Publicist Rockstars: Ashley Spriggs of Pivot Media On The Five Things You Need To Have A Highly Successful Career in The PR Industry
Have fun in every moment. Often, PR can feel like heavy work with a lot of pressure. But that is no excuse to NOT have fun! Your hustle can be fun just as much as your rest can be fun. Bring light + life into all that you do, even when it is hard or even when the tasks are daunting and monotonous.
As part of my series about the things you need to know to excel in the modern PR industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ashley Spriggs.
Ashley Spriggs is the Founder + CEO of Pivot Media Co, a media agency that offers services in PR and podcast management. Relational to her core, Ashley has built a business that places deep value on building the message of others. With the help of a mighty team, Pivot Media has partnered with online content creators, podcasts, and authors to expand their reach by getting in front of the right audiences. Ashley lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and 3 tiny humans.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
In 2017, I had just given birth to my first son and was struggling with PPD. After working in an office from 9–5 every day, I decided I did not want to continue on the career path I was working towards, and wanted to work from home so I could be with my son (and future littles!) I was scrolling Insta one day and came across Allie Casazza’s story and the need for a PR gal, applied, and was brought into her team within a few weeks. While I didn’t have much knowledge of the PR world, Allie trusted me to learn + grow with her. And the rest is history! Fast forward to 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic, I formally launched Pivot Media. We quickly grew to servicing 15+ clients within the first months, expanded to multiple team members across the USA, and continue to climb the ladder of success. Had I never taken a risk, this would not be where I landed. Goodness, I am SO glad that I did!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
There are so many interesting moments … but one of my favorites is from 2021 when we navigated book launches during a pandemic! We were planning grand media tours with multi-city stops, author signings, and TV interviews. But … that couldn’t happen! Too many changes + unknown moments led us to pivoting to in home interviews and virtual book signings. What a learning curve!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
AH! All the back end business set up … stuff. I wish I had worked with a business consultant to ensure I was doing everything correctly. But my Enneagram 8 self was too focused on learning + doing it myself. In the end, it worked out, but it took WAY more time than it needed to.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
We just wrapped the media run for Declutter Like A Mother by Allie Casazza and are working on her second book, which will release in March. That was such a proud moment for Pivot Media since we have been working with Allie for 4+ years and she was a huge reason we launched our business. We are also working on adding a new service to the list of what we offer. It would be digital marketing + social media. So that is very exciting!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Be patient with yourself. Hustle (for sure!) but also give yourself grace as you learn and grow. No one has it all figured out, so don’t pressure yourself to have it all figured out either.
- Look to other people in your industry as a collaborator, not as a competitor. This one was HUGE for me to learn. I used to look at other media agencies as competitors; and while they certainly are, I have come to understand that different clients work better with different agencies. And that is OK! I love connecting with fellow PR agencies and have found such a collaborative unity in doing so.
- You have influence, but you do not have control. While we all wish we could control the outcome (especially in the world of PR when everything hinges on a well-crafted email), we simply cannot. BUT keep doing what you are doing — you carry influence.
- Keep learning! You never arrive or master something — especially in a world that is always evolving and changing. Between algorithms, platforms, and social media trends, there is always SO much more you can learn.
- Have fun in every moment. Often, PR can feel like heavy work with a lot of pressure. But that is no excuse to NOT have fun! Your hustle can be fun just as much as your rest can be fun. Bring light + life into all that you do, even when it is hard or even when the tasks are daunting and monotonous.
You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?
The one thing Pivot Media values most is relationship. We place connecting with others as the highest standard of all we do and that has proven successful in our networking. It isn’t about connecting with people to get something from them, but to offer something to them. We offer the wisdom, expertise, or message of our clients to them and their audience. If you can keep relationship building at the core of your networking, the rest will flow seamlessly.
Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business. Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?
Because building relationships and connections is at the core of all we do, that is mostly how we generate good, qualified leads. We typically build a relationship with a podcast host or an author online before pitching our services. However, we have also implemented strategy on our social media by educating viewers on why PR is an important aspect to their business, in hopes of generating a conversation about a potential partnership.
Is there a particular book that you read, or podcast you listened to that really helped you in your career? Can you explain?
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek will forever be one of my favorite leadership books and is pivotal to how Pivot Media operates. If you haven’t read it, you definitely should!
Because of the role you play, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
This is such a good question! And really pushes you to think beyond your current influence, and even your current generation. Wow! But I would love to see comparison and imposter syndrome completely eradicated. If it did not exist, what a harmonious culture we would have!
This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.
