Blurring the Lines with Lauren Cobello at Leverage with Media PR

This week I spoke with Lauren Cobello at Leverage with Media PR about her journey from personal finance to helping entrepreneurs launch books. Lauren has been seen on Good Morning America , NBCUniversal 's TODAY Show, Rachael Ray Show and more.

Tell me about your career journey up until this point. How did you get where you are today? Was your path more linear, or less so?

My path was not linear at all. I started off as a broke mom who was in a lot of debt, learning how to be more financially stable. That led to me starting a personal finance website in 2007 and becoming one of the OG personal finance influencers, catapulting me into being an online entrepreneur. I created and ran a million-dollar personal finance website that supported me and my family for 15 years. From that I wrote three books and became a television personality on Good Morning America, TODAY Show, Doctor Oz, Rachael Ray and other shows for a decade. I was really passionate about teaching people how to get out of debt and live frugally.?

Then the pandemic hit in 2020, and I was tired of talking about personal finance. But this was my career, my livelihood, so I thought if I could teach people how to do what I did — which is build a seven figure brand off of books and media — that would be a dream for me.?

That's when I started Leverage with Media PR, a boutique PR agency for CEO’s, celebrities and entrepreneurial non-fiction authors, to help people scale their businesses and become thought leaders within their industry. So it’s been a windy road.?

You help entrepreneurs strategically launch their books. What trends are you seeing in the book publishing industry right now for this genre of authors??

We're seeing a big rise in self-publishing. Everybody wants an Alex Hormozi style book launch. A lot of people are shying away from the traditional book publishing industry because of the length that it takes to get published — it could be three years from when you get a traditional book deal to when the book comes out. People want their books out faster, and they want to capitalize on the credibility of being an author.?

What I am seeing is a complete disregard for the rules of traditional publishing and how they can actually benefit you. They just want to explode, but they’re ignoring the strategy behind the traditional publishing model that can benefit their book and brand a lot.?

You have been a regular on national TV for over a decade. What advice do you have for mastering news interviews??

The biggest thing is that becoming a regular on national television is a long term strategy. A lot of people don't know that I did seven years of local television before I got to that national level, and I was consistent. I was a regular, I showed up and I did the work. A lot of people come in and they want to hire a PR agency to get national broadcast coverage within the first three months. That's just not the way it works. You need to be consistent and strategic in the pitching and the media that you do. You need to learn how to master being great on camera. That's a really big piece of this, and that is why I personally media train all of our clients. You have to be good on camera, you have to learn how to present your brand and your business well. But this is a long term strategy. You can't expect to come in, hire a publicist and be on national television in the first three months. Our clients have been working with us for years, and they might not get on a national show until year two.?

Gen Z is embracing side hustles to build bigger networks, develop their skills, earn extra income and have more flexibility. As someone with an agency, books, a podcast, if a reader out there is looking to begin their own side hustle, what would you recommend their first steps be?

I love side hustles. They’re essential, and they’re fun. I’ve even taught my children how to thrift shop and resell on eBay .

My biggest piece of advice would be to pick something you’re excited about and get started. Don’t choose somebody else’s dream, pick your own. A lot of people see someone with a book, or podcast, and see them being profitable and think that’s the right avenue for them as well. Find what you’re good at, lean into what you’re passionate about, then figure out a way to make money doing it. There's so many resources out there — on podcasts, TikTok and YouTube — to teach you how to do anything.?

I would say, find a niche you’re passionate about, make sure you’re good at it, figure out how much time you want to be spending on it, and then find a way to capitalize on that.?

Communicators are becoming brand spokespeople, and journalists are being encouraged by their publishers to build brands on social media. What advice do you have for someone looking to build their own personal brand?

I think Substack is a great place to start creating a free audience and getting readers over there to start learning from you. I follow some amazing journalists on Substack, and I actually get a lot of work for our clients through there because the media are looking for sources through their Substack. The way they monetize that is through their paid membership, which gives you access to become a source for their stories. It’s helped me network for my own brand, my client’s brands, my agency.?

I also separate my own brands. I have two social media channels, one for my personal brand and the other for my professional brand [my agency]. There’s different stories to tell for each, and different ways I want to show up in the world.?

What advice would you give to someone about to graduate college that wants to work in this industry, or someone who wants to pivot into this space??

I just pivoted years ago. I think the biggest thing is to do it scared. When I made a huge life pivot giving up a very profitable personal finance brand I was terrified. I was very scared to make the decision, but I also really believed in myself. So, invest in yourself. Invest in courses, training. Surround yourself with people that think the way that you do. That's so powerful. We underestimate going to conferences, going to events, surrounding yourself with people. For me, I absolutely adore and will go and pay for a live event to sit in a room with people that I want to connect with. Find those people that think the way that you do. Do it scared. Nothing worth doing is easy. And put yourself in the room with the people that you want to be like, and you will get there.?

Rapid Fire Questions:?

What’s your favorite album right now? The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift

What’s the last book you read? Never Lose an Employee Again by Joey Coleman

Who’s one person in this industry that inspires you, that everyone should go follow? Molly McPherson and Codie A. Sanchez

What is one word you would use to describe 2024? Adaptable?