Personal branding and PR get lumped together all the time, but they play two very different roles in how women entrepreneurs grow. Branding is what builds trust when someone finds you. PR is what puts you in front of new, aligned audiences in the first place.

Branding and PR are often lumped together, but they serve very different roles in how your business grows.

Branding is what builds trust.
PR is what gets you seen.

In this episode of The Branded Impact Podcast, I sit down with Alessandra Polina, Founder of Quotable Media Co., a PR agency helping women entrepreneurs step confidently into the spotlight. We break down how branding and PR work together, why visibility without clarity falls flat, and how women founders can stop hiding behind good visuals and start being recognized as industry leaders.

If your brand looks polished but growth still feels slow, this conversation will connect the dots.

🎧 Listen or watch on your favorite platform: The Branded Impact Podcast Episode 32

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Branding is not just your logo, website, or color palette. It is the experience people have when they interact with your business and the feeling they walk away with afterward.

PR is not just press or features. It is how your message travels beyond your existing audience.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why branding alone does not guarantee visibility
• How PR helps women entrepreneurs expand reach and authority
• When to invest in PR and what to do first
• Why podcast guesting is one of the most effective PR entry points
• How confidence, credibility, and visibility are deeply connected

This conversation is especially valuable for women-led businesses that are ready to stop blending in and start being recognized.

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Key Takeaways

• Branding is the foundation that builds trust once people find you
• PR expands your reach by placing you in front of new, aligned audiences
• A rebrand is often a mindset shift, not just a visual upgrade
• Visibility grows faster when your brand and PR strategy work together
• Podcast guesting is one of the most accessible and effective PR strategies

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Branding Builds Trust. PR Builds Reach.

One of the biggest misconceptions in business is that branding and PR are interchangeable. They are not.

Branding answers the question:
“Do I trust this person enough to take the next step?”

PR answers the question:
“How do more people discover this business in the first place?”

Without strong branding, PR sends people to a destination that does not convert.
Without PR, even the best brand struggles to grow beyond its current audience.

That is why visibility that converts requires both.

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Why Rebranding Is Often About Growth, Not Aesthetics

As Alessandra shared, many founders start businesses focused on flexibility, freedom, and control. Over time, growth demands something different.

A rebrand often happens when:

• The business is ready to grow beyond the founder
• Clients expect access to the founder instead of a team
• The brand no longer reflects the level of expertise offered
• The company needs longevity beyond one person

Rebranding is not about starting over. It is about aligning how your business looks with how it actually operates.

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The Confidence Effect of Strong Branding

One of the most powerful parts of branding is what it does internally.

When women entrepreneurs invest in a brand that truly reflects them, they often:

• Show up more confidently online
• Speak more clearly about what they do
• Step into rooms differently
• Stop hiding behind their work

Confidence is not separate from visibility. It fuels it.

A brand you are proud of makes it easier to be seen.

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Why PR Is the Missing Link for Many Women Entrepreneurs

Many women founders are doing all the right things:

• Posting consistently
• Updating their website
• Refining their messaging

But growth still feels capped.

That is often because visibility is limited to the same audience.

PR changes that by allowing you to borrow trust and reach from platforms that already have aligned audiences. Podcasts, publications, interviews, and speaking opportunities introduce you to people who may never have found you otherwise.

PR is not about being everywhere. It is about being in the right places.

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Where to Start With PR

If PR feels intimidating, the best place to start is podcast guesting.

Podcast interviews allow you to:

• Share your story in a natural, conversational way
• Build authority through long-form content
• Create evergreen visibility that lasts
• Repurpose content across social, email, blogs, and sales assets

One podcast interview can support your marketing for weeks or months.

For many women entrepreneurs, it is the easiest and most effective entry point into PR.

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How Branding and PR Work Together

Think of branding as the conversion layer and PR as the amplifier.

PR brings people to your world.
Branding determines whether they stay.

When both are aligned, visibility turns into trust, and trust turns into sales.

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Guest Resources

Free 30 Minute Visibility Strategy Session | Quotable Media Co.
Website: Qoutable Media Co⁠
LinkedIn: Alessandra Polina
Personal Instagram: @iamalessandrapollina

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About The Branded Impact Podcast

The Branded Impact Podcast is hosted by Jo Espejo, Founder of Branding by Jo. The show helps women-led businesses align visuals, messaging, and systems to show up, sell, and scale with clarity and confidence.

Explore other episodes of The Branded Impact Podcast www.brandingbyjo.com

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Work With Branding by Jo

If this episode had you thinking,
“Okay… I’ve built the foundation, but I’m ready to be seen,”
here are two ways to take your next step:

Align Your Brand for Visibility
Make sure your visuals, messaging, and presence reflect the expert you already are—so when people discover you, they stay, trust, and take action.

Step Into Strategic Visibility
Whether through branding, PR, or podcast opportunities, visibility works best when it’s intentional. Get support creating a brand that confidently carries your voice into bigger rooms.
Branding by Jo Services

Full Transcript

00:00 Introduction to Quotable Media Co.
00:44 The Journey of Entrepreneurship
02:15 Rebranding and Its Importance
04:15 The Shift in Mindset for Growth
06:37 The Rebranding Process
09:09 The Role of Branding in Business
11:14 The Connection Between Branding and PR
16:06 The Role of PR in Branding
19:26 When to Start PR Efforts
22:08 Niche Focus on Women Entrepreneurs
23:01 The Impact of Branding on Confidence
26:40 Getting Started with PR
30:38 Leveraging Podcasts for PR
32:22 JO OUTRO_v2.mp4

Jo Espejo (00:18)

Every brand has a story, but not every woman knows how to get her seats That’s where today’s guest, Alessandra Polina, has changed the game. She is the founder of Quotable Media Co., the PR agency helping women-led businesses step confidently into the spotlight. From producing her own podcast and magazine to hosting PR workshops and leading the female founders of Boston, Alessandra is on a mission to make visibility accessible and powerful for women everywhere.

Alessandro, thank you so much for joining me today. I’m so excited for this conversation. Can you start by sharing a little bit about what even got you to form Quotable Media?

Alessandra (00:53)

thanks for having me first of all. This is going to be so fun. I’ll start by just saying I feel like I’m like the rare business owner who actually like went to school for PR and after college, I had one brief stint at a job I didn’t love and basically was a job that I hated and basically was like catapulted into

entrepreneurship like right after that. So I actually started my company about a year after I graduated college. And I mean, at that time, it was just one client that I started working with. And from there, built the company. I didn’t set out as like, let me go start an agency. It was just I started working with a client while I was kind of working part time with a guy I knew who had a PR agency to

but didn’t need full-time work. And this was after I was just kind of quickly quit a job where I was like, I need just something to do. And it just kind of snowballed from there. I brought on more and more clients on my own and eventually was like, I guess I have a company. And then expanded into an agency over time after that. And then we actually rebranded to name it Quodwell Media Co.

Jo Espejo (01:50)

That’s awesome.

Alessandra (01:56)

several years later. I had just named it after myself at first, because again, hadn’t been super intentional about the whole creation of it. if you like look up Quotable Media Co, it looks like it’s existed for probably, I think like 2020 actually was when we rebranded. like I essentially started the company 13 years ago now. Yeah, and it just grew and grew from there.

Jo Espejo (02:15)

That’s amazing.

Very cool. So tell me a little bit about branding. What was the reasoning behind that? Like kind of what prompted you to want to make a name change?

Alessandra (02:25)

when I started to see the growth that I wanted the company to have and build it out into more of an agency. it was like when I started, was just, I was taking on a couple of clients. I just thought, I need to pay my bills. I just want to have a company where I can…

do what I want to do, not have a boss to have to tell me what to do. I didn’t realize at the time, like clients, it’s like having like multiple bosses all the time, but it’s a little different. still get to, exactly, exactly. But you still get to make the rules in lot of senses. I wanted control over what I was doing day to day basically. And I was like, I also was a young mom. had my son shortly after starting my company. I was like, I want to have the flexibility and freedom to

Jo Espejo (02:49)

Right. You go from one to many. fine. ⁓

Alessandra (03:07)

build it how I wanna build it and have say over what I’m doing with clients, what I’m doing in the PR space and all of that. So I really just saw it as me, myself and I for a long time.

to work with other people and take them just as seriously as they took me. If I’m not the one on the client call, that’s OK, because you’re not paying to work with Alessandra Plina. You’re paying to have Quotable Media Co. on your side. And I really wanted it to kind of feel that way. And again, I think it’s just I know there’s tons of huge and very successful businesses that are named after a person or are somebody’s last name.

Jo Espejo (04:15)

Yes.

Alessandra (04:15)

It just felt like it let me expand and grow much bigger and beyond myself. Not much bigger, we’re still a very small company. But I want to be part of it forever, but I don’t want it to be tied.

to me, I wanted to run without me, run beyond me.

Jo Espejo (04:43)

I’ve seen the companies where it is after even like first name, last name kind of thing that is a sentiment that so many of us feel, especially if we started out in entrepreneurship with the mindset of we’re doing this for us. We’re trying to create a different kind of life. A lot of times, especially

On the women’s side, it’s based, we’re searching for some sort of time freedom, freedom to be able to control as much as we can say we can control. I think it’s a false sense of security, but anyway, trying to control a little bit more of our aspects of our lives. And then when you start to bring people on, I know I felt those tinges too, where it’s like, gosh,

Alessandra (05:08)

Mm-hmm.

Jo Espejo (05:14)

I’m struggling even now as I’m looking at expanding and scaling and growing. I’m like, what part can I give up? What part are people okay? I like these pieces, but you struggle with that. And so if that’s what it takes for you to be able to open up the space, that’s great, but it’s not 100 % necessary. I think it all just comes down to the conversations is what I found because I’ve brought people on

They’re like, awesome. I used to be the person that would give feedback. And then when I decided to level up my service and I personally just didn’t want to do it anymore, I like, I am not the best. I can look at an outfit and tell you whether or not it’s a good option. But if it’s not a good option, I don’t really know how to help you outside of giving you a few guidelines.

But bringing on somebody that wasn’t like a photographer felt easy. Telling my clients that they get to work with professional hair and makeup artists, I an eye at the fact that I wasn’t going to be the one doing their hair and makeup. And then I’ve had to overcome. And now I’m working on that as my next step as far as like, when I start to expand and I start to offer services, am I okay with not being behind the camera? But I love the fact that like what started out as

a vision for like a self, it’s going to be one person, started to expand, you started to grow. And then what you needed, I think, as a push to kind of cross over that barrier was a name change. So that’s phenomenal. But talk to me a little bit about what had to shift in your branding, because you built a business for a significant amount of time under, was it Polina PR? And then you switched to Codable. So what were some of the things that you did?

Alessandra (06:37)

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (06:42)

Initially, when you made that name change to let people know that it’s not a brand new business, this is us. How did you rebrand and then how do you get pivot? Because that impacts a lot of things. It impacts your SEO, it brand So what are some of the things that you did as you made that transition?

Alessandra (06:57)

Yeah, that’s

a great question. we launched the magazine at this, like right at the same time, I think. and like, I, so I felt like that was like another expansion. I already had the podcast, but we didn’t technically have like a whole media like side to the company. It was just like the peer agency and then my podcast. And I think that part of it too was like we were.

really expanding in that sense. Like the magazine didn’t really make sense to fall under like a PR agency and it like, wasn’t going to call it like some magazine by Polina PR. So like it made more sense to kind of rebrand to a name that made sense for the magazine too. And then really see it as kind of two different pillars to the, to the company, the PR at the agency, and then the media company piece of it. And I think that made like the launch itself a little more like

Jo Espejo (07:19)

Yeah.

Alessandra (07:37)

interesting and exciting. Like people did pay attention because we were launching the magazine at the same time too I think in terms of the rebrand, I mean again this is a little embarrassing to even say but like as I said I wasn’t like super intentional about first starting the company so like I had made the website myself. You know I had

I think made the logo myself. I don’t think I had like a real branding person do like anything for me at the beginning. And I had just kind of iterated on everything as I grew. when I was gonna rebrand, I was like, I’m really gonna like actually do this right this time. And, you know, hired a branding agency to come up with the logo, the whole look, all the actual brand itself and a whole new website.

I believe what I did was like redirected the web, the old website to the new website. So like we didn’t lose all of the SEO. But to be honest, I’m not even sure if that’s still the case or not. Like I just haven’t paid any attention to it for so long after that, but I was really worried about like, people are gonna like go here looking for something and it’s not there. So I did make sure that like kind of everything did still feed into the new site and whatever else like, you know.

the Facebook page, like we, just kind of made a very specific blurb that went everywhere. was, know, Polina PR is now Quotable Media Co. So that people wouldn’t be too confused because there’s nothing worse than when, you know, somebody knows you from something and they go to look you up and don’t know that this new thing is like also you or like is the same company. Like I didn’t want to cause confusion, right? When it comes to branding, the worst thing you can do is cause confusion or have people not really know.

Jo Espejo (09:09)

Yes.

Alessandra (09:10)

what they’re looking at or what they’re supposed to do with something, right? So that was my main concern. But in terms of creating the brand, you know, I hired that branding agency. We did do a professional photo shoot with my small team at the time. So we like rented a

space for a photo shoot, did a photo shoot, so we had great imagery, so that we could redo that website and the social. We had a whole plan for social for like kind of that announcement and the countdown and stuff and then and then unveiling it all with the new name and all of that stuff. So I was very, very intentional about it that time. compared to when I first started the company and was like not nearly as intentional around the branding and

Jo Espejo (09:35)

Yeah.

Alessandra (09:48)

and setting up the company as I should have been.

Jo Espejo (09:50)

don’t be embarrassed because I feel like so many of us do that, right? Like not everybody has the ability to go all in on branding on the front end. And so that’s what I find happens the majority of the time is that you find that we do our own thing. It’s like, we have this idea, we DIY as much as we can based on budget, based on time, based on not knowing any better. You know, why not? You just do. And then sometimes, especially in this space, like you have creative skills. So you’re like, I have an idea.

I can just do it. It’s fine. But what about the pivot? And even now, as you’re looking back and you’re thinking about it, why did you feel like going with a brand and just the second time was so important compared to the DIY version?

Alessandra (10:17)

Yeah.

I mean, a few reasons. One, just like the world is so different now, like the world of business and the world in general. Like people just won’t take you seriously these days. I feel like if you don’t have a strong brand, I think like literally things were so, so different when I started. Like literally Instagram wasn’t even like a thing, at least certainly not for business. So it was like website was the only thing I had.

I just think now there’s just so much in the business space. People, if you don’t have like a really polished looking brand, people aren’t going to take you seriously. I also already had, you know, a certain amount of reputation in the space, right? Like I wasn’t going to, I need people to take me seriously to the level that I already was, you know, in terms of the business and the quality of work that we’re doing. Like I’m not going to, at that point, kind of come showing up with like something that doesn’t look.

polished and put together and professional because we just already were there as far as a business goes. there’s a certain amount of stuff you still can DIY, but in this day and age in 2025, 2026, I really think that if you want to launch a business like you need to have your brand set from the get go or like there’s just too much noise, too much competition.

And it’s just honestly, it’s too easy to do it. Like it’s too easy to have a great brand to not have a great brand.

Jo Espejo (11:39)

I guess too, it’s also because of the fact that I watched that journey myself, because I saw the difference between when I had the DIY website and I had all those pieces and then the journey to working with a brand agency. And it can be something as simple as a logo. I designed a logo, loved it. When I was looking at it on the computer, it was beautiful. Everything was great.

And then I sponsored that I walked into the event and I saw my logo across the room. I couldn’t even read it. I knew it was mine. But if I didn’t know me, I was like, what the heck? Like that looks awful. If I would have worked with the branding agency, one of the things when I did to finally decide to work with somebody that did graphic design, one of the first things that they said was your logo has to be readable no matter what size version place that you put it, or you at least have to have a

format that can be. it’s just nowadays, even with AI and all these things, like there is a differentiator and you can tell. And then what are you trusting and asking people to trust in your business with? And it’s like, do you want to look like the fly by night that just came up yesterday? Or do you want to look like the business that you are an expert that you can be trusted? And I think this is where people don’t realize

It’s those subtle pieces that you’re causing distrust without realizing you’re causing distrust. And they may not know how to put their name, like put their finger on it. But it’s like, if you go to the, I use real estate agents for an example, sorry to pick on you guys, if you’re a real estate agent, but I see this all the time where like their headshot is a selfie in a car with the seatbelt on. And I’m like, you’re asking me to make a major life purchase with you and you don’t even have a nice headshot.

Like I can’t even see your face. It’s like partially dark. You know, you’re sitting in the car, at least get outside, like at least get, you know, iPhone picture or something. But when you look at it, there’s a reason that people are going to choose the real estate agent that has a professional headshot versus the one that doesn’t if they don’t know you and they’re not being referred because there’s something that’s like, this one looks more professional than the other. And then what is that doing on the backend?

It’s creating trust. It’s creating all these things. While on the other side, you’re starting to ask questions. You may not understand what you’re asking, but I think people listen to this are like, sure, Joe, of course you agree because you’re in Branding. But we’re not just saying that because of the world that we’re living in. We’re saying it because of our experience.

Alessandra (13:51)

of people who have told me like that they were attracted or or they had heard about me for some reason but Decided to set up a call or whatever it was because they loved my website or because they loved my branding like people tell me that all the time even to this day and it’s been almost like six years now and to be honest I keep thinking I should do a little bit of a refresh at this point,

before the rebrand nobody said they were coming to me because of that They were coming to me because of referrals or because they had seen you know My work or met me in some way now people say they got in touch because they like left it It’s it just draws in the right kind of people it magnetizes the right kind of people to you Even if they don’t understand why they not might not be like your headshots look better than that person That’s why I called you, but it’s the little things like as you said that are

making you resonate more with somebody who’s maybe looking into their options or wasn’t even looking into options that came across you and they were just like, this company looks really cool. Like I’d like to work with them.

Jo Espejo (14:44)

Yes, and there’s something that makes it and I don’t know if you’ve this, but I have found that when I do attract clients that way, the self, for lack of better words, is so much easier.

Alessandra (14:52)

Because they come to you. When somebody comes to you and they feel like they’ve made that choice, and that’s not to tie this back into PR, but that’s exactly what I love about PR and what I tell people too is like when somebody feels that they’ve discovered you or they felt that urge to get in touch with you first, it’s not you reaching out to them or even someone else. Maybe somebody referred them and that’s why they looked you up.

but they’ve made that first move because they felt something that’s so much more powerful. Usually I do, I agree. I find the sale is a lot easier because they already feel that connection.

Jo Espejo (15:22)

I wanted to, and I love when it naturally happens. So, no, I’m so glad you said that because I do want to tie it back into PR because there’s a difference. And a lot of times with marketing and PR, we kind of all get looped into the same thing. And I think that there’s definite separations and then there’s a place like for me, and then I want to hear your take on it. I love to say that branding is what you do first as the foundation.

And then you pile on the marketing and the PR on top. And I’m like, guys, if you are doing all of these things, you’re paying to have ads and you’re paying to have PR or you’re getting out there, what are you sending them to? Because once they hear about you, the branding is what I see when they land They land on your social, they land on your website, they land on your email. Like literally guys, all the things that are touch points to your clients. the foundational piece.

But branding isn’t going to get your name out there. That’s where marketing and PR come into play. So talk to me about the importance of PR. What drove you to really niche down? And then talk to me about PR. What is the importance and how does that help? Because there is a differentiation here. There is branding and PR.

Alessandra (16:08)

Right.

Jo Espejo (16:26)

work together, but they’re not the same.

Alessandra (16:28)

I think you said it exactly kind of how I would say it too, that you need that brand set first. That’s what’s gonna get people to actually get to know you and to want to like, find out more about you because they look you up or whatever they come to your website, you got your email list, you want that to look right, you want that to get people to be like, yeah, she looks interesting, or I want to know more, I want to work with her. That’s like so important. But the PR side of things is how you can actually get in front of more

because a lot of times people will be like, I’m doing all the things, right? Like I did the photo shoot, I have a beautiful website, I’m posting on Instagram every day, but no one is, you know, I’m not like expanding my audience. No one’s actually like signing up for my stuff or buying my things or you know, whatever it is. And that’s where the PR comes in. I’m like, well, what are you doing to get in front of more people? Because just posting on your Instagram, you’re getting in front of the same people who already follow you, I know.

Theoretically with hashtags like back in the day you used to be able to get in front of more people who didn’t already follow you These days that’s not so much the case or it’s much harder. I think I mean and even back then I was still telling people like hey You’ve got to go beyond social media sometimes so

Jo Espejo (17:31)

I think social media is like

a good place to have as like a second visibility credibility check, but it is very hard to just get discovered on social media.

Alessandra (17:37)

Mm-hmm.

I agree. I think like it’s definitely necessary. I’m not telling anyone not to have a great social presence. And it comes back to what you said too. Like I think you should have that on lock first. You should have that social presence looking great before you do anything else to like put yourself out there. But then you need to actually be bringing in more people to look at it and to see it. They can get a lot of information about you once they’re already interested about you. They can get information about how they could work with you or what.

you know, what those transformations will be that you’ll help them with. But first they have to actually have enough interest to even be looking you up and to find those things out about you. And so that’s where PR comes in. It’s just a way to get way more eyeballs on you and to get in front of people in a new way that you’re either, you’re basically borrowing another audience, an existing audience, right? Something, an audience that already trusts.

someone else, whether it’s getting on podcasts and getting in front of an audience that already trusts the host, and then they’re gonna be like, ooh, she sounded kind of cool. Like I might actually check her out more. And then what people are gonna do, they’re gonna go look me up on Instagram after this conversation, right? Or on LinkedIn, or go to my website and sign up for the email list. Any of those things that again comes back to like now, you know, I don’t want that to like.

not look nice or have similar messaging, like you wanna make sure people get there and they’re like, yeah, I actually still do wanna follow through with this, but they wouldn’t get there without having first heard me on this show or seen me, seen an interview of me online in a magazine or in a newspaper or something like that. So that’s how you’re getting in front of those different audiences from whatever that platform might be.

And then drawing people in, say, think of it as like the very top of your marketing funnel is the PR work, is this presence on some other outlet. And that’s how you’re going to bring people in to then come through the rest of your marketing funnel and then get to know you further

Jo Espejo (19:26)

So you’re recommending for having the brand foundation in place first, but then at what point someone consider doing PR because I feel like this is an area that I haven’t really explored too much outside of podcasts and trying to become like a speaker, but that’s not even a realm that I have really dove too far into.

Like branding is such a hype word right now. But then everyone’s like, oh, I’ve got the branding in check. I did my logo on my website. Done. I’ve got colors. I’ve got fonts. Like I’m good. I’m like, that’s a piece of your branding. Or like they wrap it in with the marketing. So recommendations as far as there are a certain part in business, they’ve got the brand foundation done. Like when should someone really start thinking about PR?

Alessandra (20:05)

well, so first of all being, when you think about it, yeah, how is it gonna fit into your overall branding? It’s, what are people gonna know you for, right? Like maybe they’re gonna see your beautiful branding photos and they’re gonna see your messaging on your website, but PR is what is gonna actually get you known as a thought leader or help you be known for something deeper than that. Not just brand photographer,

it’s whatever your differentiator is, like something that makes you stand out from any other brand photographer out there. So think about what that differentiator is and getting that story told more so that people can really connect with you on that deeper level so people see you as a thought leader and see that you are that expert. have this certain level of expertise.

that really helps you set stand apart and helps you provide an outstanding service to your clients or your customers or whatever that might be. I’m not saying you have to have spent a lot of time like yes have your brand set so that you have that and it looks good and it will help make your job easier once people find out more about you but I mean it depends kind of on what the business is but usually I think as soon as you kind of launch the business assuming you have that branding set before you’re launching

you have a reason to start PR around your launch because that’s news, right? And that’s a story to be told. But I think having a certain level of expertise before you start your business is always important. And assuming you have that.

I think you can usually start with at least some level of PR. going kind of back to what you asked before about like why women and like why I’ve kind of gone that route, I saw so many people when in like the first five to eight years of having my business, I saw more and more women starting their own businesses and then shutting them down because they weren’t getting in front of enough people or they weren’t getting in front of the right people, like people who starting.

of really cool businesses that were doing incredible things for people or really cool products.

Jo Espejo (21:58)

They’re mixed. Yeah.

Alessandra (22:08)

The people who will buy this thing or want to be part of your community and help you spread the word in some way, you know, even if they’re not going to be a customer or a client, the people who, can kind of get behind you, that’s the game changer. That’s what’s going to make a business actually successful and have longevity is making sure you’re getting yourself out there in a way to get in front of the people who need you or who will help.

this is all you need to do. Not all you need to do. Like it’s a lot. And like, obviously there’s a lot more to running a business, but like, I’d be like, I can see exactly what you need to do to get this in front of the right people who will like literally blow this up. And they would be like, I can’t afford a thousand dollars a month to, know,

do PR and get in front of 100,000 people. I’d be like, what? it’s like, I get it. Sometimes the budget is not there, but you need to obviously also have some kind of budget built into your business plan when it comes to getting yourself out there in the marketing, the branding, the PR. That does need to be built in to a certain extent.

Jo Espejo (23:01)

I love your heart in that. And I think that’s for me, like niching down to women. I mean, I still work with men as well, like if they get referred and things like that, but all of my marketing, all of my messaging is drawn to the women.

a brand that you’re proud of and that you can resonate with, it gives them this confidence to show up differently. And for me, I decided to name the podcast, The Branded Impact because I’m like, gosh, the impact that being branded has. It flows through so much more than just their business. Women, I know for me, I stepped into rooms different. It impacted not just my business, but my personal life, like me as a person, because I stopped playing small and I stopped hiding behind

Alessandra (23:28)

you

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (23:50)

something So like that piece, but when I was just doing photography, I had this thing that I was like, I can’t really say I’m a photographer because I didn’t go to school for it. And now I’m like, well,

Yeah, but no, right? And so it took me some time to get over that.

Alessandra (24:01)

I feel like in the creative

space that doesn’t even like make sense.

Jo Espejo (24:06)

It doesn’t,

it does to me and my like, right? We talk about mindset and like the blocks that I had myself as far as it didn’t make sense. I think I was in professional photography for about 10 years before I finally even did my own headshots. And I was the person that was like, you don’t need to see me. All you need to see is my work. My work speaks for itself. What does having my face out there have to do anything with it? And I had a mentor challenge me, I’ll never forget. She’s like,

Alessandra (24:09)

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (24:31)

No, I need to see your face and at least every nine posts that you put up on Instagram. I’m like, okay, one, I don’t have any pictures I’m willing to put up there. So she’s like, all right, well, fix that. I’m like, okay. So I went and did my first, started with a mini brand session and I remember posting my first picture. It was a nice lifestyle headshot of myself. I don’t even think I had a camera.

And all of sudden, everyone’s like, oh, you’re a professional photographer? I’m like, what do mean I’m a professional photographer? You’re commenting on my professional photography page that you have been following for however many years. And they’re like, I didn’t realize it was you. I was seeing the pictures. We loved the work. I didn’t associate the fact that you were the person taking the pictures. And I was like, oh. And then from there,

Alessandra (25:06)

you

Mm.

Jo Espejo (25:13)

All of a sudden, I had the confidence. I stood up straighter. I would look people in the eye and I’m like, this is what I do. And then I finally went full time with my own business and it was a huge transition. So for me, having that branding, yes, it felt good. And I, you talk about refreshes and all that stuff. My business has evolved a lot in the last five years that I went full time and I’ll do it again. I get my own brand photos done at minimum once a year.

Alessandra (25:17)

Yeah.

you

Jo Espejo (25:38)

On a good year, I get them done about every three to four because I turn through so much photos that I also get fatigue.

So I wanted new stuff, but I didn’t wait. I got photos done when I was heavier because I’m like, I have to show up in my business. But that impact, and when I say that it impacts more than just your business, like that. So me working with women, because I feel like you did, like if I can help you succeed not only in your business, but I can help you with a spark or like a pep in your step or confidence that you didn’t have before.

Alessandra (25:53)

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (26:10)

And then for me, when you have those photos that resonate, people look at it and they feel like they know you. And my clients tell me all the time how they hear similar things like you. I decided to choose you because your website, because of this, because, my gosh, you actually look like your photo on your email signature. You know, like these are the things that I’m hearing and then they can resonate. And then on the flip side, my clients are going,

Alessandra (26:10)

Mm-hmm.

Jo Espejo (26:36)

I can show up consistently because I have images that feel like me. This is me. When I’m putting this out there into the world, it’s not a made up version. It’s not that headshot that a lot of people don’t feel comfortable using, So where’s the first step for PR? If they’ve been listening and they’re like, all right, tell me more.

Alessandra (26:40)

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (26:54)

What is it? Am I looking at having to spend $1,000 a month? Or is there a place that you can start with just a call? How do they get into this world?

Alessandra (27:05)

So I would say if somebody’s first thinking about jump, like stepping into the world of PR look, think about podcasts first and foremost, because it’s

such a great way to get to have these like in-depth conversations. When people get to hear your voice, it’s almost, it’s like seeing the photo but times 10, right? It’s like they’re actually getting to know you even that much more. I think that a lot of times I just find that women are more comfortable talking on a podcast than any other form of, you know, doing an interview or pitching themselves to.

whatever, be on TV or be in a magazine or in a newspaper or like really any other, or being up on stage, that’s obviously maybe like a next level. it can be a little bit easier for them to wrap their head around, I think. And it can have such a big impact, right? Because people can listen to this.

months from now, years from now, it’s gonna live on. And there’s so much you can also do with the content afterwards or beyond just the one audio episode. I think we’re all so busy. A lot of times women are like, I don’t really have time. I don’t know if I’m gonna have time to focus on PR, to put myself out there in that way, to do all these things. And I’m like, if you do one podcast interview a month, not only did that take the hour that you’re having that conversation,

but you can cut that up into so many other pieces of marketing material that you can use, that you can then not have to spend time on your social media for the month. You don’t have to create new email content for the month. You can use it in so many ways that it’s actually gonna save you a ton of time in all of your other marketing and resonate with people that much more. So that’s one of the reasons, one of the things I do tell to people if they’re like not sure if they have the time or resources to dedicate towards it.

the ways you can use like podcast interviews specifically, but really any, anything else, you’re any kind of interview, any kind of coverage that you’ve gotten through PR to help people through the sales process. think people don’t always think about that and the ways that you can use it. It’s not just who’s gonna listen to this the day it goes live, right? It’s how else can I strategically use it to maybe build it into an email sequence that people get after they’ve had their first call with me or before they’ve had a call with me.

but they’re first looking into a certain service, I can insert pieces of an audio clip or direct people to listen to a whole episode of some podcast that I’ve been on that’s really gonna help them dive into more about how my process works or what it’s like or why they would wanna do PR, like whatever it is that it makes sense or whatever that conversation, But I think it’s just about thinking about how else you can use this material.

And then I think it makes the investment of your time and money feel a lot more doable. And that’s one reason specifically why I love podcasts and tell people to start there. Because everybody knows a podcast that they love to listen to and where they listen to, they are like, I feel like I’m friends with that host, even though I’ve never actually talked to her. I don’t actually know her, but I listen to her every week. I love the conversations. feel like that’s the kind of thing you can pitch yourself to because it feels really authentic.

Jo Espejo (29:55)

One.

Alessandra (30:02)

for you to say, hey, I feel like we could really sit down and have a really cool conversation that would really help your listeners get from X to Y to Z from listening to this and we could chat it through and it would be really great. And I just think approaching something if you’ve never done PR before, you’ve never pitched yourself to an opportunity before, thinking about it like that takes off some of the pressure. So if somebody doesn’t have budget or they’re not sure they wanna even commit to much,

I would just say I would just challenge them to find one podcast that they like to listen to and pitch themselves to be a guest on it. that’s a great place to start and just see how it feels to be honest.

Jo Espejo (30:36)

That’s amazing.

When I selfishly like I put off podcasting for a long time, I think I had it on my to do list for about two years and then just creating content. And I realized having a conversation with you, I am fine with the video camera rolling. Doesn’t bother me at all. The second that there’s no one else that I’m talking to on the screen and I’m just trying to create content by staring at the camera. I’m like, my God, why do I talk like that? Why do I act like that? Forget it. I will move that content block.

like to whatever day in the week and then it never happens. But this was a way for me to have amazing conversation. I wanted to highlight other women and I also get to create content and I repurpose my podcast as well. So there is at least one, if not two social media posts that are created out of it. It goes into a blog, it goes into emails, like it literally lives in so many places. And then I was making a mental note while you were talking. I’m like, okay, don’t forget that. I loved how you were talking about

Alessandra (31:05)

Mm-hmm.

Jo Espejo (31:28)

putting in clips whenever someone inquires or like they’re after the sales calls. Like that’s genius. I haven’t done that yet, but I totally am going to try to think of putting in my process. Okay. So if anyone’s been listening and they’re like, thank you for the tips. I want to know more. I would love to learn more about working with Quotable Media Co. Where can they find you?

Alessandra (31:48)

Well, the website is quotablemediacow.com. Now that we’ve talked about that, you can go check that out. And then we are on Instagram, quotablemediacow, also. And then I also have a personal Instagram. You can probably more likely connect with me there. It’s imalessandropolina. So those would be the best ways to get in touch and just say hi.

Jo Espejo (31:53)

you

Well, thank you so much for your time today, Alessandra. And honestly, for anyone that’s been listening, if you know of somebody that could benefit from some PR tips or from this story, please be sure to share and as always continue to be out there and make your branded impact.