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I lead Interdependence, a PR and strategic-communications firm trusted to shape public…
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Sarah Schmidt shared thisTomorrow is October 1. Which means every brand leader I know is about to open a blank slide titled "2027 Strategy." Before you fill it, consider this: your buyers now get recommendations from AI before they ever see your website. The race is being decided in places your dashboard can't see. And the channels most teams underfund are the ones doing the deciding. I wrote about which tactics I believe will move the needle in 2027. PR. Social. Influencer. GEO. And a bonus tactic, too. That's what I'd put on the slide. What's at the top of your 2027 list?Q4 Starts Tomorrow. Which Means It’s 2027 Planning Season. Here’s What Should Be in the Plan.Q4 Starts Tomorrow. Which Means It’s 2027 Planning Season. Here’s What Should Be in the Plan.
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Sarah Schmidt shared thisFor the last two days, we brought our entire company together in Milwaukee for Interdependence IRL. We're a remote-first team, so time in the same room is rare and precious. We used every minute of it. Lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of inspiration, and real time to connect, collaborate, and create together. We shared where the company is headed and the vision for what's next. And we got to spend two days surrounded by this talented, kind, wonderful team - the people who make amazing things happen for our clients every day. Excited to keep building, innovating and growing together. #Interdependence #InterdependenceIRL #CompanyCulture #RemoteWork #Team
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Sarah Schmidt shared thisTonight, our client Melissa Rivers returns to the red carpet for the first time in nearly 20 years. For a generation, the red carpet was Joan and Melissa Rivers. They turned arrivals into appointment television and invented a format the entire industry still runs on. Tonight, Melissa steps back onto it, joining CNN and Variety's live pre-show for the 78th Emmy Awards alongside Elizabeth Wagmeister and Ramin Setoodeh. Thank you to People Inc. and Gillian Telling for telling the story behind the return. CNN & Variety Red Carpet Live: TV's Biggest Night streams at 5 p.m. ET. https://lnkd.in/gAmQH6q2
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Sarah Schmidt posted thisHas Linkedin lost the plot? As recently as last year, I was making 3 - 5 meaningful connections on LinkedIn per month. Real. Great. Connections. And I was learning a ton. I was adamantly and passionately recommending it to all brand leaders. It was by far my favorite channel. Today, it's filled with AI slop, posts that are 3 weeks old (unclear how they can't figure out how to fix this) and a million irrelevant DMs. On top of it all, organic reach is abysmal. To me, the channel feels like it is lost it's purpose: real connection. next-level learning. sharing. inspiration. Fewer people shouting into megaphones; more passing of the microphone. Is it just me? What are you all doing to get value out of LinkedIn? #LinkedIn #LostthePlot #SocialMedia #Connection #B2B #Leadership
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Sarah Schmidt posted this"What's the ROI of PR?" After almost two decades in this industry, it is still a question that I get every day. My pet peeve: too many PR people cave and answer with "it's a brand play, you can't really measure it." And well, that's just not true. Our brand partners prove otherwise constantly. A feature runs and the leads pop. A founder does a podcast and the phone rings. What IS true is that the line isn't always clean. A placement that you get today feeds search and AI discovery tomorrow. A prospect finds you via Claude in a few months. Or validates your expertise via news articles found on Google and gives you a shot. The original placement reaches an audience. It is valuable. And that value only compounds within the ecosystem. One placement drives your search authority, feeds the AI answers your buyers trust, and open the next sales conversation. Coverage feeds credibility, credibility feeds discovery, discovery feeds pipeline. The placement is the beginning, not the end. How are you measuring PR ROI? #PR #PublicRelations #EarnedMedia #MarketingROI
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Sarah Schmidt shared thisIt's TIIIIIIME. Our gift guide pitching is officially in full swing. Between now and December 1 about 5% of gift guides will close every week. This is by far the biggest editorial season for consumer products. And in a time when LLMs pull from earned media for answers and to feed their commerce, consumer brands cannot afford to sit this one out. Have you all started yet? #PR #PublicRelations #HolidayGiftGuides #GiftGuides
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Sarah Schmidt posted thisWhat is this obsession with "Tier 1"? I have to get something off my chest… I have the same conversation every week. A brand leader tells me they want to be in the Wall Street Journal. That is the finish line and everything else is a consolation prize. Don't get me wrong, The Wall Street Journal is an amazing goal. But it should not be your only measure of success. Some of our highest-impact placements this year, haven't been in the “Tier 1” outlets. They were trades, niche podcasts, industry newsletters. We have heard directly that a specific podcast has delivered more leads than a mainstream news hit. This isn't theoretical. It is actual business impact. Especially if you are a brand that is just starting out with earned media, don't overlook industry and trade press. My team has secured many industry opportunities that have led to mainstream press. Modern Healthcare got the attention of Reuters. The Hechinger Report led to an NPR hit. Niche = credibility. And mainstream media seeks it out. (Not to mention that Claude prioritizes niche and industry sources in it’s answers.) Bottom line is this. Calling something "Tier 1" implies everything else is lesser. Tier 2. Tier 3. Second place. Backup plan. But that's not where the results are coming from. It's time to retire the phrase. Who’s with me? #PR #PublicRelations #MediaRelations #EarnedMedia
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Sarah Schmidt posted thisIf your brand's LinkedIn engagement fell off a cliff this year, you’re not alone. And it's probably not a content problem. Back in March, LinkedIn quietly announced an algorithm update that leverages AI to prioritize “authenticity”. The planform stopped rewarding corporate broadcasting (i.e. brand channels), “engagement bait”, polls, and posts with links. (Yikes.) And started rewarding real people with real opinions on work that they do. (Okay, maybe they’re onto something here.) The gap between brand and personal channels is stark. Personal profiles are averaging 4.7% engagement, while company pages sit at 1-2%. So, what’s a brand to do? Well for one, stop thinking of your brand page as a distribution channel. It's still valuable for search and validation. It just probably will not be how people find you. Then, prioritize your people. The reach lives with the humans behind your brand. So pick three to five (or more!) people in inside your company with something to say and help them say it consistently. That’s the new content strategy. #PR #PublicRelations #SocialMedia #SocialMediaStrategy #LinkedIn
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Sarah Schmidt shared thisI talked to Fox News Media about Ryan Gosling joining Marvel as Ghost Rider, and what his career says about reinvention done right. Gosling spent years as a serious actor who moonlighted in the occasional rom-com. Then "Barbie" paved the way. He proved a critically acclaimed darling can also be a billion-dollar franchise star, and it cost him none of his hard-earned credibility. The best reinventions don't mean walking away from who you were. They build on it. Which actor reinvented their image without losing themselves? #PR #PublicRelations #PersonalBrand #Marketing Thank you to Ashley Hume for including my thoughts. https://lnkd.in/gW3xBSN5Ryan Gosling's family-first philosophy reshaped his Hollywood career: expertsRyan Gosling's family-first philosophy reshaped his Hollywood career: experts
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Sarah Schmidt liked thisSarah Schmidt liked thisMedia relations only feels urgent when you need something. The problem is that by the time you need something, the relationship gap is already showing. That's what my new blog for Interdependence is about: why fall is the right time to close it. Reporters move, beats shift, editors consolidate. Some of the names on your list may not cover you anymore and you won't find out until you hit send. Bigger lists don't help. Knowing who actually shapes the conversation in your category does. And not every email needs to be a pitch. A background briefing or a useful data point won't get you a headline this week, but it's what makes the call land six months from now. The question going into Q4 isn't what coverage do we want. It's who needs to know us before we need them. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gGuuBN_RThe Reporter Relationship Reset: Why Fall Is the Time to Rebuild Your Media Bench - PR Firm – Tech Powered Public Relations AgencyThe Reporter Relationship Reset: Why Fall Is the Time to Rebuild Your Media Bench - PR Firm – Tech Powered Public Relations Agency
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Sarah Schmidt reacted on thisSarah Schmidt reacted on thisHB Protein Smoothies is making headlines again, this time in Franchise Times ! In their first year of franchising, HB Protein Smoothies has built a development pipeline of more than 250 locations across the U.S., fueled by experienced multi-unit operators who see strong potential in the brand’s protein-first positioning, simple operations, small footprint, and scalable model. 🥤📈 Veteran franchisee Bob Morris, who owns 19 7 Brew Coffee locations and previously held a significant Planet Fitness portfolio, has signed on to open at least six HB locations in South Florida. He pointed to the strength of the protein category, the quality of the product, and HB’s clean, straightforward operating model as key reasons for investing. The article also highlights HB’s growing roster of experienced franchise partners, including Chris Phillips and his team, who plan to develop at least 12 locations across Arizona, Idaho, and Oregon. Phillips sees protein continuing to move beyond fitness and into the broader lifestyle category, creating even more room for the brand to grow. With experienced operators joining the system across multiple markets, HB continues building momentum as it expands its footprint nationwide. Read the full Franchise Times feature: https://hubs.la/Q04yYphQ0 ↗️Learn more about franchising with HB at https://hubs.la/Q04yYpPm0 #HBProteinSmoothies #Franchising #FranchiseOpportunity #FranchiseGrowth #MultiUnitFranchising #RestaurantFranchising #FranchiseTimes #ProteinSmoothies #EmergingBrands Dan Rowe Ethan Boone Daniel Boone
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Sarah Schmidt reacted on thisSarah Schmidt reacted on thisGetting everyone together in Milwaukee for Interdependence's all-firm IRL meetup earlier this month was such a good reminder of how valuable in-person time can be. It was only two days, but somehow felt like a full week in the best way. We spent time learning more about each other’s personality traits, how we communicate, and how we can work better together as a team across different backgrounds and working styles. We also dug into creative briefs, collective strategy work, and the kind of group thinking that is hard to fully replicate over Slack, Teams or Zoom. And of course, there was plenty of fun. I laughed a lot, got to spend time with people I do not always get to see and we did a river cruise, which was basically made for me because you know I love me a good boat. Also, Milwaukee deserves more credit. This was my first time visiting and people should not sleep on it. Grateful for the connection, the conversations, the laughs, and already looking forward to the next one.
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Sarah Schmidt reacted on thisSarah Schmidt reacted on thisOur Founder & CEO, Tomas Milar, recently spoke with TechRound about what startups should really look for in a cap table management platform. From getting the fundamentals right to choosing a platform that can grow with your company, Tomas shares his perspective on where equity management is heading and why the cap table is becoming part of a much broader financial infrastructure. Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/d5yCgTG2 #Eqvista #CapTable #EquityManagement #StartupsA Chat With Tomas Milar: What Startups Should Look For In A Cap Table Management Platform - TechRoundA Chat With Tomas Milar: What Startups Should Look For In A Cap Table Management Platform - TechRound
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Emerging Women Leaders - a TEMPO Milwaukee Organization
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- PresentFounded in 2015 and supported by TEMPO Milwaukee's strong legacy of advancing professional women, Emerging Women Leaders (EWL) is composed of Milwaukee's rising stars and high-achievers, locally recognized, community-minded changemakers and inclusive up-and-coming leaders. They represent the next generation of leadership in their industries, functions and city. MISSION: To connect professional women who are community-minded changemakers and inclusive up-and-coming leaders. VISION: The…
Founded in 2015 and supported by TEMPO Milwaukee's strong legacy of advancing professional women, Emerging Women Leaders (EWL) is composed of Milwaukee's rising stars and high-achievers, locally recognized, community-minded changemakers and inclusive up-and-coming leaders. They represent the next generation of leadership in their industries, functions and city. MISSION: To connect professional women who are community-minded changemakers and inclusive up-and-coming leaders. VISION: The premier organization for emerging women leaders who are working together to advance personally and professionally, while lifting others through programming, events, mentoring, and community impact.
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Carey Pilato
For my PR Peeps...this one is worth your time -- earned or paid/with AI? "In this modern ecosystem, the goal is no longer just to guide a user through a journey, but to secure the product’s presence within the moment of choice. To achieve this, brands must understand the data sources fueling these AI systems." https://lnkd.in/e8Kj3xsJ
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