When a freelancing platform urged me to pivot my profile overnight, it felt like the rug had been pulled from under me. But that low point pushed me to revive an old dream and with the help of artificial intelligence and digital tools, I built a business that not only supported me but empowered others as well. Here’s how I turned a tech-powered restart into a thriving hybrid career as a publicist and freelance journalist.
I’ve always been a tech-forward person. While others in my field panicked about generative AI replacing their roles, I saw something different. I saw a smart assistant using natural language processing who could help when I hit a creative wall or a late-night editor powered by machine-learning suggesting better writing and even a springboard for fresh ideas. In short, technology and AI never replaced me, it enhanced me.
But my journey with technology didn’t start here. It began back in 2012.
Planting the Seeds in Traditional PR
At the start of my career, I was managing public relations for one of the largest private equity firms in the world. Journalists returned my calls almost instantly. At the same time, I also handled PR for a small, local investment firm and the pitch for that startup went no where.
That experience left an impression. I realized then that the playing field wasn’t level. The bigger the brand, the louder their voice. I often thought, what if I had my own platform to feature these underrepresented startups? The idea of launching a content hub danced in my head for years, but paying clients and deadlines always pushed it aside.
Until 2024, when everything changed.
Losing a Platform, Finding a Purpose
I was freelancing on a content-writing platform when, I had to pivot my profile due to some issues. Years of credibility vanished. My gigs dried up. It was a gut punch, but I didn’t have the luxury to mourn. I had bills to pay and an 8-year-old watching closely – as her mom was her idol.
So, I reached for that long-forgotten idea. Running my own digital publication still felt too heavy. I didn’t have the bandwidth to launch and scale readership from scratch. But I did have stories to tell. I asked myself, “Where can I write that already has an audience?”
That’s when technology stepped back in as my co-pilot. I started writing on the publishing platforms like Medium. Then I stumbled upon other platforms like Patch which allow freelancers to contribute meaningful, newsworthy stories with wide distribution.
This changed everything. One day, a client casually suggested, “Why don’t you write about me in one of your pieces?” And that was my eureka moment!
Blending PR and Journalism to Serve Startups
I wasn’t just a publicist trying to earn press for others, I was the press. Why not combine the two?
As a publicist, I’ve lived through the dry months. When no media mentions, no features land, and clients start to get restless. During those times, a friendly freelance journalist can feel like a lifeline. I wanted to be that lifeline.
I reached out to boutique PR firms, small agencies like mine, firms without massive media databases or AI-powered monitoring tools. For this, I used an unlikely tool – Facebook. That’s right, old-school Facebook groups for PR professionals. I found niche communities filled with small publicists looking for coverage but with limited options.
Instead of cold-pitching my services, I simply told them my story. The struggle of being overlooked, the value of contributor platforms and how my writing could give visibility to clients who deserved it.
At first, the response was slow. Trust takes time. While I waited, I wrote about current news and continued building my portfolio. And as it grew, so did the outreach. Soon, leads turned into partnerships. Empathy and algorithmic reach prevailed!
Today, I help publicists tell their clients’ stories, whether through contributed articles, profile features or timely op-eds. Because I sit on both sides of the media-tech interface, I understand what editors want and what brands need.
Writing tools help me edit faster, language models offer suggestions that tighten flow, publishing platforms give my work organic reach, social media analytics tell me what’s resonating, data dashboards track performance while keyword tools sharpen my headlines and automated scheduling tools keep me consistent.
But none of that replaces the human instinct. The grit to keep going when things fall apart. The emotional intelligence to read between the lines. And the AI ethics to ensure that what I publish is accurate, transparent, and impactful.
You don’t have to launch a media empire to make an impact. Sometimes, all it takes is using technology and responsible innovation to tell stories that matter, especially the ones no one else is telling.
