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Send us Fan Mail You can spend years building one career and still feel a pull toward something totally different. We sit down with San Francisco Bay Area travel and lifestyle writer Kate Loweth, who made a bold pivot from practicing law to reporting on destinations, hotels, family travel, food and things to do and she’s refreshingly honest about what that shift really costs and what it gives back. Kate shares how writing started with local road trips and museum openings with three little kids, then grew into staff work and ultimately freelance travel journalism. We talk about the current travel media reality: publications folding, editors changing plans, and why flexibility, consistent pitching and a mix of assignments can keep your byline moving. If you’ve ever wondered how hotel reviews get placed, what makes a strong travel roundup or why “explainer” travel content matters, Kate breaks it down in clear, practical terms. We also get into the nuts and bolts of hosted travel and press trips. Kate explains what makes her say yes, what immediately raises red flags, and why downtime is not a luxury when you’re reporting on deadline. She shares what hotel and destination teams often misunderstand, including the problem with offering experiences that regular travelers can’t book. Along the way, we nerd out on family travel details most people miss, the power of food tours and cooking classes for understanding culture, and the travel story she’s most proud of about navigating grief. If you care about travel writing, travel PR, destination marketing or simply becoming a smarter traveler, hit play, then subscribe, share the show and leave a review so more curious listeners can find it. Connect with Kate Kate Loweth's website and portfolioKate on LinkedInKate on InstagramKate on TikTokKate's writing and publications Moving Through Mourning: How Travel Can Help Those Dealing With Grief — AARP — Definitely include this.She specifically discusses the personal response she's received from readers.Kate's hotel reviews at Hotel Scoop — She discusses writing individual hotel reviews regularly.Kate's stories at Travel Bulletin — One of the publications she highlights as a regular contributor.Kate's travel writing portfolio — Includes her AAA, Business Insider and other travel articles.

Send us Fan Mail AI has a physical footprint, and it runs on electricity. We’re joined by Laila Kearney, a US energy reporter at Reuters, to explain how data centers and AI-driven computing are colliding with a power grid that was not built for demand to spike this fast. What starts as a technology story quickly becomes a grid reliability story, a market rules story, and, increasingly, a political story that touches nearly every part of the economy.  We talk through what Laila is seeing across utilities and power markets, including the tension between massive interconnection requests and the slow, expensive reality of building new generation and transmission. She shares why PJM Interconnection has become a focal point, how efforts to meet load are changing decisions about everything from natural gas to nuclear restarts, and what it looks like on the ground when the industry tries to move faster than the infrastructure. Along the way, she breaks down how she turns highly technical energy reporting into clear, reader-first journalism without losing the truth and context that make the facts matter.  Laila also opens up about the craft: sourcing with people who may be cautious or constrained, staying disciplined when markets move by the minute and finding stories with real human impact, like peaker plants that were expected to retire but may now run longer because demand keeps climbing. For communicators and PR teams, she shares what catches her attention in a pitch and what makes her back away. If you care about energy transition, electricity demand, power grid capacity and the hidden costs of the AI boom, this conversation will give you a sharper lens.  Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show. Connect with Laila Kearney Laila's reporting at ReutersLinkedInX

Send us Fan Mail Airline travel looks simple until you try to book it. One minute you’re comparing fares, the next you’re decoding basic economy rules, credit card perks and award prices that change overnight. We talk with Sean Cudahy, senior aviation reporter at The Points Guy, to explain what’s really driving the airline industry right now and how travelers can protect their wallets and their points. We dig into the race to “go premium” and why demand for premium economy and business class keeps shaping cabin layouts across major airlines and even budget carriers. Sean breaks down how loyalty programs and co-branded credit cards influence everything from earning rates to discounted award pricing, creating a world where two people on the same flight can get very different value. We also get honest about devaluations, dynamic pricing and why miles and points generally don’t become more valuable with time. Then we look ahead at the technology and routes reshaping how we fly, including the Airbus A321XLR and the new nonstop possibilities it unlocks between smaller US cities and Europe. If you love practical travel tips, we cover how Sean searches for deals, why booking direct can matter, and which tools can help uncover award space, including checking partner programs. For PR and communications pros, Sean shares what makes a pitch useful, timely and tailored. Subscribe, share this with a frequent flyer, and leave a review if you want more conversations that make travel and media a little easier to navigate. Connect with Sean: LinkedInInstagram

Send us Fan Mail Formula One watch parties packed with new fans. Esports athletes dealing with real training loads and real injuries. Driverless race cars hitting eye-watering speeds in Indianapolis. Gregory Leparati lives at the intersection of culture and competition, and he’s built a freelance journalism career that turns “niche” communities into stories with wide appeal. We sit down with Gregory to trace how he got started in journalism, why an English background and a college newspaper mattered, and how he balances a communications day job with years of freelance writing and editing. He shares the practical way he chooses story ideas: read constantly, know what outlets are publishing, and chase topics you’d personally want to read. That mindset has helped him write for major publications while staying selective about the work that fits his voice and his time. From there, we go deep on the beats he’s known for: motorsports, esports, gaming, technology and travel. Gregory breaks down why Formula One exploded in the United States, how Netflix and social media shaped fandom, and what people miss when they dismiss competitive gaming as “just pressing buttons.” We also talk about emerging tech like AI and autonomous vehicles, and what it means to report on innovation when the human element changes. If you’re a PR professional, you’ll want the straight talk on pitching: how to tailor outreach to a journalist’s wheelhouse, what instantly turns writers off, and why bait-and-switch interview offers poison long-term relationships.  Subscribe for more conversations with the people who report on the world around us, and if you enjoy the show, share it and leave a rating and review. Connect with Gregory Leporati: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gleporati/ Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gleporati/ LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/gleporati

Send us Fan Mail A gorgeous home can still be a bad story, and a “normal” house can be unforgettable if you know what to look for. We sit down with freelance home, culture, travel and lifestyle writer Michelle Mastro, whose bylines span Architectural Digest, Dwell, Bloomberg, Smithsonian and National Geographic, to talk about what actually gets a home tour or design feature over the finish line with editors and readers.  We get practical fast: what catches her eye in a pitch, why photos are non-negotiable, how “sterile” images can kill interest and what “lived-in” really means in editorial terms. Michelle explains how she hunts for the hook behind the visuals, from the way a family gathers in a space to the unusual choices that make a home distinct. We also unpack the realities of budgets and image rights, plus how PR professionals, designers, architects and builders can make pitching feel less like shouting into a black hole.  Then we zoom out into the bigger ideas that make lifestyle journalism matter. Michelle shares which design trends she’s loving, why she’s over generational labels like “Millennial Gray” and what Victorian homes still teach us about comfort, identity and the concept of home itself. We connect design to travel and culture, including why the Midwest deserves more attention as an architecture destination. The conversation turns personal as Michelle reflects on loss, motherhood, and the questions that keep pulling her back to domestic spaces.  If you work in PR, design or media, you’ll leave with clearer pitching instincts and a sharper sense of what editors want right now. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves homes and storytelling and please leave a rating and review so more listeners can find us. Connect with Michelle: Instagram: @homes_writerLinkedIn: Michelle MastroPortfolio/Website: Michelle's websiteMuck Rack: Michelle Mastro

Send us Fan Mail If “Africa” still sounds like a single storyline in your news feed, this conversation will challenge that fast. We’re joined by Jennifer Zabasaja, Chief Africa anchor and correspondent for Bloomberg Television, who reports from Cape Town on the people, companies, markets and innovations shaping one of the world’s most dynamic regions. She breaks down what it means to cover business across 54 countries, and why getting the nuance right is not optional if you care about global markets, emerging markets and where growth is heading next.  We talk about Jennifer’s path from a love of storytelling to broadcast journalism, then into major newsrooms and finally Bloomberg, where speed and clarity matter. Along the way, she shares how she chooses stories, how travel and local relationships sharpen her reporting, and what surprised her in places many audiences rarely hear about beyond headlines. You’ll also hear how Bloomberg’s Next Africa brand works across a TV show, a weekly podcast and a newsletter to unpack big themes with facts and data, from AI and the future workforce to data centers, power constraints and the way sports, politics and the economy collide.  For listeners in public relations and media, Jennifer offers direct guidance on what helps a journalist most: don’t just send a name, send the story and the reason it matters now. We also dig into the bigger forces she’s watching, including private capital flows, growing intra-African trade and finance, the shift from aid to trade and how changing US and global dynamics are pushing more countries toward self-sufficiency and new partnerships.  If you value smart international journalism and practical media insight, subscribe, share this conversation with a colleague, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Connect with Jennifer: Bloomberg Next AfricaNext Africa PodcastYouTube: Next Africa playlistLinkedInInstagram

Send us Fan Mail Travel has quietly turned into a consumer product: a checklist, a status symbol and an endless hunt for the “best” hotel deal. That shift is exactly what award-winning travel journalist and author Judith Fein pushes back on, and our conversation left me rethinking what I even want from a trip, whether it’s across the ocean or across town. Judith shares her surprising path from Hollywood screenwriting to public radio and then into travel journalism for more than 130 publications. We talk about traveling and reporting alongside her husband, photographer and writer Paul Ross, plus the emotional pull of heritage travel and why walking the land your ancestors came from can feel like meeting yourself again. From there, we get into the heart of her work: deep travel and transformative travel that changes how you see people, culture and your own life. We also unpack “slow travel” in a way that actually works for real schedules. Judith argues it’s not about taking more time off, it’s about being present, staying curious and letting experiences unfold without needing to control every moment. For travel PR professionals and tourism boards, she offers grounded advice on creating itineraries and storytelling that speak to the spirit, not just “heads in beds,” and how authentic experiences can drive better engagement and bookings. If you’ve felt burnt out by travel planning, bored by cookie-cutter destination marketing or hungry for more meaningful travel, this one is for you.  Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and please leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Judith's Website: https://globaladventure.us Psychology Today column: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-is-trip TEDx Talk Deep Travel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GErjagMyrYk Monthly newsletter: https://globaladventure.us

Send us Fan Mail She didn’t even get a passport until 28, then built a career that took her from CNN to reporting travel stories around the world. I’m joined by Tomeka Jones, an Emmy Award-winning travel journalist, television host, executive producer and the founder of Travel in Style with Tomeka. We talk about what it really looks like to break into a major newsroom, learn the craft and keep moving forward even when the industry hands you a layoff.  Tomeka shares how producing and reporting gave her the power to “own the story,” and why that skill set matters more than ever for travel media, streaming platforms and social video. We dig into the moment she decided to start her own travel production company, the fear she had to push through, and how she landed early contracts once she committed. You’ll also hear about her distribution on Local Now (a Weather Channel sister network) and YouTube, plus a recent Egypt river cruise story that highlights Black history and heritage through more inclusive travel experiences.  We also get practical about the business side of travel journalism: what makes a strong partnership with public relations professionals, how hosted trips and paid work can fit together and why “polished” isn’t always what audiences respond to anymore. If you care about luxury travel, diversity in travel marketing, authentic storytelling and how travel news gets made, you’ll leave with clear takeaways and a fresh perspective.  Connect with Tomeka Jones Website: https://www.travelinstylewithtomeka.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZAPzqj_MqzlU04jxYbbjoInk2DurROtpListen to the Travel-ish PodcastInstagram: @travelinstylewithtomekaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomekajones/ Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves travel and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Send us Fan Mail Someone once told Kaitlyn Rosati she shouldn’t travel to South America without a man. She went anyway, built No Man Nomad and turned solo travel into a full-time life across nearly 100 countries. We sit down with Kaitlyn to get past the highlight reel and into the real mechanics of fearless exploration: how a bartender in New York took one solo trip to Hawaii, then kept going until travel writing and food storytelling became her craft. We dig into the mindset behind independent travel, including the part nobody romanticizes: decision fatigue. Kaitlyn breaks down why the freedom is still worth it, how starting with a domestic destination can make your first solo trip feel safer, and how a passport-page problem unexpectedly led her to “move” to Tokyo and fall in love with slow travel. Along the way, she shares destinations that surprised her, the travel chaos that becomes lore later, and which world wonders truly live up to the hype. If you work in travel PR or you pitch freelance writers, Kaitlyn also gives clear, practical guidance on what she needs from a pitch, why “guaranteed outlet” demands can be unrealistic and how simple research can be the difference between a quick yes and an instant delete. Listen for her honest take on Italy travel dreams, story selection, and what she’s working on next. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push to travel solo, and leave us a review so more listeners can find Media in Minutes. No Man Nomad https://www.nomannomad.net/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/noman.nomad/ Newsletter (Subscribe through the pop-up on website) https://www.nomannomad.net/

Send us Fan Mail Indianapolis has secrets hiding in plain sight, and some of them involve thousands of hungry squirrels. Host Angela Tuell sits down with Indianapolis writer, editor and author Ashley Petry to unpack how she turns local history, culture, and curiosity into stories that make people see the Circle City with fresh eyes. Ashley shares how a lifelong love of writing and a deep background in travel writing led her back home, where she realized Indianapolis needed smarter, more vivid guides. We talk about the “hedgehog concept” and why choosing a niche can be the difference between scattered freelance work and a focused body of work. Along the way, Ashley explains how she finds the gems: reading the dusty history books until something weird and wonderful jumps off the page, then pairing that research with present-day listening, from neighborhood buzz to trusted PR relationships. We also dig into her books, including 100 Things to Do in Indianapolis Before You Die, Secret Indianapolis and her new release, Remarkable Women of Indianapolis. Ashley tells us why the absence of a women’s history book pushed her to write one, and highlights the kind of overlooked impact story that stuck with her, like educator Eliza Blaker’s network of free kindergartens. For PR pros and communications folks, Ashley gives direct, practical advice on what makes a pitch stand out, what mistakes to avoid with media databases, and why a two-way relationship matters more than volume. If you love Indianapolis travel, Midwest culture, local history or better PR pitching, you’ll leave with story ideas, weekend recommendations and a new reason to pay attention to what’s happening locally. Subscribe, share this with a friend and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Meet Ashley at her upcoming Indianapolis book signing at the Propylaeum on July 9 (registration required): https://secure.qgiv.com/for/propylaeumhistoricfoundation/event/2026pagesatheprop/ Ashley website: http://www.ashleypetry.com/  Twitter/X: @ashleypetry Instagram: @ashleypetry TikTok: @ashley.petry Remarkable Women of Indianapolis  100 Things to Do in Indianapolis Before You Die  Secret Indianapolis Indianapolis: An Illustrated Timeline Check out Ashley's alphabet card collection

Send us Fan Mail A naked dinner party assignment. An alligator living by a dollar store. A “be more efficient” book that actually teaches you to rest. Lifestyle and wellness reporter Madeleine Aggeler has made a career out of taking the internet’s strangest trends seriously enough to find the human truth inside them, and she joins us to explain how that work actually happens.  We start with Madeleine’s unconventional journalism origin story: a childhood spent devouring magazines, a detour through the Peace Corps and Foreign Service ambitions, then a one-year gamble in New York that turns temp work and small gigs into a real reporting career. She breaks down what it was like learning on the fly during the high-output days at The Cut, why writing fast can sharpen your voice and how a bold pandemic-era move helped her chase the kind of long-form journalism she wanted to do.  From there, we get practical about idea generation and wellness reporting. Madeleine shares how she spots stories, why trusting your gut often beats guessing what readers want and how she balances curiosity with healthy skepticism in an age of nonstop health content. We talk about trends that surprised her, trends she’d never do again and the “boring” habits that keep showing up as the most reliable wellness advice. Finally, she tells us what she’s watching now, including strength training culture and the relationship side of GLP-1 medications.  If you like smart, funny reporting that still asks big questions about loneliness, dating culture, beauty standards and self-improvement, hit subscribe, share this with a friend and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Madeleine Aggeler’s author page at The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/profile/madeleine-aggeler Madeleine’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-aggeler/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/mmaggeler.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail When you hear “bioethics,” you might picture abstract debates and dense academic language, but that's not the case with today's guest. I’m joined by Dr. Elizabeth Yuko, an award-winning journalist, bioethicist and longtime Rolling Stone contributor, to talk about the real-world ethical choices hiding inside health headlines, medical research and public policy decisions that don’t come with clean answers. We dig into how Elizabeth built a career that blends deep expertise with plainspoken science journalism, from her early training to reporting across public health, culture and even design. She shares what it was like to spend months closely following the researchers working on COVID vaccines, why long COVID coverage still struggles for attention and how grief became a central part of her early pandemic reporting while she was sick herself. Along the way, we talk about how journalists keep stories accurate when misinformation spreads fast and when once-trusted institutions no longer feel like reliable touchpoints. Then we get into media ethics right now: AI in newsrooms, AI-generated drafts, sloppy AI research habits and the growing pressure to write for SEO or to “optimize” stories so chatbots cite them. Elizabeth makes a clear argument for why journalism should serve readers first. We also cover neurodiversity, including her ADHD diagnosis, and yes, how The Golden Girls can be a surprisingly sharp framework for explaining bioethical dilemmas. If you work in PR, she closes with straightforward pitching advice on relevance, exclusives and what immediately raises red flags. Subscribe for more conversations with the people who report on the world, share this with a friend who cares about media ethics and leave a review telling us what part of the AI and misinformation conversation hit you hardest. Dr. Elizabeth Yuko website: https://elizabethyuko.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethyuko/ Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/author/elizabeth-yuko/  TEDx Talk: Bioethics and The Golden Girls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rn1RyDPZOA  Fordham University bio/profile: https://www.fordham.edu/academics/departments/ethics-and-society/faculty/elizabeth-yuko/

Send us Fan Mail She wanted to be home with her kids, but she also wanted an income and a career. That tension is where freelance writer Stephanie Mickelson built her business, starting with small Upwork jobs and steadily growing into bylines at major outlets like Real Simple and Popular Mechanics. We talk through the exact moments that made freelancing feel “real,” including the first $1,000 month that proved the work could move the needle financially. Stephanie shares how she chose niches like home improvement, construction, real estate and lifestyle by following genuine interests and leaning on hands-on experience. We also get practical about the work itself: a quiet 4:15 a.m. writing routine, balancing admin with deep work and how she keeps a flexible rhythm that still ships drafts on deadline. If you pitch writers for a living or you are trying to land editors yourself, the middle of this conversation is packed with field-tested advice. Stephanie explains what makes an editor say yes, why timing matters, how a smart follow-up can help and how PR reps can tailor ideas by looking at recent bylines on Muck Rack and pitching adjacent angles. She also breaks down how product reviews and gift guide picks happen through testing, research and relationships, plus where she finds community and opportunities on LinkedIn and tools like Pitchcraft, Qwoted and Press Hook. We wrap with her Substack, The Simple Freelancer, and a glimpse of rural life that includes 14 chickens and more fresh eggs than one family can handle. Subscribe for more conversations with working journalists and writers, and if this one helps you, please share it and leave a rating and review. What part of freelancing do you want us to unpack next? Connect with Stephanie on:  LinkedIN  Simple freelancer substack: https://thesimplefreelancer.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail A destination can look perfect on paper and still feel unreadable until you sit down, open the menu and watch what locals actually order. That’s the lens we bring to this conversation with Emily Capiello, a travel, food, and beverage journalist whose work spans Travel + Leisure, Forbes, VinePair and more. We talk about how she went from a start in literature to a career built on reporting the intersection of travel, dining and drink culture, and why those three worlds tell the most honest story about a place.  We get specific about what makes a strong travel story: the winemaker shaping regional identity, the restaurant that operates like a community living room and the cocktail traditions that carry history forward. Emily shares two standout pieces that matter to her on a personal level, including a Travel + Leisure story on widow travel groups and a Forbes story about an Oregon wine bar built as an accessible community hub. The thread running through both is the same question: can storytelling help people feel less alone and more connected to where they are?  Then we zoom out to food and beverage trends that listeners can actually use, from intentional consumption and transparent sourcing to the wave of low-ABV and nonalcoholic innovation. Emily also offers a candid look at the PR side: why “trends” often show up late, what earns a response in a crowded inbox and how she decides which press trips are worth the time. You’ll also hear her hot take on Michelin-star-heavy itineraries and why they can flatten a destination’s real culture.  If you care about travel journalism, food writing, wine trends, cocktail culture or smarter media pitching, this one will sharpen how you see the world.  Subscribe, share the episode with a friend who plans trips around meals, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Emily's Travel + Leisure story: How Group Travel Is Changing the Way Young Widows Deal With Grief Emily’s Forbes story: How One Wine Bar Is Redefining Community—And Taking Snobbery Out Of Wine Emily’s Substack: Gourmet Insider  Emily’s Instagram

Send us Fan Mail Seoul can look like one giant skyline from a distance, but up close it’s a patchwork of neighborhoods with their own rhythms, histories, and quiet surprises. I’m joined by writer, editor, and author Charlie Usher, whose work spans South Korea travel, cultural storytelling, and the kind of reporting that starts by simply choosing a subway stop and wandering until a place reveals itself. Charlie shares how he moved to South Korea on a whim, what shocked him early on, and why Seoul remains one of the most compelling cities for travel writing because it never sits still. We talk about his essay collection Soul Suburban and what he hopes readers take from it: a more textured view of Seoul that goes beyond the “monolithic city” stereotype. He also names specific areas that reward curious travelers, including Songbukdong and its literary feel, plus creative pockets like Yanam and Mangwon. We also go behind the scenes of travel media. Charlie reflects on his time editing Korean Air’s in-flight magazine Morning Calm, where rigorous fact-checking and serious editorial standards shaped how he reports today. From there, we dig into what he’s writing now for outlets like Milwaukee Magazine and Midwest Living, his work on DK travel guides and a Lonely Planet Seoul project, and his simple advice for PR professionals who want their pitches to land: show you know who you’re writing to. If you care about travel journalism, guidebooks, South Korea travel, or ethical storytelling built on empathy, you’ll get a lot out of this conversation.  Subscribe, share this with a fellow traveler or writer, and leave a quick rating and review so more people can find the show. 🔗 Connect with Charlie Usher Website: https://www.charles-usher.com/ Instagram: @charlesreclausher