have you learned through your experiences as an entrepreneur that can be used by aspiring business individuals?

Everyone has the same opportunities in life to be successful. We all come from different backgrounds and from all aspects of life — the ones who succeed will be the ones who don’t let themselves become a product of their environment and they figure out a way to stay relentless chasing their dreams. Like most things in life, there is also a formula for success. For example, if someone wants to lose 20 lbs — there are studies that show if you eat fewer carbs and exercise more, you can drop the weight within this particular formula. The same goes for success. They are certain ‘habits’ and best practices one can do each and every day to best position themselves for success. Study the people who are already killing it within your industry and learn from them. Get yourself a mentor. We all need a mentor and someone to hold us accountable.

What makes your business so unique and successful?

Honestly, I think it is our team. Our team truly cares about our clients. The best compliment I consistently receive is the fact I, as the Founder/CEO, still take the time to text my clients back personally if they have a question or issue. This can be challenging with 600+ clients but nothing in life worth having comes easy. Our team truly goes above and beyond for our clients to provide extreme customer satisfaction.

What have you learned through your journey as an entrepreneur?

That time and financial freedom isn’t just a thing you hear about! It truly is something that is attainable if you truly want it. It won’t be easy but once you get there, the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices you most definitely had to make to get there. It will require a ton of WORK and DISCIPLINE! But as the saying goes, Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.

What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?

Self Discipline, Consistency, Team Building, Networking, Leadership

Why is online business, marketing, etc important?

Everything is moving to digital platforms. It is the future. Just walk around and look at where people’s eyes are — on their phones or some other screen. If your brand doesn’t have at least some sort of digital presence in 2019 and moving into 2020 — you are definitely missing out!

Find Ryan online on: www.officialryanwhite.com

The post Digital Entrepreneur Ryan White: The King of Social Media Marketing appeared first on CEO Medium.